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Google Handwrite

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Re: Google Handwrite

#61

Post by jenius »

stcredzero wrote: post #32
bokonon wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We already have setups that can accurately determine where you will be looking a fraction of a second in the future. Do you have a link to more information about this? That's really impressive.

One's saccade eye movements are very regular in acceleration profile, so it's possible to determine where you're going to look from the start of the saccade movement. I could not find the original reference, but there is some highly technical information here: http://books.google.com/books?id=27jCNmafYU4C&pg=PA150&#...

This is totally incorrect, eye tracking is not sufficiently advanced to be in any way useful in terms of entering input. There exist 'visual keyboards' for people that are paralyzed which allow them to select a key based on where they are looking. These, while a fantastic tool to help disabled people, are not even close to approaching the speed we achieve using a manual keyboard. There's an example here - your eye has to linger for at least a second for the computer to be confident in your choice.

http://www.denverpost.com/recommended/ci_20768271

And it only takes common sense to realize that we don't look at every key we type, and it makes it faster. The quickest typists don't have to look at the keyboard at all, and this increases efficiency. Both handwriting and eye tracking are much much slower than typing, no matter what. You can be the fastest handwriter on the planet, and still a moderately talented typist will burn the shit out of you. It just takes less time to hit a key than it does to write an entire letter form.

I realize my first comment was kind of mean and sarcastic, but that was because this idea is so completely stupid and not progressive at all that I thought the relatively intelligent community on hacker news would realize this immediately. All my friends and co-workers who saw it were like "this is completely dumb"... immediately.

I understand that people like things that are 'different' and 'progressive', but this particular tool is neither of the above. It's a fun little trick that is totally not practically useful in any way.

Re: Google Handwrite

#62

Post by jenius »

raldi wrote: post #57
jenius wrote: post #4

Sometimes opening a keyboard and typing is just too efficient. Sometimes you need a technology that will slow your life down and make it more prone to errors. Google handwrite: why type when you can awkwardly scribble?

Why speculate when we can race?

Is this a serious comment or are you trolling? Don't tell me you think hand writing is faster than typing...

Re: Google Handwrite

#63

Post by jrockway »

w1ntermute wrote: post #27
ericdykstra wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thank you for the recommendation. I haven't checked this solution out yet, but it looks fantastic! I have never seen an app with this kind of kanji recognition.

It is indeed one of a kind. I haven't formally studied 書道 (calligraphy), but the ad hoc 行書 (cursive style of writing) I've developed out of laziness is recognized perfectly by it. If you're interested in good Android apps for Japanese, I would also urge you to check out Aedict[0] and DroidWing[1]. The latter, when combined with EPWING-format dictionaries obtained from a 3rd party source, is (IMO) just as good as any…

Are there any apps that use a dictionary other than EDICT? EDICT is great if you are trying to read a textbook or something, but if you're trying to decipher manga, anime, or a conversation that took place anytime after 1995, it's nearly useless. Actual denshi jishos tend to do much better, but are really optimized for users that speak Japanese natively.

Re: Google Handwrite

#64

Post by w1ntermute »

jrockway wrote: post #63
w1ntermute wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is indeed one of a kind. I haven't formally studied 書道 (calligraphy), but the ad hoc 行書 (cursive style of writing) I've developed out of laziness is recognized perfectly by it. If you're interested in good Android apps for Japanese, I would also urge you to check out Aedict[0] and DroidWing[1]. The latter, when combined with EPWING-format dictionaries obtained from a 3rd party source, is (IMO) just as good as any…

Are there any apps that use a dictionary other than EDICT? EDICT is great if you are trying to read a textbook or something, but if you're trying to decipher manga, anime, or a conversation that took place anytime after 1995, it's nearly useless. Actual denshi jishos tend to do much better, but are really optimized for users that speak Japanese natively.

> Are there any apps that use a dictionary other than EDICT?

Look into the second app I mentioned (DroidWing). Like I said, it supports EPWING-format dictionary files, the same as 電子辞書 use, meaning that comprehensiveness is no longer a distinguishing factor when it comes to 電子辞書 vs. smartphones. The specific dictionaries I mentioned (from 研究社) are considered to be the authoritative E-J/J-E dictionaries, both printed and digital. You can of course get other speciality E-J/J-E dictionaries, or J-J dictionaries, if that's what you desire.

Re: Google Handwrite

#65

Post by jrockway »

w1ntermute wrote: post #64
jrockway wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are there any apps that use a dictionary other than EDICT? EDICT is great if you are trying to read a textbook or something, but if you're trying to decipher manga, anime, or a conversation that took place anytime after 1995, it's nearly useless. Actual denshi jishos tend to do much better, but are really optimized for users that speak Japanese natively.

