Olympus America today announced the DS-330. It’s a digital voice recorder with direct connection via USB to Macs and PCs. The device includes software that enables recorded files to be transferred to the Mac.
The DS-330 measures 4.25 x 1.6 x .8 inches, and weighs about 2 ounces. It uses two AAA-sized batteries or an A/C adapter. Olympus said the recorder gets about 11 hours of life using a set of alkaline batteries.
The DS-330 supplies up to 330 minutes of recording time using 16MB of built-in flash memory. Files can be stored in five different folders, each containing up to 199 files. The DS-330 utilizes noise canceling technology to help reduce hiss and background noise, and users can also adjust the microphone’s sensitivity. It also features a backlit LCD display that can be viewed in low-light conditions.
Connected to a computer, the DS-330 can also act as a USB microphone and speaker. And if dictation is needed, Olympus also sells the AS-300 Transcription Kit, which includes a footswitch and headset. It’s compatible with IBM’s ViaVoice voice-to-text software, too.
The DS-330 stores up to 330 minutes of continuous voice recording using its Long Play mode; 155 minutes can be stored via the DS-330’s Standard Play mode. Users can overwrite, erase, move or insert sections into any recording, and the recorded files themselves can be played back at normal, fast or slow speeds.
The DS-330 can also be used as an alarm or scheduler, playing back specific recordings at desired times. And recordings can also be locked to prevent accidental deletion, according to Olympus.
The DS-330 is expected to hit store shelves by the first of May. Its expected retail price is US$149. System requirements call for a Mac with a standard USB port, Mac OS 8.6 or higher (including Mac OS X 10.1 or higher); 5MB hard drive space.