"Do You Speak Dragon?" contest kicks off

Are you fluent in Dragon? Then, Nuance Communications Inc. urges you to enter its second annual "I speak Dragon!" competition, which begins today.

The Burlington company is a provider of speech and imaging solutions, and it claims its speech recognition product, Dragon NaturallySpeaking, can turn speech into text at up to 160 words per minute.

Last year, Nuance launched the first competition, which asked entrants to explain how Dragon NaturallySpeaking improved their lives.

One 2007 winner was a fly-fisherman; in the olden days, he painstakingly kept a hand-written journal on his favorite fishing holes and recorded data and details on water temperatures and lures used in successfully landing whoppers, but thanks to Dragon NaturallySpeaking, a labor of love has evolved into effortless dictation, Nuance claims.

In any case, the deadline for this year's competition, which has similar rules, ends June 30.

There will be three winners, and the winning entrants will each receive a Garmin Nuvi 360 Personal Travel Assistant (left) as well as Dragon NaturallySpeaking upgrades for three years, Nuance said.
(By Chris Reidy, Globe staff)