WebTalks Is A Text-To-Speech Based RSS Feed Reader For Your Android
Want to listen to your favorite RSS feeds on your Android? Then you must try WebTalks – a handy and simple-to-use RSS feed reader that uses Text-To-Speech (TTS) to read aloud RSS feeds from your favorite websites, Google Reader subscriptions, as well as from a wide range of top-ranked blogs/websites from all over the web (including your very own AddictiveTips). WebTalks supports adding as many websites to its subscription list as you like, and downloads your favorite feeds to the device for accessing them in offline mode. The app, through its elegant interface, lets you easily switch between various blogs/websites as well as the underlying posts within each, and automatically marks posts from your Google Reader subscriptions as ‘read’ when you finish playing them once.
When launched for the first time, the app prompts you to provide your Google account to retrieve RSS feeds from (tap Subscriptions > select account). Don’t have a Google account? No problem; you can even add your favorite websites to fetch their RSS feeds. Adding custom URLs/websites to the app’s subscription list is simple, too. While on the app’s homescreen, tap subscriptions > Add RSS feed URL, feed in the URL and finally, tap Accept. Also, from the same screen, you may select the feed(s) of your choice that you wish to be displayed on the player screen.
From the aforementioned player screen, select your preferred RSS feed provider and tap the play button. While the app plays content smoothly, it does not display/highlight the line that is currently being played (a sort of real-time text scrolling) and hence, the user has to manually navigate on the document/article to keep abreast with the played content.
Not only does the app support playing content while running in the background, it also keeps you informed of the feeds that are currently being read/played through status bar notifications. What’s best about WebTalks is that you can control content playback through the headset button, just as you would do to control music via a compatible player. For instance, while playing feeds through the headset, tapping the button plays/pauses reading whereas double tapping switches to the next feed.
The app’s options screen can be availed to toggle various options such as TTS, Multitasking (to keep the app running with the screen turned off), Google Reader feed order and (display) Date and time.
The app, as of now, supports reading feeds in just English language. However, interested users might download a TTS Translator from the Android Market to play their favorite feeds in their preferred language(s).
All in all, a handy tool to have on your Android especially if you’re looking for someone to read your favorite RSS feeds for you (just like a radio or a podcast). Although WebTalks is available for free in the Android Market, it does support displaying Ads, which some might term a nuisance. To enjoy Ad-free experience, you have the option of availing a paid version of the app, which, too, is available on the Market for $1.38.
Download WebTalks for Android (Paid)
Update: The free version of WebTalks is no longer available in the Google Play Store.
