Handwriting recognition interface appears in iPhone Software 2.0

[abhinandh]

The latest private beta of Apple's upcoming iPhone Software v2.0 includes a handwriting recognition interface for the Chinese language, according to a new report.

AppleInsider reader Kenneth notes that build 5A258f of the impending software update adds several new Chinese input methods under the international keyboard settings, including handwriting recognition.

"Unfortunately, handwriting recognition is only avaliable in Chinese (Traditional and Simplified) and doesn't support English," he told AppleInsider.

In his own write up on the subject -- translated -- Kenneth posts several screenshots from the software, which show the handwriting interface functioning in both portrait and landscape modes.

As the user draws symbols on the screen, the iPhone's handwriting recognition interface begins to suggest possible character matches in a column to the right of the input area.

Apple had previously posted a job listing for a handwriting recognition engineer, and AppleInsider reported last year that the company's upcoming Newton/Web tablet would arrive with support for the input technology.



A recent patent filing has also suggested that Apple is working on a next-generation multi-touch 'surface' that would combine typing, pointing, scrolling, and handwriting capabilities into a single ergonomic design aimed at replacing traditional input devices such as the keyboard, mouse, and drawing tablet.

source

[nish_higher]

while it definitely wont recognise my handwriting , its still a great thing

[ax3]

so apple is releasing 1 by 1 from its magic pitara ....... nice .....

[aryayush]

I so hope they don't have this crap planned for English as well.

I'll lose some respect for Apple if the next software update brings crappy handwriting recognition to my iPhone. I'm pretty sure it won't though. It's beneath Apple to do something so incredibly stupid. It'd be almost as stupid as putting Java on the thing.

[kumarmohit]

I would differ with you here^^^

I think that touch interface of Apple with gesture recognition can make handwriting recognition far more accurate and must therefore be included!

[ring_wraith]

Handwriting recognition is a gimmick. I prefer a keyboard, virtual or otherwise, any day any time. [excuse the cliche]

[aryayush]

Originally Posted by kumarmohit

I would differ with you here^^^

I think that touch interface of Apple with gesture recognition can make handwriting recognition far more accurate and must therefore be included!

What does gesture recognition have to do with handwriting recognition? The two are completely unrelated and don't help each other in any way.

Plus, it's not even about accuracy. It's about the fact that no matter how accurate they can manage to make it, it's never going to be faster than the QWERTY keyboard and is, hence, a useless waste of resources on an already resource-limited device.

FWIW, I've tried handwriting recognition using a third party application on my iPhone and, though I'm sure that Apple's implementation (if they do plan to have one) will be much better, it was horribly inaccurate.

[Hrithan2020]

Originally Posted by aryayush

I so hope they don't have this crap planned for English as well.I'll lose some respect for Apple if the next software update brings crappy handwriting recognition to my iPhone.It's beneath Apple to do something so incredibly stupid. It'd be almost as stupid as putting Java on the thing.

Yeah,a half baked cake always tastes sour.I'd be more thrilled by a voice recognition thingy.(maybe 10 yrs down the lane?).Hw does putting java on the thing(which by the way wont happen anywhere near the future because of licensing issues?) be stupid;making the phone midp 3 would mean developers wont have to program separately for i phone,so u can get more nifty utilties?

[ring_wraith]

Voice recognition, possibly the only feature ever built that is less accurate than handwriting recognition. Can't resist a little sketch here.

User: Select Line.
PC: [types] Tell the time
User: No, Select Line!
PC: Line unselected.
User: SELECT LINE You piece of crap!
PC: Search string not found.
User: Screw you.
PC: Formatting....

[aryayush]

LOL! That's funny.

However, even I want voice recognition on my iPhone, if Apple can get it right.

Originally Posted by Hrithan2020

Yeah,a half baked cake always tastes sour.I'd be more thrilled by a voice recognition thingy.(maybe 10 yrs down the lane?).Hw does putting java on the thing(which by the way wont happen anywhere near the future because of licensing issues?) be stupid;making the phone midp 3 would mean developers wont have to program separately for i phone,so u can get more nifty utilties?

Don't get me started again.

[MetalheadGautham]

I wish apple best of luck, but its still a gimmik. I mean, whats so special about handwriting recoganition today ? There are tonnes and tonnes of OCR software, and iPhone is just another computer with a phone attached.

This move is in no way going to make people angry at the fact that iPhone lacks Java support take a second look at apple's new boy.

[aryayush]

Umm… what the Hell are you talking about?

What does handwriting recognition have to do with Java?

[MetalheadGautham]

Originally Posted by aryayush

Umm… what the Hell are you talking about?

What does handwriting recognition have to do with Java?

1. I said handwriting recoganisition won't add much colour to iPhone's feathers

2. I said the damage done to the iPhone's usability thanks to missing Java can't be patched up by small gimmiks like these.

the two points were not related, and only the first one was on topic, but the second one was just a gentle reminder of the impossible looking thing the iPhone has become thanks to missing java support. Lots are disappointed that they can't play Call Of Duty 4, Counter Strike Mobile, etc.

[aryayush]

The only ones complaining are the ones whose only job is to stand over the fence and throw stones in. The ones who had any intention of being inside are already in and are loving it.

Seriously. How you guys can even think of using a Java application on the iPhone is beyond me. It's probably an iPhone's worst nightmare.

(Oh, ****, there I go again. I'm sorry. Sorry! No more Java posts from me.)

[iMav]

Originally Posted by ring_wraith

Voice recognition, possibly the only feature ever built that is less accurate than handwriting recognition. Can't resist a little sketch here.

