NextUp.com has released version 1.0 of its NewsAloud software that is designed to automatically retrieve news stories from a variety of news sites such as Yahoo News and Reuters, as well as from any RSS Feed. It uses Voice Synthesis (Text To Speech or TTS) to read these news stories aloud on a PC. NewsAloud's automatic audio file creation can also keep the 100 most recent stories available as MP3 or Windows Media files ready for playback on your iPod, PocketPC, or even on your TV with Tivo's Home Media Option. A provider of TTS software, NextUp develops applications that are designed to make the PC an information audio center. Optional premium voices are offered for a range of available speech including US, British, and Indian accent English as well as Spanish, German, and French voices. NewsAloud costs $19.95 and is available for Windows 98, NT, 2000 and XP. Evaluation copies are available on request.

NextUp.com is a division of NextUp Technologies, LLC. In addition to NewsAloud, NextUp.com markets other Windows software designed to save time and deliver information. TextAloud speaks any text such as Web pages, documents, emails, PDF documents and ebooks aloud or to audio file. WeatherAloud is a weather application that lets you select and listen to personalized weather forecasts. StocksAloud reads stock updates and related news headlines aloud. All products have the option to create MP3 or Windows Media Files for use with iPod, Portable MP3 Players, PocketPC, or with Tivo's Home Media Option.
(www.nextup.com)

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