Dragon Naturally Speaking Iphone

One of the reasons that I bought the new iPad 3 was to check out the dictation feature.

Is Dragon Naturally Speaking Free
Dragon Naturally Speaking Iphone

Dragon is a speech-recognition program that can be used to, among other things, dictate answers to homework questions, a five-paragraph essay, or even to write a novel. You can dictate an e-mail, surf the web using voice commands, or dictate on your Blackberry, iPhone, iPad or iPad touch. Finally, Dragon Remote Microphone is a free app that lets you turn your iPad or your iPhone into a wireless microphone to use with Dragon NaturallySpeaking on your computer. (You need Dragon NaturallySpeaking 11.5 for this app to work, but if you had version 11, it’s a free upgrade.

Apple has added a little microphone button beside the spacebar on the standard on-screen keyboard. Now you can dictate messages instead of typing into any app.

This little button is a big deal.

Sure, Dragon NaturallySpeaking has a free Dragon dictation app on the iPad and iPhone, which does voice-recognition, but the Dragon dictation app only lets you speak into the Dragon dictation app. Then, you have to copy and paste your transcribed words into the app that you really wanted to use (i.e. calendar, notes, Twitter, etc.)

With iPad dictation, you can speak into your iPad (in any app) just by touching the microphone button. iPad dictation is only available on the new iPad three. (The little microphone button doesn’t show up on the iPad 2.)

Before we get too far into this post, you should know that your voice data and contact data gets sent to Apple (or potentially, Dragon NaturallySpeaking.)

If you use iPad dictation, your iPad will send Apple your voice data and other personal information such as your first name and nickname; the names, nicknames, and relationship with you (example “my dad”) of your address book contacts; and song names in your collection. Something to think about.
In comparison, Dragon dictation does send your voice data to their servers, but it you can opt out of sending your contact name data. When you install Dragon dictation on your iPad, you get a screen asking you if it’s okay to add your contact names to the vocabulary. If you click yes, then Dragon will upload your contact names to the server and link it to your device ID. If you click no, then Dragon will not read your address book and it will not upload any names to the server. (You can also go into the Dragon dictation settings and turn off the setting called “recognize names.”)

How does the new iPad dictation voice recognition software compare to the free Dragon dictation iPad app or Dragon NaturallySpeaking on your PC?

Let’s find out:

I used Dragon NaturallySpeaking on my computer to dictate this post using Windows Live Writer. Dragon NaturallySpeaking got 98.6% of the words in this post correct.
Using the rainbow passage to figure out which voice-recognition software is better
Word mistakes

Using the rainbow passage to figure out which voice-recognition software is better: iPad dictation, Dragon Dictation iPad app, or Dragon NaturallySpeaking on the computer.

I read the rainbow passage into the new iPad (notes app) while wearing my Bluetooth headset so I could dictate directly into Dragon NaturallySpeaking on my computer at the same time.

Afterwards, I read the rainbow passage into the new iPad using the Dragon dictation iPad app.

Dragon NaturallySpeaking on the computer was 98.8% accurate in writing down the correct words.
iPad dictation got 92.8% of the words correct.
The Dragon dictation app (on the new iPad) got 88.9% of the words correct.In a previous post, I found that the Dragon dictation iPad app got 92% of the words in the post correct. (Compare that to Dragon NaturallySpeaking on the computer, which got 98% of the words correct and was a lot quicker to transcribe.)

There are normally 335 words in the rainbow passage that I use, although I had to reread two sentences when I was using the Dragon Dictation app. If you look below, you can see the type of mistakes that the different voice recognition software made.

