Using New Audiobook Settings in iPhone 3.0

Before the iPhone 3.0 update, changing the playback speed of an audiobook involved navigating to the iPod settings and selecting a new speed. While that method got the job done, it did mean having to leave your audiobook tap your way to the proper setting. With the new software update, amid all the changes, big and small, was the relocation of this setting to a button within the audiobook screen. You can find it with a single tap, just below and to the right of the progress bar. This makes changing your audiobook settings faster and easier than before and lets you get back to your listening.

When you tap the screen to bring up the Audiobook controls for the first time, the playback speed setting will be represented by a 1X, or normal speed. Tapping that button will reset the speed to the 2X or faster speed. A second tap will get you 1/2X, which is of course the slower speed.

But, you may be wondering, why change the speed of your audiobook? Well, you might want to speed things along to finish the story before the end of a trip, or before the battery gives out. If it seems that the narrator is talking a bit fast, you might want to slow the playback down. Just be aware that the sound can become distorted when the playback speeds are changed.

Another great new Audiobook setting in iPhone 3.0 is the 30-second rewind feature. One of the problems often faced by audiobook listeners is how easy it can be to lose your place in the story. It's easy enough, just setting the story down for a few hours, or days and you'll need to back the story up a bit to refresh your memory. It can be even better if you happen to doze off in the middle of a chapter.

In previous versions, the best way to back up your place in the middle of an audiobook was to hold down the previous chapter button and force a rewind, or to scrub backward on the chapter progress bar. Both of these methods are imprecise, and you end up backtracking far longer than you need to, which wastes your time. Now, just tap the rounded reverse arrow under the progress bar to back up exactly 30 seconds. Just tap until you find your place again.