News

Olympus have released (March, 2021) a new firmware update for the Olympus DS-9500 handheld digital dictaphone with wifi.

The firmware update does not add any new functionality but does address a couple of bug fixes, of note is a fix fir intermittent device freezing during audio recording which a couple of our users have reported. 

The official Olympus fix list for firmware version v1.16 is:

• Olympus have fixed the issue that the slide switch operation does not respond after returning from sleep.
• Olympus have fixed an issue where the device reboots during recording or playback after the battery has been inserted.
• Olympus have fixed an issue where the device freezes during recording or playback.

This firmware release can only be applied to your Olympus DS9500 on a Windows PC no Mac firmware update tool has been provided for Mac users this time.

Click here to download the Olympus DS 9500 v1.16 firmware upgrade from the Olympus Europe support website.

The above link will download a zip file containing an executable (.exe) - please extract the content of the zip file to your local PC and virus scan before executing.

Dictate Australia are pleased to announce a quick 30-minute free webinar this Friday (27th November 2020) in conjunction with Philips Dictation Australia where we talk about the digital dictation and transcription.

The digital dictation space has evolved very quickly over the last couple of years, in this webinar we look at how dictation and transcription from anywhere at anytime id the new normal.

Can't make it? Register anyway and we will email you a link to the recording after the event.

Registration link -> https://dictat.es/future

Are you interested in the unlimited possibilities that moving your legal/medical practice dictation and transcription to the cloud will bring? Things like:

• Work from anywhere, no software to buy or install - mobility and flexibility at its best for your staff
• Dictate on any digital dictaphone, Olympus or Philips or any other make, no software required .. so no need to upgrade hardware
• Forgot your dictaphone? No worries dictate on any Windows PC or Mac directly into Philips Speechlive via a web browser
• Like the idea of using a dictation app? Philips Speechlive app is free and you can add images to your dictation
• Often have urgent dictation but your transcription typist is busy? Use to built-in automated voice-to-text to speed up the document process

In our recent video we demonstrate how you can use Philips Speechlive to dictate four ways and make your digital dictation instantly available to your typist or transcription team, outsourced or in-sourced.

Does your medical or legal practice suffer from any of these?

• Issues installing/configuring software on desktops for dictation and transcription
• Old physical dictaphones no longer supported by current software
• Complexities managing and understanding software licences for dictation and transcription
• Have staff who want or need to work remotely and you have no idea what software and hardware you need to facilitate this
• Software often requiring updates that require an upgrade licence and cost
• Constant interaction with your IT provider to fix/update dictate and transcription solutions costing more dollars and time

If you can relate to any one of these then switching to the Philips Speechlive cloud dictation and transcription system is for you. Here is why ..

BYOD (Bring Your Own Dictaphone)

Any digital dictation recorded on existing Philips or Olympus handheld dictaphones or created using the Philips SpeechLive App for iOS and Android is uploaded to the Philips Dictation secure Australian hosted cloud. The status of the dictation is always available in the Speechlive web portal or shown on the Philips Speechlive app so you always know the progress of your dictation.

Transcribe on any Windows or Mac - No Software Required

Transcription typists. On any internet connected Windows PC or Mac you can review your transcription jobs and transcribe directly in the browser (Chrome or Firefox). Use hotkeys for stop/play/rewind or plugin a Philips ACC2330 USB Transcription Foot Pedal. Work from the home, from the office, while on holiday in fact anywhere in the world all via a browser. This is the future of the digital workplace and is here now with Philips Speechlive.

Philips Speechlive FAQs 

Q. We are using Olympus dictaphones (DS-4000, DS-5000, DS-7000, DS-9000/DS-9500) can we also use Speechlive?

A. Yes. The Olympus and Philips dictaphones record your dictation into a digital audio file format called .dss or .ds2 (DSS Pro), its like an mp3 but smaller in size and secure. Even without the Olympus ODMS software installed you can use your physical dictaphone and with the free Philips File Uploader can dock and send your audio to Speechlive. We can help you set this up. You don't need ODMS installed.

Q. We have many dictation authors whose audio go to our typing pool, how does that work?

A. When we set you up in the Speechlive system we will map your authors to your typists. Typists will be alerted when audio for them arrives and if one transcriptionist starts a file others will see and know to start on another audio dictation. All cloud based.

Q. I am a transcription typist and use Olympus ODMS R6 Transcription Module or ODMS R7 Transcription Module or any version of Philips SpeechExec Transcribe or ExpressScribe on Windows or on macOS Olympus DSS Player Plus can I switch to Speechlive?

