New Kindle Audio Feature Causes a Stir

[Shaggy]

Originally Posted by Moejoe

I've been following this and it makes no sense whatsoever. What does he hope to achieve with all this hot-air and nonsense?

A contract renegotiation with Amazon for more money.

[Ervserver]

In a way Amazon shot itself in the foot..every ebook on Amazon has just became an audiobook but not at an audiobook price. You could plug your Kindle headphone jack into a line in recording device and then burn to cd. Thanks Amazon !

[fugazied]

It is absolutely ridiculous imo. I mean the computer voice is nothing like a real person reading a book, the publishing companies need to take a step back! True though, this is nice publicity for Kindle

[HarryT]

TTS systems are just too "dumb" to be a threat to audiobooks. Eg, consider the following:

"Yesterday I read a book. Tomorrow I shall read another".

Any human reader will handle the two different pronunciations of "read" without even thinking about it. I've yet to find a TTS system which gets it right.

How does the Kindle 2 do on that particular example, as a matter of interest?

[Jellby]

Do translators (I mean professional literature tranlators) find automatic traslation services a threat? I think it's almost the same case.

[tlrowley]

Originally Posted by HarryT

TTS systems are just too "dumb" to be a threat to audiobooks. Eg, consider the following:

"Yesterday I read a book. Tomorrow I shall read another".

Any human reader will handle the two different pronunciations of "read" without even thinking about it. I've yet to find a TTS system which gets it right.

How does the Kindle 2 do on that particular example, as a matter of interest?

It passes, surprisingly.

[DaleDe]

Originally Posted by tlrowley

It passes, surprisingly.

Technology of TTS has advanced over the years. The easiest fix for these kinds of problems is simply to code the words, two word sequence, into a predefined database of problem words and hard code the pronunciation. You can read about TTS in the wiki.

Dale

[JSWolf]

So how come DRM is allowed to take away the read-aloud feature of eBooks? Doesn't that mean that blind people cannot partake in most eBooks?

[GeoffC]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

So how come DRM is allowed to take away the read-aloud feature of eBooks? Doesn't that mean that blind people cannot partake in most eBooks?

That should not be allowed under Disability Discrimination Legislation (certainly in the UK - and presumably in other countries).

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Phogg

Were you a major stockholder or in management of waldenbooks during the successful boycott?

If you were not, than not only was my point not disproved - you are being obtuse.

I am neither catholic nor much of a Waldenbook customer, but I was certainly aware of the boycott.

Here is a link to point out this boycott.

http://www.afa.net/Church/GetArticle.asp?id=52

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by cjschmidt

If the AG follows through with legal action, you bet this is cause for boycott. Consumers are losing nearly all of the rights they had in the paper to digital switch. We can't resell, trade, or even give away books to friends. At some point, we need to say "no more". The Kindle is one the verge of truly bringing ebooks into the mainstream, then there is no going back.

The Kindle is NOT bringing eBooks into the mainstream. If they were, then the eBooks sold by Amazon would be available for everyone regardless if they had a Kindle or not. So until that happens, Amazon is only doing what's good for Amazon.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by GeoffC

That should not be allowed under Disability Discrimination Legislation (certainly in the UK - and presumably in other countries).

Presumably it is allowed, because it is done. Can it be said to be discriminating against disabled people? The facility is removed from everybody, not only those who are disabled.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by GeoffC

That should not be allowed under Disability Discrimination Legislation (certainly in the UK - and presumably in other countries).

I agree that if software has the ability to read eBooks to people who need it, the DRM should not take away such a feature. In the USA, it is legal to strip away the DRM so that the read-aloud feature works.

[GeoffC]

The argument would have to be tested in the courts;
but you are quite correct, there is no discrimination if the facility is not available for everyone -
but a case, I'm sure, could be made for it to become useful for blind users - it would presumably provide some competition to audiobooks.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

In the USA, it is legal to strip away the DRM so that the read-aloud feature works.

... a claim which you carry on making, and which has NOT been validated by any court. I really wish that you wouldn't keep saying this as though it were a definite "fact". It isn't.