New Add-On for OneNote Benefits Students with Dyslexia

Microsoft recently made a new add-on available for its OneNote software which aims to help students with dyslexia. The add-on works within Microsoft's note taking software and is currently available to download as a beta. Once installed, a new tab appears which gives users the option to read content using text-to-speech or dictate using speech-to-text. While both of the features have been available before it is nice to have a free option that can be used directly within OneNote: an application that many schools and parents already have installed as part of the Microsoft Office suite.


The text-to-speech reader mode is called "immersive reading mode" and includes some handy features. When activated the reader fills the entire screen with text from your OneNote notebook. While reading text is highlighted as it is read aloud. Users have the option to change the background color and text size in order to create a more comfortable reading experience. The add-on also includes the ability to highlight nouns, verbs, and adjectives in different colors; a feature that could be helpful for younger students. Microsoft even includes the ability for users to break words up into syllables.

It is exciting to see the fruits of Microsoft's enhanced accessibility initiatives. While the new features are not novel they seem easy to learn. Since the "Learning Tools" are free for OneNote users and easy to learn they may prove to be a great starting point for people new to assistive technology. Microsoft seems to be increasing their focus on accessibility. Recently, the company announced a new Chief Accessibility Officer and a reorganization of accessibility teams. Hopefully, with the new reorganization, "Learning Tools" is just the beginning of Microsoft's accessibility improvements.

The "Learning Tools" add-on available as a free download for Windows. Click here to learn more and download the add-on.

iPad mini, Nexus 7, or Kindle Fire HDX: Which Tablet is Best for People with Dyslexia?

Over the past couple of weeks I have been lucky enough to review three of the most popular tablets- the iPad mini, the Nexus 7, and the Kindle Fire HXD. Instead of focusing on battery life, pixel density, and processor speed, I took a look at the features that would help people with dyslexia and other disabilities. All three tablets have some features that are perfect for dyslexics. To figure out which one is right for you, think about which features are most important to you as you read the reviews.

Overview:

When looking for a tablet for someone with dyslexia, there are a number of important factors that must be considered to make sure you get the features that are most important to the user, and get the best value for your needs. First, you want to consider what the tablet will be used for. Will it be used primarily for reading books and browsing the web, or will it be used to type documents, read email, and edit movies. Generally, for people with dyslexia, it is important that the tablet have built in text-to-speech with a high quality voice. All three of these tablets have text-to-speech, but the way text-to-speech is implemented is different from tablet to tablet. The iPad allows text-to-speech to be activated in a few taps when reading webpages and text in apps including Safari, Mail and many third party apps including The New York Times. The other tablets require a more time consuming process to activate text-to-speech in all apps.

Next, app quality and quantity is also an important consideration. Currently, the iPad is ahead in terms of app support, but the Nexus 7 is not too shabby in terms of third party app selection either. Apple's lead in terms of third party app selection continues to narrow. See the ecosystem and apps section below for more information about app selection. If the person with dyslexia uses Bookshare or Learning Ally, it is important to make sure that the tablet has apps to support those services. Bookshare is a service that provides accessible e-books for people with print disabilities and Learning Ally provides audio books – some with text - for people with print disabilities. Both the Nexus 7 and iPad mini have Bookshare and Learning Ally apps. The iPad does have better Bookshare support than the Nexus 7.

Design:

The software that runs on the tablet is far more important than the shell on the outside, but you still have to be happy with the way your tablet looks and feels. The iPad mini is the largest of the tablets, but it is still easy to hold in one hand, but not as easy as the smaller Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire HDX 7". The iPad mini has an all metal and glass design that makes it feel worthy of its higher price tag. Both the Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire HDX have plastic backs that feel nice in the hand, but feel slightly less classy then the iPad. The look and feel of the back may not matter much for many users who use cases for protection. The look and feel of the back may not matter much for many users who use cases for protection. All of the tablets are remarkably light, so holding them for long periods of time should not be an issue for most people. For people who plan to use the tablets for text-to-speech and audio books, speaker quality, and where the speaker is positioned are other important considerations. For their size, all three of these tablets have good speakers. They all include dual speakers and have good sound quality. The Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire both have speakers at opposite ends of the device to make it difficult to block the sound with your hands while you are holding it, but the iPad speakers are both at the bottom of the device, making it possible, although not likely that you could block the speakers depending on where you position your hands. While the placement of the speakers may not be an issue for you, the differences are worth noting.

