One of the best things about Android is the ability to change just about everything in the operating system, including the keyboard. Personally, I use SwiftKey, and I can’t imagine using something else. Now before SwiftKey even existed, there was another company called Swype that invented the trace typing that so many other people have ripped-off. You know what I’m talking about, the input method where you “draw” words instead of tap them now.
Swype wants to attract some attention again, so today they’re unveiling “Dryft” to the world. What is it? It’s a software keyboard specifically built for tablets. You put eight fingers on your screen as if it was a real keyboard, and Dryft will map the keys where your fingers touch the glass. Most importantly, you can rest your fingers on the screen, like you would a real keyboard, because Dryft uses the sensors in your tablet to figure out when you’re typing and when you’re not. So, how do you get this? Well, here’s where the bad news comes in. Swype doesn’t want to become a consumer facing technology company. They instead want to license their technology to other companies. The goal is to get Dryft on iOS, Android, Windows Phone, and whatever else is out there. In other words, it might take a while until you can test this out.
