The Kindle 2′s text-to-speech option is controversial, but publishers can opt out of the function if they’d like. Now, Random House, a major publisher of writers like Stephen King, has flipped the kill switch on 40 of its ebooks on Amazon. Remember when Stephen King was pretty much the face of the Kindle? It’s like a double cross in a really, really boring but ever so suspenseful thriller novella. [Electronista]
Pointing out the clunkiness of the Kindle’s text-to-speech feature is tired, but with the new Kindle DX being lauded as a newspaper savior, the NYT has a point: “Bay-rack Oh-bamma” won’t cut it.
The Kindle 2 and new iPod shuffle both feature new text-to-speech modes. So how well can the duo read the opening scene from Bladerunner?
The National Federation of the Blind’s Imbroglio with the Author’s Guild and their distaste for the Kindle 2′s text-to-speech function is heating up. Today they took it to the Guild’s own doorstep here in NYC.
We imagine the announcement of the text-to-speech feature on the Kindle 2 was amazing for the blind, which is why the fact that the Author’s Guild wants to shut it down pisses them off so.
As you probably know, the new Apple iPod shuffle can speak up the name of your songs, artists, and playlists. I initially thought it was a new text-to-speech chip. It is not:
We reported the Author’s Guild’s litigious anger about the Kindle 2′s text-to-voice feature, claiming it violates audio book copyrights. It’s an arguable position, but Amazon has gone ahead and caved to the literate man.
