Massive Aloud Update Brings A Ton of New Features

[Anthony Bouchard]

In the beginning of the month, we showed you an awesome new jailbreak tweak dubbed Aloud by iOS developer Ori Kadosh, which would announce your notifications as you receive them. It came with extensive settings for controlling the applications that would be announced, when notifications would be read out loud, and much more. The whole review covering all of its features we wrote on it can be read here.

Today, Aloud version 1.1 has been pushed out into the Cydia store – available for download now. The update comes with a whole truckload of new features that have both stumbled upon Ori’s thoughts and also have been requested from other Aloud users. The list of new features encompass the following:

• The ability to set delays before speaking notifications
• The ability to override the device's volume
• Support for Bluetooth headsets (Aloud also supports headphone jack accessories)
• The ability to pause music as a notification is being announced and then continue the music afterwards
• The ability to keep Aloud from voicing your alerts except when on a certain Wi-Fi network
• The ability to keep Aloud from voicing your alerts when in certain applications
• The ability to read entire e-mails
• A more human-like announcement instead of the robot-like diction, which was being used
• The ability to speak just the time instead of both time and date
• The ability to toggle Aloud on and off with an Activator action
• Support for a new Aloud SBSettings toggle – free in Cydia starting today
• The ability to speak all notifications that have not been cleared from Notification Center
• The ability to have Aloud announce the name of the person calling you
• Support for Notificator notification announcements
• Random bug fixes

The Biggest Update

• Announce directions from the Maps application
• Announce the directions step by step in the Maps application after you complete a step in getting somewhere

Through the long list of updates, the most impressive is probably the step by step navigation. iOS doesn’t come with turn-by-turn navigation natively and so we turn to the App Store for some rather expensive GPS solutions. If you want to use the Maps application for step by step directions (the next best thing), now you can. Aloud will announce where you must go and automatically tell you what to do next as you complete a step towards reaching your destination.

Apart from that, the other really big feature comes from the new voice system, which is less robot-like and actually speaks to you in a human-like tone. The big difference is saying something like, “Message from Anthony Bouchard” instead of, “Sender: Anthony Bouchard.” The new voice system makes for a more pleasant user experience overall.

The Aloud update is free for all existing Aloud customers and any new customers can reserve their copy of Aloud for only $1.99.

Sources: Ori Kadosh

[morbidpete]

Glad I grabbed it before the price increase, have yet to install it :-P scared. Don't want to have to restore and lose my jail break ☹sounds great! Can't wait to try!

[Paco]

Does it need some type of internet connection? N it works on ipod right?

[mr117]

Working much better now for calendar alerts. It was iffy for me before, now seems much more consistent.

[NakedFaerie]

This update broke the "Dont speak on hours"
When I have it set at midnight to midday I get no sound at all even after midday. When I turn off that option I get sound back.

[rob63]

This update broke the "Dont speak on hours"
When I have it set at midnight to midday I get no sound at all even after midday. When I turn off that option I get sound back.

I noticed that as well. Hopefully there will be an update to restore that option soon. Otherwise works great, and very customizable. Works especially well with musicbanner tweak, announcing the current playing song and artist. Well worth the price, and definitely deserves its accolades

[cpho]

I really like new feature where Aloud will read all pending notifications instead of just the most recent. I set it up to wait for an activation so I'm not constantly bothered by notifications, and then i can just listen to all my notifications at once when i have a moment. Kind of like an answering machine! I am really a fan of this tweak, good job!

[Liveitlive]

Glad I bought it at The intro price lol... There are much more things with much less use I have spent much more money on.

[sTrAnGe mOdS]

Amazing app. Love this!

[fourplay]

Great update!

[k3a]

"automatically tell you what to do next as you complete a step towards reaching your destination" - Have you actually tried that? Aloud will just read all directions, e.g. after finishing reading the current one it will read the next one immediately.

SpeakEvents had most of these "massive" features before, but I was told that "the update is still pretty minor" (see changelog SpeakEvents). SE still has several unique features like removing links from mail bodies, reading emoticons, language detection, localization into 14 languages, ...

I am completely fine with competition. What I really don't like is when someone is not objective.
Here it is probably caused by the fact that Aloud is hosted on Modmyi.

[morbidpete]

@k3a Speak events is what im using now, Just installed an update to it thismorning, Have not tried aloud yet, Happy with SE, I really am! But I will give this ago at some point

[Agent Corey]

I love Aloud & Speakevents. They both have really important features that the other doesnt, so I have both installed and running! lol - so far they are working together, no problem.. i think?