6 ms·

Gmail Tap

38 points by googletron 15y ago

markkofman 15y ago
not a bad joke...
cloudwalking 15y ago
I put the app we used in the video up on Play Market: http://goo.gl/IZN16 http://goo.gl/IZN16 It's a real Android input manager, you can use it (more or less) as a real keyboard :) The code is open-source: https://code.google.com/p/morse-keyboard/ https://code.google.com/p/morse-keyboard/
- saurik 15y ago
  There has actually been something similar (even, a serious and real product that has been actively maintained for years and is being sold for $1.99) in Cydia (for jailbroken iPhones) available on iOS for a while now, in case anyone wants to try it on non-Android ;P. http://iditdahtext.com/ http://iditdahtext.com/
collint 15y ago
I'm not sure if the joke is Morse code on a phone, or using two buttons for Morse code.
- JoshTriplett 15y ago
  Many high-speed CW (Morse) operators use devices with two inputs rather than one (called "iambic paddles"). See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telegraph_key https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telegraph_key for various types of Morse inputs beyond the traditional single key.
  - collint 15y ago
    Pleased to be educated :)
sebastianavina 15y ago
I'm kind of tired of this "april fool" pranks.
- jarcoal 15y ago
  Same. Browsers need a X-DO-NOT-PRANK header.
- ronnier 15y ago
  It was fun about 8 years ago. It has since grown tiresome.
- MBlume 15y ago
  ...seriously? They happen once a year.
Radzell 15y ago
Kind of funny, but true we have to many buttons. Someone submit a application for a keyboard with less keyboard o YC. Also getting LL Cool J was a nice touch.
- wickedchicken 15y ago
  Apple is already ahead of the curve on that one: http://www.theonion.com/video/apple-introduces-revolutionary-new-laptop-with-no,14299/ http://www.theonion.com/video/apple-introduces-revolutionary...
xxdiamondxx 15y ago
Do you think it would be possible to input morse code through the accelerometers, so i can tap anywhere on the phone?
- cloudwalking 15y ago
  Don't see why not. We were thinking of using the microphone so you could tap anywhere near/on the phone...
defrost 15y ago
April fools or not, if we're talking alternative fast input methods then why not remind people of chording keyboards[1]? Nice simple keypads ergonomically designed for comfortable one handed use with multi key combinations corresponding to letters / digits / symbols. There was a trial a few years back by the University of Queensland marine division of an underwater system with HUD facemask display and a chording keypad so that researchers diving could hold specimans / tools whilst also looking up references / enter data. Like a number of alternative key entry systems it was surprisingly fast once people became used to it. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chorded_keyboard http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chorded_keyboard
jefe78 15y ago
While I'm tired of these jokes, this is the first time I've actually wanted the product.
jlees 15y ago
HN tie-in: Reed Morse, "lead engineer" for GMail Tap, is one of the founders of Punchd, a 500 Startups company which was acquired by Google last year. http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3166030 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3166030
meej 15y ago
I find it kind of sadly ironic that morse code could actually speed up input, and perhaps shouldn't be treated as a joke. For example, a pair of telegraph operators beat "the world's fastest SMS texter" on Jay Leno a couple years back. http://www.flixxy.com/sms-text-messaging-vs-morse-code.htm http://www.flixxy.com/sms-text-messaging-vs-morse-code.htm

38 points by googletron 15y ago

not a bad joke...

I put the app we used in the video up on Play Market: http://goo.gl/IZN16 http://goo.gl/IZN16 It's a real Android input manager, you can use it (more or less) as a real keyboard :) The code is open-source: https://code.google.com/p/morse-keyboard/ https://code.google.com/p/morse-keyboard/

saurik 15y ago
There has actually been something similar (even, a serious and real product that has been actively maintained for years and is being sold for $1.99) in Cydia (for jailbroken iPhones) available on iOS for a while now, in case anyone wants to try it on non-Android ;P. http://iditdahtext.com/ http://iditdahtext.com/

collint 15y ago

I'm not sure if the joke is Morse code on a phone, or using two buttons for Morse code.

JoshTriplett 15y ago
Many high-speed CW (Morse) operators use devices with two inputs rather than one (called "iambic paddles"). See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telegraph_key https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telegraph_key for various types of Morse inputs beyond the traditional single key.
- collint 15y ago
  Pleased to be educated :)

sebastianavina 15y ago

I'm kind of tired of this "april fool" pranks.

jarcoal 15y ago
Same. Browsers need a X-DO-NOT-PRANK header.
ronnier 15y ago
It was fun about 8 years ago. It has since grown tiresome.
MBlume 15y ago
...seriously? They happen once a year.

Radzell 15y ago

Kind of funny, but true we have to many buttons. Someone submit a application for a keyboard with less keyboard o YC. Also getting LL Cool J was a nice touch.

wickedchicken 15y ago
Apple is already ahead of the curve on that one: http://www.theonion.com/video/apple-introduces-revolutionary-new-laptop-with-no,14299/ http://www.theonion.com/video/apple-introduces-revolutionary...

xxdiamondxx 15y ago

Do you think it would be possible to input morse code through the accelerometers, so i can tap anywhere on the phone?

cloudwalking 15y ago
Don't see why not. We were thinking of using the microphone so you could tap anywhere near/on the phone...

defrost 15y ago

April fools or not, if we're talking alternative fast input methods then why not remind people of chording keyboards[1]? Nice simple keypads ergonomically designed for comfortable one handed use with multi key combinations corresponding to letters / digits / symbols. There was a trial a few years back by the University of Queensland marine division of an underwater system with HUD facemask display and a chording keypad so that researchers diving could hold specimans / tools whilst also looking up references / enter data. Like a number of alternative key entry systems it was surprisingly fast once people became used to it. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chorded_keyboard http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chorded_keyboard

jefe78 15y ago

While I'm tired of these jokes, this is the first time I've actually wanted the product.

jlees 15y ago

HN tie-in: Reed Morse, "lead engineer" for GMail Tap, is one of the founders of Punchd, a 500 Startups company which was acquired by Google last year. http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3166030 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3166030

meej 15y ago

I find it kind of sadly ironic that morse code could actually speed up input, and perhaps shouldn't be treated as a joke. For example, a pair of telegraph operators beat "the world's fastest SMS texter" on Jay Leno a couple years back. http://www.flixxy.com/sms-text-messaging-vs-morse-code.htm http://www.flixxy.com/sms-text-messaging-vs-morse-code.htm