Audiobooks discussion
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HiMy phone (Galaxy Note) is my book shelf, when the power goes down the only thing I worry about is whether my phone is charged enough to read on Kindle or listen to audiobooks/podcasts.
So podcast player of choice is currently DogCatcher, but not for any other reason than it came recommended.
As for audiobooks though I have put many through their paces and ended up with Mort Audiobook Player (link at the bottom of post), it is a great player, highly customizable, and has a great lock screen replacement. Also, it's named after a Pratchett book and the Dev calls himself StoHelit, also from Terry Pratchett, so I will forgive him much.
I cycle between Audible and BeyondPod (with the Presto add-on), with the former for audiobooks and the latter for (mostly) podcasts. The main thing I like is that they both support increasing the playback speed, which I sometimes have to do if I ever have any hope of getting through all the stuff I download. :)
Thanks so much for the recommendations. Looks like I'm on the right track with my podcatcher shortlist. I haven't heard of the Presto add-on for BeyondPod so I'll check that out.Being able to increase playback speed is certainly a valuable feature. I'm going to see if Bee's Mort can do that. Thanks for mentioning it, Brian.
How do you wear/carry your phone when you're listening to audiobooks? I got a sportsband this weekend but I'm just not sure. I feel like I've got a big clunky THING on my arm.
Any audiobook player with adjustable playback speeds other than audible? Mort doesn't seem to have this feature.I found Smart Audiobook, but it only works on android 4.0 and I have a droid 4 phone which only runs android 2.3.6
Does anyone know of any other audiobook app that has adjustable playback speed?
Laura, I use a program called Akimbo, which supports variable speed if you also buy the Presto add-on. Total cost is around $7 I think.The variable speed playback is a little buggy -- sometimes I have to restart the phone to get it to take -- but it has worked decently for me until I upgrade this phone to one that can handle 4.0.
Joel wrote: "Laura, I use a program called Akimbo, which supports variable speed if you also buy the Presto add-on. Total cost is around $7 I think.The variable speed playback is a little buggy -- sometimes I..."
Thanks... I will try that one out
I have just downloaded the Overdrive app. Anyone use that?
I heard somewhere that the Overdrive online service has been stopped... But not sure if that's in effect yet.
Re: the earlier question about wearing/carrying my phone, this is something I'm struggling with as well. Until a month ago, I used my Ipod classic exclusively, and I had an Incase cover/belt clip for that. At this point I just put the phone in my pocket, but I've also recently purchased a belt clip, so hopefully that will work.If this is an open thread on audiobooks on Android, I'd say my #1 issue is with Audible's app-- there's no "lock screen" controls! Both Audiogalaxy and BeyondPod have this feature...the only thing I can find that Audible has is something that prevents the phone from turning off the screen, which isn't really the same thing.
I have a Razor Maxx powered by Android. I like the Audiobile.com download manager. I've also got some bluetooth speakers for the house and I can link my phone with them while I get ready to go in the morning, then, take it to my car plug into a Belkin Transmitter to send it to my car radio as I listen. Works wonderful. In our van, yes, I've got kids so I drive an "Urban Assault Vehickle" (Yes that was a Bill Murry and Stripes poke) I can use an Aux cord to plug one end in the earphone jack of my cell the other in the Aux jack on the stereo. You should also, if your in the Android family, look into "Google Play" Google Play has "Players" that will work for a lot of different audiobooks and they have a rapidly growing selection of audio books themselves.
In addition, if you have been an iPod user, Google play went into my computer, found all of my music, iPod and others and uploaded all 2,000+ songs to the "iCloud". The Player accesses my music from my lap top, or on my cellphone using wifi, 3G and 4G connections (which ever works). I can buy music through google, or iTunes and still push it to the iCloud, or, if I want, I can download it to my phone.
Google play now has an Android connection so I can use it on my Kindle Fire.
(Audio books also down load to my Kindle fire, and kindle 3G/4G if I want.)
Curmudgeon wrote: "I have a Razor Maxx powered by Android. I like the Audiobile.com download manager. I've also got some bluetooth speakers for the house and I can link my phone with them while I get ready to go in..."Wow, that's a lot of information, and I think it will help me figure out some things, as I have a new Android phone, too. Thanks.
