This month we have seen the demise of some digital notetakers from Olympus’ current range. Out go the Olympus WS-550M, VN-5500PC and VN-6800PC. The VN series recorders ends the line of super cheap discount recorders although some will still be available in the short term through national chains like Officeworks, no loss there I was never a fan of these.

The dropping of the WS-550M was a bit of a surprise, traditionally Olympus kept a range of two or three recorders in a series line up, with the loss of the WS-550M this just leaves the WS-450S and the WS-560M as the two remaining WS series recorders. These are fantastic little recorders with amazing audio pickup.

Not content with dropping recorders Olympus also have some new recorders in the pipeline for next month, we are just waiting for confirmation before announcing what they will be. You will be pleasantly surprised, some very cool recorders are coming.

Tweet This Post Delicious

Olympus Imaging who this year took over the distribution of Olympus voice products in Australia have recently allocated Gold and Platinum status to a select few Olympus resellers Australia wide. This restricts the number of resellers able to sell the Pro range of digital dictation and transcription products and software; the DS-5000, DS-3400 recorders and the AS-5000 transcription kit and AS-5002 transcription module software. We at Dictate Australia are proud to have become a Gold Olympus partner.

What does this mean this to the resellers. Well not much has changed for most of us, we are required to keep a healthy stock of all Pro line recorders and we are all required to be trained in the Pro recorders and software, all of which we already are. We also have more direct access to our own personal Olympus representative who can assist us and you in making sure you get the right solution for your business. Your business could be a one person shop with outsourced transcription or a large hospital or legal practice with offices around the country, both Dictate Australia and Olympus will be there to help you plan for your needs.

As we are based on the NSW Central Coast, our office is in Erina, we are able to offer demo’s of the Olympus products in our office, just call to arrange a time. If you are in Sydney we can arrange to come to you for a demo and a chat, of course this is all obligation free and there is no hard sell (I am personally not a fan of hard sell as I will buy anything if subjected to it – I currently own several time shares in Spain and frequently change my phone/internet/gas/electric provider when they come knocking at my door ), this is just an opportunity for you to have a hands on look and feel and a chat about how the recorders and transcription kits work.

As we are a national reseller for Olympus those of you outside Sydney don’t lose out either. We are available as always by phone for advice and information at any time, if you have a question about any aspect of dictation or transcription just give us a call. We can also support you remotely using our direct connect support software can connect to your PC or Mac and help you with any issues. We run both Windows (XP, Vista, 7) and Mac in the office.

Tweet This Post Delicious

Today, 15th December 2009, is day one for Olympus Imaging as they become the new distributor for Olympus voice products within Australia and New Zealand. Olympus Imaging has taken over from Nationwide Dictating who, after fifteen years of voice distribution, have called it a day. The Olympus website for information on Olympus voice products in Australia and New Zealand is now www.olympus.com.au along with Dictate Australia.

So what does this mean for the resellers and more importantly the consumers of Olympus Voice products? For the resellers we now deal with one national office instead of being split across the country, the Nationwide Dictating head office in Melbourne has been closed along with the Brisbane and Sydney offices. Olympus Imaging will operate from one location in North Ryde in Sydney. Some key staff from Nationwide Dictating have been retained by Olympus Imaging which is great news as their valuable experience and knowledge of the Olympus Voice products will be retained and will allow the resellers to continue to have excellent second line support for questions and solutions.

For the consumer we already see some good news. The latest reseller price lists have just been released today and the pricing of most top of the line professional recorders has dropped making the best digital voice recorders in Australia even more affordable, there are some huge reductions. Some examples:

• Olympus DS-5000 old RRP $995 incl. GST, new RRP $845 incl. GST
• Olympus LS-10 old RRP $895 incl. GST new RRP $595 incl. GST
• Olympus WS-550M old RRP $395 incl. GST new RRP $199 incl. GST

Along with the new price lists we are also seeing yet another change in the voice recorder product range. Gone are the excellent meeting recorders the DS-40, DS-50 and DS-65 replaced by the newer DM-450 and DM-550 models.  Also added are some of the latest voice recorders available in the UK and US that we in Australia usually have to wait for, like the LS-11 PCM music and nature sound recorder. Also new to Australia will be the VN-6800PC note taker.

Like us here at Dictate Australia, most Olympus Voice resellers will be re-jigging their pricing over the next few days and adding in the new Olympus products. As soon as we can we will get new models in for review.

