For me, a big part of Android’s draw is the ability to use voice recognition anywhere you input text. Google’s voice recognition has greatly improved but, at least in my expereince, Nuance’s accuracy still runs rings around it. That’s why the first app I download to any Android device I am using is Nuance’s FlexT9 app. The app is four input methods in one. You can type, trace, write or speak all form a single keyboard. It works great and is worth the price.
It is somewhat difficult to really understand the power and utility of the FlexT9 system, so I’ll let the official description explain each of the four input methods.
Speak: Downloaded by millions around the world, Nuance’s Dragon Dictation app quickly turns talk into text via full Dictate Anywhere capabilities on Android, regardless of whether you’re searching the web, updating a blog post or sending an email.
Trace: Nuance’s T9 Trace lets Android tablet users enter text with amazing speed by simply gliding their finger from one letter to another on the virtual keypad – no spacing or punctuation required.
Write: With T9 Write, users can simply use their finger to draw words and phrases, numbers, symbols, accented characters and more on the touch screen, and instantly see results.
Tap: At the core of FlexT9 is Nuance’s pervasive XT9 predictive text input technology, featuring next word prediction, word completion, Sloppy-Type ™ word error correction, spell correction, and much more across the entire input experience, including T9 Write and T9 Trace.
It is an impressive lineup of functionality that even has Thomas and Judie using FlexT9 as their main keyboard.
Well Nuance has announced that FlexT9 is now optimized for Android tablets. This includes the Samsung GalaxyTab, Dell Streak 7 and the Motorola Xoom and the (dozens of) others we can expect to see in the coming months. As Nuance explains,
Tablets represent an exciting convergence of smartphone and PC, however, consumers often feel limited by virtual keypads and typing on a flat glass. Nuance’s FlexT9 gives consumers four options to more easily and comfortably draft emails and instant messages, post to social networks or compose documents with their tablet devices. FlexT9’s four-in-one keypad combines Dragon Dictation, T9 Trace, T9 Write and XT9, and lets consumers change among any of FlexT9’s input modalities with a simple tap.
For anyone who is, or plans on, using an Android tablet this is big news.
The full release follows.
NUANCE FLEXT9 UNLEASHES MAXIMUM POTENTIAL OF ANDROID TABLETS
Unique Four-in-One Keypad Lets Consumers Speak, Trace, Write or Tap to Stay Connected, Expanding Tablets’ Overall Usability and Productivity
Burlington, Mass. – March 22, 2011 – Nuance Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: NUAN) today announced that its innovative multimodal FlexT9 app is now officially optimized for the most popular, powerful Android tablets, including the Samsung GalaxyTab, Dell Streak 7 and the Motorola Xoom. FlexT9 maximizes the capabilities of touchscreen smartphones and tablets, and is now fully compatible with the latest Android Honeycomb release. FlexT9 also supports six languages, so Android tablet users around the world can experience the power of flexibility and control as they speak, trace, write or tap to stay connected.
Tablets represent an exciting convergence of smartphone and PC, however, consumers often feel limited by virtual keypads and typing on a flat glass. Nuance’s FlexT9 gives consumers four options to more easily and comfortably draft emails and instant messages, post to social networks or compose documents with their tablet devices. FlexT9’s four-in-one keypad combines Dragon Dictation, T9 Trace, T9 Write and XT9, and lets consumers change among any of FlexT9’s input modalities with a simple tap.
Speak: Downloaded by millions around the world, Nuance’s Dragon Dictation app quickly turns talk into text via full Dictate Anywhere capabilities on Android, regardless of whether you’re searching the web, updating a blog post or sending an email.
Trace: Nuance’s T9 Trace lets Android tablet users enter text with amazing speed by simply gliding their finger from one letter to another on the virtual keypad – no spacing or punctuation required.
Write: With T9 Write, users can simply use their finger to draw words and phrases, numbers, symbols, accented characters and more on the touch screen, and instantly see results.Tap: At the core of FlexT9 is Nuance’s pervasive XT9 predictive text input technology, featuring next word prediction, word completion, Sloppy-Type ™ word error correction, spell correction, and much more across the entire input experience, including T9 Write and T9 Trace.
“FlexT9 delivers a unique-yet-powerful combination of voice and touch input that makes the tablet virtually indispensible because it’s simply easier and faster to communicate,” said Michael Thompson, senior vice president and general manager, Nuance Mobile. “FlexT9’s ease of use is driven by choice – allowing consumers to decide whether they dictate an email, trace a text message, handwrite an IM or simply tap text with the industry’s leading predictive input technology.”
Availability
FlexT9 is currently available for download in the Android Market for $4.99 in English (US and UK), German, French, Italian and Spanish, supporting Android OS v2.1 and higher, including select Honeycomb devices.
To see FlexT9 in action on the Samsung GalaxyTab visit us on YouTube. Also follow us on Twitter @NuanceMobile, and check out our Facebook Fanpage.
To download FlexT9 directly from your Android tablet, visit https://market.android.com/details?id=com.nuance.flext9.input&feature=search_result.
To learn more about the Dragon Mobile Apps family, visit www.dragonmobileapps.com. To learn more about FlexT9 and the full Dragon Mobile Apps portfolio, visit www.dragonmobileapps.com or http://www.facebook.com/?ref=hp#!/DragonSpeechUK.
About Nuance Communications, Inc.
Nuance is a leading provider of speech and imaging solutions for businesses and consumers around the world. Its technologies, applications and services make the user experience more compelling by transforming the way people interact with information and how they create, share and use documents. Every day, millions of users and thousands of businesses experience Nuance’s proven applications and professional services. For more information, please visit: nuance.com.
