typing
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Guinness world record for iPad typing set by 15-year-old
Nimble-fingered 15-year-old, Eduard Saakashvili, has set the Guinness world record for fastest typing on an iPad. Eduard isn't your average teenager; he's the son of Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili. Eduard earned the title and record by typing the alphabet on an iPad in just 5.26 seconds, using the software keyboard. He beat the previous record, held by British teenager Charlie Joseph McDonnell, by a full 1.05 seconds. A Guinness official was on hand to monitor and verify the event. Congratulations to Eduard. We'll see if iOS 5's spilt-screen keyboard has an effect on future contestants.
Utechzone Spring eye-tracking system hands-on (video)
In the midst of fiddling with tablets and laptops at Computex, we haven't been thinking much of eye-tracking technologies until we saw Utechzone's booth. What we have here is the Spring, a TW$240,000 (US$8,380) eye-tracking rig that was launched in March 2010 and is aimed at users with limited mobility. The package consists of an LCD monitor, a computer, and an external sensor that utilizes infrared to track our pupils. Also included is an eye-friendly software suite that lets users play games, browse the web and media files, send emails, communicate with caretakers, and read PDF or TXT files. We had a go on the Spring and quickly learned how to control it with our eyes: much like the Xbox Kinect, in order to make a click we had to hover the cursor over (or fix our eyes on) a desired button until the former completes a spin. The tracking was surprisingly accurate, except we had to take off our glasses for it to work; that said, the other glasses didn't exhibit the same issue, so the culprit could be just some coating on our lenses. Another problem we found was that it only took a quick jiggle with our eyes to cancel the spinning countdown, so full concentration is required to use the Spring. This shouldn't be a problem outside a noisy event like Computex, anyway, and if you need more convincing, we were told that a disabled Taiwanese professor managed to hit 100,000 Chinese characters within three months using phonetic input on the the same rig -- he's planning on releasing a new book soon. Have a look at our eyes-on video after the break for a better idea on how the Spring works. %Gallery-125350%
Key pattern analysis software times your typing for improved password protection
The recent pilfering of PlayStation Network passwords and personal info shows that having a strong passcode doesn't always guarantee your online safety. However, key-pattern analysis (KPA) software from researchers at American University of Beirut may be able to keep our logins secure even if they're stolen. You create a unique profile by entering your password a few times while the code tracks the speed and timing of your keystrokes. The software then associates that data to your password as another means of authentication. Henceforth, should the magic word be entered in a different typing tempo, access is denied. We saw a similar solution last year, but that system was meant to prevent multiple users from accessing subscription databases with a single account. This KPA software allows multiple profiles per password so that your significant other can still read all your email -- assuming you and your mate reside in the trust tree, of course.
Keyglove ditches QWERTY for one-handed computer control (video)
We've seen some pretty ambitious hand warmers in our day, but this one takes the cake. Keyglove is an Open Source Hardware (OSHW) project that's intended to eliminate those clunky keyboards and unmanageable mice from the computing process altogether, instead engaging a series of conductive sensors that, when touched together, mimic a keystroke. The mitt's creator says the traditional mobile keyboard is "either too big to be portable, or too small to be easy to use," adding that his solution would eventually become second nature just like touch typing. Keyglove is an Arduino and AVR-powered device that also incorporates an accelerometer to control mouse movements. It's apparently fully customizable and allows for a total of 60 unique touch combinations -- impressive, sure, but it took us long enough to figure out the home keys on the real thing. If you dream of a world full of one-handed typists, check out the video after the break, or follow the source link to find out how you can donate to the project.
Robot hand hits 20WPM, nearly ready to embrace infinite monkey theorem
Robot hands have been grabbing, crushing, drawing and otherwise actuating for years, but have you ever seen one properly type? That's the primary purpose of a new Virginia Tech design. Engineers built this Dexterous Anthropomorphic Robotic Typing (DART) hand to mimic the real deal as best they could, down to individually-actuating three-segment digits and 110 degrees of wrist rotation in a package the size of a real human arm. Using a total of 19 servo motors and high tensile strength wire for the tendons, they managed to create a single mechanical paw that can achieve an estimated 20 words per minute while typing. Next, they plan to cover it in silicone skin and add piezoelectric sensors to provide tactile feedback. Imagine that: the next time a secret family member severs your arm with a focused plasma beam, you'll know where to go for replacement. Find a quick video and the full scientific paper at the links below.
CircBoard offers an interesting approach to typing on an Xbox
Typing on an Xbox controller is not ideal. Sure, you can get a Chat Pad, but what if there were another way? CircBoard has an interesting alternative, using the left and right analog sticks in conjunction. It's conceptually easy to understand, but are you willing to give it a try?