Operating System:

All three tablets have different operating systems meaning their software behaves differently. The iPad mini runs iOS 7 which easy to use and smooth. iOS has the best built in accessibility features of the bunch with a well polished screen reader called VoiceOver that can read almost anything on screen aloud using text-to-speech. iOS also includes Speak Selection which allows users to highlight text and have it read aloud using text-to-speech.

Android 4.4 KitKat which runs the Nexus 7 is another solid operating system. Without getting too much into the iOS vs. Android debate, the Android is a little less intuitive to use, but allows for more customization than iOS. iOS has a simple user interface that is easy to use, while Android allows for home screen widgets which can be useful but can also clutter the home screen and make it more confusing to use. Android also includes a screen reader called TalkBack, but it is not as polished as VoiceOver. One of Apple’s VoiceOver's biggest advantages is that it works with more apps than TalkBack.

The Kindle Fire HDX runs Fire OS 3.0 which includes a screen reader much like Android’s TalkBack and locks you into the Amazon ecosystem. If you buy a Kindle you have to buy books, magazines, and apps from Amazon so your options are somewhat limited. The Kindle Fire has an interface that is easy to use an puts your content at the forefront. Your apps, books, magazines, music, and movies are featured prominently on the home screen for quick access.

Reading Features:

These tablets all have unique reading features that differentiate them from each other, but each of the devices  allow users to highlight and annotate books, and define an unfamiliar word with just a couple of taps.

One of the best and most appealing features is on the Kindle Fire HDX and is called Immersion Reading. Immersion Reading syncs highlighted e Kindle text with professionally narrated audio from Audible for a seamless and elegant reading experience. Immersion Reading gives you the best of both worlds by allowing you to listen to professional narration while following along with the text. The one negative of Immersion Reading is that you must own both the Kindle text version and the Audible audio version of a book. The costs add up quickly if you use Immersion Reading frequently. The Kindle Fire HDX also allows you to read select books using text-to-speech. The text-to-speech voice sounds good - better than the Android and iOS default voice - but you can't speed up the speaking rate.

The Nexus 7 also includes reading features that can benefit people with dyslexia. Google Play Books, which is Google’s e-book store, allows you to read books with text-to-speech with synchronized highlighting. The default voice isn't as good as the Kindle's default voice, but you can download higher quality voices. For users of Bookshare and Learning Ally, the Nexus 7 has Android apps for both of these services. Unfortunately, the Bookshare app for Android (GoRead) is not as good as the Read2Go app for iOS or Voice Dream Reader, another app that can read Bookshare books. The iOS apps generally have more polished user interfaces and more advanced annotations options.

The iPad has the best third party app support for reading. Users of Bookshare and Learning Ally can read their books with great iPad optimized apps. The iPad app Voice Dream Reader lets you read many documents and books, including Bookshare books, using text-to-speech. Voice Dream is the best text-to-speech app for mobile devices right now and is only available for the iPad and iPhone. The iPad can access Kindle books using the Kindle app and they can be read aloud with text-to-speech using VoiceOver. However, VoiceOver does not highlight the words as they are spoken. Apple's own iBooks app underwhelms in terms of accessibility features for people with dyslexia. iBooks can be read with text-to-speech using VoiceOver, but VoiceOver does not highlight as it reads and it takes time to learn how to use it properly.

The iPad's Speak Selection feature makes it easy to read webpages, emails, and documents using text-to-speech. To use Speak Selection, just highlight the words you want read aloud and press speak. Speak Selection can also highlight words as they are spoken so you won’t lose your place in the text.

Other Helpful Features:

All of these tablets have other useful features; both the Kindle Fire HDX and Nexus 7 include comprehensive multi-user support. On the Nexus 7 you can create a separate account for a student or child that only allows them to use certain apps on the device. Even if multiple users use the same apps, each user can set them up the way they prefer.

The Kindle Fire HDX includes Amazon Free Time which allows you to restrict the time your child or student can use the device for certain tasks. For example, you could allow only 30 minutes of video watching, but allow for unlimited reading of a Kindle book. Amazon Free Time also allows adults to limit which apps and content are available for children. The iPad has a similar feature called Guided Access, but you can only allow the child to use one app at a time using the guided access feature.

All three tablets also include speech recognition that allows you to speak into the tablet and then have your words appear as text. The Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire HDX allow you dictate even when you are not connected to the internet. The iPad requires an internet connection in order to use dictation.

