Jo Bee Company

Recently I have seen a question about the new Philips SpeechMic Air wireless dictation machine. The question is what is the range of the SpeechMic Air.

The range of the SpeechMic Air is approximately 30 feet. If you’re using the SpeechMic Air and leave the range of your AirPort docking station the SpeechMic Air will begin to vibrate. Once you’re left the range completely an audible tone and microphone light will let you know and the device will stop recording.

I hope this helps if you would like to see more on the Philips Speechmic Air follow this link. Philips SpeechMic Air

Remember  that you and  the person who transcribes you work are a team and that you are working together to achieve first- class work in the shortest possible time. Remember to use good dictation habits. Here are some tips to help you be a better letter-perfect author

1.    Take that pipe, cigar, gum or candy out of your mouth

2.    Plan your work before you dictate. Remember this simple formula for effective dictating: READ, THINK, ORGANIZE and DICTATE.

3.    Identify yourself, state the kind of dictation you are going to give: letter, memo, report, etx. And the type of stationery to bo used.

4.    Speak clearly and distinctly in a firm, natural voice. The tone best suited for telephone conversation is the best suited for dictation, too.

5.    Spell unusual and difficult proper names, cities and words. And don’t forget to spell those words that sound alike.

6.    Give any special instructions such as unusual spacing, sub-paragraphs, tabulations etc.

7.    And finally, relax. Mentally visualize the person to whom you are writing and just imagine you are talking to them on the telephone

Proper Dictating Sequence

1.    Identify yourself……………………………Name
2.    Type of correspondence……………….Letter, Memo, ETC.
3.    Number and color of tissue copies other than white…………………Original and Copies
4.    Spacing…………………………………………..If other than Single
5.    Date of correspondence………………..If Required
6.    Addressee………………………………………Always use titles
7.    Address…………………………………………..Complete with ZIP
8.    Subject line……………………………………..Brief Summery
9.    Salutation line…………………………………If Required
10.    Paragraphing…………………………………..State “New Paragraph”
11.    Proper names and difficult words…..Use phonetic alphabet
12.    Punctuation and capitalization………..As Required
13.    Complimentary closing……………………If Required
14.    Name and title of signer………………….Person signing material
15.    Enclosures……………………………………….If not mentioned identify
16.    Distribution of copies………………………stat if any blind copies
17.    Envelope and Labels………………………..As required
_____________________________________________________________

PHONIC ALPHABET

A - Alpha
B - Bravo
C - Charlie
D - Delta
E - Echo
F - Foxtrot
G - Golf
H - Hotel
I - India
J - Juliett
K - Kilo
L - Lima
M - Mike
N - November
O - Oscar
P - Papa
Q - Quebec
R - Romeo
S - Sierra
T - Tango
U - Uniform
V - Victor
W - Whiskey
X - X-Ray
Y - Yankee
Z - Zebra

The secretary or transcriptionist is entirely dependent on the information provided. Any assistance given during the course of dictation will bring divide: In the quality of the product you receive.

Philips has announced the long awaited release of the SpeechMike Air for people who do not compromise, SpeechMike Air presents the perfection of the world’s number one dictation microphone. The highly professional PC microphone takes desktop dictation to a new level, no longer restraining you by a cord. The SpeechMike Air delivers excellent speech recognition capabilities and refined ergonomics for convenient operation. There is no need to settle for less than the premium device – go for the SpeechMike Air!

Professional operation

• Recording control with 4-position slide switch or push button version
• One thumb operation of all dictation features
• Intuitive recording with the push-to-talk function
• High quality microphone for excellent recording quality

Advanced

• Superb recording quality optimized for speech recognition
• Trackball for navigation through documents replaces the mouse
• High-end front speaker for crystal-clear playback

Designed around you

• Clearly visible LEDs indicate record, insert and overwrite mode
• Ergonomic and elegant office design for best user comfort
• Three function buttons for individual configuration
• All accessories included for out of the box usage

By 2007 the old-style recorders were fast becoming obsolete, with models
being discontinued and replacement parts impossible to find. This prompted Sherif Kelly Lake to direct administrative staf to investigate alternatives, primarily a modern digital system. Ultimately, the department selected the Philips Digital Pocket Memo 9600 – and was amazed at the extensive functionality that was suddenly at its fngertips.

Because files were uploaded electronically to the department’s server, deputies and investigators had immediate access to vital information instead of having to wait for transcription. Administrative staff found it easy to route work and manage time-sensitive material because all Transcriptionists had access to pending work and could easily identify priority fles. And the sound quality of the Philips digital dictation system was much superior to the analog units – a beneft to both deputies and transcriptionists.