Welcome Olympus Imaging to the world of digital voice and good luck.

Tweet This Post Delicious

So, this year has been a big one for Olympus voice with a revamp of all their digital recorder range. Not content with being left behind Philips had a go back in April when they rolled out, finally, Mac compatible note takers with the DVT (Digital Voice Tracer) range comprising of the 660/860/880 models. This week Philips have done a rejig in this range and discontinued the young 660/860/880 recorders and replaced them with new model numbers although essentially they are the previous recorders upgraded. Philips have also added some innovative voice recorder packages, like a set aimed at reporters and a set aimed at writers who might want to attempt their own transcription.

So what has been discontinued and what are their replacement models:

• Philips DVT LFH0660 discontinued, replaced by DVT LFH0662 (2GB – RRP AU$189)
• Philips DVT LFH0860 discontinued, replaced by DVT LFH0862 (4GB – RRP AU$249)
• Philips DVT LFH0880 discontinued, replaced by DVT LFH0882 (4GB – RRP AU$279)
• Philips DVR DragonNaturallySpeaking Voice Recorder Edition LFH-660/10 discontinued, replaced by LFH0667 (RRP AU$259)

A common change across the range is an increase in memory, that makes sense with solid state memory continuing to grow in size and drop in price. Also added to all recorders are a visual record level indicator and the USB connection, as well as powering the unit, will now also charge a rechargeable battery.

Other notable changes include uncompressed PCM recording now available on the LFH0662. High Sensitivity mic added to the LFH0862 and LFH0882 with the new “Zoom” function.

As mentioned another innovative thing Philips have done is create some Digital Voice Tracer combination packs, new packs are:

• LFH0868 (RRP AU$279) – 862 Digital Voice Tracer with docking station.
• LFH0888 (RRP AU$339) – 882 Digital Voice Tracer with docking station.
• LFH0867 (RRP AU$369) – Writers Set. 862 Digital Voice Tracer with the media player USB hand control (LFH2370/00)  which allows audio control with yours thumbs.
• LFH0885 (RRP AU$369) – Reporters Set. 882 Digital Voice Tracer with stereo lapel mic.
• LFH0895 (RRP AU$749) – Compact Meeting Recorder. I like this one, 882 Digital Voice Tracer with two of the best looking and good quality boundary mics available.

Expect to see these new models appearing around Australia from October.

Tweet This Post Delicious

Today I finally heard what is being planned for the WS series digital voice recorders in Australia. If you have been reading my posts over the last few months you would have seen many changes in the Olympus Australia recorder line up. We have seen the DS range or digital dictaphones fully replaced and just recently the same was on the cards for the WS series.

Already the WS-311M and WS-321M recorders are discontinued and I hear that the WS-210S and WS-331 are close to being retired also in the coming week or so. These massively popular recorders are going to need something pretty special to take their place and here they are:

A complete new range of WS series recorders soon to hit Australia, the WS-450S, the WS-550M and the WS-560M. Yep they look similar, they are a similar size and carry the same features as the old recorders like multiple folders, multiple recording modes and amazing audio pickup. The main differences I can see from my first look are:

• More available memory.
• Retractable or slide out USB connector.
• Battery recharged while USB connected (WS-550M & WS-560M only).

More available memory

Only to be expected as the price of solid state memory falls and becomes more affordable that Olympus cram more into their WS series recorders. By having more memory available the recorders can start to again compete to be multi function devices, not content with being some of the best digital note takers around they can also act as your memory stick for storing your digital media and also, in the case of the WS-550M and WS-560M, will function as your music player.

Maximum recording times for the new WS series recorders:

Olympus WS-450S – 1Gb of built in flash memory

• [ST XQ] mode: 17 h. 20 min – stereo
• [ST HQ] mode: 34 h. 45 min – stereo
• [ST SP] mode: 69 h. 35 min – stereo
• [HQ] mode: 69 h. 35 min – mono
• [SP] mode: 137 h. 00 min – mono
• [LP] mode: 272 h. 25 min – mono

Olympus WS-550M – 2Gb of built in flash memory

• [ST XQ] mode: 34 h. 30 min – stereo
• [ST HQ] mode: 69 h. 40 min – stereo
• [ST SP] mode: 139 h. 25 min – stereo
• [HQ] mode: 139 h. 25 min – mono
• [SP] mode: 247 h. 10 min – mono
• [LP] mode: 544 h. 55 min – mono

