I was fortunate enough to be invited to a little soirée this week at an intimate bar at Sydney’s trendy, soon to be engulfed by Barangaroo, King Street Wharf. The event was hosted by the happening team from BigHand Australia who are doing things in the legal and dictation world, not just here in Australia but around the world from their UK, US, Canada and Australia offices.

BigHand have developed a system to revolutionise dictation and transcription. With roots firmly planted in the medical and legal niche there really is no stopping BigHand from growing into other sectors. Essentially any business of any size which relies on dictation and transcription can utilise the BigHand software. Viewing some of the testimonials on their Australia website it is clear many are taking the leap as they transition from the technology of 20th century, analogue tapes, to the digital era of the 21st century. But the BigHand system is equally at home with those who have already embraced digital dictation as the dictation and transcription workflow system is just as comfy working with your firms existing fleet of Olympus or Philips pro dictation recorders and transcription kits.

Not content with revolutionising firms with tapes or empowering firms already digital the BigHand solution also encompasses the smart phone brigade with a dictation app for iPhone { }, Blackberry, Android and even Windows mobile. Leaving no excuse for anyone who dictates and is not in the office, just grab your phone launch the BigHand app and dictate until you can dictate no more. What raises BigHand’s head above the rest the ease of use and simplicity of their solution. I am still in the early stages of discovering just what it can do but from my trial in the Dictate Australia offices it has already sparked my interest. You now have simple options for your dictation, you can send it to your preferred typist, to your firms typing pool and the best bit, to Dragon for voice recognition; perfect for out of hours transcription of urgent notes or as a way to free up some WP resources. With Dragon you have the option to transcribe only or you can have Dragon transcribe and pass the completed document to your Word Processing team to simply proofread Dragon’s work, already a big time saver over tradition transcription. Your WP team can further improve the accuracy of your voice profile by applying selected proofed text back to your voice profile which increases the accuracy and essentially trains your profile for you. The more you train your profile the more accurate your documents the less proofing needs to be done the faster you get your transcript, magical.

From the testimonials I have read most firms are seeing a good to significant return on investment by switching to BigHand simply by smarter use of their WP resources, be they in one office, located around the country or across the globe. I plan to write more about BigHand, it’s movements in the Australian marketplace and the interesting stuff; the evolution, use and examples of the software and how it meshes with digital voice technology over the coming months. But for now, if you are in a law firm or involved with medical dictation you should be having a look at what BigHand have to offer. In Australian legal circles they already have an impressive stable of law partners boasting that 4 out of 5 of the top Australian law firms are using the BigHand system. Some of the law firms already in are:

• Arnold Bloch Leibler
• Blake Dawson
• Clayton Utz
• Crown Law QLD
• Deacons Hong Kong
• Dibbs Barker
• Duncan Basheer Hannon
• Finlaysons
• Freehills
• Gilbert + Tobin
• Hall & Wilcox
• HWL Ebsworth
• Mallesons Stephen Jaques
• MacDonnells Law
• Maurice Blackburn Cashman
• McCullough Robertson
• Meredith Connell
• Mills Oakley
• Minter Ellison
• Norman Waterhouse
• Russell Kennedy
• Simpson Grierson
• Sparke Helmore
• Swaab Legal
• WHK Western Victoria

You can follow BigHand on Twitter @TheBighandTweet

One of the most common searches that end up with visitors landing on my blog is people looking for a trial version of Dragon Dictate for the Mac. Good idea, it is quite a hefty purchase price for some software that most know little about and therefore the cost vs risk factor is high. A trial version would be a good lead into the software and would allow people to have a play, see how accurate it is and become more comfortable before committing to a purchase. Great idea but alas a free trial version is not available.

As a compromise Nuance have just released to the Mac App Store Dragon Express for a cut down, yet still significant price of $US49.99 (AU$51.99). This app is an excellent introduction into voice recognition on the Mac and is essentially a cut down version of Dragon Dictate 2.5 – Nuance’s flagship speech recognition product for the Mac.

So how does it work?

Similar to Dragon Dictate you will need to train your voice in Dragon Express, this creates your personal profile and allows the Dragon speech recognition engine to understand the way you speak. This task takes only two minutes and involves reading some pre-defined text so the app can listen to how you speak. (Note: if you decide to upgrade to Dragon Dictate your trained Dragon Express voice profile will not be compatible with Dragon Dictate, you will have to train a new voice profile, but hey only takes 5 minutes in Dragon Dictate). Nuance claim that the in-built mic in your Mac can be used but from years of experience a good quality noise cancelling USB headset and mic will give you better results, no support for the Dragon Microphone iPhone app . Already reading some of the App Store reviews there are alot of negative comments, most based around accuracy, I would be willing to bet a couple of dollars that is because of using the in built mic. Good quality speech recognition relies on good quality audio input with minimal or no background noise.

Dragon Express also differs from the fully fledged Dragon Dictate version in that you can only dictate into the Dragon Express window, here you will see your words transcribed into text. From the Dragon Express window you can then post or route the transcribed text to any active app – so for example into TextEdit, twitter, Facebook, Google+, email or a Word or Pages document.

If you are interested in giving speech recognition a try then this is an excellent and cost effective way to see what it is all about. Not quite a free trial but a good general overview of the Dragon speech recognition technology and the great work Nuance are doing in the Apple space. I would like to see a discount off Dragon Dictate 2.5 if you have Dragon Express installed but until Dragon Dictate appears in the Mac App Store this is a tricky one to manage and therefore isn’t yet available. If you have more questions on Dragon Express which I have not covered head over to the Nuance – Dragon Express FAQ.

Be warned, it’s a hefty download at 1.21Gb (Lion only – OS X 10.7) – virtually all of that download will be the dictionary that Dragon uses that holds words and context.

Have you tried Dragon Express? Let me know what you thought by leaving a comment.

Below is a video demo of Dragon Express for Mac in action from the “Ask The Dictator” series of YouTube video from Nuance. This gives you a good basic overview of Dragon Express in action, interesting on the post to twitter that the you can not dictate to click the OK button but still need to mouse click, which clearly shows the cut down nature of this software. I still think it is an excellent buy if you want to see how voice recognition works. At the time of posting this blog post there were only five comments on the YouTube video, most of them highly critical – I state again, using the in-built MacBook or iMac mic will not give highly accurate results, do yourself a favour and buy yourself a USB noise cancelling headset and mic before you try this software.

