Olympus recently announced the release of the DS-9500 WiFi enabled digital dictation device.  This marks the first time Olympus users are able to dictate and have documents created in near real time.  Users of the DS-9500 simply record their dictations, connect to a WiFi hotspot or cell phone WiFi and send their voice files directly to their typist or secretary without a computer or USB cord.

Users looking for even more efficiency gains can introduce Nuance's Dragon Naturally Speaking Medical, Legal or Professional into the mix - allowing the voice files to be automatically transcribed into a Word document in near real time, no typist needed.  This technology is perfectly suited to busy doctors, lawyers or business professionals.  Insurance adjusters in the field will also find the DS-9500 to be an invaluable asset, arriving back to the office after a day in the field to find their paperwork already completed.

Impressively, the new DS-9500 boasts not only the newest file transfer technology, but it is also made of the most durable construction material commercially available.  The optical slide switch eliminates mechanical wear through use, while the poly-carbonate body is so durable it is certified to withstand a 1.5 meter (almost 5 foot) drop without damage.  Sensitive data security is assured through on board 256 bit AES encryption along with a device PIN code setting to assure compliance with HIPAA and other privacy laws.

Another first in the industry is the ability for the user to check transcription status right on the recorder.  This is achieved by the use of the Olympus AS-9000 transcription kit which comes with transcription software which sends the data back to the recorder for near instant status updates.  The Olympus Dictation Management System (ODMS) software has also been revamped with a cleaner, more intuitive UI.  The ODMS can be operated in stand alone or workgroup mode to suit any size firm or practice, and now directly integrates with web based email programs such as Gmail, and Microsoft Office 365, as well as FTP.

Not wanting to leave the docking/ charging cradle untouched, Olympus has added a LAN port to allow connection to a network without the need of a computer.  This feature is perfect for a clinical environment, where cradles can be placed in various locations for a quick file transfer while on the way to the next patient encounter.

Larger organizations with IT departments or contractors will love the brand new Web System Configuration Program (Web SCP) which has all of the tools necessary to deploy, configure, customize  and manage the ODMS environment via a web browser on a PC.

American Dictation Corp, a perennial Olympus Circle of Excellence partner and supporting dealer of the year has the DS-9500, AS-9000, and all other components of the new system in stock and ready to ship.

Call 1-866-408-1383 to speak with a trained representative at any time M_F 9am - 6pm.

American Dictation Named Top Pro Dealer for 2016

We are extremely proud to announce that American Dictation has been named the Top Pro Dealer for 2016 at the Olympus Circle of Excellence dealer recognition ceremony.  The Circle of Excellence is awarded to the top Professional Dictation partners in the country and is based not only upon sales figures, but customer service and satisfaction as well.   American Dictation has long been considered the leading company in dictation, transcription and speech recognition implementation and support. "Having been included in the Circle of Excellence since it's inception, we knew we were doing a great job for our customers and our partners, but receiving the Top Dealer from Olympus is quite an honor.  American Dictation strives to be the best 100 percent of the time, regardless of the purchase amount or customer profile.  You can be sure to be treated as our most important customer, because, at that moment in time when you contact us - you are" said Paul Ross, president of American Dictation.



               

We humbly look forward to many more years of providing the best customer experience from consultation through ongoing support.  

About American Dictation

American Dictation was founded in 2003 out of a desire to build a better workflow solution for the recording and transfer of dictation files.  Our commitment to building a better and more secure method of handling voice files and transcribed documents has always been our primary focus.  The hardware and software we sell and support are those that we ourselves have tested and used and found to be the best in the market.  

Nuance Announces the arrival of Dragon Legal 14 (Individual)

Dragon Legal 14 (Individual) is here.

Nuance has announced the arrival of the newest version of Dragon Legal.  Perhaps taking a cue from Microsoft's Windows, they opted to call this version Dragon Legal Individual as opposed to the numerically correct Dragon Legal 14.


 


The good news is that this version is not only the latest and greatest in terms of accuracy and speed, it is also less expensive than it's predecessor at only around $500. Dragon Legal Individual allows the busy practitioner of law to create legal documents from anywhere using the new Dragon Anywhere Program, while also allowing more conventional workflow such as direct desktop use, or use with a digital recorder, such as the Philips DPM-8000.  The SpeechExec Pro software included with the DPM-8000 drastically increases productivity by automatically converting voice files to Word documents quickly, and accurately.