Olympus WS-560M – 4Gb of built in flash memory

• [ST XQ] mode: 69 h. 30 min – stereo
• [ST HQ] mode: 139 h. 35 min – stereo
• [ST SP] mode: 278 h. 10 min – stereo
• [HQ] mode: 278 h. 10 min – mono
• [SP] mode: 547 h. 25 min – mono
• [LP] mode: 1,088 h. 05 min – mono

Retractable or slide out USB connector

This is something new and from me something very welcome. The old WS series design, although ingenious, did not lend itself to blokes like me. The units themselves used to pull apart seperating into two pieces, one held the battery the other the USB connector and display unit. The release button which had to be held down while pulling the unit apart was small and for large handed people like me a bit tricky. This new design looks fantastic, its simple and doesn’t require you to have small fingers to operate it successfully. A slide switch on the side of the new WS series models extends out a high speed USB 2.0 connector from the bottom of the unit.

Battery recharge while USB connected

Oh Olympus you were so close to perfection with this one. The WS-550M and WS-560M recorders come with a single rechargeable AAA battery (BR401 is the code if you ever need to order one) which can be recharged by the unit itself when USB plugged to a computer, very handy. What I would have loved to have seen would be the units actually powered by USB, never mind, USB recharge of batteries is a step in the right direction. From a single battery you still get an impressive 15 to 20 hours of recording time (depending on the recording mode selected).

No news as yet on the price of these new Olympus models or their release date. I would expect them to all be available in Australia before the end of August and I would estimate that they will come in at similar pricing to the outgoing WS-210S, WS-311M and WS-321M models.

Olympus Europe press release announcing the new WS series digital voice recorders.

For more information on these and other Olympus voice recorders in Australia contact us via:  twitter.com/dictates – sales@dictate.com.au or on the phone at 1300 787 092

Tweet This Post Delicious

The little Olympus WS-210S digital voice recorder has been around in Australia now since October 2007 and is easily our most popular digital voice recorder at Dictate Australia. So why is this little recorder so popular?

• Small and lightweight
• Very easy to use
• Excellent audio pickup and quality
• Great price point for a quality voice recorder
• Compatible with Dragon NaturallySpeaking v10 Preferred
• Both Windows and Intel Mac compatible
• Fully featured with variable voice activation (VCVA) and low cut noise filtering

These are just a few of its qualities. So lets look a little closer at this recorder and what it can do.

Click image for larger view

What Can It Be Used For?

The Olympus WS-210S is a bit of all rounder when it comes to digital voice recorders. It is excellent for single speaker note taking, but if you are going to use the recorder for this bear in mind it is a notetaker and not a dictaphone, so audio is recorded in one take, unlike a dictaphone which allows you to stop/start rewind/review your audio. So, because it is a one take recorder it makes it excellent for interviews and small meetings (upto 6 to 8 people but this also depends on the location where recorded). The recorder can also be used in lecture and conference situations where the attendee wants to record what is being said. As a general rule of thumb I tend to say if you can hear the audio clearly then so will the recorder. If you are struggling to hear then recorder will also struggle.

How Do I Listen To My Recordings?

You have a few options.

1. The recorder itself has a small speaker built into the back of it, you can play the audio on the recorder through this small speaker. Be warned it doesn’t sound great through the speaker but is ok for checking that you have captured some audio.
2. Using the supplied stereo headset simply plug that (or your iPod headphones) into the earpiece jack in the top of the unit and listen through the headset where the audio quality will sound alot better than the inbuilt speaker.
3. On your Windows computer or Intel Mac using a huge range of audio playing software like Windows Media Player, Player Lite from Olympus,  ExpressScribe, Audacity the list goes on.

What Software Do I Need?

The recorder does not come with software, it doesn’t need any. The device is pure plug-and-play on any Windows computer or Intel Mac. Once connected the recorder becomes an additional drive and a USB mass storage device allowing you to also store files on the recorder. Audio is recorded to any of the five folders on the device and moving the audio off is simply drag and drop from the recorder to your computer. The Olympus WS-210S records its audio in .WMA (Windows Media Audio) format.

I Use A Mac, I Thought Mac’s Couldn’t Play Windows Media Files?

