Memovoc-2
Voice Memo manager for Psion Series 3A
User Manual
Version 1.3
Distribution: On-line


Introduction:
Thank you for trying Memovoc-2.

Memovoc-2 is a shareware voice memo manager for the Psion Series
3A. You will see how speech input to the Psion becomes quick and
convenient. A note can be made in the time it takes to say
"Arrange meeting with Tom for Tuesday". The system allows for
convenient record and playback of voice memos, using single
keystrokes. Indeed, with Voice Activated Recording, you can even
record without inputting any keystrokes.

This application will prove useful for people who need to take
notes, for example at meetings, or while reading a document, but
who don't want to interrupt what they are doing to jot them
down. Instead, you simply speak the note into the Psion.



Installing Memovoc-2:
Note: Because I am distributing Sys$samp.ldd with this application
I am required to distribute TSMP10.ZIP. This file describes the use
of Sys$samp.ldd and is not itself necessary for the application.

The relevant files for Memovoc-2 are:
Memovoc2.opa - Main application
Memovoc.rsc - On-line help
Sys$samp.ldd - Driver for voice sampling

Install all three files onto the same disk (A,B or Internal)
Install Memovoc2.opa to the \APP directory
Install Memovoc.rsc to the \OPD directory
Install Sys$samp.ldd to the root directory
Use Psion-I from the system screen to install the application.


Getting Started: 
Move to the Memovoc2 icon in the system screen and press Enter.
You will be asked to provide an initial configuration. We
suggest you  use the default configuration for the moment, so
just press "Enter". Continue to press "Enter" until you get to
the main Memovoc-2 screen. At this stage you should press the
"Diamond" key. This will show you how much time is available for
memos. (By freeing up memory you can increase this time).



Registration:
If you have your registration code you may key it in at this
stage. Simply press Psion-k and fill in your name and code,
followed by "Enter". If you do not have the code yet you may
continue, however,  you will only be able to record up to 4
memos. The registered version allows up to 99 memos.



Screen:
The scrollbar in the centre of the screen indicates seconds
elapsed for record and play operations. The box above this shows
the number of the selected memo, the box below shows the
duration of the selected memo in seconds (or "MVOC" if there are
no memos) and the status bar between the previous and next
buttons indicates the current configuration (Disk -Default
Record Time - Play Mode). The number in bracket to the right of
the word "Memos" indicates the total number of memos on the disk.



Recording: 
To record your first memo hold the Psion with the microphone
close to your mouth and press "Tab". (The microphone is the
notch you can see towards the front of the Psion's underside,
close to the B drive door). Wait for the beep to end and then
start speaking. A second beep signifies  that the recording is
finished. You can see how much time has elapsed by  watching the
scrollbar. To play the memo simply press "Enter". Record a
second memo and see how easy it is to select either memo using
the cursor keys. Record some more. If you finish speaking your
memo before the recording ends,  press ESC to stop recording.
This will save space.



Playing: 
To play a memo, move the cursor to it and press enter. To stop
playback, simply press ESC.



Moving Around:
The left and right cursor keys are used for moving between
memos. They can also be used while a memo is playing. Pressing
the right cursor key during play will cause the current play to
stop and the next memo to start. Pressing the left cursor key
during play will cause the memo to replay from the beginning.
However, if this key is pressed immediately after play has
begun, it will cause a skip back to the previous memo.
Effectively, this means that if, in the middle of playing a
memo, you wish to skip back to the previous memo, you should
simply press the left cursor key twice, rather like using a CD
player. The page-up and page-down keys are also operational
(though not during play).



Voice Activated Recording:
Initiate VAR by keying "v". You will see a pair of "ears" appear
around the scroll bar to indicate that Memovoc is listening.
Close the Psion cover.  Hold the Psion with the microphone very
close to your mouth and in a slightly raised voice speak
"record". You will hear a beep to indicate start of recording.
Move the Psion a little away from your mouth and speak your memo
at a normal voice level. A second beep indicates that the
recording is finished. Open the Psion and press any key to
return to normal mode of operation.

Note: After pressing "v" the system will wait two seconds before
VAR becomes operational. This is to give you a chance to close
the cover. (This is to get around the possibility that the
creaking noise which you may hear while closing the cover will
initiate a recording).

WARNING: While in VAR mode autoshutoff is disabled. You must
therefore make sure you do not leave your Psion switched on in
this mode.



