Kindle for iOS gets VoiceOver capabilities; AT&T U-Verse customers gain WatchESPN, Fox Now

Amazon updated the iOS version of its Kindle reading app on Wednesday, adding features that leverage Apple's VoiceOver technology to make Kindle content more accessible to the visually impaired. AT&T, meanwhile, added WatchESPN and Fox Now support for U-Verse subscribers.

Wednesday's update brings the Kindle app to version 3.7 and brings the ability for the app to read aloud more than 1.8 million titles from the Kindle Store. Using VoiceOver, the app allows users to navigate within their libraries or within a book, and the app can read character-by-character, word-by-word, line-by-line, or continuously. Users are also able to navigate both backward and forward in the text.

The update also adds the ability to search for books within a library or to search within a book, as well as the option to add and delete notes, bookmarks, and highlights via VoiceOver. Users can also look up words in the dictionary and Wikipedia, customize the looks of the text, and integrate the app with peripheral braille displays.

Version 3.7 of the Kindle app is available for download in the App Store. The 17.1MB download requires an iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad running iOS 5.0 or later.

AT&T U-Verse customers get WatchESPN, Fox Now

Subscribers to AT&T's U-Verse service now have access to two new content options, as both Fox Now and WatchESPN updated their apps to support U-Verse.

Fox Now's update, announced on Tuesday, adds automatic full-screen playback for videos in addition to U-Verse compatibility. It also features UI changes that streamline the navigation experience, brings new landing page filtering options, and removes the login requirement for syncing. It's available as a free download on the App Store for users with an iOS device running iOS 5.0 or later.

WatchESPN's version 1.6.6 update brings bug fixes and optimizations in addition to U-Verse compatibility. The 4.1MB update is available as a free download in the App Store, and it requires an iOS device running iOS 4.3 or later.

4 Comments

65c816 127 comments · 12 Years

About 11 years ago

The book sellers allow this? Doesn't this blow their read-out-loud books?

suddenly newton 13819 comments · 14 Years

[quote name="65C816" url="/t/157306/kindle-for-ios-gets-voiceover-capabilities-at-t-u-verse-customers-gain-watchespn-fox-now#post_2319890"]The book sellers allow this? Doesn't this blow their read-out-loud books?[/quote] Only the story-time pop-up kind.

bertp 273 comments · 15 Years

"…to read aloud more than 1.8 million titles from the Kindle Store."

Always glad to hear of new iOS apps supporting VoiceOver. Cocoa does most of the enabling automatically. As I understand it, developers generally need to add some additional labeling to screen elements where needed.