Hi All,
As a follow-up to recommendations of Kobo as a way of buying recent
commercial eBooks to read in accessible form on the iPhone using the
free "eBooks for Kobo" app, I thought I would post instructions for
how to change to scrolling mode, and a description of how ebook
navigation behaves in this mode.
• eBooks for Kobo (free) by Kobo Inc.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ebooks-by-kobo/id301259483?mt=8
If you change your default settings for the page transition style to
"Scrolling", then at the start of a chapter you'll hear VoiceOver say
"link image" at both the top left corner of the page, and at the top
right corner of the page, and you'll similarly find "link images" at
the bottom left and right corners of the page when you reach the end
of a chapter. These controls will let you advance to the next chapter
or move back to the previous chapter without having to toggle
VoiceOver off. Double tapping the "link image" at the top right
corner at the start of a chapter (bottom right corner at the end of a
chapter) advances you to the start of the next chapter, while double
tapping the "link image" at the top left corner at the start of a
chapter (bottom left corner at the end of a chapter) puts you back
into the previous chapter (but at some point towards the end of the
book). Also, in "scrolling" mode you can use three finger flicks up
(or down) to page through the chapter (e.g. VoiceOver advances the
page number from "page 15 of 59" to "page 16 of 59" when I do a three
finger flick up), and doing a four finger flick up takes me to the
start of the chapter, while doing a four finger flick down takes me to
the end of the chapter. Both of these points are marked by a "link
image". In the case of the start of the chapter, these are the "link
image" at the top left of the page which, when double tapped, will
move me to the previous chapter (in the middle, a few pages from the
end), while if you flick right or touch the "link image" in the top
right corner and double tap, you will be taken to the start of next
chapter, as previously described. When you do a four finger flick to
the end of the Chapter, your focus is on a "link image" at the bottom
right corner of the screen which, when double tapped, will advance you
to the start of the next chapter. Flicking left from here to the
bottom left corner gives you the "link image" that takes you to the
previous Chapter.
It would be nice if these "link images" were labeled "Previous
Chapter" and "Next Chapter", but this works pretty well.
To access "Settings" in order to change the page transition style to
"Scrolling" in the present version of the "eBooks for Kobo" app
(version 3.4, released August 20, 2010), once you've opened a book and
started reading, do a double tap in the center of the screen. This
should bring up the controls for configuring your reading. (Comment:
now that I'm set up for "Scrolling", my focus tends to come up at the
link to navigate to the first chapter when I open a book. If you have
this problem, and want to bring up the controls, first touch some area
in the center of the screen first, like the title, or cover graphic,
before you do your double tap. If all else fails, toggle VoiceOver
off with triple click home, then use the standard gesture of tapping
the center of the screen to bring up controls, and toggle VoiceOver
back on. I generally don't have to do this any more, but it's a
standard remedy for working with the less accessible ebook apps.)
There will be an "I'm reading" button in the top left corner (that
takes you back to your library), and an "icon underscore gear" button
in the top right corner. I don't do a two finger flick "read all"
gesture here, because, at least in scrolling mode for the page
transition, VoiceOver reads the top controls, but then moves to the
page text, and doesn't take you to the controls in the bottom half of
the page until it has read through the text.
To get to the "Settings" menu, move your finger down along the right
side of the screen from the "icon underscore gear" button at the top
right corner until you hear VoiceOver say "Display settings, button"
just a little below the center of the page. Double tap this button.
At the settings menu page, flick right to "Page Transition Style".
The options will be "Plain", "Page Flip", "Page Fade", "Page Curl",
and "Scrolling". Double tap "Scrolling" so that it is selected. Then
either touch or navigate to the "Back" button at the top left (e.g.,
with a four finger flick up), and double tap to return to where you
brought up page controls.
Another useful thing to know is how to get to the Table of Contents if
you want to read through the overview of chapters and move to specific
chapter. This control used to be accessed from an "Info related"
button at the top left of your book. To get to the table of contents
from the middle of the book, double tap the center of the page to
bring up the reader controls if they're not present, then, just as
before to set up scrolling, double tap the "icon underscore gear"
button at the top right corner of the screen. Run your finger down
the right side of the screen, about two thirds the way down from the
"icon underscore gear" button to the "Display Settings" button, as
before. Then flick left to the "overview" button immediately to the
left, and double tap. You'll be taken to the "Overview" description of
the book, which is what you'll hear if you do a two finger flick down
to "read all". To switch to the contents listing for the book, flick
right from the "Back" button at the top left corner (which initially
has focus), past "About" (which is either a button or tab), to
"Contents", and double tap. You'll get a list view of the Cover, title
page, dedication, etc. and then the Introduction and Chapters (for
commercial books). If you want to move to a specific chapter, flick
down to its entry and double tap. You'll be taken immediately to the
start of that chapter, and will be able to start reading with a two
finger flick down.
HTH. Cheers,
Esther
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