AquaMail Forum
English - Android => Development builds => Topic started by: sslavkov, Mobisystems, Developer on June 05, 2017, 05:02:05 pm
-
Please post your feedback on text to speech feature here.
-
One thing I would like is a shake to stop speech. I have an sms reader that does it, and in a crowd you really stand out when it won't stop. Thanks
-
Hi Catman51
For now we have added a widget so you can quickly turn on/off text to speech.
Thank you for the suggestion. We will consider it for the future versions.
-
Thank you.
-
Implemented in dev 440
Thanks a lot! 8)
I would like to have an additional account-specific setting for this option:
-> long press on account name -> Special settings -> Message notifications -> "Text to speech"
-
Can you add this feature for all folders instead of just for Inbox?
And I would like to have a parameter to select some conditions to read the message, for example:
1. The sender
2. The subject
Mikeone added that it can be added as an specific option for an email account.
Other thing is just to mention the sender or the subject or maybe both.
And I listen the message still in English.
Regards.
-
Some time ago I was using Tasker to enable this speech feature.
I just wanted to listen some specific messages.
I uninstalled Tasker in order to have less apps running on my phone.
Regards.
-
Please add an option to avoid "A new message in account A", leaving only "Message from X subject Y" because:
- some users have got only one account in AquaMail
- a user with push (my favorite user case, driving) does not need the account name - it's the sender and/or object which are needed
I agree!
-
Please add an option to avoid "A new message in account A", leaving only "Message from X subject Y" because:
- some users have got only one account in AquaMail
- a user with push (my favorite user case, driving) does not need the account name - it's the sender and/or object which are needed
I agree!
+1
-
Please post your feedback on text to speech feature here.
Needed absolutely (for different reasons, including privacy and confidentiality):
When the user has selected "replace sender names from Contacts" (in Contacts setting), make the voice notification use the name from Contacts (ie use the name that is displayed in the notification pop up, not the one initially sent by the sender).
Some reasons for this need:
- Replace the dot "." in some initials by nothing. Dots make TTS mark a stop (at least in French and Arabic TTS I tested) and that's very unnatural and unpleasant.
- pricacy & confidentiality (obviously)
- consistency with notification text
- transform some sender name in a way the can be easily spelled in another language. Imagine you're using French or Spanish TTS with Arabic/English sender names
I second @Paris Geek's suggestion: it's a very important point.
-
- a user with push (my favorite user case, driving) does not need the account name - it's the sender and/or object which are needed
I am curious, why a user with push (and multiple accounts) doesn't need to know the account name to which the message has arrived?
-
- a user with push (my favorite user case, driving) does not need the account name - it's the sender and/or object which are needed
I am curious, why a user with push (and multiple accounts) doesn't need to know the account name to which the message has arrived?
The priority information for the user - in conjunction with an instantaneous "text to speech" notification - would be:
- from whom comes the new message?
- what is the subject of this message?
In my opinion, the account name itself would not really matter.
-
Hi all,
Thank you very much for your valuable feedback!!! We appreciate it!
We will fix/add all of the above issues/features in the next versions of the app.
Thank you once again :)
-
Hi all,
Thank you very much for your valuable feedback!!! We appreciate it!
We will fix/add all of the above issues/features in the next versions of the app.
Thank you once again :)
You're welcome. Great new feature!
Many thanks to your team and to @Kostya - of course! :)
-
OK, I see, yes, we will let you know which fixes are included in the current builds :)
-
Hi all,
There was a bug reported few days ago, TTS was skipping some of the messages.
We found it and fixed it, but if you notice something like this in the coming builds please let us know.
-
This morning, I was voice-notified (after scheduled sync, one of my accounts) with spam messages (spam folder being synchronized, but text-notifications are not displayed), and I was also voice-notified with incoming messages in folders where text-noitification is disabled (this is an option in AquaMail folders).
This behavior is not expected by a user - because it's not logical.
So please: AquaMail should not read a notification which is not displayed.
1 - We are going to add a check for "is the app in night / weekend mode" (actually already done just not posted).
2 - We'll probably only do text to speech in the main Inbox only so that should skip the "other" folders (we could do it for all "folders that have sync and notifications enabled", but that would at some point require a separate setting for "text to speech notifications" vs. "other notifications"... trying to keep it simple for now).
You're welcome. Great new feature!
Many thanks to your team and to @Kostya - of course!
Actually I did very little for this one - so it's "thanks" to Slavi and Nadia first.
-
2- this will be a huge annoying point. HUGE.
The important point of voice-notification is to get important messages, like those posted by a son, a mother, a boss, etc. How will the user be able to do so ? Simply by creating a folder, then making those messages lend in this folder (thanks to server-side rules). By limiting voice-notifications to Inbox only, this user case will not be possible.
From the user perspective I completely agree with @Paris Geek's arguments.
