Dictating with Free Google Docs Voice Recognition Software

I hate to think how much money I've spent over the years on various headphone sets and updated versions of Dragon Naturally Speaking.

When I first purchased Dragon, I used the ill-fitting headphones provided with the package because the documentation explained this was best for accuracy.  It was vital to keep the mike in a set position near to your mouth, too.  You had to remember your placement each time you decided to dictate. 

It's even more depressing to think about how much time I spent reading speeches by John F. Kennedy and chapters from Alice in Wonderland into Dragon in order to increase the accuracy of my fancy personal voice recognition software. 

Nuance (the software maker) provided all sorts of lengthy content for this purpose.  It was interesting enough.  It was also time consuming.  And periodically, I would upgrade and have to go back to square one, re-reading Alice aloud once again. 

See, e.g., my 2009 post “Dragon Naturally Speaking 10 - Highly Recommend It, 99% Accuracy.”

Time and money. I spent a lot of time and money on Dragon.  

But no more!  

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I Adore Google Docs’ Voice Recognition Software

Right now, I'm dictating this blog post using Google Docs’ Voice-Typing tool.

And I’m amazed.  The accuracy is better than Dragon from the get-go.  I haven’t had to dictate a single speech or book chapter.

Even more wonderful, I’m dictating as I sit comfortably in front of my laptop, the television chattering in the background and the dog snoozing at my feet.  No cords!  No headset!  No careful enunciation. Just chattering away. 

And the price is right!  It’s free!

Time and money.  I’m saving so much time and money with Google Docs.

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Sure, I Still Have to Edit

Of course, I have to edit what I've dictated in Google Docs. That’s partly my fault, though: I have a bad habit of saying “next paragraph” instead of “new paragraph” for one thing. 

Editing was a must with Dragon, as well.  Who doesn’t edit after they’ve dictated?  Not sure having to edit the dictation is a drawback here.

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You May Love Google’s Voice Recognition Alternative to Dragon, Too

So, Dear Reader, here’s the thing.  I admit I was a snoot about Dragon and assumed it was superior to the freebie tool in Google Docs. 

I was wrong.  I apologize, Google Docs.

And I am so happy right now: not having to wear a headset, as I'm speaking in a normal tone and my laptop's microphone is catching everything I'm saying.

It's wonderful.  I love this.  Maybe you will, too. 

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Will I Use It For NaNoWriMo 2017? Dunno.

As for a National Novel Writing Month, I still plan on handwriting my novel again this year. I enjoy writing fast and sloppy with a pen and paper; that is part of my NaNoWriMo fun.

Still, as November progresses and my word count falls behind schedule, I may be tempted to dictate some of my stuff. 

I know the fact that I can dictate quickly into Google Docs, just staring at my laptop screen, and get this level of recognition and speed is something I'm going to remember.

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Google Keep Review: I'll Stick With Evernote, Scrivener, and Padlet But You Might Like It

I'm a sucker for new productivity apps.  Aren't you?  Especially if they're free? Here's my Google Keep experience.  It started a few weeks ago.

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DottoTech Questions Switching From Evernote to Google Keep

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First, the backstory.

I subscribe to DottoTech's YouTube Channel.  Over lunch, I like to watch stuff like Steve Dotto's channel on my ROKU-powered TV, having cut the cable several years back.  (Read more on that here.)

So, last month I was chomping away on a deli salad, drinking iced Rooibos tea, and watching YouTube.

Sure enough, I learned something new.  Steve Dotto was comparing Google Keep with Evernote.

Maybe I had heard of Google Keep before, but it didn't stick with me. His question: should I switch to Google Keep?  Whattha?

My Evernote Loyalty

Now, I'm a huge Evernote fan.  I'm not abandoning Evernote.  No way, no how.

Still, I was interested to see what Google Keep could do, since it's got Google's awesome search function capability.  And that's a big, big deal for me.

Why?  Evernote is my research database.  I store stuff there.  My stuff; my clients' stuff; stuff I find online.

Evernote's search function is critical to me finding all that stuff after I've tossed it in there.

The ability to search all around Evernote is one of the big reasons I prefer it to OneNote.  But that's another story for another day.  Back to Google Keep.

How Could Google Keep Help Me?

So, I decided to check out Google Keep.  Give it a test run, see how it could help me be more efficient in my day.

Since I'm getting ready for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), I decided to use Google Keep as part of that preparation.

That way, it wouldn't interfere with my standard procedures in my real work.  The stuff that makes me money and pays for my dog's liver treats.

I used Google Keep as a tool to help me prepare for writing an outline to my projected 50,000 word thriller.  This afternoon, I've got some findings to report.

