Click to View

MobileVoiceControl, recently acquired by Nuance Communications of Dragon NaturallySpeaking fame, has extended voice narration to Research In Motion's BlackBerry Pearl. Through an application called Narrator, Pearl users can choose to have their incoming e-mail messages read aloud.

Available only in English at first, Narrator allows users to select between a male or female voice to read their e-mail. You can listen to the messages through Pearl's speakerphone, a headset or a hands free car kit.

Narrator reads an e-mail sender's name, the subject and the whole body, if you want. It'll also tell you if a new message is a reply or forward and stops reading if a phone call comes into your Blackberry.

The company cites increased productivity and safety, allowing users keep both hands free, as the primary benefits of spoken e-mail.. It'll even automatically switch on the speakerphone when a new message arrives.

Narrator sells for $19.99 for a one year subscription.

MobileVoiceControl expects to add support for more languages early next year. The company indicated to PDAStreet that Narrator could be available for additional BlackBerry handhelds, those built on BlackBerry OS 4.2, in the near future as well.