Usability
Interface
User-friendliness/complexity of the tool´s interface
Easy-to-use, relatively old-fashioned.
Time efficiency
Time needed for mastering the „how-to“ of the tool and a production of a task
Medium/low; users might have to wait sometime for recordings.
Interface language(s)
The number of languages in which the tool is currently available/adaptable to
RhinoSpike is a tool that allows users to ask native speakers of their target language to read a text aloud for them in over 90 languages. For that, users submit a text file and, eventually, receive back an audio file. They can also ask other users to transcribe audio files for them. RhinoSpike is free but requires registration for use.
Respect for privacy
Does the tool require registration? Who can see my data? Can I remain anonymous?
Medium. Azabua, which operates Rhinospike, requires various types of information when signing up, such as email addresses or native languages. However, users can browse this platform without having an account. Rhinospike also collects cookies such as device data. It uses the collected information for product and service provision, billing, identification and authentication, service improvement, contact, and research. It also shares aggregated and/or anonymous information with third parties for different purposes, among which is marketing. Rhinospike does not state compliance with the GDPR. See more here.
Saving work for future use
Possiblity to save your or others´ work for reuse/reproduction
Yes, recordings get saved and shared on the platform.
Tailorability (If so, how?)
Possibility of the tool to be used for a range of different activities (e.g. to what extent you can organize a project assignment with a central activity based on this tool)
Yes, users can get recordings of any passage in different languages.