Hey all solo maker here, just shipped the feature I'm most excited about.

You know the problem with most TTS tools: they free up your eyes, but your brain still can't keep up. Hit a dense doc or a hardcore explainer and the voice just drones on word for word by the end your head's mush and you're rereading it yourself anyway. Slow and exhausting.

That's the part I wanted to fix, so CastReader now has a Read & Explain mode. Instead of reading verbatim, it explains as it goes all in sync with the audio. Three things I'm proud of:

• It explains, not just narrates it breaks down the convoluted bits and says them in plain language, so dense or obscure writing clicks by ear.

• It marks up the page as it talks (my favorite part) a virtual pen moves across the original text in sync with the voice, circling and highlighting the key info, like taking notes by hand. Light touch, never covers the text; your eyes follow the pen, so you stop drifting off mid-listen.

• Synced subtitles every line of explanation shows up word-by-word, so you read and listen at once.

CastReader just got a fresh update. I've been building this product since last year, and after pivoting my strategy a few times, I'm finally seeing some light at the end of the tunnel. Getting a few paid users every single day now, and honestly, I couldn't be happier.
It's a Chrome extension with these core features:
Read-along web reading: Text highlighting with adjustable playback speed.
Smart content summarization: Like having a personal assistant with a highlighter pen, it extracts key takeaways and marks up the page to boost your reading efficiency.
Auto-translation: Translates foreign web pages into your native language and reads them out loud to you.
Versatile support: Read any webpage or local files seamlessly after installation.
This groundbreaking feature was an absolute game-changer for me when I built it. Everyone who s tried it so far is totally hooked! Give it a spin and let me know what you think I d love your feedback!