VoiceMinder: WebIS Bringing My Idea to Reality

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.pocketinformant.com/Forums/index.php?showtopic=9490' target='_blank'>http://www.pocketinformant.com/Foru...?showtopic=9490</a><br /><br /></div>Ok, here's a scenario I find myself in quite often: it seems that my brain, for whatever reason, decides to remind me of things I need to do while I'm absolutely no position to do them. I remember that I need to email someone...while I'm driving. I remember I need to order a online product...while I'm in a movie theatre. I remember I need to make an important phone call...while I'm laying in bed at midnight. Is your brain similarly un-cooperative? Then VoiceMinder may interest you.<br /><br />As wonderful as our Windows Mobile devices are, they still lack an easy way to create <i>actionable</i> items with the most natural method of output we have: our voice. Sure, you can record a voice memo, but what then? You have to remember to listen to it later - it requires an additional action from you, and if you're like me, you just forget you made the recording and find it weeks later. You could open up Inbox Mobile, create an email to yourself, start the voice recorder, make your recording, then send the email...but try that while driving (actually, don't). You could create a calendar appointment, but what if you aren't able to view the screen on your device? What I found myself doing more and more was phoning my office line and leaving myself a voice mail, so when I returned that voice mail would be my trigger to act. I find myself in scenarios like that all the time<!>, and I came up with the concept for VoiceMinder as a solution. I approached Alex Kac at WebIS and pitched him on the idea, and now VoiceMinder is a real product in development.<br /><br />The execution is simple: VoiceMinder is a single-button push to start, single-button push to finish, fully automated solution that allows you to record a voice memo and email it to a specific email address. Why email? <i>Email rules my world</i>. It's my to-do list. I don't use tasks in Outlook. I use calendar appointments as tasks lists when I'm in front of my PC, but when I'm not, I find it a hassle to enter appointments on my Pocket PC or Smartphone because the interface is so slow. If I have an email sitting in my Inbox, I can take action on it. So for me, the key to having VoiceMinder unlock my productivity was to have it be incredibly streamlined and focused. It's a one-trick pony, yes, but it's a really useful trick. ;-)<br /><br />VoiceMinder <A HREF=http://www.pocketinformant.com/Forums/index.php?showtopic=9490" target="_blank">is in beta testing right now</A>, and is rough around the edges, but the basic functionality is there. The application will be released for both Pocket PCs and Smartphones (it will really shine on a Smartphone), and will have a disconnected mode for those of you without connected Pocket PCs, or without flat-rate bandwidth. The scenario there is that when you sync with your desktop PC, VoiceMinder will use the ActiveSync pass-through connection to deliver the voice memos to your Inbox. The default voice memo recording level is quite space-efficient: a 23 second recording is only 183 KB. More on VoiceMinder to come, but I wanted to give the Pocket PC Thoughts community a heads-up that this application is coming.<br /><br />And in the interest of full disclosure, as the originator of the application concept, I will make a small profit from sales of the product. I hope that doesn't stop anyone from buying and using it though. ;-)

[Tierran]

I had to chuckle when I got to the end of the article and saw it was, in fact, really and truely your idea :lol:

Cool ;)

[skjohn8]

I think this will be great, and will certainly pick it up when it's released.

Nice thinking!

[Cybrid]

Not bad. I can appreciate the concept. Only thing that could be better would be a speech to text/ voice command like app that could skip the whole email process altogether.
"create apt. 10:30 tomorrow, call Bill" Look ma! No hands! :lol:

[Jason Dunn]

Not bad. I can appreciate the concept. Only thing that could be better would be a speech to text/ voice command like app that could skip the whole email process altogether.

Sure, absolutely - but I'm far more interested in real-world applications that work today, not pie-in-the-sky concepts that we've been promised for 5+ years. It seems that every year is the "breakthrough" year for voice command products. ;-)

[Marcel_Proust]

Sure, absolutely - but I'm far more interested in real-world applications that work today, not pie-in-the-sky concepts that we've been promised for 5+ years.

well i don't think this is so pie in the sky as it's already passing through email. if it could pass through a voice to text processor on the internet, that would be wonderful. it would actually already be possible, as there are a couple of services that do it...? can't recall their names and too lazy to search..Dictomail I think. I looked into them, but found them to be extremely expensive. If Webis could link their product to such a service at a more resonable price...then we're talking pocket pc organization heaven.

