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Last year at Google I/O, Romain Guy showed us a neat little Android Application called “Gesture Search” that allowed you to write shorthand of sorts to quickly jump to your intended destination. Think of your finger as a stylus and a single letter as a command. Or better yet, just check out these demonstration videos made by members of Android Forums:
Google does an even better job at explaining it:
Gesture Search lets you quickly find a contact, a bookmark, an application, or a music track from hundreds or thousands of items by drawing alphabet gestures on the touchscreen. Gesture Search continuously updates search results as you add each letter and improves search quality by learning from your search history.
When you load the application you get a plain black screen and as you “swipe” letters one-by-one it displays search results as if you’re typing out a word and it’s refining the list as you go. It seems to work great and the idea is fantastic, but I wholeheartedly agree with 1080p/AlbertOrange (maker of the 2nd vid):
“Right now it’s a novelty because it is a separate application that needs to be downloaded from the marketplace. Now if Google finds a way to integrate this into the core operating system… then we’ve really got something here.”
Google is innovating so much in so many places they often leave certain ideas in the dust if they don’t catch on – I hope Gesture Search isn’t one of them. Here is what Google has to say about Gesture Search on their download page:
Do you find it hard to find a contact or locate an application from a list of hundreds of items on an Android phone? Or do you find it stressful to search for an item by typing in its title while on the go?
Gesture Search from Google Labs lets you search your Android-powered device by drawing alphabet gestures on the touch screen. It allows you to quickly find a contact, a bookmark, an application, or a music track from hundreds or thousands of items, all in one place. It is fast and fun to use.
Gesture Search currently supports English and requires Android 2.0 or above.
I bet the 1.x users are a bit bummed… sorry!
Cool idea but.. at least for me.. not practical.
ive got to find a way to get 2.0 on my tattoo – it just aint fair man
When this makes it into the OS itself, it will be amazing. For now, starting an app to find stuff is a little pointless.
Come on, why is everything for Android 2 and above. So many people have lower versions. I am really disturbed, because Google is just wiping flor with us all.
Thx for the tip. I like it, and will use it. I have 100-150 apps, so not all are on home screens. I put this on my main home screen, and sometimes will use it to quickly find less frequently used apps or less frequently used contacts.
[Swearing] … my next phone will be WinMo7 >:[ Screw you Google, as there’s no guarantee, that in a year or so you’ll be making “Android 4.x only” stuff.
This thing is cool. Very useful for my 70+ apps and 200+ contacts. Although, it should have a 2X2 widget to use as a sort of quick launch.
I couldnt install it in my milestone
:(
And then Windows 8 will come out and lucky for us you’ll be posting your complaints on some other web site. This is cool. Opens quick from the icon on your home screen. I can see myself using it daily.
needs a widget with a block that takes up bout a fourth of the screen, and you can just start scribling, after the first letter it opens the page and then continue the app as normal from there
Another reason to have an Iphone. Apple doesn’t have multiple operating systems leaving most of their users with an obsolete piece of hardware.
Jason, you are right, because I would rather have an iPhone where everything has to go through Apple first before it can touch our precious Jesus devices. Apple fanboy loser.
Jason, not to mention all of your damn iPhones look alike. black or white. No iPhones with real keyboards for those who PREFER keyboards because Jobs thinks they’re ugly and unnecessary. I like to go with an OS that allows ME THE FU*KING consumer to choose what works for me. But do enjoy your iPhone. :)
Remember that guy in high school that you felt sorry for because he was alway getting the crap kicked out of him? And then one day he did something so stupid that you had to kick the crap out of him? That guy is Jason.
haha. Your hostile aggression proves my point very well. Enjoy not having any applications on your pre 2.0 android phones. ;)
It is working now for Brazil. Kudos to google support.
http://groups.google.com/group/gesturesearch-discuss/browse_thread/thread/0fbb39be17427158/1b9010d70e15d1f3#1b9010d70e15d1f3
to be honest Jason is right. The fact that Google have so many different operating systems is annoying.
Why can they not just all be updated at the same time? I cant use buzz, gestures or any of the other 2.0 apps. I have 1.6 so i feel slightly better than those with Heros on the 1.5 OS.
At this rate i might move back to symbian and use my skinput device. http://gizmodo.com/5483559/skinput-the-touch+interface-for-your-skin-brings-a-whole-nother-meaning-to-touch-typing
Hope they patent this soon or else Steve will do so and then sue the competition. All this hostility towards others is not good for his liver.
I love my N1.
I just downloaded this app. AWESOME app. Go and Get it for your phone. But IMHO it needs to be integrated into the android operating system itself.
Works like a dream on my Tattoo with Android version 1.6
Jason I have a g1. Ordered it thru presale just got update 1.6 haven’t been slowed up by anything. Apple is on there 3rd going on 4th next year they will be working on the fifth and so on and on and on. Just like android phones. The biggest andriod problem is that multiple carriers and manufators make the dicision hard and the arwe coming fast the nexus looked great now the superesonic is coming next week it might be happy birthday to me. So once you get your I phone on att (which I thinks sucks the update and decision will be easy steve jobs will make them all for you and you can be happy and content
Why don’t you visit the google ‘search home’ the last paragraph says “Gesture Search currently recognizes the English alphabet and requires Android 1.6 or above”
I’m donwloading it now for my Magic :o)
downloaded, and installed on HTC Magic, version 1.6 and works like a charm!