TouchType Reveals SwiftKey Keyboard For Honeycomb Tablets
For Android, third-party keyboards are all the rage. Unlike a stock iPhone, you can actually change up the keyboard within Android, and two
companies in particular have really gained traction lately. Swype is
one, with its very unusual sliding / typing method, and TouchType is the
other. The company's SwiftKey keyboard uses predictive technology to
guess what word you're likely going to type next, and then provide you
with three main options atop the keyboard to select. In practice, it
works quite well, but it never really seemed tailored for use on larger
tablet screens.
Now, it's clear that the company was waiting for something new from Google before revealing their solution to that problem. Now that Honeycomb (Android 3.0) is officially on the books, TouchType has revealed a new SwiftKey build that will be specifically built for Honeycomb-based tablets. It has a totally new user interface, but still retains that predictive text technology. They've designed it for one- or two-handed typing, and it will almost definitely become a must-have app once the next generation of Android tablets begin to ship. It's expected to be shown at Mobile World Congress later this month, and hopefully released shortly thereafter.
Now, it's clear that the company was waiting for something new from Google before revealing their solution to that problem. Now that Honeycomb (Android 3.0) is officially on the books, TouchType has revealed a new SwiftKey build that will be specifically built for Honeycomb-based tablets. It has a totally new user interface, but still retains that predictive text technology. They've designed it for one- or two-handed typing, and it will almost definitely become a must-have app once the next generation of Android tablets begin to ship. It's expected to be shown at Mobile World Congress later this month, and hopefully released shortly thereafter.
SWIFTKEY TABLET LAUNCH WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 2ND 2011
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA — A new app designed to offer a major productivity boost to typing on tablet devices, SwiftKey TabletTM, was unveiled Wednesday at Google's global headquarters in California.
The app, created by developers TouchType, has been designed in partnership with Google and Motorola to coincide with the launch of the world's first AndroidTM Honeycomb tablet, the Motorola XoomTM. It makes typing on tablet devices easier and faster by offering intelligent next-word prediction that is personalized to your writing style.
The app, powered by TouchType's patent-pending Fluency Prediction Engine, employs a holographic thumb-optimized keyboard skin, designed specifically for Android Honeycomb. This marriage of elegant design with incredible back-end power gives users a novel, exciting and fast way to type on a Honeycomb tablet.
TouchType co-founder and CTO, Dr Ben Medlock, said: "SwiftKey TabletTM has all the power of our next generation FluencyTM prediction engine, integrated with a completely redesigned interface, optimized for Honeycomb."
"To look at, this is a really exciting product - and once you try it, you’ll be blown away. We've worked closely with Google to make sure SwiftKey TabletTM utilizes the power and flexibility of the new Honeycomb OS, and we believe that it really enhances the experience."
FluencyTM applies patent-pending AI technology to predict around a third of words before a single character is entered. This is boosted by learning algorithms that observe how you write your email, blog, Facebook and Twitter updates, and these continually adjust as you type to become more accurate.
The new Honeycomb app builds on a very successful launch of SwiftKeyTM, originally designed for smartphones.
SwiftKeyTM quickly became the top keyboard on the AndroidTM Market after launch in summer 2010, with over 700,000 downloads in its first six months, and a very positive reaction from both users and the technology press. The app is currently available for a limited sale price of $1.99 on the Android Market.