I use a Mac also and am a huge fan. By default .WMA files can not be played on a Mac, however there are a couple of free plugins that will let you play your .WMA audio on your Mac. One is from Microsoft itself and is Windows Media Player, the other is Flip4Mac – both can be downloaded free from the Microsoft for Mac website – www.mactopia.com

Recording Modes

The Olympus WS-210S comes with 6 different recording modes ranging from Long Play (LP) which will give you a huge 138 hours and 30 minutes of recording time down to STereo eXtra high Quality (STXQ) mode which will give you 8 hours and 50 minutes of recording before the internal memory (512Mb) is full. Please don’t be too excited by the huge amount of recording time in LP mode, there has to be a trade off and this comes in terms of audio quality and pickup.

Whenever I speak to people about the recorders I always recommend you record in the highest recording mode you can, this gives you crisp audio and excellent audio pickup. In STXQ mode you may think 8 hours plus is not much but it is generally way longer than the majority of meetings, interviews and lectures will ever go for. If you are concerned about using up the internal memory just move the audio off the recorder and onto your Windows machine or Mac, the USB 2.0 connection will quickly transfer the audio files from the recorder to your computer. Below is a breakdown of the recording modes and recording times in those modes:

• STXQ (Stereo) Mode – 8 hours, 50 minutes
• STHQ (Stereo) Mode – 17 hours, 40 minutes
• STSP (Stereo) Mode -35 hours, 25 minutes
• HQ Mode – 35 hours 25 minutes
• SP Mode – 69 hours 40 minutes
• LP Mode – 138 hours 30 minutes

Microphone Sensitivity For Dictation or Conference/Meeting/Lectures/Interviews

One of the features of the WS-210S is the ability to change the microphone sensitivity. There are two settings, High Sensitivity to opens the mic up to record sound from all around and Low Sensitivity which narrows the directional recording of the microphone.

High Sensitivity should be used for multi speaker recording like interviews and meetings as well as when picking up audio from a distance like when in a lecture or conference. Low Sensitity mode would be used when recording single speaker dictation and note taking. The sensitivity level set on the recorder is clearly visable on the LCD display.

Even Your Computer Can’t Tell The Difference Between The Recorder And You

The audio that the WS-210S produces is recorded in .WMA (Windows Media Audio) format, this is one of the formats accepted by Dragon NaturallySpeaking Preferred version 10 for deferred transcription. This is when you record your dictation away from your computer, so for example on your WS-210S and when you return to your home or office you can play your recorded voice into Dragon and have it transcribe your dictation for you. Dragon NaturallySpeaking relies on the user training the software to recognise their voice by way of voice training. Training involves you reading a number of short text paragraphs to Dragon NaturallySpeaking and the software learns the way that you speak.

I created a small sample audio file on my Olympus WS-210S and played it into Dragon NaturallySpeaking Preferred to show you exactly how it works. The original audio file I used can be downloaded from here: WS210014.WMA or you can listen to the audio by clicking the icon below:

What’s In The Box?

The Olympus WS-210S comes in a snazzy looking black box and contains:

• Olympus WS-210S (obviously)
• 1x AAA Battery
• 1x Stereo Headphones
• 1x USB Extension Cable
• 1x User Guide (in a gazillion languages)

Are There Any Accessories That Go With The Olympus WS-210S?

The only additional options for the WS-210S are a range of microphones for specific tasks (recording phone conversations, noise reduction, tie pin mic) or a rather ugly brown protective case known as the Olympus CS116 WS Series carry case, there used to be a very nice black leather deluxe case for the WS series recorder called the CS115, this has been discontinued. The microphones available are:

• TP7 for recording telephone calls
• ME52W tie clip high sensitivity noise reduction mic
• ME12 noise cancellation mic
• ME15 tie clip mic

So to sum up the WS-210S is an excellent all round digital voice recorder. The only negatives I can find with it are that it is battery operated only, there is no USB power or external power option although on a single AAA it can go for upto 13 hours on STXQ mode using alkaline batteries. The other small niggle is the battery compartment can be fiddly to open if yuo have large fingers like me and some care needs to be taken with the battery cover door when it is open. As long as you remember this you will have a long happy relationship with your Olympus WS-210S.

The Olympus WS-210S, if purchased from an authorised Olympus Voice Australia reseller like Dictate Australia is covered by a 1 year parts and labour warranty. The RRP in Australia is $395 incl. GST.

Tweet This Post Delicious

Some surprising news out of Olympus Australia yesterday, the Olympus DS-50 digital voice recorder which was perfect for large meetings and focus groups has been discontinued in Australia and replaced with a new model the Olympus DS-65.

With the demise of the DS-50 I would assume that the days are numbered also for the popular DS-30 and DS-40 recorders, likely they will both be replaced when the DS-55 comes down under in the near future.

