Amazon has released two new features that will be critical for the new Kindle Fire HD series of tablets. Immersion Reading and Whispersync for Voice take audiobooks and ebooks to a whole different level.
Immersion Reading brings new harmony to ebooks from Amazon and Audio Books from Audible. It basically allows readers to synchronize a Kindle text with the Audible audio version of that work. While you are reading, the ebook is highlighted as the audio track moves along, making it easier for the reader to follow along. One of the more useful ways you can employ this is by reading a book and listening to the audio version at the same time. People learning new languages could also tremendously benefit from this and don’t forget kids ebooks.
Whispersync for Voice is another new option that, in essence, allows you to read the ebook at home and then pick up where you left off on the audio version. “The ability to seamlessly switch back and forth between reading text on any Kindle and listening to the same title in audio on your smartphone — and always pick up where you left off — means that the story can continue during those times of the day when you cannot look at a screen,” said Audible Founder and CEO Donald Katz in a statement. ”We think that Whispersync for Voice can help us all enjoy more books, which is good news indeed.”
This new Whispersync function would be perfect for people who are reading a book at home and then commuting the next day. You can listen to the ebook version on any official Audible app for the iOS or Android.
These two new features coupled with the Dolby Digital Plus audio capabilities of the Kindle Fire HD should be fantastic for audiophiles. There are custom tuning features that optimize audio and help produce natural, balanced sound with more bass and treble. They also eliminate unnecessary noise and minimize distortion.
What do you need to get all of these new functions right away? You need any new model of the Amazon Kindle Fire HD and an iOS or Android device with the official Audible app.
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
