Well, besides my HUGE stack of transcripts requests I am working on, I recently bought a Macbook Pro.  Yes, you may all sigh in jealously.  I have been busy learning the ropes and haven't had a single issue on it yet, besides relearning some keyboard shortcuts that were ingrained in my head from many years of Windows use.  The great thing is that I am running Windows on my Mac at the same time using the Parallel Desktop program.  By using this utility I utilize all the "cool" Mac stuff and can still use Case CATalyst and get all of my work done.  More hints and suggestions on this transition to come, but I highly suggest if you are a reporter and looking to get a new laptop.  It's a bit more of an investment, but I'm happy with my choice and hoping in the long run it all works out. So far, so good.

Well, you can tell by the time lapse between my postings I have been busy.  My transcript orders have finally started to come in and this month I need to get out about 2,000 pages.  whoo!  

Currently, I am working on my first jury trial transcript and I am utilizing my EZ Text and Personal Globals tables ALOT.  These are great and super simple tools that make my editing time fly by.  Below is a brief description of EZ Text.  If you would like a more detailed explanation, let me know. 

EZ Text displays the EZ Text table in a dialog pane on the Edit screen. The EZ Text table allows you to create up to 20 strings of text which you can insert into the transcript or the Text field of a dialog box. Each text line can contain up to approximately 900 characters including conflicts, scan stops, format symbols, etc. 

EZ Text lines are stored in the EZ Text table located in the Systems Files case.  To open, got to View/EZ Text (Alt + v, z).  Use the fields and options as necessary: Number, Text, Insert, Modify Text, Insert Field or Auto Include. 

To insert an EZ Text line into the transcript while editing, position your cursor at the location in the transcript where you want the text and press F4 plus the EZ Text entry number; for example, F4 2 inserts the entry on EZ text line 2.

I am busy getting back into the swing of things after the WCRA Spring Convention in Eau Claire.  I thought the seminar went great.  It was a lot of material, but I loved seeing the lightbulbs go off as people saw some really cool things that they didn't know the software could do.

For those who attended, we talked about the new Quick Tran feature that allows you to start a new realtime file quickly, basically, bypassing the Translate dialog box (see below for more details on this function).  During the seminar I had attendees create a macro to initiate the Quick Tran feature from their steno machine.  For many it worked and for others CATalyst got into a cycle of creating numerous new realtime files.  I indicated that I would follow up on that issue, so here it is:  I believe the problem to be that the reporter didn't end the steno file on their machine.  So as the new Quick Tran file was created, it kept getting the previous steno file which included the new steno defined to start a new realtime file.  I know that is a bit hard to understand, but, essentially, it kept sending the command to start a new file because you never ended your writer file.  Try the macro again, and MAKE SURE YOU END THE FILE ON YOUR WRITER.  Otherwise, any previous steno notes will dump.  I hope this helps, if not, contact me.
---------------
Quick Tran allows you to quickly start a new realtime file without having to enter any information or select any realtime settings.  You can now start a realtime translation bypassing any dialog box entries. Case CATalyst automatically uses the last realtime settings, including the selected dictionaries. 
By default, Case CATalyst assigns the file name using the 2 digit year, month and day followed by the hour, minute and seconds. For example: 080813_140905 was created August 13, 2008 at 2:09:05 p.m.  In Version 11 you can customize how files created via Quick Tran are named.  You can include standard text, date and/or time and/or an automatic numbering scheme.
If you select Quick Tran while in an active realtime file, Case CATalyst disconnects from the current realtime file and starts a new realtime file.  The original realtime file remains open, allowing you to edit and save it. To change the default Quick Tran file name, you can rename the file in Manage Jobs.
        To Use Quick Tran in Edit go to File, Quick Tran.

Whew.  Don't have time to write much as I am busy preparing for the WCRA Spring Convention this weekend.  So far it looks like it's going to be a good seminar.  I tend to put too much time into creating the workbook, but I can't help it.  There is just so much info I want to share.  Wish me luck.

