Nuance have launched an application called T9 Trace. The application works in a similar way to Swype where you trace your finger around letters on a keyboard to spell out a word. By using XT9 the system can predict the letters you meant to glide over if you slightly miss them to create words more quickly. The software is potentially compatible with all mobile phone platforms according to Nuance who will be launching it soon on a number of devices.
Due to using the XT9 predictive text system it potentially is going to be a fantastic application that will speed up text entry on a virtual keyboard although some real world tests will need to be done first to see if that holds up to be true.
The system also lets you switch between T9 Trace mode and tap mode should you want to enter a word in the more traditional touch screen way.
The software is also designed to function in 70 different languages making it very versatile and allowing it to be widely adopted around the world.
T9 Trace Features
Qwerty keypads
* Spell Correction ” Corrects common misspelling errors:
– Simple misspellings: thier -> their
– Overtyping: mooney -> money
– Under typing: toorrow -> tomorrow
* Next Word Prediction ” Predicts entire phrases based on the phrases typed most often
* Word Order Preferencing ” Adjusts the order of the words based on user preference and prior usage
* Enhanced Word Completion ” Allows users to more easily type in unique words, including chat phrases, email addresses and URLs
* User Added Words ” Allows the user to easily store and use favorite slang, abbreviations, codes and “emoticons.”
* XT9® Backup ” Allows users to back up their personalized XT9® word database so that it can be transferred from one device to another
* Smart Punctuation ” Automatic punctuation in trace and tap modes
* Bilingual Input ” Allows users to simultaneously text in two languages
* Extensive Language Support ” Over 70 languages supported
It has an impressive line up of features and we hope to see some demo software soon to test it out.
Via: MobileBurn with more details at Nuance.
I actually think SlideIT layout is very similar to this new keyboard
Also thought I would mention SlideIT, which is a replacement keyboard similar to Swype ant his new Trace and is available already for Windows Mobile Symbian and Android as a free trial and a paid app.