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	<title>tim o'brien photos &#187; text to speech</title>
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	<link>http://www.timobrienphotos.com</link>
	<description>A blind photographer's exploration of his vision through photography and accessibility.</description>
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		<title>Kindle&#8217;s Crystal Ball: Accessible Navigation</title>
		<link>http://www.timobrienphotos.com/2009/03/kindles-crystal-ball-accessible-navigation/</link>
		<comments>http://www.timobrienphotos.com/2009/03/kindles-crystal-ball-accessible-navigation/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 21 Mar 2009 20:19:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Tim</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[large print]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[accessibility]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[accessibility improvements]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[amazon]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[amazon kindle]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[audio interface]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[books]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[interface]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[text to speech]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.timobrienphotos.com/?p=2421</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Spotted on The Mac-cessibility Site, Anazon&#8217;s Kindle team is working on some accessibility improvements. The main focus seems to be on voice feedback during navigation. The lack of an audio interface meant that the Kindle text-to-speech feature, Talk to Me, would not be accessible to blind users without the help of a sighted person. Introducing audio feedback completes the loop for the independent use of the Kindle by the visually impaired. According to the Amazon Kindle&#8217;s Blog: We&#8217;ve heard from many of our blind or vision impaired customers who are excited about Kindle 2&#8242;s text to speech technology. Some of these customers have asked that we make Kindle even easier for them by adding navigation accessible to the blind. We want to let those customers know that this is something we are working on and we look forward to making it available in the future. &#8211;The Amazon Kindle Team As is pointed out on The Mac-cessibility Site,  this features&#8217;s usefulness depends on the available of TTS-enabled content on the Kindle. As Amazon has surrenedered contorl of TTS to the publishing industry, it is vital that publishers and authors grant TTS access to their Kindle publicaitons for this accessibility improvement to [...]]]></description>
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		<title>Lobbying iPhone Developers for More Accessibility</title>
		<link>http://www.timobrienphotos.com/2009/03/lobbying-iphone-developers-for-more-accessibility/</link>
		<comments>http://www.timobrienphotos.com/2009/03/lobbying-iphone-developers-for-more-accessibility/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 12 Mar 2009 17:06:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Tim</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[large print]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[accessibility]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[accessibility guidelines]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[accessible design]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[app]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[apple]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[developer community]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[developers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[iphone]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[iPhone app]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[landscape mode]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mobile web]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[text to speech]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[zoom]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.timobrienphotos.com/?p=1940</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It has been pointed out to me that an effort to convince the iPhone developer community to embrace accessible design may have more fruitful approaches. Specifically, I have been told that it would be more effective to lobby Apple as well as individual app developers. I have already started lobbying Apple. They have an accessibility page for their products and make available a contact point on these issues. I regularly send my thoughts to them. Usually, they reply that my message has been forwarded to someone, but that is as far as it gets. Hopefully, Apple will set up some accessibility guidelines for thier iPhne Develepor Connection site. I am reviewing each and every app I think I can use on my blog. As I review each app, I post the review to the App Store and forward it to the developers when possible. Some have been responsive, others not. I know that Apple has consulted with some of the national organizations for the blind. The focus there tends to be on issues relating to the profoundly blind. Text-to-speech and other non-visual interfaces are the focus of those talks. The issues I am trying to raise affect those of us [...]]]></description>
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		<title>Accessibility @ Amazon: The Kindle, Audible.com &amp; a Chief Accessibility Officer</title>
		<link>http://www.timobrienphotos.com/2009/03/accessibility-amazon-the-kindle-audiblecom-a-chief-accessibility-officer/</link>
		<comments>http://www.timobrienphotos.com/2009/03/accessibility-amazon-the-kindle-audiblecom-a-chief-accessibility-officer/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 04 Mar 2009 19:45:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Tim</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[large print]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[accessibility]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[amazon]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[audible]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blind]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[digital books]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[E-Book]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[jeff bezos]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[kindle]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[national library service]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[reading]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[text to speech]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[vision]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.timobrienphotos.com/?p=1983</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[An Open Letter to Jeff Bezos at Amazon Does Amazon have a Chief Accessibility Officer? Someone who oversees accessibility issues across the company? It does not seem so. With Amazon at the heart of both online shopping and digital books (audio and e-books), you need a strong corporate position on accessibility. Not only is there a moral duty for this, but a fiduciary one as well. The market for accessible products is only beginning to bloom as the baby boomers stat to retire. As tech savvy customers age and their eyesight fades, there will be a strong market impetus towards offering accessibility. The first issue facing Amazon is this Kindle controversy over the Talk to Me feature. Offering this capability makes the Kindle 2 nearly the holy grail of accessible reading devices for the visually impaired. Yet, allowing the publishers to disable text to speech reduces the accessibility of the device and may lose a significant market for the Kindle. Amazon needs someone who can find solutions for this situation. Perhaps Amazon should partner with the National Library Service for the Blind to provide TTS-enabled books to qualified individuals until the publishers see that Talk to Me is in their [...]]]></description>