Word Mistakes made by Dragon NaturallySpeaking, iPad Dictation, and Dragon Dictation iPad App

Rainbow passage as heard by Dragon NaturallySpeaking. (5 word errors – 98.8% Word Accuracy)

looking for a pot of gold = looking for pot of gold
(1 word error)
The Norse men consider = The Norseman consider
(2 word errors)
the gods passed from Earth = the gods pass from Earth
(1 word error)
superposition of a number of bows = superposition of a number of bows
(1 word error)

Rainbow passage as heard by iPad dictation. (24 word errors – 92.8% Word Accuracy; 1 PUNCTUATION ERROR = 92.5% TOTAL ACCURACY)

they act like a prism = the act like a prism
(1 word error)
These take the shape of a long round arch = Please take the shape of the long round arch
(2 word errors)
itstwoends apparently beyond the horizon = it’stoAnn’s apparently beon the horizon
(4 word errors)
beyond his reach = beon his reach
(1 word error)
looking for a pot of gold = looking for pot of gold
(1 word error)
Some haveacceptedit as a miracle = Some ofexcepted as a miracle
(3 word errors)
there would be = there will be
(1 word error)
The Norsemen consider the rainbowas a bridge = The Norseman consider the rainwas a bridge
(4 word errors)
the gods passed from Earth = the gods pass from Earth
(1 word error)
the sun’s rays = the suns ray
(1 punctuation error)
physicists have found that it is = physicists have found it is
(1 word error)
The actual primary rainbow observed is said to be the effectofsuperposition = The actual primary rainbow observed he said to be the effectivesuperposition
(3 word errors)
when mixedformed yellow = when nextform yellow
(2 word errors)

Rainbow passage as heard by Dragon Dictation app on the new iPad 3 (42 word errors out of 380 words – 88.9% Word Accuracy; 4 PUNCTUATION ERROR = 87.9% TOTAL ACCURACY)

I had to reread two sentences because the Dragon dictation iPad app stopped halfway through to begin transcribing. That’s why there are more words in this version of the rainbow passage.

ey act like a prism = the act like a prism
(1 word error)
These take the shape = Please take the shape
(1 word error)
its two ends = it‘s two hands
(1 word error; 1 punctuation error)
beyond the horizon = be on the horizon
(1 word error)
he is looking = he‘s looking
(1 punctuation error)
used to imagine = used to Madison
(1 word error)
a sign from the gods to foretell war = a sign from the gods foretell war
(1 word error)
or heavyrain. = or haveyouread
(2 word errors; 1 punctuation error)
TheGreeksusedtoimagine = Bigmeetsyousonicein
(5 word errors)
a sign from the godstoforetell war = a sign for the costfortotal war
(4 word errors)
The Norse men consider the rainbow as a bridge = The Norseman consider the rainbow is a bridge
(2 word errors)
the gods passed from Earth = the gods pass from Earth
(1 word error)
Aristotle thought that the rainbow = Aristotle thought that the rain
(1 word errors)
the sun‘s rays = the suns rays
(1 punctuation error)
but refraction by the raindrops = but thefraction by the raindrops
(1 word error)
about the rainbowhavebeenformed. = about the regalhadinformed.
(4 word errors)
issaid to be theeffect of super position of a number of bows. = tosit to be defectivesuperposition of the number of bows.
(6 word errors)
If the red = If the rent
(1 word error)
the second bowfallsupon green of the first = the second hopefulson green of the first
(3 word errors)
togiveabow = forgivable
(4 word errors)
If the red of the second bow falls = If the red of the second oh falls
(1 word error)
when mixed formed yellow. = when mixed form yellow.
(1 word error)

This post was written using Dragon NaturallySpeaking 11.5 Premium Wireless. What is Dragon NaturallySpeaking?

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There are 559 words in this post (not including the word mistake section – I copy and pasted that stuff in.) Dragon made 8 word errors. So, we had an accuracy of 98.6% in this document.
If you include punctuation and capitalization errors, Dragon made an additional 7 punctuation and capitalization errors. So, we had an accuracy of 97.3% in this document.

Is Dragon Naturally Speaking Free

Photo Credit: Big Stock Photo – Stones 4 (1055510)

Nuance, the makers of Dragon NaturallySpeaking 11, have a Dragon NaturallySpeaking app for the iPad/iPhone that you might consider checking out. (What is Dragon NaturallySpeaking? Check out this post to find out more information about speaking speech to your computer.)

