‘Tis The Season
Philips Speech Processing Solutions has been rather busy lately, recently announcing the launch of both SpeechLive and SpeechScribe, coupled with the release of SpeechExec Pro v8.5 for the Windows platform.
Yet, in all of this hustle and bustle, you may have missed the news about SpeechExec for Mac. In case you aren’t familiar with this application, it is the Mac version of Philips’ flagship workflow software—and now there’s a new update available.
Makin’ A List
- This latest version, SpeechExec4Mac 1.1 (Build 06), supports OS X 10.8 (Mountain Lion) and 10.9 (Mavericks)—though not earlier Mac OS releases. No word yet on OS X 10.10, which many speculate will make an appearance at WWDC 2014.
- It includes a feature you probably weren’t expecting: you can use your SpeechExec license for either the Windows or Mac platform. Philips generously allows you to decide upon installation. (This feature is a carryover from v1.0.)
- In another nod to cross-platform interoperability, Philips SpeechExec for Mac v1.1 “supports all important dictation properties coming from Windows installations”—which is possible because this release runs on XML.
- Philips added two new usability features: drag-and-drop and search. This inches the v1.1 update closer to a true Apple experience.
- With a step towards audio flexibility, v1.1 includes support for the ADPCM format, a mainstay of the Philips Mobile Recorder app.
- You now have more options when deciding how to download your dictations. You can import the whole shebang, only completed dictations (indicated with the EOL key), or dictations by keyword. And you can finally set your Philips device to delete everything once downloaded.
Checkin’ It Twice
- The DSS player still won’t handle first-generation DSS files properly. The manual states that audio files must be “DS2 format and unencrypted.” Of course, we know from the release notes that ADPCM is also supported for playback.
- SpeechExec for Mac still insists that when you play a dictation file, you can’t view the Worklist. Whether you like this modular environment or not, it is still a “feature” of v1.1.
FAQs for SpeechExec for Mac v1.1
Q. Does Philips SpeechExec for Mac Support Dragon®?
A. At this time, speech recognition (Dragon®) integration is not supported.
Q. Does Philips SpeechExec for Mac v1.1 support email functionality?
A. Not at this time; however, a simple workaround is to use the DPMConnect4Mac.
Q. Which audio formats are supported by SpeechExec for Mac v1.1?
A. SpeechExec for Mac v1.1 supports playback of ADPCM and .DS2 files.
Q. Can I use a foot pedal to control playback within SpeechExec for Mac v1.1?
A. Yes, as long as you’ve activated the application using a SpeechExec Transcribe license, you will have foot pedal control functionality. We’ve tested several different foot pedals and we recommend using a Philips LFH2300/2330 series foot pedal.
Q. Can I use a Philips SpeechMike within SpeechExec for Mac v1.1?
A. No, SpeechMikes are not supported at this time.