 "Faced with important responsibilities to clients, trial preparation and time in the courtroom, lawyers need tools that simplify administrative duties like documentation," said Peter Mahoney, senior vice president and general manager of Dragon. "We designed the latest version of Dragon Legal Individual with individual professionals and smaller practices in mind, and by introducing it at a brand new price point, we're making the software more accessible to a larger segment of the legal industry. With updated dictation, transcription, and mobility components, Dragon Legal Individual allows legal professionals to complete documentation wherever their work takes them."

New Grundig Digta SonicMic 3 speech recognition microphone

I was recently sent the new Grundig Digta SonicMic 3 to test. I performed the test using Dragon NaturallySpeaking 13 Professional Edition with a profile that has been trained and used extensively by me.

Upon unboxing, I first noticed the microphone resembles its competitors much more closely than the previous Grundig offering. Slightly longer than the Philips SpeechMike, the microphone rests comfortably in your hand. Ergonomically, the microphone is excellent. While holding the SonicMic in your hand, your thumb lands perfectly on the record/stop button and your index finger rests naturally on the trigger button on the bottom of microphone. All buttons are comfortably in reach, and laid out in a fashion that will be familiar to users of either the Philips SpeechMike or Olympus DirectRec series microphones.

New users of handheld microphones for speech recognition programs will find the SonicMic 3 intuitive to set up and use with their version of Dragon NaturallySpeaking.

All buttons are programmable using a free add-on program called Digta Configurator Desk. This program is designed so that the end-user can easily program each button individually to perform just about any action they may desire. Dragon commands and actions such as toggle microphone on/off are at the forefront of the program and increase efficiency while using Dragon NaturallySpeaking dramatically.

Programmability options include the ability to set multiple functions for each button depending on the user action. Short presses, long presses, holding, and release of the buttons can all trigger different actions. This gives the user a seemingly endless array of choices when setting up the microphone. Once set, the programming options can be simply saved and exported to additional microphones making implementation and integration across an organization simple and seamless.

The microphone is a matte black with gloss black buttons and comes in two configurations. The top model includes a digital trackpad to control the cursor, as well as right and left mouse buttons. The basic model is the same, but lacks the cursor control. Healthcare professionals using an Electronic Health Record program, or EHR / EMR should opt for the trackpad version, as radio buttons, drop down options, and sepearate data entry fields require significant cursor and mouse movement. A trackpad will allow seamless navigation within and EMR or CMS program.

The DigtaSonic 3 also includes an integrated sound card and speaker to allow high-quality playback right in your hand. each version also comes with Grundig's dictation management software DigtaSoft Pro. DigtaSoft Pro allows voice file creation, encryption and transfer to a transcriptionist or typist for those not using voice recognition software.

The microphone sent to me to test was the basic model without the trackpad control. While I would like to had the trackpad version to test, I envision that that method of cursor control will be at least as accurate, if not more so, then the trackball of the SpeechMike and DirectRec competition. I base this assumption upon my use of similar technology on BlackBerry phones. The digital trackpad was one feature BlackBerry got right.

As far as speech recognition accuracy, the Digta SonicMic 3 performed admirably. Earning 6 Dragons in tests performed by Nuance, the SonicMic 3 is at the top of its class where accuracy is concerned. I found it to be at least as good if not better than the other options I have at my disposal. I can see this microphone becoming one of my favorites. My overall impression of the Grundig Digta SonicMic 3 is that this is an easy to use, comfortable and accurate addition to the handheld speech recognition microphone arena.

We are currently awaiting pricing and stock availability notification.  We have been promised that the Grundig SonicMic 3 will be priced at a level that will be ultra competitive.  We will keep you posted upon arrival.

5 reasons to use a dedicated voice recording device By Marsha Taicher

A Swiss Army Knife can be a convenient cutting tool, but would a chef at a restaurant use one in his kitchen? Likewise, some professionals who regularly record themselves and others for their jobs are considering if they should just use a smartphone for these duties.

On the surface, leveraging a smartphone may seem like an efficient recording option. However, after a more careful assessment of their daily voice technology demands, these professionals will quickly determine their smartphone cannot offer the sound clarity or other features of a dedicated digital recording device designed to perform in numerous settings.

In greater detail, the five biggest reasons professionals should use a dedicated recording device for their job duties are described below.

1. Superior recording clarity Smartphones are only designed to record voices when the speaker is two or three inches away from the device. Conversely, dedicated recorders are designed to capture high-quality, stereo recordings in a multitude of settings and a variety of distances from the sound source. For example, professionals in the legal, insurance and law enforcement industries often use voice recorders for interviews, so it is essential the devices clearly capture every spoken word for accurate transcription and document creation. Most smartphone microphones are not designed for recording face-to-face conversations, let alone conference situations where multiple speakers are seated around a table. A dedicated device is not only capable, but its microphones are also designed to capture each word—even when there are multiple speakers, resulting in a recording where the listener can clearly distinguish voices.

