Even my dog understands when I give him certain commands. Shouldn’t my computer be at least that smart?
I'm always on the lookout for software that promises to reduce repetitive tasks and save time. Lately, I’ve been using PhraseExpress from Bartels Media. With it, my computer behaves the way I want it to, and acts smarter than it did before.
First things first … the obvious use of PhraseExpress is to create shortcuts for commonly used words and phrases.
There are certain phrases that you probably type over-and-over again. Some of them are short, like your name; others are little longer, like the name of your website or the way you sign your name at the end of an e-mail. Then there are phrases that are considerably longer than that, yet are still something that you end up using considerably more often than you like typing it. Well, it turns out you don't have to type it anymore.
For example, if I type "fyit", PhraseExpress replaces that with "for your information, I thought you might want to see this …" and then adds my signature. Another one I use often is “ttc”, which expands to "Thank you for your time and consideration." Realize, though, that you can add whatever phrases work for you. During the course of a week, PhraseExpress saves me thousands of keystrokes and a considerable amount of time.
A related feature is to create replacement text to correct certain words that I commonly mistype or misspell. My fingers don't always go where they should, but at least I'm consistent about it. That means if I somehow transpose a letter, the correct spelling ends up in the document without me having to slow down, backup, or lose focus.
It Starts Saving You Time As Soon As You Install It.
PhraseExpress works as soon as you install it, because it comes with thousands of pre-built text replacements and phrases. The real power, however, is that you can add your own information and customize what's there as much as you want.
In addition to the phrases that come with the software, Bartels also offers several free add-on modules for you to download and install. One of these allows you to do math. So if you type “20+80 =” that will pop up a box letting you replace that with the answer — or you can ignore it and keep typing. Another feature can translate date math; so, "two days from now" could convert and insert the correct day and date into your document. I created a phrase so that "dd" inserts the current date; frankly, I use that considerably more than I thought I would. For practical puproses, your imagination is the only limit.
I See You, I Know You … And I Can Guess Your Command.
The second major feature that PhraseExpress offers is a predictive text capability that remembers what you typed before, and suggests a word or phrase that you've typed several times in that situation.
At first, I was skeptical that I would appreciate that feature. Now, it's something I look forward to and appreciate each time it pops up. The predictive text feature continues to get smarter the more you use it. Here is an example captured while using e-mail.
Taking Automation to the Next Level.
Another PhraseExpress feature worth noting is its surprisingly full-featured scripting language. This allows you to automate a repetitive task, even if it contains multiple steps. It can be as simple as forwarding an e-mail to a certain group of people, or something that reduces a series of tasks that used to take me close to half an hour – but with the PhraseExpress script now gets done in about a minute without any intervention on my part.
Another way I use scripting is to add a random thought to ponder to my e-mail signature. Any time I see a quote or idea that I want to save, it only takes a few keystrokes to add it to my collection. And then a simple script allows me to randomly add one of those "thoughts to ponder" to my e-mail signature.
Words Are Powerful.
Words are powerful, and they're easier to remember than complex commands like “Control-Shift-F5”. So, I like that I can assign short words or phrases to trigger the actions I want. I'm way more likely to remember it, and that means I'm way more likely to use it.
You can use the basic version of PhraseExpress at no cost. However, a quick trial will easily justify the purchase of a more powerful version.
The best thing about PhraseExpress is that I forget it's there … and it continues to work saving time, money, and frustration. Another great thing about it is that it's easy to add phrases or customize the way it works. After it is broken in, it naturally fits you and the way you work. Finally, I appreciate how responsive the company has been in providing support and listening to feature requests.
Bottom-Line: PhraseExpress is a terrific piece of software. It is a very well designed and intuitive program that removes many of the frustrations you face sitting in front of your computer each day.
Even my dog understands when I give him certain commands. Shouldn’t my computer be at least that smart?
I'm always on the lookout for software that promises to reduce repetitive tasks and save time. Lately, I’ve been using PhraseExpress from Bartels Media. With it, my computer behaves the way I want it to, and acts smarter than it did before.
First things first … the obvious use of PhraseExpress is to create shortcuts for commonly used words and phrases.
There are certain phrases that you probably type over-and-over again. Some of them are short, like your name; others are little longer, like the name of your website or the way you sign your name at the end of an e-mail. Then there are phrases that are considerably longer than that, yet are still something that you end up using considerably more often than you like typing it. Well, it turns out you don't have to type it anymore.