The Kindle Fire HDX includes a really cool feature called Mayday. If you are having trouble doing anything with your Kindle Fire HDX, you can press the Mayday button to be connected with a live agent in about a minute. You can see the support agent's face and he or she can see your Kindle Fire's screen. They can then walk you through the steps needed to resolve you difficulties. I found the support staff knowledgeable and able to help out quickly. Mayday is how tech support should always work.

Ecosystem and Apps:

It's important to consider the ecosystem of each tablet. The ecosystem determines which apps, books, magazines, and songs are available for your device. The iPad has the best app selection especially for assistive apps. If you want the best apps, the iPad is the way to go. To see a list of the apps I use as a dyslexic student click here.

The Nexus 7 utilizes the Google Play store for apps and its offerings are solid. Currently, you will not find some of the top assistive apps on the Nexus 7, but you will likely be able to find almost all of the big name apps.

The Kindle Fire HDX has good app support, but it falls behind both other tablets. The Kindle is locked into Amazons ecosystem for all apps and books, while the other tablets can download content from multiple sources.

Conclusion:

All of the tablets have solid reading features for people with dyslexia. Which tablet would be best for you, your students, or your child? If using Bookshare or Learning Ally on the tablet is important to you, you should not consider the Kindle Fire HDX. Both the Nexus 7 and iPad support Bookshare and Learning Ally, but the iPad apps offer a better experience for using those services. If you’re not a Bookshare or Learning Ally user and have money to spend of Immersion Reading books, the Kindle Fire may be the best option for you. Just keep in mind that the Kindle does not have quite the app selection of the other tablets. If you want a full-featured tablet and you’re on a budget, the Nexus 7 is a very good option. If you have the money to spend on the iPad, with it unmatched app selection and robust built-in accessibility features, is your best bet.

Pricing and Availability:

The Kindle Fire HDX 7" is available for $229 from Amazon.com. The other Kindle Fire varieties also have Immersion Reading, but only the HDX models have the Mayday support. The iPad mini starts at $399 from Apple and the Nexus 7 costs $229 from Google Play.

Voice Dream Reader Updated to Version 3.0: Read PDFs in Original Layout and More

Voice Dream Reader is an app for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch that supports people who prefer reading in different ways. Voice Dream can read documents from a number of sources with multiple high quality text-to-speech voices. Users can import PDFs, Word documents, text files, webpages, and even Bookshare books into the app. Once the text is loaded into the app you can listen to it using text-to-speech, highlight the text, search for a specific words or phrases, and get definitions for unknown words. Among many other uses, Voice Dream Reader is a terrific Bookshare book reader for students. Voice Dream also works very well with VoiceOver. Now, with newly released Voice Dream Reader version 3.0, new features have been added that makes the app even more useful.

Up until yesterday evening, Voice Dream only supported text. All images and formatting associated with a file were stripped away. With version 3.0 images and formatting within PDF files are retained. Now you can read a PDF in its original layout. Voice Dream still highlights each word as it is read aloud. It is easy to switch between layout view and text view depending on your preferences. Version 3.0 also includes more customization options. Users now have more control over the colors of the highlighting and spacing of the text. An improved web browser has been added that makes adding text from the web quicker and easier. New Ivona text-to-speech voices are also available for purchase in version 3.0.

With large PDF files page loading is slightly slow, but this problem only occur with very large files and does not effect text view performance.

In future updates image support maybe added for Bookshare books or other document types. I also hope iCloud sync will be added in a future update. At school I read my books on my iPhone and make new annotations, but when I get home and start reading on my iPad the annotations are stuck on the iPhone and I must search for the page that I left off on. iCloud sync would make this process much more seamless.

Voice Dream Reader is a must have app for iOS users with print disabilities or anyone who could benefit from reading with text-to-speech. Voice Dream Reader's well developed features make loading, reading, and annotating text easy. Knowing that the app has a developer that is open to feedback and actively developing new features is an added benefit. Voice Dream Reader costs $9.99 on the App Store. Click here to download the app. There is also a lite version of Voice Dream Reader that allows you to try it before you buy.

Click read more to view screenshots of Voice Dream Reader.

What's on my iPad? Assistive Apps I Use as a Dyslexic Student

As a dyslexic high school student my iPad, with a number of assistive apps, has become a very valuable tool. With my iPad I can read and fill out a PDF using text-to-speech, read a book with Voice Dream Reader, or map out my ideas with Inspiration Maps. The iPad mini is a perfect size for my needs allowing me to read sitting up, or reclining comfortably while listening to a book. Before I got the iPad I would either be tied to a computer to read using text-to-speech, or reading on the tiny screen of my iPhone. Here's a list of my favorite iPad apps and how I use them to help me both in and out of the classroom.