A. Yes and you can work on any internet connected Mac or PC from anywhere. If you need a footpedal you will need the Philips ACC2330 pedal or you can use hotkeys. 

Q. We use Olympus ODDS for our dictation on smartphones. We have a few months left on our licences, can we move to Speechlive and pro-rata the time we have left.

A. Yes no need to wait until your ODDS licences come up for expiry. You can switch now and we will credit your Speechlive account with the remaining months on your ODDS licences.

For a more detailed read on moving your legal/medical practice to the Australian hosted Philips Speechlive cloud dictation and transcription solution please read our in depth blog post: 

https://dictate.net.au/2020/10/convert-legal-medical-cloud-dictation-transcription/

If you are interested in a free trial or quick easy demo of Philips Speechlive, or have questions please contact us: sales@dictate.com.au or give us a call on 1300 88 23 75

Dictate Australia have been around for nearly 15 years, the vast majority of that time we have focussed solely on the Olympus range of digital dictation and transcription solutions. Recently we have partnered with Philips Dictation Australia, together we will support you and your business.

Since the lockdowns started with the Coronavirus pandemic hitting Australia we have been inundated with questions about running dictation and transcription software from home computers. What licence do I need, how do I install the software I need, how do I connect to the office network, do I need to take the dock home with the recorder, etc etc.

If you are a legal or medical practitioner and need to dictate letters and notes from a location other than your usual office use an app.

Why? Here are a few reasons:

1. You can dictate at anytime from anywhere on a device that you likely carry everywhere with you, your smartphone.

2. It is secure. Confidential patient or client audio must be encrypted, using an app from the leaders in the digital dictation space, Olympus and Philips, will do that.

3. No interruption to workflow. Which means when your typist receives audio they don't know or care if you dictated in the office/practice on a physical handheld dictaphone - the audio from the phone matches what they normally receive so they can just pick up and type.

4. It's a cheaper alternative than buying extra licences, installing software on your home computer, buying extra cables and docks.

The Options - Philips or Olympus

Yes, there are a hundred voice recorder apps in the app store and on google play, but you need a dictaphone app. An app that is designed for single speaker dictation, that you can rewind and review.

Brand loyalty, we see that in the dictation world. You are either a Philips person or an Olympus person. You can use either, the audio from eithers recorders will play on each others software. So here is the low down.

Philips - Dictation Hub

Philips' app is called Philips Voice Recorder and can be used with a couple of different subscription models, SpeechLive and the one that is quick and easy to setup Dictation Hub. (click here for information on both Philips app subscription models and what each give you).

Dictation Hub is a yearly licence (costs $139 incl. GST) and can be set up by you in a couple minutes in the app itself. Just enter your email address, the email address of who to send to (usually your typist) and the audio format you want to send (we suggest .dss). That's it you are ready to go and dictate and send securely from your iPhone or Samsung/Google Pixel/any other Android phone.

Philips Dictation Hub Free Trial. Yes you can try this service for free for 30 days. All the details in our blog post just click here.

Olympus - ODDS

Olympus' offering uses something called ODDS which stands for Olympus Dictation Delivery Service, their app is called Olympus Dictation and is also available on the iOS app store and Google Play.

An ODDS is a yearly licence (costs $149 incl. GST). ODDS can also be setup by you by following the steps in the app after you first install. It can be a little confusing so we recommend that you ask us to set things up for you, this is a free service we offer.

Olympus ODDS Free Trial. Yes you can also try the Olympus App and ODDS for free for 60 days. Contact us at sales@dictate.com.au to get started.

There are no upfront costs for either, no credit card details are taken you are fully in control. At the end of the trial you decide if you want to keep your licence or not. We as your trusted Olympus and Philips dealer are here to help along the way.

Dictate Australia has just become, June 2020, a Philips Australia Speech Dealer after many years focussing solely on Olympus.

We made the move after testing out Philip's mobile dictation options via their Philips Recorder App for iPhone and Android. Mobile dictation on your phone has seen a revolution other the last few years and especially during the COVID-19 restrictions globally with a shift to work from home.

The Philips SpeechLive solution offers secure mobile dictation, hosted in Australia, which gives the author the option to dictate and send to their typist or, for selected audio e.g. urgent dictation, the ability to use voice-to-text to transcribe. 

If you are an existing Philips SpeechLive user in Australia you can get an extra 4 weeks for free on your subscription, simply refer a friend or colleague. They can sign up for a 30 day free trial in the Philips Recorder App to get their Customer Id. If they like it and go on to buy a one-year SpeechLive subscription licence just fill in the form and send it through to the Philips Australia team.