For example, if I type "fyit", PhraseExpress replaces that with "for your information, I thought you might want to see this …" and then adds my signature. Another one I use often is “ttc”, which expands to "Thank you for your time and consideration." Realize, though, that you can add whatever phrases work for you. During the course of a week, PhraseExpress saves me thousands of keystrokes and a considerable amount of time.
A related feature is to create replacement text to correct certain words that I commonly mistype or misspell. My fingers don't always go where they should, but at least I'm consistent about it. That means if I somehow transpose a letter, the correct spelling ends up in the document without me having to slow down, backup, or lose focus.
It Starts Saving You Time As Soon As You Install It.
PhraseExpress works as soon as you install it, because it comes with thousands of pre-built text replacements and phrases. The real power, however, is that you can add your own information and customize what's there as much as you want.
In addition to the phrases that come with the software, Bartels also offers several free add-on modules for you to download and install. One of these allows you to do math. So if you type “20+80 =” that will pop up a box letting you replace that with the answer — or you can ignore it and keep typing. Another feature can translate date math; so, "two days from now" could convert and insert the correct day and date into your document. I created a phrase so that "dd" inserts the current date; frankly, I use that considerably more than I thought I would. For practical puproses, your imagination is the only limit.
I See You, I Know You … And I Can Guess Your Command.
The second major feature that PhraseExpress offers is a predictive text capability that remembers what you typed before, and suggests a word or phrase that you've typed several times in that situation.
At first, I was skeptical that I would appreciate that feature. Now, it's something I look forward to and appreciate each time it pops up. The predictive text feature continues to get smarter the more you use it. Here is an example captured while using e-mail.
Taking Automation to the Next Level.
Another PhraseExpress feature worth noting is its surprisingly full-featured scripting language. This allows you to automate a repetitive task, even if it contains multiple steps. It can be as simple as forwarding an e-mail to a certain group of people, or something that reduces a series of tasks that used to take me close to half an hour – but with the PhraseExpress script now gets done in about a minute without any intervention on my part.
Another way I use scripting is to add a random thought to ponder to my e-mail signature. Any time I see a quote or idea that I want to save, it only takes a few keystrokes to add it to my collection. And then a simple script allows me to randomly add one of those "thoughts to ponder" to my e-mail signature.
Words Are Powerful.
Words are powerful, and they're easier to remember than complex commands like “Control-Shift-F5”. So, I like that I can assign short words or phrases to trigger the actions I want. I'm way more likely to remember it, and that means I'm way more likely to use it.
You can use the basic version of PhraseExpress at no cost. However, a quick trial will easily justify the purchase of a more powerful version.
The best thing about PhraseExpress is that I forget it's there … and it continues to work saving time, money, and frustration. Another great thing about it is that it's easy to add phrases or customize the way it works. After it is broken in, it naturally fits you and the way you work. Finally, I appreciate how responsive the company has been in providing support and listening to feature requests.
Bottom-Line: PhraseExpress is a terrific piece of software. It is a very well designed and intuitive program that removes many of the frustrations you face sitting in front of your computer each day.
Another barrier between person and machine is fading … and your voice is the key.
Here is a demo I made showing how Dragon NaturallySpeaking 11 turns your talk into typing (or helps you send an e-mail without touching the keyboard). It really is as accurate and easy to use as it looks in this video.
Communicate More Naturally With Dragon NaturallySpeaking.
Can you type is quickly as you think? I certainly can't.
How do you think that affects your writing?
Humans can only focus on a few things at a time, and if you're focused on where your fingers are going or whether you've made a mistake, you are using cognitive resources that could have gone into thinking better or communicating more clearly.
It shouldn't come as a big surprise to you that talking is so much more natural than typing. Think how much more practice you get doing it. So, it follows that it's easier to create natural sounding content by transcribing what you say, rather than typing what you think.
With Dragon NaturallySpeaking, you get the best of both worlds. It transcribes your voice, and then you have an opportunity to edit it using your voice or the keyboard.
The Whole Process Is Faster … Not Just the Typing.
Because the process is more natural (and less error-prone), something that might take hours to compose on a keyboard can be dictated in a few minutes. More importantly, it will probably sound better and be easier to understand.
How Fast Do You Type? You can check your speed here or here.
I was surprised to learn that my average typing speed is between 40 and 50 words per minute. Dragon NaturallySpeaking clocks in about three times faster than that.
Speech Recognition Is Getting Better All the Time.
The first time I saw someone use speech recognition was in the mid-1990s. As you might suspect, the technology was much cruder than it is today. However, the user had Parkinson's disease. So the hassle of learning to use a pre-cursor to this technology made sense. As an early adopter, I tried it too. But back then, it didn't make sense for me to use it regularly. Fast forward to today, and I use Dragon NaturallySpeaking almost every day. Why? Because it's easier for me than typing.