-
Re: Creating a separate setting for TTS notification is probably needed, what's the issue with that ?
Just trying to go with the "minimal viable product" idea for now and add enhancements later.
And so, lacking a separate per-folder "text to speech" setting (for now), would "notify about text to speech only in Incoming type folders, not spam not archive, and only if the folder has notifications enabled" -- be a good decision?
-
Re: Creating a separate setting for TTS notification is probably needed, what's the issue with that ?
Just trying to go with the "minimal viable product" idea for now and add enhancements later.
And so, lacking a separate per-folder "text to speech" setting (for now), would "notify about text to speech only in Incoming type folders, not spam not archive, and only if the folder has notifications enabled" -- be a good decision?
The red marked part is the most significant: This should be sufficient initially.
____________________________________________
Implemented in dev 440:
However, an additionally account-specific setting (turn TTS on / off) would be very, very useful.
Thanks in advance.
-
Re: Creating a separate setting for TTS notification is probably needed, what's the issue with that ?
Just trying to go with the "minimal viable product" idea for now and add enhancements later.
And so, lacking a separate per-folder "text to speech" setting (for now), would "notify about text to speech only in Incoming type folders, not spam not archive, and only if the folder has notifications enabled" -- be a good decision?
The blue marked part is the most significant: This should be sufficient initially.
However, an additionally account-specific setting (turn TTS on / off) would be very, very useful.
Thanks in advance.
I second that... Especially the part in red, as it was not in Kostya's posting.
I have accounts for which I'd like to see notifications, but they are never urgent.
-
Typically, Android phones and tablets have several volume settings. E.g. my Droid Razr M has 4: Media (including music, video, games), ringtone, notifications, alarms. My Samsung tablet has 3: media, notifications, system. Unless you are in a specific app, e.g. video player, the volume buttons control only one: System on my tablet and Ringer on my phone. Mute function also mutes just that one. So, when my phone muted, a video or a game will play a sound.
I suspect that TTS volume is controled by Media volume.That's Android (or at least device) level functionality.
That's an explanation why it happens this way.
But I agree, that it would be great (and logical) if Aquamail TTS honored system/ringtone Mute setting.
-
Re: Creating a separate setting for TTS notification is probably needed, what's the issue with that ?
Just trying to go with the "minimal viable product" idea for now and add enhancements later.
And so, lacking a separate per-folder "text to speech" setting (for now), would "notify about text to speech only in Incoming type folders, not spam not archive, and only if the folder has notifications enabled" -- be a good decision?
The blue marked part is the most significant: This should be sufficient initially.
However, an additionally account-specific setting (turn TTS on / off) would be very, very useful.
Thanks in advance.
I second that... Especially the part in red, as it was not in Kostya's posting.
I have accounts for which I'd like to see notifications, but they are never urgent.
We will add this option as well :)
-
New build with a bunch of these suggestions implemented:
https://www.aqua-mail.com/forum/index.php?topic=5797.0
-
Another vote for separating TTS options of sender and subject... The sender is less likely to reveal sensitive information, but the subject easily can.
And another vote for honoring global mute, that one already got me in trouble.
Also, another vote for TTS option per account, some accounts are just too chatty.
-
Another vote for separating TTS options of sender and subject... The sender is less likely to reveal sensitive information, but the subject easily can.
And another vote for honoring global mute, that one already got me in trouble.
Also, another vote for TTS option per account, some accounts are just too chatty.
+1 (for all three points :) )
-
Good morning !
My Aquamail automatically sets the Italian language. But when notifications are read some words are read in English such as "From" "Subject text" "message" and others ..
-
Good morning !
My Aquamail automatically sets the Italian language. But when notifications are read some words are read in English such as "From" "Subject text" "message" and others ..
Hi Finferlo, we will add Italian translation, we do translations "all at once" near the end of each version's development cycle.
-
I have a comment:
I think the "Protect privacy" for the text to speech feature should be different than the used for other notifications. Because the phone is not seen for people that surround us but all people can listen the message.
So I think that the text to speech feature should have its own "Protect privacy" selection.
I am sorry if this comment has been discussed previously, I don't have enough time to read all messages.
Regards
-
Good morning !
My Aquamail automatically sets the Italian language. But when notifications are read some words are read in English such as "From" "Subject text" "message" and others ..
Hi Finferlo, we will add Italian translation, we do translations "all at once" near the end of each version's development cycle.
Thanks !!!!
-
I have a comment:
I think the "Protect privacy" for the text to speech feature should be different than the used for other notifications. Because the phone is not seen for people that surround us but all people can listen the message.
So I think that the text to speech feature should have its own "Protect privacy" selection.
I am sorry if this comment has been discussed previously, I don't have enough time to read all messages.
Regards
+1
Good point. I second your suggestion.
