One way I listen To Audio Books

[s1mp13m4n]

Those who know me know that I have a vision problem. I was given a couple of weeks ago a new digital player from the National Library Service. I thought I would share it with you. It is neat that they finally replaced the cassette book players with these. You can order digital cartridges from your local disability library, but I do not use those. I instead legally download my audiobooks from the NLS website. You unzip the file and place its contents on a USB thumb drive. The audio books are in .3gp format that way people can not download them for free and play them on a computer or iPod. It is very simple to use and smaller than the cassette player but to me it is still far larger than it could be. I am currently listening to Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird. I thought I would share this, let me know whatcha think.

 

[KeNd0]

Does it take earphones?

 

[Gerald_G]

Cool device. Of interest, I installed new firmware on my MP3 player today that includes the ability to have it accessible to use by configuring "voice" in it, so it tells you where in the menu you are audibly. I suppose one could listen to audio-books on it that way too.

 

[proxymoron]

Well, that explains your bad luck on the kickboard, then.

 

[NightLad]

Very neat!

Though if you really wanted to, you could download a .3gp to MP3 converter and then you could take the books with you on your iPod or laptop, etc.

True, it may not be totally "legal" but I'd like to see them give you grief over it.

I mean, are they serious? They encode the audio files in a format that can only be used by a bulky plug-in device? Damn. Isn’t the whole point to allow people with vision impairments to be able to ‘read’ a book like anybody else?

What if you wanted to 'read' it on the go, like at the beach or what have you? (Maybe it has batteries, but still, an iPod would be more convenient.)

This method of DRM (digital rights management) seems like they are trading a punishment to legitimate users for a momentary inconvenience for illegal pirates. I’m sure anybody who wanted to convert one of those .3gp files to MP3 could. In fact, a quick search on Google reveals that you can download a whole lot of those audio books pre-converted to MP3 already!

But still, it is a cool device and I'm glad you have it.

 

[valmara1971]

Audio books rock no matter how you listen to them. I used to commute 1 1/2 hours each way and I don't know how I made it through that without audio books. Glad you have found a better way than cassettes it used to annoy the heck out of me when you would discover hlafway through a story that the next tape was broken!

 

[Chimensch]

When I still lived in the US, I used to volunteer to record textbooks for Recording for the Blind because I like to read outloud. It's a great service and lots of fun.

 

[s1mp13m4n]

The machine runs off the power cord and also has a built in rechargable battery. It does have a headphone jack on its right side. It has two usb ports on it. The front slot is made for their "special" cartridges which have a funny shape (to prevent piracy) but it is still a USB port. You go to the NLS website and find what you want. What you download is a .zip file. You extract the contents and I drag its contents to a USB flash drive. Here is what you get:

DB-Lee, Harper-To Kill a Mockingbird-DB36414.zip
once files are unzipped this book has 22 items @ 110MB in size
36414.ncx
36414.opf
36414.pncx
36414.ppf
36414.smil
36414-0001.3gp these files increase in number
dtbsmil110.dtd
ncx110.dtd
oeb1.ent
oebpkg101.dtd
pdtb_protected.smil
protected.mp3
us-nls-db36414.ao

these are the files for To Kill A Mockingbird that you get from the download. My understanding is that in order for the NLS to be able to offer these books for free is that they had to have a format and player that did not allow the general public access to them, etc. The player is free and so are the audiobooks for me. Being a geek however I am curious as to how it works. The 3gp converters that I see online are for video files like putting a DVD into a format for a cellphone for example. I have not seen an audio only converter.

 

[Confuzius]

I've always been curious about the alternative/augmented communications tech industries... It seems that they generally offer lower tech items at higher prices, because they know that they will get subsidized by insurance companies or government funds.

While this device was free to you, it probably cost the NLS more than an iPad or other similar device which could probably be configured to be very vision impaired friendly given the right apps.

Stories like this one about a woman who's insurance covered an $8000 text to speech only "computer" but not a $150 iphone app that did the same job but better and more portable, it really irritates me. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/15/technology/15speech.html?_r=1&ref=technology
Insurance issues aside, there is no reason for a text to speech device to cost $8000 in the age of $200 netbooks.

Sorry for the rant, snazzy setup you've got going there

 

[Go West Young Man]

Neat device, but you should check your local library - most of them have some form of audiobooks available for checkout in .mp3 format that you can listen to on an mp3 player. I download books from our library all the time for listening to in the car.

 

[s1mp13m4n]

I've always been curious about the alternative/augmented communications tech industries... It seems that they generally offer lower tech items at higher prices, because they know that they will get subsidized by insurance companies or government funds.

While this device was free to you, it probably cost the NLS more than an iPad or other similar device which could probably be configured to be very vision impaired friendly given the right apps.

Stories like this one about a woman who's insurance covered an $8000 text to speech only "computer" but not a $150 iphone app that did the same job but better and more portable, it really irritates me. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/15/technology/15speech.html?_r=1&ref=technology
Insurance issues aside, there is no reason for a text to speech device to cost $8000 in the age of $200 netbooks.