This makes me smile. I’m a Mac person so anyone who supports this platform automatically gets a big tick from me. This is one of the key reasons I am an Olympus reseller, Olympus have been Mac compatible for years and any company that has the foresight to be Mac compatible should give themselves a pat on the back. Just have a look around next time you are at the airport, at a conference or in a university lecture hall, all you see is a mass of glowing Apple logo. Step up NCH Software (I still go to call them NCH Swift Sound from the old days) who have featured regularly in my blog of late. Following on from their recent release of Express Scribe Pro for Windows comes Express Scribe Pro for Mac.

Following the same format as its Windows brother there will be both a free version (with limited audio formats supported) and a Pro version supporting just about every popular audio and video formats.

Express Scribe FREE for Mac supports:

• .AIFF
• .DCT
• .MP3
• .WAV
• .WMA

Express Scribe PRO for Mac supports audio formats:

• .AAC
• .AIFC (Compressed .AIFF)
• .AU
• .CAF
• .DS2
• .FLAC
• .OGG
• .M4A
• .MPC
• .QPC
• + all the audio formats supported in the FREE version

Express Scribe PRO for Mac also supports the following video formats:

• .3G2
• .3GP
• .ASV
• .AVI
• .DivX
• .DV
• .FLV
• .M4V
• .MKV
• .MOV
• .MP4
• .MPEG
• .VOB
• .WMV

Yes the Mac version does support .ds2 audio files from Olympus, Grundig and Philips BUT unlike the Windows version does not support the older .dss format and Sony’s .dvf audio files. Express Scribe for Mac works on OS X 10.3 all the way up to OS X 10.7 (Lion).

Click Here to go to the NCH Express Scribe for Mac website to download the free or buy the Pro version. Looking for NCH Software on twitter? @NCHSoftware

A couple of customers recently have had some minor issues using their Olympus DS-5000/DS-5000iD/DS-3400 digital dictaphone on their Mac running Lion (OS X 10.7). The problem experienced was that the device was not automatically recognised by the software when the digital voice recorder was docked or the USB cable attached.

The problem seemed to stem from release 7.2.6 of the Olympus DSS Player Plus software which was built and shipped pre the Lion release. Olympus have now released a patch to version 7.2.8 which makes DSS Player Pro for Mac now fully Lion compatible.

The patch can be downloaded from Olympus directly – click here to download the latest Olympus Voice software updates and patches

Express Scribe from NCH has undergone some major changes over the last few weeks. Not cosmetic changes but under the hood changes which will likely affect you if you have been a long time Express Scribe user, especially if you have gone from an older version to version 5.40.

Gone now in the free version of Express Scribe is support for the following very common file formats:

• .dss from Olympus, Grundig & Philips
• .dvf from Sony
• All video file formats

A large number of other less common audio file formats have been removed from the free version leaving only playback of .MP3, .WAV, .WMA .AIF/.AIFF & .DCT on both Windows and Mac in the free version of Scribe. A full list of audio and video files that will play in the Express Scribe Free & Express Scribe Pro can be found here: NCH Express Scribe Free & Pro File Format Compatibility Chart

I close look at the Express Scribe version history also shows that in version 5.40 free edition “Non-AltoEdge foot pedals should not be available in free version” meaning if you are one of the many people who have purchased a Philips 2310 or 2320 USB foot control  it will no longer work with the free edition at this release level. We actually dropped selling the Philips USB foot pedals for use with Express Scribe a long time ago and have been directing all customers to buy their pedals from the online shop linked to the Express Scribe web site.

There are quite a few changes that I can see will affect a very large number of transcription typists around the world with the update to version 5.40 so my advice would be, buy the software. Express Scribe is an essential tool for any transcription typist, the cost of the software is small (around AU$36, US$35, GBP23) and hey we have all been using it for free for years so it’s the least we can do right.

Click here to buy Express Scribe Plus or click the add to in the right column.

No, is the short answer. Voice or speech recognition software will only successfully work with one spoken voice and that spoken voice, for best results, needs to have trained the software to understand their voice and style of speaking known as creating a voice profile. Most people who use voice recognition software typically pop on a headset and mic and chat away to their Windows PC or Mac and watch as their voice is magically (or using the Dragon voice recognition engine if you don’t believe in magic) converted to text.

Voice recognition is currently going through a spike in popularity, especially since the release of the iPhone 4S running iOS5 with Siri, which has raised awareness of just how good voice recognition technology has evolved over the last couple of years, Nuance being the company leading the way in this technology on Mac, Windows and now inside iOS5 working closely with Apple.

Because of this everyone now has an iPhone which is capable of recording audio and most who need to capture important meetings or interviews also have a high quality digital voice recorder. Dragon NaturallySpeaking Premium and Professional edition on Windows and MacSpeech Scribe on the Mac can take recorded audio and transcribe it, that is only for that single trained person who is speaking. So it is understandable that the leap is often made that if it can transcribe one voice it can transcribe many, not so. The technology is not there yet and in my opinion won’t be for quite some time.

Nuance on their website cleverly have a couple of pages dedicated to Transcribing Interviews or Transcribing Lectures using a technique called voice writing or parroting. The idea is simple, you record your interview, meeting, lecture or whatever it is that has multiple voices or a single voice that you can not get trained in Dragon (possibly the voice of someone making a speech or presenting at a conference). Then when you are sitting in front of your Windows PC or Mac (in this case running Dragon Dictate, not MacSpeech Scribe) you listen to your recorded audio and you speak what you hear. Therefore it is your trained voice that Dragon hears as you are repeatings other peoples words from your recording. Sounds simple doesn’t it – it isn’t, I have tried it a few times and have become extremely frustrated. You may find that the voice you are listening to is too fast for you to remember and repeat back which means you are constantly stopping and rewinding the audio, which on an iPhone app or basic digital voice recorder is not always that easy. You will likely often have to stop the audio to correct mistakes made by Dragon, maybe when unfamiliar names or terms are used which have not been trained into your user profile. It will work but it does take a lot of concentration and a large amount of practice, you can give it a try just search YouTube for a boardroom meeting and see if you can repeat what you hear while wearing a headset and mic.

So what are your practical options for transcribing audio or video of meetings and interviews or in fact any audio that you need turned from voice to text?

