[bksvol-discuss] Re: OT More Abouth the Kindle

  • From: "Tammy Blaker" <wyomiia@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Wed, 9 Dec 2009 12:18:27 -0600

I have a little eyesight first thing in the morning. I can not read a word in the other computer eBook type. Kindle has the largest fonts I have found. No it is not something I can use for more than an half hour or so. I do give credit where due though. I find fault with the publishers who refuse to let the Kindle "read" the books. I wish the Kindle PC was around for the past five or six years ago when I could have used it. I just want a fare playing field. I should be able to buy a paperback eBook are read it however I like; on a Kindle, Stream or computer. Sure Bookshare is cheap but it can not keep up with adult reading be it westerns, mysteries or romance. Most of Bookshare's money and work goes to kids books. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jackie McBride" <abletec@xxxxxxxxx> 

To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, December 08, 2009 3:46 PM
Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: OT More Abouth the Kindle



Bill, if you're gonna vent your wrath to some1, do so at Random
House--they're the 1's who are trying to make TTS discretionary. Look,
I think Amazon's Kindle for PC is utter crap, & I have no ax to grind
here--I *certainly* do not work for Amazon & am actually urging people
to get on board w/Barnes & Noble because they are making their stuff
accessible but at the same time, the thing regarding the TTS is really
the fault of Random House. Ok, serious run-on if ever there were 1
but...

On 12/8/09, Bill Cox <waywardgeek@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

So, does this mean I shouldn't be pissed at them for:

a) Ending my ability to listen to most books, which they did when they
gave publisher's the option to disable TTS.
b) Suing people who publish software to help load books like the ones
I can get from bookshare.org onto the Kindle.

I don't see it.  Let's face it: Amazon screwed the blind/VI.  They
could have put in some sort of exception for the blind, but didn't.
They simply disabled audio, and DRM lock-downed the device, and then
sued anyone who wrote software that I can legally use to break their
encryption.  A Kindle is a useless piece of junk for many, including
me.

That said, I'm pitching it to buy my father-in-law a Kindle for
Christmas.  I may be pissed at Amazon, but it's still a cool device.
Hopefully one day they'll throw the blind/VI community a bone.  Google
is coming out next year with a competing service.  Hopefully they wont
be evil, and the blind/VI community will be able to participate.

Bill
On Tue, Dec 8, 2009 at 1:08 PM, Chela Robles <cdrobles693@xxxxxxxxx> wrote: 
Here is more info on this reader.

Blind and Vision-Impaired Readers to Benefit from New Kindle Features in
2010
Amazon working to make the bestselling Kindle also a breakthrough device
for
the blind
a.. Press Release
b.. Source: Amazon.com, Inc.
c.. On 9:00 am EST, Monday December 7, 2009
a.. Companies:
a.. Amazon.Com Inc.
SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Kindle, the #1 bestselling product across all of 
Amazon, has enabled many vision-impaired readers to enjoy books more
easily
than before, and has also helped dyslexic readers and those with learning 
disabilities improve their reading skills. Vision impaired customers
benefit
from Kindle's ability to change the font size - easily making any book a
large print edition. Dyslexic readers benefit from being able to listen
with
Kindle's text-to-speech technology while simultaneously reading along with the synchronized text. Today, Amazon announced that it is working on a new 
set of features that will make Kindle even better for these readers as
well
as a meaningful breakthrough device for the blind.
Related Quotes
"Kindle is for anyone who loves to read-in fact, we've heard from
thousands
of vision-impaired customers and customers with learning disabilities over the past two years who have been helped tremendously by Kindle," said Ian 
Freed, Vice President, Amazon Kindle. "With some key modifications, we
believe Kindle can be a breakthrough device for the blind, and the team is 
excited about making these enhancements."
Below are examples of emails sent to the Kindle team over the past two
years
about the significance of these features:
"The other day I took my visually impaired friend to the eye doctor. I
just
happened to take my Kindle out of my purse to show her the birthday gift I had received. Amazingly, she was able to read on it. How exciting; she had 
not been able to read books for many years."
"I've always loved to read, but the last year or so vision problems have
hampered my reading. Reading small print was extremely difficult and
caused
eye strain. Fortunately, a dear friend gifted me with my Kindle 2 on my
birthday in September. Since that time, my Kindle has not left my side."
"I have an 11 year old daughter with cerebral palsy. She has very poor
vision and cannot turn pages in a book, so the kindle text to speech is a 
blessing for her. She loves books and will listen for hours!"
"I am an ophthalmologist specializing in rehabilitation of the visually
impaired. I have found the Kindle DX to be of tremendous value to my
patients. A few modifications could increase its effectiveness."
[From teacher of students with learning disabilities] "One of my students 
brought his mom's Kindle to class this week and gave a little show and
tell
for two different classes. He is certainly a hard worker, but reading is
not
an easy skill for him. He reports that the lack of back-lighting, the
ability to change font size and the 'read-to' features have been very
helpful - already he feels he has made great progress! The Kindle has
really
grabbed the attention of many of my students who have typically been
turned
off by reading assignments."
To make Kindle more useful for the blind, the Kindle team is currently
working on an audible menuing system so blind and vision-impaired readers can easily navigate to books unassisted, in addition to listening to books 
as they can already do today with Read To Me. In addition, a new super
size
font will be added to Kindle, increasing the number of font sizes from six to seven. This seventh font size will be twice the height and width of the current largest font. These new features are scheduled for release by the 
summer of 2010.
To receive emails from Amazon when new features and updates on this topic 
are available, please send an email to blind-interest@xxxxxxxxxxx