Google Keep Reminds Me of Scrivener's Corkboard and Padlet

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In using Google Keep, I wasn't reminded of Evernote as much as Scrivener and Padlet.

If you use Scrivener, then you know it has this nifty corkboard feature, where you can move your chapters (or files) around as you like.

Sorta like index cards on a tabletop.  Except Scrivener is allowing me to do this with a huge amount of word count following along behind it.  

No way that Google Keep compares to Scrivener in this function.

And, if I want to do this rearranging outside of Scrivener, I'll use Padlet.  It's easier.  And I can keep all my stuff together on one topic there in a separate "padlet" for reference.

I like Padlet.  I use it.  It's fun.

Check out the Padlet Gallery for examples of how much fun this tool can be (lots of teachers use it).

I like Padlet better than Google Keep for brain dumps and brain storming.  

Bottom Line:  Meh.

I didn't NOT like Google Keep.  It was nice. It just doesn't serve me as well as the tools I already have in my tool belt.  So, for me Keep is not a Keeper.

Maybe it is for you, Dear Reader.  It's fun to test drive, anyway ....

Editing Software: Lessons From My NaNoWriMo Fever Over Online Grammar Tools

It’s time for NaNoWriMo again this year: National Novel Writing Month began a minute after midnight on Saturday night. Day 2, and I’m right on track. You betcha. If I write 1700 words each day, seven days a week for the entire month of November, I’ll meet my 50,000 word count deadline, no problem-o.

It’s fun. It’s crazy. It’s overwhelming and exciting and I highly recommend you try it if you haven’t done so before.

Word of warning. There are lots and lots of promotions that go with NaNoWriMo. Some are great: for instance, Scrivener (the writing software) can be had for a bargain this month. Then there are all those not so great deals.

I can’t tell you, Dear Reader, how many invitations have arrived in my Inbox tied to NaNoWriMo, tempting me to buy books or to purchase software aimed at writers. Oh, so enticing: “Write a Novel in a Day!” “Buy Software that Will Proofread and Finalize Your Draft in 30 Seconds!”

Even better, the package deals. That’s where they really get ya. (Writer’s Digest had a particularly interesting collection.)

Okay. Fine. Truth be told, I bought some stuff. I had the fever! I wanted to be PREPARED! I had to be RTW - Ready To Write!

I kinda went nuts on editing software. Now, before I start delving into this stuff, please know I already had editing software on my machine. Stuff I use regularly; in fact, I have used editing tools for years. YEARS. Long ago, I relied on Microsoft Word’s Spelling and Grammar tools, and I had been known to use SmartEdit occasionally as well. I think I’ve been using Natural Reader, a text to speech program, for almost a decade now (I like the voice of “Anna”).

So before this frenzy began I was already happily using Hemingway together with Natural Reader (text to speech) on my Scrivener content.

But I’m only human and that NaNoWriMo time ticker was ticking -- and I had already bought my cool new mouse pad (isn’t it GREAT?). So, over the weekend I installed After the Deadline (AFD) because it seems to work well with WordPress blogs. Grammarly is lurking on my computer somewhere, too, because I received my first weekly report card from them today. (I made an A. I’m so proud.)

All of this after checking out Ginger and several others; asking the Scrivener Community on Google Plus their preferences; and reestablishing my friendship with Microsoft Word’s Spelling and Grammar tools (after pretty much dumping Word for Scrivener).

Today I bought the premium version of ProWritingAid. It’s got a 14 day trial period, so we’ll see. 

Bottom line, I went a little nuts with editing software on the eve of NaNoWriMo. I read a couple of books on writing, too. Not that I’ve changed from being a pantser, but I like to think about outlining. 

Things to Consider When Deciding on Editing Software 

Do I need all these editing tools? No. Of course not. I have learned some lessons from trying them out, though. Here’s a couple of things about all this editing software, from me to you, Dear Reader. 

1. Editing is different for fiction and nonfiction. Most editing software targets the fiction writer. 

Hemingway, of course, targets fiction. There’s no non-fiction option with Hemingway. ProWritingAid (Premium version) offers the options of “business,” “technical,” etc., albeit nothing more specific — you won’t find “legal” or “medical” there. If there are editing packages targeting those niches, I didn’t find them.

2. Most of these options are web-based. You cannot download the software, you have to insert your content into their website and hit the button. 

I don’t like it. I want the software on my machine (one of the reasons I like Hemingway). Sure, downloading any program is scary because of the threat of malware, but a quick scan of the file by your anti-virus before installation should protect your machine.

