[Nfbf-l] bookshare app coming

[Jody W. Ianuzzi]

Benetech Announces New Accessible e-Book Reader for Apple iOS devices - 
iPad, iPhone,
and iPod touch Users Can Read Bookshare Books with Read2Go
Media Contact: Kristen Timmers
kristent at benetech.org
  408-571-8826
Media Contact: Valerie Chernek
valerie.c at bookshare.org
  410-871-2670
January 26, 2011, Orlando, FL - At the 2011 ATIA (Assistive Technology 
Industry Association)
conference in Orlando, Florida,
Benetech
R, the parent nonprofit for
Bookshare
R
, announced Read2Go, a new accessible e-book application (app) developed 
in partnership
with Shinano Kenshi Co., Ltd, known for its PLEXTALK
R brand of digital talking book players.
Read2Go is the most full-featured, accessible DAISY reader for the Apple 
device market.
This very easy-to-use app for the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch connects 
directly
to Bookshare for immediate on-the-go reading. From within the app, 
individual users
and schools supporting students can search, download, and read Bookshare 
books and
periodicals and manage their books in a bookshelf. In addition, Read2Go 
reads DAISY
2.02 and 3.0 materials from some other sources.
Based on reading preferences, users will have a wide range of options 
for font size,
color and background color. Word-by-word highlighting with simultaneous 
text and
speech enables multi-modal reading. The app includes high-quality 
Acapela voices
for highly natural narration. Users will have options to turn the 
text-to-speech
on and off and adjust the rate to their personal preferences. Further, 
Read2Go supports
all levels of DAISY navigation that are included in the structure of the 
book.
"The Read2Go app is so exciting for so many reasons," said Valerie 
Maples. "Both
my husband and daughter have been loyal Bookshare users for years and 
have waited
for the release of an app that would let us read Bookshare books on the 
iPad. The
app should attract a large audience, the entire population with print 
disabilities
around the globe!"
"For many students who are blind, physically, or learning disabled, 
using their iPad,
iPhone, or iPod touch means much more than access to the books they need 
for classes.
It means they can read the same books as their peers on the same 
devices," said long-time
Bookshare advocate Deborah Armstrong, Alternate Media Specialist for 
DeAnza College
in Cupertino, California. "The Read2Go app will offer many advantages 
for people
who are blind as well as those who have physical or learning 
disabilities, including
many features not available on other DAISY readers for Apple devices; 
the fact that
Benetech is releasing this app is a very good thing."
"This new app furthers our Benetech Literacy goal of making printed 
content accessible
to individuals with print disabilities however and wherever they want 
it.  With Read2Go,
we're offering a mobile reading solution based on strong demand from our 
users,"
said Betsy Beaumon, Vice President and General Manager of the Literacy 
Program at
Benetech, the nonprofit organization that operates Bookshare. "The 
accessibility
built-in to iOS devices and their widespread and growing use highlight 
their potential
to help close the gap for students and other individuals with print 
disabilities."
Read2Go will be available this quarter in the iTunes App store and will 
sell for
$19.99. Interested users who would like immediate notification when the 
app is available
can provide contact information on a secure
notify
  list. Additional features, such as study tools, images, and multiple 
languages,
will become be available in the coming months.
For access to Bookshare books on these devices, qualified individuals 
will need a
Bookshare membership
.
About Shinano Kenshi Co., Ltd., Shinano Kenshi Corporation & PLEXTALKR
Shinano Kenshi Co., Ltd. is responsible for the development and 
manufacture of digital
talking book players and other products sold under the brand name of 
PLEXTALK
R
. Shinano and PLEXTALK
R
  assistive technology products are created to improve the quality of 
life, self-reliance
and independence of their users. Shinano Kenshi Corporation is the North 
American
subsidiary of Shinano Kenshi Co., Ltd.
About Benetech
Benetech is a nonprofit technology company based in Palo Alto, 
California. Benetech
pursues projects with a strong social rather than financial rate of 
return on investment,
harnessing open source technology to create innovative solutions to 
challenging social
issues. The Benetech
Bookshare
  service is the world's largest accessible online library of 
copyrighted books for
people with print disabilities.
###