One of the most important applications on my iPhone these days is the mobile application from Nuance called Dragon Dictation. As I have pointed out previously, I make significant use of voice recognition. This is the case because I do a good bit of writing and also because I struggle with a rheumatic arthritis. The result of that arthritis was a fusing of my right wrist last year and a recent process of deterioration in my left and (dominant) wrist as well. Being able to write with my voice rather than have to type out with my hands saves me a good bit of wear and tear on damaged joints, while helping to avoid increasing the pain I feel at any and every moment. Arthritis is not fun, but Nuance’s programs make life far easier than it might otherwise be. Also, an added benefit of using voice recognition is that, since my spelling is atrocious, the dictation applications do a far better job for me than I can do myself.

The Dragon Dictation application for the iPhone has been particularly useful since it allows me to dictate on the go using my iPhone. The fact that, unlike the desktop applications Dragon NaturallySpeaking (PC) and MacSpeech Dictate (Mac) the iPhone app doesn’t require “training” is quite remarkable — particularly since the recognition of the mobile application is close to 100% for me on a consistent basis. One of the downsides of the iPhone application, however, is that recordings are currently limited to voice snippets that are only 30 seconds in length. Yes, I’m able to record one snippet after another but the process can be rather challenging if you are creating a long document. It works… It just isn’t convenient.

Well, it isn’t a great surprise to me that Nuance has just released a version of Dragon Dictation for the iPad. It also isn’t a surprise that it looks great. Like the iPhone application, this version of the Dragon Dictation is free for a limited period of time. At the same time, it isn’t a mere porting of the application to the larger device. No, this is a version of the application is specially developed for the iPad and, as such, it adds some significant features that currently are not available on the iPhone version of the application. What are those features?

– The new version capitalizes on the larger screen size and adds a new “Dragon Dictation Notes” feature. This feature means that dictated text is quickly saved and can be viewed and managed at a later date. This is not currently possible on the iPhone.

– This version of the application can be used in either portrait or landscape mode so that end-users now have the option to use it in a way that is most comfortable and efficient for them.

– Finally, and to my mind perhaps most importantly, as Nuance explained to me, they realize that the iPad will be used for far more writing than an iPhone or an iPod touch is. As a result they have decided to allow for recording snippets of up to 60 seconds. This is double the amount of time available for the iPhone application and will make a huge difference. In light of the fact that I will likely use the iPad as my mobile “work” device in place of my MacBook Pro, this feature makes it more powerful than ever.

I cannot tell you how excited I am to have this application on my iPad. Being able to dictate up to 60 seconds at a time means that I will have less need than ever to physically typed out my messages. For me, the timing of the iPad and Dragon Dictation for the iPad could not come at a better time.

The application can be downloaded from the iTunes App Store and, as noted, is available for free for a limited period of time. I will be updating this post with a video of the application in action as soon as my iPad arrives.

NUANCE LAUNCHES DRAGON DICTATION FOR IPAD

Optimized for iPad, Free New Dictation App Lets iPad Users Simply Speak Text for Emails, Documents, Status Updates, Notes, and More

BURLINGTON, MA – April 2, 2010 – Nuance Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: NUAN) today announced the availability of Dragon Dictation for iPad on the Apple App Store.  With the newest addition to the Dragon Dictation family, iPad users can take advantage of the power of Dragon NaturallySpeaking to speak their email messages. The app also includes a new Dragon Dictation Notes feature that lets users speak and save drafts of documents, emails, to-do lists, social media status updates, and more.

“Dragon Dictation has proven to be a must-have app for iPhone and iPod touch, so it made sense to immediately extend those benefits to iPad,” said Michael Thompson, senior vice president and general manager, Nuance Mobile. “The iPad is a unique and remarkable device, and with the Dragon Dictation App users can experience added flexibility and convenience as they quickly convert speech into text.”

The Dragon Dictation App can turn spoken words into text up to five times faster than typing. This latest edition is designed specifically for iPad and capitalizes on the large screen size to include the new Dragon Dictation Notes feature, where dictated text can be easily saved, viewed and managed. The app can also be used in either portrait or landscape mode.

The Dragon Dictation App for iPad is available for free for a limited time from the App Store on iPad or at www.itunes.com/appstore/.

To learn more, visit www.dragonmobileapps.com.  Also be sure to follow Nuance on Twitter @DragonTweets and @NuanceMobile, and become a Fan of Dragon Mobile Apps on Facebook.

Dragon Dictation is part of the Dragon Mobile Apps family that brings the power of Dragon NaturallySpeaking to iPhone, iPod Touch and now iPad.  Nuance’s broad product portfolio of speech and predictive text and search solutions are trusted by the world’s leading manufacturers and mobile operators, and are found in billions of phones and millions of automobiles and consumer electronic devices – making them among the most pervasive mobile solutions on the market today.

About Nuance Communications, Inc.

Nuance is a leading provider of speech and imaging solutions for businesses and consumers around the world. Its technologies, applications and services make the user experience more compelling by transforming the way people interact with information and how they create, share and use documents. Every day, millions of users and thousands of businesses experience Nuance’s proven applications and professional services. For more information, please visit: nuance.com.