The Lord Is Risen! He Is Risen Indeed!

Each Easter, it is with a renewed sense of hope, belief and awesome wonder that every follower of Jesus Christ is reminded that our Lord and Savior rose from the grave. As a result of Him overcoming death, we cherish the fact that "even though we die, we will live".

Hunt for the Perfect 2010 Toyota Prius

Word has it that the 2010 Prius will start arriving in sufficient numbers somewhere between the third week of May, 2009 and the second week of June...

2010 models available will include:

Prius II (model 1223): Standard equipment includes AM/FM/CD with WMA/MP3 playback capability, auxiliary audio jack, remote keyless entry, driver door Smart Key System, power door locks and power windows with auto up/down control, cruise control, tilt/telescopic steering wheel, driver seat vertical adjust, Push Button Start, electronic shift lever, 60/40 split fold down rear seats, Touch Tracer Display, Front, side, curtain, and driver knee airbags, 4-wheel disc brakes, STAR® Safety System, active front headrests, EV/Eco/Power modes, Multi-Information Display, 15” alloy wheels with wheel covers, halogen headlamps, rear wiper, heated outside mirrors

Prius III (model 1225): Prius II equipment, plus JBL® AM/FM/6-CD changer with Bluetooth® hands free capability, integrated XM Satellite radio, and eight speakers

Prius IV (model 1227): Prius III equipment, plus leather trimmed seats and steering wheel, heated front seats, power driver lumbar support, 3-Door Smart Key, illuminated entry, Plasmacluster™, and autodimming rearview mirror with Homelink®

Prius V (model 1229): Prius IV equipment, plus 17” alloy wheels, LED headlamps with washers, and foglamps


Available Packages:

Navigation Package: Voice-activated navigation system and backup monitor (available on Prius III, IV, and V)

Solar Roof Package: Tilt-slide moonroof with solar powered ventilation system and remote air-conditioning system, and voice-activated navigation system and backup monitor (available on Prius III and IV)

Advanced Technology Package: Lane Keep Assist, Dynamic Radar Cruise Control, Pre-Collision System, Intelligent Parking Assist, and voice-activated navigation system and backup monitor (available on Prius V)


Available exterior colors will be:

Blizzard Pearl (070) (New!)
Classic Silver Metallic (1F7)
Black (202)
Barcelona Red Metallic (3R3)
Sandy Beach Metallic (4T8) (New!)
Blue Ribbon Metallic (8T5) (New!)
Winter Gray Metallic (8V1) (New!)

Interior colors:

Dark Gray
Bisque
Misty Gray

If you want more inside info on the 2010 Prius, there's no better place on the web than PriusChat.com. They have a chat forum dedicated to the 2010 model in which members of the North American "Toyota USA Prius Team" are active members. Great source of info for those who want the latest details.

Creating an ActiveX (COM) DLL with VB.NET in Visual Studio 2008

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There are bits and pieces of this all over the Internet, but I couldn’t find a single source that walked me through the steps of creating an ActiveX (COM) DLL with VB.NET in Visual Studio 2008 Professional and ultimately creating a setup package (.MSI) for deployment which automatically registers the DLL on the target machine.

So after much searching, trial and error, here it is:

1. Create a New ‘Class Library’ Project
If you went with the default name, this will be called ClassLibrary1 and will create a single class named Class1

2. Add Functions, Subroutines, etc... to Your Class
(I’m assuming you know why you want to create a DLL)

3. Make Your DLL COM Compliant
A. On the Solution Explorer tab, right-click ClassLibrary1 and choose Properties. On the Application tab, choose the ‘Assembly Information’ button and check the box that says “Make assembly COM-Visible”.
B. On the Compile tab, check the box that says “Register for COM interop”.

4. Build Your Project
Select Build -> Build ClassLibrary1

5. Test, Debug, Test...
From a VB.NET Windows Forms Application, you can add a reference (browse to the DLL location) to your project and access its functionality with something similar to this:

Dim cls as New ClassLibrary1.Class1
cls.MyFunctionName

From VBScript you can access it like this:

Dim cls
Set cls = CreateObject(“ClassLibrary1.Class1”)
cls.MyFunctionName

6. For Deployment To Another Computer:
Create a Setup Project (under Other Project Types -> Setup and Deployment)

Right-click Application Folder -> Add -> Assembly... to add the DLL to the Setup project. Once ClassLibrary1.dll is added (it will automatically add ClassLibrary1.tlb too), right-click ClassLibrary1.dll and choose Properties Window. Set the ‘Register’ property to vsdraCOM.

