Philips reveals new Digital Voice Tracer recorders, we swoon


Ooooh Heaven is a place on Earth!

You know the day is off to a good start when Philips releases some digital voice recorders! Their Digital Tracer line has been updated with the 660, 860 and 880 models with up to 2GB of memory with speed control for transcription and USB recording support. It also records directly to MP3 and can do direct FM radio recording. Wait! There’s more… oh. No, there isn’t. They should be available next month.

ATLANTA–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Royal Philips Electronics (AEX: PHI, NYSE: PHG), the market leader in professional dictation recording, today announced the unveiling of a new line of Digital Voice Tracers designed to bridge the gap between handwritten note-taking and professional dictation. The new line includes five models and available features(a) like the industry’s largest display, 2 GB storage capacity, high sensitivity microphones, six recording modes, and high quality stereo recording. Enhanced features include MP3 music playback and FM radio recording.

Digital Voice Tracers now offer connectivity through high-speed USB 2.0 for fast file download to a computer. The Digital Voice Tracer 860 and 880 models support energy-efficient USB-powered recording, which eliminates battery consumption. Longer audio recordings can be managed by utilizing an index function that marks reference points, such as the beginning of a new section. Recordings can be played back at a faster or slower speed, making it easier to review or transcribe a note or a dictation file.

“Digital Voice Tracers are simple to use right out of the box, making it easy for anyone to benefit from digital dictation, especially those who do not need fully integrated, professionally managed workflows,” said Thomas Brauner, Senior Director and Category Leader of Philips Speech Processing. “The benefits of being able to record ideas and thoughts for later reference are manifold. Small, lightweight and portable, the new Digital Voice Tracers ensure that important events are captured – anytime and anywhere. That’s note taking at its best.”

The Digital Voice Tracer 660, 860 and 880 models are packaged with a USB cable, batteries and lapel microphone, as well as stereo headphones for confidential file playback. The new Digital Voice Tracers will be available in October 2008.