You need python 3.x installed and the command line git client.
There are a few required python libraries so...
python -m pip install requests pyttsx3 beautifulsoup4 git+git://github.com/bookieio/breadability.git
If on windows:
python -m pip install pywin32
And you might not have tkinter
python -m pip install tkinter
Run using python runtime.py
The program expects a valid and complete http(s)://.... url from which it will extract an article using the readability algorithm to avoid ads, nav components, and other bullshit.
The program also expects an output filename/path that doesn't exist but can be written to. This is where the output file will be placed, as a mp3 file.
The read speed is best left around 200, but can be played with to speed up the recording.
Inspiration: none (just like anyone else whom considers themselves a programmer)
Motivation: Like many, I spend a significant portion of my life in transit, or in other positions where I can listen but not read. This ranges from wanting to not trip 12 times while walking down the street to avoiding the strange tendency where reading a wiki while driving always seems to make my vehicle flash blue and red.
This program is designed to convert anything I'd like to read into a mp3 file I can listen to while driving. However, unlike most Text-To-Speech tools, it mostly manages to avoid a 5 minute lecture on site navigation and the standard half an hour of ads being read.