Option 1 – Type The Audio Yourself

You could transcribe the audio yourself using some specialised transcription software to help you, transcription is the process of typing what you hear. When I say help it won’t actually do the work of typing it for you but it will assist greatly with the audio playback. For example if you are a slow typist you could slow the speed of audio playback down to match your typing speed or conversly also speed up the audio if your fingers are a blur when you type. Using transcription software you can also easily rewind the audio, again set up to match your typing ability so you could either rewind back half a second or if you are a poor typist like me rewind the audio back up to 5 seconds. The biggest benefit of using transcription software is that audio can be controlled from inside the word processor that you are typing in. By that I mean using a USB connected foot pedal or pre-defined keys on your keyboard you can stop/play/rewind the audio without leaving the document that you are typing. This is a huge time saver, often people try to transcribe using Windows Media Player or Quicktime for their audio playback and they have to constantly switch between they document to the audio player to stop/rewind/play and then back to the document which adds a considerable amount of time to the whole transcribing process.

Pros Of Doing It Yourself

• Cost, from the point of view that you are not paying someone else to do the work.
• Cost, from the point of view that transcription software is free or relatively cheap depending on what you buy.

Cons Of Doing It Yourself

• It is hard work and not as easy as it sounds.
• Transcription typing does take a long time even if you are experienced.

Just as an indication of how long transcription takes, a good quality one hour audio file of an interview between two people would take an experienced transcription typist around 2-3 hours to transcribe. If you are not experienced expect that to rise to 4-5 hours and without the help of transcription software even longer.

Transcription Software

• Express Scribe from NCH Software – $FREE
• Express Scribe Pro from NCH Software – approx. AU$40 – Click Here To Buy Express Scribe PRO – Plays .dss .ds2 .dct .dvf .avi .mov .wmv audio and video files.
• Olympus AS-2400 Digital Transcription Kit – Includes software, headset and USB foot pedal – RRP AU$425 but usually it sells online for less. Windows & Mac compatible.

Option 2 – Outsource To A Professional Transcription Service

If you need your audio transcribed quickly and accurately then this option is for you. Just Google transcription service and see how many businesses are listed both organically and in the paid Google ads. Transcription has become a boom business over the last few years and that makes total sense. With the availability and high quality of digital voice recorders and iPhone apps just about everyone is recording their meetings, interviews, podcasts, vodcasts, focus groups, lectures, letters, assessments the list goes on. It is great to have a record of your meeting and the like stored digitally which can be easily shared within your business on your intranet or with the world on the internet but more often than not a written transcript is also required for offline reading, compliance or for public record. There are all kinds of reasons audio and video is transcribed into text these days.

This is where a professional transcription service can come in to help you. Simply send them your digital audio or video via the internet and they can set to work using their team of experienced transcription typists to convert your voice to text. Here is a security tip, always make sure that the transcription service you use has their own secure file server and that the data you send them is encrypted either using FTPS (not FTP) or HTTPS (not HTTP) – this is important for two reasons. 1. your audio/video is encrypted as it travels across the internet from you to their servers. 2. by ensuring they run their own secure server they will have full control and access over what happens on that server. Many transcription services use third party providers like SendThisFile.com and they nor you have any control over your data on that third parties servers. Ask any transcription service that you approach about their security and file transfer mechanisms. Many still use FTP and not FTPS, transferring files across FTP alone does not encrypt the file contents, be it audio, video or worse still your transcribed documents.

Any good professional transcription service will turn your audio around quickly and the final transcript will very accurate. Typically there are two phases to the transcription process; phase 1 is the transcription typist who listens and types your audio/video to text. Phase 2 is a quality assurance phase, a proofreader will listen to your audio and proof against what has been transcribed. This double verifies the typists work and the document can be formatted to your specific requirements. Obviously we recommend The Transcription People, not just because this is our sister company but because they are leaders in the transcription industry in Australia who service clients not only from Australia but also the US and Europe

As audio and video for transcription is mainly digital you can utilise the services of a transcription company anywhere in the world, you may want to do this for cost benefit reasons but more often than not to take advantage of time zones. Many UK and US businesses will use the services of Australian based transcription companies for just this reason as Australia tends to work their business day as Europe and the US sleep.

Pros

• Speed, this is a transcription services core business. Reputable companies will turn around audio and video very quickly.
• Accuracy, again as a core business this is how transcription services are rated from a customers point of view. A good transcription firm will always produce high quality accurate transcriptions because of the two phase approach.
• Ability to adapt, regardless of how much audio or video you send you should always expect the same fast, accurate turn around of transcripts.
• You don’t have to do it so you can focus your time on more productive work.

Cons

• Cost is the only con, you are paying for a service so compared to you doing it yourself there will be a cost involved. Obviously the larger more reputable transcription companies will have different rates from the work from home type of micro transcription service.

So there you have it ! Reasons why Dragon NaturallySpeaking for Windows or MacSpeech Scribe for Apple Mac are not good for transcribing meetings or interviews and the options you have open to you to convert recorded audio or video into text.

Annalisa Holmes from The Transcription People, one of Australia’s dynamic leading outsource transcription service providers, recently wrote a guest post on the NCH blog detailing how her transcription business has grown over the years and how Express Scribe has been a constant throughout that growth. Now with a plethora of big name Australian blue chips using their services, The Transcription People’s large team of transcription typists and proof readers all use Express Scribe in their daily work.

With the release of Express Scribe 5.40 NCH have introduced a paid option, don’t worry a free version is still available, aimed at the Pro transcription provider and adds compatability with the DSS Pro (.ds2) audio format from Olympus, Philips and Grundig digital dictation recorders as well as video.

Click here to read Annalisa’s guest blog post on the NCH blog.

The Transcription People Pty Ltd is the sister company of Dictate Australia Pty Ltd.

NCH Software recently outed a new release of the worlds most popular free transcription software for Windows, Express Scribe, which is finally compatible with DSS Pro audio file formats, better known as .ds2 files. Not only that but NCH claims that Express Scribe is compatible with both Phillips DSS Pro and Olympus DSS Pro audio files (yes there is a difference even though DSS Pro is supposed to be a standard).

From Olympus the DSS Pro (.ds2) audio files are created on their Pro range of digital dictaphones (DS-5000, DS-3400 and DS-2400) and has caused some issues for many small outsource transcription businesses who were aggrieved to actually spend money and buy the appropriate software to either play or convert these audio files to load into pre version 5.30 Express Scribe. How to convert .ds2 audio files to play in Express Scribe has been covered in an earlier blog post of ours (one of our most popular posts) – click here

Great move by NCH although it did take some time to get there, the rejoicing from the transcription world will be huge. Easily one of the best if not the best transcription software out there, Express Scribe continues to dominate the transcription world and rightly so. Come on NCH, let us pay for this software

As yet .ds2 can only be played by Express Scribe on Windows. The Mac version (as of version 5.32) remains without .ds2 support.

