Generally, when it comes to Voice Recognition Software, Digital Recorders, Transcription Equipment and Microphones, updates aren't on a month to month basis. Major updates are usually a few years in the making. This year is one of those years. That being said, we have separated this article into segments.

Voice Recognition Software    Digital Recorders     Headsets & Microphones

Voice Recognition Software

Upgrade! Upgrade! Upgrade!! Ask me why? Here's why you should.

First, welcome to our Dragon Naturally Speaking 10 Review!

Speechtechnology.com is our corporate web site, but if you like flash and want video demonstrations, check out DragonVoiceRecognition.com.

There are several new features added which help boost productivity. All depends on how you use it. The bottom line is that it's faster, easier and more accurate!

For new end users or if you just have trouble attaining the accuracy you want, DNS 10 is a GREAT BUY or GREAT UPGRADE! It has higher accuracy on startup and supports multiple accents. Dragon 10 now supports US English, UK English, Australian English, Southeast Asian English. New accents include Southern US and Spanish American accents. This is a big plus!

Let's break it down for you into 4 types of end-user groups:

1. GENERAL

2. DISABLED

DNS 10 also has an added feature to help with slower or inconsistent diction (ie; verbal communication). Automation and usage of macros can save lots of time in dictation normally necessary to accomplish tasks. With DNS PRO 10, this macro capability is present. Here's an example. Let's say you want to check your Yahoo e-mail account. With the Preferred Edition, it takes approximately 6 commands to get there. Then, you lose all control of the interface because it uses multiple html pages in frames, frames, Java and whatever other new technology that may be available as time goes on. You'll find yourself using even more commands trying to get around things and at that point, it becomes a nuisance.

With the Professional Edition, you simply say one command and have total control of everything! He will be right where you want to be. You have the power of creating your own interface with total control. It makes a difference!

3. LEGAL

4. MEDICAL PRACTITIONER

1. DNS Preferred nor DNS Professional will work inside of an EMR. Both Professional and Preferred Editions V10 lost the ability to dictate directly into EMR systems. Users who have Pro or Preferred, with or without add-on vocabularies will have to stay where they are, or upgrade to Medical. To check your edition, in the Dragon Bar, Click Help --> About. This could be an annoyance for many, but let's face it nothing loss nothing gained.

FOR ALL USERS, BEFORE UPGRADING KEEP THIS IN MIND

1. Always make sure you have a back-up of your system before any install.

2. There will be bugs, have patience traveling through the myriads of quirks you're not used to. SP1 will fix most of any bugs.

3. There is no support for 64-Bit Processors so don't even go there, however rumor has it we may see the upgrade/patch for Vista 64/Mojave, to be released before the end of the year.

4. You must have an SSE2 capable processor. DNS 10 any edition may not work on PCs older than 2 years. DNS 10 uses SSE2 instructions (used to be called MMX and SSE) Educate you 101: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SSE2. This was used in order to reduce latency (the speed improvement). SSE2 is supported by almost all processors since 2006, but some systems, although they may meet the processor speed requirement, do not support SSE2. You'll have to search for a utility to test your system. You can try http://cpuid.com/cpuz.php at your own risk. Our search on the internet for utilities kept directing us to this site.

5. Technical Support - PLEASE note that these upgrade prices offer very little margin for the consultants. We won't leave you hanging, but we can't handle hours of service for our own customers for free. We are Gold Vars. This means you get our technical support, plus tech support from Nuance. This is a win for you. The MFR gives 1 free phone call with your purchase. In addition to that, we will give a 15 minute 1 on 1 session with a Sr. Tech. This can include us remote accessing your computer to help with any voice recognition problem you may be having. If you are purchasing multiple upgrades or products, we'll give you more. We also will be offering a special 1 hr. & 15 min. service for only $75. This will give you a total of 1 1/2 hrs. of remote access service by a Sr Tech.

6. Lastly, this is our 10th year anniversary providing solutions for voice recognition software. SHOP WITH CONFIDENCE! We aren't going anywhere and will be here for another 10 yrs. providing solutions. Until the end of September we will be extremely busy upgrading thousands of customers. PLEASE BEAR WITH US.

