06:41 PM by Alexander Turcic in E-Book General | General Discussions

Something an e-book can do that a paper book cannot is turn the text into the spoken word. Of course I'm talking about the text-to-speech or read-out-loud feature. When Amazon introduced this kind of functionality with the Kindle 2 in 2009, much of the attention focused on a heated copyright controversy. As a consequence, Amazon modified their systems so that rightsholders could decide for themselves on a title by title basis whether they want text-to-speech enabled or not.

Publishers who elect to disable text-to-speech could prevent the visually impaired from reading the books, in particular if the title is not available in the alternative audiobook form. Bufo Calvin of the I Love My Kindle blog penned an impassioned open letter in this regard:

Text-to-speech is software which can read your books out loud.

It’s not a performance: it’s another way to access the material, like making the text size bigger.

That is a huge convenience for those who have print disabilities or challenges.

Certainly, there may be specialized versions of your books available for those who can certify a print disability. Those books may even be free to them.

It’s not the same, though, as buying them in the Kindle store, the same way most people do.

Buying them in the Kindle store means that those who need that functionality can get it the same day everyone else. They can enjoy the books on an easily portable piece of equipment. Importantly, they can share the book with family members who don’t have the same challenges and are on the same account.

As a matter of principle Bufo wouldn't recommend any e-book that has text-to-speech access disabled. What do you think? How important is text-to-speech to you? Since the technology is readily available, shouldn't everyone embrace it for the benefit of those who cannot consume content otherwise?

Related: Amazon, Kobo and Sony request e-readers be exempt from accessibility laws

11:59 AM by Alexander Turcic in Miscellaneous | Announcements

Heads up, everyone! It's with great pleasure that we announce our latest addition to the forums: Marvin. Marvin is a new sophisticated e-book reader app for iOS, boasting a staggering complement of built-in features that is guaranteed to induce uncontrollable drooling in every e-book junkie.

We also like to officially welcome kguil, the developer of Marvin. kguil has certainly been busy over the past couple of months, and he is currently working on releasing an iPhone-supporting update that should make e-book reading with Marvin even more satisfying.

Finally, a big thanks to GRiker who is not only responsible for bringing a native calibre driver to Marvin, but who also volunteered to help us moderate the new section.

Link to the Marvin forum.

07:53 AM by Cyberman tM in E-Book General | Deals and Resources (No...

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07:10 AM by Alexander Turcic in E-Book General | News

Remember the news that a number of Dutch-speaking e-book vendors had agreed to share information of customers, ehm, suspected pirates, with the anti-piracy watchdog BREIN? Well, it caused quite the backlash. The Dutch Ministry of Security and Justice is now faced with a handful of unpleasant questions regarding the legality of this agreement. As MobileReader Katsunami reports, one of the questions is (translated):

Is it true that web stores connected to the distribution platform eBoekhuis can be compelled to submit customer information to Foundation BREIN? If yes, how does submitting this sort of information to third parties relate to the laws and regulations with regard to to the protections of personal data? If no, then what is not true in the above statement?

There is no denying that e-book piracy on the Internet is rampant; yet the question remains: Should private organizations such as BREIN, who have no legal or investigative authority, be allowed to access private customer information in their attempt to identify the people alleged to be offering pirated content?

[image: Ruben Holthuijsen /Flickr]

06:19 PM by WT Sharpe in Reading Recommendations | Book Clubs

September 2013 MobileRead Book Club Vote

Help us choose a book as the September 2013 eBook for the MobileRead Book Club. The poll will be open for 5 days. There will be no runoff vote unless the voting results a tie, in which case there will be a 3 day run-off poll. This is a visible poll: others can see how you voted. It is multiple-choice: you may cast a vote for each book that appeals to you.

We will start the discussion thread for this book on September 20th. Select from the following Official Choices with three nominations each:

• A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
Amazon US / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

• Complete Works of Sappho (Delphi Ancient Classics) by Sappho of Lesbos (Author), Peter Russell (Translator)
Amazon UK / Amazon US / Apple Store / Delphi Classics

• Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Andersen
Patricia Clark Memorial Library: lrf

• The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie
Amazon UK / Amazon US / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / Sony (Also available on Overdrive.)