Click here to keep an eye on Express Scribe versions – both Mac and Windows

Click here to download a sample Olympus .ds2 audio file to test your Express Scribe

If you check in on our blog often you would have noticed us drooling of the amazing Olympus LS-20M a few months back, in case you missed it here is the link – please note the massive close up picture of the LS-20M just to ram home how cool this little device is.

Well in the latest pricing released to all Olympus Australia resellers today you could almost hear the shouts of “yippee” across the country as we rubbed our eyes in disbelief, the LS-20M is now available in Australia (or will be in the next week or two).

Sure, we all have HD video recorders nowadays, on our iPhone, our Flip camera and even on our point-and-shoot or DSLR cameras. So what makes this recorder anydifferent? Well, if you have used some or all of the above devices then one thing you would have noticed, great video quality, shocking audio quality. This is where the LS-20M stands out; using the experience of Olympus imaging for the video and the market leading audio capabilities of the Voice arm Olympus have come up with this powerful little package.

Keeping in vogue with recent trends of filtering your shots, seen in the massively popular Instagr.am app on the iPhone (follow me on Instagr.am @australia) and in the ever so popular PEN range of Olympus Imaging cameras, filters are a part of the LS-20M bundle of fun.

Unusually with the LS-20M Olympus have stepped away from the on-board flash memory + SD/SDHC card combo, the LS-20M has no on-board flash memory at all and relies solely on the SD/SDHC card slot. Click here for the US specs for the LS-20M.

What I can tell you is that the RRP for the LS-20M is $449 incl. GST.

This is where Dropbox comes in. Dropbox is a service which has both free and paid options which not only allows you to share files of any kind, of any size with others it also stores them in the cloud aswell as on your PC or Mac in effect creating a backup of what is already on your computer. The concept is simple, you install the small Dropbox client on your computer and point that client to a single folder, that folder on your computer, just like My Documents on Windows. That folder and all its contents (including sub-directories) will be automatically synced with your account in the cloud. You don’t need to worry about the transfer completing, Dropbox handles that for you, you just drop the file and forget.

You can install the Dropbox agent on any of your computers, Mac or Windows, if you have more than one to keep files in sync from one machine to another. But in the digital voice world it makes a perfect solution for sharing audio files with colleagues and even your typist, regardless of whether they are in the same office, same state or even the same country.

Dropbox allows you to share certain folders (and even files) with people, so if you store all your important documents in Dropbox on the folders (or files) you choose will be shared with others. For example, lets say you use an outsource transcription service who transcribes your audio files. You can simply setup a “Transcription” folder in Dropbox, share that with your typists and then drop any audio files you need into that directory. You typist will automatically receive the file on their computer and will be alerted via a popup that the file has arrived. Not only that, when the transcription is complete they can just drop the transcript in the same directory and vice versa you receive the actual document into your Dropbox ready for you to read.

Most good transcription businesses will utilise their own secure servers for file transfer, however some of the smaller ones still tend to use thrid party sites like sendthisfile.com to move large audio files around. That’s great but you have to wait for the transfer to complete, which if you are working off a mobile 3G connection can be slow and painful. Dropbox takes that pain away and just works, not only that all file transfers are secure and the files are encrypted as they pass from your computer to Dropbox both ways.

The uses of Dropbox are limitless. Me personally, I use Dropbox to store all the voice recorder manuals I sell, along with many documents that I refer to often. Aswell as being available for Mac and Windows there is also an Apple iPhone app and Android app so you can access your files while on the go from your smartphone.

Dropbox has been around for a while and has really set the standard for file sharing and backup. I wrote this blog because I love the way it works and I use it daily. For file sharing, especially for large audio files, Dropbox is an easy way to move you files around.

Dropbox has both free and paid options. The free option gives you 2Gb of cloud storage, if you need more then there are a couple of paid options offering either monthly or yearly payments. This gives you 50Gb of space called Pro 50 (US$99/year or US$9.99/month), 100Gb of space called Pro 100 (US$199/year or US$19.99/month) and there is also a 350+Gb option called Teams, Dropbox will tailor a plan to your needs. For the average person the free option is the way to go, that’s what I use. So give it a try and let me know what you think. Click here to get Dropbox for free !

Yes, 11.5 is now ready for download and upgrade in Australia for all registered Dragon NaturallySpeaking 11 users. The upgrade will open up the use of your iPhone as a remote wireless mic into Dragon NaturallySpeaking on Windows (unless you are a Home user) aswell as some new social tools like tweeting and Facebook updates using Dragon. I am willing to bet 20c that we will see another upgrade soon to include posts to Google+, here’s hoping.

Want to know how to use your iPhone with Dragon NaturallySpeaking 11.5? First you will need to grab the free Dragon Remote Mic app from iTunes here Then watch this official Nuance video … [click here for the video]

We get alot of hits on our blog from all over the world. Many hits are people searching for answers to specific questions. So we thought we would start a post and update as we go with questions we see pop up from day to day. This post will get longer over time so make good use of your browsers search function (here’s a tip, click Ctrl-f):

Do you have a question you would like answered? Leave a comment and we may include it in the list.

Q: Can you convert a .ds2 file to .dss?

A: Yes you can. But why would you is a question we would ask back. I would understand converting an MP3 or WMA file to a dss file format as the file size would be greatly reduced, but .ds2 to .dss no point.

Q: What is the best mic for use with Dragon Dictate for Mac

A: The answer to this one depends on the kind of microphone you prefer. Dragon Dictate for Mac in Australia is bundled with a choice of several mic options (click here for a run down of them all). These are all excellent mics so it is really down to personal choice. If you like a headset then there are a couple of options, if you prefer just a mic then there is an option for that and if you prefer wireless again there are a couple of choice. Soon I am sure dictation wirelessly through your iPhone/iPad will be available I am sure as this has just been released for Dragon NaturallySpeaking on Windows.

Q: Can I use the Olympus DS-5000 with my Olympus AS-4000 transcription kit.

