When I travel I like to keep a journal so that I can recall details of the adventure. I have done this for years and especially enjoy rereading those from when our children were young. I always included quotes from them as well as fun experiences. These journals are meant to be enjoyed after the fact and do take time to to keep up to date which I would like to shorten by dictating. I have experimented with some apps that have left much to be desired. The biggest problem that I have had is with voice recognition. Making the corrections when the dictation (I am looking for a voice to text app) is converted to text takes as much time as if I had actually written or typed the prose. Has anyone had experience with an app that they are happy with? Any input would be helpful. Thanks.
Posted by
Vancouver, BC, Canada
1313 posts
I have been testing out voice transcription software for the last twenty years and have never been happy with any of them. I believe the leader with the longest reputation in voice recognition is still Nuance (Dragon Naturally Speaking). Lately, I have used the native Google transcription, which can be used in most apps. Just initiate the keyboard on your phone and click the microphone icon. If you have the latest version, it can work off-line (with decreased performance). However, punctuation, starting new paragraphs, corrections and names can slow everything down. If I am in a hurry, it is much faster to type and I am not a fast typist.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32350 posts
Pat,
I don't know of any reliable electronic personal journals. That type of app seems to still be a "work in progress" so might not be too effective. I find that the easiest method is to record each days activities at the end of the day in a Word document in my Netbook. It usually only takes 15-20 minutes.
Posted by
Toledo, Ohio, US
11613 posts
I carry my iPad mini with me throughout the day, and use the Pages app for journaling whenever I want to journal, usually while having lunch or dinner, and at cafes, even in museums where there is seating. Takes a few minutes at a time. Sometimes I discover, at night when I edit in my hotel room, that there has been a theme for the day that I was not aware of at the time.
Posted by
San Leandro, CA, USA
518 posts
This isn’t exactly what you’re looking for, but I switched from paper/hardcopy journals to an electronic journal many years ago using a software called DavidRM (http://www.davidrm.com/) . I’ve enjoyed using this software for many years but I’m not sure if they will have an app for mobile devices any time soon. When I am traveling I keep my electronic journal by typing into a word document on my iPhone and use a Bluetooth collapsible and external keyboard. Sometimes I also open a blank e-mail and type in there and just save it. When I get home I copy the contents back into my journal software on my computer. I type much faster than I can write with pen and paper and so switching to electronic has really improved efficiency. Not to mention, once you save the file and either upload it to cloud storage or just email it to yourself, it’s far more secure, as oppose to a paper journal that you can lose either on its own or with your luggage.
Posted by
OP
Ind., United States
318 posts
Thanks to all for responding. I will trial these suggestions in preparation for a trip to central Europe this fall.
Posted by
102 posts
I like the Day One app, though I admit haven't kept up with my journaling at home. I hope to use it on my next trip to Germany.
I have the same issue that writing or typing takes a lot of time. I do talk into it using the iPhone's built-in transcription feature. It's not perfect but gets close, and my locations are recorded as well, which is fun. The app encourages a photo which is easy to snap.
The truth is that I'll probably mix this up with a paper journal. I love the paper Leuchtturm Jottbooks. Very thin and light, perfect size for a trip.