'Pokemon Typing DS' comes with Bluetooth keyboard
When Battle & Get: Pokemon Typing DS was first revealed during last year's Nintendo Conference, we figured "players" would have to use their styli on an on-screen soft keyboard in order to type out pokémon names. But, of course, that would have been exceedingly silly. Instead, the typing tutor title will ship with a Bluetooth keyboard that connects to the DS through the Bluetooth-equipped game cartridge. This new peripheral isn't entirely ridiculous (maybe like 90 percent ridiculous) -- according to Nintendo president Satoru Iwata, the prototype keyboard connects to iPhone and Android devices just fine, though Nintendo won't guarantee such compatibility. But if you've been asking for a Nintendo-designed Bluetooth keyboard, here you go! Would-be pokémon typists will be able to Battle & Get the game and keyboard (its exact size is unknown) in Japan this April. A release outside of Japan has not been announced.
Swiftkey Android keyboard goes HD, adds new tongues and improved language prediction
Even the most loyal Android user is bound to kvetch about the stock keyboard at some point or another, and while Swype has definitely grabbed the hearts of a good many Froyo users, Swiftkey remains our third-party keyboard of choice. After escaping beta just a few months ago, TouchType has just outed an 'HD' build that's designed to cope with many of the higher-resolution displays being used on today's gargantuan Android phones. Moreover, we're guessing that this was done to look a bit better on devices like the Galaxy Tab, and there's no denying that the new design elements are a real step forward. Aside from the makeover, the app is also gaining five new languages (Brazilian Portuguese, Czech, Danish, Norwegian and Polish), improved language prediction quality and a new US layout that nixes accented characters. For those who've yet to try it, the latest version can be tested for a full 31 days, after which you'll be coerced into ponying up $3.99 for the real-deal. Hit the source links below (or the QR code shown here) to give it a go.
Research suggests that your body knows you made a typo when your conscious mind simply can't be bothered
This may or may not come as a shocker to you -- but when you make a typo, your body can tell, according to a new study at Vanderbilt University. The study monitored a group of people who could type at least 40 WPM consistently as they transcribed copy. In analyzing the typists' key strokes, researchers found that interestingly, even if a typist's mistake was immediately 'silently' corrected onscreen by those running the study, the typist's fingers fumbled or paused, signaling an 'awareness' that a mistake had been made. Essentially, this means that while the conscious mind may not know that a mistake has been made (especially if there's no visual evidence of it), the part of the brain that controls the fingers typing movements have some awareness of the mistakes. For those of us who spend our lives banging away at a keyboard, these preliminary results won't really come as any surprise -- the feeling of having made a mistake is pretty instinctual. Regardless, the results suggest a hierarchical manner of mistake detection in humans, the "lower" more instinctual part of the brain recognizing and correcting the mistake, while the conscious part of the brain assigns credit and blame. Now if we could just figure out what part of our brain is responsible for relentlessly pointing out others' typos, we'd be set.
BlindType acquired by Google, Android typists grin uncontrollably
The note's short and sweet, but it confirms that Google's buying spree is still on -- BlindType was just acquired by the Big G. If you'll recall, we were wowed back in July by the software's ability to predict words regardless of how text was inputted, and it seems as if a few bigwigs within Google were as well. It's unclear what Google's Android team plans to do with its newfound IP, but you shouldn't have to strain your imagination too hard to hazard a guess. As for the BlindType team? They're "excited to join Google, and look forward to the great opportunities for mobile innovation that lie ahead." Likewise, folks... likewise. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
TUAW's Daily App: Texto SMS Favorites
There are a lot of weird texting applications for the iPhone, and some of them are pretty hinky in terms of design or function. But Texto is probably the best looking SMS app I've seen -- it doesn't do any weird non-SMS text messaging or have all kinds of neon graphics running around. All it does is hook up with your iPhone's standard texting service to let you get quick shortcuts to your most commonly used people and messages. Thanks to LA traffic, I'm often running just a little late for meetings, and with Texto, I can just tap a few buttons to send an "I'll be there soon" to my friends and colleagues rather than trying to type the whole thing out as I frantically drive across town. The app's only 99 cents, but I'll admit it's not for everybody. If you don't text a whole lot already, you probably don't need a whole other app to handle your most frequently-sent messages. And obviously, sending a pre-written message is a little impersonal. Your significant other might realize you're blowing them off the fifth time you send a "Sorry, I'm busy, call you soon," message to them. There's one other caveat: you can only use this one in iOS 4.0, due to the way it interacts with the SMS app. For the right user, Texto can be really helpful, and it's got the bonus of having a great and simple interface that's free of ads and clutter.
