

Gmail Tap - googletron
http://gmailblog.blogspot.ca/2012/03/introducing-gmail-tap.html

======
cloudwalking
I put the app we used in the video up on Play Market: <http://goo.gl/IZN16>

It's a real Android input manager, you can use it (more or less) as a real
keyboard :)

The code is open-source: <https://code.google.com/p/morse-keyboard/>

~~~
saurik
There has actually been something similar (even, a serious and real product
that has been actively maintained for years and is being sold for $1.99) in
Cydia (for jailbroken iPhones) available on iOS for a while now, in case
anyone wants to try it on non-Android ;P.

<http://iditdahtext.com/>

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defrost
April fools or not, if we're talking alternative fast input methods then why
not remind people of chording keyboards[1]? Nice simple keypads ergonomically
designed for comfortable one handed use with multi key combinations
corresponding to letters / digits / symbols.

There was a trial a few years back by the University of Queensland marine
division of an underwater system with HUD facemask display and a chording
keypad so that researchers diving could hold specimans / tools whilst also
looking up references / enter data.

Like a number of alternative key entry systems it was surprisingly fast once
people became used to it.

[1] <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chorded_keyboard>

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jlees
HN tie-in: Reed Morse, "lead engineer" for GMail Tap, is one of the founders
of Punchd, a 500 Startups company which was acquired by Google last year.

<http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3166030>

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collint
I'm not sure if the joke is Morse code on a phone, or using two buttons for
Morse code.

~~~
JoshTriplett
Many high-speed CW (Morse) operators use devices with two inputs rather than
one (called "iambic paddles"). See
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telegraph_key> for various types of Morse
inputs beyond the traditional single key.

~~~
collint
Pleased to be educated :)

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jefe78
While I'm tired of these jokes, this is the first time I've actually wanted
the product.

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meej
I find it kind of sadly ironic that morse code could actually speed up input,
and perhaps shouldn't be treated as a joke. For example, a pair of telegraph
operators beat "the world's fastest SMS texter" on Jay Leno a couple years
back.

<http://www.flixxy.com/sms-text-messaging-vs-morse-code.htm>

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xxdiamondxx
Do you think it would be possible to input morse code through the
accelerometers, so i can tap anywhere on the phone?

~~~
cloudwalking
Don't see why not. We were thinking of using the microphone so you could tap
anywhere near/on the phone...

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sebastianavina
I'm kind of tired of this "april fool" pranks.

~~~
ronnier
It was fun about 8 years ago. It has since grown tiresome.

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markkofman
not a bad joke...

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Radzell
Kind of funny, but true we have to many buttons. Someone submit a application
for a keyboard with less keyboard o YC. Also getting LL Cool J was a nice
touch.

~~~
wickedchicken
Apple is already ahead of the curve on that one:
[http://www.theonion.com/video/apple-introduces-
revolutionary...](http://www.theonion.com/video/apple-introduces-
revolutionary-new-laptop-with-no,14299/)

