Now Speaking: Apple Adds Speech Output to the iPod Nano
By Burton, Darren; Access World, Vol. 10, No. 1Publication Date: January 2009
Review of the Apple iPod Nano 4th Generation, a digital audio player accessible to people with visual impairments. The Nano 4th Generation features speech output for accessing nearly all its menus and speaks the names of all songs and other content loaded onto it. A high-contrast color screen and adjustable font size make the player accessible to users with low vision. The built-in accessibility comes with no added costs. The model, which measures 3.6 inches by 1.5 inches by 0.24 inches and weighs 1.3 ounces, features Apple’s patented click wheel, which consists of a center Select button surrounded by a larger circle. Scrolling and volume adjustment are effected by running a finger along the outer circle. The spoken audio is generated using the synthesized voice of the computer used to download music, and downloaded as audio files along with the music. Through a feature called the Accelerometer, the Nano plays songs in random order when shaken. The Nano also supports listening to books from Audible.com. Setup instructions and an online manual for the new Nano can be found at a new accessibility Web paged launched by Apple at http://www.apple.com/accessibility. Also discussed is the iTunes 8.0, including its compatibility with the Mac VoiceOver.
Published by: AFB Press (Website:http://www.afb.org/Section.asp?SectionID=46)
American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) (Web Site: http://www.afb.org )
Link to text: http://www.afb.org/afbpress/pub.asp?DocID=aw100103
