[IAEP] AP: Schools shun Kindle, saying blind can't use it
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jEvsVQEnfo1Y-ibxGgcsCqTzjOJwD9BT4BD81 ___ IAEP -- It's An Education Project (not a laptop project!) IAEP@lists.sugarlabs.org http://lists.sugarlabs.org/listinfo/iaep
Re: [IAEP] AP: Schools shun Kindle, saying blind can't use it
On Wed, Nov 11, 2009 at 09:44, Sean DALY sdaly...@gmail.com wrote: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jEvsVQEnfo1Y-ibxGgcsCqTzjOJwD9BT4BD81 So, no text-to-speech on Kindle? Very silly. The blind will have to wait for the mp3 versions of books, then. Presumably an XO could be hooked up to a Braille output device via USB, using standard Linux drivers. That would make a nice GSoC project for next year. ___ IAEP -- It's An Education Project (not a laptop project!) IAEP@lists.sugarlabs.org http://lists.sugarlabs.org/listinfo/iaep -- Edward Mokurai (默雷/धर्ममेघशब्दगर्ज/دھرممیگھشبدگر ج) Cherlin Silent Thunder is my name, and Children are my nation. The Cosmos is my dwelling place, the Truth my destination. http://www.earthtreasury.org/ ___ IAEP -- It's An Education Project (not a laptop project!) IAEP@lists.sugarlabs.org http://lists.sugarlabs.org/listinfo/iaep
Re: [IAEP] AP: Schools shun Kindle, saying blind can't use it
On Wed, Nov 11, 2009 at 7:35 PM, Edward Cherlin echer...@gmail.com wrote: On Wed, Nov 11, 2009 at 09:44, Sean DALY sdaly...@gmail.com wrote: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jEvsVQEnfo1Y-ibxGgcsCqTzjOJwD9BT4BD81 So, no text-to-speech on Kindle? Very silly. The blind will have to wait for the mp3 versions of books, then. Kindle 2, Kindle DX and the new international Kindle all have text-to-speech for the books. Two problems: The navigation menus (needed to enable text-to-speech for a book) themselves have no text-to-speech, so you need somebody else to enable it for you (this was pointed out in the article Sean Daly referred). The second problem is that publishers have to give permission for text-to-speech to be enabled for a specific book (afraid of losing audio book sales ...). Ton van Overbeek ___ IAEP -- It's An Education Project (not a laptop project!) IAEP@lists.sugarlabs.org http://lists.sugarlabs.org/listinfo/iaep
Re: [IAEP] AP: Schools shun Kindle, saying blind can't use it
On Wed, Nov 11, 2009 at 13:35, Edward Cherlin echer...@gmail.com wrote: So, no text-to-speech on Kindle? Very silly. The blind will have to wait for the mp3 versions of books, then. The Kindle has text to speech, but they allow it to be disabledhttp://news.cnet.com/amazon-retreats-on-kindles-text-to-speech-issue/on a book-by-book basis by the publisher. Most publishers opt for this, in the hope of boosting audiobook / playaway sales. -- Luke Faraone http://luke.faraone.cc ___ IAEP -- It's An Education Project (not a laptop project!) IAEP@lists.sugarlabs.org http://lists.sugarlabs.org/listinfo/iaep
Re: [IAEP] [Marketing] AP: Schools shun Kindle, saying blind can't use it
On 11 Nov 2009, at 18:44, Luke Faraone wrote: On Wed, Nov 11, 2009 at 13:35, Edward Cherlin echer...@gmail.com wrote: So, no text-to-speech on Kindle? Very silly. The blind will have to wait for the mp3 versions of books, then. The Kindle has text to speech, but they allow it to be disabled on a book-by-book basis by the publisher. Most publishers opt for this, in the hope of boosting audiobook / playaway sales. Fascinating, even ignoring all the horrific Kindle DRM issues (when you die, all your books die with you), this seem quite some breach of fair use especially for folks with visual disabilities, I hope some group take the offending publishers to court. Regards, --Gary ___ IAEP -- It's An Education Project (not a laptop project!) IAEP@lists.sugarlabs.org http://lists.sugarlabs.org/listinfo/iaep
Re: [IAEP] [Marketing] AP: Schools shun Kindle, saying blind can't use it
I personally find the Kindle such a fad with short legs... Sorry, I will be called a troll again ;-) Anyway, a couple weeks ago USA Today had an article about some fancy school that was giving up its (paper) book library because of pathetic low use, and going for Kindles instead. Like refusing to accept the fact that the problem is not the technology, but that their overstimulated, gadgety kids couldn't care less about reading, a standard issue in our neck of the woods. Giving them Kindles makes it look to the parents that the school is doing /something/. Sad. http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2009-10-26-kindle-school-library_N.htm NN's one-page computer (XO 3)is the right concept for distributing a book like experience, I believe, and if the XO were not burdened by a multilayer software system, and the mouse buttons that get activated when pressed down in e-book mode, the XO 1 itself could run circles around the Kindle. As it is we could still do something, but I see other priorities, like lowering the price of the XO 1. Kindle-like performance ain't it, but then that's my opinion On 11/12/09, Gary C Martin g...@garycmartin.com wrote: On 11 Nov 2009, at 18:44, Luke Faraone wrote: On Wed, Nov 11, 2009 at 13:35, Edward Cherlin echer...@gmail.com wrote: So, no text-to-speech on Kindle? Very silly. The blind will have to wait for the mp3 versions of books, then. The Kindle has text to speech, but they allow it to be disabled on a book-by-book basis by the publisher. Most publishers opt for this, in the hope of boosting audiobook / playaway sales. Fascinating, even ignoring all the horrific Kindle DRM issues (when you die, all your books die with you), this seem quite some breach of fair use especially for folks with visual disabilities, I hope some group take the offending publishers to court. Regards, --Gary ___ IAEP -- It's An Education Project (not a laptop project!) IAEP@lists.sugarlabs.org http://lists.sugarlabs.org/listinfo/iaep ___ IAEP -- It's An Education Project (not a laptop project!) IAEP@lists.sugarlabs.org http://lists.sugarlabs.org/listinfo/iaep