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		<title>Petition to Make the Kindle Fully Accessible</title>
		<link>http://www.timobrienphotos.com/2009/03/petition-to-make-the-kindle-fully-accessible/</link>
		<comments>http://www.timobrienphotos.com/2009/03/petition-to-make-the-kindle-fully-accessible/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 03 Mar 2009 18:17:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Tim</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[large print]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[access]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[accessibility]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[amazon]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blind]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[font]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[interface]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[kindle]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[petition]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[scalable font]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[text to speech]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[variable speed playback]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.timobrienphotos.com/?p=1968</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A peeition to Make the Kindle 2 Fully Accessible has been started. We, the undersigned, ask Amazon Technologies, Inc., and its affiliates, to modify the new Kindle 2, and add the ability to have all menu choices spoken with voice prompts, so that all blind and sighted individuals may purchase, and make full use of this innovative product. Amazon could really extend the text-to-speech function with variable speed playback. The Kindle could also use an audio interface for the profoundly blind. The scalable font size could have larger options. I, for one, would appreciage an inberted colors scheme with light font on a darck background. Some of these features would be easier than others for Amazon to implement. But they won&#8217;t implement any without understanding the need. Help them. Sign the petition. If you find this post useful or interesting, please consider buying me a cup of coffee.Related Posts:Kindle&#8217;s Crystal Ball: Accessible NavigationBookshelf AccessKindle sparks a flame war, but fails to light the fire for accessibility &#8211; AFB&#8217;s BlogRead it to Me: Kindle 2.0 has Text-to-SpeechCOAT Petition: Access to Technology Legislation]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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		<title>One Small Step Back for Amazon, One Giant Leap Backwards for Access</title>
		<link>http://www.timobrienphotos.com/2009/02/one-small-step-back-for-amazon-one-giant-leap-backwards-for-access/</link>
		<comments>http://www.timobrienphotos.com/2009/02/one-small-step-back-for-amazon-one-giant-leap-backwards-for-access/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 28 Feb 2009 15:02:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Tim</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[large print]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[accessibility]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[amazon]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blind]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[device]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[kindle]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nytimes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[reading]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[text to speech]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.timobrienphotos.com/?p=1978</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Today Amazon announced that it was surrendering to the Author&#8217;s Guild &#8211; Amazon Backs off Text-to-Speech Feature in Kindle &#8211; Bits Blog &#8211; NYTimes.com. The new Talk To Me feature, a form of text to speech, in Amazon&#8217;s Kindle will be disabled at the whim of the publisher. How many publishers will not exercise the option to kill TTS? This will likely undo the biggest advance in accessible reading devices since the large print book. Therefore, we are modifying our systems so that rightsholders can decide on a title by title basis whether they want text-to-speech enabled or disabled for any particular title. We have already begun to work on the technical changes required to give authors and publishers that choice. With this new level of control, publishers and authors will be able to decide for themselves whether it is in their commercial interests to leave text-to-speech enabled. We believe many will decide that it is. If the publishers do choose to kill TTS, Amazon should enable this feature for the blind. They should partner with the NLS. Anyone who qualifies for the NLS&#8217; services should be able to register with Amazon for TTS enabled books. Somehow I do not [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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		<title>Kindle Controversy Catching Fire</title>
		<link>http://www.timobrienphotos.com/2009/02/kindle-controversy-catching-fire/</link>
