 "Google Play Books app updated with 'Read Aloud' feature")
The Google Play Books app has been updated to include a slew of interesting new features. On updating the app, users will be able to listen to most flowing text books thanks to the ‘Read Aloud’ feature. Users can now pinch-zoom or double-tap across all books, too. The new feature has made all text editing features available for notes. Further, users will get personalised recommendations at the end of their library and at the end of the books. The app update brings in several bug fixes and performance enhancements.
The Google Play Books app allows users to read their favourite books and authors on the go. Users can choose from millions of titles on Google Play including new releases, New York Times best sellers, up-and-coming authors and free books. The app offers users a range of genres to pick from. Users can even personalise their reading experience and start from where they left on their phone, tablet or computer.
The video below demonstrates the Google Play Books app across desktop, tablets and smartphones.
The app is available for download on the Google Play store.
Google recently updated its Currents app for Android to version 2.0. This update features a wide variety of improvements, with the highlighted feature being the addition of an Edition sidebar, which can enable a user to browse feeds based on genres. The Currents app is compatible with Android 2.2 Froyo or later.
There is also a new ‘Fast scan’ feature, which allows a user to swipe vertically to scan an edition and swipe horizontally to advance to the next edition. The app update also features an Edition-section chooser where a user can choose to filter out sections.
There is also the ‘Unread Marks’ feature, where stories that are read are marked as such. An interesting and useful addition is ‘Breaking Stories’, where stories are ranked by Google News and there are links to full length content. You also have the option to save stories for future reference. The update also brings a new catalogue design and a new widget.
Here are some of the features that are present in Currents:
- Publisher editions – Publishers such as Forbes, The Guardian, TechCrunch, PBS, Saveur and more have produced hundreds of editions including in-depth articles, videos, fine photography, slideshows, live-maps and social streams.
- Google trending editions – Google Currents uses Google search on hourly basis to build a set of editions tracking the five most recent trending stories in categories such as world, entertainment, sports, science and more. Each story is presented through a fresh edition of articles, videos and pictures,
- Your favourite blogs and feeds – Instantly turn your Google Reader subscriptions or any of your favourite blogs/feeds into an edition with a magazine feel.
- Each edition is available for high speed offline reading and provides quick-touch sharing. Google Currents self-adapts to different-sized phones and tablets, with your subscriptions synchronised across devices.
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 "Israel informed US ahead of strikes on Hamas leaders in Doha, says White House")