With a dedicated device, not only will the sound quality improve but the transcriptions will be more prompt and accurate. Sound clarity ensures the transcriptionist will only need to hear a recording once to understand and document all spoken words.

2. Longer battery life Smartphone batteries have to power the device’s energy-draining software, Wi-Fi connectivity and voice calling. This is part of the reason why smartphone batteries tend to only last eight or nine hours on a full charge.¹ Lithium-ion rechargeable batteries in dedicated recorders are not encumbered by numerous other competing energy demands, so devices can record for 50 hours before needing a recharge. Moreover, a professional-level dedicated recorder automatically adjusts its power consumption based the device’s status to minimize energy usage. Professionals who rely on voice recordings in their daily work lives cannot afford to have a recording unexpectedly stop in the middle because of a dead battery.

3. Abundant storage As smartphones become more technologically advanced, the more memory the software consumes. It is perhaps no surprise then that recent survey results show 22 percent of iPhone users run out of storage at least once a month.² Professional dedicated recorders offer up to 32GB of memory just for audio files, which is the equivalent of 352 days of continuous recordings. In addition, memory capacity and usage is clearly displayed on dedicated voice recorders. A smartphone, on the other hand, is continually storing and deleting data in the background through its operating software and apps, so memory usage is often fluid and requires the user to search through device settings to determine available space.

4. Advanced recording features Professional-level dedicated recorders include advanced functions and features that are typically unavailable on most smartphone devices or recording apps. For example, some voice recorders contain a motion sensor that can detect when the device has been set down and automatically switches the recorder’s microphone to record a discussion instead of a dictation. Dedicated voice recorders also include features that allow the speaker to easily edit and prioritize recordings in the device. When the recording is concluded, professional dedicated devices are typically integrated with recording management software that allows the user to efficiently and securely share files with colleagues or transcriptionists.

5. Enhanced security In law, medicine, insurance and other industries, confidentiality of information is critical—that includes voice recordings. Professional-quality dedicated recorders, unlike most smartphones, protect recordings with the highest level of encryption to date—256 bit—compliant with the AES (Advanced Encryption Standard). Files are encrypted in real-time, which means even if the recorder is lost or stolen and its memory card removed, the recordings would still be protected. Data confidentiality is further protected on professional dedicated recorders through a four-digit PIN code required to access files or play recordings.

Professionals require professional-level tools Smartphones have become inextricable from our daily personal and professional lives. What these devices offer in voice recording convenience, however, they often lack in quality, power, memory, security and productivity-enabling features.

Professionals who rely on audio recording to do their jobs need tools that withstand the frequent daily demands most users put on the devices—a professional-level dedicated digital recorder.

About the author: Marsha Taicher is vice president and director of sales for Speech Processing Solutions North America, the manufacturer of Philips dictation solutions.


¹http://www.tomsguide.com/us/iphone-6-battery-life,news-19591.html
²https://givemeicecream.com/blog/

Olympus DS Dictation Recorder Comparison

We get asked the question of "which is the best digital dictation device" every day. Many prospective users are interested in the industry leading Olympus DS series. Here is a simple comparison chart which quickly highlights the features differences that may affect your decision.

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Digital Dictation for Macintosh

As one of the few (if only) on-line digital dictation retailers that actually use Macintosh computers, we get a large number of inquiries each week about Mac compatibility among the leading brands.

When asked if a particular digital voice recorder is Mac compatible, our response never "yes" or "no." And that's why people ask us that question, because the answer is not clear-cut.

Since the beginning of 2007, new Mac models have been built with Intel processors - the same processors used in PC's from Dell, HP, IBM and others. This has given Macs the ability to run Windows operating systems as well as the graceful, secure and fun-to-use Mac OSX operating system. If you buy a Mac today, you have the opportunity to have your cake and eat it, too. That also means that you can use any digital voice recorder sold that runs on Windows, regardless of whether there's a pure Mac version of the download software.

So, if you have an Intel Mac, our answer is "yes."

If you don't, our answer is either "no" or "sort of." Currently, Olympus is the only manufacturer making recorders that either include software that runs on a Mac, or can be seen on the Mac as an external hard drive (much like a USB key drive). However, the Mac version of the DSS Player that comes with the Pro models (DS-7000, DS-3500) does not do all that the DSS Player Pro for Windows software does. I told the Olympus engineers from Japan that they should not discount Mac users, as we get lots of inquiries, but we'll have to see if they really take my input to heart.

