Scanner Turns Books into Audio Files

By Andi Wang, 3:20 PM on Fri Jan 9 2009, 8,790 views

Plustek's updated Book Reader V100 can instantly turn your reading material into MP3s. Simply place the book on the scanner, and with the push of a button, it does the rest for you.

Like their previous book scanner, the V100 uses character recognition technology to scan every word on a page, even words curved into the spine of your book. More than just cloning your books into PDF and other visual files, the Book Reader can automatically convert your literature into MP3s, which will use a "natural voice synthesis" as your storyteller.

Having your books in MP3 format would mean that you will be able to easily carry your books around on an existing MP3 player without having to purchase an electronic reader. However, as they are currently priced at $700, forking up the cash for a Kindle does seem cheaper in comparison. [Wired]