In this issue:

Announcements
Version 10 Specials Continue
Version 10 Update
Tweaking Version 10
2-in-1 Tabletop Microphone
Tech Support Renewal Special
Success Story
Tech Tools & Tips
Contact Us

Announcements

Version 10 Specials Continue
Savings Still Available on Select Products Through October

Due to popular demand, several of the Medical and Small Practice items continue to be on special pricing through the end of October.

Full Version Specials

Announcement Sale pricing on the full Medical 10 product has been extended through October 31, 2008.

Upgrade Specials

Special pricing on the upgrades has been extended until October 31, 2008.

Click the web link to order, or just give us a call if you have any questions.

1-877-493-7497

Version 10 Update
Adulation and Issues

Dragon NaturallySpeaking Version 10 is now in wide release and has received glowing reviews. 

David Pogue of the New York Times gave a great review of NaturallySpeaking in his video-with his hands literally tied behind his back:

PC Magazine and i4u News both awarded Version 10 their Editors Choice awards:

And CNET gave it an Editor's rating of: EXCELLENT

But ... this is not to say that Version 10 is completely trouble free.  Primarily, problems occur during installation or upgrading and can be relatively easy to solve.  While most installations and upgrades complete without a hitch, here are a few known issues and their solutions.

• DVD Only Installation
  

  Because of the size of the program, Dragon Version 10 is available only on DVD. You will not be able to install from a CD-ROM drive.

  SOLUTION 1 - Copy the DVD files to a flash drive or onto a network drive, and then copy those files onto your local hard drive. Once copied to your computer-find "setup.exe" and install.

  SOLUTION 2 - Contact Zephyr-TEC at 1-877-493-7497 to purchase a copy of Dragon 10 on a USB flash drive and install from the flash drive. You will need your serial number for the installation.

• Bad DVDs
  

  During installation, you may receive error message 1330, 1329, 1332, 1335, or 1339 referencing a bad cabinet file.

  SOLUTION 1 - Again, copy the DVD files to the hard drive and then run setup.exe.

  SOLUTION 2 - If copying the files to the hard drive does not resolve the problem, start the installation again. In the installation wizard, choose: "Custom" rather than: "Typical". In the Custom Setup dialog, click on the icon next to "Speech Files" and select "This feature will be installed when required". Continue with the installation.

• Incomplete Installation
  

  If you're upgrading and experience a crash during installation you may be left with Version 8 or 9 uninstalled but Version 10 not fully installed.

  SOLUTION - You will have to locate your Version 8 or 9 CD. Try the installation again from the Version 10 DVD. When prompted, insert the earlier version CD and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.

• Configuration Message When Launching Dragon
  

  A dialog box may appear each time Dragon is launched or each time the computer is started that says "Please wait while windows configures Dragon NaturallySpeaking...".

  SOLUTION - This may be caused by a conflict with the InstallShield Update Service (ISUS). Removing the InstallShield Update Service with the tool provided at the link below may resolve this issue. Before running the tool, uninstall Dragon. Reinstall dragon after running the tool.

  http://knowledgebase.scansoft.com/view.asp?60VQ=KFKM&5d7r4B=

  NOTE - After running the tool, no application which previously used the InstallShield Update Service will be able to check for updates, either manually or automatically.

• A Serious Error Message When Launching Dragon
  

  Typically, this means that the processor (CPU) is not fully Pentium 4 compatible and does not support SSE2 instructions. To improve the recognition speed, Dragon NaturallySpeaking 10 was designed to use SSE2 technology enabling it to reduce computation time and latency for fast speakers. SSE2 is supported by almost all processors sold since 2006, but some older systems that meet the processor speed requirement do not support SSE2.

  SOLUTION 1 - Purchase a new computer with SSE2 technology

  SOLUTION 2 - Contact Zephyr-TEC by e-mail or phone (1-877-493-7497) for refund information.

Dragon 10 Tweaking
To Delete or Not to Delete-That Is the Question

Dragon NaturallySpeaking Version 10 has many new "quick formatting" commands that allow you to quickly format text with bold, italics or underline using one command rather than three.  Quick formatting also includes commands for cutting or deleting text.  As an example, to delete the words "quick formatting" in the previous sentence I would simply say, "delete quick formatting."

Some people are concerned that they may inadvertently delete parts of their document without noticing.  For instance, they might say, "Cap good morning" but Dragon might perceive that they said, "Cut good morning."

No need for worry, these commands can be disabled.

