In this issue:

Announcements
The Magic of SpeechFlow
New Dragon Recorder App
Buzzwords
Success Story
Tech Tools & Tips
Contact Us

Announcements

The Magic of SpeechFlow
How to get your words into a document lickety-split!

That is a fully rewound cassette tape. Two quick questions:

1. How many dictations are on that tape?

2. What is their priority?

If those questions (and issues they raise) sound familiar, keep reading ...

Sometimes, you aren't in the office, but you're still getting work done. Two more quick questions:

1. How far can you throw a tape?

2. How quickly can you invoice your billable time?

If that sounds like something you've griped about, then you want to look at the Philips SpeechFlow solutions.

SpeechFlow is all about how your words get turned into finished documents - quickly, easily, and efficiently. Built around Philips SpeechExec and Dragon NaturallySpeaking, SpeechFlow streamlines communication between authors and transcriptionists.

Imagine being able to automatically route dictation files to a predefined transcriptionist and have the ability to reallocate jobs in case of bottlenecks. Imagine getting real-time job notifications (as either an author or transcriptionist) so nothing falls through the cracks.

SpeechFlow's security encryption protects your data from unauthorized access. Because everything is digital, there is no longer any need to worry about misplaced physical files. Now users can access data via any PC and work on/or offline, at home, in the office or even on a remote island.

BENEFITS INCLUDE:

• Faster document turnaround time
• Instant access to documents and progress status
• Online and offline modes minimize network traffic and costs
• Support of mobile authors and external transcription services
• Expandable for up to 50 users

It's an extremely effective, personalizable system, with costs ranging from $500 to $3500 per author - depending on what you need and what options you want. Call us now, or come by one of our online webinars to learn more!

Dragon Recorder App
Record Yourself on an iDevice - Use Dragon to Turn Words into Text

Ever wanted to use your iDevice (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch) as a recorder with Dragon? Now you can.

Nuance has now released a free app that functions as a simple recorder. Tap to start recording, tap to stop, and double tap to end the recording. Then, you can transfer your recording to your computer (wirelessly or via a wire) and run the resulting file through Dragon's Transcribe Recording feature, and you're done!

It's a pretty straightforward process, but it does have some flaws. The biggest flaw is that you have to handle each file individually when running them through Dragon - and when you are running a file through Dragon, you can't use your computer for anything else. It's a lot of overhead, and it's why we talk so much about workflow software, like the SpeechFlow systems above.

Note, also, that Dragon via a recorder suffers from all the same limitations as Dragon from a microphone. You need a relatively quiet background noise level, it will struggle to recognize anyone else's voice, and it will do poorly if you mumble or slur things. We find that's the hardest part, actually - it can be much easier to stay composed and clean with your dictation when the words are appearing in front of you. It's a lot harder when you have to remember what the last sentence or paragraph said, rather than just being able to glance at it.

Still, if you're looking for a simple recorder for your iDevice that is compatible with Dragon, this is it. And it's free!

Success Story
Philips SpeechExec Saves Time and Increases Productivity for
McCune & Harber Attorneys

McCune & Harber, LLP, is a Los Angeles-based legal practice that specializes in private and public entity defense and insurance defense. From the very beginning, the firm has planned for the future. When it was founded in 2001, the decision was made to forego analog dictation systems and hit the ground running with a digital dictation solution. "We knew we didn't want tapes lying around," says Office Manager Cheryl Pubols.

After 9 years of use, the system was definitely showing its age. Its features were limited, which made juggling multiple attorneys dictation accounts more difficult than necessary. For example, the software system would not allow multiple dictation folders to map to the same location, which severely restricted user options. It was obvious that a new solution was required.

With 16 attorneys recording everything from letters and correspondence to memos and proceedings, McCune & Harber needed new system that would allow them to continue dictating without interruption during the implementation.

After extensive research the firm decided on Philips SpeechExec Enterprise. The attorneys loved the Philips small and sleek handheld recorders. Another benefit was the SpeechExec software's ability to accept multiple dictations at the same time. The attorneys liked that they could switch between dictations on the fly and could select exactly which ones to download simple by marking them as completed on the handheld recorder. The capacity to insert notes into any point in an audio file also impressed greatly. Add in the fact that SpeechExec Enterprise was very competitively priced and the firm's decision was a simple one.