I’ve got two reasons that I prefer to have the software on my machine.

First, I can use it without accessing the web. I don’t like being forced to go online to edit some content. Second, I don’t like having to paste my content into a window on a webpage and crossing my fingers that they’re being honest about not keeping my stuff and not sharing it.

3. Most of these editing tools do not differentiate between grammar, style, and usage. These are three different things, people. 

When your edit appears in the software, don’t be surprised to see a rainbow of colors staring back at you. These are not all grammar errors. You didn’t forget how to write. You write well. Look carefully — if you’re like me, what you’ll find are issues of style and usage, not grammar. This can be very, very frustrating.

For more on this, read Michael McDonagh’s post “Grammar, Style, and Usage are Three Different Things.“ 

4. These editors apparently find some of my favorite writers are in desperate need of help, as well. 

I love how Peggy Noonan writes. Politics or religion aside, check out her alliteration. Sigh. If you paste one of Noonan’s columns into Hemingway or ProWritingAid, you’ll get a rainbow reaction.

Ditto for Sharyl Attkisson. Or the Miami Herald’s Dave Barry (oh, how I love how Dave Barry writes).

Apparently, all the writers I love tend to use long sentences. They will scatter the passive voice into their stuff. Occasionally, they will use (wait for it) an adverb!

Sometimes, the grade level of the reader is estimated to be at a high school level, but they may get to grade level 12 or 15 on occasion (and I’m looking at you, Sharyl Attkisson).

5. Take these editors with a grain, Dear Reader.  These are tools.  Not professional proofreaders. Don't take these edits as commentary on the quality of your writing. 

I suggest that you take some content of your favorite writers and use it to test the editing software you are contemplating using.

For one thing, you’ll get a good laugh or two. For another, you may find as I did, that you may not write exactly like your writing role models, but it’s encouraging to find that in the Editing Software World, you are making their same errors.

Makes you feel like you’re in the same club or something.

And it helps you remember that these editing software gizmos are tools. Just tools.

Spelling and Oxford Commas are one thing. Style is another. Usage, too. Shake your head and move on.
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Evernote Is Fabulous Must-Have Software That Just Keeps Getting Better

Evernote is fabulous, and it seems that every week I find new things to love about this software program.  Granted, I've upgraded to the paid version (Premium) but there's still a wonderful amount of help that Evernote's basic, free version gives to anyone working with a keyboard.

This week, for example, I began right-clicking on the little green elephant head in my desktop toolbar and choosing "clip screenshot" and then flipping into Evernote to email that screenshot to clients.  Such a time saver - plus for many people, the visual (screenshot) seems to work better as an educational tool than a lengthy email message.  Go figure.

Love this new find.  It's a great, fast way to send them examples of how their stuff is appearing in Google Everything Search (top spots above the fold in multi-million search results); to send them breaking news stories for discussion in their blogs (lots happening in law these days, e.g., the ABA is okay with social media research on jury panels); and much more.

This is just one teensy example of all the cool tricks that Evernote contains, and how it is fun to discover them as you continue to delve into Evernote's depths.

You really should check Evernote out.  I think you may grow to love it, too.  

Here's a short, well-reviewed video by Anson Alexander that gives you a nice overview.

Tool Tip: WordWeb is Free Offline Dictionary and Thesaurus That Works Great With Scrivener

Admittedly, my favorite thesaurus is my Old School desk copy with its duct tape and stickies and notes written in the margins.  However, I don't want to carry this thing with me everywhere I go, which means I need a good on-screen Thesaurus and Dictionary.

If I'm online, then Thesaurus.com and Dictionary.com work just fine.  However, if I don't want to open up an internet browser just to check for a synonym or a definition, I am stuck.  Or I used to be.

WordWeb Review:  I Like It.  I Really Like It. 

For the past week or two, I've been trying out WordWeb it's working out well.  Best thing?  It hangs out on my desktop toolbar, and I can access it even when I'm not online.

Which is great for many reasons including these two:

1. WordWeb offers more to me than Scrivener does because Scrivener (a) has no internal dictionary or thesaurus, which I miss from my switch to Scrivener from Word; and (b) I'm not forced to go online via the Scrivener tool to access a thesaurus.
2. If I'm writing, then I'm focused on the task at hand.  It's really (REALLY) tempting sometimes to go check email or jump onto Pinterest for a quick looksie when Scrivener brings me online to use a thesaurus.  WordWeb protects me from this temptation.  

Now, is WordWeb as great as my trusty print version?  Nope.  

It's a nice tool, though, and I think you might find it helpful, too.

Plus, the price is right.  It's free.

