GKOS
Keyboard
applications
for
Android
Phones and Tablets |
New phone app available for testing: GKOS ComboKey for Android. Developed by Qt Creator tools. - 14 Jan 2015 See further below: Test version 1.1.0b is available for download (Themes and layouts in separate files. Autorepeat.) - 19 Jan 2014 This is a chorded keyboard where you can enter characters with your thumbs by pressing a single key or two keys together, like playing a simple chord on a piano. It is based on the GKOS Keyboard Open Standard, and provides fast single or two handed chordic text entry. No chord charts, cheat sheets or memorizing of chords needed! All symbols of the PC keyboard are available and clearly shown on the key pad. There are several languages (layouts) available on the Tools menu as well as different themes for adjusting the look of the keys. Thanks to chording, the number of keys is low, they are big but still support most computer keyboard functions. Pressing the Android Menu key shows some help and allows you to send the typed text by SMS or just copy it for other applications. |
Single hand typing too In vertical orientation, you can also do single hand typing by sliding your thumb from one key to the other when that is needed, even within one side if 'mirroring' is enabled in the Tools menu. Languages supported: English, Esperanto, Estonian, Danish, German, Spanish, Finnish, French, Greek, Icelandic, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Swedish, Russian. Planned next: Korean. Fast mobile on-screen text entry application - GKOS |
There are many
types and brands of Android phones available. Not
all of them support multi-touch. Further, some of
them use display drivers with only modest
multi-touch capabilities, basically just intended
for zooming with two fingers (pinch-to-zoom).
Most latest models have genuine multi-touch
operation (since mid 2010). The GKOS chorded keyboard application for Android can be used perfectly on devices with genuine multi-touch (e.g. Samsung Galaxy S) but with limitations (poor detection of two key presses) on incomplete multi-touch (pinch-to-zoom) devices (like the older HTC Desire, Nexus One etc.) by ticking the last option on the Tools/Settings menu of the application. Still one limitation will remain in the older incomplete multi-touch (pinch-to-zoom) devices, namely: You cannot press both thumbs down (left and right keys) exactly at the same time because in that case their locations cannot always be unambiguously resolved by the touch screen driver. - So, to really validate the GKOS concept, you should have genuine multitouch on your phone! Here are some examples of Android phones and how they support multitouch as required by the GKOS app: Genuine multi-touch
(recommended for GKOS): Samsung Galaxy S, Motorola
Droid Incredible, HTC Desire HD, HTC Wildfire
(double-touch), Motorola Droid X (double-touch),
Huawei Ideos X5 (double-touch) and most new models.
Pinch-to-zoom (so-so, poor response): Samsung Galaxy Spica, HTC Hero, HTC Desire, Nexus One, HTC Aria, ZTE Blade Single-touch (not really usable for GKOS): At least Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 The optimal screen resolution for this application is 480 x 800. E.g. on Samsung Galaxy Ace, with the screen resolution of 320 x 480, part of the top keys (a, th, w, d) are hidden behind the the text area in vertical postion. This could be fixed in future apdates of the GKOS application. The horizontal position is more usable on that device. Android Multitouch Test >> The GKOS keyboard is an application of its own, but it can also be set to serve as the system keyboard : 1) In phone settings Language & Keyboard, add to the selection the GKOS Keyboard and then, 2) while typing e.g. an SMS, press long on the input text field and choose GKOS on the pop up menu. Both horizontal and vertical orientation of the keyboard layout are automatically available for mobile typing. Touch-typing on a touch-screen Indeed, in horizontal position, you can type while keeping your eyes on the text, but this is true only after getting familiar enough with the layout of course. |
"Big Update" - Optimized Layouts and Tablet/Pad Support
Updated version 1.0b available free on Android Market August 1, 2011 In addition to Optimized Layouts and Tablet/Pad Support: New language: Korean. Master Mode for Experts and for fun. Vibrator on/off. Improved button images. |