GKOS for Android phones
The first draft of the Android application for the GKOS multi-touch screen keyboard is available for testing at the gkos main website and the first distribution packege should be available soon.
GKOS for Android phones
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» GKOS for Android phones
Summary:
Discuss the Gkos keypad on-screen application
Awesome! I've been waiting to try this. I'll let you know my feedback. I'm new to the whole idea of actually using a chorded keyboard.
I tested Alpha2 on Samsung Galaxy S and found that it did not work properly. Only one position was detected on short 2-finger taps. Pressing a bit longer helped but this is not how typing should be. The application needs to be fixed… sorry. - Even on HTC Desire the response is better (though not a genuine multi-touch, only pinch-to-zoom). Any way these are just early alpha releases for those interested in testing the app on various devices.
I have been learning the keyboard, and enjoy it so far. Multi-touch isn't working perfectly. I have noticed that two handed operation does not pick up some keys. For instance 'i' is always registered as a shift if I type it in two handed. One handed input where I hit the 'b' and then move my left hand up to select 'i' works fine, but seems slower to input. It's strange because it is only with some key combinations where multi-touch doesn't work well. I'm on a HTC Desire also, running a custom Froyo ROM.
ksira, did you tick the last option on the Tools menu? It should be selected because you are using HTC Desire which has really a pinch-to-zoom screen, not a genuine multi-touch.
…one more thing. Obviously you had the option ticked but, then you need to press g first (the small 'middle key' to show 'i' on the left) then 'i'. The other way around is disabled in this option. So always press the 'middle key' first, to show the new letters on the other side.
There is an install package available at http://gkos.com/android for testing. It is almost ready for publishing. Please report if there are any problems found with it.
The very latest changes:
- Experimental character layout* as a third optimization option (Optimized 3) for English found in Tools settings.
- Fixed (ref. v1.0.4.c): Wrong button width in some cases before changing settings
- Added: abc indicator also acts as a button to toggle between the selected native language (abc) and English (aux) language character sets
- Added: a language indicator under abc button
- Added: Esc key sends an esc charater while using the app as the system keyboard
I'm psyched to use it — have been learning 8pen — but wish there were a simple tutorial to be found. Is there one?
The basic idea with the GKOS on-screen keyboard is that you do not need any tutorial - but that might be too optimistic. By pressing the Android phone's Menu button, while in the GKOS stand-alone application, you'll get short instructions under Help. In addition to the six items listed there, you should know your ABC.
Note that in modern genuine multitouch phones (like Samsung Galaxy S or HTC Desire *HD*), only one single tap (including one or two thumbs) per character is enough most of the time. If you look at he highlighted keys, you often notice a resemblance with the letter they represent (P, Q, R…). There is a video in YouTube where you can see how easily 40+ WMP can be reached if you are familiar enough with the system.
There is now a plan, for the next version of the Android app, to have some help constantly visible within the GKOS keypad, showing what additional characters are to be found behind the main keys. This should make the learning phase much easier.
I go along with details on training. This is a totally new concept for me but I am slowly starting to adapt. One frustration I seem to have is due to my lack of skill I will ofter press a white key only to discover it was the wrong one and when I release I have entered that letter when I did not want to. Then I have to delete and start over. Any tricks for the thick thumbed?
I also noted that apparently we can enter certain keystroke combinations and create standard words but I am completely lost when I read the guide.
The trick is to slilde your finger to the text area in case you notice you have pressed a wrong key. Then nothing will be output. There are plans for the next version to have an optional on-screen help showing the hidden letters. A draft is shown at gkos.com/android
The chordons are not included in the touch screen versions yet. In fact, the number of complete words will be fewer (but a lot anyway) than the original 600+ because you only have two thumbs at hand to fiddle with.
In the latest version, it is now possible to have extra help showing the hidden characters in small print besides the buttons. No more wrong key presses for finding letters. The option can be turned off when you have better skills. In the coming version, you can even turn off all symbols when you feel confident. Looks pretty!
Is that possible to implement a switch to turn off vibration??
Good point. I will add that to the wish list. Maybe in the next version there will be such option. - I think few people like to use the sound either, so it could be made more modest and get the app file size smaller. Now it is stereo with different sounds for different types of keys.