Actually, they have four mobile apps:

Dragon Dictation is a free app that lets you speak into your iPad or iPhone and it will write down what you say.
Dragon Search and Dragon Go are free apps that lets you search for things just by speaking to your iPhone or iPad. It’s a little like the Google search app, except instead of just pulling out Google findings, you can look at Wikipedia results, CNN posts, the Twitter feed, etc. I imagine it’s similar to Siri on the iPhone 4S, but unfortunately we don’t have the latest iPhone to play with. (Yet.)
Finally, Dragon Remote Microphone is a free app that lets you turn your iPad or your iPhone into a wireless microphone to use with Dragon NaturallySpeaking on your computer. (You need Dragon NaturallySpeaking 11.5 for this app to work, but if you had version 11, it’s a free upgrade.

This post was written using Dragon NaturallySpeaking 11.5 and the Dragon Remote Microphone app on the iPad 2. (Scroll below to see what kind of accuracy we got using our iPad as a wireless microphone. Normally, the posts written on this blog using Dragon NaturallySpeaking 11 have an accuracy of anywhere between 95% to 98% using the Bluetooth Calisto wireless headset.) So far, there doesn’t seem to be much difference in the accuracy between using the Bluetooth wireless headset and using this Dragon NaturallySpeaking app on the iPad to speak our thoughts.

Having said that, using an iPad as a wireless microphone to speak into your computer is a pretty cumbersome way to use Dragon NaturallySpeaking. (Mind you, it’s probably a lot easier if you’re holding a smaller iPhone.)

Dragon Remote Microphone – Nuance Communications

Benefits to using your Dragon NaturallySpeaking app to convert your iPhone/iPad into a wireless microphone for Dragon NaturallySpeaking 11.5

If you’re using the Dragon Remote Microphone iPhone app, then you finally are truly free from your computer and you can pace around anywhere in your house and still talk to your computer. This Dragon NaturallySpeaking app makes the text to speech software even better than a Bluetooth microphone headset. Here me out.Wireless is better.If you’re using a wired microphone and headset to speak into your computer, then you’re essentially chained to your laptop. Your iPhone app works by connecting wirelessly to your Wi-Fi network. As long as you’re iPhone is connected to the same Wi-Fi network as your computer, then you should be able to walk around anywhere in your house without being stuck.For example, right now I’m walking up the stairs and trying to see whether I can still connect to my computer – – – trying to see whether it’s recording everything I say – – – this would be impossible with the Calisto Bluetooth wireless headset because the moment I’m out of the range of the Bluetooth receiver, it stops working. Let’s see what happens. If I return back downstairs, I see that Dragon NaturallySpeaking 11.5 has picked up all of my beautiful words.Hands down, using the Dragon microphone iOS app gives you a lot more freedom to walk around the house than the Bluetooth wireless headset that comes with the premium package, or the wired headset, obviously. It would be cool to see what kind of results you could get with an iPhone and a Bluetooth headset paired with your iPhone.
This is a quick and easy way for you to dictate notes on your computer. You may not always have your Dragon NaturallySpeaking wireless headset or wired microphone, but, chances are, in this day and age, you always have your iPhone pretty handy. (Sometimes wearing those headsets can look pretty geeky. Speaking into your phone may not be as geeky. Speaking into the top of your iPad – definitely pretty geeky.)
If you already own an iPhone, then you can save yourself hundred bucks and still speak to your computer wirelessly. The Calisto wireless headset is around $100 if you buy bundled with Dragon NaturallySpeaking 11.5 wireless premium. (If you buy it separately, then it can cost around $150.) (If you’re a student, then you can save the hundred bucks by buying the educational version of Dragon NaturallySpeaking 11, but you might want to read these 10 things first)
When you’re using the iPhone or iPad Dragon microphone app, you can always tell exactly how much battery life your iPhone or iPad has left. When you use the Calisto Bluetooth wireless headset, it’s hard to know exactly how much battery life you have left on the device. It seems that Dragon NaturallySpeaking 11 works better when the Bluetooth headset is fully charged. I would imagine that the “10 hours” of battery life that you get with an iPad 2 is longer than the battery charge on the Calisto Bluetooth headset.