The Challenge
The Carlton County Sherif’s Ofce serves more than 30,000 people in a region 20 miles west of Duluth, MN. The mostly rural county employs 20 sworn deputies, in addition to Sherif Lake. Five additional staf members provide administrative support at the jail facility and dispatch communication center.
As is typical with most law enforcement agencies, Carlton County requires deputies to dictate call reports daily. Deputies also record witness interviews, interactions with suspects and other feld activities. Carlton County’s legacy dictation system was heavily used and had provided staf good functionality for many years. When searching for a replacement,
administrators were committed to fnding a solution that retained the features and reliability users found most valuable – while enhancing efciency, productivity and ease of use.

Although Carlton County deputies complete their dictation in the office whenever possible, the nature of their job often requires recording in the feld as well. “A lot of time deputies are not in an optimal setting when recording andwe get a lot of background noise,” says Jane M. Willie, office and system administrator for the department. “When we looked for a new
system, we knew we needed technology thatofered improved sound quality.” Durability was also vital. “When the deputies are out in the feld, they keep the recorders in their pocket everywhere they go,” she says. “The units are always getting dropped or banged around – we use them pretty hard.”
Carlton County was counting on digital dictation to help eliminate the frustrations inherent to micro cassette tapes.

The Solution
As Carlton County began searching for a replacement dictation system, it called upon Dan Meyer, Regional Manager at Chader Voice Technology (http://www.chader.com) in Waite Park, MN, which supplies the sheriff’s
department with business technology. Meyer presented the department with different options – including the Olympus DS-4000 - and conducted product demonstrations. In the end, Carlton County determined the Philips Digital Pocket Memo 9600 best suited its needs.

”We chose Philips because of its ease of use,” says Willie. “We liked the way the software looked on the screen for the transcriptionist and the recorder was similar to what we had been used to.

The design was good and so was the sound quality.” Carlton County purchased 20 of the units for daily use and back-up, as well as the transcription software for the administrative staff.

Carlton County converted to the Philips 9600s in the fall of 2007. In most cases, the transition was easy, particularly among young deputies who are more familiar with digital technology. The intuitive design of the Philips recorder, however, streamlined acceptance for veteran deputies as well. The deputies now dictate files both from the feld and the ofce, assigning case
references and priority status to each individual file. They then simply place the recorder onto a docking station – which also serves as a charger – at their PCs and upload the fles through the department’s network. administrative staff is automatically notifed when new dictation is ready for transcription so they can assess priorities and route work as needed.

Download PDF

The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ), one of the most influential German newspapers, was already hailing the device as “the new benchmark in dictation devices”. While several international media talked about how the Digital Pocket Memo (DPM) was bringing a “truck load of small innovations together” (PC Authority), the FAZ tested the new Philips device with external voice recognition software and compared it with hardware from two other manufacturers. The outcome of the test was clear: according to the FAZ, the DPM is “the first and only mobile dictation device highly recommendable” for use with the voice recognition software being tested (FAZ article).

The Philips DPM 9600 can be used like a USB microphone, either connected to the PC during recording or where the dictation files are transmitted to the computer after the recording has been finished. In its February article, the FAZ stressed that while a wired USB headset was usually the first choice for professional dictation with speech recognition; the DPM 9600 provided “the same quality as a headset” due to the new DSS Pro format. In March, the UK magazine Legal Technology Insider informed its readers that “DSS-Pro now has 16 Hz sampling, which makes it better for use in speech recognition applications”.

Remarkable sound quality
US-based Network World highlighted that the digital sound quality on playback was “remarkably clear” and called the DPM 9600 “the perfect tool for those with a lot to say, and the need to record it”. A review of the Australian Internet platform Good Gear Guide showed that noise reduction worked well and at a medium sensitivity level the device “adequately picked up conversation from halfway across a medium sized room”. Focusing on the many features of the device, including keyword tags, voice activation and file encryption, the Australian reviewers declared themselves “thoroughly satisfied with the Pocket Memo’s recording capabilities.”

Professional features
In another review from “down under”, the national daily newspaper The Australian noted that the speech reproduction of the device was “spot-on” and that most operations could be performed without a PC. The pan Asian Australasian Legal Business mentioned the unique LAN docking station, representing “an entirely new concept in PC-free file transfer”. The Australian also stressed the availability of transcription kits, “adding to the attraction of the unit” and Legal Technology Insider emphasized that the DPM featured “one of the largest backlit LCD screens we’ve seen on a device this size” as well as a robust metal case and a more intuitive on-screen menu. The Austria-based magazine Computer Welt observed that Philips had received a design award for its latest dictation device.

