Access-orizing the iPod touch: voice control apps

I've written before about how I use an iPod touch as an assistive device.

Recently I've added a few voice recognition apps by Dragon, including Dragon Search and Dragon Dictation. Both are free. Below is a video showing how Dragon Dictation works.



I've found Dragon Dictation to be very accurate. You can paste your text to most applications, which allows you to take notes, send email, texts, and leave messages on Twitter or facebook.

Dragon Search has a moving bar which includes twitter, wiki, YouTube, music and google. This video compares it to Google Search, another free voice controlled app.



I have both apps on mine, but you can decide for yourself since it doesn't cost anything to experiment with free apps. I've found very little need to use anything but my voice now that I have these three apps.

When it comes to accessories, however, it takes a bit of thought to get all this to work on the iPod touch. If you have an iPhone, you have a built in mic, but the iPod touch doesn't. And if you plug a mic in, you lose the sound since you have to use the headphone port. So in order to use these apps on an iPod touch and still be able to hear the iPod, you'll need to use a corded headset with a microphone. If you buy a 3G iPod touch with 32GB or 64GB, you get that headset with it. Otherwise, you can pick a set up.

You can also use a bluetooth headset and use a plug in mic. You'll need to have the 3.1 software upgrade for your iPod if you have a 2G iPod touch - or a bluetooth adapter- to use bluetooth. Make sure you purchase a bluetooth headset that works with iPods, which run the A2DP spec. I suggest you read reviews on the headset you plan to purchase. It's important to understand that this type of bluetooth limits the headset functions, at least according to the reviews I read. People report that they can work some of the buttons, such as volume, but not advance to songs. More importantly, the microphone in the bluetooth headsets doesn't work, which is why you'll need a separate plug in mic. I bought one for about four dollars on amazon, but this company sells mics that cost a bit more and may be of better quality. (I have no affiliation to them, nor have I tried their products.) Hopefully future software updates will enable bluetooth headsets to act as both a headset and mic, which would be a lot less cumbersome, especially for those of us with disabilities.

In any event, this technology has the capability of providing me with a greater degree of independence, so I don't mind investing some time into figuring out how to make it work. I hope this helps someone out there too.