Apple's Beats brand in April unveiled the Powerbeats Pro, a redesigned wire-free version of its popular fitness-oriented Powerbeats earbuds.
New iOS Swiping Keyboard Capable of 120WPM Speeds
App developer Yose Widjaja has created a new Swype-style keyboard designed to allow users to type with two hands using swipe gestures, and he's demoing the keyboard in his Hipjot note taking app.
Poised as a cross between both gesture-based Android keyboard Swype and the standard iOS keyboard, the Hipjot keyboard can be typed on like a regular keyboard, but it also supports two handed sliding between letters. That means users can type the letters of a word, such as "deviant" with two hands simultaneously in a single double loop gesture.
Because the keyboard allows users to both type normally and swipe through letters with one or two hands, it can result in some impressive typing speeds. Widjaja is able to reach peak speeds of 120 words per minute, which is higher than the predicted Swype typing speed of 50 words per minute.
While Swype, which is limited to Android, also allows for gesture-based typing, it does not let users type with two hands simultaneously nor does it allow users to switch between swipes and standard key entry.
Because the Hipjot keyboard incorporates dual entry methods, users have more control over the typing experience. It's also designed to be highly forgiving of inaccurate touches and it includes both selectable corrections based on input and a customizable dictionary. The developer wrote to MacRumors:
While Widjaja is willing to work with other developers and would like to see his keyboard gain traction in iOS, custom keyboard implementation on the platform must be done on a per-app basis because Apple does not allow third-party keyboards to replace the default keyboard. While many iOS users would like to have the option to install keyboards like Swype, or Hipjot's own dual-swipe invention, Apple has yet to budge on the matter.
Some developers, such as those behind predictive keyboard Fleksy, have skirted Apple's rules by releasing an SDK for other developers to use, but custom keyboards like the one found in Hipjot are unlikely to catch on until Apple relaxes its rules.
The dual-swipe typing experience is currently limited to Widjaja's Hipjot note-taking app, which can be downloaded from the App Store for $1.99. The keyboard works as advertised, but the app itself, while functional, has a steep learning curve and a custom user interface that is difficult to decipher. The app is optimized for the iPhone 5 and later and is not recommended for older phones. [Direct Link]
Poised as a cross between both gesture-based Android keyboard Swype and the standard iOS keyboard, the Hipjot keyboard can be typed on like a regular keyboard, but it also supports two handed sliding between letters. That means users can type the letters of a word, such as "deviant" with two hands simultaneously in a single double loop gesture.
Because the keyboard allows users to both type normally and swipe through letters with one or two hands, it can result in some impressive typing speeds. Widjaja is able to reach peak speeds of 120 words per minute, which is higher than the predicted Swype typing speed of 50 words per minute.
While Swype, which is limited to Android, also allows for gesture-based typing, it does not let users type with two hands simultaneously nor does it allow users to switch between swipes and standard key entry.
Because the Hipjot keyboard incorporates dual entry methods, users have more control over the typing experience. It's also designed to be highly forgiving of inaccurate touches and it includes both selectable corrections based on input and a customizable dictionary. The developer wrote to MacRumors:
With two finger inputs, you can be a lot more explicit in your touches, so it allows you to type without choosing what you want to type, most of the time, while retaining a comfortable swipe where you want to. One finger swipes are inferior in that words like "paraphernalia" forces your finger to go left/right so much.Currently, Widjaja's Hipjot note-taking app is designed to serve as a way to show off his innovative keyboard.
While Widjaja is willing to work with other developers and would like to see his keyboard gain traction in iOS, custom keyboard implementation on the platform must be done on a per-app basis because Apple does not allow third-party keyboards to replace the default keyboard. While many iOS users would like to have the option to install keyboards like Swype, or Hipjot's own dual-swipe invention, Apple has yet to budge on the matter.
Some developers, such as those behind predictive keyboard Fleksy, have skirted Apple's rules by releasing an SDK for other developers to use, but custom keyboards like the one found in Hipjot are unlikely to catch on until Apple relaxes its rules.
The dual-swipe typing experience is currently limited to Widjaja's Hipjot note-taking app, which can be downloaded from the App Store for $1.99. The keyboard works as advertised, but the app itself, while functional, has a steep learning curve and a custom user interface that is difficult to decipher. The app is optimized for the iPhone 5 and later and is not recommended for older phones. [Direct Link]
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72 months ago
Dear Apple,
If you really love me, buy this company!
Cordially yours,
FP
P.S. Figure out a way to make recording portrait videos impossible.
If you really love me, buy this company!
Cordially yours,
FP
P.S. Figure out a way to make recording portrait videos impossible.
72 months ago
Perhaps IOS8 will finally open more areas of IOS for 3rd part development.
In any case he should stick this thing on Cydia for $1.99 it will sell like hotcakes.
In any case he should stick this thing on Cydia for $1.99 it will sell like hotcakes.
72 months ago
Perhaps IOS8 will finally open more areas of IOS for 3rd part development.
In any case he should stick this thing on Cydia for $1.99 it will sell like hotcakes.
Maybe a few years ago. Jailbreaking is pretty dead compared to what it used to be. So few people do it now.
72 months ago
Using the keyboard is probably the most frustrating thing about using my iPhone. I would love to see something like this making its way into iOS.
72 months ago
Ditto. But Apple are being oddly pig-headed about letting devs create keyboards for iOS. Such a shame and one of the reasons I can't come back to iOS.
"While many iOS users would like to have the option to install keyboards like Swype, or Hipjot's own dual-swipe invention, Apple has yet to budge on the matter."
There's really nothing "oddly pig-headed" about not allowing 3rd party system level apps to run on iOS. Can you really not see why? Part of iOS's security and stability is because it doesn't allow 3rd party drivers or system level "mods" to be downloaded and installed- sure Apple themselves can come with some nasty bugs from time to time, but you'll never see someone running Safari that's been taken over by 9 different toolbars or constantly grinding the disk to a halt loading adware. And you won't have people installing a 3rd party keyboard that logs and sends everything that's typed to some crafty criminal's server.
I do think Apple needs to do something here, but I doubt it will be simply opening up the app store to random 3rd party keyboards. Either Apple themselves should simply purchase/license another keyboard option, or they should make a highly curated program for incorporating them, like the MFI program for 3rd party hardware.
72 months ago
Indeed two pointless and honestly frustrating lock downs.
1: No 3rd party keyboards installed (I used to 3rd party ones on my Palm5 years before Apple)
2: No 3rd party default web browsers allowed.
Thankfully now that over controlling person had gone, Apple can move forward as a company and stop treating it's consumers like children who would not understand anything other that what he deemed they should be using.
1: No 3rd party keyboards installed (I used to 3rd party ones on my Palm5 years before Apple)
2: No 3rd party default web browsers allowed.
Thankfully now that over controlling person had gone, Apple can move forward as a company and stop treating it's consumers like children who would not understand anything other that what he deemed they should be using.
72 months ago
And this is why Apple has not and will not allow something like this to replace the standard keyboard on iOS.
.
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