Implementation went smoothly. SpeechExec was loaded onto a small dedicated dictation server. This allowed the attorneys to continue using the old system uninterrupted while the necessary software changes were being made. At the end of the day, the attorneys simply emptied their recorders, and immediately were live on the Philips solution. It was as easy as that.

The training that followed was similarly painless, conducted either one-on-one or in small groups limited to 2 or 3 attorneys at a time. "Everybody seemed to pick up on it quickly, and it worked out fine."

Thus far, the firm has one attorney and 2 secretaries using the system's ability to work remotely via the online Web Director Module. However, more may utilize this added functionality in the future. By allowing secure access to dictation files without the safety risk associated with e-mailing sensitive legal information, it opens up new possibilities for the firm to outsource work for transcriptionists, or to allow employees on extended leave to work from home.

The SpeechExec Enterprise solution is also far more user friendly than the firm's old system, providing the same ease of use of an email or instant messaging program. Attorneys dictate as they always have, and when they dock their handhelds in their docking stations, files automatically are placed in their individual folders on the server. "It allows mapping multiple folders to the same location as well as notifications, whereas in the past secretaries had to click on each attorney's inbox to see if there were any new files," says Pubols.

SpeechExec also has had a striking impact on the firm's IT staff, offering huge time savings. In the past, any changes to the dictation system had to be made to each individual PC and/or profile within the firm. Now, the centralized nature of the Enterprise system lets IT staff make one change and apply it globally. In addition, SpeechExec Enterprise's Remote Device Manager makes central administration possible. IT personnel appreciate their new ability to remotely access the system to remedy any problems as they arise.

McCune & Harber's enthusiasm for the new system shines through when asked if they have any advice for other firms contemplating a new dictation system. "Go digital - specifically Philips!" they say. They emphasize that their investment in the Philips SpeechExec Enterprise solution is an investment in the future. But it is also paying for itself every day by saving time and increasing productivity.

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 are some terms bandied about in Digital Dictation discussions.

Batch Recognition:
The technique of sending sound files to a remote server where they are processed by a speech recognition engine in to text before the text and the original sound file are returned for correction of recognition errors and completion of the document. This is typically configured where an author records a sound file, sends it for recognition and then a secretary corrects the resulting text.

Bandwidth:
Bandwidth is used to describe how fast data flows on a given transmission path. In a qualitative sense, bandwidth is proportional to the complexity of the data for a given level of system performance.

For example, it takes more bandwidth to download a photograph in one second than it takes to download a page of text in one second. Large sound files, computer programs, and animated videos require still more bandwidth for acceptable system performance.

CODEC
The term codec is also an acronym that stands for 'compression/decompression. A codec is an algorithm, or specialized computer program, that reduces the number of bytes consumed by large files and programs.

Queue
In computer technology, a queue is a sequence of work objects that are waiting to be processed. In Digital Dictation the dictations that have been submitted by the authors are often referred to as the 'job queue' in that the dictations are waiting to be processed by a secretary or secretaries.

Tech Tools & Tips
Disabling Twitter and Facebook Shortcut Commands

Has this happened to you? You're working, trying to finish that important e-mail or document and suddenly Dragon decides you've asked it to "Tweet" something and the Post to Twitter confirmation box appears.

Twitter and Facebook shortcut commands are new additions to Dragon Version 11.5 allowing users to select text and say, "Post that to Twitter", "Post That to Facebook" or "Tweet <XYZ>."

Unfortunately, Dragon can mistakenly perceive that you've requested it to social network. Currently, there is no mechanism within the software to turn this feature off.

If you've been annoyed by Twitter or Facebook confirmation boxes popping up unexpectedly when Dragon hears the "Tweet " command, close NaturallySpeaking and follow the steps below to disable the commands.

FOR VISTA AND WINDOWS 7 Go to: c:\ProgramData\Nuance\NaturallySpeaking11\Data\enx\Dat

FOR WINDOWS XP Go to: c:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Nuance\NaturallySpeaking11\Data\enx\Dat

Find the file: dragonbarisnctwittergrammar.dat

Rename the file: dragonbarisnctwittergrammar_old.dat

To turn off the Facebook commands, rename the file: dragonbarisncgrammar.dat to dragonbarisncgrammar_old.dat

Restart NaturallySpeaking. You'll still be able to select text and use the "Post That to Twitter" command. This will just preclude Dragon from thinking you've said, "Tweet <something>."

This is not an official Nuance technical note. It is just a "hack" to circumvent the problem.