typing

BlindType is a new software keyboard meant for iOS and Android devices. Made by a company based in San Francisco, it reduces typing errors by predicting words even if you tap on the wrong letters. Yes, most mobile phone onscreen QWERTY keypads already do this. For example, in a situation where you type "hwllp" when you mean to say "hello," the software will fix it for you.

The difference with BlindType is that its algorithms seem to be much more tolerant and you can type in almost gibberish and the software will still give you the … Read more

Researchers in Australia say they've successfully engineered the first dipstick-like blood-type test. By placing a drop of blood on a thin piece of paper that has been specially printed with antibodies, the blood's type is revealed based on which parts of the paper it seeps into.

The team, led by chemical engineering professor Gil Garnier at Monash University in Victoria, estimates the cost of the test at 10 cents. (By comparison, simple blood-type tests typically cost at least $15.)

The main grouping of blood types is ABO, and results in type A, type B, type AB, or type O (O indicating zero or absence of antigens). A separate grouping system, Rh, essentially qualifies blood types as positive or negative. The vast majority of people, then, have a blood type that can be characterized as A positive or A negative, B positive or B negative, AB positive or AB negative, and O positive or O negative.

Knowing one's blood type is crucial in the event that a blood transfusion is necessary, as complications such as shock and renal failure can occur between certain incompatible blood types. Someone whose blood type is O negative is considered a universal donor, while someone who is AB positive is a universal recipient.

The engineers and material scientists had actually been experimenting with different substances when they noticed something strange. "When you put a drop of blood on a Kleenex, it goes everywhere," Garnier told MIT's Technology Review. "But if it agglutinates [thickens], it stays in one place."

So they built a piece of paper with three arms, each printed (using enzymes or antibodies instead of ink in a modified ink-jet printer) with a different antibody to match the antigens on red blood cells--one for A, one for B, one for Rh.… Read more

TypeIt4Me is a text-expansion and autocorrection utility, an app that can save you tons of time (and wrist strain) by automatically expanding frequently used words, phrases, and even images with just a few quick keystrokes.

Users have several good apps to choose from in this category, and TypeIt4Me is one of the best and longest-lived (with a successful track record that stretches past two decades). As with similar apps, you just type in a few letters to access your "clippings"--or you can even choose an abbreviation from TypeIt4Me in the menubar. You can set abbreviations to work … Read more

Autotyping and autocorrecting applications can be a huge time-saver, sparing you from having to retype frequently used words and phrases (and even paragraphs and pictures), and they can instantly clean up your most common typos. Plus, if they work system-wide like Typinator does, they can provide you with functionality that might otherwise be limited to your word processor.

Typinator is a best-in-class example of this kind of app, with an easy-to-manage interface, above-average stability, exceptional speed (keeping up with even extremely fast typists using large abbreviation sets, even those whose keystrokes can overlap), and the ability to handle multiple languages (… Read more

The iPad's onscreen keyboard hasn't won many fans. In portrait mode, it's a bit too narrow for touch-typing. Landscape mode is more accommodating, but if you're holding the iPad in your hands, the keyboard's actually a bit too wide for thumb-typing.

Enter Keyboard Upgrade, a data-entry alternative. It's a split, two-piece keyboard, one you can size and position to your liking:

For example, suppose you want to type with your thumbs. You can drag the two halves of the keyboard (which by default is smaller than the standard landscape keyboard) to either corner of … Read more

With a surprise boost from Microsoft, the promise of rich typography on the Web just got a big step closer to reality.

The software company's involvement emerged Monday with sponsorship of a newer effort at the World Wide Web Consortium to standardize Web-based fonts with technology called the Web Open Font Format (WOFF). It's a fresh indicator of Microsoft's serious engagement with new Web standards--and it's a big boost for designers' attempts to stretch the Web beyond just the few typefaces that today can be expected to be already installed on people's computers.

It's … Read more

NCH's FastFox Typing Expander is basically a supermacro utility that you can use to create, store, and activate keyboard shortcuts that instantly insert lines or whole paragraphs of text as you type. It's a dream come true for those unfortunate souls who must type the same thing over and over. Properly used, it can drastically reduce typing time and keystrokes.

At just over 190K, FastFox is a small download that installs with equal speed. It features a simple dialog interface with File, Shortcut, and Help menus, and labeled icons for Options, Shared Shortcuts, and downloading the optional NCH … Read more

This week's tip will make you a faster typist on your iPhone. Rapidly select symbols from the iPhone virtual keyboard and return to typing letters in mere seconds.

If you are typing a note, e-mail, etc., you can rapidly add a period, comma, question mark, or other symbol by pressing and holding the 123 key. Then, without lifting your finger, slide it over to the character you need and let go. You'll get that character and find yourself back in letter mode on the virtual keyboard, where you can rapidly type out the rest of that sentence or … Read more

Maybe it's an American thing; we love big stuff. We equate size with quality, and think that exquisitely designed, silly, expensive products are always better than more affordable alternatives. Is the new iPod always better than last year's model? Then again, how do you define "better"?

A lot of audiophiles believe more watts, more power, higher digital sampling rates, higher resolution, heavier turntable platters, speakers with more drivers, bigger drivers, or more channels of sound will always produce better sound. It ain't necessarily so.

Don't get me wrong, I love high-end audio. But I … Read more