***long quote edited by moderator JD***

[Marcel_Proust]

there is also a company called Spinvox that offers something similar to Dictomail. Both seem too expensive for me. I think there's a market opening here.

[OSUKid7]

I find myself not using Tasks too, and I don't like it one bit. My email is already complicated enough, and I frequently just flag an item and hope I remember to come back to it later. Tasks could be a great help, but it takes too long to set them up correctly. I'm intrigued by this program, especially for my Smartphone, but don't want to have to use it in the described email form. I guess I'll look at it again when it's released.

[Paragon]

Very cool.

Just as a matter of feedback, I had to install it 2-3 times before it would work properly. At first whenever I hit the hotkey it would open the settings page for the app, not the record window. It's working fine now though.

BTW....please don't tell my wife about this. Imagine if she knew how easy it was to email me a list of tasks. YIKES!!! :)

Dave

[Jason Dunn]

if it could pass through a voice to text processor on the internet, that would be wonderful.

Well that's the catch right? If they do that, an application such as this would be a service with a yearly or per-message fee, and I sincerely doubt it would be $9.95. ;-) Don't get me wrong, that's definitely the ideal scenario, but I think we're a while away from something like that. VoiceMinder is a practical solution for today. And hey, if you don't like the idea, don't use it. ;-)

[Jason Dunn]

...but don't want to have to use it in the described email form.

I'm curious - how DO you want to use it then? Is there another angle I haven't thought of?

[beedee]

Good to see that a real-world problem is finally addressed by someone! I am currently using Vito AudioNotes as means of simple notetaking on the PPC and recommended to them that they add a way of delivering taken voice notes to one or two given e-mail address a couple of months ago - but they never responded to this request! My idea by then was not only to use voice-notes as "reminder e-mails" for myself, but being able to send it e.g. to my secretary to take action. Do you think it would be possible to add a simple ability to make a selection from 2-3 predefined mailaddresses before taken voice-memos are being sent or may immediately after taking the memos you decide which e-mail address you want to sent it to?

What a pity from a business-point-of-view for VITO! They could have been out with a product that does exactly what your new product does - plus a lot more, since it also works perfect as a dictation tool for longer texts, had they only listend to user requests!

[edeplano]

This is VERY close to what I have also been waiting for, however my prefered method of delivery would be copy the file to a specific directory (I would personaly choose my desktop) during activesync.

Maybe you could easily add this as an option?

[natestera]

Agreed that this is a good idea, but please don't record your voice notes during the movie...

[hamishmacdonald]

I do use the Tasks application quite a bit, and don't think I'd really like a whole lot of voice messages in my in-box, which don't mean anything to look at -- I'd have to listen to each of them and then create some actionable item from them.

What I do really miss is that old application that would tell you on the Today screen if you had voice recordings in your My Documents folder. I'd love for someone to update that.

[Phoenix]

I'm not sure if I'd use a product like this or not. I'll have to take a close look at it when it's finally released out of beta, but initially speaking, the concept doesn't seem to make a lot of sense to me.

Personally, I just prefer text in the form of a calendar event or To Do list - it's private (no one else can overhear memos I've made for myself if others happen to be standing in close proximity, and yes, I can use an earbud, but that's just one more thing I'd have to mess with in order to maintain my schedule, tasks, and privacy), and I always look at my calendar throughout the day to see what I have going on that day, and it takes less time to read and digest a short sentence than to listen to a voice memo, in order to understand what task I have to complete at any given moment. Besides, retrieving a voice memo inside an email to hear its contents will require a person to stop, read, and click or tap on something, anyway, just like using a PIM or other To Do list program, and we already have programs and hardware button mapping to create voice memos (even during times where you can't take your eyes off the road) which can be stored in a folder of our choice and easily referred to later. So with this in mind, I don't see the benefit of this program, or how it would save time, or keep voice memos (that are merely date and time stamped) any more organized.