From the outside the blue DS-65 looks the same as the DS-50, same size, same fantastic stereo mic tagged on the top. The difference between the models lies in the internals. Some of the key differences with the Olympus DS-65 are:

• 2Gb of internal memory (double that of the DS-50 which had 1Gb)
• Max. recording time of 33hours 50mins on the highest quality recording mode STXQ
• Support for Audible .aa audio format for audio books

The Olympus DS-65 comes in at the same RRP as the DS-50 which is currently $795 incl. GST and is available now from Dictate Australia and other official Olympus Australia distributors.

Here are the full specifications for the Olympus DS-65…

Storage Media
Internal memory    2 GB

USB functionality
USB storage class    Hi speed

Display
Display Backlit    Yes

Recording Mode
Recording format    WMA (recording), WMA / MP3
LP    530 h 50 min
SP    266 h 50 min
HQ    135 h 30 min
STSP    135 h 30 min
XHQ    67 h 40 min
STHQ    33 h 50 min

Sampling frequency
STXQ    44.1 kHz / 128 kbps
STEREO HQ    44.1 kHz / 64 kbps
STEREO SP    22 kHz 32 kbps
HQ    44.1 kHz / 32 kbps
SP    22 kHz / 16 kbps
LP    8 kHz / 8 kbps

Overall frequency response
STXQ    50 – 19.000 Hz
STHQ    50 – 16.000 Hz
STSP    50 – 9.000 Hz
HQ    50 – 13.000 Hz
SP    100 – 8.000 Hz
LP    100 – 3.000 Hz

Data organisation
Folder voice:    5 + Music (variable)
Files per folder:    200 / Variable (Music)
Folder Audible:    1
Temp mark:    Yes

Record & Playback function
Rec Monitor:    Yes
File move:    Yes
VCVA recording:    Yes VCVA (voice activation) for hands free recording
Voice filter:    Yes
Index:    Up to 16 in one file
Noise canceling function:    Yes
Cue/Review:    Yes
Fast forward and rewind:    Yes
Erase function:    all / single / lock file
Playback speed:    Adjustable (50 – 200%)
EUPHONY:    Yes
Zoom Mic. Setting (DVM):    Yes
Skip Playback:    Yes
Alarm playback:    Yes, of preset file
Repeat playback:    Yes
Continuous playback:    Yes
Noise canceling feature:    Reduces backround noise

Other Features
Low-cut recording    Yes
Audible support    Yes
Podcast support    Yes
Voice feedback / guidance    Yes
Remote Control for DS-30/40/50    Yes

Interfaces Input
Microphone sensitivity    Dictation / Conference / Lecture
Microphone jack    3.5 ø mm / Impedance, 1.4 kΩ
PC interface    USB Cable

Interfaces Output
Speaker    Built-in ø23 mm round dynamic speaker
Max. working output    250 mW or more (8 Ω speaker)
Earphone jack    3.5 ø mm jack, impedance 8Ω or more

Power Supply
Power Supply    2 AAA Batteries, Plug-in power system
Alkaline battery life    Recording: 32 h

Playback: Approx. 28 hours

Dimensions
Weight    80 g (incl. alkaline batteries)
WxHxD    111 x 37.5 x 16 mm (with microphone)

Tweet This Post Delicious

This week we took delivery of the new Philips 880 Digital Voice Tracer. Philips have really made an effort with this new range of digital voice tracers which also include the 860 and 880 models, we finally see Mac compatibility which is a smart move by Philips. Gone is the need to install software in order to retrieve audio from the recorder as was the case in the old voice tracer range, these new models are all simple plug and play. Olympus have for sometime been the only descent Mac compatible digital voice recorders around and with the boom in Mac sales it makes good business sense at Philips to recognise this fast growing, tech savvy user base.

Philips DVT Digital Voice Tracers are Windows, Mac & Linux Compatible

In the box I am impressed by the number of goodies. Along with the recorder and the mandatory instruction manual in 752 languages comes a neck strap (handy), batteries so you are ready to go (essential), USB connecting cable (long so no messing around the back of your PC or notebook), stereo headset (nice touch) and a very nice stereo lapel mic, usually an optional extra for most voice recorder manufacturers.

Philips Digital Voice Tracer - DVT - 880 - LFH0880

The recorder itself is lightweight with the batteries in and about the size of a Nokia chocolate bar mobile phone. There is a sticker right over the built in speaker on the front of the unit which is stuck with that special glue, you know the kind that leaves half the sticker attached as you peel it off. Tad annoying.