Nuance has become a leader in this field. In addition to DNS, they've got great applications that work on smart phones, and they also bought the popular service called Jott. I mention it because their massive user-base across these products and services allow Nuance to collect millions of voice samples and customer feedback from around the world. The samples show not only different ways that people pronounce words, but which words are more likely to be spoken, and in what context. Add that to the improvements in microphones, sound cards, processing power, etc. — and the result is a faster and more accurate recognition engine.
Earlier versions of the technology were very dependent on how well you trained it. Now, it works decently out-of-the-box, with virtually no setup or specialized training. As good as it is, I appreciate that Nuance makes it easy for the program to learn my writing style and particular vocabulary. To do this, for example, you can let it look at your sent mail folder or a folder of word processing documents.
Try It Yourself.
If you're a fumble-fingered typist, I highly recommend that you go out and find a copy of this program. However, even if you're a good typist, I recommend that you get a copy because you'll find that you write better and spend more time focusing on what you're going to say … rather than worrying whether you got it down on paper the right way.
Bottom-Line: It's time to give this technology a fresh look. It's ready for prime time, and I think Nuance has a hit.
Another barrier between person and machine is fading … and your voice is the key.
Here is a demo I made showing how Dragon NaturallySpeaking 11 turns your talk into typing (or helps you send an e-mail without touching the keyboard). It really is as accurate and easy to use as it looks in this video.
Communicate More Naturally With Dragon NaturallySpeaking.
Can you type is quickly as you think? I certainly can't.
How do you think that affects your writing?
Humans can only focus on a few things at a time, and if you're focused on where your fingers are going or whether you've made a mistake, you are using cognitive resources that could have gone into thinking better or communicating more clearly.
It shouldn't come as a big surprise to you that talking is so much more natural than typing. Think how much more practice you get doing it. So, it follows that it's easier to create natural sounding content by transcribing what you say, rather than typing what you think.
With Dragon NaturallySpeaking, you get the best of both worlds. It transcribes your voice, and then you have an opportunity to edit it using your voice or the keyboard.
The Whole Process Is Faster … Not Just the Typing.
Because the process is more natural (and less error-prone), something that might take hours to compose on a keyboard can be dictated in a few minutes. More importantly, it will probably sound better and be easier to understand.
How Fast Do You Type? You can check your speed here or here.
I was surprised to learn that my average typing speed is between 40 and 50 words per minute. Dragon NaturallySpeaking clocks in about three times faster than that.
Speech Recognition Is Getting Better All the Time.
The first time I saw someone use speech recognition was in the mid-1990s. As you might suspect, the technology was much cruder than it is today. However, the user had Parkinson's disease. So the hassle of learning to use a pre-cursor to this technology made sense. As an early adopter, I tried it too. But back then, it didn't make sense for me to use it regularly. Fast forward to today, and I use Dragon NaturallySpeaking almost every day. Why? Because it's easier for me than typing.
Nuance has become a leader in this field. In addition to DNS, they've got great applications that work on smart phones, and they also bought the popular service called Jott. I mention it because their massive user-base across these products and services allow Nuance to collect millions of voice samples and customer feedback from around the world. The samples show not only different ways that people pronounce words, but which words are more likely to be spoken, and in what context. Add that to the improvements in microphones, sound cards, processing power, etc. — and the result is a faster and more accurate recognition engine.
Earlier versions of the technology were very dependent on how well you trained it. Now, it works decently out-of-the-box, with virtually no setup or specialized training. As good as it is, I appreciate that Nuance makes it easy for the program to learn my writing style and particular vocabulary. To do this, for example, you can let it look at your sent mail folder or a folder of word processing documents.
Try It Yourself.
If you're a fumble-fingered typist, I highly recommend that you go out and find a copy of this program. However, even if you're a good typist, I recommend that you get a copy because you'll find that you write better and spend more time focusing on what you're going to say … rather than worrying whether you got it down on paper the right way.
Bottom-Line: It's time to give this technology a fresh look. It's ready for prime time, and I think Nuance has a hit.
Your contact database is becoming an increasingly important hub linking your personal, professional, and social life. So it's not fun when that data gets messed-up.
If you are like me, over time, I combined contact records from different sources (e.g., cell phone, Microsoft Outlook, and web-mail accounts). At some point, I ended up with more duplicate records than I wanted to handle manually.