But perhaps there are some things I'm not understanding, and I want to understand this, so here are some questions:

1.) Is the idea of recording a voice memo and emailing it to yourself simply another way of reminding you to follow up by later creating a calendar event or adding it to your To Do list? I ask this because not every task that a voice memo is created for will have to be completed the day the memo is created and/or listened to.

2.) Is the idea behind this to retrieve the emails on a connected handheld when you're out and about, or to retrieve them on your laptop or desktop at a later time when you're at home or work where the voice memos can be followed up on within Outlook or some other organizational program?

3.) Stick with me on this one: If the idea behind this program keeping us organized is that we are to retrieve these voice memo emails on a connected handheld, and with the understanding that the contents of a voice memo within an email won't be understood without opening it up and listening to it any easier than creating a voice memo with the programs we already have, what's the point in emailing these voice memos just to have them sent right back to the mailbox on the very device in which the memo was first created? This would just seem like an extra unnecessary step in creating and cataloguing voice memos.

4.) If you email yourself a voice memo regarding something that you need to do any number of days in the near future, and you don't follow it up by creating a calendar event or so on, in what way will this program remind you to listen to the voice memo again when it comes time to be reminded of its contents? How will these voice memo emails be organized within our email program? Since these emails (and subsequently the contents of a voice memo) couldn't be labeled with a specific summary that we could understand at a glance without manual stylus input like we would in creating a calendar event, again, I don't see how this is any more proactive than creating a standard voice memo. Aside from following up and creating a calendar event, etc., are we to listen to the same voice memos over and over everyday to make sure we don't forget to complete tasks? I ask this because I don't see how this is supposed to save time, ease organization, and keep us on track.

5.) Aside from that, how would this program differ from simply generating a standard voice memo and having them stored in an easily found folder on the Today screen for later processing or reference?



I'm not trying to slam your idea, I'm just trying to understand how you're perceiving how this will benefit a person's work flow or personal life differently or more effectively than simply creating a calendar event, To Do list, or a voice memo and storing it in a folder of his or her choosing.

Apart from a yet-to-be-seen voice-to-text/text-to-voice program, voice memos seem like a clumsy way to stay organized. It seems to me that voice memos are designed not as a default or effective way of creating and referring to task entries (especially on PPC's, otherwise, why not just use a digital voice recorder?), but only as a last resort or secondary method of doing so when you can't take your eyes off the road or something else long enough in order to create an entry, and we already have ways to do that. And once created, retrieving them out of an email would require you to stop, read, and click or tap things to listen to the contents, and these steps are no different than using a PIM along with mapped hardware buttons that are simple to use.

Just trying to understand.



*** And btw, no one should have a problem with you making a profit off of something you conceptualized. You certainly don't have to answer to anyone for that.

[edeplano]

The way I had originally wished it to work was that audio recordings got synced automatically and showed up as "Unread"/bold entries in Outlook Notes.

This would draw attention to the note the same way as attention is focused on "un-read" email...

[Marcel_Proust]

Phoenix, I think those are great questions, I'd like to know to, as I'm always trying to find ways to organize efficiently and looking for things I haven't thought of.
By the way, the BEST organizer program for the PPC has been released, but no fanfare anywhere.
It's at http://www.mylifeorganized.net/ and there's a pocket pc version standalone and a desktop sync that works well. (and an outlook sync)
I've tried many many organizers, time management, task organizers for the ppc, really, and this is by far the best. Powerful, easy to use, many interesting options as you become familiar with the program. A 45 day trial which is also very nice and generous and necessary with software like this.
I think it deserves a news entry of it's own.

And, speaking of voice to text, look at what I've just come across at at Brighthand!
I always knew that Gravity Accelometers would be the way to go with speech recognitions. I hope it meets tachion emission regulations though.

Press Release - Pre-Announcement of Gravity Vane computer with Text-To-Speech
Press Release - Pre-Announcement of Gravity Vane computer with Text-To-Speech

Does your mobile computer have a gravity input? Or, an eyes-free method of inputting text, while receiving audio computer output? Yours can if you get the new ECYPH computer. PN Technologies demonstrates cutting-edge patent pending techology in this compact wonder. Input is through a gravity vane accelerometer, mounted perpendicular to the centerline of the product, which is pointed at the center of the earth. Ergonomic buttons (see picture) allow for further user control. Computer output is handled via a Winbond Text-To-Speech chip, which renders ASCII text to human speech. All operations can thus be handled one-handed and eyes free, which leaves the user free to carry on other life activities, in a fashion unmatched by any other computer announced to date.