I hope it's helpful. There are also some things (if you have money) that you can get from Amazon that are fun sometimes helpful etc... the best one, if you have fat fingers like me, are a pack of stylus ...stylai... styluses... styoright!....heh... no... well anyway, it's a pack of stylus in pretty culours and two sizes, 14 dollars and change for about 14 stylus. It's a lot easier to peck at my phone with one of those (and my kindle fire) than it is my fat pudgy fingers. that makes them about a buck 50 per stylus after shipping, less if your Amazon Prime. I've stuck them around my house, car and work so I always have one handy (and one in my nerd pocket protector.)
I have a bluetooth headset (without microphone) to listen around the house and walking the dog, and a magic box that my speakers plug into and allow me blue tooth either from my phone or my computer. A plug in for bluetooth that allows my computer and all these devices (including my phone) to pass files etc back and forth (those are remarkably cheap through Amazon) ... stuff like that.
and 2.97 for screen cleaners... I have kids and touch screens... but I digress.
Hope some of that is helpful for you.
Curmudgeon wrote: "I hope it's helpful. There are also some things (if you have money) that you can get from Amazon that are fun sometimes helpful etc... the best one, if you have fat fingers like me, are a pack of..."Yes, very helpful. Does your car have an auxiliary jack to plug into? I have one car that does, but another that does not, and have been carrying a small speaker to use when in that vehicle, but using the radio would be much better. Thanks again.
What I use in my car where there is no aux jack to plug into is one of these...http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-TuneCast...
This isn't the one that I use, but it's like it. It plugs into the cigarette lighter socket (or 12 volt socket) in the car's dash. Brocasts on a clear FM frequency to the car radio.
I just bought a "bluetooth" one for my phone specifically that will save wear and tear on my "Jacks" and cords and such. I'll let you know if it works well.
In the Van, I plug in with a simple aux cord like this...
http://www.amazon.com/Kensington-Audi...
There are cheaper and varying versions of these by multiple makers... I like Belkin, but, others work just as well.Oh, and here are the Stylus pointers (see, I knew there weren't plural for Stylus words) cheap. If your Amazon Prime, shipping is more than reasonable.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_nos...
Curmudgeon wrote: "What I use in my car where there is no aux jack to plug into is one of these...http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-TuneCast......"
Yes, I have an auxiliary cord like that, but wasn't even aware of the ability to buy something to use like the one that goes into the cigarette lighter. Thanks so much, I will look for something like that!
Neither my old nor new car have Aux jacks, nor does my car have bluetooth, so i've also carried various portable speakers with me. But they are rather impractical, I hate to admit I often drive with earphones on, so that I an quickly pause a track with the little buttons on the earphone cable, or answer the phone.
My car doesn't have a built-in auxilary jack; so I use a BlueAnt S4 Bluetooth Visor Speaker/hands free Microphone. Great for audiobooks and for making/receiving phone calls too. My only complaint is that it doesn't automatically stop the audiobook when I receive a text and my phone reads the text to me over the top of the audiobook playing.
Laura wrote: "My car doesn't have a built-in auxilary jack; so I use a BlueAnt S4 Bluetooth Visor Speaker/hands free Microphone. Great for audiobooks and for making/receiving phone calls too. My only complaint ..."
I use a simple Belkin adapter designed for an iPod. Mine stops the book for phone calls and pauses for the alert tone anytime I get one (of the many things I get alerts on) picking the book up right where it left off.
I think that's more a function of the phone than the adapter.
Bee wrote: "Neither my old nor new car have Aux jacks, nor does my car have bluetooth, so i've also carried various portable speakers with me. But they are rather impractical, I hate to admit I often drive wi..."I'm going to be using a new Adapter for the Razr Maxx (Android Smart Phone). it's got a righid arm holding the phone several inches from the plug, recharges and transmits to an FM frequency.
The Reviews stated that it did a good job of staying on frequency and that once in the when the adapter plugged into the socket (lighter socket) it was so tight that it stood upright like it was supposed without any problems. One poster said it came in clear the self scanned frequency and he lives in the D.C. Area. I live close to D.C. and go there regularly and mine gives me fits in the city but works like a champ out where I am.
Hope that helps. if your interested i can post a link to the one I'm getting. There are a lot of different types.