You may have noticed the website has changed a bit.  I have been finally taking the time to update everything, and have enjoyed learning some new website design things.  Most recently I discovered how super easy it is to link Facebook to KRORP.com.  It's amazing how FB is morphing from a personal communication system (between friends) to now a real business marketing entity.  How many times have you heard the phrase "become a fan on Facebook"  "friend me".  So now I can say "become a fan on Facebook".  This should be fun.

I am enjoying some much needed office time this week.  It's amazing how far behind you can get when you have a busy court calendar, the NCAA tournament (captioning games), and a convention seminar to plan around the corner.  Yes, please enjoy my little pity party.

Since I have some time this week I have been working on my transcript pile.  One of the new features in v11 is an automatic audio playback pause.  (that's a mouthful.)  In previous versions when you opened a dialog box (ex. define, insert, format symbols) the audio would keep playing.  There is now an option to have the audio playback pause when a dialog box is opened. 

Real world example:  I am proofing while I listen to the AudioSync playback.  I find a mistrans I need to define.  I hit CTRL + D and get my define window open.  Instead of the audio continuing to play while I enter in the text for the definition, the audio will pause while the box is open and resume playing immediately after I click OK or ENTER.  So cool.  No more backing up the audio to where I left off and not where it kept playing to.

The feature is under Tools, Options, Advanced Edit.  Just change the option "Stop audio when dialog box opens" from No to Yes.  Enjoy.

For all my fellow Wisconsinites, aren't you just loving this weather!! 
Happy Spring.

A busy week in court this week.  I am reporting a reckless homicide trial.  The case is very interesting and keeping me on my toes.  I provide realtime to my Judge for all proceedings, but there always seems to be added pressure during a trial.   My Judge utilizes my realtime in many ways, so I want to give her the best "rough record" I can.

Because I am in a multiple day trial, I am falling even more in love with Brief-it!  It is such a stroke-saver.  For those reporters who tell me they don't like it, you're crazy!!  It just sits there on my screen suggesting arbs for phrases and names I keep typing over and over and over again.  If I wasn't doing realtime it would be one thing to throw arbitrary forms in myself and fix them later, but if you are writing realtime for someone you just don't have that luxury.  I highly suggest to everyone they learn to use and customize Brief-it to fit their writing style and usage.  Remember it uses your dictionary and your phonetic table to come up with brief suggestions.  If you have never looked at your phonetic table, don't wonder why the software is coming up with suggestions that you would never write.  DO NOT turn off this feature, learn it. 

If you have questions about it, let me know.   Time to get back to court.  Recess is over.  ;)

Well, I have been saying I would add a blog to this website for almost a year now, so here it goes.  I plan on writing notes about my life in the court reporting industry.  Some days will focus on software training and tips, other times on life in the big courthouse, and I can't forget about the fabulous life of working from home captioning tv! 

Today, I will start by talking about CATalyst since I am working on developing the workbook for the upcoming WCRA Convention.  A lot of reporters ask me if it is worth it to keep the support contract every year to get a new version of the software (not to mention being able to call tech support)?  My answer is YES!!  Can you think of another program on your computer you use more than your CAT software?  How many hours a week do you spend taking the record via realtime (even if it's just for you), and editing transcripts?  Stenograph works on adding  awesome new features to the software all year and I am always excited to see what time-saving or phenomenal new things the software can do to help me and my trainees.

One of the new features in v11 that I really love -- that is probably the simplest change ever made to the software -- is a Due Date option was added in Manage Jobs (see the screen shot below).  I organize all my transcript files into one folder for the year.  I have all of my finished jobs (BTW - you can also now mark jobs as DONE versus just Final Printed) and my pending files as well.  By setting the due dates it gives me a way to organize them by date due and also prompts me the due date is coming up by turning red as the date gets closer.  For the anal-organizer that I am, I love having this easy tracking right in the software.

Bye for now.  Oh, and Happy St. Patty's Day.