In this issue:

Announcements
Ultra Hands-free Dictation System
Dragon Patches and Service Packs
Get LinkedIn with WinScribe
Nuance on the Web
Buzzwords
Tech Tools & Tips
Contact Us

Announcements

Ultra Hands-free Dictation System
The most-wired wireless system ever!

So, picture this. You're a doctor, but you need to work in a sterile environment. In fact, the environment will have unconstrained fluids around, so you can't even have a computer or recorder nearby without covering it, and you couldn't use it anyway, since your gloves would be messy. Yet, you want to be able to record your observations and analysis for later transcription or speech recognition. And you'll be doing several examinations in the sterile area before you leave. What can you do?

You need a hands-free wireless solution. But you also need to be able to make several separate recordings, listen to them, possibly record over or append to them, and then get them to your computer/network. Then they can be sent to a transcriptionist or run through Dragon.

We've got the solution - the Ultra Handsfree Dictation System. It combines an Olympus DS-5000 Digital Recorder with the Revolabs Wireless Microphone and a waterproof 3-pedal footswitch to solve all those problems. The wireless lapel microphone is mounted (or clipped) on a cord around your neck, with the base station attached to the recorder; the foot pedals give you control over the recorder. All the rest of the equipment (and all the wires) sit in the corner or out of the way.

The beauty of the system is that the only points of contact are the waterproof footpedals. The recordings created are accessed through a computer (which is wired to the system) in a different, non-sterile room. You put on the microphone, enter the room, do your work and make your recordings, and you're done; the recordings are already on their way to the transcriptionist.

The system includes:
	Olympus DS-5000 Recorder
	Revolabs Lapel Wireless Microphone System
	Waterproof 3-Button Footpedal
	COMM Download Kit

If this sounds like something that interests you, give us a call and get all the details.

1-877-493-7497

Dragon Patches and Service Packs
Swatting a few bugs and adding some features

Nuance has now released both a Service Pack (SP1) and a patch (to version 10.1) for Dragon NaturallySpeaking 10. But there are some details that you really want to know, in order to decide how best to help yourself. We put together a table listing the differences for you.

What does that all mean, though? Well, there's really only two reasons to get version 10.1: support for Vista 64-bit operating systems and support for Internet Explorer 8/Firefox 3.07. If you don't need either of those things, then downloading version 10.1 may not be worth the time. You do probably want to download and install the service pack, available here, for the fixes and feature additions.

If you do want version 10.1 (and keep in mind that it is not yet available for Professional, Legal, or Medical), you can go here to start the download process. Version 10.1 is a full version of the program, so you will need to enter your serial number before you can download it. And it is a full version - what you download will be installable without using the discs at all (though you will still need your serial number).

Note that voice profiles are not backwards compatible - a voice profile created with SP 1 or version 10.1 installed will not be usable if you somehow revert back to version 10.0. Similarly, if you need to uninstall and reinstall Dragon, you will need to reinstall Service Pack 1 or version 10.1 from the download.

Selected issues resolved in Service Pack 1 (and version 10.1):

New Features:

• New options are now available for enabling/disabling the following quick formatting commands:
  
  • Delete/Cut [XYZ]
  • Copy [XYZ]
• When prompted for the Windows Username and Password to schedule Accuracy Tuning or Data Collection, it is now possible to turn off Accuracy Tuning or Data Collection by selecting "Do not display again" on the "Windows Username and Password" dialog.
• If the microphone was on or asleep when starting audio file transcription, the microphone will be in sleep mode when transcription finishes.

Accuracy Tuning and Scheduler:

• Scheduled tasks for Accuracy Tuning or Data Collection cannot be run when Dragon is running. The Accuracy Center no longer states the task completed successfully if it could not be started.
• Improved correction handling so actual corrections will not be discarded. The result is faster improvements to dictation accuracy when making corrections.

Application Support:

• Improved interaction with HTML based windows when running as a Windows Restricted User. This includes Internet Explorer as well editing/creating HTML messages in Microsoft Outlook.
• The "Page Down" command now functions properly in Microsoft Outlook 2007.

Commands:

• When using Mozilla Firefox with the "Require click to select HTML hyperlinks" option turned on, it is now possible to say the "(number)" as well as the original "Choose (number)" command to select a specific link.
• It is now possible to create commands that use abbreviations and expanded form without causing recognition as text (i.e. Mr. or Mister, Dr. or Doctor).

Correction:

• Improved correction suggestions based on the context of the word or phrase being selected.
• Correction menu and spell dialog now include non-formatted suggestions.
• Extra spacing is no longer left after cutting or deleting a word or phrase.
• Corrections will no longer be marked with a green asterisk in the vocabulary editor.

