BookCourier

BookCourier is now DAISY compatible! Listen to DAISY books from CNIB, RNIB, and more....

Designed for the visually-impaired or those with disabilities that make reading difficult, BookCourier is a portable, convenient, and economical tool for listening to electronic text, digital files, and music. BookCourier frees you from cumbersome equipment such as cassette players and tapes, or bulky Braille transcriptions for your reading needs. Just download files from your PC or the Internet using the supplied transfer software and you're on your way.

BookCourier includes a built-in MP3 player; a built-in voice recorder; fast forward and fast reverse controls; bookmarks, and other smart navigation controls; a sleep timer and clock; plus easy-to-use controls for adjusting volume, reading speed, and more. And if you have a question about a feature, BookCourier's built-in talking help and talking user guide are immediately at your service.

Powered by 2 AA batteries, BookCourier uses CompactFlash® storage for files (up to 2 GB). The device also has a plug-and-play USB connection for transferring files from the PC using the supplied PC software. Finally, BookCourier is shipped with earphones and a pocket clip.



Download electronic text and voice files to BookCourier and, in just minutes, you can start listening to all sorts of written information as well as music and audio files.

World Wide Web. Take advantage of the wide variety of information already available on the Internet. Simply download files to your PC, then use the BookCourier Transfer Tool to copy the files to BookCourier, and immediately start listening to the files without being tied to your PC.

Bookshare.org. BookCourier and it transfer software support DAISY 3 text files from Bookshare.org, a non-profit Internet organization that allows people with documented vision and learning disabilities to download all kinds of books (from the classics to today's bestsellers) for just the price of a membership. Bookshare.org just recently began offering the National Federation of the Blind's Newsline, which gives you access to leading newspapers and periodicals. Learn more about this service by visiting www.Bookshare.org.

Audible. Listen to digital audiobooks, radio programs, audio newspapers, and magazines from Audible.com, an online service providing over 18,000 titles from the New York Times Audio Digest to National Public Radio's Fresh Air and the latest bestseller. Visit www.audible.com for details about their service. BookCourier users are eligible to a discount on a new Audible subscription.

DAISY. A DAISY file is a digital talking book specifically designed to meet the needs of print disabled users. These books are highly accessible and support a variety of text and audio navigation features. BookCourier now supports DAISY 2.02 audio files as well as DAISY 3 text files from Bookshare.org. Currently, you can get DAISY 2.02 audio files from the Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic (RFB&D) in the United States. RFB&D produces digitally recorded books in an encrypted DAISY 2.02 format. Although BookCourier does not support these files, we are currently in discussions with RFB&D. For more information about RFB&D, please visit their web site at www.rfbd.org.

Grade 2 Braille. BookCourier's Transfer Tool can translate Grade 2 Braille files (.BRF) into text files that you can read on BookCourier. In the US, you can take advantage of Web-Braille, an Internet service that provides in an electronic format, many Braille books and all Braille magazines produced by the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS). For details, visit the Web-Braille factsheet from the NLS.

Smart Navigation
With BookCourier’s “smart” interface, moving around any document is simple and intuitive.

Content-Sensitive Navigation. BookCourier always knows what kind of document you’re listening to and, at a result, offers the most appropriate ways of jumping from one place to another. We call this “content-sensitive navigation.” So, if you’re reading a book, BookCourier lets you jump by chapter. If you’re reading a newspaper or magazine, BookCourier lets you jump by article and section.
Bookmarks. BookCourier lets you define a virtually unlimited number of bookmarks within each document. So, if you hear something interesting that you may want to revisit, go ahead and “dog-ear a page” by creating a bookmark in that spot.
Fast Forward/Fast Reverse. BookCourier provides the most intuitive way of moving through a document or audio file – fast forward and fast reverse. It’s as simple as thumbing through the pages of a book.
Helpful Design
You don’t need to be a gadget lover to learn how to use BookCourier because it’s designed with the everyday user in mind.
Talking Help/Talking User Guide. BookCourier supplies Talking Help for every button and the entire user guide is available for listening. Whether you need quick help on a particular button or more detailed instruction on performing a certain task, BookCourier has the answer.
Instant Location Finder. BookCourier also has a Where am I? feature that will tell you, at any moment, what file you’re listening to and your exact location within it. You can’t get lost, even if you take advantage of BookCourier’s huge storage space.
Announcement Level. Each listener can choose the level of detail BookCourier provides when making announcements. So, the expert user may choose to switch off the information, while the novice user may choose to hear every possible announcement.
Plug and Play Architecture/USB Connection. BookCourier has a "plug and play" architecture that allows your PC and BookCourier to communicate without the hassle of configuring either one. All you have to do is plug the supplied cable into BookCourier and your PC and you're ready to go. BookCourier communicates with the PC through USB, a state-of-the-art protocol that provides fast and reliable data transmission.

Personal Environment
BookCourier has many features designed to make the listening experience more comfortable and enjoyable for you.

Adjustable Volume, Reading Speed, and more. You can change the volume, reading speed, voice type, and voice pitch so that the reading environment suits you.
Built-in MP3 Player. With BookCourier's built-in MP3 player, you can listen to your favorite music anytime, anywhere.
Built-in Voice Recorder. BookCourier lets you record your own audio files. Just speak into the device to create to-do lists and other notes to yourself.
Announcement Level. You can also choose the level of detail BookCourier uses in its announcements, a lot of detail for a new user or just some detail for the more experienced user.
Sleep Timer and Clock. BookCourier also contains an adjustable sleep timer and a clock that you can set on the unit without using the PC software.
Expandable Memory. Because BookCourier uses a CompactFlash® card to store information, you have access to 128 MB of data at any time – without a PC connection. If you find that you need more storage space, you can always plug in another memory card for up to 2 GB of memory.

Feature List
For such a compact device, BookCourier offers a surprisingly large number of features. Each unit comes with thorough documentation and support to make it easy to take advantage of BookCourier's many capabilities:

• Advanced text-to-speech reader
• MP3 player
• Broad file type support: text, Bookshare.org (BKS), Grade 2 Braille (BRF), Talking Newspaper Association of the United Kingdom (DOC), MP3, Audible (AA), and DAISY 2.02 audio.
• Voice recorder
• Smart navigation for advancing through each document
• Fast forward/fast reverse controls
• Virtually unlimited bookmarks in each document
• Automatic bookmark that saves your place and lets you pick up exactly where you left off
• Where am I feature that tells you exactly where you are in the current file and file system
• Easy-to-use controls for adjusting voice type, reading speed, volume, and more
• Sleep timer
• Clock that can be set on BookCourier
• PC software that allows you to select files on your PC and download them to BookCourier
• USB connection between BookCourier and your PC
• "Plug and play" architecture that allows your BookCourier and PC to communicate without configuring either one
• Powered by two AA batteries
• 128MB of CompactFlash® storage space for text and audio files, with the option of substituting another CompactFlash® card with up to 2 GB of space
• Attached pocket clip
• Built-in Talking Help for every key on the keypad and a built-in Talking User Guide that explains how to use all the features

Specifications -


• Weight: Six ounces with batteries
• Size: 2.75 in x 4.875 in x 1 in (including pocket clip) (W x H x D)
• Text-to-Speech Technology: RC Systems DoubleTalk
• Audio Format Supported: MP3
• Power Requirements: Two AA batteries (included)
• Audio Output: Stereo headphone jack (earphones included)
• Storage Capacity: CompactFlash® card with 128MB (included), supports cards with up to 2 GB of space
• Data Transfer: USB (cable included)
• System Requirements: BookCourier Transfer Tool requires Windows ME, 2000, or XP with a USB port.