I've been a "Mac-head" since the Mac Plus back in 1984. Although I'm pretty proficient with Windows and Unix, I truly find the Mac enjoyable to use. And considering I'm on my computer 8-12 hours a day, I prefer enjoyable to struggling.

However, I have to be able to support all of our customers who are PC-based. Fortunately, I can do that, as well, on my MacBook Pro. I loaded it up with 4 gigs of RAM and am currently running both Windows XP and Vista using a program called Parallels. Parallels allows me to run Windows in a separate Mac window, while still running the Mac OSX operating system. It provides sharing of files and applications (yes, applications!) between the two operating systems, which means I can open a Word document I receive in Apple Mail with Word for Vista, if I so choose (normally, I open those in Pages, Apple's new word processing program that reads Word documents).

If anyone needs help or advice using digital dictation equipment with Macs, just holler. We love "Mac-speak."

Part III: Using Digital Dictation in Professional Situations

This, part three of three, will discuss how digital dictation can be shared via the Internet.

Basically, there are three ways for an author to get digital voice files produced by a recorder to their transcriptionist:

• E-mail.
  Sending voice files as e-mail attachments.
• FTP.
  File Transfer Protocol. Sending voice files to a FTP server to be later retrieved by the transcriptionist.
• VPN.
  Virtual Private Network. A secure link between the author's computer (or server) and the transcriptionist's computer.

E-Mail Transfers of Digital Dictation
The transferring of any digital file, whether it be a Word document, a spreadsheet or a digital voice file is quite easy with e-mail. You create a new e-mail message in your e-mail program (Outlook, Outlook Express, Thunderbird, etc.) and attach the voice file just as you would any other document.

However, if you want to automate this process using the Olympus DSS Player Pro or Philips SpeechExec Pro dictation software - which can be a great time saver and will help manage the workflow of your dictation - there are more considerations involved.

If you are using Outlook (as opposed to Outlook Express), each program handles the transferring of the dictation file to Outlook for sending quite well. This is because Outlook is a "MAPI" program (Messaging Application Programming Interface). The dictation software will prepare and send the outgoing e-mail and attachment to Outlook, which handles the actual sending of the file as part of Outlook's normal sending function.

On the other hand, if you do NOT use Outlook (and I'm certainly NOT suggesting you do), using e-mail as part of the automated workflow process gets geometrically more complex. Other e-mail programs (there are other MAPI programs out there, but Outlook is the most prevalent), such as Outlook Express, AOL, etc. are not MAPI-compliant. This means that the dictation software cannot communicate with them. Therefore, the dictation software must do the sending instead, acting as it's own e-mail program. While this appears a simple thing, it is not, for several reasons:

• While sending dictation would cause no conflicts if you use your regular e-mail account, if the transcriptionist uses her software program to receive the voice files, s/he will run into problems, as they now would have, in effect, two e-mail programs checking the same e-mail account. If Outlook Express, for example, checks first and downloads a message with a voice file attached, the transcription software (e.g.,
  DSS Player Pro Transcription Module
  ,
  Philips SpeechExec Pro Transcribe
  ) would not find the message when it checked the e-mail account.
• These configurations require a POP (Post Office Protocol) e-mail account with external SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) access. AOL and many other "Web-based" e-mail accounts don't allow other e-mail programs to check their e-mail accounts. Gmail requires a SSL (Secure Socket Layer) encryption connection, which the dictation and transcription software programs do not, at present, support. Therefore, making sure you have a compatible e-mail account is certainly another consideration.
• Most e-mail providers restrict the size of e-mail attachments to keep their servers from being overwhelmed. Digital voice files, depending on the quality setting of the file, can get quite large. If they get too large, the e-mail host may reject the e-mail and it's attachment.

In short, if you're not using Outlook or another MAPI compliant program, and your e-mail provider places restrictions on attachment sizes, you would be better off considering one of the two following methodologies.

FTP Transfers of Digital Dictation

FTP is one of the oldest Internet protocols, but one of the least known. Just as you are able to copy files to a server on your network, FTP allows computers to upload and download files over the Internet. It's usually easy to set up, fast and has fewer size restrictions than e-mail. Both pro systems support FTP transfers, and they can be sent (and received by the transcriptionist) without needing any other application on your computer.