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! The discussion of changing audio speed could not have been more timely for me. I've been trying to get through The Yard narrated by Toby Leonard Moore, but the narration was so slow I was having trouble paying attention. (Fabulous range of voices, but looooong pauses between sentences) I downloaded the free Audio Speed Changer app to my Thunderbolt (Android) phone, and it worked brilliantly. I boosted the speed to 130%, which would probably be too fast for other books, but for this one it's perfect. No noticable change in pitch although I can hear some digital dropout, but it's more than worth it. I was really surprised at how much my attention was able to stay on the book.
Yes, I usually go to 125% speed and can hardly tell a difference in the Narrator's cues and tone of voice. I finish a 10 hour book in 7.5... (see, even Grumpy Guys can do math...sometimes.)
Curmudgeon wrote: "Yes, I usually go to 125% speed and can hardly tell a difference in the Narrator's cues and tone of voice. I finish a 10 hour book in 7.5... (see, even Grumpy Guys can do math...sometimes.)"I have found that some books can be speeded up even more if you gradually increase it. I can now listen to some of the Outlander series narrated by Davina Porter at 200%. I had to start at 125-150% and gradually increase it as I got used to each speed. It depends on each narrator... I have others that I can only go to 125-130% and still listen comfortably.
Laura wrote: "Curmudgeon wrote: "Yes, I usually go to 125% speed and can hardly tell a difference in the Narrator's cues and tone of voice. I finish a 10 hour book in 7.5... (see, even Grumpy Guys can do math....."If your like me, I listen to the "Text to Speech" function on my Kindle. Speeding that up helps too. it even sounds quick, but more natural than saaaaay... the guy talking back to you through that speaker at the odrer stop on Fast Food (A.K.A. Choke and Puke) resteraunt.
The Great Curmudgeon wrote: "If your like me, I listen to the "Text to Speech" function on my Kindle. Speeding that up helps too. it even sounds quick, but more natural than saaaaay... the guy talking back to you through that speaker at the odrer stop on Fast Food (A.K.A. Choke and Puke) resteraunt. "I rarely use the "Text to Speech" feature on my kindle. It's too robotic sounding for me. I tried it a few times at different speeds, but it still was hard to stay focused on it without my mind wandering too far away! :)
I listen to audio books on my phone with either the audible app for my audible.com books or the Audio Speed Changer app for other mp3 books.
To me, it sounds like somebody trying to speak to me over one of the HF encrypted radios I spent 20 years listening to in the Navy...
The Great Curmudgeon wrote: "To me, it sounds like somebody trying to speak to me over one of the HF encrypted radios I spent 20 years listening to in the Navy..."I'm glad technology has come a long way!!! :)
The Great Curmudgeon wrote: "What I use in my car where there is no aux jack to plug into is one of these...http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-TuneCast......"
I never knew that, thanks. I'm going to check into everything you said. I would love to be able to listen to my books throught the radio. Now I just use my bluetooth.
Eileen wrote: "The Great Curmudgeon wrote: "What I use in my car where there is no aux jack to plug into is one of these...http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-TuneCast......"
Check this baby out! (Imagine a Tim Taylor Oooh-oooh-ooh Men are Pig's grunt there.)
http://www.amazon.com/GOgroove-FlexSM...
I just got this one and I like it way much better than the other one. It fits tight, stays up...(God I wanted to make a punny there)... and works just as well, if not better!
Podcasts: I'm an avid podcast listener and love the idea of downloading straight to the phone. Right now I download then drag-n-drop each new episode to my Sansa Clip Zip. Short list right now is Pocket Casts, Doggcatcher or Beyond Pod. Anyone have a favorite podcatcher app for Android?
Audiobooks: I know there's an Audible app and I'll look into it but Audible is not my only or even largest source for audiobooks (my public library). There was a rec for app called Osplay in another thread but per the site, its not really being supported anymore.
I may ultimately decide - with some input from the GR hive - to stick with my Clip Zip for audiobooks. I don't mind the drag-n-drop as much for books bc they're longer so do it less frequently but thought I would ask around.
Any thing really exciting in the audiobook app world for android? (I'm running Jelly Bean, in case it matters.) Thanks for any help!