The real issue was that not all the duplicate records were really "duplicates". Some of the information was the same, but other information was different. I wanted something that let me pick and choose what to keep, what to get rid of, and what to merge.
It's not just duplicate records; lots of other things can go wrong too. For example, somehow many of the birthdays in my contacts database got shifted by one day. That meant someone whose birthday was July 27th, didn't show up on my calendar until July 28th. That defeats the purpose of setting birthday reminders, doesn't it? I had an older backup saved on the hard disk; but what about all the additions and changes I made since then?
I have used several versions of this software over time. Contacts Scrubber was already a fine solution to a messy problem; yet it keeps getting better. It handles most things automatically, while still giving you control (when you want it).
I'm happy to say that it worked beautifully. If you ever run into this problem, I suggest you give Contacts Scrubber a try. It might save you a lot of time. Bottom-Line: it is the easiest way I've found to merge & purge and end-up with accurate Outlook 2010 contact records.
Your contact database is becoming an increasingly important hub linking your personal, professional, and social life. So it's not fun when that data gets messed-up.
If you are like me, over time, I combined contact records from different sources (e.g., cell phone, Microsoft Outlook, and web-mail accounts). At some point, I ended up with more duplicate records than I wanted to handle manually.
The real issue was that not all the duplicate records were really "duplicates". Some of the information was the same, but other information was different. I wanted something that let me pick and choose what to keep, what to get rid of, and what to merge.
It's not just duplicate records; lots of other things can go wrong too. For example, somehow many of the birthdays in my contacts database got shifted by one day. That meant someone whose birthday was July 27th, didn't show up on my calendar until July 28th. That defeats the purpose of setting birthday reminders, doesn't it? I had an older backup saved on the hard disk; but what about all the additions and changes I made since then?
I have used several versions of this software over time. Contacts Scrubber was already a fine solution to a messy problem; yet it keeps getting better. It handles most things automatically, while still giving you control (when you want it).
I'm happy to say that it worked beautifully. If you ever run into this problem, I suggest you give Contacts Scrubber a try. It might save you a lot of time. Bottom-Line: it is the easiest way I've found to merge & purge and end-up with accurate Outlook 2010 contact records.
We started using 37signals' web-based applications: Basecamp (for project management), Campfire (for work-group chat), and Backpack (for knowledge management). These are simple, focused tools designed to help you collaborate, get organized, and to get things done.
The software is terrific, and so is the philosophy behind it. 37signals got so much positive feedback from their blog … they parlayed it into a best-selling book.
Why Is the Book Relevant?
Rework is about the business, design, programming, and marketing philosophies of a developer that makes web-based software used by millions of people.
What's In It For Me?
It is easy to find value, fresh perspectives, and inspiration in this practical book. At less than 300 pages, it's a quick read too. Each chapter is only a page or two, so it's a great airplane or nightstand book.
Also, they proudly present ideas in bold strokes; clearly favoring provocative over wishy-washy. For example, 37signals proclaims it builds software products with the least number of features necessary. In other words, their products intentionally do less than their competition.
Here is a Partial List of the Essays in the Book.
This list will give you a sense of the book and its tone. Click the image for a more complete list.
I don't agree with some of what they preach. Yet, it is easy to get lots of value quickly from the book. Another way I know it is good, is that it is making its way around the office; and I often hear people referencing it and referring to it. All-in-all, it is worth reading.
We started using 37signals' web-based applications: Basecamp (for project management), Campfire (for work-group chat), and Backpack (for knowledge management). These are simple, focused tools designed to help you collaborate, get organized, and to get things done.
The software is terrific, and so is the philosophy behind it. 37signals got so much positive feedback from their blog … they parlayed it into a best-selling book.
Why Is the Book Relevant?
Rework is about the business, design, programming, and marketing philosophies of a developer that makes web-based software used by millions of people.
What's In It For Me?
It is easy to find value, fresh perspectives, and inspiration in this practical book. At less than 300 pages, it's a quick read too. Each chapter is only a page or two, so it's a great airplane or nightstand book.
Also, they proudly present ideas in bold strokes; clearly favoring provocative over wishy-washy. For example, 37signals proclaims it builds software products with the least number of features necessary. In other words, their products intentionally do less than their competition.
Here is a Partial List of the Essays in the Book.
This list will give you a sense of the book and its tone. Click the image for a more complete list.
I don't agree with some of what they preach. Yet, it is easy to get lots of value quickly from the book. Another way I know it is good, is that it is making its way around the office; and I often hear people referencing it and referring to it. All-in-all, it is worth reading.
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