kindle

Amazon misread book sector on speech feature

Amazon chose to keep secret from much of the publishing sector the text-to-speech feature built into the Kindle 2.

Instead, Amazon sprung the feature on publishers and the retailer is now taking public-relations hits that it might have avoided if it hadn't been so tight lipped.

Following the debut of the Kindle 2, the 9,000-member Authors Guild claimed text-to-speech created a derivative work and violated copyright. Paul Aiken, the guild's executive director said many publishers were also angered over the speech function, adding that Amazon never consulted beforehand with either of those groups. Amazon responded Friday by … Read more

What's the average age of Kindle owners?

In April of last year, a user on Amazon.com's forums opened a discussion thread entitled, Average Kindle Owner's Age.

Amazon, of course, doesn't provide any sales numbers or data detailing who's buying Kindles, but it's an interesting question to ask on the day of the Kindle 2's launch (according to reports, the device has already started shipping).

Apparently, a lot of senior folks bought the Kindle--and now the Kindle 2--partially because the digital reader is easier to handle than regular books for arthritis sufferers. It also helps that you can increase the … Read more

Amazon retreats on Kindle's text-to-speech issue

Apparently, Amazon won't fight the publishing industry on the issue of whether the Kindle 2's text-to-speech function violates copyright.

The retailer, which makes the popular Kindle electronic-book reader, announced late Friday that the company is modifying systems to allow authors and publishers to decide whether to enable Kindle's text-to-speech function on a per-title basis.

Amazon began its press release with tough talk. "Kindle 2's experimental text-to-speech feature is legal," Amazon wrote. "No copy is made, no derivative work is created, and no performance is being given."

But then the company says: "… Read more

Buzz Out Loud 920: Speak for yourself, Kindle

The authors Guild might be afraid of the robotic voice of the Kindle, but Wil Wheaton sure isn't. Neilsen lays a bombshell with the news that job search sites have increased traffic because of, you guessed it, these troubled times. And Hearst is planning their own large format e-reader for their magazines.

Listen now: Download today's podcast EPISODE 920

Facebook wants you to ring in on policy http://blog.facebook.com/blog.php?post=56566967130

It’s not always about money; sometimes hackers just hate you http://arstechnica.com/security/news/2009/02/its-not-always-about-moneysometimes-hackers-just-hate-you.ars

Neilsen: Job search … Read more

Rumor: Another Kindle on the way?

Back when the rumors of a Kindle 2 started last year, there was also some chatter about a larger form factor Kindle that would be designed partially for the educational market. Well, now that the Kindle 2 has arrived, the rumor mill is churning again with blog posts about a larger form factor Kindle 3 that has a touch screen.

The initial report comes from DigiTimes, which says sources within Prime View International (PVI), the makers of the Kindle's electrophoretic display (EPD), claim Amazon's next Kindle will launch by the end of this year and will be "… Read more

CNET Live - Episode 91

We go dancing with the Woz and undress the Kindle.

Watch the show on CNET TV.

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IBM voice ace: Kindle no threat to audio books

Executives at the Authors Guild say the text-to-speech feature in Amazon's Kindle 2 could hurt sales of audio books. Not all of the experts agree, including the guild's.

Andy Aaron, an expert on text-to-speech technology, recently commented in an interview about how much such systems have advanced. In an op-ed piece published Tuesday in the The New York Times titled "The Kindle Swindle?" Roy Blount Jr., president of the Authors Guild, used Aaron's quotes to support his argument that the Kindle's voice feature could threaten the future of audio books.

But when asked to … Read more

The Real Deal 150: Road Test

We talk about the Kindle 2.0, Windows Home Server with a Mac, JungleDisk as a backup solution, an Addonics dongle for NAS, and the SBS 400 Flash.

Listen now: Download today's podcast… Read more

Kindle 2 gets naked

If you're looking for hot, sexy, revealing pics, then you know Crave is the place to be. Today we've got a treat for all you naughty boys and girls. OK, I really can't do the faux erotic thing (yes, that's what I was going for). I just feel too slimy.

Anyway, the total geeks (that is a huge compliment) over at ifixit have gutted the Amazon Kindle 2 to see what makes it tick.

Here are a few highlights from their findings:

According to the article, the Kindle 2 has a 532MHz 90nm ARM11-based Freescale MCIMX31L … Read more

Kindle 2 debate: If a robot reads a book is it an audio book?

This was originally posted at ZDNet's Between the Lines.

Roy Blount Jr., president of the Author's Guild, argues that the Kindle 2's ability to read text aloud like one of those automated customer service robots is a substitute for audio books. Blount also adds that Amazon should be paying audio rights for the Kindle 2's text-to-audio feature.

In The New York Times, Blount writes:

The Kindle 2 is a portable, wireless, paperback-size device onto which people can download a virtual library of digitalized titles. Amazon sells these downloads, and where the books are under copyright, it pays royalties to the authors and publishers.