BlindType — the Amazing Keyboard of the Future

kkleiner writes "BlindType has created a new touchscreen keyboard program of the same name that changes size, orientation, and position to match your wandering fingers as they type. BlindType also features some of the most impressive typing correction software I've ever seen. The result is a practical touchscreen interface that knows what you meant to type, even if you make mistakes. Lots of them. In fact, you can type without looking at the screen at all."

Comments

How is that novel?

[winkydink]

I've been typing without looking at the screen for my entire life!

Re:How is that novel?

[DeadDecoy]

So sdfgsdhgehaveadgsrgh I!
I wonder what happens when you want to type garbage or inane abbreviations: e.g. lol omgwtfbbq brb afk QQ.
A virtual hand probably materializes and slaps you.

Re:How is that novel?

[Pharmboy]

They do, where it says "Posted by kdawson". Assuming you aren't new here.

Re:How is that novel?

[skids]

I wonder what it looks like if you try to code with it.

for (i=0; i4; ) {lease(r3,i); go( &i);}

becomes:

For I pop Ike. O Pleasure I'll goo You.\n

maybe?

Feh

[Pojut]

I still find a touchscreen keyboard to be a bit wonkey...for me, it isn't an accuracy problem, but a tactile problem.

hrmm

[Charliemopps]

As standard spell check has already "corrected" my spelling into sending out requests for dates to my entire department, telling my boss I was flatulent and created numerous marital misunderstandings, I'm not sure I'm at all wanting to use this. Sometimes its best just to leave the typo so the reader can wonder what I meant, and not think I meant what the computer wondered.

Re:Gee, that's SURELY new...

[mfarah]

If you can plug a model M into your smartphone and use it conveniently I will be impressed sir.

I'd rather crush my work smartphone that keeps ringing all day with my Model M keyboard. :-)

Re:Failure in naming the device

[rotide]

If you had watched the video you would have noticed that this is mainly for mobile devices with no physical keyboard (read: zero tactile feedback). If you can take a mobile device with an on screen keyboard and type perfectly fine without looking at it you've got great motor skills. But what happens if it is slightly askew since your fingers are drifting slightly due to no tactile feedback? This fixes that and allows you to literally have no keyboard displayed on the screen and still type coherent words and sentences.

This isn't about learning to type on a real keyboard, it's about not needing one all together. Just know the basic layout and type away on the screen with no keyboard visual.

I'm seriously hoping for one to come out with a small camera you mount on the screen that watches your fingers and allows you to type without the need to project a keyboard. Spacing wouldn't matter anymore and you could just type away with your eyes closed and the software is smart enough to guess what word you meant.

So BlindType is pretty spot on. You can't see a keyboard (blind) and you can't feel one yet you're typing just fine.

Re:Not for me yet

[greg1104]

Oh, in that case, probably "I'm an erudite GNU/prick".