A truckload of innovations
Computer Welt also wrote that Philips invested two years in research and development of the new series, twice the usual time. The positive reviews in print media and Internet platforms as well as the enthusiastic reactions of customers in many countries clearly indicate that this investment is paying off. In one of the German articles, the DPM was hailed as “a fantastic device for the professional user who dictates every day” and The Australian declared the DPM to be “the right sort of choice for busy professionals who need to transcribe scads of dictation”. The Australian print magazine PC Authority even noted that the Digital Pocket Memo brought “a truck load of small innovations together, turning a seemingly benign tool into an absolute essential.”

Remember  that you and  the person who transcribes you work are a team
and that you are working together to achieve first- class work in the shortest possible time. Remember to use good dictation habits. Here are
some tips to help you be a better letter-perfect author

1.  Take that pipe, cigar, gum or candy out of your mouth

2.  Plan your work before you dictate. Remember this simple formula for effective dictating: READ, THINK,  ORGANIZE and DICTATE.

3.  Identify yourself, state the kind of dictation you are going to give: letter, memo, report, etx. And the type of stationery to bo used.

4.  Speak clearly and distinctly in a firm, natural voice. The tone best suited for telephone conversation is the best suited for dictation, too.

5.  Spell unusual and difficult proper names, cities and words. And don’t forget to spell those words that sound alike.

6.  Give any special instructions such as unusual spacing, sub-paragraphs, tabulations etc.

7.  And finally, relax. Mentally visualize the person to whom you are writing and just imagine you are talking to them on the telephone

Proper Dictating Sequence

1.  Identify yourself……………………………………………………………..Name
2.  Type of correspondence……………………………………………………Letter, Memo, ETC.
3.  Number and color of tissue copies other than white…………………Original and Copies
4.  Spacing……………………………………………………………………..If other than Single
5.  Date of correspondence……………………………………………………If Required
6.  Addressee………………………………………………………………….Always use titles
7.  Address…………………………………………………………………….Complete with ZIP
8.  Subject line…………………………………………………………………Brief Summery
9.  Salutation line………………………………………………………………If Required
10.  Paragraphing……………………………………………………………..State “New Paragraph”
11.  Proper names and difficult words……………………………………….Use phonetic alphabet
12.  Punctuation and capitalization………………………………………….As Required
13.  Complimentary closing………………………………………………….If Required
14.  Name and title of signer…………………………………………………Person signing material
15.  Enclosures……………………………………………………………….If not mentioned identify
16.  Distribution of copies……………………………………………………stat if any blind copies
17.  Envelope and Labels…………………………………………………….As required

PHONIC ALPHABET
A – ALPHA
B – BRAVO
C – CHARLIE
D – DELTA
E – ECHO
F- FOXTROT
G – GOLF
H – HOTEL
I – INDIA
J – JULIETTE
K – KILO
L – LIMA
M – MIKE
N – NOVEMBER
O- OSCAR
P – PAPA
Q – QUEBEC
R – ROMEO
S – SIERRA
T – TANGO
U – UNIFORM
V – VICTOR
W – WHISKEY
X – X-RAY
Y – YANKEE
Z – ZEBRA

The secretary or transcriptionist is entirely dependent on the information provided. Any assistance given during the course of dictation will bring divide: In the quality of the product you receive.

PROBLEM
Already an established user of desktop tape-based dictation products,  Swindells & Gentry were becoming concerned about costs associated with keeping the ageing equipment serviceable and the lack of a digital compatible system to maintain their commitment to technologicala dvances.
OBJECTIVE
Faced with the need to replace existing systems,  Swindells and Gentry wanted a solution that would stand the test of time and be fully upgradeable.
APPROACH
After discussing the situation,  Philips’ professional dictation supplier,  Newman Business Solutions,  advised that the best solution was to go digital.  An initial demonstration of Philips SpeechMike™ Executive Dictation and Transcription system was well received,  eliminating any concerns and helped staff to understand the considerable productivity gains available and how simple the system was to use. Swindells & Gentry is an established firm of Chartered Accountants with clients in East Sussex and beyond.  The practice has enjoyed a strong reputation since its foundation in 1925,  and is a member of the UK200 Group,  a
professional association that supports its members with the very latest expertise and technology.  The practice has two offices in Uckfield and Seaford.
KEY ISSUES
<     How to reduce running costs of dictation equipment and improve reliability?

<     How to improve work distribution?

<     How to provide the process for balancing work priorities?

<     How to create a reliable and future-proof solution?