Voice Dream Reader - $9.99

Voice Dream Reader is a text-to-speech reading app that allows users to read a wide variety of files through the app. The app includes the ability to buy very high quality text-to-speech voices for use with the app. Voice Dream Reader allows you to highlight  important parts of a passage as you read along.. One of my favorite features is the ability to download and read Bookshare books from within the app. Currently  Voice Dream Reader does not support  Bookshare books with images, but hopefully will add that feature in the near future. In all Voice Dream Reader is a must have for anyone who prefers reading with text-to-speech.

Click here to read a full review of Voice Dream Reader.

Read2Go - $19.99

Read2Go is another app for reading Bookshare books. Bookshare provides accessible digital books to members. Using Read2Go users to keep their books at their finger tips all the time. The app has a choice of two text-to-speech voices. While Read2Go does not have as many features as Voice Dream Reader the support it has for books with images is a plus.

Click here to read more about Read2Go.

Learning Ally Audio - Free

The free Learning Ally Audio app allows Learning Ally members to download and listen to their audio books on the go. The app has useful features such as bookmarking and playback is easy to control and customize. Learning Ally is starting to add digital text to some of their books so users can follow along with the text while listening to the human narrated audio book.

Click here for more information about Learning Ally Audio app.

Click read more below to learn about many more great apps.

PDF Expert 5 - $9.99

PDF Expert 5 is a new addition to my iPad home screen. The app includes polished annotation, editing, and management with easy to use built in text-to-speech. Using the app I am able to read a PDF worksheet with text-to-speech and complete the worksheet with the annotation features. PDF Expert can also connect to your Google Drive or Dropbox for easy upload and download.

Click here for a complete look at PDF Expert 5 from Readdle.

Inspiration Maps - $9.99

Inspiration Maps is a mind mapping app perfect for pre-writing and getting your ideas out onto paper. Inspiration Maps makes it easy to make great looking webs and outlines on the go. I like using Inspiration Maps to get my ideas flowing when I have to write about a difficult topic. Inspiration Maps also has a more kid friendly version called Kidspiration Maps.

Click here to learn more about Inspiration Maps.

Prizmo - $9.99

Prizmo is one of my all time favorite apps. With Prizmo you can take a picture of text in a document and Prizmo will recognize the text using optical character recognition (OCR) then the app can read the text back to you using text-to-speech. Prizmo also is a great scanner allowing you to snap a picture of a document and save or share it as a PDF.

Click here if you want to learn more about Prizmo.

Apple iWork (Pages, Numbers, Keynote) - Free with new device

Apple's iWork suit is the Apple equivalent of Microsoft Office for the iPad. While Microsoft Office has more features iWork has everything you need to complete basic tasks. These apps allow you to use your iPad for productivity and adds a lot of functionality to your device.

Apple Podcasts - Free

Podcasts is an app for managing and listening to Podcasts. Podcasts are audio or video shows from a number of provides. Podcasts can be put out by well known news organizations such as NPR, New York Times, ABC News, CNN, and many other lesser know sources. As an auditory learner I enjoy listening to Podcasts to learn more about topics that interest me.

Click here for more information about Podcasts.

Apple iTunes U - Free

iTunes U is another Apple app that allows you to explore and follow classes from various institutions that interest you. You can follow a history class at Yale or a computer science class an Stanford. Once you subscribe to a course you can view videos of the lectures, PDFs of the slide shows, and other course material. iTunes U is an easy way to learn new things from home on the iPad.

Click here for more on the iTunes U app.

Apple iBooks - Free

iBooks is reading app from Apple. The app is somewhat sparse in terms of accessibility features so I tend to use it sparingly. Unfortunately, iBooks is difficult to use for people who prefer text-to-speech with synchronized highlighting. Speak Selection allows iBooks users to read one page at a time with text-to-speech and synchronized highlighting, but users must highlight each page manually in order to have Speak Selection read it. VoiceOver is another option for text-to-speech within iBooks, but it does not include the synchronized highlighting that is helpful to many with dyslexia. 

Apple Reminders - Included

Reminders is an app that comes included with the iPad. It is a simple way to keep track of my homework assignments and other tasks. With Reminders I can enter a homework assignment on my iPhone and it appears on my computer and iPad as well. 