As you know, for the GKOS application the phone must have genuine multi-touch to function perfectly. There are however Android phones with single-touch (not usable for GKOS) and pinch-to-zoom (somehow usable). I have listed here some brands.
Genuine multi-touch (recommended for GKOS): Samsung Galaxy S, Motorola Droid Incredible, HTC Desire HD, HTC Wildfire (double-touch), Motorola Droid X (double-touch), and many new models.
Pinch-to-zoom (so-so): 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
GKOS is a wonderful idea, so I tried it on my Samsung Galaxy S. I found the haptic feedback on each keypress annoying, but there seems to be no way to turn it off. Also, after using the keyboard in the Jota Text Editor, the keyboard stayed on the screen, blocking my home screens, even after I closed Jota, and I was unable to get the keyboard to close. It's too bad, because I think I would really like using it, but I had to remove the GKOS from my phone.
At gkos.com/android there is a draft new version e.g. with the capability to turn off the vibrator. If you are willing to test that, it can be downloaded. However, I could not simulate on my HTC Desire your other issue. Jota text editor and GKOS seem to work perfectly together on my device. I will have to study this further. Probably the new draft cannot solve that problem yet. Thank your for your observation!
Hi, thanks for this app! I've been waiting for a chord keyboard. The problem I have is that it's huge on my Xoom with a 1280x800 screen, and I can't thumb type on it comfortably. Is there a way to reduce the amount of space it uses on high resolution screens?
Thanks! This keyboard is a huge win for typing accuracy.
Thanks for your comment on using GKOS on Xoom. Android pad version will be published later. It is not possible to adjust the size of the GKOS keypads yet. I hope to be able to give a better answer in the near future.
Hi guys, thanks so much for the tab version! Also, the optimized layout is much better even if I have to relearn it. One bug though I've found is that shift (b+e) sometimes registers a letter from an adjacent key instead. It happens enough I'm sure I'm not just mistyping.
Also, can you make an option to change the size of the keys? I have small hands and it's a stretch to thumb type on it.
Thanks again!
The latest version on the market claims to have tablet support, but I don't see it on my viewsonic gtablet running cyanogen 7.0.3. Are you detecting tablets based on screen size or OS?
Now it is based on screen size so that tablet layout is shown for XLARGE. In practice this should be 7+ inches.
http://developer.android.com/guide/practices/screens_support.html
For the next update, the detection could be improved (the link above shows that there are problems with the detection), or a Force Tablet Layout option could be added on the menu. Even screen size LARGE could be introduced. Let's see.
Ukrainian version is now available for testing at gkos.com/android
You need to uninstall the previous GKOS application, then install the new apk package (shown on your snapshot) downloaded from the gkos site. It is also necessary to allow installs from Unknown Sources (e.g. HTC phone menu: Settings > Applications > Unknown sources). The snapshot is just showing the installation package shat should now be installed on your phone.
The program installs just by the fact that you have described above.
After installing the software version is old - dl.dropbox.com/u/8738234/SC20110919-121632.png dl.dropbox.com/u/8738234/SC20110919-121652.png
When i run app from main menu keyboard is visible(dl.dropbox.com/u/8738234/SC20110919-121758.png), but when I activate it with any text field shows only a black square - dl.dropbox.com/u/8738234/SC20110919-121816.png
You should NOT have Tablet Layout option ticked because your device is not a Tablet.
Please, remove the tick on that option, if you have one, and check what happens. Rotate the phone a couple of times to check that you have the normal GKOS keyboard layout.
The tick was not but i add it and remove again. I rotated phone a couple of times and keyboard fixed and working.
dl.dropbox.com/u/8738234/SC20110919-130756.png
Great thanks for help!
PS: Sorry for my google english)
Serg, how do you switch between Ukr/Eng layouts? Through 'Tools' buttons or maybe there is some combo to press?
Great app, but I think there's no need to show buttons in Master Mode, maybe it would be better to make them transparent and leave just borders?
In fact, the best variant is to make some kind of skins or themes, so users could draw the keyboard themselves.
And one more question: any plans on releasing app for android as open source?
/forum/t-257954/gkos-for-android-phones#post-