The method of using an accelerometer to input text to a computer is commonly referred to as Tilt-Text. ECYPH comes standard with an Audio Web Browser application and an Audio Terminal. Serial connection is offered standard, and Bluetooth connectivity is optional. ECYPH, like all PN Technologies innovations, is designed for interoperability with other computing products. Contact PNTech at [email protected] if you'd like to Pre-Order the new ECYPH for $199.99 and be on the vanguard of an entirely new way of computing.
__________________
[email protected]
www.pcables.com

[Jason Dunn]

Agreed that this is a good idea, but please don't record your voice notes during the movie...

Before the movie only, I promise. ;-)

[Jason Lee]

I do use the Tasks application quite a bit, and don't think I'd really like a whole lot of voice messages in my in-box, which don't mean anything to look at -- I'd have to listen to each of them and then create some actionable item from them.

What I do really miss is that old application that would tell you on the Today screen if you had voice recordings in your My Documents folder. I'd love for someone to update that.

Kinda like this?

http://batcaveweb.com/uploaded_images/recordtoday.png

Then you can convert your recorded note by taping and holding on it.

http://batcaveweb.com/uploaded_images/recordconvert.png

This will create an appointment or task with the recording in the notes field and keep the name.

[Paragon]

but initially speaking, the concept doesn't seem to make a lot of sense to me.


All it is supposed to be is a very quick and easy way to give yourself a reminder and have it placed somewhere you are likely to see it. Since most of us are in our inboxes pretty regular it works great......a single button to push and presto. Nothing fancy. It just does what it is supposed to do, period. :)

Dave

[Jason Dunn]

Phoenix, with all due respect, you're entirely over-thinking this. ;-) It definitely sounds like this is not an application you'd use, which is 100% ok. I don't understand why you'd go to such lengths to deconstruct my thinking though. This is a solution that I know will be great for me, and in making the decision to write the app, Alex obviously thought there were enough people out there like me to warrant the development time and sale of the app.

Personally, I just prefer text in the form of a calendar event or To Do list...

If you can create appointments and tasks while driving, you're more talented than I am and clearly don't need this solution.

Aside from that, how would this program differ from simply generating a standard voice memo and having them stored in an easily found folder on the Today screen for later processing or reference?

Because, for me, that solution is not actionable. I already explained this: voice memos, the way they work now, are passive. You record them, and they need to be retrieved and listened to before you can act on them. A today screen plug-in does not make them actionable, unless perhaps it would chime to remind you there are new voice mails to listen to. VoiceMinder simply shifts the retrieval portion to your Inbox, which for me, makes it actionable. That's it. Nothing more.

...but only as a last resort or secondary method of doing so when you can't take your eyes off the road or something else long enough in order to create an entry, and we already have ways to do that.

You've just explained this to yourself, so I don't understand why you're objecting so much. Were you under the impression that I was pitching VoiceMinder as the ONLY way to create appointments and tasks? Absolutely not! I never said that, nor did I imply it. I gave specific examples of when/where text entry of appointments/tasks was impractical or impossible (for me at least). And in those scenarios, VoiceMinder will allow me to still record an action item for follow-up later.

This is all much simpler than you think. ;-)

[edeplano]

Kinda like this?

Jason, can you let me know what application manages your today screen?

[Jason Lee]

Jason, can you let me know what application manages your today screen?

What you see is Spb Diary (http://www.spbsoftwarehouse.com/products/diary/?en). At the moment it is setup as a tab inside Spb Pocket Plus (http://www.spbsoftwarehouse.com/products/pocketplus/?en) but it works just fine as a stand alone plugin.

Actually in my original post i should have grouped the notes by Date/Time. This will show a "Today" headding with all notes recorded today. Then "This Week", "Last Week", and so on. That would be better for seeing new notes that you need to take care of now.

