Apple Reinvesting in Handwriting Recognition?

[MacRumors]

Apple has started hiring for a new Handwriting Recognition Engineer. The job description specifically seeks someone who would be responsible for "advancing Apple's handwriting recognition technology for Mac OS X."

They even suggest that the recognition technology could extend beyond Mac OS X "to other applications and the iPhone."

Apple was one of the pioneers in handwriting recognition with their original Newton handheld device. While the original Newton contained a 3rd party handwriting engine that generated some early bad press, Apple later deployed their own much improved handwriting technology known as "Rosetta". Despite the remarkable strides that were made in handwriting recognition (Quicktime movie) in later versions, the Newton had a hard time shaking off the original bad press.

Rosetta technology has found its way into Mac OS X under the name "Inkwell", but requires a tablet to be installed for use. Meanwhile, the name Rosetta has been re-used in recent versions of Mac OS X for Apple's dynamic binary translation that allows Intel Macs to run PowerPC only applications.

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[Zwhaler]

Man, Apple really is leaving no stone unturned (except a freaking headless iMac). I'd love to see this technology in a future tablet computer, or better yet, iPhone!

[steamtoy]

hand-writing is useful in asia and middle-east, and i'm glad to see if apple going further than ms

[hbchad]

Am I going to write with my fingers? Steve already told us how be feels about the stylus. Ooops I mean: he told us how WE feel about the stylus.

Does sound exciting though. Maybe we'll see a tablet.

[bobx2001]

Originally Posted by hbchad

Am I going to write with my fingers? Steve already told us how be feels about the stylus. Ooops I mean: he told us how WE feel about the stylus.

Does sound exciting though. Maybe we'll see a tablet.

Yeah handwriting without a stylus could be difficult, but then maybe it may be implemented better than we al suspect (I personally didn't expect the touch interface on the iPhone to be as good as it actually is).

Would a stylus even work on the iPhone as it uses the current in your fingers to register your touch?

[arn]

Originally Posted by bobx2001

Would a stylus even work on the iPhone as it uses the current in your fingers to register your touch?

you need a special stylus

http://www.macrumors.com/iphone/2007...-touch-stylus/

arn

[hbchad]

Originally Posted by bobx2001

Would a stylus even work on the iPhone as it uses the current in your fingers to register your touch?

Some third party companies are producing them:
http://www.tenonedesign.com/stylus.php

Actually now that I think about it, wasn't there a story on an apple patent that allowed you to write with your fingers without a stylus by pretending to hold the pen with your fingers on a multitouch surface?? I can't remember the details, though.

Edit: Found the article: http://www.macrumors.com/2008/02/21/...ylus-and-more/

[dawnrazor]

Ah the newton ... "beat up Martin" ... Remember that classic Simpsons moment?

[bobx2001]

Originally Posted by dawnrazor

Ah the newton ... "beat up Martin" ... Remember that classic Simpsons moment?

got a clip?

[Quillz]

Originally Posted by bobx2001

Yeah handwriting without a stylus could be difficult, but then maybe it may be implemented better than we al suspect (I personally didn't expect the touch interface on the iPhone to be as good as it actually is).

Would a stylus even work on the iPhone as it uses the current in your fingers to register your touch?

If it means anything, I've been able to use the iPhone while wearing relatively thick work gloves.

[Flynntoo]

poor newton

[lazyrighteye]

Isn't one of the newer gestures supposed to replicate the user holding an "invisible" stylus (a grouping of the thumb, index & middle finger tips)?

Regardless, I'd say this is a good sign for those interested in an Apple tablet.

[nagromme]

Having the option to carry a stylus for alternate input--or "write" with your finger even--wouldn't be a bad thing. I'd prefer the iPhone's virtual keyboard, but options are nice. Just don't INCLUDE a style, please--with a waste tube of air to store it in. Because then too many developers would be lazy and design tiny UIs more like desktop interfaces than touch interfaces.

