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+# Menu-Whisper
+
+A macOS menu bar application that provides offline speech-to-text transcription using Whisper-family models and automatically inserts the transcribed text into the currently focused application.
+
+## Overview
+
+Menu-Whisper is designed to be a privacy-focused, offline-first speech recognition tool for macOS. It runs entirely locally on Apple Silicon machines, requiring no internet connection during normal operation (only for initial model downloads).
+
+### Key Features
+
+- **100% Offline Operation**: Audio and text never leave your device
+- **Apple Silicon Optimized**: Built specifically for M1/M2/M3 processors with Metal acceleration
+- **Global Hotkey Support**: Default ⌘⇧V (configurable)
+- **Smart Text Insertion**: Clipboard paste with typing fallback
+- **Secure Input Detection**: Respects password fields and secure contexts
+- **Multiple Models**: Support for various Whisper model sizes and variants
+- **Multilingual**: Spanish and English interface and recognition
+
+## Requirements
+
+- **macOS**: 13.0 (Ventura) or later
+- **Hardware**: Apple Silicon (M1, M2, or M3 processor) - Intel Macs are not supported
+- **Xcode**: 15.0+ for building from source
+- **Permissions**: Microphone, Accessibility, and Input Monitoring access
+
+## Build Requirements
+
+### Development Environment
+- macOS 13+ with Xcode 15.0+
+- Swift 5.9+
+- Swift Package Manager (included with Xcode)
+
+### System Dependencies
+- AVFoundation framework (audio capture)
+- Carbon framework (global hotkeys)
+- AppKit/SwiftUI (UI components)
+
+### Third-party Dependencies
+- whisper.cpp (C/C++ library for speech recognition with Metal support)
+
+## Installation
+
+**Note**: This project is currently in development. Pre-built binaries will be available as signed and notarized .dmg files once complete.
+
+### Building from Source
+
+1. Clone the repository:
+   ```bash
+   git clone <repository-url>
+   cd tellme
+   ```
+
+2. Open the project in Xcode or use Swift Package Manager:
+   ```bash
+   swift build -c release
+   ```
+
+3. For development, open `Package.swift` in Xcode.
+
+## Architecture
+
+The application is structured with modular components:
+- **App**: SwiftUI interface with AppKit bridges
+- **Core/Audio**: AVAudioEngine capture and processing
+- **Core/STT**: Speech-to-text engines (whisper.cpp, future Core ML)
+- **Core/Models**: Model management and downloads
+- **Core/Injection**: Text insertion with secure input handling
+- **Core/Permissions**: System permission management
+- **Core/Settings**: User preferences and configuration
+
+## Privacy & Security
+
+- **No Telemetry**: Zero data collection or remote analytics
+- **Local Processing**: All audio processing happens on-device
+- **Secure Input Respect**: Automatically detects and respects secure input contexts
+- **Permission-Based**: Requires explicit user consent for system access
+
+## Development Status
+
+This project is currently in active development following a phased approach:
+- Phase 0: Project scaffolding ⬅️ **Current**
+- Phase 1: Hotkey + HUD + Audio capture
+- Phase 2: STT integration with whisper.cpp
+- Phase 3: Text insertion system
+- Phase 4: Preferences and UX polish
+- Phase 5: Distribution and packaging
+
+See `TODO.md` for detailed development progress and `TECHSPEC.md` for complete technical specifications.
+
+## License
+
+MIT License - see [LICENSE](LICENSE) for details.
+
+## Contributing
+
+This project follows a structured development approach with clear phases and acceptance criteria. Please refer to the technical specification and TODO list before contributing.