August/September 1999

Magazine Features

Continuous Dictation: Speech in Hand

Welcome to the new world of mobile speech recognition! Small hand-held recorders now allow the user to dictate almost anywhere, free of the computer. Later, the material can be downloaded to a computer for processing by speech recognition. The computer will automatically type out the recorded material. This is a very exciting development in the history of speech recognition

DICTATION: How to Talk to Your Computer

Most of us have had limited experience conversing with our computers-besides cursing at them when they crash. To dictate most effectively with speech recognition software, you'll need to unlearn old habits and gain new skills.

MEDICAL DICTATION: Crossing the Chasm from Paper Charts to Intelligent Records

The concept of a paperless chart has been around for years now and usually refers to the creation of an electronic patient record (EPR). An EPR at the most basic level involves the physician typing in all the patient information and going through a series of screens that force him or her down a certain path. (Some organizations may use the term CDR, EMR, or CPR, however for the purpose of consistency in this article, we will use EPR throughout.)

SPEECH RECONNAISSANCE

Is speech the technology that will take computing power beyond the desktop? Can information be retrieved, processed, manipulated and passed along, without stopping at a desktop? There are a number of companies looking very closely at speech recognition as a means to give people access to valuable information whenever they like. The benefits are enormous and the need is obvious to anyone who has ever struggled with a keyboard in cramped quarters, had a brilliant thought pass through their mind without being recorded, or needed to have specific information NOW.

Time is on my side...and Speech is on the move

Time IS on my side! The Rolling Stones were obviously ahead of their time with this idea! Who would have thought in 1964 that we would now be able to use our time so much more productively? With the help of today's hand-held speech recognition devices, you can dictate letters, emails, and memos or record any thought you might have while away from your office and have the information transcribed directly from your hand-held to your computer when you return. Commuting time no longer has to be wasted on road rage or spent pondering why traffic just can't seem to move when you want to get somewhere (or planes can't be on time, or...).

Writing out loud: Getting the most from speech dictation software

Is my computer a good listener? Until recently, this wasn't a question that ran through someone's mind when struggling with day-to-day projects on a personal computer. With the arrival of continuous speech recognition software, however, business professionals are beginning to look beyond the keyboard and mouse to a more natural input mechanism - the human voice. For them, maximizing the PC for speech recognition is key. Of course, people wrestle with many issues when deciding whether speech technology is a good fit for them. (This was the focus or our article Tell Me About It: Why Speech Recognition Might or Might Not Be Working for You, in the June/July issue). Once a user has moved beyond these initial questions, and actually purchased and installed a speech solution, however, there are a whole host of tips and pointers that can quickly boost the performance of speech technology. This article delves into the many ways of maximizing speech recognition software for users of the technology.

Forward Thinking

AVIOS Bounces Back

Defying reports of its demise, AVIOS held its 18th annual meeting in San Jose, Calif., May 24-26. Rumors of the end of the AVIOS conference were further put to rest by the size and quality of this year's conference. There were 249 paid conference attendees in addition to 150 others who visited the exhibit hall only.

Elixirs and Potions

Not long ago, a speech-recognition consultant sent me a sample packet of yellow salve with accompanying documents that proclaimed the salve to be an antidote for vocal strain. I accepted the packet of salve and the promotional literature as testimonials to the growing commercial success of speech recognition.