Using speech-to-text has become a popular way to use dictation on a Mac. It allows you to dictate documents, emails, and even text messages rather than typing them. If you want to try dictation on MacOS, you can use a handy built-in tool, so you don’t need a third-party app or dictation software.
With the dictation feature included in your keyboard settings, you can speak your text in apps like Pages, Notes, and Mail. You can also adjust settings for a keyboard shortcut to activate dictation and the language you speak. Let’s take a look at how to use dictation on a Mac, along with some common commands.
The keyboard dictation is a feature that you need to turn on in order to use.
Step 1: Open your System Preferences using the icon in your Dock or the Apple icon in the menu bar, and choose Keyboard.
Step 2: Select the Dictation tab in the keyboard settings.
Step 3: Next to Dictation, pick On.
Step 4: You’ll see a pop-up message letting you know that what you dictate will be sent to Apple to convert it to text. If you want to continue, click Enable Dictation. Otherwise, choose Cancel.
Step 5: To use a different language, click the Language drop-down box and either pick a language from the list or select Customize to add one.
Step 6: To use a different keyboard shortcut to turn on dictation, click the Shortcut drop-down box and choose the one you want. You can also set your own keyboard shortcut by selecting Customize and entering the combination you want to use.
Step 7: You don't need a top quality microphone for dictation, as the Mac's built-in mic will do. To select a specific microphone for the input, click the Drop-Down Arrow below the Microphone icon on the left.
When you finish, close the System Preferences window, and you’re set.
Should you choose to turn off keyboard dictation later, return to the Keyboard settings in System Preferences and select Off on the Dictation tab.
Once you have dictation enabled, you can simply use the keyboard shortcut to begin using it.
Step 1: Place your cursor in the app where you want to speak the text.
Step 2: Press the key combination or choose Edit > Start Dictation from the menu bar, and you’ll see a small microphone icon appear on the screen.
Begin speaking, and you’ll see your text appear in the app and the icon fluctuate for volume as you speak.
Step 3: To change the language while you’re dictating, click the current language below the microphone icon and select a new one.
Step 4: To stop using dictation, click Done below the microphone icon, enter the keyboard shortcut, or press your Return key.
As you speak your text, you’ll likely need to perform actions like starting a new paragraph and inserting punctuation marks.
Here are some common commands you’ll need:
To include punctuation marks, symbols, and special characters, use the following:
For a complete list, take a look at the Apple support page for dictation commands on Mac.
Whether for convenience or necessity, MacOS makes it easy to dictate what you need. And remember, you can use dictation on your iPhone as well as non-Apple software like Microsoft Word!
The absolutely absurd idea of putting a touchscreen display on a mouse isn't exactly new. Turtle Beach already did it with its Command Series MC7, which features a 2.25-inch control screen. But apparently, even that wasn't ridiculous enough for Arctic Fox Technologies. Its new Super Mouse looks like someone took the chunky old Atari ST mouse, slapped a touchscreen and scroll wheel on it, and called it an upgrade.
The result is a rather unusual-looking mouse that is now on Kickstarter, starting at $199. And as ridiculous as it looks, some of its features are genuinely intriguing.
Apple is less than a day away from launching its highly anticipated OLED MacBook Pro with a touch-sensitive screen. But it appears that the upgrade is going to cost a pretty penny. According to a report by Bloomberg, Apple is reportedly eyeing a starting price of $2,899 for the 14-inch MacBook Pro, while the 16-inch version could start at $3,399 in the US.
"At $2,899, the 14-inch model would mark the highest starting price for a new MacBook Pro model, surpassing the $2,799 Apple charged for a 17-inch version introduced in 2006," says the report. The report claims that Apple is targeting a minimum price hike of $400 for its upcoming redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models.
I've spent a good amount of time digging into the spec sheet of the new M6 MacBook Pro (14-inch), and for all intents and purposes, this is a classic Apple "chip and connectivity" refresh. It's not a full redesign. The chassis, Liquid Retina XDR panel, speakers, ports, and battery, all of them carry over unchanged.
However, the M6 brings more cores, stronger on-device AI, higher memory bandwidth on the larger configs, and modern wireless. Here’s the practical rundown of what actually improved, and whether those gains are worth your money.