7. Build the Setup Project - Deploy
This will create a Setup.MSI file (or whatever you named it) which when run, will automatically register the ActiveX DLL as a COM object on the target computer.

WSRMacros: The User's Guide

After much research, experimentation and lots of writing, editing and re-writing, I'm thrilled to announce the availability of a new book especially for Windows Speech Recognition Macros entitled:

WSRMacros: The User's Guide


This comprehensive 70-page guide is designed both for those just getting started with Windows Speech Recognition and the more advanced macro users as well. Easy to follow, step-by-step instructions will help you along no matter what your skill level.


Here's the table of contents:

Chapter 1: Getting Started With Windows Vista Speech Recognition
Chapter 2: Installing Windows Speech Recognition Macros
Chapter 3: Taking a Peek at XML
Chapter 4: Your First Windows Speech Recognition Macro
Chapter 5: Creating Text Macros
Chapter 6: Command Macros
Chapter 7: Advanced Macro Directives (Rules, Disambiguate, and ForEach Loops, Oh My!)
Chapter 8: Visual Basic Script (VBScript)
Chapter 9: A Word (or two) About Macro Security
Chapter 10: Tips, Tricks and Secrets Revealed (and other miscellaneous info)
Chapter 11: Key Press Reference
Chapter 12: Macro Tag Reference

Check it out at:

http://www.mymsspeech.com/microphones/prod_details.asp?prodID=231&name=WSRMacrosGuide

The User's Guide has received kudos from the architect behind WSR Macros:

http://blogs.msdn.com/robch/archive/2008/10/23/a-user-authored-guide-to-macros-wsrmacros-the-user-guide.aspx

Windows Speech Recognition Toolkit (WSR Toolkit)

After several months of development and much user feedback and testing, the Windows™ Speech Recognition Toolkit (a.k.a. WSRToolkit) is ready to go!

The Toolkit has been renamed from MacroBuilder and contains the following features:

1. Text Macros - Create simple 'boilerplate' macros that will insert certain text when you say a certain trigger word or phrase.
   
2. Command Macros - Easily create sophisticated command-and-control macros that emulate keystokes when you say a certain trigger word or phrase.
   
3. Macro Editor - Allows you to view/edit macros.
   
4. Train From Text - Listens to you speak (text from a file) and trains the recognizer for greater recognition accuracy.
   
5. Add To Dictionary - Allows you to add 'tricky' words to your personal speech dictionary, with or without pronunciation.
   
6. Transcription - Will take a .WAV file and transcribe it to text.
   
7. Add From File - With a MS-Word or .TXT file that closely matches your style of writing, this will greatly increase speech recognition accuracy. The bigger the file the better!
   

After purchasing a licensing key from:

http://www.mymsspeech.com/

You can download the product at:

http://www.mymsspeech.com/download/wsrtoolkit.zip

Unzipping the file will reveal two files, one, WSRToolkitManual.PDF is a comprehensive manual that walks you step-by-step through each of the features of the Toolkit. If you'd like to take a look at the manual before purchasing the WSR Toolkit, you can download it here:

http://www.mymsspeech.com/download/wsrtoolkitmanual.pdf

The second file is named: Install WSR Toolkit.EXE. Extracting this file and executing it will walk you through the process of installing the Toolkit. Note the Toolkit requires Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 to be loaded on your Vista computer, so if it's not, the install program will ask your permission to install the .NET Framework. It will automatically connect to the Microsoft site and download/install the necessary software.

Once the installation is complete, you'll have three new icons on your Desktop. They are shortcuts to the Readme.txt file, Toolkit Manual, and the WSRToolkit itself. Please read the readme.txt file for the latest release information.

Tech Support and a Macros discusssion is provided through the forum:

http://www.msspeech-forum.com/

Check it out!

Sept. 6, 2008 Update:
Just noticed that the WSRToolkit has gotten favorable mention on the NY Times' Tech Guru blog of David Pogue:

http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/09/05/talk-is-cheaper/

Revolabs xTag Wireless Microphone

This thing is amazing.

I’ve only had it a couple of days now but the accuracy and utility of the Revolabs xTag wireless microphone are outstanding. It takes computing to a whole different level in that:

1. It’s a great mic for speech recognition. Especially Windows Speech Recognition with WSR Macros (see previous posts).

2. It allows un-tethered voice computing. Imagine talking to your computer while walking into the next room away from your computer.

Combine these two winning traits with some of the dazzling voice macros available (for free) at the ms-speech forum (http://www.msspeech-forum.com/) and you’ll soon be saying things to your computer like:

“tell me the weather forecast for Cincinnati” (or whatever city you desire).

