Google Adds Handwriting Input To Android

BarbaraHudson writes: The Reg is reporting on the release of Google Handwriting Input for Android smartphones and tablets: "The Chocolate Factory's research arm says handwriting recognition is needed because touchscreen keyboards remain modestly effective and while 'Voice input is an option, but there are situations where it is not feasible, such as in a noisy environment or during a meeting." The Google Research Blog notes that it allows recognition both on-device and in the cloud (by tapping on the cloud icon) in any Android app.

It works as advertised on my smartphone, so now I can type, speak, or scribble my searches, texts, etc.

Comments

Question still remains

[NotInHere]

Did they add it to android or to google apps?

Re:Question still remains

[Jane Q. Public]

I see, they have added it as yet another app in the app store, not open source, and I guess requiring to have google apps installed. I don't need shit like that.

Wow! We're back to what Palm did quite well 15 years ago! How wonderful!

Fact is, Palm had it made. The OS had shortcomings but they had a mini-computer in a handheld device, with adequate handwriting recognition.

They threw it all away to compete in the "mainstream" cell phone business, and producing "mainstream" cell phones, giving up all that made them unique at the time. What a waste.

Hint to future Palms: don't give up what you're good at, in order to compete in a market that is already doing all that other stuff, better.

Re:Question still remains

[drinkypoo]

Wow! We're back to what Palm did quite well 15 years ago! How wonderful!

Actually, it's more like what Apple did 16 years ago, since it's natural handwriting recognition, and the Palm required you to use a special alphabet.

Fact is, Palm had it made. The OS had shortcomings but they had a mini-computer in a handheld device, with adequate handwriting recognition.

Yes, that was truly an epic moment in time.

hey threw it all away to compete in the "mainstream" cell phone business, and producing "mainstream" cell phones, giving up all that made them unique at the time. What a waste.

And here's where you go straight off the rails. See, space curved there. In specifics, the PDA market went away, and was replaced by the smartphone market.

Re:Question still remains

[Henning Rogge]

It is a new "keyboard app". Don't expect to add features like this in the coming "core OS" versions of Android... Google is busy getting things out of the core so they can update them independently.

Re:Question still remains

[LinuxIsGarbage]

Actually, it's more like what Apple did 16 years ago, since it's natural handwriting recognition, and the Palm required you to use a special alphabet.

The original palm pilot is 18 years old, and the original Newton is 22 years old.

Though Palm required you to learn a modified alphabet in the form of Graffiti, it had simpler strokes that were faster to enter, and it allowed more differentiation between characters by the device, and higher accuracy.

Then Graffiti 2 came out, which sucked, but was due to patent problems.

Re:Question still remains

[RabidReindeer]

And now we have the tablet market.

I've been using the Google handwriting recognition installable "keyboard" for 2-3 days now.

Unlike the Newton, which was famous for its inability to accurately recognize what you input, the Google handwriting actually works pretty well. Although it's occasionally slow. I think it's doing a lot of its magic by talking back to a Google server.

Unfortunately, I've gotten into the habit of writing Grafitti-style, so using "real" letters and writing them across the input area instead of within a limited box doesn't come naturally to me any more. I could do Grafitti faster than I can type.

Also, the "forward-space gesture" just enters a dash. There's an actual "space bar" at the bottom of the input area that you have to tap.

Re:Question still remains

[NotInHere]

Then google should at least open-source those apps. They can still update them, just like the chrome browser.

Re: Question still remains

[biojayc]

assholes? For offering a free app that adds functionality that wasn't there? They aren't even charging for it! A company releases a complete OS open source, and then gets called an asshole when it releases a free closed source app... You may not like anything closed source, and that's fine and your prerogative. But that doesn't make Google an asshole. Serious question, would they be less of an asshole if they didn't release the app at all? By releasing a free app to those that want it, and making no change to those that don't, their assholery has increased?

Re:Question still remains

[Jane Q. Public]

In the U.S., women are 50.8% of the population. I'd hardly call that a minority.

Re:Question still remains

[Jane Q. Public]

No, you're just part of the gender which is a minority in positions of power like government, CEO's, etc.

The word "minority" has a pretty well established definition, and that isn't it. I think you mean "protected group", which is something altogether different.

I can kiss my Newton Messagepad goodbye?

[swell]

My faithful companion for 20 years has finally met its match. And just as it was starting to understand my writing style I have to consider a competitor.

But really, why has it taken this long to be able to write on a screen?

Re:I can kiss my Newton Messagepad goodbye?

[thegarbz]

Not all devices have the same capacitive touch sensors. Devices like the Galaxy Note series of tablets and phablets, or the Surface series, and some of the ASUS VivoTab models have a proper digitizer for styluses.

Hopefully this resolves a chicken and egg issue and we can start to see more of these now.

Re:I can kiss my Newton Messagepad goodbye?

[mrchaotica]

Because Steve Jobs fucked everything up by refusing to support it on the original iPhone, and Google followed suit.

If Palm -- or Microsoft, for that matter -- had been the breakthrough smartphone innovator, we'd have had handwriting recognition all along.

Yawn

[sexconker]

Not added to Android, but Google's fleg of "services" and "apps".
Besides, the Samsung Note line has had handwriting recognition (in the note taking app and in the keyboard) for ages, and it works really fucking well.

Palm Graffiti?

[Chromium_One]

The only relevant questions I can think of in regards to handwriting input are "Who the hell owns the corpse of Palm?" and "Why the hell hasn't Graffiti been brought back yet?"

Re:graffiti?

[emag]

I'm pretty sure at some point in the past, I've installed a Graffiti input method for one or more of the Android devices I've owned, after seeing someone I knew using it. Ah, yeah, found it and it's listed as "Installed", though it's not on any device I'm *currently* using...

Re:LOL!

[Gadget_Guy]

The best part about Graffiti was that you didn't have to watch the screen while entering text. When I travelled across Europe by train, was able to look out the window and enjoy the scenery while I wrote my travel diary on my Pilot (actually a Handera TRGPro with a compact flash slot). I didn't have to move my hand like I would with a paper diary. I didn't have to key my eye on the screen for when I hit the wrong key or auto-correct decided to change what I meant to write. It was a very liberating experience.

Slap in Samsung's face

[ChunderDownunder]

Galaxy Note uses a handwriting as a premium value-add.

By Google making handwriting apps commonplace, any cheap Android OEM vendor can bundle phones with styluses.