DRAGON NATURALLYSPEAKING PROFESSIONAL/LEGAL
To disable the quick formatting commands in Version 10 Professional first close Dragon.  Then in Windows Explorer, open the Dragon nssystem.ini file:

WINDOWS PATH:
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Nuance\NaturallySpeaking10\nssystem.ini

VISTA PATH:
C:\Program Data\Nuance\NaturallySpeaking10\nssystem.ini

Scroll down until you see:

[Settings]

Under Settings, add a new line and write:

Do Delete XYZ=0       (this will disable the "Delete <word/words>" command)

Follow the same formatting to turn off other quick formatting deleting and cutting commands, i.e.:

Do Delete From XYZ=0    Do Cut XYZ=0  Do Cut From XYZ=0

Save the INI file and restart Dragon for the changes to take effect.

DRAGON MEDICAL 10
Disabling these commands in Dragon Medical 10 is very easy; it's actually part of the NaturallySpeaking user interface.

On the Dragonbar, choose: Tools > Options> Commands.  Uncheck "Enable Cut and Delete shortcut commands."

NOTE: this Option will become part of the Dragon Professional (non-medical editions) user interface in a later release. 

2-in-1 Table Microphone
The First Desktop Array Microphone Created Especially for Dragon

The first Desktop Array microphone that is specially "tuned" for Dragon NaturallySpeaking. Highly unidirectional, the 2-in-1 tabletop matches or exceeds the performance of the finest (and more expensive) microphones, thanks to a special Dual Array microphone capsule and built-in amplifier.

This microphone was tested with Dragon NaturallySpeaking and received 5 Dragons, Nuance Communication's highest accuracy rating. *

In our experience, recognition is quite good and the flexibility of the adjustable boom allows the user to push it away or bring it back down as needed for dictation. We like the mute switch in the base - very easy to find, and it mutes the microphone so that Dragon is getting no input. We also like the red light ring just below the actual microphone as well as a red light on the base to indicate the microphone is "listening" for input. These are good visual clues as to the state of the microphone.

One word of caution...with version 10, if you leave Dragon on but have muted the microphone (so Dragon is getting no sound input), the Dragon microphone automatically goes to sleep after a while. This can be confusing, as you start trying to dictate again without noticing that Dragon is sleeping. But this issue really applies to any microphone; it's just more obvious with this one because the microphone mute button is so handy.

*Needs a good internal PC sound card or USB pod for maximum performance.

Main Features:

• Dictate without wearing anything or being physically tethered to your PC!
• Shotgun, highly unidirectional, electric condenser microphone
• Superior sound quality for Voice recording and Speech recognition through professional XLR connection, isolated cable and Dual Array microphones capsule, matching or exceeding the finest microphones
• Built-in amplifier for far away positioning (30 to 60 cm / 12 to 24 inches depending on the sensitivity of the PC sound card you use), powered by 2 AA rechargeable batteries
• Superior Noise canceling technology that filters out background noise effectively
• Gold, non corrosive, 3.5 mm audio jack, compatible with any PC sound card
• Versatile 35 cm (14 inches) long adjustable boom to dictate standing up
• Indicator light ring around the boom to show status
• Detachable microphone boom for easy transport and storage
• Microphone push-lock button and battery LED is integrated into the base

Order today off the web store, or call us to order.

1-877-493-7497

Tech Support Renewal Special
Renew Now Through November For $50.00 Savings

Zephyr-TEC offers technical support options for companies and individuals.  Oftentimes, a quick call or e-mail can help you resolve your Dragon woes, saving hours of frustration and lost productivity.  We can even access your computer remotely using an online meeting service to fix the problem for you.

And now through the end of November, existing technical support users can renew their contracts at a savings of $50.00 off the annual price.

• Annual Technical Support Contract
  Provides for up to three (3) hours of telephone, email or web technical support for one year.

  We will track the actual time used for any telephone/e-mail/Web technical support and deduct it from the 3 hours as it is utilized. Charges will be figured to the nearest 15 minutes. Now only $250.00 to renew - click here or call us!

• Pay-per-Use Technical Support
  The Zephyr-TEC pay-per-use Technical Support option provides support to end-users based on the total number of minutes utilized.  $3.00 per minute.

  We will track the actual time used for any telephone/e-mail/Web technical support and charge your credit card or corporate purchase order as support is utilized. Technical Support staff may offer the end user an option to purchase an annual technical support contract. In many cases, the annual technical support contract may be a better value.

