Microsoft is working on a writing app for Android Wear

June 01, 2020

Microsoft's "Analog Keyboard" is a text recognition software for Google's Wearable-OS Android Wear, which does not make a bad impression in a first video. Words are simply written with a finger on the display of the smartwatch – due to the rather small screen, however, letter by letter.

Nevertheless, the recognition of what is written seems to work quite well and could be useful, at least for short replies to SMS, chats and emails. In the subway, for example, you don't necessarily want to bleat into your smartwatch, that you are really looking forward to the date this evening and have already chilled the champagne.

(embed) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Iu7bUKKrJE#t=77 (/ embed)

Microsoft has released a trial version of the current beta version 0.1. However, this only works on Motorola's Moto 360 and on square wearables with a resolution of 320 × 320 pixels – for example the Samsung Gear Live. To install, you need the developer tool ADB (Android Debug Bridge), so know a little more about Android in this regard.

According to the project page, Microsoft's Analog Keyboard works with all Android Wear apps that support text input. So far, however, there are hardly any such applications. We are only the two apps Wear messenger and Wear internet browser known also from the Android Wear version of the compact keyboard Minuum get supported.

In this context, we find it interesting that Microsoft has put so much expensive development time into Google's smartwatch operating system. The OneNote app was also recently added Support for Android Wear considered. Perhaps the company from Redmond would rather rely on a system that is already on the market than send its own Microsoft watch with mini windows into the smartwatch race? What do you all mean?

Source: Microsoft (via)

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