While looking for free e-books at Microsoft’s mslit.com, I discovered a treasure right in my own backyard.
The University of Oregon’s East Asia Digital Library is chock full of interesting stories. Most work with Microsoft Reader and many multi-media files are available. Check ‘em out.
What’s New this week in ebooks?
e-Asia currently holds over 1,000 e-books, most of which are in Microsoft Reader format. In the case of some Chinese works, the file format is that of kiosked IE browser (.exe) files. e-Asia also holds many .pdf files.
New in audio
The audio archive
files held by e-Asia are exclusively in MP3 format. For the most part, these are audio files of historical interest rather than popular music of the present-day. Toolkit news PLEASE NOTE “Gutenberg Radio” is on the air. More precisely, you can hear the Gutenberg Library and anything else that’s online, synthesized by a robot reader. Other public domain text is available at Bibliomania, Project Gutenberg and many other sites. The University of Virginia Library’s Etext Center, operates one of the world’s largest and busiest public eBook libraries. Onlinebooks at the University of Pennsylvania, has over 19,000 listings. TeleRead calls for well-stocked national digital libraries in the United States and elsewhere. Audio books bring these benefits to immigrants, disabled, children without an adult reader to sit with them, and many others who would simply be out of luck otherwise. More than 54 million Americans are disabled, nearly 20 percent of the U.S. population, according to Adaptive Technology. Download Microsoft Reader for PCs with ClearType™, Microsoft’s patented invention that makes text clear. Microsoft has a free Word to Reader tool to convert Word documents, and can take advantage of the Microsoft Reader Text-to-Speech (TTS) Package. You create an eBook in Microsoft Reader format with one easy step. Just drop in the html, text or Word document. Microsoft’s Reader runs on PCs and handhelds and features accessibility functions like Microsoft’s Text-to-Speech Package (a free download) and “talks” in three languages. Windows XP enhances accessibility for people with specific vision, hearing, mobility, cognitive and seizure-related disabilities. Overdrive’s eBookExpress Website may be the fastest and easiest way to create eBooks. The ebook Express website (FAQ), is makes an e-book for free and eliminates downloading publishing software. Just click to upload your document. Translation software from IBM includes the WebSphere Translation Server works with Microsoft IIS (Internet Information Service) and translates 200 words per second in real-time with bi-directional translation of English to/from French, Italian, German, and Spanish and unidirectional translation of content from English to Japanese, Korean, and Chinese. Alta Vista’s Babblefish language translator is a free web site but is limited to 150 words and doesn’t work in “real-time” chat. FreeTranslation.com is another easy-to-use site for rapid translations. Their real-time translation works for e-mail, instant messaging and web sites. Fonix iSpeak 2.0 Text Reader can run on a handheld and reads email with a natural, human sounding voice while Microsoft’s text chat and wireless conferencing for the Palm can unite desparate groups. Simply Web 2000 speech enables Internet Explorer at no cost while Connect OutLoud ($295) provides speech output for Windows applications as well as browsers. Dragon Naturally Speaking and JAWS for Windows (Job Access With Speech), “hears” and “talks”. It’s used daily in offices around the world. Combining speech-to-text (and text-to-speech) may also enable “talking” kiosks or sculptures that can engage the public. The Phraselator ($1500) is a Pocket PC device with voice input and translated voice output. A Phraselator kiosk might enable real-time translations. Free ebooks are available at University of Virginia Ebook Library, MSLit.com, abacci.com, memoware.com, fictionwise.com, baen.com, blackmask.com, classicistranieri.com, eBooks.com, e-book.com.au, The Gutenberg Project, Internet Public Library, Pdabooks.org, pocketpcpress.com, maxebook.com. Commercial sites include fictionwise.com, ebookad.com, eBookMall, Powells.com, Yahoo’s eBook Store and others. Free PocketPC software and Free Palm software and Free eBooks like Native American literature and Early American fiction are available for downloading. Happy Thanksgiving!
Visit the tools home page
While the e-Asia library collects research tools in its database, it is very useful to have major tools in their own digital “shed. The e-Asia toolkit will build its repertoire over time.
Database news
See the Database gateway page for searching tips >
The e-Asia database of web-accessible full text currently holds approximately 3,000 items. The largest database by far is that of Chinese materials with Japan a distant second. Databases for Taiwan and the Koreas are small and in the formative stage.
New in maps
e-Asia’s maps holdings are, for the most part, rather unique and selective rather than comprehensive. For a greater selection of maps — both modern and historical — search the e-Asia database under the MAPS category. 
New in images
The images archive 
of e-Asia is, for the most part, a by-product of digitizing books; however, e-Asia has recently added several clips of atomic bomb detonations. These are relevant to Japan since they show the effect of “Fat Man” bombs of the type dropped at Nagasaki. Also added are three photographs from the book, Islam in China — which is soon to be added as an e-book. 
Fonix SpeakThis lets everyone hear your website spoken out loud. Just add a SpeakThis button to your page. It automatically translates and provides text to speech audio output. A range of services are provided typically costing several hundred dollars a year. Fonix provides speech recognition for the Xbox. 
Alta Vista’s Babelfish can translate up to 150 words for free. SYSTRAN, partnered with OracleMobile.com, a leading wireless consumer portal, offers translation service anywhere, anytime, from any mobile device. SYSTRAN Microsoft Plus ($39.95) includes Voice Command, which gives consumers the ability to play back and control music and video files by speaking to their computer. The software can respond to 35 different spoken commands. Logitech’s iFeel Mouse ($40) will come bundled with specialized software that lets users feel” their way through tasks” when using Microsoft’s Excel, Word and Windows XP. 
IVAN (Intelligent Voice Animated Navigator), right, will search the Web in natural, conversational language. You ask IVAN questions and tell him where you want to go and what you want to find on the Web. IVAN’s artificial intelligence adapts to learn your voice. Surfing the Web is faster and easier. The same company offers Microsoft’s Voice Messaging so multiple parties can converse anywhere in the world and low - or no - cost through the internet. Cymouse ($180), a headset for gamers and Miracle Mouse ($700) for disabled users translates head movement into mouse input via an infrared sensor positioned on the user’s forehead. Intel’s Open Source “Gesture Library” (Yahoo e-group), translates what the camera sees into commands. Voice XML is the voice markup language that’s driving the voice-enabled internet. It will allow for automatic, real-time translation. Speak Freely is a 100% free Internet telephone originally written in 1991 by John Walker, founder of Autodesk. Be Vocal and Lernout & Hauspie recognition/text-to-speech provide translator software. 
ViaVoice speech recognition can dictate, edit and format text directly into Microsoft Word and embedded speech recognition on the iPaq handheld provides voice access to appointments, tasks, e-mail, phone numbers and addresses. Sight-impaired people might get improved services and save money with embedded speech recognition on a handheld and text-to-speech output. Translation software and services could provide employment and education at the same time. Information can be “read” in a variety of languages.
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