In a recent column, Memos on the Go, I briefly mentioned Jott. It's a free service that transcribes voice messages you send it into text, then e-mails a transcription of the message to you. The idea is to make it easy to record memos and reminders for yourself.

I didn't have the space to get into more detail about Jott then, but the service is definitely worth a longer look. In fact, like PC World's Steve Bass, I've become a fan. In my opinion, Jott is a fantastic productivity tool that every busy mobile professional should try. Here's why.

The Big Idea

Jott's concept is beautifully simple and extremely useful.

After registering online for the service, you can easily create reminders or dictate memos for yourself--or others--using the cell phone that's attached to your hip.

Let's say you've had a "Eureka!" moment while in the car. Dial Jott's toll-free number (866/568-8123) or, even better, push the speed-dial button you've assigned to it.

Almost immediately, a female voice responds: "Who do you want to Jott?" If the message is for yourself, just say, "Myself." After the beep, start talking. Messages can be up to 30 seconds long. When you're finished, simply stop talking. A few seconds later, the voice will say, "Got it." Then hang up or continue with additional memos.

Within a few minutes, the message you dictated is transcribed and delivered via e-mail, text message, or both.

Other Uses

That's just one way to use Jott. Here are some others I've tried:

Create a reminder. You can tell Jott to create a reminder for a specific time. Jott will send you an e-mail and text message reminder 15 minutes before the event.

Create a Twitter, Blogger, or TypePad post. After linking my Jott account to my Twitter microblog using Jott Links, I dictated a new Twitter post using Jott. Within 3 minutes, Jott had flawlessly transcribed my voice message and posted it to my Twitter page. The microblog post even had the commas I had dictated. And, surprisingly, my post contained a link to Jott.com, which I hadn't dictated. (Jott uses a combination of technology and humans to transcribe messages. I guess the human transcribing my message couldn't resist adding the link.)

Send e-mail or text messages to your contacts. Need to send an e-mail or text while you're driving? Not a problem, as long as you've previously imported your Outlook or other contact database entries into Jott. When you're ready, press your Jott speed-dial button on your phone and tell Jott to whom you want to send a message. The service will verify the name or ask for clarification. Dictate your message, hang up, and your contact will receive your message as a transcribed e-mail and/or SMS text message. You can send one message to multiple people, too, as long as you've set up a Jott Group.

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