NAEB looking for speakup folks to help implement on ebook reader

[Travis Siegel]

Hello all.
There is a new ebook reaer in the works, and since it runs linux, and  
will cost around 320 dollars (us) I figured I'd drop a line here to  
ask if anyone would be willing to assist with porting speakup to this  
new device.  I don't know what linux kernel they're going to use  
(yet) but I think it's at least partially open for discussion.  It's  
going to be built by a major company, and the units that are going to  
be produced are actually for a group that hangs out at Baen's Bar  
(http://www.baens.com) in the baens bar section.  And, since Baen  
provides all of their books they publish in paper format also in  
electronic format, what better company to spearhead such an undertaking.
Admittedly, Baen is not officially involved with this ebook reader,  
but since all the bar flies (as we call ourselves) hang out on Baen's  
site, it's a good reason to give Baen at least some of the credit.
Basically, it will be a handheld unit with a display, and using the  
linux os, so other applications can be added without further work by  
the user if they so desire.
Anyone interested (Kirk can we interest you in helping?) Please let  
me know, and I'll pass along any information we can all pull together.
This is an opportunity to get screen reading technology in on the  
ground floor of a new device, and one that might just make it  
possible to prove to some big name companies that talking solutions  
don't have to be expensive.
The device already plays mp3 files, so speech output should be  
possible with the onboard sound system, though I've not (yet)  
confirmed this.
I do not have one of the test units, so I don't know what they're  
capable of, but specs are on the project's web site (which I do not  
have handy at the moment) but if you go to baen.com, and click on the  
bar, browse down to electronic reader, then check out the messages in  
the aeb threads, all required information is available.
But, again, I can also act as a go-between if folks aren't  
comfortable with getting involved directly in such a project.
The units aren't yet ordered, so price is fluid at this point, but if  
we can get roughly a thousand users interested (over 300 are already  
signed up from the bar alone) it should be possible to produce the  
first commercial ebook reader with speech out of the box.

Thanks for listening, and I hope folks more knowledgeable than I will  
step in to lend a hand in this process.