About Amazon.com

Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN - News), a Fortune 500 company based in
Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers
Earth's
Biggest Selection. Amazon.com, Inc. seeks to be Earth's most
customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything
they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the
lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of
unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as Books;
Movies,
Music & Games; Digital Downloads; Electronics & Computers; Home & Garden; 
Toys, Kids & Baby; Grocery; Apparel; Shoes & Jewelry; Health & Beauty;
Sports & Outdoors; and Tools, Auto & Industrial.
Amazon Web Services provides Amazon's developer customers with access to
in-the-cloud infrastructure services based on Amazon's own back-end
technology platform, which developers can use to enable virtually any type 
of business. Examples of the services offered by Amazon Web Services are
Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2), Amazon Simple Storage Service
(Amazon S3), Amazon SimpleDB, Amazon Simple Queue Service (Amazon SQS),
Amazon Flexible Payments Service (Amazon FPS), Amazon Mechanical Turk and 
Amazon CloudFront.
Amazon and its affiliates operate websites, including www.amazon.com,
www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.fr,
www.amazon.ca,
and
www.amazon.cn.

As used herein, "Amazon.com," "we," "our" and similar terms include
Amazon.com, Inc., and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates
otherwise.

Forward-Looking Statements

This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning
of
Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the
Securities
Exchange Act of 1934. Actual results may differ significantly from
management's expectations. These forward-looking statements involve risks 
and uncertainties that include, among others, risks related to
competition,
management of growth, new products, services and technologies, potential
fluctuations in operating results, international expansion, outcomes of
legal proceedings and claims, fulfillment center optimization,
seasonality,
commercial agreements, acquisitions and strategic transactions, foreign
exchange rates, system interruption, inventory, government regulation and 
taxation, payments and fraud. More information about factors that
potentially could affect Amazon.com's financial results is included in
Amazon.com's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission,
including
its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent filings.

Kindle devices are sold through Amazon Digital Services, Inc.



Contact:
Amazon Media Hotline:206-266-7180
----------------
----------------
“If you go without playing the trumpet for one day, no one knows, two
days,
only you know, and more than three days without practicing, girl you
better
look out, because everyone will know!”
Today, I find myself constantly saying those words, just to get myself
going, to not give up, and it works. Since I learned to play the trumpet
at
the tender age of 10, I have spent so much passion and much diligence with 
that instrument that I will not give up on it. Sometimes my instrument
puts
me into awkward situations where I feel like they won’t ever end, but the 
trumpet gives me a lot of hope with the majestic, crystal-clear sound it
brings to my ears.
----------------
Chela Robles
E-Mail: cdrobles693@xxxxxxxxx
MSNWindowsLive Messenger: cdrobles693@xxxxxxxxxxx
Skype: jazzytrumpet


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--
Change the world--1 deed at a time
Jackie McBride
www.abletec.serverheaven.net
Please join me Saturday, 11/7, on my walk against breast cancer by
making a donation at:
http://main.acsevents.org/goto/larkspur>
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