Such was the positive response that Swindells and Gentry set about installing SeechMike™ Executive dictation for its 12 authors and transcription equipment for its four support staff.  The complete digital dictation system was installed and ready to use in just a morning.  The digital dictation system now allows all authors’ recordings to be stored in a central pool,  accessible by both authors and transcriptionists at any time,  with each recording given a priority.  This has introduced a degree of flexibility,  allowing support staff to manage and balance the practice’s workload.  Whilst a single support person is generally assigned to certain ccountants,  if there is a lot of high priority work to be done,  other support staff can be called upon to assist.  This arrangement also works well for holiday and sickness cover.  To offer additional flexibility for accountants who might need to work off-site during an audit or outside of office hours,  Swindells and Gentry has also introduced a pool of Philips Digital Pocket Memo®.  Using the Philips DPM’s download feature,  the author can send any recordings and priority information to the transcription pool.  Here it will be seen amongst all the other recordings and processed accordingly.
CONCLUSION

Implementing digital dictation within the organisation has seen the end of tape-based working at Swindells and Gentry,  bringing the added benefits of clear recording and flexibility to balance their workloads.  The new digital system is proving to be such a success that it is now being considered at Swindells and Gentry’s  Seaford office, allowing them to work with a totally integrated office dictation environment across the whole practice. “We now have a system that we can use on a proactive basis.  In the past,  you would send a tape and wait for the letter to be returned before amending it.  That doesn’t happen now,  you’re changing documents in real-time;  I use that facility a lot and like the flexibility and time savings that it affords”,  commented Chris Bendall,  Audit and Corporate Accounts Manager ,  Swindells and Gentry.

RESULTS
After some initial hesitancy from the support staff regarding the changes in their working practice,  The introduction of the digital system has been
received extremely positively. Support staff especially liked the improved sound quality of recordings.  Swindells & Gentry’s support staff have now become more proactive in the way they work.  All staff can now see the entire transcription pool along with priorities.  Even if a piece of dictation is not from one of their assigned authors,  they can check to see how urgent the correspondence is,  and type it if required. Authors can also amend correspondence right up to the minute that it is typed,  by editing the recording,  changing,  deleting and adding new information as they interact with their clients,  thereby reducing the need for multiple letters to be sent.  A unique benefit of the system is collaborative working,  whereby a number of accountants can contribute to a single dictation covering their specialist areas,  thereby adding their expertise in the appropriate section. The move to digital has created a flexible and continuous system for the typing of correspondence and reports alleviating the end of the day rush as authors deliver their work for transcription.  Using the new system has shortened the time it takes to produce a letter and has removed the need to circulate cassettes
between authors and support staff. The benefits of the digital system,  and the time and efficiency gains achieved,  far out-weigh the costs of
implementation.  The addition of the Philips Digital Pocket Memo® as a mobile device,  has given a greater flexibility to the Swindells and Gentry workforce allowing them to choose when and how they work.

The challenge

A transcription business that began with a transcriptionist working for one client from her home only a few years ago has grown into a thriving business. TechniScribe, Inc. now serves over 30 hospitals and clinics from two locations in Minnesota.

The business was growing, but that growth eventually presented owner
Juanita Reed with several problems. With the addition of each new facility, she found that the doctors were using disparate dictation systems, forcing TechniScribe to adapt to each new client’s system. Since tapes had to be picked up from clients, sometimes as far away as in a neighboring city, delivered to a transcriptionist, transcribed, and then completed reports delivered, the logistics became expensive and difficult to manage.
Turnaround times were increasing and some medical reports could be delayed for up to two weeks. Transcriptionists were not able to work remotely and office space was tight. Business growth slowed, and the owner began to search for solutions.

The solution

When the opportunity arose to win the transcription business for a new hospital facility,Juanita turned to Dan Meyer, Regional Manager at Chader Voice Technology in Waite Park, MN. In exchange for all of the facility’s transcription business, TechniScribe agreed to purchase a DVI digital dictation system from Chader and supply each of the35 physicians with Philips’ 9350 Digital Pocket Memo®. This solution made it possible
for TechniScribe to accept dictations from every hospital department, its four outreach clinics, specialty clinics, physical therapy and other care centers. Philips Digital Pocket Memo handheld units were selected because of their ability to download the digital dictations directly into the system, the exceptional sound quality, the mobility they would give to the doctors, and because they were so easy to use.

Because they knew that doctors are reluctant to change their dictating habits, they established a six-month timeline that would slowly ease physicians into using the handhelds because they knew they would not want to give up their familiar tape-based systems. “The physical therapists and just a couple of doctors were set up with their handhelds on a Friday afternoon, and by Monday morning, the doctors were just pounding down our doors. The word spread so quickly about the “cool handhelds” that
all of the doctors wanted them that same day. So, what we planned to do over six months, we accomplished in about one week,” said Juanita.