Dictate Australia has this month opened a new Australian website dedicated to the growing sector of mobile audio and video creativity. With more and more people embracing and trying their hand at podcasting, vlogging, videography and even professional journalists and newsroom switching to mobile journalism (mojo) the time was right for us to spawn MIC.1 Australia - MIC1.com.au

Initially we will be starting with the fantastic range of RØDE microphones, an Australian success story. RØDE design and manufacture their range of USB, wireless and XLR mics in their factory and head office in Silverwater, Sydney.

The Rode range of microphones and solutions for home recording are some of the best on the market and there is nothing better than Australian made.

What will you find on MIC.1 Australia?

• iPhone microphones - like the incredible Rode VideoMic Me-L directional mic or all-round performer Rode iX-Y both lightning connected
• Rode Wireless GO - the worlds smallest wireless microphone, perfect for videography using a DSLR or a smartphone. 

With more to come over the next few months, MIC.1 Australia will be adding home recording studio solutions for musicians, podcast mics and mixers and the full range of stunning RØDE microphones and accessories.

Olympus globally recently released v2 of their popular Dictation App for both iOS and Android and with it came a whole load of changes and some confusion for end-users.

Don't stress, Dictate Australia are here to help (regardless of where in the world you are) and it's as simple as:

1. Select Dictate Australia as your preferred Olympus dealer
2. Enable Dealer Management in the Olympus Dictation Portal 

Here is how in a quick 1-minute video:

What is Dealer Management?

By enabling Dealer Management in your Olympus Dictation Portal account you are allowing a specific dealer the ability to view and change your ODDS licences. We can configure new licences and make changes to existing licences on your behalf. Why is this useful?

• We know the config inside out and can do it quickly
• Add multiple recipients to emails
• Clean up and personalise email subjects and content
• Configure SFTP settings for you
• Add individual .ds2 file encryption
• Save you time trying to figure out/troubleshoot how Olympus ODDS licences work
• It's free 

Why do I now need an ODDS licence?

An Olympus ODDS licence - Olympus Dictation Delivery Service - is now required from v2 of the Olympus Dictation App. Prior to v2 users were able to dictate and send audio via email directly from the app in .m4a format. .m4a is not secure and should not be used for confidential client or patient dictation.

An ODDS licence enables the ability to send .ds2 (DSS Pro) audio files which can be individually encrypted. Note: all transmissions of audio files are encrypted end-to-end using HTTPS, only the Olympus Dictation App adds an extra layer of security with the individual file encryption.

I'm lost, can you help?

Yes, we have been a leading supplier of Olympus ODDS licences across Australia, Europe and the USA since its inception and have hundred of clients using the app and the ODDS system every day. We are happy to help with licence setup, configuration and troubleshooting for you and your business.

Below (left) is a tweet we (twitter.com/dictates) posted late 2019 which showed the number of individual dictation files successfully recorded and sent by our customers in October 2019. Olympus in the UK picked up on the tweet and posted their numbers (right) for the same month. 

Olympus DS 9500 Firmware Update

A new firmware update for the wifi-enabled Olympus DS 9500 professional digital dictaphone has been released - version v1.121

Mac users, the firmware update program is not supported on macOS 10.15 Catalina.

• Click here to download the DS-9500 firmware update via a Windows PC
• Click here to download the DS-9500 firmware update via a Mac

The firmware should be applied to a docked and fully charged Olympus DS-9500 and can be updated from either a Mac or Windows PC. 

Olympus DS 9500 Firmware Update v1.121 Release Notes

Fixes

• Fixed an issue that occurs when connecting to enterprise Wi-Fi environments.
• Common causes of device freezing have been corrected.

Specification Changes

• Improved the device charging specifications.
  • a. Enabled to charge via USB even when the device is PIN Locked.
  • b. Support recharge from Battery Low via USB AC.
  • c. Deleted the confirmation screen “Charge battery?” when charging via USB AC.
  • d. Improved stability when charging from a certain PC.
• Made it possible to stop and resume recording in MP3 format with Type B and Type C slide switch modes.
• Fixed the issue that the REW function may not operate at the end of a file.

Yesterday Apple released macOS 10.15 Catalina to the world, a day later Olympus released a free update to their macOS software for compatibility. Good work Olympus !

Available for download now, for free, is the DSS Player Plus for Mac update to version v7.7.3 - this is the version you need to be on if you are running the new Catalina operating system for macOS (10.15).

Click here to download the Olympus DSS Player Plus v7.7.3 update package.

Nothing else in the release, just some tweaks for compatibility.