Today, The New York Times reported that Amazon’s Kindle 2 much vaunted text-to-speech (TTS) capabilities, provided by Nuance Communications, came up short when trying to pronounce President Barack Obama’s name. The device uttered something closer to Baah-raah-k O-baah-maah (closer to the sounds in “black” and “Alabama,” the Times said. The paper adds that the problem [...]
Do you know what time it is Speech-Heads? Time for the latest installment of Talking Gadget Theater. This time, Kindle 2 TTS and iPod shuffle TTS are performing a scene from The Empire Strikes Back. As my Speech Brother Eric B. said: “This may be their best work to date! Also: I love sandwiches.”
Hi Speech-Heads, If you enjoyed my last post, then you will definitely want to check out the next installment of Talking Gadget Theater. This time, Kindle 2 TTS and iPod shuffle TTS perform a scene from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. When I told my Speech Brother Eric B. about this one, he [...]
Hey Speech-Heads, Lat night, my Speech Brother Eric B. and I were enjoying an evening at the local watering hole, talking about the good old days, when we came upon a True Speech Gem: The Kindle 2 TTS and the iPod shuffle TTS performing a scene from Blade Runner. Let me just say this: It [...]
By now, we’re all familiar with the ongoing controversy surrounding the Kindle 2 and its TTS capability. The latest development is that Disability Activists protested the removal of the TTS service from Kindle 2 outside the Authors Guild in New York City. For the full story, check out this link. I, for one, don’t think [...]
In yet another twist and turn of the ongoing flap over Amazon‘s Kindle 2–you know the one, the whole TTS vs. Copyright Law Controversy–nine disability groups have written to US publishers urging them not to opt out of the TTS function on its e-books for the new Kindle. The disability groups which including the National [...]
After all the brouhaha about Kindle 2 and the copyright issues raised by its TTS function, it looks like Amazon has caved. Check out this story for the latest developments.
