08-04-2006, 12:00 AM
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Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
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VoiceMinder: WebIS Bringing My Idea to Reality
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.
As wonderful as our Windows Mobile devices are, they still lack an easy way to create actionable 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.
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? Email rules my world. 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. ;-)
VoiceMinder is in beta testing right now, 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.
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. ;-)
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08-04-2006, 12:32 AM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 193
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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 
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08-04-2006, 12:33 AM
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Pupil
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 19
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I think this will be great, and will certainly pick it up when it's released.
Nice thinking!
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08-04-2006, 12:42 AM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 1,466
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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:
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08-04-2006, 12:44 AM
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Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by 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.
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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. ;-)
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08-04-2006, 12:58 AM
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Theorist
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 307
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Jason Dunn
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.
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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***
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08-04-2006, 01:06 AM
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Theorist
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 307
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ps
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.
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08-04-2006, 02:02 AM
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Mystic
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,725
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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.
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08-04-2006, 03:22 AM
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Magi
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 2,341
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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
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08-04-2006, 05:50 AM
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Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Marcel_Proust
if it could pass through a voice to text processor on the internet, that would be wonderful.
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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. ;-)
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