From 29d0c0e50370be85ea4f5d42554e7c0d715b39fe Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: hariel1985 Date: Sat, 27 Jun 2026 16:02:20 +0200 Subject: [PATCH] Update README for 1.3.0 Document the warm whisper-server, live mic-level HUD, and custom dictionary; add them to the feature list and Settings; note the loopback-only server and the one-time model load at startup. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 --- README.md | 17 +++++++++++++++-- 1 file changed, 15 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-) diff --git a/README.md b/README.md index 2539216..cbcfb49 100644 --- a/README.md +++ b/README.md @@ -12,17 +12,26 @@ A simple menu bar app for voice dictation using OpenAI Whisper (local, offline). ## macOS +### What's new in 1.3.0 + +- ⚡ **Warm transcription server** — the Whisper model stays loaded in a background `whisper-server`, so each dictation is a fast local call (~0.5s) instead of reloading the 1.5–1.6 GB model on every utterance +- 📊 **Live mic-level HUD** while recording, which warns ("No audio input?") if the microphone stays silent +- 📖 **Custom dictionary** — an editable *Heard → Replacement* table that fixes names/jargon in the transcript and also biases recognition + ### Features - 🎤 Global hotkey (⌃⌥D) to start/stop recording +- ⚡ Fast transcription via a warm whisper-server (model stays loaded — no per-dictation reload), with automatic fallback to `whisper-cli` +- 📊 Live mic-level meter while recording, with a "no audio input" warning +- 📖 Custom dictionary (heard → replacement) that also biases recognition - 🔒 Fully offline - uses local Whisper model -- ⚡ Automatic paste into any focused app +- ⌨️ Automatic paste into any focused app - 📋 Clipboard preservation - your copied content is restored after paste - ⚙️ Settings window with model selection dropdown - 📥 Built-in model downloader with progress indicator - 🚀 Launch at login support - 🔊 Sound feedback (optional) -- 📦 Self-contained - whisper-cli bundled in app +- 📦 Self-contained - whisper-cli and whisper-server bundled in the app ### Requirements @@ -75,6 +84,7 @@ make install Click the menu bar icon → Settings to configure: - **Language**: Auto-detect or 31 supported languages - **Model**: Select from installed models or download new ones +- **Dictionary**: Add *Heard → Replacement* pairs to fix names/jargon (use `\n` for a newline); the replacement terms also improve recognition - **Sound feedback**: Toggle audio feedback on/off - **Launch at login**: Start automatically when you log in @@ -93,6 +103,8 @@ Download models directly from the app or manually: Models are stored in `~/.whisper-models/` +> With the warm server (1.3.0+), the selected model loads once at startup (a few seconds); after that each dictation skips the reload, so the speeds above are roughly the per-dictation transcription time. + ### Audio Feedback - 🔔 **Tink** - Recording started @@ -114,6 +126,7 @@ Grant these in System Settings → Privacy & Security: ## Security - All processing is done locally - no data leaves your device +- The bundled `whisper-server` is bound to `127.0.0.1` (loopback only) and is never exposed on the network - Audio files are stored in private temp directory and deleted after transcription - Clipboard is cleared after paste (transcript doesn't remain accessible) - Original clipboard content is preserved and restored after paste