Author Uses TextAloud to Write, Share and Connect

From: http://news.yahoo.com/s/prweb/20100708/bs_prweb/prweb4236704_1;_ylc=X3oDMTEwNzlyaWdiBF9TAzIwMjM4Mjc1MjQEZW1haWxJZAMxMjc4NjExNTA0


Thanks to TextAloud from NextUp.com, author J. Aday Kennedy can listen to e-mails, websites, and even her own writing

Clemmons, NC (PRWEB) July 8, 2010 -- Known as "The Differently-Abled Writer," Texan J. Aday Kennedy is the acclaimed author of inspirational articles and essays, children's books, and more. She is also a legally blind, ventilator-dependent quadriplegic who has overcome her disabilities to find success on her own formidable terms. To help her achieve her goals, she turns to TextAloud Text to Speech software, from NextUp.com (www.nextup.com).

TextAloud is a popular software program, priced from just $29.95, that allows PC users like Kennedy to listen to their reading by ear instead of reading it visually, simply by turning their text files into natural, human-sounding speech. From articles, to eBooks, e-mails, websites, documents, and PDFs, TextAloud exports virtually any written text into spoken audio, and into sound file formats that can be listened to anywhere, via MP3 player, iPhone (R), car stereo, computer, and more.

Like many other users with visual disabilities, Kennedy discovered TextAloud as a valuable assistive resource in lieu of more expensive gadgets or screen readers, and found the program simple, uncluttered, and easy to use. With a history of successful inspirational essays that have included publication in prestigious anthologies like "Chicken Soup for the Soul," Kennedy doesn't let her differently-abled status or physical challenges get in the way of her writing or accomplishments. "TextAloud," she comments, "is the program that has helped me hone my writing skills." Despite her legal blindness, TextAloud enabled Kennedy to listen to her writing class texts in 2006, just as it now helps her to review as many as 200 e-mails per day as a successful author four years later. "As I write, TextAloud enables me to listen to what I've written, and I really like the options of the different voices," she says. "I also have TextAloud read my e-mail, as well as the books I review on my blog."

Kennedy's primary use of TextAloud, however, is in the review process. "I use TextAloud primarily in editing my manuscripts," she explains. "The different voices, and being able to paste into the program any text I want to hear spoken, are the most useful features." She adds that she recommends the software to other writers a few times per month, at least.

Kennedy is also grateful for the software's impartiality. "I'm a legally blind ventilator-dependent quadriplegic," she comments. "So when humans read my work, they can sometimes tend to be too kind and uncritical. TextAloud allows me to be an unbiased critic. It will only read exactly what I've written, and provides me with an objective read."

"Ultimately, the problem with humans is the fact that our brains fill in missing words," she adds. "TextAloud, on the other hand, only reads what is there. I couldn't write without it!"

About TextAloud:
A highly useful PC program for students, scientists, writers, business people, students and people from all walks of life, TextAloud has been featured in The New York Times, PC Magazine, Writer's Digest, on CNN, and more. Hailed by critics and users alike, TextAloud is priced from $29.95, and is compatible with systems using Windows (R) 98, NT, 2000, XP and Vista. TextAloud can even be listened to on TV, using TiVo's (R) Home Media Option, and works seamlessly with iTunes (R), for easy synchronizing with iPod (R), iPhone (R), or other iTunes (R) compatible portable audio players. Best of all, unlike prohibitively priced gadgets or eReaders, TextAloud doesn't require special hardware of any kind. The program is available for fast, safe and secure preview and purchase via http://www.NextUp.com.

NextUp.com also offers TextAloud with optional Premium Voices from Nuance (R), AT&T Natural Voices (TM), Acapela (R) and Cepstral (R) for the most natural-sounding computer speech anywhere. Available languages include U.S. English, U.K. English, Indian-Accent English, Scottish-Accent English, Arabic, Basque, Catalan, Cantonese Chinese, Mandarin Chinese, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Belgian Dutch, Faroese, Finnish, French, Canadian French, German, Greek, Hindi, Icelandic, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Brazilian Portuguese, European Portuguese, Russian, Castilian (European) Spanish, Latin American Spanish, Mexican Spanish, Swedish, Taiwanese, and Turkish.