Amazon releases Kindle Paperwhite with VoiceView

tomsem · 05-10-2016, 03:34 PM

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01AS6HK7G/

Quote:

Designed Specifically for the blind and visually impaired

Kindle Audio Adapter
The Kindle Audio Adapter activates VoiceView on your Kindle when plugged into the micro-USB port. Just plug your headphones or speakers into the audio jack on the Kindle Audio Adapter to use your Kindle e-reader with an audio interface.

VoiceView for Kindle
VoiceView for Kindle, which also uses Amazon’s award-winning natural language text-to-speech voices (formerly known as IVONA), enables blind and visually impaired customers to read books and navigate their Kindle e-reader via voice prompts.

Touch Exploration
Explore content and navigate your Kindle e-reader using accessibility gestures. You can navigate item-by-item as well as by touch.

No doubt something analogous is coming to Oasis, perhaps via Bluetooth for the audio feedback.

HarryT · 05-10-2016, 03:38 PM

And this of course answers the question of why firmware 5.7.4 has a complete set of TTS speech files on devices with no audio capability!

Sydney's Mom · 05-10-2016, 03:43 PM

TTS works great on K5

HarryT · 05-10-2016, 03:45 PM

This is a lot more than TTS, though; it's voice navigation, which the Kindle's never had before.

howyoudoin · 05-10-2016, 04:08 PM

Revolutionary. Welcome back to 2010, Amazon.

tomsem · 05-10-2016, 04:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

This is a lot more than TTS, though; it's voice navigation, which the Kindle's never had before.

On Kindle Keyboard, you can turn on 'voice menus' and it will read out the menu text as you navigate with cursor. Don't have mine handy to check details but you could almost navigate without vision.

HarryT · 05-10-2016, 04:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by howyoudoin

Revolutionary. Welcome back to 2010, Amazon.

What Kindle had voice navigation in 2010?

howyoudoin · 05-10-2016, 04:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

What Kindle had voice navigation in 2010?

Kindle Keyboard

Home Page -> Menu -> Settings -> Page 2 (use next page button to go to next page in settings) -> Voice Guide to turn the Voice Guide navigation on/off.

HarryT · 05-10-2016, 04:13 PM

Did it really? I had a Kindle Keyboard myself, but have absolutely no recollection of that! Thanks for the information. So it'll read out the library screen, etc?

howyoudoin · 05-10-2016, 04:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

Did it really? I had a Kindle Keyboard myself, but have absolutely no recollection of that! Thanks for the information. So it'll read out the library screen, etc?

It does!

You're welcome

It works over the speakers and I assume it would work over headphones too.

HarryT · 05-10-2016, 04:19 PM

Oh well, the Ivona voices are infinitely better than the TTS of the K3. I think this is a great idea. Keeps the cost down for those with no need for TTS but gives it to those who need it.

howyoudoin · 05-10-2016, 04:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

Oh well, the Ivona voices are infinitely better than the TTS of the K3. I think this is a great idea. Keeps the cost down for those with no need for TTS but gives it to those who need it.

Yeah, that's true. The TTS voices are very robotic and don't handle punctuation like a natural speaker would

AnemicOak · 05-10-2016, 04:26 PM

An info page about accessibility on Kindle...
http://www.amazon.com/b/ref=as_li_ss...de=14100715011

The dongle doesn't appear to be available separately right now, but I assume it will be in time.

jhowell · 05-10-2016, 04:39 PM

I wonder how this is powered. Is it powered by the Kindle or does it have its own battery, possibly even boosting that of the Kindle?

Probably the best for usability would be if it could be left plugged into the Kindle and have a separate port that could be attached to a charger. I suspect that connecting and disconnecting different micro-USB cables isn't fun for a person with limited eyesight. I doubt that they did it that way though.

Nate the great · 05-10-2016, 04:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jhowell

I wonder how this is powered. Is it powered by the Kindle or does it have its own battery, possibly even boosting that of the Kindle?

Probably the best for usability would be if it could be left plugged into the Kindle and have a separate port that could be attached to a charger. I suspect that connecting and disconnecting different micro-USB cables isn't fun for a person with limited eyesight. I doubt that they did it that way though.

Power from the Kindle.

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05-10-2016, 03:38 PM	#2
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,560 Karma: 93980341 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	And this of course answers the question of why firmware 5.7.4 has a complete set of TTS speech files on devices with no audio capability!

05-10-2016, 03:43 PM	#3
Sydney's Mom Wizard Posts: 2,899 Karma: 6995721 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Idaho, on the side of a mountain Device: Kindle Oasis, Fire 3d Gen and 5th Gen and Samsung Tab S	TTS works great on K5

05-10-2016, 03:45 PM	#4
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,560 Karma: 93980341 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	This is a lot more than TTS, though; it's voice navigation, which the Kindle's never had before.

05-10-2016, 04:08 PM	#5
howyoudoin how YOU doin? Posts: 1,100 Karma: 7371047 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: India Device: Kindle Keyboard, iPad Pro 10.5”, Kobo Aura H2O, Kobo Libra 2	Revolutionary. Welcome back to 2010, Amazon.

05-10-2016, 04:13 PM	#9
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,560 Karma: 93980341 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Did it really? I had a Kindle Keyboard myself, but have absolutely no recollection of that! Thanks for the information. So it'll read out the library screen, etc?

05-10-2016, 04:19 PM	#11
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,560 Karma: 93980341 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Oh well, the Ivona voices are infinitely better than the TTS of the K3. I think this is a great idea. Keeps the cost down for those with no need for TTS but gives it to those who need it.

05-10-2016, 04:26 PM	#13
AnemicOak Bookaholic Posts: 14,391 Karma: 54969924 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Minnesota Device: iPad Mini 4, AuraHD, iPhone XR +	An info page about accessibility on Kindle... http://www.amazon.com/b/ref=as_li_ss...de=14100715011 The dongle doesn't appear to be available separately right now, but I assume it will be in time.

05-10-2016, 04:39 PM	#14
jhowell Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,159 Karma: 92500001 Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Charlottesville, VA Device: Kindles	I wonder how this is powered. Is it powered by the Kindle or does it have its own battery, possibly even boosting that of the Kindle? Probably the best for usability would be if it could be left plugged into the Kindle and have a separate port that could be attached to a charger. I suspect that connecting and disconnecting different micro-USB cables isn't fun for a person with limited eyesight. I doubt that they did it that way though.