Quizlet - Free

Quizlet is a website where users can create, share, and study flashcards. Users can make a study set on the internet and then study them on a computer or using the free Quizlet iOS app. Teachers can also make a study sets for their classes. Quizlet also offers pre-made flashcard sets for popular vocabulary books, SAT vocabulary, and more. Flashcards can also include images to aid in studying. Once the study set is open you can view the terms in list mode or in flashcard mode. Quizlet includes text-to-speech allowing users to hear the content of their flashcards. The text-to-speech helps me learn my vocabulary words more quickly and also helps me pronounce the words correctly.

Learn more about Quizlet by clicking here.

WolframAlpha - $2.99

WolframAlpha is a powerful reference services that can answer complex queries as well as provide useful graphs and visuals. I like using WolframAlpha to double check my math calculations and to research interesting topics. You can also use WolframAlpha from a web browser by visiting WolframAlpha.com.

Click here for more information about WolframAlpha.

Livescribe+ - Free

The Livescribe+ app is the brains of the Livescribe 3 smartpen. The pen sends your notes to the app over Bluetooth and then processes the handwriting and turns it into digital text. The app makes it easy to review notes in a page view or list view. Because the app turns handwriting into digital text, it is simple and fast to search through your notebook. You can search by keyword and easily find all associated notes. Once your handwriting has been converted to digital text you can use the built in iOS Speak Selection feature to have your note read aloud with text-to-speech.

Click here to learn all about the Livescribe 3 Smartpen.

Kurzweil 3000-firefly - Free

Kurzweil 3000-firefly is a app that allows you to view and read Kurzweil documents that you store online. The app is free for users that have a Kurzweil 3000-firefly licence. Users can save a Kurzweil document to firefly from their computers and then view and read the document using text-to-speech. The service is helpful for people that use Kurzweil frequently and want to read documents while on the go. Firefly can also make sharing Kurzweil documents to multiple people much easier.

Click here to read more about Kurzweil 3000-firefly.

ClaroPDF App: PDF Text-To-Speech and Annotation (Giveaway)

ClaroPDF is an accessible PDF reader with many annotation options. The app uses text-to-speech to read any text based PDF. The app also includes numerous annotations options including highlighting, text boxes, underline, strikeout, shapes, and images. ClaroPDF includes a simple design that matches the interface of iOS 7. Unfortunately, there is no full screen option that hides all controls so you can better focus on your document. To start reading a PDF you can use the open-in feature of many other apps or import a document using Dropbox. Then you can use a number of high quality text-to-speech voices to read the document at up to 240 words per minute. It would be nice to see the maxim speaking rate increased to around 400 word per minutes for people who are able to understand high rates of speech. To start reading the document you can just tap on a word a press the play button.

Currently in version 1.2.6 there is a bug that causes layout issues with certain documents. The issue causes documents to not fill the entire screen.

Besides a great interface ClaroPDF includes a wide variety of annotation options. These annotations are easy to add and manage. ClaroPDF even includes the ability to add voice notes. One option that is not included is the ability to automatically add text notes to every blank in a document. This feature would significantly speed up the process of filling out forms.

ClaroPDF costs $0.99 and works on the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. Watch the video above to see ClaroPDF in action a click read more below to view screenshots of ClaroPDF in action. Click read more below for giveaway details.

Giveaway

RT & follow for a chance to win a promo code for ClaroPDF. iOS TTS app for PDFs. Terms apply. Check out my review http://t.co/6PJ7M1pegH
— Assistive Technology (@bdmtech) November 26, 2013

Retweet and follow the ClaroPDF below tweet  for a chance to win one of ten promo codes. Code expires on 12/24/13 and is redeemable only on the iTunes Store for the United Kingdom. Requires an iTunes account, subject to prior acceptance of license and usage terms. To open an account you must be above the age of 13 and in the United Kingdom. Compatible software and hardware, and internet access (fees may apply) required. Not for resale. Full terms apply; see www.apple.com/legal/itunes/ww/. For more information, see www.apple.com/support/.

Have You Ever Wondered How Text-To-Speech Voices Are Made?

The Verge has a cool video about how text-to-speech videos are produced. Given that so many assistive technologies rely on text-to-speech voices it is interesting to learn how they have been improved over the years to sound more realistic. One of the most well known applications of text-to-speech is Apple's Siri. The video features Nuance the makers of Dragon.

Co:Writer for iOS Provides Powerful and Adaptable Word Prediction

Don Johnston’s powerful word prediction software, Co:Writer, has made its way to iOS. The newly released Co:Writer app works with the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. It is important to note that the Co:Writer app has multiple different variations depending on your dialect. For example, there is a separate app for British and United States English.

