Is Your Brain On Digital Device Overload?

So, you are on the treadmill at your local gym, or standing in line at Starbucks waiting for that yummy latte, and you decide to take a mental break by playing your favorite music video on your smartphone, hoping to relax and rest your mind.  But are you really doing your brain any favors?

No, according to research scientists at the University of California, San Francisco.

 Too Much Stimulation

In the special report for the N.Y. Times "Your Brain on Computers" , Matt Richtel reports that when people turn to digital devices for entertainment or to keep themselves occupied, they are forfeiting precious downtime that would allow them to learn and remember information, or be creative and come up with new ideas.

According to an interview that Richtel had with Loren Frank, assistant professor of physiology at UC-San Francisco, keeping the brain constantly stimulated with digital input subverts the brain's ability to turn experiences into long-term memories by not allowing for downtime needed by the brain to function properly.

A study held at the University of Michigan found that people, after taking a walk in nature, learned significantly better than those who had taken a walk in an urban setting barraged with noise and information.

On the subject of feeling entertained or relaxing using a digital device, Marc Berman, a University of Michigan scientist, stated that people think they are refreshing themselves when they are, in reality, overstimulating themselves.

The blog unraveled reports that Douglas Rushkoff, in his latest book Program or Be Programmed, discusses that humans operate in continuous time.  Computers, conversely, do not operate in continuous time but in asynchronous time, meaning they wait on input from a human.  Computer code is biased toward asynchronous time, as are the programs built on them, as are the human behaviors they encourage.  As digital media becomes increasingly more integrated into our lives, we are much more likely to adopt an "always on" approach to media, often leaving us frazzled and exhausted.

Don't Always Be On

The solution, according to both Richtel of the N.Y. Times and Joshua Kaufmann of unraveled is:  don't always be on.  Turn off your devices for some cranial downtime.

Go out and exercise without using any devices to distract you.  Do not use the micro moments when you are standing in line at Starbucks or sitting in the bathroom to play games or check email or Facebook.  Give your brain a break so that it can process the information it has already acquired and can start afresh after some downtime.

For more information on digital overload, go to NPR's coverage of Matt Richtel's story, where you can read or listen to his interview...that is, after you have taken a moment to disconnect from your digital device.

Transcription Technology That Will Change Your Life

Have you ever been sitting in traffic and have wished, "I really need something to write these thoughts down on."?

Or, have you sat in a meeting and wanted to record what was being said so that you can get a transcript of some very important information being conveyed?

Well, soon you will be able to do all that, and more.

You are just weeks away from being able to download transcription technology that will change your life.

Introducing the IdeaScribe app: software for your smartphone and tablet that will revolutionize the way you capture important ideas and conversations. With just a few presses of menu buttons on your iPhone, Android-phone or iPad, you will be able to record your thoughts, research, memos, letters, interviews and important conversations directly to your device, and then upload it to us for transcription. We will return a 99.5% accurate transcript directly to your email inbox.

And the best thing about it is that IdeaScribe will be as mobile as you are. No matter where you will be, IdeaScribe will be right there to capture the audio for you.

So wish no more for pen and paper when you need it most. Sign up for updates on IdeaScribe's release and you will be the first to know when it becomes available.

-> Yes, keep me updated <-

4 Ways to Enhance Your Dictation

You would think that dictation is pretty straightforward: you speak into a recording device and your saved message is sent out for transcription. Often, though, when you receive your transcript back, you will find holes in the message your were trying to convey or the format is not as you intended. Here are some pointers to make sure that you include all the information you need:

1. Minimize Background Noise

Minimizing background noise is key to making a clear recording of your dictation. A clear recording helps the transcriptionist to capture every word accurately and keeps transcription costs down.

Be sure to silence cell phones and radios during dictation. You may also need to find a quieter environment away from the office or home when dictating.

2. Define Your Document

Are you dictating a legal brief, a memo or a letter? Be sure to state exactly the type of document you are desiring. If you need a copy mailed or emailed to a party, be sure to include this information, too.

3. Remember the 5 W's

Remember the 5 W's: Who, What, Where, When and Why. This may seem rudimentary to you, but these basic questions will ensure that you have included all of the information pertinent to your transcript.

4. Include Formatting Commands

Formatting commands helps the transcriptionist provide you with the most accurate document possible. At the end of a sentence, use "period" or "stop". Starting a new paragraph? Use "new paragraph".

If your document requires special formatting, such as a legal order or brief, be sure to state the formatting parameters.


Following these four simple pointers will help you to get the most out of your dictation and will ensure that you are satisfied with your transcribed document.

How To Use Transcription In a Law Practice

Recently, many in the legal community have asked us for advice on using transcription services for a law practice. Here are some suggestions on ways to use transcription:

1. Witness Interviews - use a quality digital recorder or phone in using our dictation server and record the interview, then receive a transcript for use in litigation.
2. Depositions - you can have both legal teams present at a deposition and agree to have it digitally recorded and transcribed.
3. Dictate Pleadings and Case Notes - using IdeaScribe, you can dictate your pleadings and email the transcript to your paralegal for formatting, or have case notes transcribed and inserted into the client's file.
4. Conference Calls - have your digital recording of a conference call transcribed so that all the words of the call are captured on paper for reference.
5. Webcasts - have your webcasts transcribed so that all participants can receive a written detail of what was discussed for review.

In our next blog, we will discuss some best practices for dictating legal material to ensure that all of the information is clearly and concisely recorded for transcription.

How do you use transcription in a legal practice? Give us your ideas by commenting below.

How to Record and Transcribe Your SKYPE Conversations

SKYPE, the popular and preeminent VoIP communications service, offers you a great solution to communicate with one or more individuals globally for free. What they do not offer directly is a way to record your important conversations and have them transcribed. So, how do you record and transcribe SKYPE conversations?

First, Choose a Third-Party Recording Application

There are several third-party applications that allow you to record your SKYPE conversations and save them as a digital file on your computer. Here are a few of the more popular ones:

• IMcapture (formerly SkypeCap) - offers both PC and MAC users the ability to record either the audio, the video or both on both sides of the conversation. Allows you also to schedule recording conference calls if you have a conflict. ($49.95, free trial)
• ecamm's Call Recorder - designed specifically for MAC OS/X, this application allows users to record the audio and the video and offers a couple of options for video capture. ($19.95)
• PAMELA - offers PC users a free version to record audio only and a premium version to capture both audio and video. PAMELA Pro offers a multitude of options including call scheduling and automatic recording. (free or premium $29)

Next, Transfer Your Recording to Your Transcription Company Electronically

Now that you have captured your conversation and saved the file to your computer, your next step is to get the recording to your transcription company. Most transcription companies offer several ways to send a recording directly to them:

• Email Attachment - send smaller files as an attachment directly via email
• Large File Transfer Service - use a digital transfer service like YouSendIt, ShareFile or SendThisFile to transfer larger files to your transcription provider
• FTP Transfer - transfer your file directly to the transcription company via their FTP server
• Web Service - transfer your file through the transcription provider's website

TTE customers can email their files to:

transcriptionrequest@ttetranscripts.com

or upload their digital files directly to our FTP server here.

Was this helpful to you? Let us know if you have any insights on recording SKYPE calls.