Law Office Technology

Vista Dictation - How to Setup and Use

First off, how do you find it?  Most people don't even know that Vista has dictation.  In windows speak, dictation is known as Windows Speech Recognition.  To find it: Click on Start and in the search area type in the word "speech".  At the top you will see Windows Speech Recognition.  Click on it. 

Windows will now want to setup your listening device. 

It is very import to have a good USB headset.  I highly recommend the Plantronics 400 DSP.  It costs 79.95.

Microphone Setup

 

 

 

 

 

 

Speech Recognition Options

 

Take the Speech Tutorial and Train your computer to better understand you.  It will take less then an hour of your time and is well worth it.

 

 

Steps for dictating a document

1. In the Start Menu, choose All Programs, Accessories, Accessibility. Select the Speech Recognition option

2. Proceed through the initial set up screens to configure your microphone. The Speech tutorial will then be launched

3. Complete the Speech tutorial

Create, dictate, and save a document

1. Say "Start Listening."

2. Say "Open WordPad."

3. Say "This is a test of speech recognition period."

4. To correct mistakes, say "correct" and the word that the computer typed by mistake, and then pick the correct word from the list offered by Speech Recognition, repeat the correct word again. For example, if the computer mis-recognized "speech" as "peach," say "correct peach," and then choose the right word from the list, or say the word "speech" again.

5. To save the document, say "File", then say "Save As."

6. Say "Test document."

7. Say "Save."

Compatible and Incompatible Programs

• Speech Recognition dictation will work in a limited set of applications that support a technology called the Text Services Framework. This set of applications includes:

• Microsoft Word and Outlook

• Virtually all applications that are part of Windows Vista

• Dictation will not work in many applications. These include, but are not limited to:

• Microsoft PowerPoint

• Excel

• WordPerfect

• Eudora

• Lotus Notes

Duplicate Contacts in Outlook

Somehow I duplicated all my contacts in outlook.  This happens from time to time, especially if you have a third party link with a smartphone or a practice management software.  Microsoft's answer to deleting duplicate contacts is to select each duplicate by holding down the control key and hit delete.  When you have 900 duplicates, that is not really a good option. 

I found TeamScope's Contact Scrubber for Outlook by using Google and it easily fixed the problem.

The Contacts Scrubber™ for Outlook® provides a means of easily eliminating duplicate records from your Outlook Contacts. It works by processing your Outlook Contacts, looking for possible duplicate items. As it finds duplicates, it presents them to you, displaying field-by-field comparisons of item data, and proposing a logical way of merging the item data into one unique item. You may then merge these items; you can opt to use the program's proposed merge, or override it with your own personal choices, on a field-by-field basis.

 

 

http://www.teamscope.com/otherpro/utilities.asp

Powerpoint For 10k Law Firm has been Updated after Alexandria CLE

http://www.lawot.com/files/new.ppt

Vista: The Sidebar is Pretty Cool

I know you have been bombarded with article after article on how Vista sucks.  I have been running Vista since July and love it.  One of the nice new features is the Side Bar.  I have customized my Side Bar to show my Outlook Tasks that are due Today, My Appointments, a Clock,  and how much of my processor and ram I am using.  The Side Bar sits on the right hand side of my screen.  When I hook up to multiple monitors, it has no problem moving to the right side of the screen.

 

There are many different applications (Microsoft calls them gadgets) you can setup with your Vista Side Bar, including Ebay Auction Reminders, Calculators, and links to Gmail.   Check out a list here:  http://vista.gallery.microsoft.com/vista/SideBar.aspx?mkt=en-us