  A valid credit card (Visa, MasterCard or American Express) or Purchase Order will be required in order to utilize pay-per-use technical support.  To purchase the pay-per-use technical support option, call 888-540-5999 or e-mail Technical Support at technicalsupport@zephyr-tec.com.

Telephone technical support is provided Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 4 PM Pacific time. We will make every effort to respond within 24 hours (excluding weekends and holidays).

NOTE: Technical support is limited to the NaturallySpeaking application and ZTEC macros only. We will not provide any technical assistance for Microsoft Office or any other applications or peripherals used by the end user nor will we provide any hardware support.

Success Story
Doctors Break New Ground with Dragon Medical in Iraq

Excerpts from an article by Ray Steen, MC4 Public Affairs, originally published in the "Air Force Link" - the Official Web Site of the UNITED STATES AIR FORCE.

(U.S. Air Force photo) Lt. Col. (Dr.) John Mansfield's roaming network set-up of Dragon NaturallySpeaking software and the MC4, system enables him and other specialists of the Air Force Theater Hospital at Balad Air Base, Iraq, to use hands-free devices to document patient care anywhere in the hospital.

BALAD AIR BASE, Iraq (AFPN) --The average professional types 50 to 70 words per minute. Lt. Col. (Dr.) John Mansfield, a urologist at the Air Force Theater Hospital here, claims he falls within that range.

"Not bad, but I can talk at about 120 words per minute," Doctor Mansfield said, wearing a headset that he carries with him to his 10 workstations throughout the area.

At each clinic and operating room, Doctor Mansfield and his colleagues are recording patient care and capturing surgical procedures electronically using the DOD's Medical Communications for Combat Casualty Care, or MC4, system via laptop. By incorporating Dragon NaturallySpeaking Medical with his MC4 systems, Doctor Mansfield found ways to cut his documentation time in half, saving time and resources in the process.

Doctor Mansfield is the only urologist on staff in Balad. He sees both outpatient and inpatient visits, involving mostly trauma and kidney stone ailments. His specialty requires him to be on the move and to have access to patient information on the fly. Like most doctors in the combat zone, he doesn't have time to stop and type everything he does.

"The system can handle up to 140 words per minute," Doctor Mansfield said. "I produce longer, more thorough, descriptive notes if I talk and not type. Time to produce the note is precious. It must be fast.

"The notes have to get into the electronic medical record somehow, either by me typing them in or having someone else type them," he said. "Transcription here in Iraq is very difficult, costly and there's always a delay. With voice recognition software, our notes are better quality than before."

Doctor Mansfield recalls a night in Balad where he was treating a wounded Soldier who was bleeding from a dressing over a complex hip/pelvis wound. The only medical record I could access was a scribbled pencil note that I could not read," Doctor Mansfield said. "I basically had to start from scratch with the Soldier. It would have been much less invasive to him if I accurately knew the extent of his wounds and surgeries with a good, thorough, legible medical record that I could access electronically."

Doctor Mansfield adds, "Training is essential. If I take a microphone and software and give it to doctors and do not provide training, less than 10 percent will be using the software 30 days later. However, with several hours of training, they can see the strengths of the software and quickly get through the learning curve."

"Already, outside people have commented on the improved quality of notes being produced by surgeons using NaturallySpeaking software with MC4," Doctor Mansfield said. "As these Soldiers transition to the VA for care and long term disability issues, our documentation will be key to their ability to get the benefits that they have sacrificed so much for."

To read the entire article, go to: http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123095240

Tech Tools & Tips
Be Safe - Require "Click" on the Internet

If you use Dragon NaturallySpeaking with Internet Explorer, you may have had the following frustrating experience...

You're filling out a form on Internet Explorer describing in 500 words or less why you deserve to win the beautiful, fully furnished, million-dollar mansion on a private island in the Caribbean.  Your entry needs to be in today — in 10 minutes.  When you're just about finished, you inadvertently pause and say the name of a hyperlink on the page.

Suddenly, Dragon clicks on the link taking you to a new page.  You try to go back, but the page with your eloquent essay has expired.  Your 500 words are gone and you're stuck living in your parent's basement.

Dragon Version 10 has a new checkbox on the Commands tab requiring you to say "Click" before the name of the hyperlink, preventing this unwanted selecting.

To turn on this requirement, on the Dragonbar choose: Tools> Options> Commands.  Check: Require "Click" to select hyperlinks in HTML Window

And never click links accidentally again!