BlindType vows to autocorrect all wrongs with your iPhone or Android virtual keyboard (video)
Remember that episode of The Simpsons where Homer gets too fat to be able to dial a number? Well, he wouldn't have had that problem had BlindType been around. This soft keyboard is described by its makers as being extremely resilient to inaccurate input and looking at the demo video after the break, you kinda have to agree -- it seems to have a pretty kickass predictive algorithm. Aside from that, the keyboard also dynamically adjusts to wherever and however you choose to type, meaning its size and orientation track along to your input, which goes some way to justifying the somewhat odd name (it's meant for blind operation, not blind people). Text can be inserted without the keyboard even being on screen, while spaces are added by swiping to the right. BlindType should be coming to Android and iOS devices some time in the near future. [Thanks, Fadl] Update: We asked BlindType's makers whether implementing their software will require replacing Apple's default button slate and they've confirmed that it would. They're making and submitting it for iOS use, nonetheless, "to put pressure on Apple to finally allow this kind of thing."
Swiftkey beta brings new keyboard, world class predictive text to Android
The software and language engineers at Swiftkey have been toiling on this app for the past two years, and at long last, it's being made available for precisely nothing to anxious Android users. Hot on the heels of Swype's own beta, the Swiftkey beta is now available to download directly from the App Market, and once installed (along with language packs of your choice), it can be used in place of your stock Android soft keyboard. We've never been the biggest fan of Google's factory keys, and while we still feel that Swiftkey's letters are a tad on the skinny side, it's definitely an improvement. But that's not where the magic's at -- this software has an uncanny ability to guess what your next word will be, and it actually looks at your prior SMS list (if allowed) in order to "learn" how you converse. In our early tests, we're pretty darn impressed, and yes, it's definitely worth the $0.00 price tag. Get your download on right now, or hop past the break for a video demonstration if you still need convincing. [Thanks, Martino]
iPad use case: Pro blogger
Over the past few weeks, we've heard many people say, "The iPad is cool, but what would I do with it?" This new series aims to answer that question. We'll examine one user case per post, from couch surfer to mobile professional, and describe just how that person uses his or her iPad. As a professional blogger, there are 5 things I need to do my job: A comfortable, reliable keyboard A text editor RSS feeds Web access A reference tool for compiling research The iPad lets me get nearly all of that accomplished. Let's start with what works. The keyboard The iPad's software keyboard is more usable that I expected. It's forced me to develop a hybrid typing method that's part hunt-and-peck and part touch typing. Years ago, I learned to keep my fingers in the home position, lightly touching the keys. On the iPad, "lightly touching" means "pressing," so now I hover just above the keys. The landscape keyboard is just a bit smaller than a standard keyboard, so I can't keep my hands in the true home position. However, knowing each key's location without having to look is tremendously helpful. With a bit of practice, my muscle memory has adapted to the smaller keyboard. The real key, as with the iPhone, is to be fearless and type. The iPad will correct the vast majority of your mistakes. That being said, I don't want to write more than a few hundred words with it. Even with the above accommodations, I still make more errors than I do with a physical keyboard. Therefore, Apple's Bluetooth keyboard is essential. It's a breeze to set up, fits squarely in a bag and is barely wider than the iPad itself. With the iPad docked and the keyboard in place, I'm ready to write.
Typing 'cadence' used to identify authorized database users, lock everyone else out
We'll admit to having shared a few login credentials amongst friends here and there in our younger days, but it sounds like the party might soon be over: a company called Scout Analytics has developed a way of identifying a user's "typing cadence," and matching it to how a username and password are entered. It only takes 5 login attempts of around 12 characters for Scout to nab your cadence, and although 1 in 20,000 people will share the same cadence, combining the data with browser info and IP addresses makes it accurate enough for general usage. No word on what sites are using this technique, but we won't be surprised if it starts popping up rapidly -- and sniffing typing cadences becomes the next great malware scourge. P.S.- Yes, we just wanted to run the picture of the keyboard pants again. Seriously, can someone please hook us up with those?
