[Ubuntu_user]

I'm falling in love with the idea of voice-to-text recognition software. I've never actually tried any though (like dragon naturally speaking), so I don't know how practical it is... If it really works efficiently, it could possibly save me lots of time.
Basically, what I'm wondering is if there is good voice-to-text recognition solution for mobile, like a tablet, or iPod, or smartphone? That way, if I'm out on a walk say, I could be talking and getting things written that I otherwise would have to be at a computer to do.

I'm not fully in touch when it comes to the mobile side of things (apps and all that stuff).

[RioRico]

My bro-in-law recently got an Android tablet (I forget which one) whose VR is good enough for inquiries, but I don't think it's up to taking dictation. I've used DragonSoft trancription warez on a mini-notebook but it had enough false hits that extensive manual editing was needed. And it required speaking in a very quiet space.

I've mostly used "the Armstrong method" (that means strong-arming it, ie. manual labor). I carried a Sony reporter's cassette recorder, dictated extensive notes whilst walking-biking-driving-lounging, then hand-transcribed those. Takes a little time, even for a fast touch-typist like me. And then I was forced to quit taking travel notes that way 'cause our Ford Exploder's 3rd-party CD player emitted a strong magnetic field that wiped the tapes. Oh bother.

Yeah, a dictation-quality tablet app would be VERY appealing to me...

[Ubuntu_user]

Interesting, RioRico. I've thought about recording and then later transcribing, but it just seems like I wouldn't make it happen because of the extra steps.

I have a friend that has a samsung nexus and he says that the built-in VR is good enough to text with.

Maybe the mobile Dragon app is good?

[RioRico]

Interesting, RioRico. I've thought about recording and then later transcribing, but it just seems like I wouldn't make it happen because of the extra steps.

It's a perfect method for those with more time than money.

But really -- I've dictated and transcribed a few books' worth of material that way. It's also handy for recording voices and sounds that can be mixed with other audio materials. I was stuck in a broken RV for a couple days next to the rail yards in Barstow CA and recorded the eerie sounds of railcars being shunted through the switches at night -- squeaks and wails and bangs and rumbles, the music of the yards. I've worked that into a couple synthesizer+guitar pieces.

And of course it's good for interviews. People like to talk. Some like to talk for 'posterity'. A recording is just that, a historical record. I whip out the little recorder and people talk into it, telling their stories. That was a main reason I started using it, to record the speech of myself and others, so I could write with actual 'voices', not just fevered imagination.

Also, strange things may happen. We were in San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico a few years ago. We wandered into a gringo-owned shop filled with VERY nice crafts from all over Mexico. I took audio notes about pieces and their villages of origin, so we could go to those villages and buy some of the same stuff for about 1/10th the shop's prices. The owner saw me dictating, assumed I was a reporter, offered us refreshments and goodies and discounts.

---

Last edited by RioRico; 05-29-2012 at 06:21 PM.