A: Yes you can. BUT, and there is always a but, not straight out of the box. The AS-4000 kit will only work with standard .dss audio files, out of the box the DS-5000 records in .ds2 or DSS Pro audio format which is not compatible with the AS-4000. With the DSS Player Pro v5 Dictation Module software installed on a Windows PC (it comes with the DS-5000) you can set the default record mode of the DS-5000 to what is called Classic Mode (click here for a video demo how to do this). By setting Classic Mode your DS-5000 will record .dss audio files and will then be compatible with your AS-4000 transcription kit. More info here from an earlier blog post.

Q: Free transcription software for ds2 file.

A: OK, this search term or a variant of it appears every day in my Google analytics and I have to be honest it annoys me. If you are searching for free software to transcribe .ds2 audio files that indicates to me that you are likely doing this as a service to someone, i.e. you are running a business. At some point while running a business you will have to spend some money to support your business activities. After all most transcriptionists have it good, the most popular transcription software (Express Scribe) is free, you can even use it without a foot pedal thus saving you even more money. Now if you are receiving .ds2 files from your clients do them and yourself a favour, buy the software to let you play or convert these audio files. My tip, if you are watching the pennies, buy the Olympus DSS Player Pro v5 Dictation Module software, this will let you convert an Olympus .ds2 into .dss (classic) or WMA (or AIFF if you are on a Mac) and therefore will work with your free transcription software.

Q: Which digital voice recorders are compatible with Dragon Dictate for Mac.

A: This is an easy one to answer, none. Dragon Dictate for Mac can not take audio from a digital voice recorder, unlike its Windows cousin, Dragon NaturallySpeaking which can take audio in the Premium and Pro versions. Currently a seperate product called MacSpeech Scribe will take audio from a recorder and transcribe it using the Dragon speech recognition engine. I expect this to change at some point in the future and be part of Dragon Dictate but as of now it can only be done with MacSpeech Scribe.

The DM series recorders in Australia are now manned by the Olympus DM-3 and the Olympus DM-5 digital voice recorders since the launch of the DM3 in early July 2011. To look at them you would be hard pressed to tell the difference other than the Olympus DM3 is silver and the Olympus DM5 is black.

So what is the difference between the two? Here is a summary:

Memory:

• DM-3 has 4Gb of on-board memory, expandable via the microSD slot (512mb to 16Gb cards)
• DM-5 has 8Gb of on-board memory, expandable via the microSD slot (512mb to 16Gb cards)

Maximum Recording Time (using in-built memory only):

I only list the highest quality audio recording modes as these give the best quality sound and audio pickup. If you choose lower quality recording modes the maximum recording times will be greater than I have listed. I recommend using the highest quality audio recording modes.

Olympus DM-3 (RRP $349 incl. GST in Australia)

• 25hrs 30mins on the highest bit-rate MP3 format (320kbps)
• 5hrs 15mins on the 48kHz linear PCM uncompressed WAV format
• 62hrs 30mins on the highest quality WMA (Windows Media Audio) format

Olympus DM-5 (RRP $499 incl. GST in Australia)

• 53hrs on the highest bit-rate MP3 format (320kbps)
• 11hrs 5mins on the 48kHz linear PCM uncompressed WAV format
• 130hrs on the highest quality WMA (Windows Media Audio) format

Text To Speech (DM5 Only):

Only the DM-5 is capable of reading aloud a textfile, this feature is not available on the DM-3. Text to speech is a functional typically used by people who are vision impaired or have reading disabilities.

DAISY Books (DM5 Only):

Only the DM-5 is capable of playing DAISY (Digital Accessible Information System) books. DAISY books were intended to replace audio tapes for digital devices and have the ability to read-aloud books while also highlighting text and displaying images. DAISY books are typically used by people who are vision impaired or have reading disabilities.

Voice Recognition (DM5 Only):

Only the DM-5 is capable of processing voice recognition commands to control the digital voice recorder. Voice recognition allows complicated key inputs using voice alone, for example to set the date and time or setting up timer record. Voice recognition only controls the Olympus DM-5 functions is does not take your spoken words and transcribe them. Voice recognition is typically used by people who are vision impaired or have reading disabilities.

Viewing Images (DM-5 Only):

Only the Olympus DM5 has the ability to store and display images imported from a digital camera. The images can be displayed on the DM-5′s large lcd colour screen.

So there you have it. As you can see the Olympus DM-5 is really aimed at people who are vision impaired and give them a user friendly digital voice recording device. Both will record exactly the same audio quality files, the main difference being the size of the memory in each which in turn effects the maximum recording times which I have listed above. If you are not vision impaired the only reason I would see someone opting for an Olympus DM-5 over a DM3 would be if they are planning on being away from a computer for a large amount of time gathering audio that would exceed the in-built memory plus an addition microSD card’s worth of memory. That is alot of audio.

Both the Olympus DM-3 and the Olympus DM-5 are available in Australia from us, Dictate Australia. We are an Olympus Imaging Australia Gold partner. Any questions about these or any recorders please comment here or contact is through our website – www.dictate.com.au

This seems to be a minor bug fix release with the following issues addressed:

System Focus on Notification

The notify dialogue box was causing some angst while transcribing as when it popped up it took focus away from the document being transcribed and interupt the typists flow. In this release focus is not taken away to the pop up dialogue box.

Do Not Display The Main Windows – Dictation Module / Workflow

When this option is selected in this release Device Detector 4 will launch the Dictation Module on device connection.

System Admins Can Now Show/Hide Options In Dictation / Transcription Module

Administrators can now choose to show/hide options in both the dictation module or transcription module. This is a very handy feature as it should take away from the user the ability to “play” with some of their settings which may cause issues with their normal way of working.

Click Here To Download The Full R5.0.12 Release Notes In PDF Format

All the full change details can be found in the official Olympus release notes and are shown below in full:

Changes

R5.0.12

1. 1. System focus on Notification dialogWhen the Notification Dialog popped up the system forcibly focused on this.
   This was causing issues when Transcribing as the system focus was being taken away from word processing programs and would interrupt the transcriptionist.
   In R5.0.12, the dialog no longer takes focus. In addition, the dialog will now appear in the corner of the screen.

    

2. 2. When the “Do not display the main window” option is selected in [Workflow] on your Dictation Module, the Device Detector 4 will now forcibly launch the Dictation Module when a device is connected.
   The reason for this is because any files on connected devices will not be downloaded unless Dictation Module is launched.