>> Click here to see the entire Dragon NaturallySpeaking 10 Product Line

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Digital Recorders & Transcription Gear

Olympus and Philips continue to be the 1000 pound Gorillas in the industry. Both have come up with new lines of hardware and software and both continue to push the limits of technology with ingenuity and superb technology.

Olympus

Olympus LS10

Olympus DS5000 / DS5000id / AS5000

New hardware always come with new software. Therefore, the Olympus DSS Player Pro which comes with these models has been upgraded as well.

Along with the new DS5000 Series, a new transcription kit, Olympus AS5000 is now also available. We can get into all the little updates, but you'll find these on our web pages. The most important issue we would like to mention here is having mixed systems working together.

This may not be as easy as it seems. All systems are backwards compatible and work together in the same network. However, we have had issues from DS3000 to DS4000 hybrids. All of the quirks have already been worked out, but you should know that there may be some initially. If you are going to have a hybrid network, we suggest you coordinate this with a representative so that your transition can be as painless as possible.

Lastly, we have the Olympus DS 61, DS 71, DS2400 and VN5100 PC. Unfortunately, while these products have been announced, they have not started shipping as of the writing of this article and cannot give more information until we actually get them in-house and can put them through the test.

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Headsets & Microphones

Wireless Microphone review for Voice Recognition Software
(Wireless Microphone Review 2007)

We've all been searching for that one solution that can do it all. Computer control and transcription through voice recognition.

Well, we are there. With Dragon NaturallySpeaking 9, we can achieve 99% accuracy. And many people do!

Year after year, Dragon NaturallySpeaking gets better. In just a few years, I'm sure we'll all be at 99% accuracy. We may even have the "Meeting & Conference Dragon Transcriber" which everyone wants, but doesn't quite exist yet. In all, as we integrate voice processing into our lives, the microphones must continue to evolve and simply disappear.

I am a Trekkie, largely because I believe we can reach that height of technology in my lifetime. I love those lapel communicators they wear. A simple tap and your on! In fact, we've even thought about coming up with our own line. But, stop the engines! Why build something that's already out there.

We found a company called Revolabs. They have a beautiful microphone called "The Revolabs Desktop Solo Wireless Lapel Microphone" which gets us closer to our future reality.

Enter the wireless world!

We're going to cover most of the popular wireless microphones used with voice recognition software. Keep in mind that all microphones with good quality speech & voice recognition ratings also perform well and increase quality in VOIP applications, including use with Skype, Messenger applications, and more.

Nuance, the makers of Dragon NaturallySpeaking rates microphones for performance in speech recognition. Unfortunately, Nuance does not have the capabilities to test all known working microphones because there are simply too many, and every person's environment is different so your performance may vary.

Dragon Rating	Microphone Description
	Shure PGW-TCHS
	Revolabs Solo Desktop
	Plantronics CS 50
Not Rated Eq to CS50	Plantronics CS 55/mod
	VXI BlueParrott B1000-GTX
	Xovox Xcommunicator 6
Not Rated	Arialphone AP101
	GN Netcom/Jabra 9300 Series

For years, we've been looking at high quality wireless voice recognition microphones. The toughest decision is usually the tradeoff between comfort and accuracy, form factor and performance! There are a lot of great contenders.

We'll start off with the highest rated wireless microphone.

Shure PGW-TCHS

This is a custom system used with Shure's PGW line along with a specially made computer cable and some modifications from the basic components.

With a 5 Dragon rating, it is the highest rated wireless headset. Providing the best performance with the ability to block out background noise with zero to minimal loss in performance whether or not you are in front of your computer. Comes in headset and lapel models along with a few different options (like a condenser headset instead of the included dynamic one, and/or connect to computer via USB) to get the best accuracy. For some, it's no big deal to wear a headset with a wire attached to a belt pack or having to replace the battery twice a week (or use rechargeable batteries with a separate charger). Dealing with a few of these extra tasks, you will be able to achieve the highest accuracy possible with a wireless solution with noise canceling. Shure PGW systems are RF Wireless Systems capable of working through multiple user selectable frequencies.