[Phoenix]

Phoenix, with all due respect, you're entirely over-thinking this. ;-) It definitely sounds like this is not an application you'd use, which is 100% ok. I don't understand why you'd go to such lengths to deconstruct my thinking though. This is a solution that I know will be great for me, and in making the decision to write the app, Alex obviously thought there were enough people out there like me to warrant the development time and sale of the app.

Jason, with all due respect, I think you're too defensive about all this.

I wasn't trying to overthink it, I was trying to understand it. And I wasn't trying to deconstruct your thinking (whatever that means). This idea of yours is brand new (AFAIK), and I was simply asking questions in order to understand your product and why it would be more effective than what we already have access to and to determine whether or not it would be something that would suit me better than what I've been using. I also made it very clear to you that I wasn't shooting down your idea, but just wanting clarification.

I raised some good questions, and as this product is marketed, you'll have to be prepared to not get defensive, but rather, to help others understand. That's just business. Not everyone will respond in the exact manner you want them to. Consumers have to understand the point behind any product before they'll buy it.

Part of me not understanding was likely due to the fact that I've never heard of someone solely utilizing an email inbox to keep track of tasks and appointments.

If you can create appointments and tasks while driving, you're more talented than I am and clearly don't need this solution.

I'm not sure why you say this. I never said that I'd make text entries while driving. Creating reminders while driving or when you don't have your eyes free to look at the screen is what a PPC's built-in voice recorder feature is for, which is what I mentioned in my initial post.

Because, for me, that solution is not actionable... VoiceMinder simply shifts the retrieval portion to your Inbox, which for me, makes it actionable. That's it. Nothing more.

I understand the passivity of creating and storing voice memos in a folder. I wasn't sure if there was something more to it, but as I speculated, I see now that your program is just simply another way to retrieve voice memos, and that a PPC's ability to alert you to new email messages is a way to remind you to go into your inbox and check those voice memos. Some will go this route, while others will stick with the folder route and go into there on a regular basis to retrieve their voice reminders. Just personal preference. This confirms what I was questioning.

...but only as a last resort or secondary method of doing so when you can't take your eyes off the road or something else long enough in order to create an entry, and we already have ways to do that.

You've just explained this to yourself, so I don't understand why you're objecting so much.

That line was me presenting my opinion, not seeking an answer to a question I already had the answer to. It wasn't an objection as much as it was part of a greater whole of me thinking things through and trying to understand how this new product idea would differ and whether it would benefit me more than solutions we already have.

Were you under the impression that I was pitching VoiceMinder as the ONLY way to create appointments and tasks? Absolutely not! I never said that, nor did I imply it. I gave specific examples of when/where text entry of appointments/tasks was impractical or impossible (for me at least). And in those scenarios, VoiceMinder will allow me to still record an action item for follow-up later.

This is all much simpler than you think. ;-)

No, I wasn't under that impression at all. The people who are looking for this type of solution and would use your product aren't going to be swayed away from it simply by me asking questions, and those who prefer the PIM and voice memo folder route would stick with that anyway, so again, I'm not sure why you're getting so sensitive about all of this. If you're going to be a part of creating a new product, you'll have to be able to address people's questions and any initial objections without being defensive.

I wish you the best of success with your product. :)

[edeplano]

It would also be interesting to have the same "reminding" capacity added to new pictures. I also sometimes use the camera to take notes (ie. take the picture of a poster for something I need to buy...).

This way both new voice and picture memos would be brought to our attention (either by email or by transfering in a directory).

[lathamj]

I have been using the beta trial for a few days and have decided I can not live without it.

I have gone a step further and using the rules wizard in Outlook have each email from voiceminder flaged with a reminder. I use remind in zero days so that as soon as the message arrives a reminder pops up and REQUIRES action. Never likely to forget anything important again.

Keep up the great work. I think with a bit more fine tuning this will become a famous product.

