Swype
 |
|
| Developer(s) | Nuance |
|---|---|
| Initial release |
Android April 24, 2013 |
| Stable release |
Android
1.6.20 (November 19, 2014) |
| Development status | Active |
| Operating system |
Android (2.2 and later) Bada MeeGo Symbian Windows 7 Windows Mobile iOS (version 8.0 and later) |
| Type | Virtual keyboard, Speech recognition software |
| License | Proprietary |
| Website | Swype |
Swype is a virtual keyboard for touchscreen smartphones and tablets originally developed by Swype Inc., founded in 2002, where the user enters words by sliding a finger or stylus from the first letter of a word to its last letter, lifting only between words. It uses error-correction algorithms and a language model to guess the intended word. It also includes a predictive text system, handwriting and speech recognition support. Swype was first commercially available on the Samsung Omnia II running Windows Mobile, and was originally pre-loaded on specific devices.
In October 2011, Swype Inc. was acquired by Nuance Communications where the company continued its development and implemented its speech recognition algorithm, Dragon Dictation.
Swype consists of three major components that contribute to its accuracy and speed: an input path analyzer, word search engine with corresponding database, and a manufacturer customizable interface.
The creators of Swype predict that users will achieve over 50 words per minute, with the chief technical officer (CTO) and founder Cliff Kushler claiming to have reached 55 words per minute. On 22 March 2010, a Swype employee by the name of Franklin Page achieved a new Guinness World Record of 35.54 seconds for the fastest text message on a touchscreen mobile phone using Swype on the Samsung i8000, and reportedly improved on 22 August of the same year to 25.94 using a Samsung Galaxy S. The Guinness world record text message consists of 160 characters in 25 words and was at that time typed in 25.94 seconds, which corresponds to a speed of nearly 58 words per minute, or 370 characters per minute but has since been bettered by the Fleksy app on an Android phone to 18.19 seconds in 2014.
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