    

3. 3. In the System Configuration Program, administrators are now able to change the show/hide some options from users in the Dictation / Transcription Modules.
   For example: When an administrator hides [Workflow] option from System Configuration Program, the user will no longer be able see all options in [Workflow] window within Dictation / Transcription Module.

    

Note

When DSS Player Pro is installed to a client via an Active Directory, etc., in silent mode, make sure to install .NET Framework 2.0 stored in the Redist folder before installing DSS Player Pro.
Please copy LICENSE.DAT to the distributed package when silent installation occurs.
For obtaining the LICENSE.DAT, please contact your dealer or distributor.

Well, all official Olympus resellers will also sell spare parts, the trick is knowing what that spare part is called. In this post I will go through everything that is in the box and show you the part numbers and their RRP (in Australia) to give you an idea if you really should have looked after that part a bit more carefully. When you open the Olympus branded shoe box that contains your new DS-5000 or DS-5000iD everything inside can be replaced except for the recorder itself. So apart from the recorder what you will find inside are:

CR10 – Docking Station for Olympus DS-5000 – RRP AU$95 incl. GST

This black dock acts as the interface between your recorder and your PC or Mac. Be warned though this replacement part is only the dock, the cables which connect to it are separate Olympus parts. The dock allows charging of the DS-5000 and also the USB connection to your computer.

The CR10 dock can also be used with the Olympus DS-3400 but will not charge batteries in the DS-3400.

BR403 – Ni-MH Rechargeable Battery Pack – RRP AU$45 incl. GST

These are the Olympus rechargeable nickel-metal hydride batteries which come with your Olympus DS-5000.

Over time your batteries may get tired from constant use or you may prefer to have a spare set of rechargeables on hand, if so this is the part for you.

These batteries also fit the older Olympus DS-4000 digital dictaphone.

A513 – 5v AC Power Adaptor – AU$59 incl. GST

The power supply for your Olympus DS-5000. This connects directly to the back of the CR10 dock or into the DS-5000 itself, this is the part you need if you want to have a spare power supply to take on business trips with your or to keep at home.

Make sure you buy this from an Australian reseller other you may end up with a plug which is not compatible with Australian wall sockets.

KP21 – miniA-B USB Cable – AU$59.50 incl. GST

This cable is essential, it is the USB cable which directly plugs into the CR10 dock or into the Olympus DS-5000 directly and connects your recorder to your Mac or PC. If you store your audio on the internal memory then without this cable you will not be able to access your digital audio files other than playing them back on the recorder itself. Just a tip, if you are away and have forgotten your KP21 and you have urgent dictation stored on the internal memory that you need to send to your secretary or transcription service, copy the dictation to the removeable SD memory card. Finding an SD card reader will be much easier to find than a KP21, anywhere in the world.

AS5001 – DSS player Pro v5 Dictation Module CD-ROM – AU$145 incl. GST

The all important software, the software which on Windows works much of the magic behind the Olympus DS-5000; Auto send of dictation by FTP, onto a network drive or via email. Audio editing, file encryption, file conversion, recorder settings and much more are all controlled using this software. On the Mac this disk contains the DSS Player Plus v7 software. Most importantly though this CD-ROM includes a single install licence key, one for a Windows install and one for a Mac install. Maybe you have a new PC and can’t find the original software disk or more often the case the licence key then this part is for you. Please remember you can still get audio off the DS-5000 without this software, on both Mac and Windows the software just adds all the functionality. The CD also holds a PDF copy of the DS-5000 manual, so if you are looking for that it’s on the CD. If you just need the manual, email me I will send you a PDF copy.

CS-119 Carry Case for Olympus DS-5000 – AU$55 incl. GST

This part is the carry case which keeps your Olympus DS-5000 free from dirt and scratches and over time can become a bit tatty.

If you need a replacement look for the CS-119.

That covers all the parts that come with your Olympus DS-5000 or DS-5000iD digital dictaphone. If you lose something it can be replaced, please make sure you always get your parts from Authorised Olympus Australia Professional reseller, which of course is what we are.

As usual, any questions or comments please post them here or tweet us @dictates. All these parts are available in Australia from Dictate Australia – Olympus Gold Professional Reseller

Nuance Australia this week released the Legal vocabulary pack for Australian Dragon NaturallySpeaking 11 Professional users. The language pack is available as an add-on, you must have Dragon NaturallySpeaking 11 Professional already installed, or you can buy the language pack with DNS 11 Pro as a bundle.

The legal pack is designed specifically for Australian legal users and is crammed full of Australian centric legal terms, just over 200 million words Nuance claim which will help legal users achieve optimal accuracy out of the box when dictating legal terms.

As usual with Nuance there are numerous options open to you whether you are new to Dragon or you already have a version of Naturally Speaking installed. Only two options are currently available from the Australian Nuance distributors but a couple more will be coming later this year, including upgrades from earlier versions of Dragon NaturallySpeaking Preferred and Professional. Here are your options and the pricing for what is available now:

I Already Own Dragon NaturallySpeaking 11 Professional

Then all you need is the add-on language pack which self installs itself with your Dragon NaturallySpeaking 11 Pro.

• Product Name:  Dragon NaturallySpeaking Pro 11 Legal Commercial Vocab Only
• Product SKU: A509M-K00-11.0
• RRP: $499.95 incl. GST

I Am New To Dragon And Do Not Own Any NaturallySpeaking Software

Then you will need the DNS11 Professional plus DNS11 Legal vocabulary pack.

• Product Name:  Dragon NaturallySpeaking Pro 11 Commercial + DNS Legal 11 Australian Edition
• Product SKU: A509M-G00-11.0
• RRP: $829.95 incl. GST

For those of you running older versions of Dragon Naturally Speaking, be it the Professional or Preferred versions there are upgrades available for you to Dragon NaturallySpeaking 11 Professional, which you must have installed before you can install the add-on. Currently you need to purchase the upgrade to DNS 11 Pro and the legal vocab separately.

As always, any questions please drop a comment here or tweet us @dictates

When you buy your shiny new Olympus DS-5000, DS-5000iD (and also the DS-3400) digital dictaphone it comes with software for both Mac and Windows, in fact you get one licence for each operating system. Windows users get to install DSS Player Pro v5 Dictation Module and Mac users get DSS Player Version 7 Plus (at release 7.2.4 at the time of writing this). Both the Windows and the Mac software are similar in that they both let you play the audio files recorded on your digital dictaphone, both let you edit your audio and both let you convert your DSS Pro audio files (.ds2) to other formats.

