New virtual keyboard coming to Android

[928Droid]

AH. This makes total sense, actually. I guess if you think of your finger like a foot, where a small portion makes contact before the whole thing, this restricts only that point from making contact with a key. The "spread out" part of your finger makes contact with black space, which prevents you from hitting another key.

Thanks for clearing that up!

WOW, somebody actually understood my description!! You made my day

The easier way to acomplish this is if a dev made an app that added a "fatfinger" adjustment for the native keyboard. It could be a simple slider or numerical entry that reduced the "hotspot" around the perimeter of the keys by a certain percentage. The keys would look the same but the actual "activation area" would be reduced around the perimeter by the percentage you select. Simple and should be easy to impliment and would give you more room between the keys without looking like it.

You could then adjust the setting until you find the perfect compromise for your fingers.

 

[zegolf]

You could also think of it like the "hit detection box" on old video games. You could actually run into enemies on screen and not die, because their hit detection box was small enough.

Maybe I'll have to give this a look. I don't often have issues with hitting the keys, but it's frustrating when it does actually happen.

 

[Mojo]

I am going to make a video of this keyboard in action I will have it posted shortly

 

[MoeDaddy]

I have large fingers and in landscape it is super accurate but no autocorect or keyboard options kill this as a replacement for now. I'll keep it and hope for updates... no smiley button in txt mode either.

 

[Mojo]

MoeDaddy you are spot on on your post for sure.

I am trying to get the video uploaded to you tube but it has failed upload twice! Grrrr!! So I remade it and made it shorter and am uploading it as I type this from my Droid. Anyways I contacted the Developer with some of my concerns with this keyboard. And he got right back to me and this is what he had to say....

Many thanks for your feedback Joe,

The more information we get back over the next couple of weeks the better.

This first version is really to get people used to a very different style of keyboard, we will be addressing these issues with our first update.

The website at index is being changed this week to include a dedicated feedback form that goes to the development team.

Best wishes,

David.

 

[Mojo]

Okay as promised here is a video of the Keyboard. I will apologize in advanced for the not so good quality. But anywho... Here you go enjoy!

[video=youtube;fzt4HTMMYtA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzt4HTMMYtA[/video]

 

[Geofferson]

Thanks Joe -- looks good in landscape. Hopefully the updates come sooner rather than later...

 

[mjeagent]

IMHO...if i'm gonna type in landscape then i might as well use the slide out keyboard. Wished there was a better virtual keyboard for portrait mode.

 

[cereal killer]

gixxer you are the man : )

thanks for the review.

This really does help us decide to either jump in or wait. Your contributions are of great value.

Thanks again bro

 

[On Droids]

Hey GIXXER,

Thanks for posting your early 'review' on the keyboard along with your efforts to make a video. The keyboard even in this early stage seems promising in landscape mode for many different applications. For one, I know military veterans with some 'disabilities' that the Droid has completely changed how they function in daily life utililizing the word prompt, voice call, and voice search. The keyboard even if only in landscape mode will also greatly improve their Droid experience even further. The less they have to ask other people to do things for them the happier they are.

Very odd that some postings on these forums have people returning their Droids because it does not auto-rotate on the homescreen while seeing first hand how this device has become a life changing experience for others.

Thanks again for your efforts on this thread.

 

[clunker]

Yes, that video was perfect, I saw what I needed to. The droid screen is little more than 4 thumb-widths wide for me, in landscape mode. I'm giving it a try, will post when I've tried it.

 

[Mojo]

Hey thanks for the comments on the video... I appreciate them. I hope to keep it up they are fun.

 

[Martin030908]

Thanks for the vid. Does look nice in landscape but seems REAL tiny in portrait.

 

[Mojo]

It is very tiny Martin. Almost un-usable for me. As with anything one could adjust with practice but. It really needs to be bigger.

 

[Martin030908]

It is very tiny Martin. Almost un-usable for me. As with anything one could adjust with practice but. It really needs to be bigger.

yea it looked like the portrait was hard for you to navigate to type... where as in landscape it looked very promising.