You’ll quickly be greeted with a friendly computer voice that responds:
“Forecast for the rest of today in Cincinnati...”.

Think I’m kidding? Well, it’s one of those things you have to see (or hear) to believe.

Here are some pics of the xTag:

The microphone (Approx. 2½” [6.5cm] tall ) is lightweight, yet has a well built, sturdy feel about it. Note the Mute button on the microphone. Press it once to mute, hold it down for 10 seconds to turn it off.



The charger base/receiver with USB cable. (About the size of a bar of soap)
Connects to a USB port and is automatically recognized and configured by Windows Vista.



Typical placement of the mike. The manual says that 6 - 12 inches (15-30cm) is the optimal distance the microphone should be away from your mouth.



Side view showing the sturdy metal clip.



The earpiece allows you to hear what your computer is saying if you’re not in earshot range of your computers speakers. Works well for listening to music too.





Also included (but not shown) is a lanyard (a.k.a. “a stringy thing”) that can be worn around the neck to attach the microphone to.


Okay, now some technical stuff:

The microphone operates at 1.9GHz so it can co-exist with other wireless products (cellphones, home routers, etc...)

Battery is a Lithium polymer that is advertised to provide up to 8 hours of use (5 hours with heavy use). The battery can be fully charged (in its base) in 2 hours with a “quick-charge” (80% capacity) in 45 minutes.

The workable range is advertised to be 60 feet (25M) but I’ve been out to the mailbox and have successfully communicated with the computer and that’s about 100 feet (30M).

Audo Bandwidth is reported to be: 100-8000hz.

Microphone Pattern: Unidirectional - cardioid

A note on recognition accuracy - I’ve had outstanding recognition accuracy with this microphone using Windows Speech Recognition for Vista and WSRMacros (though it should work fine with other operating systems and software). It’s at least comparable to my Andrea ANC-700 as far as recognition accuracy is concerned. However, most of my use is in a quiet environment with little background noise. I believe I saw somewhere that it’s only recommended for environments that are no more than “moderately noisy”. Not sure how to quantify that one.

Well, that’s it for my first look at the neat Revolabs xTag wireless microphone. As mentioned earlier, I’ve only had it a couple of days so keep an eye out for more “unconventional” ways I discover to communicate with the computer and use this great piece of hardware.

”Computer, beam me up.” :-)

WSR'd Macro Builder for WSR Macros

Assuming that you’ve been following along from the previous two blogs, you should now have your microphone setup, you should be starting to get fairly comfortable talking your way around Windows Vista and have loaded the Windows Speech Recognition (WSR) Macros from Microsoft.

Still want more? Good. :-) Check out this post on the Yahoo! ms-speech group:
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/ms-speech/message/3791

(this is a good group for discussing speech recognition, btw)

It will tell you the history of how the product came about and direct you to the appropriate web site where you can download a free trial version of the WSR’d (pronounced Wizard) Macro Builder. If I do say so myself, it’s a really cool applet that will allow you to quickly and easily build voice activated macros. These can range from the very simple “Text Macro” to the more complex “Command Macro”.

For example, a Text Macro could do something like this (the possibilities are unlimited):

You say:
my return address is

The macro inserts the text:
John Smith
1212 West End Blvd.
Your City, State, 22222


A Command Macro could do something like this:

You say:
print document

The macro “simulates” these keys being pressed:
CTRL-P
{ENTER}

Just as if you had pressed those keys!

There are a lot more things you can do with text and command macros, so download the trial version. It’s the full featured product, but will expire in 30-days. (If you decide you like the WSR'd Macro Builder, it's a very affordable $10).

Give it a whirl, before long you’ll be talking your computer through some pretty fancy footwork. And don’t worry if you’re not a computer nerd. You will be surprised how easy it is!

If you get stuck, either post a comment on this blog, or post a question on the Yahoo! ms-speech group. Either way you’ll most likely get an answer in short order.

Good luck and Happy Macro-ing :-)

Installing the Windows Speech Recognition Macros Facility

If you’ve already set up your microphone, have worked your way through the tutorial, and have spent some time getting used to controlling Windows Vista with your voice and still find you want more, well, please keep reading!

Follow these simple steps to install Windows Speech Recognition Macros (a.k.a. WSR Macros):

1. Download the software from here: http://download.speechmacros.com/
(note: the download process will go smoother with IE7 or greater)

You’ll want to download the file called WSRMacros.msi
(you may have to scroll down towards the bottom of the page to find it)

2. Once downloaded, navigate to your download directory, and run the WSRMacros.msi file.

If you agree with the Licensing agreement, check the acknowledgment box, then click Install.

