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Please do as I say

Speech-recognition software puts your mouth in charge

By Eric Griffith

After 30 years of "Star Trek," you still can't talk to your computer to give it commands.

Well, actually you can. Just don't expect an instant verbal rapport. With speech-recognition software for voice commands and dictation, you must carefully train yourself and the program to see the benefits.

Lernout & Hauspie Voice Xpress 5 comes in four versions, from the $29 standard edition to the $199 mobile edition with a handheld Olympus digital voice recorder. Dragon Systems' NaturallySpeaking 5.0 also comes in several flavors. L&H recently purchased Dragon, so future products will combine the best of both. Mac users can use the soon-to-be-released iListen from MacSpeech for dictation.

For simple voice-controlled commands, there's the weak but built-in "Speakable Items" function of MacOS 8.6 or greater. Windows gamers can try Game Commander 2, which lets you run computer games with verbal commands that simulate keyboard and joystick controls. (You yell "Fire!" instead of pulling a joystick trigger, for example.)

Training for speech recognition takes time. With Voice Xpress you train by reading aloud long passages of text provided by the program—it analyzes what you read to better understand your speaking style. Most programs do a decent job of understanding speech, but they can be tripped by a microphone placed too close to the mouth, by room noise or by mumbling. Always use a noise-canceling headset mic, usually included, for best performance.

To control your computer by voice, or even just navigate within a text document, you need to memorize verbal commands for moving around, formatting text and so on. Capable typists probably have the biggest adjustment to make. But non-typists may find it paradise—even if it's not quite "Star Trek" caliber.

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Lernout & Hauspie
www.lhsl.com

Dragon Systems
www.dragonsys.com

MacSpeech
www.macspeech.com

Speakable Items
asu.info.apple.com/swupdates.nsf/artnum/n11400

Game Commander 2
www.gamecommander.com