> Are there any apps that use a dictionary other than EDICT? Look into the second app I mentioned (DroidWing). Like I said, it supports EPWING-format dictionary files, the same as 電子辞書 use, meaning that comprehensiveness is no longer a distinguishing factor when it comes to 電子辞書 vs. smartphones. The specific dictionaries I mentioned (from 研究社) are considered to be the authoritative E-J/J-E dictionaries, both printed…

Ah, OK. When I read the description of DroidWing I wasn't sure what the point of converting EDICT to some other format was. I will look into this further.

Edit: Hey, the Kenkyusha dictionary is only $500 on Amazon! http://www.amazon.com/Kenkyushas-New-Japanese-English-Dictio...

Re: Google Handwrite

#66

Post by w1ntermute »

jrockway wrote: post #65
w1ntermute wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Are there any apps that use a dictionary other than EDICT? Look into the second app I mentioned (DroidWing). Like I said, it supports EPWING-format dictionary files, the same as 電子辞書 use, meaning that comprehensiveness is no longer a distinguishing factor when it comes to 電子辞書 vs. smartphones. The specific dictionaries I mentioned (from 研究社) are considered to be the authoritative E-J/J-E dictionaries, both printed…

Ah, OK. When I read the description of DroidWing I wasn't sure what the point of converting EDICT to some other format was. I will look into this further. Edit: Hey, the Kenkyusha dictionary is only $500 on Amazon! http://www.amazon.com/Kenkyushas-New-Japanese-English-Dictio...

That's a hard copy, and an old edition at that. The digital version (which is what you need for DroidWing) is only $270[0], or free if your ethics are flexible.

0: http://www.amazon.co.jp/%E7%A0%94%E7%A9%B6%E7%A4%BE-EPWING%E...

Re: Google Handwrite

#67

Post by deelowe »

mikek wrote: post #25

I wonder if, like (800) GOOG-411, the primary reason Google is doing this is to gather data.

Well, their mission is to organize all of the world's information. So, yea. I think this is probably about gathering data.

Re: Google Handwrite

#68

Post by a3_nm »

ericdykstra wrote: post #3

Fun feature. Would be killer with support for non-latin based language. Imagine walking down a street in Japan, seeing a restaurant, and wanting to search for reviews. Oh no! It's written in kanji and you have a hard enough time reading basic words, much less names. Open up Google on your phone, write the kanji and add the japanese word for review behind it, and off you go. Great potential, anyway.

For this use case, I'd rather take a picture of the restaurant name rather than handwriting the kanji.

Re: Google Handwrite

#69

Post by dag11 »

setheron wrote: post #19
dag11 wrote: post #9

This is pretty cool, and works really well! For me, though, Jelly Bean voice search from my lock screen is still the quickest.

My company has forced pinpad lock screen on my jelly bean. Can't seem to find the voice search from there :(

I use pattern unlock. But I installed WidgetLocket to give me a primary lockscreen where I was able to make one of the swipe positions a Google Now shortcut, and another position a Google Now Voice Search shortcut, in addition to the two existing positions of a Camera shortcut and the Unlock shortcut.

Re: Google Handwrite

#70

Post by stcredzero »

jenius wrote: post #61
stcredzero wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One's saccade eye movements are very regular in acceleration profile, so it's possible to determine where you're going to look from the start of the saccade movement. I could not find the original reference, but there is some highly technical information here: http://books.google.com/books?id=27jCNmafYU4C&pg=PA150&#...

This is totally incorrect, eye tracking is not sufficiently advanced to be in any way useful in terms of entering input. There exist 'visual keyboards' for people that are paralyzed which allow them to select a key based on where they are looking. These, while a fantastic tool to help disabled people, are not even close to approaching the speed we achieve using a manual keyboard. There's an example here - your eye ha…

> This is totally incorrect, eye tracking is not sufficiently advanced to be in any way useful in terms of entering input.

Actually, you are totally incorrect. If you look back at the thread, I am not proposing eye tracking as a sole means of input, but as a means of providing contextual information to other means of input.

> I realize my first comment was kind of mean and sarcastic, but that was because this idea is so completely stupid and not progressive at all that I thought the relatively intelligent community on hacker news would realize this immediately. All my friends and co-workers who saw it were like "this is completely dumb"... immediately.

Then at least you or you and your friends are guilty of sloppy reading, of a level I do not expect for HN. Again, this is not proposed as a primary means of input, but as an enhancement to contextual information for speech and handwriting input.

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