
The idea of using a right-angle USB adapter to offer great positioning in a compact and portable form came from Hughes. KeyboardMike is designed to offer the performance of the company’s desktop mic but in a more convenient form factor. I would like to see Apple release a microphone to go alongside AirPods that is especially for dictating with Voice Control with continuous 8 hour + all day battery life.Ībsent that, he’s found that Blue Yeti and SpeechWare microphones deliver the best performance, and he says that the latter company acted on feedback he offered when developing their upcoming KeyboardMike. At the moment, you’re left with the impression that accurate speech recognition is all down to the magic of the application.

He’d ideally like to see Apple release its own microphone geared to speech recognition.Īpple could also do more than it does to emphasize to users the important role a good quality microphone plays in improving the accuracy of speech recognition. Apps get rejected for all kinds of reasons. For example, it could refuse to host messaging apps in its App Store if their text boxes don’t play well with Voice Control dictation. Not being able to dictate in a number of text boxes on very high profile platforms in macOS is the digital equivalent of a restaurant, shop or public building refusing to provide a ramp for a wheelchair user There is a crying need for it from those of us who love using Macs but are completely reliant on speech recognition across macOS. With all these bugs and shortcomings with dictation in Voice Control, one is left with the impression that Voice Control is still a very immature application more than two years after it launched and I feel it’s time Apple showed it some love and attention and polished it up so it’s really fit for use.

Hughes says that while Apple has done a lot of great work on the accessibility front, there are still some frustrations regarding both voice control and dictation on a Mac.

He’s been helping one manufacturer get it right and says that the result is the best mic he’s ever found for speech recognition. If there’s anyone who should know about how to get the most accurate Mac speech recognition, it’s someone who’s an ex-BBC producer and also quadriplegic – so he’s heavily reliant on dictation.Ĭolin Hughes, who has previously shared his thoughts on Apple’s accessibility features, says that using the right microphone can transform the experience of dictating on a Mac or PC.
