by Daniel Parker, RDPFS Intern
The accessible ebook provider Bookshare, through its parent company Benetech, has just launched a new, free reading app in conjunction with updates to its longstanding Bookshare reader platform on the web. Users will be able to search for and read Bookshare books through the app; customize visual and audio settings; navigate by page, chapter, and bookmark; and pick up reading where they left off. The app is available on iOS and Android devices as well as via Amazon Alexa smart speakers and will be released outside the U.S. later this year. The history of this app goes back to 2011 when Bookshare released an app called Read2Go. This undated page from their help center explains that at some point Read2Go was no longer being updated. Based on a search of the Apple App Store on January 17th of this year, Read2Go is no longer available. Bookshare is branding the new app not as a standalone service but as the new mobile version of its reader, with software versions for computers coming soon. This is a new alternative in the e-reading market to apps like Voice Dream Reader, Dolphin EasyReader, and the iOS app Capti Voice, among others. You can read more on this page about the various new Reader versions as well as this page with answers to frequently asked questions about the mobile apps.
