A better text input experience may be coming to Android. Late last week, Google announced that it has acquired BlindType, a company that specializes in touch typing software for mobile devices.
The BlindType system aims to solve all the problems brought on by small screens, larger fingers, and unsteady hands. According to the company, it "[c]onstantly adjusts to the user’s ‘perceived’ keyboard and typing style."
This doesn’t involve inflating commonly used characters to cartoonish size, and it goes beyond standard aids like autocorrect or predictive text. As the video below shows, BlindType just works with a standard virtual keyboard, and appears capable of turning total gibberish into standard sentences.
Unfortunately, BlindType hasn’t released anything yet, so the tech hasn’t been put to the test by lots of independent parties. And that means it’s also hard to guess how long it will take Google to incorporate the BlindType system into Android.
One interesting note, though, is that the BlindType system was designed to work with the iPad and iPhone in addition to Android devices, and so Google’s acquisition may have effectively blocked BlindType from helping Apple.
Anyway, terms of the deal, including the purchase price, were not disclosed.