Speak To Me: iPod Nano Voice Over
Even after all the attention it's gotten over the past couple of weeks, the new 4th-gen Nano still continues to impress us. One of its more unsung features is Voice Over functionality. When activated, the Nano will speak song information and menu items out loud as you scroll through them. At first glance this seems more like a nice touch than a full-blown feature, but it has some really useful real world applications.
First and most obviously, it makes the Nano far more accessible to blind and seeing-impaired users. If you're like me and like to listen to music while falling asleep, I can tell you that the ability to browse through the Nano without reaching for my glasses is a nice one indeed. Voice Over can also be a boon to those who take their Nano along while driving. Peering at an iPod and piloting a car down a busy highway isn't exactly safe. Voice Over alone won't keep both hands at 10 and 2, but at least it can help our eyes stay on the road. It's even pretty handy while running and working out. If you've picked up one of the new Nanos, definitely give Voice Over a shot.
--Jon D.
Micha Elyi on September 29, 2008 at 06:14 PM
What's this "keep both hands at 10 and 2" on the steering wheel stuff? If your car has a driver's side airbag, check your owner's manual. Betcha it instructs you to keep your hands no higher than the 9- and 3-o'clock points on the wheel.
I wish you wouldn't fiddle with your iPod while driving. Just because your head is pointing your eyes toward the road ahead doesn't mean you are looking at the road ahead. Looking is a mental activity and if your brain is focused on picking tunes, you're not looking at that pedestrian crossing the street or that approaching car about to turn left right across your path.
Tracy on December 25, 2009 at 04:13 PM
I appreciate all of the information Jon D. posted with the updates for the Nano! Thank you!