types

Word finisher

Word completion features predict the word you're typing based on your keystrokes and the syntax of the sentence and fill in the rest of the word for you. Turbo Type adds word completion to all text editors. You can customize it by adding specific words or setting short key combinations to expand long words and text strings.

We installed the free version of Turbo Type, but a pop-up advised us that it would stop working after two hours, after which we'd have to restart it or buy the full version. Some of the program's features are disabled … Read more

Google acquires mobile-typing company

Google has acquired a start-up called BlindType that aims to dramatically improve typing on Android and iOS mobile devices.

"We're excited to join Google, and look forward to the great opportunities for mobile innovation that lie ahead," BlindType announced on its blog Friday. The company hasn't released the software, though one review in July was favorable.

Mobile-device typing has changed significantly with the iPhone's functional touch-screen keyboard, Android's reasonably advanced word-prediction system, and Swype's technology for sliding fingers over letters. But as any touch typist or hunt-and-peck tapper knows, mobile typing is still … Read more

ThinkGeek announces iPhone keyboard case

Have you started compiling your holiday wish list yet? Here's one item I'm definitely adding: the ThinkGeek TK-421 iPhone Case with Flip-Out Keyboard. (Bonus points for anyone who gets the "TK-421" reference--curious as it may be.)

I know plenty of people who don't like the iPhone's onscreen keyboard. The TK-421 offers a tactile alternative, one that rotates out from behind the case when needed and then tucks away again when not.

ThinkGeek doesn't provide any dimensions for the case, but it'll obviously add some thickness to your phone, along with a side … Read more

Sleep less than 6 hours a night? Hello, diabetes...

I have long felt guilty about the extent to which I indulge in sleep. As a former and chronic insomniac (from kindergarten through college), I appreciate it so much I can hardly go without eight or even nine hours a night. And, as someone who knows lots of new parents, I consider this a guilty pleasure of the most luxurious variety.

But the fact that I slept three to five hours a night for so many years could mean I have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease, according to an analysis of six years of … Read more

Pint-size D-Type Jaguar on the auction block

A scaled-down version of a 1955 "long nose" D-Type Jaguar will be auctioned on September 17 by Goodwood Revival as part of the Collectors' Motor Cars and Automobilia.

The one-of-a-kind "Little D" is powered by a four-stroke 110cc OHV electric start, gas engine. The four-speed automatic also features a rear-mounted engine and parental-controlled kill-switch.

It has an aluminum chassis, green suede upholstery, and working lights.

To preregister for the auction, apply at Bonhams auction site. But it looks like you'd have to attend the auction in Chichester, Sussex (about 70 miles south of London) to … Read more

Font-tastic

Many of us don't give much thought to fonts, aside from selecting our favorite from the drop-down menu of whatever we happen to be working on. For other people, however--graphic designers, Web designers, and general font nerds--fonts are serious business. NexusFont is a simple font manager that can help people keep their fonts organized and easy to browse.

The program's interface is plain and intuitive, with a handful of menus and buttons for easy navigation. The program automatically accesses and displays all fonts that are installed on your computer, and you can easily import new fonts as well. … Read more

Apple, Apple, Apple!

Links from Wednesday's episode of Loaded: Apple's music event to stream live Television show rentals from Apple Netflix on Apple TV New webOS 2.0 for HP's Palm Microsoft set to release updated Xbox 360 controller Sneak peek at the T-Mobile G2 phone

Before you buy full-size headphones, read this

Though there are many types of full-size (circumaural) or earpad (supra-aural) headphones, for this blog I'm going to compare an open-back headphone from Grado, the SR225i ($200), with a closed-back headphone from Phiaton, the PS 500 ($299).

Sure, other manufacturers make open- and closed-back (aka sealed) headphones, but generalizations about the sound of the two types hold up pretty well. DJs, musicians, and recording engineers generally prefer closed headphones because they seal the wearer's ears, limiting how much sound they hear from the world around them, and at the same time, people close to the person wearing the headphones don't hear very much sound "leaking" from the headphones. So closed 'phones are great to wear in bed. Isolation from external sound isn't as effective as a noise-canceling headphone, but the closed-back headphone doesn't use batteries to power the noise-canceling circuitry. And closed-back headphones tend to make a lot more bass than similarly priced open-back designs.

The Phiaton PS 500's outer earcups and earpads are covered with genuine black leather, and the cloth-covered cable adds a touch of luxury to the design. It's a very comfortable and beautifully built headphone.

With an open-back headphone, like the Grado SR225i, you hear external sound quite clearly. This is a good thing if you ever want to listen on the street. Anyone near you will hear some of the sound of the Grado. Bass may not have the weight of a closed-back design, but the bass quality and definition are clearer than most closed-back designs. Open-back headphones tend to be directed to the audiophile market, but that's not to say there aren't closed models that appeal to audiophiles. For me, the biggest sonic difference is spatial: closed headphones make a sound that's "inside the head," and open models are literally more open, so they sound a bit more like speakers. The better closed headphones exhibit less of the inside-the-head quality, but they sound less open than the very best open headphone models. … Read more

Terrific typing teacher

Typing used to be the domain of secretaries and writers, but the explosive popularity of computers has made it an important skill for almost everyone. People who can't type are at a serious disadvantage when it comes to succeeding in school, applying for jobs, and even keeping in touch with friends and family. Letter Chase Typing Tutor is a simple program that teaches you to type using a step-by-step process, ensuring that proper technique is learned while keeping the process from becoming overwhelming.

Letter Chase's interface is plain and intuitive, with plenty of guidance for newbies. You first … Read more