January 2010 Newsletter

 
  

If you have a technical question about Dragon, where is the first place you should go for technical support? Our new online Knowledgebase. This new resource, described below, is the first step in a comprehensive improvement program planned for our online support services. This month’s newsletter also offers a brief guide to creating custom commands, presents some of the most helpful commands for using Dragon with Excel, and highlights the benefits of product registration.

Product News:

New and Improved Online Technical Support

The Nuance Technical Support team introduced a new resource earlier this month for customers that need technical assistance: the new online Knowledgebase. More than a year in the making, this online resource makes it faster and easier to find the information you need to resolve technical concerns and challenges. Easy-to-read articles within the Knowledgebase cover hundreds of technical topics on all versions of Dragon. This improved self-service option will make it easier to troubleshoot – and quickly resolve – common problems.

When you have a technical question about Dragon, your first stop should be http://nuance.custhelp.com/. Here you can search content by product, category, keywords, or phrases. The default search will return articles for ALL Nuance Desktop products, so we recommend selecting Dragon from the drop-down box before executing your search. Once you’ve read an individual article, let us know if you think it was helpful.

The new Knowledgbase is just the first step in a comprehensive improvement program planned for our online support services. Additional resources will be launched over the next several months, but the Knowledgebase is a first – and important – step to improve your experience with Dragon. If you have any comments about our Technical Support efforts, please share them with us by providing feedback at http://www.nuance.com/naturallyspeaking/support/default.asp.

Improving Accuracy and Productivity

Creating Custom Commands

One of the benefits of the higher editions of Dragon (i.e., Dragon Preferred, Dragon Professional and Dragon Legal) is the ability to create custom “Text-and-Graphics” commands to streamline your daily PC tasks. What exactly does that mean? Essentially, it means you can automatically insert blocks of text and/or graphics that you use repeatedly in your documents. Whether it’s your email signature, directions to your office, or simply your world-famous chocolate chip cookie recipe, Dragon can automate the data entry for commonly used text and related graphics (such as logos, scanned signatures, maps, etc.).

These commands are quick and easy to create: simply select your boilerplate text and say “Make that a shortcut” or “Make that a command.” The MyCommands Editor will automatically open and your selection will already be pasted in the Content field. Then enter a name for your command in the MyCommand Name field. Whenever you say the command’s name, Dragon will automatically insert your text and graphics wherever you have placed your blinking cursor. Your command name should be memorable, intuitive, easy-to-pronounce phrases, like Paste Signature Block and Enter Home Directions (as opposed to a name like “macro 3”). Avoid names that could be used as dictation, such as single words.

For more information, see the complete review of custom commands in our User Workbook (http://www.nuance.com/naturallyspeaking/pdf/DNS10_Workbook_enduser.pdf) or watch a brief instructional video posted on our Customer Portal (http://www.nuance.com/naturallyspeaking/customer-portal/training/dragon-naturallyspeaking-training-videos.asp).

Tips and Tricks

Using Dragon with Excel

Dragon provides a number of natural language commands to use with Microsoft Excel. Using these commands, you can avoid the multiple menu-selection and mouse-movement steps associated with the traditional Microsoft Windows interface. Below find some common commands for navigating within a spreadsheet.

To move to a new location within a spreadsheet, say: “next/previous row/column,” “start of this/next/previous row/column” or simply state the specific row or column (e.g., “row five” or “column A”). If the column includes two or more letters, say the alpha-bravo form of the letter (e.g., to go to column AB, say “column Alpha Bravo”). You can also navigate between specific cells with commands such as “move to cell A1” or “move up one,” “move right two,” etc.

To create a new line within a cell, say “new line”

To complete a cell entry and move down one cell, say “press enter”

To cancel a cell entry and remain in the cell, say “press escape” or “cancel”

To complete a cell entry and stay in the cell, say “apply”

For a comprehensive “cheat sheet” of Excel commands, visit the Beyond Basics section of our recently expanded Customer Portal: http://www.nuance.com/naturallyspeaking/customer-portal/beyond-basics.asp. Our updated user workbook (available at http://support.nuance.com/usersguides/default.asp?UsersGuidesProduct=naturallyspeaking) also includes helpful information about using Dragon with Excel. In addition, don’t forget that you can always use the “What can I say?” command to open the Sample Commands window within Dragon. This window will display a selection of the common commands that can be used within the application that is currently active on your screen.

You Asked, We Answer

Q: Can I install Dragon on more than one computer or do I need to buy another license?

A: YES! Dragon is licensed per user, not per computer. So if you have more than one PC or laptop, you can install Dragon on multiple computers (up to five machines total) for regular usage. Your customized user profile can be stored on one machine or transferred from machine to machine so that you can maintain a consistent dictation experience across machines. A separate license is only required when additional speakers use the software.  

Q: What is the difference between product activation and product registration?

A: The first time you start Dragon, you will be prompted to activate your copy of the program. Product activation helps prevent software piracy and ensures you receive a fully functional software product when purchasing your copy of Dragon. Product activation is an anonymous and secure process designed to promote only licensed use of our software. This quick, one-time process requires an internet connection, but does not request or transfer any of your personal information. The activation process sends only your product serial number and a number that uniquely identifies the machine where Dragon is being installed. If you do not activate the program, you will be able to start Dragon five times. Without activation, when you start Dragon for the sixth time, it will no longer open and you won't be able to use the program until you activate it. For more information on how product activation works, visit http://support.nuance.com/productactivation/how.asp.

Separately, product registration enables you to take full advantage of Nuance product support and to receive notifications of product updates. Product registration entitles Dragon customers to complimentary technical support for 90 days, as well as other unique benefits. Click “Register Online” from the Help menu on the DragonBar or simply visit https://register.nuance.com/login.asp for more information about the benefits of product registration.

Customer Focus

Many government agencies have selected Dragon NaturallySpeaking to keep pace with ever-increasing case loads. Barbara Mason had been working for three years licensing foster families, often conducting interviews with multiple families at the same time and needed to keep all of their lives straight. It was tough -- then she discovered Dragon. “Unfortunately I never took typing and that left me with a choice of dictating a complete report or slowly and tediously typing it myself,” says Barbara. “A normal licensing report would be between 15 and 30 pages. Since purchasing Dragon I am able to complete an interview and immediately dictate the portion of the report related to my interview. I am able to do more with less due to the Dragon software.”