-
User_case_1 (experienced)
You're speaking to your boss, on the phone, and AquaMail TTS announces "Dinner is waiting" from "Léa", your wife :)
User_case_2 (fiction)
You're speaking to your wife "Léa", on the phone, and AquaMail TTS announces "Dinner is waiting" from "Delilah" ;)
Expected by user: AquaMail TTS is disabled when user is speaking on the device phone (or Whatsapp or Viber etc.)
Are you able to implement a workaround? eg. disable AquaMail TTS when the user is using device microphone...
Good point. It seems that this feature is easy to enable but it has many details to consider. Regards.
-
Re: Good point. It seems that this feature is easy to enable but it has many details to consider. Regards.
Seriously I don't think it's reasonable for a mail app to know such "nuances" of someone's personal life and somehow "act smart".
Now -
Suppressing TTS when there is an ongoing call would be nice, but AFAIK, it would require a new permission.
I'll let Slavi and Nadia comment on this one.
( just a passer-by... )
-
One thing I would like is a shake to stop speech. I have an sms reader that does it, and in a crowd you really stand out when it won't stop. Thanks
That would have been a very useful enhancement for the final version (1.11.0.568) ...
-
Text to speech should have a fast possibility to turn on or off.
Or better only on if Phone isconnected to a Bluetooth headset or hands free.
-
Text to speech should have a fast possibility to turn on or off.
Or better only on if Phone isconnected to a Bluetooth headset or hands free.
Great suggestion! An option to enable TTS only when BT is connected.
I am surprised nobody had thought of it before.
Yes, it will likely require a BT-related permission.
+1.
-
Re: Text to speech should have a fast possibility to turn on or off.
And so - we have a widget for it.
-
What about conditional switching based on BT status?
-
Re: What about conditional switching based on BT status?
No we don't have that.
As correctly stated above, it will require a new permission and block updates from Play (Andorid lower than 6.0) which is a bad bad bad thing.
But then "BT is connected" does not necessarily always mean same thing to everyone:
- "I'm using a headset and so I want TTS email notifications so I don't miss them".
OR
- "I'm using a headset and so I do not want TTS for email, not that important while driving".
OR
- "I've turned on BT to connect my headphones and listen to music while working out, don't care about TTS for email"
OR
- "I use Bluetooth to connect an entirely different kind of device, not a headset, and it has nothing to do with phones or email".
But then why not
- "I'm going to go wear a headset and I do want TTS for email, so I'll tap the widget on the home screen to turn it on, before I go outside, and I'll tap the widget again when I get back home"
?
-
Alternatively there could be provided a shortcut or intent to enable/disable TTS. Or it could be added to the tasker plugin.
Then all users can define their own trigger through a automation app like Tasker, MacroDroid etc.
Btw: Feedback to TTS feature in AquaMail, personally, I will never use it.
-
Alternatively there could be provided a shortcut or intent to enable/disable TTS. Or it could be added to the tasker plugin.
Then all users can define their own trigger through a automation app like Tasker, MacroDroid etc.
Btw: Feedback to TTS feature in AquaMail, personally, I will never use it.
My initial reaction to the TTS feature was: "That's cool and useful!". My second reaction was: "Umm.. when would I need it?..." (And how can I use it efficiently?)
After hearing the idea about BT, - I thought that if that were enabled (as an option), - I'd be using it.
Kostya: In the US, and especially away from a handful of big cities, car is the main if not the only way of daily transportation. In some (many?) states, it is illegal to drive and talk on the phone, unless it is a hands-free way (via a speaker phone or a BT). And many modern cars, even in more-or-less basic inexpensive models have BT built in. And a ear-phone has been very common for well over a decade. I know the situation is rather different in Europe...
Kostya, and all those users who are using BT for something else could turn that autoswitching off.
The same way as people switch off built-in browsing, and what's not.
nica: I had thought about Tasker after reading Kostya's definitive "no" response, but...
... in my present phone (Motorola Droid Razr M), there is Motorola's own built-in "Smart Actions", which I programmed to switch off BT and GPS when I am at certain locations (at home), to switch off the phone sound for the night time, etc... So, I doubt I'd buy Tasker just for this feature. Besides, I don't want yet another app that would be clogging up already overloaded phone (RAM, internal storage, already rather long startup, etc.).
-
Yes I know about BT / cars / phone laws in the US (and also Canada, IIRC)...
What I'm saying is that it would need:
- A new permission
- A new setting (which would need to be discovered) for the app's logic about "BT on -> must be headset or car -> enable TTS" (or was it the other way around? see, it's confusing!)
- And how is tapping a home screen widget so much harder?
-
Yes I know about BT / cars / phone laws in the US (and also Canada, IIRC)...
What I'm saying is that it would need:
- A new permission
I understand. But this doesn't happen too often. And TTS is a major feature here.
