RSS To Speech 1.2

A short while ago we took a look at an Apexoft-developed application called LiveRSS. This application, a sidebar gadget and Google Desktop gadget, performed a simple task: it monitored your favorite RSS feeds and displayed them on your desktop as a creeping line. It made for a convenient way to stay on top of the latest news for example.

We now shift focus onto another Apexoft-developed application, we put the spotlight on RSS To Speech. Just like LiveRSS, this application is available as a sidebar gadget or a Google Desktop gadget. The sidebar gadget weighs in at some 327KB, which means that it should take very little time to get it off the web and onto your Windows-powered PC. Please note that the sidebar gadget works with Microsoft’s Windows Vista operating system.

The Google Desktop gadget weighs in at some 160KB, which is less than the Vista gadget – so the download should complete in a blink as well.

The nice thing about the RSS To Speech app is that it also comes as a standalone gadget that weighs in at some 430KB and works with Windows 2000, Windows XP, 2003, and Windows Vista.

What does RSS To Speech, the sidebar, Google Desktop or standalone gadget do? I would have thought the gadget’s functionality is obvious from its name, but in case I am mistaken, I will spell it out for you: RSS To Speech uses text-to-speech technology to read out RSS feeds. This gadget downloads RSS feeds from any web site and then reads them using text-to-speech.

Please note that RSS to Speech is not freeware – the application is only free to try. This means Settings modifications are available only for registered users, and you will see a nag screen.

Pros

• Lightweight download
• Listen to RSS feeds
• Available as a Vista sidebar gadget, Google Desktop gadget and standalone gadget

Cons

• Free to try
• Machine reading, lite machine translation, can prove to be annoying

About Apexoft
Apexoft is an independent software gadgets developer, Google Desktop Trusted Developers Member, Software Industry Professionals Member, and Microsoft Live Gallery Silver Partner. Additional details on Apexoft and its products are available here.

RSS To Speech has been reviewed by George Norman on 15 Oct 2010. Based on the user interface, features and complexity, Findmysoft has rated RSS To Speech 3 out of 5 stars, naming it Very Good