Two open-house training days were set up in the hospital so that doctors could drop in when it was convenient for them. Dan Meyer trained all of the doctors at the hospital and also went to each of the clinics and physical therapy offices to train the staff at each location. The training went smoothly and they learned how to use them very quickly. “One doctor rushed in and said he only had five minutes. He learned it in less than five minutes – it’s that easy,” stated Juanita. “The unit is easy to set up so all they have to do is dictate.”

The facilities were initially set up with USB download cables but again, the doctors heard about the docking stations and they wanted them also. Docking stations are now placed in each physician’s office, at the nurse’s stations and other key sites throughout the facility so a physician can download dictations and/or recharge his unit at any of the docking stations simply by placing the unit in the station.

The transcriptionists also found that adjusting to and learning the new system was much easier than anticipated. Rather than the weeks of training and adjustment period that was planned, the transcriptionists learned in less than 20 minutes. “It’s just as easy for the doctors as well as the transcriptionists. They dictate it, we get it. It’s that easy to
learn and to use,” said Juanita.

Benefits

TechniScribe realized cost savings in many areas due to the implementation of the Philips handhelds and the digital dictation system. The voice files automatically download into the system where they can be managed and distributed to transcriptionists. There are no tapes to pick up, deliver or get lost, and transcriptionists can work from home or wherever they have access to an Internet connection. They are now achieving a previously unattainable 24-hour turnaround time on 100% of their work, where it was not unusual for them to be up to a week or two behind on some reports.
Juanita reports, “The doctors and the HIM directors are just thrilled. All they have to do is to put the pocket memo in its docking station and the files download immediately to us. Just how quickly we can receive the work and get it back to them is just amazing.”

An unforeseen benefit has been the discovery that by providing a facility with the digital handhelds in exchange for their transcription work has turned out to be a great marketing tool. TechniScribe has since added another facility that will be using the Philips handhelds, and one more that will be brought on within an estimated 30 days. “Growth potential is tremendous,” reports Juanita.

See our line of Philps Handheld Products

The Digital Pocket Memo 9500 is a professional dictation recorder that is perfect for professionals and non-professionals alike who wish to upgrade to digital dictation. The 9500 includes the popular four-position slide switch for familiar, single-handed operation. The large backlit LC display and ergonomic design with a full metal case ensure quality and usability. SpeechExec Pro Dictate, the professional dictation software, is also included for simple integration into your everyday document workflow, and crystal clear recordings are the perfect basis for efficient transcription or integration into voice recognition software.
Quick control

• Professional 4-position slide switch for single handed operation
• Intuitive menu control with ’smart buttons’
• Large backlit LCD screen for an at-a-glance overview
• USB fast charging for convenience on the go

Easy file management

• SpeechExec Pro Dictate software ensures easy download and efficient management of voice files
• USB docking station for fast file download and battery charging

Designed around industry standards

• Compatible with industry standards such as the SD card, mini-USB socket, AAA batteries, 3.5 mm headphone, and microphone sockets
• Supports the compact .dss file format, the industry standard for digital recording

To learn More about this and other professional digital recording products we offer Click Here

FTR Hearings 5.2 replaces FTR Hearings 3.3 and is based on the latest FTR platform (along with FTR Reporter Version 5). FTR Hearings 5.2 will begin shipping in the last week of June 2009.

FTR  Hearings  is  a  digital  recording  solution  designed  for  Administrative  Hearings  Offices, Government  Agencies  and  Courts  that  want  to  capture,  playback,  annotate,  and  archive proceedings  of  hearings  and  trials  that  are  administered  in  smaller  venues.  Similar  to  FTR Reporter,  its 4-channel counterpart  in  the FTR Gold  family of products, FTR Hearings supports recording  of  2-channel  audio,  and  combines  all  of  the  functionality  found  in  other  FTR  Gold products such as FTR Log Notes®  and TheRecord Player™.

Staying  true  to  the FTR Gold heritage, FTR Hearings  still  features  simple  “tape  recorder-style” controls  that are easy  for staff  to understand and use. Features such as confidence monitoring, CD/DVD  or  network  archiving,  and  simultaneous  back-up  to  external  removable  media,  offer Agencies and Courts  the peace of mind  that proceedings will be accurately recorded and safely archived. 2-channel digital  recording with  individual channel  isolation and volume control during playback ensures a complete and accurate record of unmatched quality.