Free Voice Recognition (speech to text) in Chrome

Have you ever wanted to try voice recognition with a student but didn't want to purchase the software, or don't have a device to run the free app? With TalkTyper, dictation is free to anyone with a computer and Google Chrome, a free web browser. Speech input has been around for a long time and has certainly improved recently, especially the Nuance app, Dragon Dictation for iOS devices. Talktyper is different, it's a free service and a wonderful solution to those that don't have an Android phone, iPhone or iPad to work with.

Click on the post title to link to TalkTyper, then click the Microphone icon and begin speaking. It works best to dictate one sentence at a time. If the speech was recognized correctly, it will appear in red. To hear it, click on the Speaker icon. If your speech wasn't recognized correctly, click the Alternatives button to view other 'recognitions', (what it thinks you said) or just repeat the sentence again. If the text is okay, click the Okay button, and your text will be added to the box at the bottom.

When you're all done, click the Copy button and paste the text into a document, email, blog, or tweet! (If the copy button doesn't work for you, remember that the shortcut for copying is "Ctrl-C").  

Remember, TalkTyper is only available if using Google Chrome! To remove unwanted ads, install the Chrome extension Adblock Plus. Dictation is available in several languages too!

Dragon 11 Review from David Pogue, NY Times

Watch this video for a good laugh and demonstration of how the new version works. I'm in contact with a Nuance rep that is giving a great discount! Send me an email and I'll share that info.

Podcast on microphones for iPod Touch

This podcast is also available directly through iTunes. We discovered this while looking for microphone options to use the iPod Touch with Dragon voice recognition app.

Upcoming webinar: Using Dragon to Improve Core Reading and Writing Skills for Students (including ESL students)

Click on post title to register for this one hour seminar on Monday 3/29 at 2pm EDT.

Dragon Naturally Speaking V10

Dragon was discussed at our Region 1A meeting earlier this month and I mentioned that we had just upgraded to V10. Well, as it turns out, this version will not run on most of the computers at the schools. We tried using it on a relatively new machine but had trouble installing it. I am in the process of returning all 9 of our upgrades. Luckily I was within the 30 day return period. Nuance will not replace with V9 as they no longer sell it. I believe I can get the upgrade to V9 through Lab Resources. Specs for V10 include:
DVD-ROM drive (required for installation)
L2 Cache: 512 KB