Check out more at CNET -- where WordWeb has been rated "spectacular" by the CNET editors and has received a five-star rating by over 1200 users.

Infographics for Lawyers: a Great Addition to Your Law Firm Web Site or Blawg

Infographics (informational graphics) are so much fun, and sure they are getting to be pretty darn trendy right now.  (Just go over to Pinterest and search for "infographics" to find all sorts of wonderfully creative infographics on all sorts of topics.

Thing is:  infographics are great tools for lawyers to use to educate readers about all sorts of issues.  Law firms can place infographics into their websites, their blogs (blawgs), their newsletters, even in client emails.  (I'm not sure about using them in motions or briefs yet - but if I were a judge, I'd welcome the innovation.)  

Here, for example, is a great infographic from DailyInfographic that provides details on the impact of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) upon employers (click on it or hit Ctrl + a couple of times to enlarge the image):

For more information on infographics, check out these online sources:

Daily Infographics 

Visual.ly

Fast Company's Infographic of the Day

To learn more about creating original infographics for your site, for free, see:

Picktochart

Infogr.am

Mingly: Let Me Be Your Guinea Pig.

As I type this, the new freeware Mingly is compiling all sorts of social media information for me, organizing my GMail account along with my Twitter and LinkedIn accounts, and putting all this into a pretty little website dashboard.

Here's what the dashboard looks like:

I've been instructed that this will take a bit of time - seems that I have lots of stuff to sort - and that I shouldn't worry, this stuff is private (my personal stuff isn't on here anyway).  Meanwhile, anxious to get this going and write this post, I've already used the Mingly Dashboard to send James R. Marsh of the Marsh Law Firm up in New York a Happy Birthday e-message. 

JRM and I are LinkedIn friends.  I've promised him that I'm no stalker, but I hope he's not too creeped out.  I mean, how often do your LinkedIn connections send you happy birthday greetings?

Well, maybe they'll do it a lot more often now that Mingly is on the scene.  We'll see.  I read about this over at MediaBistro and decided it sounded fabulous. 

I'm testing it out now - the free version.  Just email me or comment if you have questions about Mingly.  I'm a pretty happy guinea pig right now.

Here's the MediaBistro scoop on Mingly; there's also an article explaining Mingly on Business 2 Community you might find interesting.  Caveat: it's written by Mingly. 

Hit By a Trojan or Two. Is Your Computer Safe? Are You Sure?

For the past couple of weeks, things haven't been normal for me.  I rearranged my office (a Spring Cleaning sort of thing) and with that, decided that I wasn't putting my netbook to good use.  After all, it's powerful.  It's pretty.

Still, I rarely used it.  

A geek friend explained to me that netbooks actually should last longer than laptops because heat doesn't mess with them as much.  Plus, I had an extra monitor I could stick on that baby and have another writing spot. 

Powered up the netbook, and voila.  An evildoer invaded my life.  

At first, I didn't know it.  However, as I added the netbook to my antivirus account, things began to happen.  Bad things.  Slowly but surely, the malware gutted program files so only shells were left, including programs like Chrome and Firefox and IE that allowed me to access the internet. 

The antivirus folk were no help.  Well, some help.  They got their software installed enough that it flashed a warning about discovering a trojan on the machine before the antivirus got blasted by the malware.

Finally, the Geeks got my netbook and after 7 hours of cleaning up things, they got the bad juju off the netbook and I finally had the weekend to reinstall all my software on the netbook ....

Scary part?  I had installed my cloud connection on the netbook - had they read my files?  I use online banking for some stuff.  Could they gain access somehow? 

Geeks have assured me that nope, no identity theft here.  Still, I've changed all my passwords and I'm monitoring my accounts for anything fishy.  I've disabled Java, done some other stuff too. 

So, if you're reading this post then stop right now and make sure that you've got your computer protected, and that you've got the latest updates downloaded for your security software.  

Because the other thing the Geeks told me was that there's a lot of bad stuff happening right now - lots of attacks like this, with others not escaping exposure like I did.   Don't know why there isn't more media coverage about this, but the Geeks would know about this upsurge and they're serious about evildoing computer attacks on the rise right now. 

IE 10 is Coming. And I Just Downloaded IE9 (With Its Kinks)

This past week, I upgraded to Internet Explorer 9.  Then, almost immediately thereafter, ZDNET reported that Microsoft was sending out IE9 as a Windows Update, so I wasn't exactly ahead of the crowd here.  Still, I was somewhat techno-proud.  You know what I mean.

Which, of course, meant that the inevitable time-eating kinks would pop up.  This time, I discovered that IE9 had a problem with secure sites.  I had to use Firefox to enter various client blogs and things to edit, optimize, fiddle, etc.  Annoying.  Fixable.

