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macfantn · Dec 10, 2009, 08:43 PM

Saw this was a popular app and downloaded it, shame on me for not reading the EULA. So I hit accept and all my contacts are loaded to Nuance the software company behind this app. I don't want Nuance to have all the numbers in my phonebook. Why would they even need that?

Art Vandelay · Dec 10, 2009, 08:52 PM

Dragon Mobile Apps Blog from Nuance: What Dragon Dictation for the iPhone Does (and Doesn't Do) with Your Contacts

hyteckit · Dec 10, 2009, 09:18 PM

I say the app works really well.

imitchellg5 · Dec 10, 2009, 10:59 PM

Originally Posted by macfantn

Saw this was a popular app and downloaded it, shame on me for not reading the EULA.

You do realize that EULAs do exist for a reason?

alex_kac · Dec 11, 2009, 02:36 AM

They don't get the numbers. They only get the names of the Contacts. Its for better recognition of the proper names that you'll most likely use.

But I agree that it should be more spelled out.

The Godfather · Dec 11, 2009, 04:05 AM

I hate to be a nuance, but don't you read all your App EULAs, especially those of proprietary source code?

Spheric Harlot · Dec 11, 2009, 06:05 AM

I generally don't, since they have no legal bearing.

starman · Dec 11, 2009, 08:53 AM

This makes no sense. Why UPLOAD them? Can't they just read the names in memory when the app is running?

Spheric Harlot · Dec 11, 2009, 10:17 AM

Possibly to improve their service?

I'd imagine that names are among the toughest things to transcribe, and having access to all users' contacts' names might be an invaluable resource.

They might have a list of all names, and pass everything they don't already have a pronounciation registered for to a human for entry into their database?

Hey, I have no idea - just throwing this out there.

TETENAL · Dec 11, 2009, 10:44 AM

If that was the case it should be opt in.

Otherwise it should not have a problem to read the names locally on the phone only.

starman · Dec 11, 2009, 11:06 AM

In this day and age of privacy concerns, I can't see how a company could do something this irresponsible.

PBG4 User · Dec 11, 2009, 12:38 PM

Don't forget they keep all your voice recordings too (nothing is processed locally, just try to use this app in Airplane mode / sans network connection).

These two 'features' are what caused me to delete this program without ever using it.

Chuckit · Dec 11, 2009, 12:55 PM

Originally Posted by starman

In this day and age of privacy concerns, I can't see how a company could do something this irresponsible.

If this day and age ruled by Wal-Mart, I'm amazed consumers finally found something they wouldn't put up with, and it was something relatively benign.

dcmacdaddy · Dec 11, 2009, 01:17 PM

I hope none of you upset by Nuance have a Gmail account. Google, as an e-mail provider that admits to scanning e-mails for advertising purposes, is far more invasive in term of invading your privacy. So, how many of you complaining about Nuance have an e-mail account with Google?

NOTE: I have several Gmail accounts and am well aware that in exchange for free e-mail I sacrifice quite a bit of my privacy as it relates to e-mail correspondence. I don't necessarily like the loss of privacy but am willing to accept it in exchange for a good service that has no direct monetary cost for me.

Dec 11, 2009, 05:07 PM

Originally Posted by starman

This makes no sense. Why UPLOAD them? Can't they just read the names in memory when the app is running?

I don't think the app itself does the voice recognition. I think it sends the audio to a server for recognition. I could be wrong, but I don't think the iPhone has enough RAM/CPU to do proper voice recognition for dictation purposes.

The Godfather · Dec 12, 2009, 01:53 AM

Originally Posted by hayesk

I don't think the app itself does the voice recognition. I think it sends the audio to a server for recognition. I could be wrong, but I don't think the iPhone has enough RAM/CPU to do proper voice recognition for dictation purposes.

Somehow, I think that Safari gobbles up more RAM than speech recognition ever did.

OTOH, this is a good excuse for cloud computing: the analysis software doesn't need to be ported to the iPhone. Only the UI is released. The processing is done in Nuance's servers so that speech is recognized in real time. Perhaps the iPhone does not have enough HP to do it realtime, or maybe Nuance is planning to release this service to all smartphones, old and new.