As we saw in the last post, spinal cord injuries or paralysis can render arms unusable. Anyone with not so good motor skills also have difficulty using their fingers and hands to perform daily operations, thus making them depend on others around them to get things done. One of those things can be getting help to make and receive phone calls – a process that seems fairly simple, but without the use of arms, can be quite a bit of a challenge. It is quite possible that someone may not be around all the time, and waiting for a friend or caregiver to come check in on them may be the only option for quite many people.
To alleviate this problem, Parrot “Speak to Call” provides a very convenient solution. A software that runs on Windows PC along with Dragon Naturally Speaking and Microsoft Speech (comes with Windows), Parrot helps make and receive phone calls by just using speech. The interface is very simple and minimal with just the essential options displayed. The software comes with a few “lists” of its own (Family, Friends, Professionals & Businesses and Work), to which you can add contact information and their phone numbers. Of course, it gives you the ability to add more lists too if the four it comes with are not enough. With just one word commands, Parrot can make making and receiving phone calls a breeze. Check out the quick videos below to see Parrot “Speak to Call” in action.
Set up is very simple (make sure you know how to enable your speech recognition software). The best part is that you don’t require a phone line or need to hook it up to your existing phone line. It works on its own and does not depend on any other hardware accessories (except the USB headset you will be using to make calls) which typically complicate set up and use, and make things difficult to fix if they break. When you sign up, they give you a phone number as well.
A very good solution for people who don’t have good motor skills or cannot use their arms because of paralysis or other spinal cord injuries. This software can also be used by bedridden people or those who cannot move a lot because of sickness or old age to call their caregiver to let them know if they need anything.
Signing up requires a one time fee of $99 and a monthly $39 fee for unlimited calling within USA and Canada (month to month; no contract). $10 from each sale also goes to charity!
Go to Parrot’s website to learn more about this product.
Website: www.speaktocall.com