- A new setting (which would need to be discovered) for the app's logic about "BT on -> must be headset or car -> enable TTS" (or was it the other way around? see, it's confusing!)
Sorry, I couldn't help here.. But I have no doubts that you would be able to figure it out if you decide to implement it.
One comment: you might not even need to distinguish between the headset+car vs. something else (as long as you have an option to disable this for "joggers"), and just rely on "BT audio(!) [as opposed to multimedia] connected".
- And how is tapping a home screen widget so much harder?
If that was not a rhetorical question, -- when you jump in and out of the car several times a days, that adds up. And the times 2, as you need to switch it off again.
And then it is an extra thing that you need to remember every time. (And that's in addition to multiple other things you need to remember when getting in the car... And if you have a kid which adds 22 to more things to remember about... )
This is a thing that follows a rather well defined algorithm. That's what computers (and programs) are good for.
-
Yes I know about BT / cars / phone laws in the US (and also Canada, IIRC)...
What I'm saying is that it would need:
- A new permission
- A new setting (which would need to be discovered) for the app's logic about "BT on -> must be headset or car -> enable TTS" (or was it the other way around? see, it's confusing!)
- And how is tapping a home screen widget so much harder?
I'm actually quite happy with the control over the widget.
It's just as easy as turning on/off BT with your "Bluetooth Widget" 8)
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.kman.BluetoothWidget
-
I'm actually quite happy with the control over the widget.
It's just as easy as turning on/off BT with your "Bluetooth Widget" 8)
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.kman.BluetoothWidget
And some people are happy doing manual labor 8).
But as we know, the society with more advanced technology progresses faster. ;)
My BT turns on automatically as soon as I get out of my home. And when I am in the car, the phone connects to car's "head unit" aka "entertainment center". I seldom switch BT on/off manually.
On another hand, I was using "Berkeley Mail (http://heirloom.sourceforge.net/mailx_history.html)" just recently. It does not "sync" manually, and does not support IMAP/POP3/EWS/Activesync, but it is very simple and robust (from a Unix prompt). :D
The bottom line is: there is still place for manual operations, but having them automated on a regular basis is nice.
-
The bottom line is: there is still place for manual operations, but having them automated on a regular basis is nice.
Yes, I completely agree with your arguments.
I would also prefer a solution that is as automatic as possible.
-
+1
And: put TTS off when the user is calling (using phone/whatsapp voice). That's why I'm not using TTS AquaMail.
+1
I experienced a few times, that TTS suddenly rattled in a phone call... very annoying, since it tooks me some time to go through the phone to find that widget:
-> "shake to stop TTS immediately" I have missed every time:
https://www.aqua-mail.com/forum/index.php?topic=5776.msg35148#msg35148
-
...
You cannot shake your phone while driving/biking (forbidden in France). The need is:
- an option to enable automatically TTS when Bluetooth is activated
- stop Aqua TTS when the phone (voice) is used
My experience was during a 'normal' call - just helding the phone in my hand - without headphones, not driving/biking.
-> In this situation "shake to stop TTS immediately" would be much more convenient than searching the widget 8)
-
Re: put TTS off when the user is calling (using phone/whatsapp voice).
A mobile network call could in principle be detected (let's set aside permissions for a moment).
But detecting WhatsApp voice / Skype / VoIP ????
-
Re: put TTS off when the user is calling (using phone/whatsapp voice).
A mobile network call could in principle be detected (let's set aside permissions for a moment).
But detecting WhatsApp voice / Skype / VoIP ????
That is a valid concern, and one can extend that line of thinking to other sources (what if you are recording an audio with one of many apps, etc.).
You are right, it is probably impossible to cover all interference situations.
But the phone call is the most obvious, and still most likely to happen (most frequent). Taking care of that would probably cover at least 80-90% of cases. And that is significant enough to justify doing that.
As my mentor once told me: "You cannot collect all marbles, you just do your best."
-
Re: But the phone call is the most obvious, and still most likely to happen (most frequent). Taking care of that would probably cover at least 80-90% of cases.
Yes, right. We'll try to add this, not sure how it'll work out technically but we'll try.
( detecting "in call" state needs a permission that the app doesn't have right now )
-
( detecting "in call" state needs a permission that the app doesn't have right now )
I am always very alert when any new or updated app is trying to grab extra permissions. So, I understand and appreciate your concern about adding permissions. And indeed, in this case (if I understand correctly), - the permission would be "phone status and identity", where the second part is a bit scary for the user.
Just a thought, - if and when you'd be adding this permission, maybe you can add the permission for BT status recognition, - to minimize episodes of added permissions...
-
Re: So, I understand and appreciate your concern about adding permissions.
Yes, pretty scary and the permission lets apps do much more than detect in-call state - like reading the IMEI (if my memory serves). Unfortunately there is no finer-grained permission.