Sorry for the rant, snazzy setup you've got going there

I understand the rant and I feel the same way. The prices they charge are crazy. Maxiaids is one such place, the prices are stupid. That is one reason why I gave up for the most part on Windows. You have to pay stupid prices for the OS to get it legal, then pay $500-$1000 for ZoomText to enlarge the screen and or have it read it to you, etc. In Linux if I need it I can do all that for free. I have had a serious gripe with the cost of help and items for those who may need them. It goes to show you it is really all about the Benjamins....not the help. I will look at my local public library and see if they offer MP3 downloads. They offer audiobook cd's but for me the NLS system is faster and easier because of me getting to and finding the books from the library. I guess I could do the pirate thing and maybe find the audiobook I want via a torrent file but that can be hit or miss too. I wonder how much that player costs that I have, $500 or more? It does nothing more than a $50 mp3 player would other than the controls when you press them speaking to you and the fact you can use the player by feel because of the large buttons, shapes, and braille. Good rant though, I feel the same way.

 

[Nishnabotna]

this method of drm (digital rights management) seems like they are trading a punishment to legitimate users for a momentary inconvenience for illegal pirates.

what you say???

 

[Vacumatic]

I used to buy audio books on CD, either classic novels, detective and crime dramas. Loved the idea of these and it used to make long journeys just fly by. especially with teenage children who would listen to a good story in a car rather than read a book. I must have 50 or so of these but now have the situation where I am looking for a new car and there is a very limited choice with a CD player.

I hear that cassettes are back in fashion on the back of people wanting to make mix tapes, perhaps CDs will follow suit.

 

[beginish]

I used to buy audio books on CD, either classic novels, detective and crime dramas. Loved the idea of these and it used to make long journeys just fly by. especially with teenage children who would listen to a good story in a car rather than read a book. I must have 50 or so of these but now have the situation where I am looking for a new car and there is a very limited choice with a CD player.

I hear that cassettes are back in fashion on the back of people wanting to make mix tapes, perhaps CDs will follow suit.

There are a number of good options available allowing you to keep the books on your phone. Audible is the most common, with the biggest library, but there are free options, too, like Libby and Hoopla, both of which offer free audiobooks in connection with my library card. You get the audiobooks for 2-3 weeks and then they return. You often have to wait for the most popular books (sometimes 6 months or more), since they only have a certain number of copies available, but it's free and a good way to try something out without shelling out cash for it.

 

[Vacumatic]

There are a number of good options available allowing you to keep the books on your phone. Audible is the most common, with the biggest library, but there are free options, too, like Libby and Hoopla, both of which offer free audiobooks in connection with my library card. You get the audiobooks for 2-3 weeks and then they return. You often have to wait for the most popular books (sometimes 6 months or more), since they only have a certain number of copies available, but it's free and a good way to try something out without shelling out cash for it.

Thank you for the advice, it is appreciated.

I am a bit of a dinosaur and avoid carrying a smart phone, although I accept that this must change. This reluctance comes from losing a friend in a road accident when his car was destroyed due to another driver in a Range Rover talking on his phone and driving at high speed.

After that experience, I stopped carrying a phone in my car in case I was tempted to use it.

 

[beginish]

Thank you for the advice, it is appreciated.

I am a bit of a dinosaur and avoid carrying a smart phone, although I accept that this must change. This reluctance comes from losing a friend in a road accident when his car was destroyed due to another driver in a Range Rover talking on his phone and driving at high speed.

After that experience, I stopped carrying a phone in my car in case I was tempted to use it.

I totally understand. My library does carry a pretty extensive selection of audiobooks on CD as well, so you may find that a visit to yours has a surprise or 3 in store.

 

[DocPapi]

Check out Overdrive (same as Libby), which is probably (hopefully) available through your library. I listen to audiobooks a lot, and get most of them through Overdrive from the convenience of my own home.

I get the rest of my audiobooks from Audible.com. I wait for their once or twice a year sale, get a year's worth of credits at a time, and it winds up costing me less than $10.00 per book. Plus, the membership gives me access to their occasional (seems like monthly) book sales at about $7.00 per book, and the monthly free choice of a selection of Audible Originals, which are often very good. Not a bad deal.

I haven't used it yet, but Chirp also sounds like a good source for audiobooks at a relatively inexpensive price point.

 

[Go West Young Man]

Neat device, but you should check your local library - most of them have some form of audiobooks available for checkout in .mp3 format that you can listen to on an mp3 player. I download books from our library all the time for listening to in the car.

GD it, I feel old now.

 

[beginish]

GD it, I feel old now.

Imagine if you had told him to get a Discman.

 

[Go West Young Man]

Imagine if you had told him to get a Discman.

Still miss my yellow Walkman that auto-reversed after playing Side A.