On the Mac however, unlike the Windows software, the ability to automatically send your dictation somewhere (email to your typist, drop onto a network drive for your typing pool etc) is missing. On the Mac audio files need to be manually sent to your typist or transcription service, unless you use Dropbox.

Dropbox as a service has been around for a while and continues to grow in popularity. Essentially it is a very easy way to store files both locally on your PCs or Macs as well as in the cloud, making your files accessible from any computer, iPhone, Android phone or iPad at any time. We use Dropbox in our business as a file sharing tool and also as a backup solution to keep essential files stored and shared safely both onsite and offsite. In simple terms, on your local computer(s) you have a DropBox folder, just like any folder you may create. This folder is automatically syncronised to the cloud and also with other computers where you have installed a Dropbox agent. Whatever you drop in there is backed up to Dropbox’s totally secured servers in the cloud as well as any of your other computers. You may have a Dropbox folder on your office computer and also on your home computer, whatever you drop in the Dropbox folder is syncronised between folders on all computers, whether you do it at home or in the office. A really neat feature of of Dropbox is that folders within your Dropbox folder can be shared with others, meaning only files dropped in that shared folder are visible to the person you shared it with, they don’t see files from your other DropBox folders.

For example, you could create a folder called Typist within your Dropbox folder, you then share that Typist folder with your personal assistant or transcription service. Anything (documents, audio, video etc) that you drop into the Typist folder will automatically be sent to the cloud and down to the Typist, all done securely as files are encrypted as they pass across the internet and down to other Dropbox folders. This is done in the background, you just drop it and forget. DropBox is an excellent option for sharing your dictation files and also an easy way for your typist or transcription service to get completed transcription back to you. Your typist just has to drop the completed document in the shared folder and it will appear on your computer.

Here is how you can set that up on your Mac (you can also do this on Windows in DSS Player Pro v5 Dictation Module, that will be a separate blog post).

First you need to install Dropbox – click here to install Dropbox – which is free to use when you select the basic package with 2Gb of storage, more than enough for audio files. There are also paid options, these just give you more online storage, the free edition is all you need for sharing audio files and completed transcriptions. After installation you will have a Dropbox folder on your filesystem and a Dropbox icon which shows you the status of your Dropbox folder; a tick means all are syncronised, a rotating circle means it is syncronising.

By selecting Preferences and then Download in DSS Player Version 7 Plus you can define the location of the Download Tray Folder, this will be currently set to the location you specified when you installed the software, usually a folder called Message under your home directory. Click the icon to the right of this folder which appears as three dots and navigate to a folder you have created to share in your Dropbox folder. Also in the Download preferences screen are three tick box options, they are;

Delete the original files after downloading

If you tick this box, post download from the recorder to the Mac DSS Player Plus will remove the audio from the recorder. This one is up to you, some of you will prefer to remove audio, some won’t.

Convert to AIFF file during download

By default the DS-5000 (and DS-3400) record in the DSS Pro audio format which creates .ds2 audio files. These files can be played back on your Mac using DSS Player Version 7 Plus software. If you send your audio to others they may not be able to play this audio format in which case you can convert your audio to .AIFF which can be played on any Mac or Windows PC. However, converting a .ds2 file to .aiff will increase its file size significantly. If you are using a transcription service they should be able to accept .ds2 audio files, if they do not, you should be asking why not.

Automatically download all data when the device is detected

Tick this option, when you dock (or USB plug) your recorder, the audio files will automatically be downloaded from the dictaphone to the directory you have just specified, ie. Dropbox. This kicks off the auto syncronise with Dropbox (instant offsite backup) and with other computers that you have your Dropbox installed on (home maybe) and anyone you have shared the folder with (your typist or transcription service). As this happens you will see your Dropbox logo switch from syncronised to syncronising .

It is as easy as that. No more finding files to attach in an email, just dock and go. Your typist or transcription service will know when you have deposited new files as a pop-up will appear on their screen to let them know new files have arrived. Depending on their transcription setup they may be able to link their transcription software to the Dropbox folder, automatically loading the audio in their transcription software for them. Technology, you have got to love it !

If you need more information or have questions please leave a comment or tweet us @dictates

Traditionally your standard medical or legal practice would consist of an analogue tape dictaphone used by the person dictating. They would record their dictation on tapes which are then handed to the typing pool for the transcriptionists to transcribe using a tape transcription machine, foot pedal and headset. Not much has changed now that things are digital. The dictator still requires a device to dictate into, the typist still requires audio to listen to and transcribe. The fundamental difference is we now use digital recordings instead of taped recordings for dictation and transcription and our computers to act as the transcription kit.

How are digital dictaphones better than tape dictaphones?

• Audio quality. Digital audio is far more clearer than its older parent the analogue tape, meaning a happier transcriptionist and higher quality transcripts created in less time.
• Speed of transfer. Digital audio can be emailed, either to the typist in the next room or to a transcription service on the other side of the world, in seconds.
• No more physical storage issues. Hands up all those using tape dictaphones who have cupboards and drawers full of old tapes? They take up room, they degrade in quality over time and try and find a single patient or clients dictation on a tape containing tens of dictations is time consuming. With digital audio it can all be stored on computer, network and back drives with instant access to files and dictations. It can be replicated easily so can also be stored offsite and onsite.
• Security. With some models of dictaphone your audio can be encrypted. When you send audio only your typist can unencrypt the audio meaning your audio stays secure. The dictaphones themselves can be locked with a passcode (and fingerprint in the case of the Olympus DS-5000iD) so only you can hear your audio. With tapes, anyone with a player can listen.

So now that you are coming around to thinking “yes, maybe I should get with the times” lets have a look at the best digital dictaphones on the market today. These of course are from Olympus, the leader in voice solutions who have a range of three digital dictaphone models.

Note. Dictatphones are not to be confused with the cheaper notetaker recorders. Only the dictaphones have the ability to start/stop rewind/review and essentially emulate an analogue tape. Digital notetakers can not manipulate audio in this way and are used for recording an event with a determined start and stop time, like an interview, meeting, lecture, focus group etc.

As you can see they all have a similar design and look. As you progress up through the models from DS-2400 up to DS-5000 the feature set for each recorder grows although the record quality for each is exactly the same.

