Amazon updates its Kindle e-readers to m...

Earlier this summer time, Amazon launched a new update for its Kindle e-reader gadgets, including options to make studying even simpler. These embrace new options for spacing between characters, phrases, and paragraphs. Now, Amazon has dropped one other replace for its Kindle e-readers, introducing extra accessibility options.

The replace, model 5.18.4.0.1, is now obtainable for eleventh and Twelfth-generation Kindle e-readers. In typical Amazon trend, the release notes merely say, “Efficiency enhancements, bug fixes, and different basic enhancements” have been included within the replace, however they do not point out that two new options have been added: Assistive Reader and a bigger font setting for the interface.

The brand new font possibility, discovered underneath Accessibility in settings, enlarges the font dimension for all components and textual content in your Kindle e-reader. This consists of the person interface, menus, and the Kindle Retailer (by way of Good E Reader). The one factor that continues to be unchanged is the font dimension whereas studying an e-book, probably as a result of e-books have their very own separate font setting, which you’ll regulate by tapping the “Aa” menu on the toolbar and deciding on Fonts. For customers with a imaginative and prescient impairment, this characteristic can be notably useful in making their Kindle simpler to navigate.

Amazon has reintroduced Assistive Reader to its Kindle gadgets

Assistive Reader reads your e-books aloud and highlights the textual content because it goes

The second characteristic Amazon launched with this replace is known as Assistive Reader, and it’s really the second time it has appeared on Kindle gadgets. In response to Good E Reader, Amazon initially added this characteristic in July however eliminated it just a few days later. Amazon didn’t formally clarify why it made this modification, however it’s presumed to be attributable to bugs that wanted to be mounted.

That mentioned, with the newest Kindle replace, plainly the Assistive Reader is again, making studying on Kindle gadgets extra accessible. What Assistive Reader does is learn aloud your e-book to you, and when you’re listening, the textual content being learn to you is highlighted in your display. The voice studying it’s reportedly simply an AI voice, so it isn’t as refined as audiobooks, however it’s nonetheless helpful nonetheless.

With Assistive Reader enabled, you may play, pause, and management the velocity of the narration, and rewind by 30 seconds when you miss one thing utilizing the participant controls on the backside of the display. Should you open a navigation menu or cease to create notes or highlights, Assistive Reader robotically pauses and resumes the place you left off if you end.

To make use of Assistive Reader, an e-book should assist “Enhanced Typesetting.” To verify in case your e-book helps it, Amazon recommends visiting the Kindle Retailer, discovering your e-book, and searching for “Enhanced Typesetting: Enabled” in its options listing.

In case your e-book helps Assistive Reader, you may flip it on within the studying settings menu. Merely faucet the display, choose “Aa” on the high, then select “Extra,” and allow Assistive Reader. It is value noting you may want Bluetooth headphones or earbuds linked to make use of Assistive Reader, as Kindle e-readers haven’t got audio system.

Assistive Reader first debuted on the Kindle App for iOS final yr, so it is nice to see it now obtainable on Kindle e-readers. To check out the brand new characteristic, you may want the newest Kindle replace, model 5.18.4.0.1. You may verify for updates by navigating to Settings > System choices > Software program updates in your Kindle, or by manually downloading and putting in it.