Today, I learn that IE9 is so shortlived that we're already being told to get ready for Internet Explorer 10.  That's right.  Ten. It's only been four weeks, Microsoft!  Four weeks!

PCMag has all the details, along with screenshots from Microsoft describing how really and truly great IE10 is going to be. 

Now, I admit:  IE9, so far, is nicer than IE8 (or 7, or 6, or whatever).  (The experts agree.) I particularly like the increase in space for me.  I just hate the Kink Hurdle. 

According to PCMag, it's gonna be a little bit of time before I have to worry about IE10 - but geez.  They could have waited a little bit before making this big announcement.

It's like going out and buying your swanky new car, and then two weeks later the car maker unveils that your make and model will have a whole new design next year.  You feel so old news.

Sigh.

Setting Up EMail Alerts: Try Google Alerts and TweetBeep

Alerts.  They are easy to set up and you want to have a few set up -- but what are they?  Alerts are where software automatically discovers new web content that includes a particular word or phrase and sends you  an email to let you know that something new has appeared. 

It's easy enough to do.  Have your name, your firm name, a topic of interest (e.g., "death penalty" or "american idol"), etc. set up with an alert system and then sit back and wait for the emails to arrive.

Google Alerts

Google Alerts will automatically let you know when new stuff appears within its search results.  For details, go here.

TweetBeep

TweetBeep searches Twitter and alerts you as you have requested - exclusively within tweets.  To learn more, go here. 

Dragon Naturally Speaking 10 - Highly Recommend It, 99% Accuracy

I'm getting an updated version of Dragon Naturally Speaking today (version 10) for $30.00.  I highly recommend this product, earlier versions have been a big help to me for several years now.  I'm looking forward to its additional features (skipping between apps., etc.), and the fact that today it's being offered at 70% off the regular price is just a wonderful gift for the new year. 

How do I use speech to text software?

I use an older version of Dragon Naturally Speaking (speech-to-text software) for writing first drafts, as well as a great aid in researching - and organizing my thoughts - accompanied by OneNote.  It's been my experience that 99% accuracy isn't always true, 95%-97% is my usual result.  And that's not bad - spell/grammar check via Word, and the job of correcting those errors is done fast enough. 

Why use voice recognition software?

It's best use for me is saving time.  I get more done by accompanying my typing (I do type fast) with speech to text software.  I'm thinking that the ability to use DNS 10's additional applications will only streamline things even more. 

However, being able to produce a document without the use of a keyboard or mouse is very beneficial to those with carpal tunnel syndrome, back pain, etc. and lots of folks with these physical hurdles swear by DNS. 

For all the details on this speech recognition software, check out my post today on Everyday Simplicity and the glowing review that the software package received at PCWorld.

Writer Lawyer Tip: Google's Keyword Tool Just Got Better

Google's Keyword Tool is better than before. Now, you can find the "approximate keyword search volume" ... which means Google will tell you the exact amount of monthly search for a particular keyword for the previous month as well as an average amount of monthly searches.

What's all the hoopla about?

First, it's Google. Their numbers are what you want to know ... with all due respect to the other search engines out there. Google is King.

Second, it's free. Yep, free.

Third, you can choose "exact match" from the menu (or surround the keyword with brackets) and get the actual number of times a keyword has been searched for last month. That's big.

For more info:

Google's Announcement

Google's AdWords Blog Post on the New Addition

CNETNews


WebProNews

Dell Saves the Day: You Can Still Buy XP

First, there was the nightmare: as of June 30, 2008, the last XP was being shipped out of Microsoft, and we'd all be faced with Vista in future computer buys. (For details on why this might be a horror, check out PCMag's "Vista's 11 Pillars of Failure" by John Dvorak.)

But wait!

Silicon Valley Insider reports that Dell has come to the rescue ... Dell is reporting a loophole in its licensing agreement with Microsoft that allows Dell to continue offering XP as an operating system.

For details, read the SVI reports of June 30 and July 3, with their links.

Thanks to Vodkapundit for the heads up.

Writer Lawyer Tip: Great Find - Natural Reader

I use Natural Reader all the time. I use the free version, with the voice that is far from human-sounding. In fact, it sounds so much like HAL that I am always tempted to type the lyrics to "A Bicycle Built for Two" just for a grin ....

Remember that scene from the movie? Dave ... what are you doing, Dave ....

Okay, fine. Look, Natural Reader gives a final, verbal edit before I send the draft out. It's a big help, and I thought I'd share that with you today.