Another One Bites The Dust - Adios WS-100

Yep another change in the Olympus digital voice recorder ranks filtered through to us this month, again from one of our customers and not Olympus themselves :-)

The faithful friend of the student the WS-100 has been discontinued in Australia and replaced by the very nice WS-110.



As of 11th October 2007 we are still waiting for confirmation of the price for the new model but looking at the overseas Olympus sites it looks like it will come in at around the same price as the WS-100 was.

So whats new with this model. Well apart from double the memory of the WS-100, the WS-110 has 256Mb, it also sports some of the features we have seen in other new Olympus models, namely the WS-331M and the DS30/40/50 and that is the low cut background noise filtering, very handy if you are out and about recording.

This model is expected in Australia towards the end of October 2007 and I am sure it will fit in very nicely where the WS-100 left off. So far I have found only one review of the WS-110 on amazon.com - a great source for honest reviews - and this is what it said:

"This little device is spectacular. Small and light, can fit in a pocket. Has enough memory for a lot of recording. Easy to use. Downloading is quick and fun. Good quality audio. Great idea to go with WMA instead of proprietary audio software that complicates things.I am glad I have this gadget."

Express Scribe Compatible Foot Control Now Available

Here at Dictate Australia we have been looking for a while now for a good quality USB transcription foot control for use with Express Scribe available here in Australia. Finally we have found one, the Philips USB Foot Control 6212.



We have only recently joined forces with Philips Australia to supply their range of digital and analogue voice recorders and transcription systems. The USB Foot Pedal is available as a stand alone unit and can be used with Express Scribe running on Windows systems.

We have one in our office, setup could not be easier. We simply installed the provided driver then plugged in the foot control to a spare USB port and the unit was instantly recognised. Configuring Express Scribe to recognise the foot pedal was just as easy. In the Express Scribe settings simply tick the "Use Foot Pedal Playback Control" in the Control tab of the Express Scribe settings, set the port to USB and click the "Foot Pedal Control Setup Wizard" and that it.



The Philips foot pedals are sourced direct from Philips in Australia which means fast delivery, usually next day or soon after depending on your location.

Click here to view the USB foot control on our online store, Dictate Australia.

Introducing the Philips Digital Pocket Memo 9600

Well what a nice recorder this is. Described as "Pure Perfection" on the Philips Australia website the Philips Digital Pocket Memo 9600 certainly comes close to that claim.



Here are some of its good points
- File encryption
- It looks good - that is probably why it has won a design award
- Uses rechargeable batteries
- Comes with USB Docking station and battery charger
- Features removable SD memory card expandable upto 2Gb
- Records upto 21 hours with the supplied 128Mb SD card on SP mode
- Records upto 349 hours with an optional 2Gb SD card on SP mode
- Large display
- Audio stored in DSS (Digital Speech Standard)

This is a great quality recorder and compares well with the top of the range DS-4000 from Olympus. Now available at our online store Dictate Australia with free courier delivery Australia wide.

Reviews:
"Great sound recording, Host of features, Voice activation quite cool"
GoodGearGuide.com.au

Dictate Australia - Philips Digital Voice Recorders Now In Stock

We are pleased to announce that this week we have joined with Philips Australia to bring you more choice of digital voice recorders on our online store - www.dictate.com.au

We can now boast products from two of the best digital voice recorder manufacturers, well known and trusted household names, Olympus and Philips.

Philips have a great range of voice recorders, dictation systems and transcription kits all of which can be viewed online. Their Digital Voice Tracer range is a great addition to the budget range and the pro range of recorders is now complimented by the stunning 9600 model.

Over the coming weeks we will be adding the full range of Philips dictation and transcription equipment aswell as their accessories.

Now You Can Dictate To Your iPod - XtremeMac MicroMemo

Yes its true, if you have a 2nd generation iPod Nano or a 5th generation Video iPod then there is a fantastic and low cost option which allows you to turn your iPod into a digital voice recorder and record your dictation or meeting direct to your iPod.



