Dream Big

God is bigger than anything we can dream up, so dream big! In fact, God generally gives us desires to accomplish things beyond our wildest dreams. We tend to write them off as not attainable, too hard or too expensive to consider.

Instead, consider the fact that power belongs to God:

Paul the apostle declares that nature itself gives evidence of the eternal power of the Godhead (Romans 1:20). From this knowledge we reason to the omnipotence of God this way: God has power. Since God is also infinite, whatever He has must be without limit, therefore God has limitless power, He is omnipotent. We see further that God the self-existent Creator is the source of all the power there is, and since a source must be at least equal to anything that emanates from it, God is of necessity equal to all the power there is, and this is to say again that He is omnipotent.

From The Knowledge of the Holy by A.W. Tozer

We so often limit God to a size that we can understand and grasp. What a mistake! Instead, we should, “boldly go where no man has gone before” and where only God can take us.

God likes this kind of radical trust in Him because when we trust Him, He will do things that can only be done in His power, and when He does things through us that can only be done in His power we cannot boast about it and if we can’t boast, guess who gets all of the credit, attention and glory...God, the one who deserves all the credit, attention and glory.

Who's a Good Candidate for Voice Writing?

I've asked around a bit to find out what kind of person to look for to train for voice writing. I also found a list on a local collage website. Here's a list that combines some of the factors that indicate a good candidate. The prospective voice writer should be able to answer yes to 16 of the 20 questions below(80%):

• Are you able to focus for extended periods of time?
• Do you have a good knowledge of the subject with which you will voice write?
• Do you like traveling to new places
• Are you willing to learn new technology and methods?
• Are you willing to take risks?
• Do you work well independently?
• Are you self-disciplined?
• Are you punctual?
• Are you computer literate?
• Do you keep up with worldly current events?
• Do you enjoy research?
• Are you able to speak clearly and without an accent?
  
• Overall, are you confident?
• Do you have good hearing?
• Do you have a strong speaking voice?
• Do you enjoy challenges?
• Do you enjoy reading?
• Do you have a high degree of perseverance?
• Do you have respect for people who are less fortunate than yourself?
• Do you plan a musical instrument or speak any other languages fluently?
  

Captioning Software Comparisons (updated regularly)

Note: these are my personal notes. To assure accuracy, please contact representatives from these companies to provide current prices and information since software is continually being updated.
**Indicates a strong pro or con.

Dragon Naturally Speaking 8 – Professional

• Price: $550 ($5550 to provide captions/no steno)
• Primary function: Word Processing
• Accuracy: Reads the context of the words providing more accuracy for documents. Accuracy decreases in real time setting.
• Speed: Delay in response due to built in intelligence
• **Requires save after about 40 minutes of dictation, thus miss some of the message
• If it is to be used for captions, additional software must be purchased ($3000, plus encoder $2000)
• **Number of users: one

Caption Mic by Ultech (Mark 888-360-0010)

• Price: $7,695 (no steno)
• **Required to buy whole system, including their computer & microphone
• Primary function: Captioning
• Accuracy: ViaVoice, Likely higher than Dragon in a real time setting
• Speed: almost immediate
• No additional software or encoder needed
• **Used in church setting successfully
• **Unlimited users allowed

ISIS

• Price: $1945 ($3945 to provide captions/no steno)
• Includes 2 month training class
• **Is being discontinued, but can be purchased through the Voice Writing Institute if we enroll for their classes
• Primary function: Court Reporting
• Accuracy: Higher than Dragon in a real time setting
• Speed: Almost immediate
• It can be used for captioning without additional software
• Some hesitancy with this software do to the Voice Writing Institute representative’s lack of directness when I ask questions.
• I've heard product is being discontinued -- must be purchased as a student of the Voice Writing Institute
  
• Encoder will be needed ($2000-$3000)

Audio Scribe

• Based on Dragon so I believe it’s not a good match for us.
• Highest price of all I have researched (so I’ve been told. I was unable to find a price on their website)

ProCat’s CaptiVision (Deby Owens in sales, 800-769-6841 & Tammy Johnson about VR)

• Price: $7,090 ($9,090 to provide captions/PLUS steno)
• Primary Function: Court Reporting
• Accuracy: ViaVoice, Likely higher than Dragon in a real time setting
• Speed: Almost immediate
• It can be used for captioning without additional software
• **Records on more than one track: Voice Writer & original speaker documented.
• **Speaker identification window & “tokens”
• **Use of stenography and VR in one system
• Limited to 2 users (VR & Steno). For Additional VR $495
• Insurance needed in case of lost “key”
• **Corrections not based on actual dictation (HUGE negative!!)
  

Advantage Software's Total Eclipse Eclipsecat.com(800) 800-1759. (For San Diego 858-967-7599, Linda, or Will Wilcox 818-766-7346)

• Captioning (AccuCap) with Steno & speech (including Speech Gate) $8590
• Captioning For steno: Add on called AccuCap (used by TV stations, adds captions to line 21 of screen) $6995 with Eclipse S/W, Our Stenographer already has Eclipse (about $3000 off)
• Captioning for VR only: AccuCap $6995 (speech only)
• $3000 for AccuCap with our stenographers software ($4000 to buy her out if she moves, etc.-- AccuCap will not function without steno portion of software)
• Recommend character generator instead of encoder ($500-$1000)
• Speech Gate – allows voice entry to court reporting software (bridge between dragon and Accu Cap) (need Speech Gate – written by Audio Scribe).
  
• Total Eclipse with AccuCap can be used with either Via Voice or Dragon
• Yearly support cost (more than $500). First year included with purchase of software.
  
• VR for Eclipse $3795 voice only, no Captioning.
  

Encoders:

EEG (Eric 516-293-7472 X102)

• EN370DT
• $3090
• 2 year limited warranty

Link Electronics (Bob Hanson 573-334-4433)

• VBI Encoder/Decoder Model PDR-885 - $2700
• **With 25% church discount - $2000
• **10 year limited warranty
• This model needed to equal speaker speeds over 250 wpm
• Shipping $30

Suggestions for Saving Money

I spoke with a representative from Total Eclipse last week and he had two suggestions for us that are options that would ultimately save us a lot of money.

Use a Character Generator instead of an Encoder. These tend to run around $500 instead of $3000. He says the encoder is only needed for broadcasting on network TV. Though the representative suggested this, I am not certain of whether or not it would work for our purposes. More research...uggh!

Connect to Flat-Panel Displays Instead of Using Captioning Software. He suggests: "Use the Picture-In-Picture portion of the display for the video feed with another portion of the screen displaying the bridge output. Then depending on the connections available they'd be able to have the video on a portion of the screen along with the CART captions running in a resized bridge window at the bottom or top of the screen. After Easter, I will be able to talk with our technical guys about this option. I hope it will work since it will save us thousands of dollars. Here's more:www.kvincent.com/tip_41.pdf