NAEB looking for speakup folks to help implement on ebook reader

[Glenn Ervin]

Travis Siegel wrote:
> 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.
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Speakup mailing list
> Speakup at braille.uwo.ca
> http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakupIf it were running 
> speech, so it was actually usable, you could count me in.
Glenn