The XtremeMac MicroMemo slots neatly into the bottom of your iPod and comes with a flexible detachable microphone. In fact you can use any microphone that comes with a 3.5mm jack plug.

Recording time is displayed on your iPod screen in real-time, and the built-in speaker allows you to listen to your recordings instantly. It really is a very neat little gadget.

We are now stocking the XtremeMac MicroMemo at our online store - www.dictate.com.au

Of course when you have finished your dictation or meeting you can always send the audio over to The Transcription People to have it quickly and accurately transcribed ;-)

Goodbye WS-320M - G'day WS-331M

News of another sudden demise of an old favourite Olympus digital voice recorder, the WS-320M has suddenly been dropped from the Olympus stable here in Australia and New Zealand. The WS-320M was a very popular model with our clients at www.dictate.com.au - I think because of the stunning piano black look it made for a very cool voice recorder and MP3 player.

However, as usual with Olympus they have gone one better. Meet the new WS-331M and is is the trend it has gone big on the the memory. This beauty has a huge 2Gb of internal memory which holds alot of MP3's or WMA's to play on the go. As well as being able to store up to a staggering 555 hours of recording (in LP mode). This really is an awesome little recorder. Powered by a single AAA battery which can power the unit for up to 21 hours.

Here is a summary of the features of the new WS-331M - available in Australia and New Zealand from late June 2007. Get yours from Dictate Australia - www.dictate.com.au Free advice, fast delivery.

- Built-in stereo microphone.
- The unique "USB Direct" design means you can connect it right to the USB port on your computer and download or transfer audio, music, photos and more.
555 hours of recording time in LP mode or 500 songs (4 minutes with 128kbps per song).
- Records in popular Windows Media Audio (WMA) format.
- Backlight Full-Dot LCD.
- 2GB of internal flash memory.
- USB mass storage class means the WS-331M can store documents, images, audio and more.
- Play recordings in Fast and Slow Playback mode - 50 percent faster or 50 percent slower than real time.
- Choose between six recording modes. Three Stereo modes including STXQ, STHQ and STSP, or three monaural modes including HQ, LP and SP for extended recording times.
- Organize up to 200 files in each of five available folders for quick retrieval and storage convenience.
- The Low Cut Filter minimizes air conditioner noise and other similar noises while recording.
- Noise Cancel function and a Voice Filter function cut noise and enable clear audio playback.
- This recorder is compatible with USB 2.0, enabling fast data transfer.
- Use the Voice Activation mode and record sound, via the built-in microphone, without ever lifting a finger.
- Set a portion of an audio file to play on a repeat basis with the Repeat Playback option.
- Lock files to remove any chance of files being accidentally erased.
- Index mark and temp mark features allow you to quickly find desired locations.
- Erase single or multiple files at once.
- Adjust the microphone sensitivity to meet your specific needs.
- Up to 21 hours of continuous operation is achieved with only one AAA battery.
- Supports music files in MP3 and WMA.
- WOW XT (tm) audio technology provides rich bass and 3-dimensional stereo sound during music playback.
- Use the Equalizer Setting to enjoy your favorite types of music with the best possible sound.
- Choose between Random and Repeat playback modes.

Thought About Outsourcing Your Transcription ?

Now that you have a shiny new digital voice recorder what are you going to do with the audio? Will you pass it on to your overworked secretary to type up when she has time or even try and type it yourself?

Why not outsource your transcription work to the experts, The Transcription People.

Located in Australia they have a large team of transcriptionists experienced in all aspects of transcription: legal, medical and general.

The Transcription People service clients from all over the world and provide a fast, accurate and secure transcription service.

Is your audio confidential? Not a problem, their online secure file server encrypts the audio as it is transferred via your web browser to their secure server. All the team have signed and adhere to a strict confidentiality agreement. The Transcription People will even sign an agreement with you to ensure your audio is kept secure.

Having a large team of typists the audio can be turned around very quickly. All transcription is proof read by a second set of eyes which ensures consistency with formatting and accuracy. All transcription is performed onshore within Australia.

So why not give your secretary a break and speak to the The Transcription People for all your outsourced transcription needs.