Here's my wish for the phase of blogs: I want the text of my favorite blogs to be converted to audio files for me to have available in mp3 format so that I can listen to them on an iPod at work, driving - wherever.
I bought a program called NaturalReader. With it, I'm able to copy text to the program and it reads the text in an almost natural voice:
As the Bush Doctrine has come under attack, there are those in America who have welcomed its apparent setbacks and defeats as a vindication of their criticism of the policy. But the problem is that that kind of vindication leaves America in a position where there are no good alternatives. The reason that there is general despair now is because if it proves to be true that the Bush Doctrine has proclaimed an idea of democratizing the Arab/Islamic world that is unattainable and undoable, then there are no remaining answers to how to counter ultimately the threat of Islamic radicalism.
It remains the only plausible answer - changing the culture of that area, no matter how slow and how difficult the process. It starts in Iraq and Lebanon, and must be allowed to proceed and not precipitate an early and premature surrender. That idea remains the only conceivable one for ultimately prevailing over the Arab Islamic radicalism that exploded upon us 9/11. Every other is a policy of retreat and defeat that would ultimately bring ruin not only on the U.S. but on the very idea of freedom.
Pretty amazing.
Some bloggers podcast and make their words available in audio, but few (any?) make all of their posts available in audio.
What if I could package up the textual content that I wanted available for myself, convert that to audio, and then easily transfer that to my iPod or whatever? That then becomes my own talk radio, if you will. I now package my own content completely. That saves me time. I don't have to just read sites to which I subscribe. I can save time and listen to them intsead, if I choose to do so.
That's what I want for Christmas.
ETC: Thinking a bit further, just as there are a few blog week in review podcasts, is there a market for a professional reader who gives voice to various sites? I think there might be.
For what it's worth, here's my rendition of the article. Because it's human, it's read with more meaning than NaturalReader.
I too like the idea of being able to listen to this type of content on my iPod. The problem for me lies in the program or person. With programs, the technology just isn't there yet. Too monotone for me, the missing pause, change in inflection, can start to put me to sleep. The story gets lost due to the delivery.
I agree there is a market for a professional reader(s). Me personally, I'd like a reader who can deliver the story as it is without their political bias. Give me the facts with a good delivery and let me decide what I think and feel about it. Don't try to sway my opinion. I haven't watched network news in years because of this. I don't even watch Fox news much.
You are on to a good idea here. Nice job reading the story, you gave NaturalReader a whoopin. :)
A personal note, CK is one of the most reasoned, logical voices out there. His is a column I seldom miss.
Posted by Pale Rider, 12/19/2006 3:06:30 PM
The current best text to speech software is Text Speaker. It has customizable pronunciation, reads anything on your screen, and it even has talking reminders. The bundled voices are well priced and sound very human. Voices are available in English, French, Italian, Spanish, German, and more. Easily converts blogs, email, e-books, and more to MP3 or for listening instantly. http://www.deskshare.com/text-to-speech-software.aspx
Posted by Ron, 9/22/2014 9:31:08 AM
Instead of natural reader, use "Text speaker" app. This is the best text to speech app with the easiest to use interface. You should always listen to your text documents in a good, natural human sounding voice for proofreading.https://www.deskshare.com/text-to-speech-software.aspx
