My mind wanders when I’m driving. A lot.
One of the worst times to get a bright idea or remember to make a note about something is in the car. Taking my hands off the wheel to scribble a note on the back of a receipt is probably not the smartest thing in the world (although some of you have probably tried it. Me, I’ve done worse.)
That’s why I like Jott, a new service I’ve recently discovered. I call a toll-free number on my cell phone, speak a message, and that message is automatically transcribed and emailed to me (or to someone else if I want). For free! I’ve got the number on speed dial, and I’ve been pleasantly surprised with how well it works.
It takes a minute or two to get everything set up, but once you do it’s quick and simple to leave yourself a message:
1. Call Jott.
2. An automated voice asks, “Who do you want to Jott”?. Say, “Me”.
3. You hear a beep and start talking. When you are finished (you have 30 seconds), there’s a short pause and then an automated voice says, “Got it”.
4. Later, when you check your email, you will see a message containing a transcription of your voice note.
The transcriptions are surprisingly accurate. Not perfect, of course. I Jotted myself a message recently that included the word Hallmark (as in the greeting card company), and Jott translated it as “Hall(?) Mart”. But it was close enough that I could figure out what I was trying to remind myself of.
You can also Jott messages to other people. They can receive a text message, email, and/or call Jott to hear your audio recording like a voice mail.
Jott is a neat service, escpecially if you are on-the-go a lot. Give it a try.