Revolabs Solo Desktop

Introducing the beginning to the revolution.

It's small, it's easy, it's wireless, and it's secure! It gets a 4 Dragon rating from Nuance for use with Dragon NaturallySpeaking, and it's virtually invisible.

Do you want the microphone to simply disappear? Well, Revolabs makes that possible with the Solo Desktop. On top of it's cool size, it's also high-tech. The Solo Desktop supports full encryption, while giving high quality audio and it's the most wireless you'll ever get.

Revolabs Solo Desktop is the size of a lipstick. You can clip it anywhere, but the closer, the better as with all microphones. The Solo Desktop can also be handheld if you would prefer. Unfortunately, it doesn't have great noise canceling, but if you can control noise in your environment, this is the answer!

Pairing is a walk in the park. You press the button on the base station, then you press the button on the microphone, and you are in business. I've been using mine for over a month and I have not had to pair it since it started working. The Revolabs Solo Desktop is not a Bluetooth microphone. However, it uses secure encrypted RF Frequencies, which is great for individuals dealing with sensitive data.

Bluetooth Headsets and Microphones

Available Bluetooth microphones are VXI BlueParrott B1000GTX, Xovox Xcommunicator 6, the Nokia BH900 and the Jabra BT500, listed in order of preference.

The great thing about Bluetooth headsets is the fact that you can use them with any Bluetooth device including cell phones, PDA's, GPS, etc.. However, Bluetooth headsets and microphones are troubled by somewhat longer and more frequent pairing sessions.

What is pairing? Basically, you have to tell the Bluetooth Receiver to look for a new device. You also have to tell the headset (transmitter) to transmit a signal to the receiver. So, you run through each device. When they find each other, they will either automatically hand off a pin number or you have to enter one. More on Bluetooth at the wiki (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluetooth)

Pairing can become a pain after a while. Sometimes, you'll get good consistent results, sometimes you won't. Sometimes, the pairing process is just too darn complicated for some people. Sometimes, it works, no problem. Some products are more problematic than others but this may depend on your area. It's really hit and miss. It really depends on the individual and the dictating environment.

Plantronics CS 50

Plantronics has always made great products. They usually give you good quality. Not always the best (many times it is), and definitely never the worst. Getting a Plantronics is usually a safe bet. That's no exception with the Plantronics CS USB. It's a decent wireless microphone, noise canceling , and performs well with DNS. It is a truly wireless headset with no wires (except for the USB connection and power adapter). It's a nice system. We've taken their concept and stepped it up another level and added a computer/telephone switch below.

Plantronics PL55S/Mod

Our modified Plantronics wireless system allows you to switch between computer and telephone. Sometimes it's tricky setting up the levels, but when they are set right, you have one headset for telephone and computer use. Never any pairing required, runs on 1.9 GHz frequencies and works very well.

Arialphone AP101

This is another specialty wireless microphone that has been very helpful for many. This headset not only gives good speech recognition accuracy for Dragon NaturallySpeaking, but it has its own voice recognition software for the telephone. You can call people by simply saying dial 555-555-1212 or call John at the office. Works with Microsoft Outlook Address Book. This headset is also great for people with disabilities as it comes in a special needs version allowing accessibility switches to be used with the system such as a tap or sip & puff switch.

GN Netcom / Jabra 9330USB

Yet another wireless headset solution that has its own integrated computer/telephone switch system integrates computer / telephone switch and has a USB connection to the computer. Gives some noise canceling, and can work with a handset lifter to pickup your telephone from anywhere in the office.

THE TIME IS RIGHT!

All in all, the time is right for wireless speech recognition and it's getting better! Wireless microphones for speech recognition have always been around but the quality is better, the products are smaller and they are more functional.

We are hoping microphones disappear in 4-5 years. Sure, the mics will be there, you just won't see them.

While wireless technology is still not perfect, it definitely makes computing by voice a lot simpler and more invisible!

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This article was written with the help of Dragon NaturallySpeaking 10 Professional Solutions.
(c) 2008 New World Creations - All Rights Reserved.