User: Select Line.
PC: [types] Tell the time
User: No, Select Line!
PC: Line unselected.
User: SELECT LINE You piece of crap!
PC: Search string not found.
User: Screw you.
PC: Formatting....

pretty much my experience with a paid voice recog software

[MetalheadGautham]

Originally Posted by aryayush

The only ones complaining are the ones whose only job is to stand over the fence and throw stones in. The ones who had any intention of being inside are already in and are loving it.

Seriously. How you guys can even think of using a Java application on the iPhone is beyond me. It's probably an iPhone's worst nightmare.

(Oh, ****, there I go again. I'm sorry. Sorry! No more Java posts from me.)

cool down there.
There is no such thing as a java ghost or a sun demon.
now go to sleep.

Originally Posted by iMav

pretty much my experience with a paid voice recog software

voice recog is too far away from the current time.
stick to chat bots for now.

[aryayush]

OK, just one more tiny little Java post from me. OK? Thanks!

Here are too screenshots. Bonus points to you guys for correctly guessing which one is a Java interface and which one looks (and works) way better than the other one.



If you have the heart to expect and want an iPhone to have applications with interfaces similar to the one displayed in the picture on the left, then you are an evil, evil iPhone soul-hunter.

[MetalheadGautham]

^^you and your interface problems... and I was thinking you were another of those macintoshish "games are for kids" type executives

[aryayush]

No, I don't think games are for kids and certainly am no executive type. I just don't find video games as entertaining as I once used to, so I don't play.

As for user interfaces, well, I have to use devices like my computer and phone for several hours each day of each week, month and year of my life, so I want to spend them using something pleasant and usable, i.e. something not written using Java.

[MetalheadGautham]

Originally Posted by aryayush

No, I don't think games are for kids and certainly am no executive type. I just don't find video games as entertaining as I once used to, so I don't play.

As for user interfaces, well, I have to use devices like my computer and phone for several hours each day of each week, month and year of my life, so I want to spend them using something pleasant and usable, i.e. something not written using Java.

but there are several others who like to game on their mobiles while in trains, flights, buses, etc. How upset do you think they might have been, when it was first discovered that the mobile phone which has a PSX emulator has no java game support ?


anyway, forget java, lets get ontopic:

do you think this thing will ever make the cut ?
and why chinese ? are those bejing developers that active ? Hurray for asia

[aryayush]

I think they decided to put in Chinese handwriting recognition because it might be difficult to have a suitable virtual keyboard implementation for it. I'm just guessing though.

As for games, just wait for one more month and you'll see. The games the iPhone is going to have will completely blow any other mobile phone games so far out of the water. You'll see…

[MetalheadGautham]

Originally Posted by aryayush

I think they decided to put in Chinese handwriting recognition because it might be difficult to have a suitable virtual keyboard implementation for it. I'm just guessing though.

a testing release which uses the most complicated language in the world ? nobody in their right mind would do that.

I think its either because of chinese engineers, or because chinese is always identifiable, just simple strokes with a brush or a pen, unlike english, which is full of curves, which can change in style and intensity along with eccentricity from person to person.

[aryayush]

Umm… in case you didn't know, Chinese happens to be the most common language user interfaces are localised in after English, so it's not very surprising that Apple chose it too.

And what do you mean by Chinese engineers? Apple might have Chinese people in their employ and working in Cupertino, but none of the hardware or software design of any of Apple's products takes place outside Cupertino in California, leave alone far flung, non-English speaking countries like China.

Apple products are “designed in California, assembled in China”.

[iMav]

are they made in the US too, i was in a show room the other day and there was this uncle who said tht he wants a made in US product I & the sales guy told him tht all apple products are designed in US but made in China, but not really sure, can u confirm the same please?

[MetalheadGautham]

Originally Posted by aryayush

Umm… in case you didn't know, Chinese happens to be the most common language user interfaces are localised in after English, so it's not very surprising that Apple chose it too.

And what do you mean by Chinese engineers? Apple might have Chinese people in their employ and working in Cupertino, but none of the hardware or software design of any of Apple's products takes place outside Cupertino in California, leave alone far flung, non-English speaking countries like China.

Apple products are “designed in California, assembled in China”.

well, chinese IS the most popular script after roman, so its no surprise. But fact still remains that (as far as I can remember) chinese has mostly strokes, and is written almost exclusively with lines, hence must be easier to identify than english.


PS: about your last line, doesn't that make iPods "made in china" ?

[iMav]

^^ yes they are, it's imprinted ont he back of all iPods I have seen -

Designed by Apple in California, Made in China

[aryayush]

It's “Designed by Apple in California, Assembled in China”.

There's a difference between being made and being assembled. Products that are made in China are designed in China, assembled in the factories, quality tested and shipped from there.

Apple products, on the other hand, are designed by Apple's own engineers in Cupertino, California, under Steve Jobs's supervision and with the hardware and software teams working in tandem. They are then assembled in China because it's a lot cheaper than owning your own infrastructure and assembling it yourself. Then they're sent back to the U.S.A. for quality checking and shipped from there.

That's the reason why Chinese don't get Apple products any cheaper or sooner than the rest of the world does, unlike the USA, where Apple products go on sale before they do anywhere else in the world and are usually the cheapest.

So yeah, they are assembled in China (I wish they weren't but that's the way it is), but that does not mean that the quality is anywhere near the kind you expect from something that's made in China. Hope it's clear now.

[iMav]

mine has the word Made imprinted & abt my query here