source: http://androinica.com/2009/06/11/handwriting-technology-for-android-gets...

Google Android input options: G1 slide-out keyboard, HTC Magic on-screen keyboard, and now on-screen handwriting.

Vision Objects, a French technology company, has posted a short video showcasing their handwriting recognition technology that automatically converts finger movement to text. Seen on an HTC Magic (Sapphire), MyScript Handwriting Technology let’s Android device owners use their index finger as a pen/stylus. As the pointer glides across the screen, the phone recognizes the intended text and converts it into digital text.

If you’ve already mastered typing on a G1 or Magic, you may not have much need for this. But for note-takers or those not quick with their thumbs, MyScript could be a clever solution. Then you have to consider the future value of using it on a tablet or mobile internet device with a larger screen.

Not to mention that Android handwriting technology, also being developed by DioTek, is incredibly useful for Asian languages that include thousands of characters. According to comments posted at AndroidGuys, MyScript supports 26 languages, including:

• Arabic,
• Chinese (Simplified & Traditional),
• Danish,
• Dutch,
• English (Canada/ UK/ USA),
• Finnish,
• French (Canada/ France),
• German,
• Greek,
• Hungarian,
• Italian,
• Japanese,
• Korean,
• Norwegian,
• Polish,
• Portuguese (Brazil/ Portugal),
• Russian,
• Spanish (Mexico/ Spain),
• Swedish,
• Turkish

Vision Objects has not announced the availability or pricing details for this service.

Here’s another Vision Objects Android input method demo showing how quickly this technique can recognize simplified Chinese.