Dictation:

• When dictating large amounts of text into an application a message will appear stating that "Dragon has reached the maximum amount of speech data that can be saved." This message will no longer appear multiple times per application session.
• When dictating in Spell Mode, spaces are no longer entered.
• Dictating any punctuation in the middle of a line of text will no longer delete existing text before or after the insertion point.

Automatic Text Formatting:

• When dictating a custom phrase at the beginning of a paragraph, the entire phrase will no longer be capitalized.
• Improved number formatting.
• Word Properties will now preserve the number of spaces specified in the written form or alternate written form.
• Dictating a comma into existing text will no longer insert a space.
• Improved formatting of the word degree(s).
• Improved formatting of "Mister" and "Doctor", including the appropriate abbreviations.
• Improved formatting of dates when "dates as spoken" option is selected.

Miscellaneous:

• It is now possible to change word properties for words with special properties.
• The product's serial number is now displayed in the Help > About Dragon...
• A warning message will now be displayed indicating that dictation in EMR applications is not supported in non-Medical editions.
• Improved handling of Results box tracking and anchoring.

Get LinkedIn with WinScribe
Social Networking as a Resource for WinScribe

WinScribe, manufacturers of the best digital dictation system on the planet (but hey, we might be biased), have added a user group on LinkedIn. If you have a profile on LinkedIn, you can join the group by going to:

http://www.linkedin.com/groupRegistration?gid=1356217.

The WinScribe User Forum is a place for WinScribe Users, Staff and Partners to come together to collaborate and share knowledge and best practice tips and information pertaining digital dictation and the WinScribe product. Users are encouraged to share their WinScribe experience, to network with others on their use of the product, to seek advice for their dictation, transcription and workflow challenges, and to pose their ideas for future product releases.

Nuance Starts a Blog
Nuance joins the blogosphere ... and yes, that's in the vocabulary

Nuance, the manufacturers of Dragon NaturallySpeaking, have added a couple ways to access their user community, and allow you, the users, to interact with each other as well as with them.

They've added both a blog and a Facebook page:

Blog: http://community.nuance.com/blogs/dragon/default.aspx

Facebook: requires facebook login - then search for NaturallySpeaking

Buzzwords
Not sure what it means? Well stay tuned ...

With all the constant change in the field of dictation technology, we thought it would be useful to explain a few buzzwords from speech recognition and digital dictation and then give actual definitions. Here's a few more:

Dragon NaturallySpeaking: refers to the Professional, Legal, and Standard versions of the product. They are developed and supported separately from the Medical versions.

Dragon Medical: refers to the Medical, Small Practice, and Enterprise versions of Dragon, specifically targeted at the medical fields. They are developed and supported separately from the Professional/Legal/Preferred versions.

Wireless (microphone): a microphone with no cord. Operates in the UHF spectrum, typically on a fixed wavelength, and usually requires a base station (receiver) that would be connected to the computer via a wire.

Bluetooth (microphone): a microphone with no cord. Operates in the microwave region of the spectrum, but uses multiple frequencies to send the information. Requires a receiver, but many new computers (and mobile phones) have receivers built in.

Still confused? Send us an e-mail at info@zephyr-tec.com and we'll clarify for you!

Tech Tools & Tips
Dragon won't correct in this program - Dictation Box to the rescue!

With most programs, you can correct and edit very efficiently entirely by voice, mostly because Dragon can "see" where the text is. This ability is called "Select-and-Say", and the dot on the Dragonbar (next to the Dragon menu) will be green if it is enabled. If it is grey, then "Select-and-Say" is disabled and you can not easily select and correct text in that program, and the Dragonbar's information window will say that you are "Dictating to a nonstandard window". While dictation will work, correction and editing are painful and frustrating at best. Note that if you are in a window where you cannot normally write text (like the inbox), the button will appear grey ... because you can't write text there.

Never fear, there is a solution! You can bring up the dictation box by saying "Show Dictation Box" - and a box, with full control over selection and editing, will appear. Dictate the text you need; when you are done, you can transfer the text back to your "unfriendly" program. Depending on the version of Dragon, you can either hit the transfer button in the Dictation Box, or go back to the unfriendly program and say "Transfer text". You can also assign keyboard shortcuts for doing this in the Options dialog.

The transfer itself is usually made through copy and paste, and so will work with most normal programs. You can also look at the options for the Dictation Box itself, and adjust things to be the way you want. Boom - no more unfriendly program!