Changing Configuration:

Default record time:
Pick a record time that suits your requirements. If you just
want to take short memos, this can be set to 2. Alternatively,
you can set the record time to 0. In this case Memovoc will
determine how much free space is available on disk prior to each
recording and use this as the record time. When you are finished
your memo press ESC to stop recording. The system checks each
time you record to ensure that enough disk space exists. So if
you set record time to 3 and have only two seconds of disk space
remaining, the record time will be truncated to 2.

Record to Disk:
Choose from Internal, A or B as appropriate. You can not record
to a flash SSD.

Play Mode: 
There are two play modes, Cycle and Single Shot. In Cycle mode,
when you press enter to play a memo, all memos are played once.
This is useful for reviewing a list of things to do, for
example. If you press Enter while a memo is  playing, the cycle
will stop at that memo. In Single Shot mode, only the selected
memo is played.



Alarm Link:
This links the current memo to an alarm. It is initiated by
keying "a" and setting the date and time for the alarm. At the
set time the alarm will ring and a text message will indicate
which memo the alarm refers to. To see which memos have alarms
set you can use Psion-V from the TIME application. You can also
cancel Memovoc alarms from TIME. A bell indicator automatically
appears against a memo when an alarm is set. This indicator can
be toggled on or off by keying "t". The indicator does not
automatically clear after the alarm goes off.



Info Module:
This is activated by keying "i". It shows the date and time when
the selected memo was recorded along with the memo file size in
bytes.



To Register: 
Key Psion-h for details of how to register. The unregistered
version allows only four memos, whereas the registered version
allows 99. When you register you will be sent a code number by
e-mail or by return post which you simply key in along with your
name.



Operations and features:
(See also on-line help)

Record Over
Access key "Spacebar"
Records over selected memo.

Delete
Access key "d"  
Deletes the currently selected memo.

Rename 
Access Key "r"  
Renames the currently selected memo. The name may be up to eight
letters long.

Info 
Access key "i"  
Displays information relating to selected memo.

Exit
Access key "Psion-x" 
Exits the application.

Change Setup
Access key "c" 
Changes the record time, the disk used for memos and the play 
mode.

Free Space
Access key "Diamond"
Flashes the amount of record time remaining.

Set Alarm 
Access key "a"  
Sets alarm and associates it with current memo.

Activate VAR 
Access key "v"
Initiates voice activated recording.

Unload driver 
Access key "u"  
This unloads the driver used for VAR and frees up approximately
6K of extra memory.

How to register 
Access key "Psion-h" 
Gives details on how to register.

Key registration code 
Access key "Psion-k" 
Allows you to key in registration code.



Hints: 
In general it is most convenient and memory efficient to set the
default  record time to 0 and press "ESC" when finished
speaking. However, if you  are using Voice Activated Recording
with the Psion case closed, then set  the default recording to
something other than 0, eg 2 or 3. This is because  you will not
be in a position to press "ESC".



Trouble-shooting

Recording Failed:
Replace batteries - they may be too low for digital recording.
Flash SSD - you may be trying to record to a flash SSD. This is
not possible. Use the setup menu (change configuration - key
"c") to change to the internal disk or a RAM SSD.

On playback, sections of the memo are silent:
Replace batteries. This is caused by low main batteries.

Start of memo clipped:
You may notice this if you have the default recording time set
to greater than 10 or if you have it set to 0 and there are more
than 10 seconds free on the disk. The solution is to set the
record time to less than 10 or, when recording, to wait a
fraction of a second after the beep before you begin speaking.
Watching the scrollbar will also indicate when recording has
started.

Using VAR, recording starts before I say "Record":
Whilst in VAR mode, recording can be triggered by long
continuous noises provided they are sufficiently loud. VAR is
designed to ignore extraneous sounds such as a handclap, banging
doors or the noise made when placing the Psion on a surface.

VAR does not always work:
Try holding the microphone of the Psion closer to your mouth and
speak in a louder voice.



Disclaimer:
Memovoc-2 is a shareware application. The author cannot be held
responsible for any damage which might result from its use. The
driver used for Voice Activated Recording is an unsupported
driver from Psion. Psion cannot be held responsible for any
damage which might result from its use. This driver has not been
exhaustively tested and cannot be guaranteed not to reset your
Psion 3A.



Copyright: 
Memovoc-2 is copyright 1995 of David J Joyce, 2 Seabury Parade,
Malahide, Co.Dublin, Republic of Ireland.





		

