Blio to Revolutionize Digital Reading Experience, Launches September 28

September 17, 2010

K-NFB Reading Technology, creator and developer of Blio, has announced that the e-reader application will be available for download beginning September 28 at www.blioreader.com.

Blio will be free to download and available immediately for all Windows-based devices, with applications for iOS and Android operating systems following soon after. In the coming months, Blio will be rolled out worldwide through device manufacturers, retailers, mobile carriers and educational institutions, and supported by fully-customized digital media storefronts. The first of these partnerships will be announced in the next few weeks.

“Readers are demanding more flexibility and functionality in their digital reading experiences,” said Ray Kurzweil, voice-recognition inventor and founder of K-NFB Reading Technology. “The Blio software offers an unparalleled experience, with full-color, interactive capabilities like no other device on the market.”

Blio promises to revolutionize the digital reading experience with full-color, interactive and immersive content. Blio is perfect for today’s on-the-go consumers who increasingly rely on digital content for work, leisure and learning. Blio goes where readers go – at home, in the car, at the airport, almost anywhere — and works across mobile devices, laptops, netbooks, tablets and home computers.

Through its partnership with Baker & Taylor, the world’s largest distributor of print and digital books, Blio will offer today’s best-sellers as well as rich media content that’s simply not available on e-ink e-readers. Baker & Taylor has signed over a hundred publishers onto Blio, including Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins, Penguin Group, Macmillan, Random House, Simon & Schuster, Wiley, Elsevier, Taylor & Francis, Workman, F+W, Quayside Publishing Group, Kensington Publishing Corp., ABDO, Zondervan, Lerner Publishing Group and Globe Pequot Press.

“We are thrilled that through our partnership with K-NFB we are delivering to the marketplace a pre-eminent, full-color e-reading experience,” said Tom Morgan, Chairman and CEO of Baker & Taylor. “Blio truly raises the bar in the e-reading market.”

With many titles in full color, Blio delivers a large selection of books that can’t translate onto e-ink devices. Blio brings to life full categories of content like children’s books, lifestyle books such as travel and cookbooks, textbooks and more. With Blio, these books uniquely come alive on a multitude of devices.

“We are bringing exciting new digital content to market and translating entire categories of content into full-color, interactive reading experiences,” said Bob Nelson, President of Baker & Taylor’s Digital Group. “With Blio, we are revolutionizing the way book lovers will engage with e-books.”

Blio has a host of functions that make it smart, fun and easy to use. Highlights include:

  • Blio mimics a book’s printed format like no other e-reader, with files presented in XPS format, which allows digital books to stay true to their original print version. Blio also supports ePub formatted books.
  • Blio is powered by the most advanced text-to-speech technology, allowing readers to use books hands-free.
  • Blio’s full-media functionality allows users to insert notes into their digital pages, highlight sections and even customize the look of their personal libraries. Users can reference words via numerous websites without leaving their e-book.
  • Downloaded Blio titles are stored in a personal virtual library, enabling flexible access to content. This library can be accessed easily from numerous devices, allowing users to begin reading their book on a home PC, then pick up where they left off on a netbook, laptop or other mobile device.

Full disclosure: KurzweilAI is affiliated with  K-NFB Reading Technology. – Ed.