To start using the powerful word prediction built into the app you can simply start typing. A bar appears on top of the keyboard with five suggested words based on what you are typing. On the iPhone and iPod Touch some longer words are cut off in the predication bar because of the smaller screen. Tapping on a word inserts it into the document. As each word is added it is spoken aloud with text-to-speech. The word prediction is helpful for struggling writers and spellers. The word prediction can help a writer who doesn't know the spelling of a word by spelling the word if you can type the first few letters. Once you have completed your sentence it is spoken back to you. Co:Writer also includes a speak button with reads the entire document with text-to-speech while highlighting the spoken word.

Co:Writer also has one more amazing feature. You can tell the app what you are going to be writing about to receive even better word prediction results. The app includes many topics such as William Shakespeare, Albert Einstein, and Global Warming. If you enable the Einstein topic dictionary it will give you word suggestions based on words related to Einstein. With the Einstein dictionary on, typing it the letter “r” leads to the suggestion of “relativity.” These customizable predictions help to make writing a smother process.

When you are ready to share your writing you have numerous options. You can share it via messages, email, Dropbox, Google Drive, Twitter, or Facebook. In addition you can copy your work to another app.

Co:Writer sells for $17.99 in the App Store. Click read more below to view screenshots of Co:Writer in action.

App was provided complimentary to reviewer

Prizmo 2.0 for iOS Released With Cool New Features

Prizmo 2.0 for iOS was just released in the App Store. Prizmo now works on the iPad as well as the iPhone and iPod Touch. The update includes many exciting new features. The original version of Prizmo included optical character recognition (OCR) but did not include the ability to scan documents to a PDF or text file. The PDF files are not just images but include searchable text. Prizmo 2.0 also allows users to export the documents to other apps.

To create a new document in Prizmo you can simply take a picture of multiple pages. Prizmo will automatically detect the edges of the page. In version 2.0 you no longer have to crop documents manually. Once you have captured all of the pages you can recognize the text of the document which is surprisingly fast and accurate. If the Prizmo does make a mistake you can edit the OCR zones or manually edit the text. After the text has been recognized you can email or export the document as a PDF or text document or read the text using built-in text-to-speech. The text is highlighted as it is read aloud which can be helpful for people with dyslexia  Unfortunately you can only read one page of the document at a time using the built-in text-to-speech. In addition, it is important to note that each text-to-speech voice costs $2.99.

Prizmo is still a great tool for quickly reading printed documents using text-to-speech and now is one of the best PDF scanning apps. Most PDF scanning apps such as Scanner Pro only make an image PDF with no text but Prizmo creates PDFs with searchable text.

Prizmo 2.0 includes a new feature to help blind and visually impaired users line-up a document. Because it would be virtually impossible for the blind to take a well aligned picture of a document with out assistance Prizmo voices directions through VoiceOver. If a user has VoiceOver turned on it will tell a blind or visually impaired user which direction to move their device in order to get the perfect shot.

Prizmo is on sale for $5.99 in the App Store. Click read more below to view screenshots of Prizmo 2.0.

Proloquo2Go 3.0 Coming Soon With Exciting New Features

Proloquo2Go 3.0 is coming soon according the maker AssistiveWare. If you are unfamiliar with Proloquo2Go click here for background information. Proloquo2Go is the most well known alternative and augmentative comunication (AAC) apps for iOS devices. AssistiveWare does not seem be resting on its laurels and has some exciting new features planned for upcoming version 3.0. One of the new features is something AssistiveWare calls ExpressivePower. This new features will allow users to create buttons with certain intonation and emotion. This is great news for people who uses Proloquo2Go for everyday communication. Users will also be able to switch between voices more quickly in version 3.0. Version 3.0 will also include greatly improve switch access and more options to manage switches. Proloquo2Go 3.0 will be a free update for all current users in the next month or so. Proloquo2Go is avalible in the App Store for $189.99.

Click read more below to view videos about Proloquo2Go.

Google Play Books Adds Read Aloud Feature

Google Play Books is the Google's ebookstore and companion reader apps. The Android reader app was recently updated to include a text-to-speech read aloud feature. Click here to download the free app for Android. The text-to-speech voice is a little above average but gets the job done. The read aloud feature works with most books in the Google Play store. If you have an Android device be sure to check this app out.

Click read more below to view screenshots of Google Play Books.