• Lady Chatterly's Lover by D.H. Lawrence
ePub and Kindle Links at bottom of page

• Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
Amazon UK / Amazon US / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / Sony (Also available on Overdrive.)

• No Orchids for Miss Blandish by James Hadley Chase
Amazon UK / Amazon US / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

• Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
Amazon UK / Amazon US / B&N (US) / Google Play (AUS)

• The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

No links provided.

• Fade by Robert Cormier
Amazon US / Barnes & Noble / Google / Kobo

07:00 AM by Alexander Turcic in Miscellaneous | Week in Review

Feast your eyes on some of the discussions from this week at MobileRead...

E-Book General - News

• Kindle Fire HD: More leaked benchmarks; codenamed Soho, Thor and Apollo
• Samsung Galaxy Mega hits the United States (a 6.3-inch eReader?)
• Calibre Companion 3 final released (Android)
• US Gov seeks to strike a copyright balance, wants your input
• Forget about batteries. Use NFC to power your next E Ink display!
• Avid reader kid dominates reading contest, library director miffed
• B&N reports $87m loss for Q1 2014, NOOK business plunges 20%
• EBookDroid 2.0.6 released (Android)
• OverDrive Media Console V3.0 available (Android and iOS)
• Apple iBooks V3.1.1 released
• QUMO Libro Basic, Libro Lux, and Libro TouchLux to launch in Russia
• DRM on e-books? Five possibly good reasons to crack it
• Crowdfunding: E Ink e-reader that can also be used as a PC monitor
• Sony PRS-T3 leaks in various Internet stores / coming on Sep 19?
• Kindle Fire loses ground while Apple and Samsung gain, latest report suggests
• calibre reaches version 1.0, after seven years in the making
• Twistbook dual-screen E Ink reader concept
• Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer to retire

E-Book General - General Discussions

• Google Books Mysterious Deletions
• How aspirin helped Amazon escape the jaws of doom
• Did a writer get bullied on Goodreads? (Salon Article)
• Your kid's Kindle could be X-rated, child protection charity warns
• Bogus takedown notice sent to the wrong person; Harvard Prof. Lessig fights back

E-Book General - Deals, Freebies, and Resources (No Self-Promotion)

• B&N Nook Glow gets price drop to $99
• Kindle Fire Refurb Deals, starting at $89 -- 22 Aug only
• Three free e-book bestsellers for new NOOK accounts (possibly UK only)
• Refurbished Nook Glow Light $59.99 today (8/23)

E-Book General - Reading Recommendations

• Book Club September 2013 Book Club Nominations

Miscellaneous - Lounge

• The future of paper books (comic)

02:35 PM by Keslynn in E-Book General | Deals and Resources (No...

The post title pretty much says it all: refurbished Nook Glow Light for $59.99 today only. I have purchased from Tanga before and have no complaints.

Link

11:58 AM by HarryT in E-Book General | News

A bit of a bombshell announced today, as Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, who's been the visible "face" of Microsoft since the retirement of Bill Gates, announced that he is to retire within the next 12 months.

As BBC News reports the story:

Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer is to retire from the technology giant within the next 12 months.

Shares in Microsoft, criticised for its slow response to the booming market for mobile devices, leapt 9% on the news.

Mr Ballmer, who last month unveiled a restructuring to address the criticism, said in a statement: "There is never a perfect time for this type of transition, but now is the right time.

"We need a CEO who will be here longer term for this new direction."

The world's biggest software company has created a special committee to find a replacement. This committee includes Microsoft founder Bill Gates.

Mr Ballmer, 57, succeeded Mr Gates in 2000. The two men met in 1973 while studying at Harvard University, and Mr Ballmer joined the company in 1980.
...

Full story at:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-23815563

Sounds as if the stock market at least thinks that this will be good for Microsoft, especially in the area of mobile devices.