If you have User Account Control enabled, you’ll have to give the program permission to proceed.

(note: It seems like when I first installed WSR Macros that I was prompted for something about 'security certificates', but reinstalling it I didn't receive that prompt so I can't be sure. If you are prompted, just following along with whatever the program suggests.)

Click Finish and your done!

The program will install itself in the C:\Program Files\WSRMacros\ folder and the executable file is called, you guessed it, WSRMacros.exe.

It will also create a folder in your 'My Documents' folder called 'Speech Macros'. This is where all your macros will be stored.

If it doesn’t put a shortcut on your desktop or taskbar, navigate to the 'C:\Program Files\WSRMacros' folder and run the 'WSRMacros.exe' program. It will put an icon in your system tray (lower right part of your screen) that looks like this:



When you see that icon in your system tray, you’ll know WSR Macros is running.

Note also another icon in your system tray, it’s the Speech Recognition icon and looks like this:


Whenever you load WSR Macros, it will automatically load the Speech Recognition Engine as well.

One thing you may want to do while experimenting with the Speech Macro facility is to set the Security Level to 'low'. The 'high' security is used to digitally sign each macro so that no one can tamper with your macros and make them do malicious things. It's a good thing but will cause you headaches while you're learning your way around. To set macro security to 'low', right-click on the Windows Speech Recognition Macros (it has to be running) in the system tray and choose 'Security', then 'Set Security Level...' Now choose the 'Low' option. Notice you'll see a note warning that malicious software may be able to wreak all kinds of havoc on your computer if you choose this option. Just remember, once you've got your macros the way you want them, you can always come back to this screen and enable 'high' security. Before doing that you'll also want to choose 'Sign Speech Macros' from the same security screen.

Now, if you're ready to jump in, right-click on the WSR Macros icon then choose New Speech Macro. You can use the Speech Macro Wizard to walk you through the steps of creating some simple macros. In the near future, there may be some other macro creation tools available so keep an eye out for them.

That’s it for installing the WSR Macros facility. Happy Macro-ing‼ :-)

Getting Started With Windows Speech Recognition

If you’re new to Speech Recognition for Windows Vista and would like a gentle nudge in the right direction, you’ve come to the right place. When finished with this simple step-by-step process, you’ll be amazed at the powerful speech recognition system built right in to Windows Vista (that means it’s free!)

Things you’ll need before getting started:

• A descent microphone. If you don’t have one or would like some advice, take a look at www.emicrophones.com, they’ve been in the business a long time and will be glad to help.
• Windows Vista (any edition is fine).

Okay, let’s get started!

• 1. Navigate to the control panel by clicking the Windows Start button, then clicking ‘Control Panel’.

• 2. Once the Control Panel comes up, choose ‘Classic View’

• 3. Next, choose ‘Speech Recognition Options’

• 4. Now choose ‘Set up microphone’ and follow the prompts to properly set up your microphone.

• 5. Finally, choose the ‘Take Speech Tutorial’ option and follow along. You’ll need your microphone plugged in for this one; also, there is sound so speakers on!

Well, you’re done! Not too bad, huh? Experiment on your own for a while and get comfortable talking to your computer. Remember, when you make a mistake and say ‘correct that’ the Speech Recognition system will get smarter about recognizing you and make fewer and fewer mistakes!

Some additional resources:

Here’s a good Yahoo! group that can provide helpful ideas and tips:
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/ms-speech/messages

Rob’s Rhapsody - A good blog on WSR by a Microsoft employee:
http://blogs.msdn.com/robch/default.aspx

When you’re ready for more, you can download the (free) add-on WSR Macro package that will allow you to create your own custom macros! Pretty cool!
http://download.speechmacros.com/

That’s the end of our whirlwind tour of Windows Speech Recognition. Hope it’s enough to get you headed in the right direction.

And So It Begins...

Wow, my own blog. A milestone in my life, really. Who knows what this space will reveal in the coming days...years...?

My current interests (latest whims) are photography (which has been dormant for a while) and speech recognition. Particularly Windows Speech Recognition which is available (for free - it's built in) on Windows Vista. It's really cool (if you'll pardon cliché). There's also a macro facility (WSRMacros) that allows you to craft practically any voice command imaginable to control Windows Vista. Honestly, it's amazing. Look for more on this...

Well, enough for my inaugural blog. Thanks for reading!