Move over T9, here comes Swype

The inventor of the T9 keyboard technology for numeric keypads, Cliff Kushler, is back in the game with a new alphanumeric entry technology for today's devices: touch-screen laptops and smartphones. His new technology, Swype, is quite simple to use, although beneath the user interface there's a lot going on.

Swype works with an on-screen QWERTY keyboard like you have on the tablet version of Windows and on the iPhone. But instead of tapping letters out, you press your finger or stylus on the first letter, then, without lifting it, move it to the remaining letters in the word. When the word is done, then you lift.

We tried it. It works. Even on tiny smartphone keyboards, it is intuitive and fast, and we didn't even run the tutorial. Basically, it's an amazing new input method.

A built-in 65,000-word dictionary corrects obvious and even creative spelling errors. A word menu pops up if the correction is somewhat ambiguous; in our tests, the top choice was usually correct, and it can be selected with a simple swipe upward.

Little tricks make it possible to capitalize words (jerk the stylus up and down) or select double letters (wiggle the pen over a letter).

Kushler says he can type 55 words per minute on his product. Discount the developer's advantage: Real human beings should be able to motor along at about half that, we estimate.

The development team is focused on Windows Mobile (smartphones) and also the tablet version of XP and Vista, and Surface. However, Kushler mentioned how great the iPhone hardware was for his method. While no deal with Apple is pending, I do agree with Kushler that his technology would improve the iPhone experience.

The company may also develop Swype for other platforms such as Linux and Symbian.

Challenges for the company: Selling the technology. For it to work best for users, it should be embedded at the operating system level. I really do hope Swype gets those deals.

[skepticali007]

isn't this the same thing as the WritingPad app on the iphone?

[rafe]

skeptial, yes, similar concept, but at a deeper infrastructure level and with a strong management team.

[cmfnyc]

Regardless of its management team, Swype is not the first nor even the second to this party. It would be nice if your post mentioned others. It would put the announcement in greater context. Swype may stand out for other reasons, which you could describe. As it stands, your piece suggests Swype invented this method and overall the piece reads like it came straight from PR Newswire. And so, like most blog posts these days, I've got to read the comments to get a richer perspective.

[wordord]

So how does this differ from SlideIT, which received a US patent in April, 2007? The two methods seem identical to me! Check out http://www.dasur.co.il/Product/SlideIT/SlideIT.php

[johnqh]

Same as WritingPad on iPhone, and it is free. And as others have pointed out, this seems to be an old idea.

[whiletrue]

Isn't this research orininaly started by Shumin Zahi and Per-Ola Kristensson at IBM under code name SHARK?

http://domino.watson.ibm.com/comm/research.nsf/pages/r.hci.innovation.html

[anastasiosinc1]

I WAS EXCITED TO READ THIS INFORMATION BUT THEN I SAW THE COMMENTS AND SEEMS THAT THE TECHNOLOGY IS OLD - EVEN COPIED. CAN SOMEONE OUT THERE EXPLAIN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THEM?

[alphatouched]

after reading your recent articlein the L.A. Times about how the Apple Iphone discriminates against women with long fingernails, any person with chubby fingers , or any individual without knowledge of the layout of the qwerty keyboard I must submit this article from Alphatouch,llc . This brand new software only requires knowledge of the alphabet to use. The ability to type,text, or dial numbers rapidly with almost 100% accuracy out of the gait is amazing. You simply touch and flick and the words appear and sentences form with no mistakes. The Apple IPhone is a work of technology art but,alas it has no real keyboard and typing is a real drag especially for those individuals mentioned above. Many return the IPhone for those same reasons you stated in your article. Trying to text message becomes a chore. Not any longer thanks to this innovative ,simple to use application. I have entered the link with the demo video for your readers. Thanks ,Bob :http://www.alphatouchllc.com/alphatouchllc.html

[Atomic2Mod]

I am still waiting for them to release anything (beta or otherwise) for "any" touch screen. I have a Touch Pro. I keep visiting their site, but NOTHING is there to download at all. I registered with them in September of 08 and haven't heard back yet. Maybe it's dead?

Another company has however released the same thing under the name of ShapeWriter. It seems however, that even though I was invited to beta test, the program still asks for an activation code which will cost a hefty $20.00. And on top of that, the keyboard doesn't seem to work in landscape mode.

Well, it's a great start, hope the devs are catching on and will make the keyboards of the future a breeze to use! Looking forward to it!

[JKR2]

Interestingly CNET in fact reported about the IBM technology (SHARK) back in 2005: http://news.cnet.com/New-age-keyboard-Trace,-dont-write/2100-1041_3-5783580.html

Yes it is a little inconvenient to type an email address to download the 30 trial version of ShapeWriter from http://www.shapewriter.com/download/

[hellochip]

I already touchtype over 60 words per minute, so this would be slower.
Why not add actual touchtype capability onto a device with however hands/fingers naturally hold the device?

My fingers are large such that I cannot see which of a number of keys I'm on when using small keyboards as is typical on PDA/Phones/etc.

Will you pay me $1 for each word it gets wrong? Word's autocorrect is continually changing technical words to what IT thinks should be correct. This will be worse.