Comments on: Kindle 2 Text to Speech Demo

By: jimeviljim

jimeviljim — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 04:17:59 +0000

Thanks for posting this, I’ve been looking for a good sample.

By: kindlejunkie

kindlejunkie — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 03:26:29 +0000

Glad to help.

By: kindlejunkie

kindlejunkie — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 02:50:04 +0000

My other video, “Kindle 2 Text to Speech Demo With Pictures”, is a little better. It at least quits when the sound quits.

By: lavarium

lavarium — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 02:23:11 +0000

Thanks for the post. It isn’t as bad as I thought it would be. If Amazon would only do an international launch… someday… XD

By: kindlejunkie

kindlejunkie — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 02:22:49 +0000

The Guild admits (grudgingly, perhaps) that reading bedtime stories aloud is OK. So, if humans have the right to read a book aloud, then it seems silly that a synthesized voice cannot legally be used to duplicate the experience.

By: glork2007

glork2007 — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 01:31:31 +0000

Reminds me of Microsoft Sam

By: kindlejunkie

kindlejunkie — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 00:46:48 +0000

Amazon has caved (I’m so disappointed). Text-to-speech will now be opt-in for publishers. There are rumblings in the Twitterverse (and elsewhere) to boycott books that cripple the TTS feature.

By: phalos

phalos — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 00:10:40 +0000

Thank you for sharing this. I’m a nearly blind college student, and I just ordered a Kindle2 this morning.
If anyone has used JAWS or NVDA day-in day-out for years, then they know that anything with TTS is great news.
I think these voices are Tom and Smantha from Realspeak Solo.

By: zzubnevets

zzubnevets — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 00:07:56 +0000

I have to side with Phalos. I mean anyone that would holdout on a TTS feature when there is a real need for it are just hardcore jerks! Honestly, I really think if publishers, being as creative as they are, could spin this into a bananza service! No one is going to stop buying the high quality audiobooks that they love, but for the “junk food” books..?? …the corny mass market paperbacks we all love but won’t admit to buying… “come on!?” Bravo, Junkie, Bravo!

By: kindlejunkie

kindlejunkie — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 23:33:42 +0000

When I was a kid, I had a books for the blind player. It was so ugly and huge, that I was embarrassed to use it outside of the house. I hated feeling like I was getting special treatment, and that bulky box screamed “special”. Kindle 2 is something anybody could use, so I wouldn’t feel self-conscious about it at all. I responded well to treatment, and now I see well enough with glasses that audio isn’t necessary, but I surely understand where you’re coming from.