[JamesM]

If you don't immediately see the utility of this app, read Getting Things Done by David Allen. One of the lessons he teaches involves the collection phase of workflow. He suggests using both physical and electronic collection tools such as plastic in trays and email inboxes. The idea is to live with as few "inboxes" as possible. While some may object to the thought of having an "In" tray at home, Allen suggests that if you don't, your whole house then becomes your in box :). In the same way, I don't need my whole Pocket PC to become my in box, just my email inbox. I'm definitely getting this.
-James

[Jason Lee]

I am just the opposite with this. I too only have one in tray and it is my outlook task list. if something is going to be in my inbox for more than a day or requires further attention I make it a task where I can catagorize, prioritize it and sort it.

my email inbox is my temporary buffer until things get into my real to do list.

so this email voice memo is definitely not for me. If I do make a voice note I want it in the notes app on my ppc so I can later use Spb Diary to convert it to a task.
I need to be more organized than an inbox. I would never find anything in there lol

[JamesM]

need to be more organized than an inbox. I would never find anything in there lol

Not to hijack the thread to GTD, but you point to the next step in workflow; processing. You're not supposed to have an organized inbox. It holds (temporarily) what you collect throughout your day. At the first opportunity, the next step is to process - do, delegate, or defer each item, one-by-one in your inbox. Your task list then becomes the result of a decision to defer doing something - it cannot be an inbox. Sorry - I'm not trying to be the GTD police :wink: .

This application (for me) reduces my collection tools by one item, and for that, it is useful.

James

[Marcel_Proust]

need to be more organized than an inbox. I would never find anything in there lol

Not to hijack the thread to GTD, but you point to the next step in workflow; processing. You're not supposed to have an organized inbox. It holds (temporarily) what you collect throughout your day. At the first opportunity, the next step is to process - do, delegate, or defer each item, one-by-one in your inbox. Your task list then becomes the result of a decision to defer doing something - it cannot be an inbox. Sorry - I'm not trying to be the GTD police :wink: .

This application (for me) reduces my collection tools by one item, and for that, it is useful.

James

I think I'll leave the logic behind the program alone, but there is a GTD and maybe general productivity question here, A very useful time saving program (other than MyLifeOrganzied, which is covered in another thread) that I've found is TextSpeech. Highly recommended. This is not like your father's TTS, this is ready for prime time. It doesn't use the usual tts voices, but Neospeech, which is similar to AT&amp;T natural voices. I can actually listen to documents, web pages, emails, etc, and it's understandable and not fatiguing. Audible books are preferable of course, but not always available.
Their support has been good so far. Version 1.0 was problematic because it wouldn't install to storage card, and had some kind of audio click problem, but they fixed that promptly.

[Jason Dunn]

Creating reminders while driving or when you don't have your eyes free to look at the screen is what a PPC's built-in voice recorder feature is for, which is what I mentioned in my initial post.

But then how do you ACT on those voice recordings? That's the issue VoiceMinder aims to solve. For me at least, if I do a voice recording, there's nothing that reminds me to go look in the voice recording folder and act on that recording. I simply am not good at remembering to go check my voice recordings. Maybe if the Pocket PC had a blinking light on it to remind me or something. ;-) All VoiceMinder is doing is pushing those voice recordings to the forefront of my world, my email Inbox. That's it. :-)

[Phoenix]

Creating reminders while driving or when you don't have your eyes free to look at the screen is what a PPC's built-in voice recorder feature is for, which is what I mentioned in my initial post.

But then how do you ACT on those voice recordings? That's the issue VoiceMinder aims to solve. For me at least, if I do a voice recording, there's nothing that reminds me to go look in the voice recording folder and act on that recording. I simply am not good at remembering to go check my voice recordings. Maybe if the Pocket PC had a blinking light on it to remind me or something. ;-) All VoiceMinder is doing is pushing those voice recordings to the forefront of my world, my email Inbox. That's it. :-)

No, really, I get it. I was just talking about how a person would make recordings while driving, which was in response to a comment you made to me earlier.

There may not be another way to alert yourself of a voice memo you recorded, unless you have a way to leave yourself a message in your own cellular voicemail system. I just didn't see what was so hard about making it a habit to go into a folder once a day and follow up on voice memos you placed there.

But again, that's just helps illustrate a difference between organizational styles.

