Sony announces enhanced Handheld Recorders

 

 Sony-Europe’s IT Peripherals division has announced seven new handheld recorders that declare its desires to dominate the digital dictation marketplace.

 They each incorporate high audio fidelity, increased recording times, memory capacity and impressive playback features at nicely competitive price points to capture student, business and professional consumers.

 

 The 'Professional' model numbers are the ICDSX68, ICDSX78 and ICDSX78DR9; the 'Business' model number is ICDUX60B and the 'Student' model numbers are ICDB600, ICDP620, ICDP630F.

 Via the Sony-Europe press release page:
"The market for digital dictation machines is still very important, particularly with voice recognition software making transcription easier”, said Mikuni Shikada, product manager, Sony Europe's IT Peripherals division.

 

Dragon's in the air -- Is the market finally validated?

 

For the last several mornings, we've noticed a rather well done commercial for Dragon Naturally Speaking's speech recognition software on major news networks, every morning in the AM.

The commercial shows an executive dictating a document, a lab tech finishing and sending an email and the executive's son starting, dictating & sending an IM. The commercial finishes up with statements such as "Windows Compatible"; "Talking is 3 times faster than typing"; "Up to 160 words a minute"; "Up to 99% accurate".

(It's also interesting that from a marketing viewpoint, this commercial shouts "simplicity" in every respect!).

In an interview with CNet News, when asked about why more light isn't shined on Windows' Vista's amazing speech recognition - Bill Gates talked about speech recognition migrating from being what many call an "obscure feature", into something more prominent:
"The speech recognition comes into it--all these things about natural interface are coming to the fore, and they are probably the thing that's most underestimated right now about the digital revolution" and "When voice recognition is used in the right way--let's say you're in the car and you want to pick somebody to call--that's improved very dramatically.."

Yes, it has! For those of us who have been using speech recognition for a decade or so, the differences are like comparing a wood stove to a microwave oven.

Although the website listed in the TV ad is a cheesy re-direct to a "Buy Right Now" ecommerce order page in Digital River, with absolutely no good copy to entice the curious should-I-buy-this seeker, nonetheless..

It seems to us, when a large, smart company like Nuance will plunk down the dollars necessary to have it's Dragon product ride the airwaves day after day, that's a pretty darn good indicator this part of the digital revolution is "ready for prime time!"

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