Powering up the recorder the display is backlight blue so looks good but the display is big and clear. Flicking through the menus isn’t as intuitive as it could be and some initial manual referencing is required to work out things like changing the recording mode and mic sensitivity.

USB plug and play is a breeze on Winows, Mac and also Linux, the device is simply a USB drive so audio is easily accessed via the voice folders where they are stored.

This is recorder has a PCM mode for better than CD quality recording. In our office testing we did find the audio pickup at close range to be excellent like all recorders however it did seem to struggle a little with voices at the end of a large boardroom table. We did the same distance test with an Olympus WS-210S and the picked up clearer audio from a distance that the 880.

Some will like the ability to play music (mp3 and wma) on the recorder and to listen to the radio. I still find this a bit of a gimic in a voice recorder so we didn’t test these functions although I am sure it playes back music as well as any other USB music player. The ability to record FM radio will also appeal to some.

Summing up, the 880 is a good, cheap voice recorder for close range meetings (max 4 or 5 people) and for single speakers. It is very easy to get the audio off of the recorder no matter what platform you use.

Pros:

• Well priced entry level PCM recorder.
• Easy to use.
• Fast easy transfer of files on all platforms – Windows, Mac and Linux.
• Can be USB powered conserving battery life.
• Firmware is user upgradeable giving the end user access to bug fixes and improvements as they are released from Philips.

Cons:

• Poor audio pickup around larger number of speakers, i.e. large boardroom table.
• Navigating the menus could be simpler.

Tweet This Post Delicious

A casual chat with Olympus Australia today revealed that their middle dictaphone in their current product range, the DS-3300 has been put to rest and is no more, it has ceased to be.

For the eager Olympus price watchers out there, which is probably just me, you would have noticed that in their price changes on 1st February 2009 Olympus set the RRP of the DS-3300 to the same as the DS-2300, this was to run out their remaining stock.

This now leaves only two digital dictaphones in the current Olympus voice range, the low end DS-2300 and the top end, new design with new software DS-5000 & DS-5000iD models.

My suspicion is that the DS-2300’s days are also now numbered. We have already seen the DS-2400 on the Olympus America website for some time now, as soon as that arrives in Australia we will see the end of the DS-2300 and it’s accompanying AS-2300 digital transcription kit. When in 2009 will that be? No specific date as yet but our guess would be within the next three months so Q2 2009.

Also discontinued was the VN-3100PC, no tears shed over that decision. It was not one of my favourite voice recorders. We are still waiting patiently for the new VN-3500PC and VN-5500PC note takers to appear.

Tweet This Post Delicious

Welcome to the start of what I hope will be a long and interesting voyage through the world of digital voice, be it recorded on a dictaphone or notetaker or recognised by your PC or Mac.

The digital voice recorder world in Australia has long been dominated by Olympus Voice and closely shadowed by Philips Dictation with the likes of Sony and Panasonic tagging along for the ride. Currently there is a resurgence in sales of digital voice recorders and dictaphones as die hard analogue users find they can no longer replace their antiquated tape recorders with something that whirs and clicks and the younger generation are finding out that they no longer need to stay awake during lectures, they can just record it for later reference.

We are also seeing digital voice recorders appearing in the non traditional work place environments. We recently sent a trial recorder over to the rescue crew at Perth airport where they plan to have recorders around the neck of rescuers during an emergency so they can analyse what happens during a rescue situation. Financial advisers use them to record client adviser meetings to cover themselves for compliance and for a record of what was actually recommended to clients in case a review needs to be made some years down the track. Lecturers place them on the lecturn and make the audio available via websites and podcasts to people who missed or couldn’t make their lecture. There is a wide and varied reason for using a digital voice recorder or dictaphone in your life or business.

Voice recognition has also advanced in recent years. Now we have speech recognition software for Windows (Dragon NaturallySpeaking) and also for Mac (MacSpeech Dictate). They both share the same highly successful Dragon voice recognition engine from Nuance whose accuracy is astounding. Again appealing to a wide and varied audience from the home student talking their essays, professionals dictating letters, notes and emails and also the physically disabled who can now control their entire PC using the power of voice.

In this blog we plan to bring you the latest news from the digital voice world, reviews and demos of products and handy hints and tips to help you get the most out of whatever digital voice product you use.

Tweet This Post Delicious