Macworld 2010: Hands-on with the 4iThumbs keyboard for iPhone
I stopped by the 4iThumbs booth to check out their product that would purportedly increase my (admittedly dismal) typing speed on the iPhone/iPod touch. It consists of a plastic overlay that puts small ridges between the letters of the standard iPhone keyboard, available in both portrait and landscape formats. The product comes with some tabs that you affix to the top and bottom of the device, and you can then slip the plastic overlay on and off. You can touch through the overlay and use the phone as usual while it's attached, although the bumps aren't terribly comfortable for swiping. There's a matching set of tabs for the back of the device which can hold the overlay when it's not in use. I tested it out, and it works. I never texted much on any device other than the iPhone, so I can't make a direct comparison of typing speeds between an iPhone and, say, a Blackberry. I do type a lot on my iPhone, though, and I can readily say that my typing speed and accuracy increased dramatically while using the 4iThumbs overlay. 4iThumbs is $19.95US online for 1 set, which includes portrait and landscape versions and the tabs to attach them to your iPhone/iPod touch. At Macworld, you can pick up 2 for $15US, but you'll have to get there quick to take advantage of the show pricing.
The Daily Grind: Your a idiot
No, YOU aren't an idiot, it's just one of the many things you'll see in local chat in pretty much any given MMO. For obvious reasons, we're sticklers for spelling and grammar (speeling and grammer?) here at Massively. The ever-increasing spelling and grammar issues in local chat hurt our poor eyes when we play our favorite games, and we want to know: is it just us? lol using lol as punctuation lol, us1ng numb3rs 1nstead 0f l3tt3rs because you are just that cool, and a complete lack of anything resembling proper grammar or capitalization are pretty much the norm in-game. If you mention it, you're (ur?) sure to hear "lol its not skool lol". Most of the time we just give up in despair and try to ignore local chat. But we want to know what you think! Do you strive for at least basic spelling and punctuation? Do you follow all the rules of grammar, or do you strive for extreme txtspk?
Ask Engadget: Best flexible keyboard out there?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget question is coming to us from Jeremy, who is desperately searching for a portable and malleable keyboard to take on the road."I love my little computing companion but I often find myself missing a full sized keyboard. I have been looking at several of these portable and flexible keyboards, but I can't seem to make up my mind about which I should buy. I don't want the keyboard to be overly expensive, but I want it to be good quality. Also, how difficult is it to type on these keyboards? Thanks!"To anyone who has been forced to use a cramped netbook keyboard for over a few minutes, you know how dire the situation can get. If you've literally rolled a keyboard into your arsenal, let us know which one made the team and how it's holding up.
WWDC Demo: QuicKeys 4
WWDC isn't all about iPhone apps. Long before the iPhone was a twinkle in Steve's eye, WWDC was all about developing for the Macintosh. I had a chance to sit down with the guys behind QuicKeys, a venerable Mac app that will save you a lot of time on repetitive typing tasks. I got a look at the beta, but the full version is now available for $59.95 ($29.95 if you are upgrading from version 3). For example, if you are constantly typing your email signature, QuicKeys can auto-complete the typing when you type "szm" or any other character combo you like (in a similar fashion to TextExpander). QuicKeys can also create keyboard shortcuts for darn near anything, and record actions for later use. That's really just the tip of the iceberg. QuicKeys has MIDI triggers, a powerful search tool, web actions, an online repository for shortcuts and tutorials, and the company is set to release a QuicKeys remote app for the iPhone/iPod touch (so yeah, you just can't escape that little platform). Luckily, you can try QuicKeys yourself and get a feel for how powerful it truly is. There's a 30-day trial mode, but Startly (makers of QuicKeys) has a generous "unlimited" trial period, which extends the trial app indefinitely. I know I've often downloaded an app, installed it, then come back close to 30 days later to realize I can't dig into it within the timeout period. Give it a try and I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. If you are a power user, this thing is a lifesaver. If you're a casual user, there's still benefit to typing less throughout the day.
Simple keystroke sniffing schemes work where keyloggers won't
Ah, the wonders of CanSecWest. The famed security conference has delivered yet again in 2009, this time bringing to light two simple sniffing schemes that could be used to decipher typed text when keyloggers are just too noticeable. Gurus from Inverse Path were on hand to explain the approaches, one of which involved around $80 of off-the-shelf gear. In short, curious individuals could point a laser on the reflective surface of a laptop between 50 feet and 100 feet away, and then by using a "handmade laser microphone device and a photo diode to measure the vibrations, software for analyzing the spectrograms of frequencies from different keystrokes, as well as technology to apply the data to a dictionary," words could be pretty easily guessed. The second method taps into power grid signals passed along from PS/2 keyboard outputs, and by using a digital oscilloscope and an analog-digital converter, those in the know can pick out tweets from afar. Check the read link for more, and make sure you close those blinds and pick up a USB keyboard, pronto.[Via Slashdot]
