GhostReader 1.5 takes Mac text-to-speech to the next level

[news 28]

GhostReader 1.5 takes Mac text-to-speech to the next level - Published on 05/14/08

 

ConvenienceWare / AssistiveWare today announced the release of GhostReader 1.5, which adds new voices, enhanced iPhone/iPod export, a pronunciation editor and much more. GhostReader is a powerful, yet easy to use multilingual text-to-speech solution for Mac OS X that reads aloud PDF, Word and other documents as well as selected text in any application. It can also convert any text to audio files, MP3s, or bookmarkable audiobooks for playback on iPhone and iPod.

 

Amsterdam, Netherlands - ConvenienceWare / AssistiveWare® today announced the release of GhostReader 1.5, which adds new voices, enhanced iPhone/iPod export, a pronunciation editor and much more. GhostReader is a powerful, yet easy to use multilingual text-to-speech solution for Mac OS X that reads aloud PDF, Word and other documents as well as selected text in any application. It can also convert any text to audio files, MP3s, or bookmarkable audiobooks for playback on iPhone and iPod. Sit back and relax while GhostReader reads for you!

 

GhostReader 1.5 is a major update with the following new features and enhancements:

* Adds new natural sounding voices for Czech, Polish, Swedish and Finnish while existing voices have been enhanced.

* Adds a pronunciation editor, which can be used to modify the way a word is pronounced or to add new abbreviations.

* Adds direct export to iTunes of documents and selected text for playback on iPhone or iPod.

* Adds user-selectable encoding for export to iTunes (AAC, MP3, WAV, AIFF, Apple Lossless).

* In Leopard now also reads DOCX and ODT documents.

* Export to iTunes now runs in the background.

* Enhanced responsiveness when speaking selected text or text below the cursor.

* Speaking selected text now also works in floating windows such as those of the Leopard Help Viewer.

* Speak Text Below the Cursor now speaks the alt. tags for images and buttons in web pages, Mail and widgets.

* Speak Text Below the Cursor now also speaks just the paragraph below the cursor in Mail, TextEdit and Pages 2008.

* Many other enhancements and fixes.

 

GhostReader can be used by anyone who prefers to listen to text rather then read it. Many professionals, writers, educators and students use it on a daily basis to save time, to proof read their own writing or to learn the pronunciation of foreign languages or to improve their reading and listening comprehension.

 

GhostReader 1.5 is a free update for existing users. It is a Universal Binary requiring Mac OS X 10.4 or later and provides full Leopard compatibility. Voices are currently available for the following languages: American English, British English, Czech, Finnish, French, Canadian French, German, Icelandic, Italian, Danish, Dutch, Flemish, Spanish, American Spanish, Polish, Portuguese, Brazilian Portuguese, Norwegian, Turkish and Swedish. GhostReader itself is localized in English, French and German.

 

Pricing for GhostReader starts at 39.95 Euro/USD excluding VAT for a single-user monolingual version (includes all voices for a language of choice). Multilingual licenses, household licenses, classroom licenses and school licenses are also available. GhostReader is also available as a bundle with Infovox iVox for system-wide high quality voices that can be used with practically all Speech Manager compatible Mac OS X applications. Pricing for this bundle starts at 109 Euro/USD excluding VAT for a single user license.

 

A boxed edition of GhostReader is distributed in Europe through Application Systems Heidelberg and available in selected European countries from Apple Stores, FNAC, Amazon and many Apple Resellers throughout the continent. For more information, a fully-functional downloadable demo and to listen to samples of the voices please consult the product page.

 

ConvenienceWare web site: http://www.convenienceware.com

GhostReader: http://www.convenienceware.com/ghostreader.php

Download: http://www.convenienceware.com/download.php

Purchase: http://www.convenienceware.com/purchase.php

Screenshots: http://www.convenienceware.com/ghostreader/screenshots.php

GhostReader Icon: http://www.assistiveware.com/images/GRicon128.gif

 

 

AssistiveWare is the worldwide leader in innovative assistive technology software for Mac OS X that gives people back their lives. This includes award-winning KeyStrokes® and TouchStrokes® virtual keyboards, SwitchXS® scanning on-screen keyboard, LayoutKitchen® panel editor, and Proloquo® multi-purpose speech solution. The ConvenienceWare product line makes the advanced technologies developed by AssistiveWare available in cool and convenient applications that can make the life of Mac users easier. AssistiveWare and ConvenienceWare are trade names and trademarks or registered trademarks of Niemeijer Consult. VisioVoice, SwitchXS, KeyStrokes, TouchStrokes, LayoutKitchen, GhostReader and Proloquo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Niemeijer Consult. Infovox iVox is a trademark of Acapela Group. All other trademarks are properties of their respective owners.

 

###

 

David Niemeijer

CTO, co-CEO

 

 

d.niemeijer ( -at -) assistiveware.com

 

*******