		<comments>http://www.timobrienphotos.com/2009/02/kindle-controversy-catching-fire/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 13 Feb 2009 13:57:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Tim</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[large print]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[accessibility]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[amazon]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[audio]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blogosphere]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[brouhaha]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[controversy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[link]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[neil gaiman]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[news]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[reading]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[talking books]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[text]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[text to speech]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wall street journal]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.timobrienphotos.com/?p=1595</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The brouhaha over the new Kindle&#8217;s text-to-speech function possibly violating copyright has really caught fire. The issue hit the papers as well as the blogosphere. The Wall Street Journal carried the sotry with New Kindle Audio Feature Causes a Stir. Several fellow accessibility blogs have picked up the issue. The Talking Books Librarian asks &#8220;Kindle 2 text to speech: is it a copyright violation or help for those with disabilities?&#8220;. Mac-Accessibility call for an email campaign in Author’s Guild Opposes TTS for reading Electronic Materials. The geek and sci-fi blogs are burning up on the issue as well. Wired reports on the Copyright Fight Brewing Over Amazon&#8217;s Kindle 2. Geek News Central brings up: The Kindle, Copyright, and Neil Gaiman. Speaking of sci-fi author, Neil Gaiman, he has has a Quick argument summary on his blog. If you find this post useful or interesting, please consider buying me a cup of coffee.Related Posts:Slashdot &#124; Author&#8217;s Guild Says Kindle&#8217;s Text-To-Speech Software IllegalBlount Bluntly Dismisses the Blind on the NYTimes&#8217; Op-Ed PageKindle&#8217;s Crystal Ball: Accessible NavigationBookshelf AccessOne Small Step Back for Amazon, One Giant Leap Backwards for Access]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>Slashdot &#124; Author&#8217;s Guild Says Kindle&#8217;s Text-To-Speech Software Illegal</title>
		<link>http://www.timobrienphotos.com/2009/02/slashdot-authors-guild-says-kindles-text-to-speech-software-illegal/</link>
		<comments>http://www.timobrienphotos.com/2009/02/slashdot-authors-guild-says-kindles-text-to-speech-software-illegal/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 11 Feb 2009 16:14:43 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Tim</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[large print]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[amazon]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[article]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[audio]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[books]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[copyright infringement]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[copyright protection]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[digital rights management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DRM]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[electronic books]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[itunes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[library of congress]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[music industry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[narrators]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pdf]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[reading]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[text]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[text to speech]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[text to speech software]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.timobrienphotos.com/?p=1578</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Spotted on Slashdot, Author&#8217;s Guild Says Kindle&#8217;s Text-To-Speech Software Illegal. &#8220;The Author&#8217;s Guild claims that the new Kindle&#8217;s text-to-speech software is illegal, stating that &#8220;They don&#8217;t have the right to read a book out loud,&#8221; said Paul Aiken, executive director of the Authors Guild. &#8220;That&#8217;s an audio right, which is derivative under copyright law.&#8221; Forget for a moment that text-to-speech doesn&#8217;t copy an existing work. And forget the odd notion that the artificial enunciation of plain text is equivalent to a person&#8217;s nuanced and emotive reading. The Guild&#8217;s claim is that even to read out loud is a production akin to an illegal copy, or a public performance.&#8221; why is there such a conflict between accessibility and copyright? It seems to me the lot of accessibility issues are a side effect of copyright protection. Digital rights management, (DRM), as always impeded the flow of accessible information. The Library of Congress has thousands of volumes of text in audio format, but does not release it digitally because of fears of copyright infringement. Publishers are afraid of accessible electronic books in open formats, such as PDF, for the same reason. The music industry seems ready to abandon DRM. Apple&#8217;s iTunes has begun [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
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		<title>Read it to Me: Kindle 2.0 has Text-to-Speech</title>
		<link>http://www.timobrienphotos.com/2009/02/read-it-to-me-kindle-20-has-text-to-speech/</link>
		<comments>http://www.timobrienphotos.com/2009/02/read-it-to-me-kindle-20-has-text-to-speech/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 09 Feb 2009 19:33:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Tim</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[large print]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[low vision]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[reading]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[reading text]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[text]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[text speech]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[text to speech]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[variable speed playback]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[zoom]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.timobrienphotos.com/?p=1519</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The NY Times, along with every other news source, is reporting on the new version of Amazon&#8217;s e-book reader, the Kindle.Buried among all the other changes is one important accessibility feature: text-to-speech. According to the Times: Giving Voice to the Kindle: The Kindle 2 also has text-to-speech built in. “Any book, blog, magazine or personal document can be read aloud,” Mr. Bezos said. Users can switch between reading text and hearing it read by a fairly computerized voice. “It’s very easy to go back and forth between reading and listening,” Mr. Bezos said I have tested out the first version, as my wife has the Kindle 1.0. With its adjustable font size set to the maximum, I can read the text fairly easily with my low vision reading glasses. I look forward to testing out the new text-to-speech feature when I find someone with the new version. The new Kindle&#8217;s text-to-speech offers two voices, male and female, and does not offer variable speed playback. I really like the variable spped playback on the iPod, though I wish it had more than three settings. We will have to wait on reviews of the reading quality, but Nuance, who provides the Kindle&#8217;s [...]]]></description>
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