Originally Posted by Zwhaler

Man, Apple really is leaving no stone unturned (except a freaking headless iMac). I'd love to see this technology in a future tablet computer, or better yet, iPhone!

But they DO sell a headless iMac: http://www.apple.com/keyboard

[bobx2001]

Originally Posted by Quillz

If it means anything, I've been able to use the iPhone while wearing relatively thick work gloves.

My friends have been able to use mine using their relatively thin gloves, I reckon as long as they are not totally insulating it works, I am sure the engineers among use can give a range of conductivity values

[hbchad]

Originally Posted by bobx2001

My friends have been able to use mine using their relatively thin gloves, I reckon as long as they are not totally insulating it works, I am sure the engineers among use can give a range of conductivity values

I put mine in a ziplock bag when I go fishing. It works fine through the plastic. I suppose it depends on the material/thickness/conductivity and probably a lot more factors I will never understand.

[Morky]

I'm not a fan of Microsoft products in general, but their handwriting recognition technology for tablets is amazing, and it's been four years since I've tried it. It correctly identified words in nearly unreadable handwriting. Inkwell is pretty weak in comparison, in my experience.

[Morky]

One of many examples on YouTube of MS handwriting recognition smoking Inkwell. This difference is most apparent when writing in cursive. Turn of your sound...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=CCHqMENtKkA&feature=related

[fblack]

Give me a stylus, please!

I'm impressed with the iPhone's virtual keyboard, but I still write faster than I can tap-tap. I'd probably be satisfied with a virtual stylus.

[Krafty]

Bleh, my cursive sucks.

[Eriamjh1138@DAN]

Originally Posted by dawnrazor

Ah the newton ... "beat up Martin" ... Remember that classic Simpsons moment?

Ah, yes. Eat up, Martha.

[bushido]

the new sony ericsson phones have handwriting recognition too, it looks like a sweet add-on

[deputylove8]

woorld domination!..yeaaaaaaaah!! i hope this is an initial sign for the production of a tablet from Mac...olalala

[FakeWozniak]

I wonder if the PowerPC version of Rosetta Stone language software will work with my Wacom tablet on an Intel Mac? Probably not as there would be a bug in Rosetta.

[gmckenzi]

Originally Posted by Morky

I'm not a fan of Microsoft products in general, but their handwriting recognition technology for tablets is amazing, and it's been four years since I've tried it. It correctly identified words in nearly unreadable handwriting. Inkwell is pretty weak in comparison, in my experience.

I own two Newtons. I never could get the cursive recognizer to work for me, but the Apple-developed print recognizer was damn near flawless with my handwriting.

All roads lead back to the Newton...The handwriting recognition technology in the MS tablets that you mention are really just newer versions of the Newton cursive recognizer.

Found a link to an article that mentions this:

http://arstechnica.com/journals/apple.ars/2005/6/12/504

"ParaGraph was responsible for the first generation handwriting recognition in the Newton OS They later developed a cursive recognition system for the Newton 2.x a system, the latter licensed to Microsoft who now uses it in their Windows XP Tablet PC Edition. The software is still available under the name Callligrapher. ParaGraph is now PhatWare"

[jellomizer]

There is a lot of work still needed for hand writing recognition. I have used inkwell and even if I use my best writing it still creates a lot of error. The reason why tablets haven't become so popular yet, is the fact the hand recognition technology is still very primitive. Hello world becomes Ae11o vvonIol Well not really but if you have any flaws in your writing it fails. even OCR isn't that great, for printed text. If you look at the Palm scribble language you see it is made from a combination of up stokes and down strokes and vertical strokes. Real text is a bit more Complex the following can be interpreted.

A = H
B = K
C = O or G
D = P or b
E = I
F = K
G = C or Q
H = A
I = T or l
J = t
K = F
L = T
M = NI
N = r
O = C
P = r Q
Q = O P
R = n P\
S = E
T = I
U = N
V = U M N
W = VV UU
X = T
Y = K
Z = I

In order for it to be useful it needs to be 99%+ accurate and corrections should be as simple as rewriting your letter.