Hi all,
This gets confusing and last time I posted this I got all kinds of comments that I made the request too confusing. So I will limit the details.
The Library of Congress maintains a library for the blind and disabled, called the National Library Service. Up until recently, books were only available as analog recordings, on a special format of cassette These recordings will only play on machines modified by or for the National Library Service. However, this program is being phased out, as they nolonger make blank cassettes.
The program is going digital. Now the recordings will be available for downloading to members of the National Library Service, which is approx 1 million in the USA.
Talking Books just like songs require that a royalty be pain to the author. However, no such royalty is paid on a library book. So to make sure that only members of the National Library Service, can listen to the books, they are encoded in a proportiary format.
The portable machines, (wearable as is an IPOD), is approx $350 to $400 each. They are very complicated to use, as they do many other things than just play back the encoded format. The ipod has one dial, these other machines have 16 buttons!
I have spoken to the director of the National Library Service, it is technically possible for a IPOD, PALM PRE, OR IPHONE, to play these files, if a porgram is written to convert these files into a book reading file that IPOD, PALM PRE, OR IPHONE, recognizes.
The National Library Service only requirement is, that should you write such a program, that you have a disclaimer saying, the software can only be used by members of the National Library Service.
The software can be sold and in fact, the two machines that I mentioned before, got a free mention in the bi monthly mailing that all members of the National Library Service, recive. Therefore, I am sure they would do the same for a program writen for the ipod.
THE IPOD IS PERFECT FOR THIS. IT IS CHEAP, VERY EASY TO USE, AND THE NEWER ONES HAVE VOICE PROMPTS MAKING IT USABLE FOR THE BLIND.
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN WRITING SUCH A PROGRAM, PLEASE LET ME KNOW, OR NEED MORE DETAILS LET ME KNOW.
THANK YOU, JAY M SILVERMAN
This gets confusing and last time I posted this I got all kinds of comments that I made the request too confusing. So I will limit the details.
The Library of Congress maintains a library for the blind and disabled, called the National Library Service. Up until recently, books were only available as analog recordings, on a special format of cassette These recordings will only play on machines modified by or for the National Library Service. However, this program is being phased out, as they nolonger make blank cassettes.
The program is going digital. Now the recordings will be available for downloading to members of the National Library Service, which is approx 1 million in the USA.
Talking Books just like songs require that a royalty be pain to the author. However, no such royalty is paid on a library book. So to make sure that only members of the National Library Service, can listen to the books, they are encoded in a proportiary format.
The portable machines, (wearable as is an IPOD), is approx $350 to $400 each. They are very complicated to use, as they do many other things than just play back the encoded format. The ipod has one dial, these other machines have 16 buttons!
I have spoken to the director of the National Library Service, it is technically possible for a IPOD, PALM PRE, OR IPHONE, to play these files, if a porgram is written to convert these files into a book reading file that IPOD, PALM PRE, OR IPHONE, recognizes.
The National Library Service only requirement is, that should you write such a program, that you have a disclaimer saying, the software can only be used by members of the National Library Service.
The software can be sold and in fact, the two machines that I mentioned before, got a free mention in the bi monthly mailing that all members of the National Library Service, recive. Therefore, I am sure they would do the same for a program writen for the ipod.
THE IPOD IS PERFECT FOR THIS. IT IS CHEAP, VERY EASY TO USE, AND THE NEWER ONES HAVE VOICE PROMPTS MAKING IT USABLE FOR THE BLIND.
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN WRITING SUCH A PROGRAM, PLEASE LET ME KNOW, OR NEED MORE DETAILS LET ME KNOW.
THANK YOU, JAY M SILVERMAN
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