For example:

DS-2400

• Only records in .DS2 (DSS Pro) audio format.
• Default record format can not be changed.
• SD card slot for expandable memory.
• No docking station.
• No rechargeable battery.
• 5 folders.
• Rocker push button control for record/stop/rewind/play.
• DSS Player v5 Standard Dictation Module software included.
• Audio files need to be manually sent to your typist.
• DSS Player v7 for Mac included for Mac.
• DS-2400 RRP $595 incl. GST in Australia

DS-3400

• Records in .DS2 (by default) but can be changed to record in DSS (classic) audio format.
• Default record format can be changed on Windows only.
• SD and Micro SD card slots for expandable memory.
• No docking station.
• No rechargeable battery.
• Rocker push button control for record/stop/rewind/play.
• Device can be locked via a pin code.
• Up to 10 user Ids can use the recorder.
• Audio files can be automatically sent to your typist via email, FTP or on a network drive (Windows only).
• Audio files can be converted to .WMA (on Windows only) or .AIFF (On Mac only).
• Audio files can be encrypted.
• Verbal comments.
• Priority & Worktype settings.
• 1-7 Folder (programmable).
• DSS Player v5 Pro Dictation Module software included for Windows.
• DSS Player v7 for Mac included for Mac.
• DS-3400 RRP $695 incl. GST in Australia

DS-5000 or DS-5000iD

• Records in .DS2 (by default) but can be changed to record in DSS (classic) audio format.
• Default record format can be changed on Windows only.
• SD and Micro SD card slots for expandable memory.
• Docking station.
• Rechargeable battery.
• Slider control for record/stop/rewind/play.
• Device can be locked via a pin code.
• Up to 10 user Ids can use the recorder.
• Audio files can be automatically sent to your typist via email, FTP or on a network drive (Windows only).
• Audio files can be converted to .WMA (on Windows only) or .AIFF (On Mac only).
• Audio files can be encrypted.
• Verbal comments.
• Priority & Worktype settings.
• 1-7 Folder (programmable).
• Recorded can be locked/unlocked using finger print reader (DS-5000iD only).
• DSS Player v5 Pro Dictation Module software included for Windows.
• DSS Player v7 for Mac included for Mac.
• DS-5000 RRP $845 incl. GST in Australia
• DS-5000iD RRP $945 incl. GST in Australia

All recorders share these common features and functions:

• Variable Control Coice Actuator (VCVA) – Voice activation
• Fast playback
• Slow playback
• Quick review
• Cue/review
• FF Skip/Reverse Skip
• Insert / Overwrite
• Erase all files
• Erase single files
• Partial erase
• Pause
• Lock single files
• Upto 32 index marks per file
• Individual folder names
• 6 Display languages (EN/FR/ES/DE/IT/RU)
• Mic sensitivity – Conf (for meetings/conferences) and Dict (for dictation)
• Ear jack & mic jack sockets

How do they work? Well just like your traditional analogue tape dictaphone you pick it up, click a button and start dictating. You can stop and start as often as you like. If you take a break or get interrupted you can easily rewind the audio, much like the tapes, and hear what you last said then continue dictating. When you have finished a single file note you can press a “stop” button on the recorder which will close the open audio file. Essentially you can have multiple file notes in multiple individual digital audio files, you can keep them seperate. Or alternatively you may choose to record multiple file notes into one long audio file. The choice is yours, regardless you end up with a highly compressed, high quality digital audio file of your ramblings which can be passed to your transcription typist electronically. You don’t even have to get up from your desk; your typist may even be in a different town, state or even country and still receive the audio in seconds – try that with a microcassette !

Unlike traditional tape dictaphones you can also edit your dictation on the recorder itself. For example, lets say you are listening back to your dictation and you realise that you forget something in your dictation and need to insert more dictation – with a digital dictaphone you can. Conversely, should you decide that some of your audio dictation is not required then instead of re-recording you can simply remove portions of audio prior to closing the audio file.

The range of Olympus digital dictaphones is only available in Australia from authorised professional dictation resellers, of which Dictate Australia is a Gold level reseller. This means we are equipped to advise on the complete dictation range, whether your office is Windows based or Mac based. Look for this logo when buying in Australia:

Dictate Australia - Olympus Australia Gold Pro Reseller

So there you have a summary of the best digital dictaphones available. As always if you have questions please ask, we are here to help and to advise so give us a call in Australia on 1300 787 092 (option 2) or email us at sales@dictate.com.au

Nuance has quickly forged their authority on the Dictate brand of voice recognition software for Mac and with their first release Dragon Dictate 2.0 they have done an excellent job. But what now for the Legal and Medical edition still stuck at MacSpeech Dictate version 1.5 and the fairly new offshoot product MacSpeech Scribe currently at version 1.1, all of which are using the older Dragon speech recognition engine and not the new one included with Dragon Dictate.

I have some theories for these products which may or may not be correct so please don’t hold me to them. These are my best guesses and have not been confirmed or denied by Nuance, just my two cents worth.

MacSpeech Scribe in my view can go in ne of two directions. It can either be discontinued and the voice to text functionality built into a later Dragon Dictate update, much like Dragon NaturallySpeaking Premium or Professional for Windows. Or Nuance will embrace this as a separate product and continue to push it as a stand alone offering for transcribing only recorded audio. I have always been torn on MacSpeech Scribe, I have never understood why you would create a separate product for transcription of digitally recorded audio but that maybe because I have been so used to the functionality from the Windows side of the fence. As MacSpeech Scribe is still fairly new I have a feeling Nuance will continue with it and we will likely see a Dragon Scribe product appear in the very near future.

So what about the Medical and Legal version of MacSpeech Dictate, are we going to see an equivalent in Dragon Dictate? My personal view is that we are likely to see a Legal version for Dragon Dictate but maybe not the Medical version. From my understanding the Legal dictionary of terms is fairly standard and so can be quite easily built into a speech recognition dictionary. Wheres Medical with its large number of specialised area of understanding would be an unwieldily dictionary to maintain and build. For the Medical side of things I think we will see a third party put their hand up and claim an exclusive partnership with Nuance to provide and support that medical crowd.

So when can we see what I have theorised about above. Dragon Scribe I would think would be very close, if it is coming, and we would likely see this before the end of the year. Dragon Dictate Legal I would also see on the same time line, especially as we now have Dragon Dictate in the wild adding a more comprehensive legal dictionary can’t be that far behind.

Of course as soon as we get wind of any new voice recognition products from Nuance for the Mac or Windows we will post the info.