Apple iOS device owners can access and listen to their Facebook news feed via Friends Aloud 1.0, created by VoiZapp, Inc. It is the first iOS app to bring optimized state of the art text-to-speech technology to Facebook on all iOS devices.
As our App of the Day, all our regular readers know the trailer for this app will feature on every page of our site for a whole day. Just scroll to the bottom of this page to take a look.
Using Friends Aloud, a user can:
* Read aloud their latest Facebook news feed posts and their associated comments in a pleasant, easy-to-understand young woman’s voice
* Scroll through each post on screen or tap around to read posts at random
* Automatically switch between reading existing posts in sequence or just reading new posts as they arrive for as long as desired
* Play, pause, and skip forward/back using intuitive controls, just like the iPod
* Continue reading aloud while in the background, just like the iPod
* Understand and read common computer jargon such as smiley faces and texting-style abbreviations (LOL, ROTFLMAO, happy/sad faces, etc.)
* Choose to limit the number of comments read aloud
"Facebook has become an integral part of peoples’ lives, and mobile has fundamentally changed the way they access and use social networking services", said Dr. Robert B. Wesson, Voizapp’s CEO. "You can now stay in touch with your Facebook friends while safely driving, walking, exercising – anywhere your eyes are otherwise occupied. Friends Aloud also gives the visually-impaired and elderly an audible window into their friends’ and families’ lives."
Device Requirements:
* iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad
* Requires iPhone OS 3.1.3 or later
* 10.8 MB
Pricing and Availability:
Friends Aloud 1.0 is $2.99 USD (or equivalent amount in other currencies) and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Social Networking category. Friends Aloud Lite reads the first 10 posts and is available for free.
