Computer Bytes - No. 54 Bookmark this page !       Send this page to a friend!  " Voice recognition has made great strides in the last few years. There are now cars, cell phones and some very high-end houses that are equipped to respond to voice commands. Over the years many programs have been developed for computers so that the user could 'talk' to into a microphone to have the words appear on screen . . . all with varying degrees of success. Today, however, you can use voice recognition with a fairly high success rate if you are willing to take the time to 'teach' your computer. And if you happen to have a computer with Vista installed, there is a voice recognition program already loaded into your computer, ready to use with minimal set-up. The voice recognition program available in Vista will start programs, open menus, click buttons, and place dictated text into emails and other document programs on voice command. In fact, you can do just about anything with Vista's voice recognition program that you can do with the keyboard. Before you begin the program set-up you will need to purchase a USB head set if you do not already have one. The set-up is very simple and menu driven. To begin set-up: click on 'Start' > 'Control Panel' > 'Speech Recognition'. Now double click on 'Speech Recognition'. This will open a screen allowing you to configure the program. In the box you will see five icons: Start Speech Recognition; Set-up Microphone; Take Speech Tutorial; Train Your Computer to Better Understand You; and Open the Speech Reference Card. Double click the 'Start Speech Recognition' icon. This will start the Set-up Wizard. Next you will see a 'Welcome' screen. Follow the prompts through the program by clicking on 'next' after you have completed each task. Once the Speech Recognition program is active, the computer will 'hear' everything you say. It is possible to stop the program from 'listening' by muting the microphone or by giving the computer a command to 'Stop Listening'. You will be able to tell if the computer is listening by viewing information shown in the audio bar. As you move through the Wizard, you will see that the Speech Recognition program has a right click command that offers other helpful options for use within the program. Should you forget some of the commands, you simply ask, 'What can I say?", and a menu box will pop up with a list of command options for you to choose from. You can also print out a quick reference sheet if you like. While going through any voice recognition set-up, your speech should be clear and loud since the computer is actually 'learning' your voice during this process. The Vista program will allow you to make corrections, deletions, insertions, in fact it can do just about anything you would do in a word processing program. You can also add into the program proper names and words that may be specific to your profession. If you run into any problems after set-up, Microsoft has a link for online support and help. There are voice recognition programs available to purchase for Apple users. One of the better known program providers is 1st-dragon.com. Not only do they offer a good Mac program, but also many other professional and business specific voice recognition programs. Computer Bytes Index Send Us an Email | Home Page Copyright 2007-2008. All rights reserved. Computer Bytes articles may not be reprinted, published, quoted, copied, or used in any manner whatsoever without the expressed written permission of David Moncrief.