• American Dictation provides very inexpensive FTP hosting services with over 99% uptime.
• Depending on the FTP service and program configurations, you may or may not have as much of a log of activity as you may need for tracking uploads and downloads. This varies widely, but you should have an idea as to how much information you need for auditing or management purposes before you choose the software and provider.
• You can use a FTP client program to also access your FTP account. This may be helpful in monitoring activity or diagnosing any problems.
• You will need to make sure FTP transfers are not blocked by your firewall. Opening FTP ports is a common practice, and your IT consultant can certainly do it quickly for you.

VPN Transfers of Digital Dictation

Virtual Private Networks are commonplace in the PC world. Macs can easily establish similar connections using Apple File Sharing. In essence, one computer connects to another over the Internet such that the "client" computer can see the "server" computer just as if both computers were on a network in the same office.

Using a VPN connection is by far the easiest and safest way of moving digital dictation files between author and transcriptionist. It also gives the transcriptionist easy access to other shared folders where finished work may need to be stored for retrieval by the author.



Summary

This series of articles was designed to help you better understand some of the sophisticated features today's professional digital dictation recorders bring to your operation. Before you spend thousands on a complex installation to manage your dictation work, check with a digital dictation expert to see of "out-of-the-box" offerings might just do the same job.

Top 10 Reasons to Dictate

We often hear from folks who say, "I can type just as fast as I can dictate," or "dictating is so-o-o last century." We used to think so, as well.

I'm a pretty fast typist. When I was in my twenties, I could type 74 words per minute with fewer than 4 errors (74/4 wpm). Today, as I dictate this blog, I suffer from the aches and reduced flexibility of age, as well as carpal tunnel stresses due to 20+ years of typing on computers. I haven't tested, but I'm probably more at 55 wpm today and declining rapidly. Human hands, in my experience, were not made for a lifetime of typing.

However, my developing arthritis aside, here are our Top 10 Reasons to Dictate (rather than type):

10. It's professional. Pros dictate, rookies don't.

9. It's mobile. A handheld digital voice recorder can go with you anywhere. Sure, a laptop can, too, but while you're waiting for your laptop to boot up, you could have dictated how many letters?

8. Allows you to get more done. You CAN dictate much faster than you can type. Dictators generally speak at a rate of about 120 words per minute. You probably don't type more than half that fast. Therefore, you could process twice as much work in the same amount of time.

7. Save money. Oh, yeah? Yes! Although dictation requires a staff person to type, by doubling your work output (or tripling if you're a "hunt and peck" typist), the increased financial gains more than compensate for a transcriptionist.

6. You don't really type 60 wpm. Because you're trying to formulate sentences and editing what you do type, you're not even getting close to typing 60 wpm or better. Try testing your speed when you don't have something to look at to type, but rather you compose it as you type. You'll find your typing speed is actually about 30 wpm. Therefore, someone who is just typing (like a transcriptionist) can put out 2-3 times what you can in the same amount of time.

5. No inkjet cartridges to change. If you're typing, then you're printing. If you're printing, you're refilling paper trays, changing out ink, etc. Is that really the best use of your time?

4. End the clutter. Typing means you have to store documents, printed or digital, and that requires organization which you may or may not have. Plus, if you're trying to "multi-task," you have more than one open document on your computer and it's starting to get messy on your desktop. Make it easy: think of idea, dictate. Think of idea, dictate. Think of idea, dictate. You get the picture.

3. Work in the car. Dictate while you drive. It's not only efficient, but it keeps you from thinking about breaking the neck of the jerk in the next lane that won't use his signal. And, it's safer than talking on a cell phone.

2. Stop taking meeting notes. Record your meetings, interviews and phone calls. Have notes typed from the conversation, but keep the digital voice file in case any details of the meeting are disputed. Nothing like replaying the actual conversation to refresh memories.

1. It's so damn cool! You gotta admit, dictating is not only much more efficient, it's the way professional people get work done. Who do you think is getting more done in less time: the guy pecking on his laptop in the corner of the courtroom, or the woman dictating on her recorder as she glides from one meeting to the next?

Yes, we sell dictation equipment, but we do so because we really, passionately feel it's a great way to increase productivity. You want to be home with your family tonight? Dictate. You want to remember the key points of a major presentation? Record it.

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Questions About Digital Dictation

On the American Dictation web site, we suggest to customers that if they are confused about what digital voice recorder to buy, they should give us a call.

We get lots of calls.

There's no doubt that picking the right digital voice recorder to best meet your needs can be confusing and frustrating. Therefore, we would like to set up this blog entry to hopefully answer any questions you may have about digital voice recorders.

No question is dumb or stupid, either. So ask away. 1-866-408-1383