[Jason Dunn]

I just didn't see what was so hard about making it a habit to go into a folder once a day and follow up on voice memos you placed there.

That's really the crux of this issue - you don't seem to understand that for some people, going into a folder on their device to check for voice memos on an irregular basis isn't something that is easily remembered. Think of it this way: imagine a secretary taking phone messages for a boss and putting them in a drawer, and the boss having to remember to look in the drawer to see if anything is there. ;-) You are obviously a disciplined person with a great memory - I am not, use technology to assist me, and thought of this application to enhance the way technology helps me day to day.

[ctmagnus]

Does this happen on any other WM5 devices? You hit the record button and the Notes app pops up with the recording toolbar ready to go, but as soon as you let go of the button, the recording stops? This is on a JAMin.

I assume that VoiceMinder will not have the need to hold down the button for the duration of the recording.

[Jason Lee]

Does this happen on any other WM5 devices? You hit the record button and the Notes app pops up with the recording toolbar ready to go, but as soon as you let go of the button, the recording stops? This is on a JAMin.

I assume that VoiceMinder will not have the need to hold down the button for the duration of the recording.

If you tap the record button really quick it will start recording until you press it again. If you press and hold the record button it will start recording until you let off the button.

At least for me it does this. ;)

Edit: Oh wait.. that was my last device.. yeah i have to hold the record button with my 8125. :oops:

[Jason Dunn]

The way VoiceMinder is supposed to work is you press it once to start recording, press it again to stop, and it will kick off the email sending process. It is still in beta though, there may be some bugs.

[Phoenix]

That's really the crux of this issue - you don't seem to understand that for some people, going into a folder on their device to check for voice memos on an irregular basis isn't something that is easily remembered. Think of it this way...

Jason, I GET IT. :)

You don't have to keep explaining it. :lol: Trust me, I understand you.

I am fully aware that some people, depending on their organizational style, may benefit from this, while others won't. Perhaps down the line I may change my mind, but for now, personally, because I don't use my inbox to keep track of tasks, it's just something extra I don't require.

[brianchris]

because I don't use my inbox to keep track of tasks, it's just something extra I don't require.

Phoenix, email is not (necissarily) the final resting point for a task, but it extremely frequently is the beggining! How many people request something of you via email? I would guess quite a bit, and in those circumstances, when you happened to be sitting at a desktop computer, with full keyboard and mouse, and not driving a car, you create a task or appointment based on the email request.

All Voiceminder is doing is translating that fleeting thought you may have while on the go to an initial request (from yourself) contained within an unread email, which, by default, the PocketPC and desktop email applications notify/remind us of unread emails.

I understand you claim you get it, but your last comment seemed to imply that voiceminder is for people that only keep tasks in their inbox.....that couldn't be further from the truth.

Personally, I have called and left a voicemail for myself countless times, and, although I've felt like an idiot doing it, its been an effective tool. This promises to be just as effective, and much cooler than leaving myself a voicemail :lol:

There is the small downside of sending a voiceminder email from my Pocket PC over GPRS just to get it sent right back at me over GPRS via push email, but that's minor, especially if one is on an unlimited data plan.

I, for one, can't wait for Voiceminder. However, I would never be so foolish to say everyone will find it as usefull or appreciate it as I do.

For what its worth, I'm not affiliated with Jason, PocketPC Thoughts, or WebIS. Indeed, I haven't even tried the beta, and probably will wait until its officially release. I just see the potential aid to my life and productivity. Thanks!

[Phoenix]

Phoenix, email is not (necissarily) the final resting point for a task, but it extremely frequently is the beggining!...

...your last comment seemed to imply that voiceminder is for people that only keep tasks in their inbox...

Actually, I didn't imply that last part at all. But I think we're past this, Brian. We're on page four in this thread. Reference the first two lines of my post prior to this one.


All Voiceminder is doing is translating that fleeting thought you may have while on the go to an initial request (from yourself) contained within an unread email, which, by default, the PocketPC and desktop email applications notify/remind us of unread emails.

:lol: Brian, is this post actually meant for me or the eighty-year olds who have never used a "kompooter" before?


I understand you claim you get it, but...

I'm glad you understand. It's been fun. Have a nice day! :D