Google Makes Handwriting Cool Again

Google is always on the move, creating new technologies. Their most recent advancement is seemingly taking a step back. Let me explain.

Instead of having to type out a message, Google has now given users the ability to write out their messages with a mouse pad or cursor in Google or Google docs. This seems like it would be more difficult and time consuming, but Google reps say its may be more convenient for the writing of foreign languages.

When you write out a word with your cursor, it will create a typed version of your word. If illegible or unintelligible, it will give you a list of possible words. If your word was "cat," it may come up with a list like: cats, rats, Cats, oats, and carts. This feature is similar to that of an iPhone and its auto correct option.  

You don’t even have to have the perfect handwriting. It, for the most part, does a decent job of decoding less-than-perfect, cursive writing.

"Handwriting input makes the internet easier to use by people worldwide and is also part of a larger effort to break the barrier between languages," said Google's Xiangye Xia in a blog post announcing the feature.

This tool is available in 50 languages for Gmail and 20 for Google docs. If you’d like to test it out, you can go to Gmail or Docs settings and click on language settings under general. Click "show all language options" and select enable input tools. You will get a list of every keyboard made available to you by Google. If there is a pencil icon beside them, those are the languages that support the new tool. Google already has an option that you can write something on the screen that it will then proceed to translate.

Do you think this could be a help or a hindrance when conquering the language barrier?

Sources: http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/23/tech/innovation/google-handwriting-support/index.html
Author: Tamara Carter Dolphin Tech LLC.