When I am in the kitchen cooking up a new recipe I often think fast, improvise immensely and toss and mix things in based on experience and instinct. It's a running joke in our family that if you really like something I've made, you better enjoy it now because I don't know if I can ever make it again. My husband will cringe and ask; "Uh, did you happen to write this one down?" Many times I do, sometimes I don't.

What would be perfect for a avid cook/baker like me would be to have my own little personal assistant sitting next to me in the kitchen typing out my instructions and my list of ingredients as I go about my merry way mixing and mashing and blending and baking. I could call out "A teaspoon of vanilla. A quarter teaspoon of almond extract" and she/he would copy it down for me. Not only would this help me when I'm tweaking my latest and greatest culinary creation but it would save the damage to my computer that flour dust and food particles spilled inbetween the keys do.

As futuristic as it sounds, there actually is an assistant that can do just this, but I wouldn't have to feed them, pay them or give them bathroom breaks nor a Christmas gift. As a matter of fact it could be a Christmas gift to myself! It's the Dragon NaturallySpeaking 10 Standard and is simply... amazing.

Speaking in real time, this program gives you the ability to speak to your computer and have it not only create documents from your voice but also use your email or do internet searches and run your browser... all with the power of your voice.

Dragon Naturally Speaking 10 Preferred is not only perfect for someone with their hands immersed in flour and sugar but the corporate business person who talks 120 words a minute and can only type 45 wpm. The small business owner that can't afford a part time transcriptionist but needs to create and send emails. Another huge draw; someone handicapped. A very good friend of mine lost a few fingers due to a fire. The ability for him to dictate and edit Windows programs such as Microsoft Word, Outlook Express, Explorer, Excel, Corel WorldPerfect and more is just astounding.

I'm a little slow finding out about this product as you may have already read the NY Times Review of Dragon NaturallySpeaking. Whether you speak American English or perhaps you talk like my kids and speak a "Teen" English, perhaps you need a program that would recognize your voice in Australian English or even German, Italian, UK accents or more; no problem. They have you covered.