appleJAC Users Group

Telephone Through Your Mac: Dialog+

a review by Tom Piper

You’ve heard about people who talk on the telephone through their computer? How about voice-over-IP? You are already familiar with iChat on your Mac, but have you tried Skype to make toll-free calls this past year to other computers AND regular land-lines from your Mac?

This review is about a slick new product that simplifies and speeds up this type of communication. Until recently, you either used the microphone and speakers in your Mac, or a set of earphones and hand mic, or even a headset with boom mic to make such calls. This new wireless handset is less than 5” long (see below), is lightweight and reminds me of a “candybar” cellphone like those made by Nokia.

Whether you wish to use Skype (middle panel above) or iChat (panel at right), the process is really very simple. The Dialog+ handset comes with a USB dongle to plug into the computer (Mac or PC) which is the base antenna allowing you to walk around up to 80 feet away. All iChat calls are free (computer to computer), and Skype calls (inside the US) will be free until Jan. 18, 2007, after which you can get an annual prepaid service for $14.95 that covers all  US calls (overseas rates are as little as 2¢ per minute). The inital setup takes less than five minutes.

As described on their website, this Miglia Dialog+ handset acts as a “go-between” phone which communicates with both PC and Mac. Using the arrows on your phone, you simply select your Skype contact and you’re ready to call. The beauty of Dialog + is that it uses a wireless signal allowing you to roam around selecting contacts from your Skype list or history. It has a long list of features such as various melodic ringtones, up and down arrows to adjust volume control, one touch access to all your Skype contacts and caller ID.

Aside from the day-to-day making and receivng of calls, Dialog+ brings you a world of extra features. Choose to record all your Skype and iChat conversations, Dialog+ combines state of the art technology with practicability. Take advantage of a flawless quality ensuring you can easily keep track of your call history. I now use this phone for many of my podcast recordings.

With a standby time of up to 150 hours and with up to 15 hours of talk time, there is nothing left to stop you chatting all day long. The handset comes with three AAA rechargeable batteries easily re-charged by your USB port, no fuss, no hassle and just one small cable to recharge your phone. The only improvement that I would make is to brighten the screen (which would probably shorten the cureent long battery life).

This is a pretty cool unit which I would recommend. Normally $99, a special user group discount offer of 25% is available until the end of March 2007. Miglia Technology offers innovative audio, video and communications products. If you are interested in watching, recording, pausing or rewinding live TV on your Mac, then Miglia's TVMicro, TVMini HD and TVMax are for you! If you'd like to leverage the power of Internet telephony and make free worldwide phone calls, the Dialog products may interest you. For those into audio, check out the HarmonyAudio, Microsound and Diva products!

Migilia offers user group members the following specials, each at 25% of regular prices:
- TVMini HD: regularly $199 (US), user group price $149 (US)
- TVMicro: regularly $99 (US), user group price $74 (US)
- TVMax: regularly $249 (US), user group price' $187 (US)
- HarmonyAudio: regularly $199 (US), user group price $149 (US)
- Microsound: regularly $29 (US), user group price $19 (US)
- Dialog: regularly $79 (US), user group price $59 (US)
- Dialog+: regularly $99 (US), user group price $74 (US)
- Diva 2.1: regularly $99 (US), user group price' $74 (US)

Learn more - order online
This North American-only offer is valid through March 31, 2007.

Computer transcription: iListen

a review by Tom Piper

Have you ever wanted to talk to your computer and have it do all the typing?  Are you ready for the Mac to become an automatic dictation machine? If so, you may be ready for a program called iListen by MacSpeech.

The first draft of this software review was done entirely with this program.. I previously had a similar program called Dragon Secretary which was based on an older archaic speech recognition concept. It is a very interesting exercise to dictate this program review.

The box for iListen comes complete with the installation CD, a USB headset, and simple instructions. The installation process was very straight-forward with the initial program installation, brief orientation, headset adjustment (see below) and voice training. The entire process took less than an hour to complete the entire four steps. There was not anything particularly difficult about this process because it was all plug-and-play which was completed by the reading of text into the computer. This last step was important so that it could  better recognize my style, intonation, volume and voice patterns.

The most amusing part of this process is that I’m not used to doing dictation. I haven’t done at the office for many years. Therefore, I tend to speak very haltingly rather than in a smooth style. As I attempt to collect my thoughts for what I’m about to say, I am amazed that the program can keep up with me so quickly. It also brings a smile to my face to see how sometimes a specific phrase maybe technically correct, but is inappropriate for the context that I am you using for this article. I am also amazed that how accurate and fast the transcription process is (and how embarrassed I am at the sentence structure and style comes out when taken literally). It gives new meaning to the old saying “Listen to what I mean, not what I’m saying.”

A very nice feature of iListen it is the ability to transcribe into it any program that you choose. For example, this review was initially constructed in AppleWorks on my MacBook Pro 17”. There is one small window (see above) that hovers anywhere on your desktop to indicate the status of the dictation, as well at this the volume, voice quality and transcribed phrases heard. This is really a very powerful tool uses a simple interface in order to control it. Not only can I use this for transcription, but I can also a different mode to check my spelling, or to go into a command mode which controls the computer itself. Here is a summary of its features:

- Easy to install, train and use.
- Fast Training - start dictating in 5 minutes or less.
- Universal Binary - for best performance.
- Continuous Speech Recognition - Dictation in normal tone of voice and at a normal pace.
- Direct Dictation - Dictate, edit and format text directly in any application.
- Correction - Correct and Update your Voice Model in almost any application.
- Hands-Free Correction - Correct using your voice, no need to use the keyboard or mouse!
- Correction Playback - Hear what you said - in your own voice!
- Adapts to your Speech - iListen adapts to your pronunciation of words
- Extensive Vocabulary - Vocabulary of more than 330,000 words developed in cooperation with Oxford University.
- Command and Control - Speech control of the computer through built-in normal language and individually created commands.
- Constant Feedback - The iListen Floating Palette provides you with constant feedback.
- Dock Menu - You can even use the Dock to access iListen functions.
- Multiple Profiles - Everyone in your home can create their own voice profile, so now everyone can use it!
- Text Macro Capabilities - Insert (up to 32,000 characters) standardized or predetermined phrases and text - with a single spoken phrase.
- Speech Navigation - Open, close and control applications and navigate the desktop by speech.
- AppleScript Compatible - Ability to take advantage of Apple's built-in scripting language.
- Internet Ready - Surf the web with your voice
- Transcription - An optional add-on. Use a Digital Voice Recorder such as the Olympus DM-1, DS-330, or DS-2000 with your Mac. Let iListen read and transcribe your AIFF or WAV audio files into text.

All in all, I am very pleased with this transcription unit. Several times in this review I have used the word “amazing” which captures the essence of my feeling about this program. The installation process was quick, the learning process was intuitive, and the feedback process is very satisfying. The iListen 1.7 setup that I was using retails for $149.00, but the software can be purchased for as little as $99.00 if you wish to get to any one of a number of headsets it is compatible with, or as much  as $219.00 for the professional version.

For more information, go to www.macspeech.com.  If you want to do “hand-off” writing, brain-storming and computer control, iListen is the best tool I’ve seen yet to put you in control. I next want to see how the iPod version of this program does with my Belken microphone.

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