Talk-to-text with 99% accuracy
You can skip the training and start talking with the latest edition of Nuance’s Dragon NaturallySpeaking. The software maker says its ninth version can deliver 99 percent accuracy without any initial voice-recognition training. The Windows-based title is also a fast worker capable of translating up to 160 spoken words per minute to text. Priced at $100, Dragon NaturallySpeaking Standard 9 works with a variety of programs, including Microsoft Word, Outlook Express and Internet Explorer. Another version, Dragon NaturallySpeaking Preferred 9, can also translate audio recorded in digital recorders, personal digital assistants (PDAs) and similar devices. It costs $200.
www.nuance.com/naturallyspeaking
Fuji digital camera gets in your face
Your photo subjects can put on a good face with Fujifilm’s FinePix S6000fd digital camera. Equipped with face-detection technology, the camera can detect up to 10 faces at a time. The camera then adjusts its focusing and exposure settings to capture faces that are sharp and clear. The 6.3-megapixel camera features a dual-shot mode that captures successive images with and without a flash and an intelligent flash system that “reads” the setting and then adjusts the flash intensity accordingly. It has a 10.7x optical zoom, a 2.5-inch display, 10 megabytes of internal memory, an xD-Picture Card slot, an image stabilizer, and auto and manual focusing. The camera will go on sale in September for $500.
www.fujifilmusa.com
iPod gives audio progress to runners
A new Nike sports package allows a runner to monitor progress while listening to an Apple iPod Nano. The Nike+ iPod Sport Kit contains a sensor that fits into specially designed Nike+ footwear and a receiver that plugs into an iPod Nano. The sensor delivers audio updates on a runner’s speed, distance and calories burned to a connected iPod Nano. The kit costs $29 while Nike+ enabled shoes cost $80 to $100.
www.apple.com www.nike.com
New memory card holds 4 gigs
Running low on memory? SanDisk’s 4-gigabyte Secure Digital High-Capacity (SDHC) card has enough memory to store more than 2,000 high-resolution photos, more than 1,000 digital songs or eight hours of video. The card ships with a MicroMate USB card reader that works with both the new high-capacity card as well as traditional SD cards.
But before you rush to buy one, you’ll need to check your gadget’s compatibility: The high-capacity card only works in newer gadgets designed to work with it. Cost: $200.
www.sandisk.com
