[NewsPoster]

Most people have gotten used to texting and typing on their iPads and iPhones, and chances are, they're good at it. However, it's undeniable that the standard thumb-texting can be pretty slow. On top of that, texting tends to grow tiresome in this manner as the conversation becomes more involved. Of course a user can always revert to hunt-and-peck typing with an index finger, but that leads to slower typing or reliance on predictive text, which can produce unintentionally-hilarious mis-types. Swype by Nuance has come up with a clever solution to help us text and type faster and longer, with less fatigue.

Until recently, Swype was only available for smart phones and tablets running either Windows 7 or Android operating systems. However with the advent of iOS 8 and its support for third-party keyboards, now iPhone and iPad users can enjoy Swype as well.

Using the system is easy. It takes a few moments to get used to it, but users are likely to find that it is quicker than the traditional thumb-texting method of typing. To write a word, a user draws a line from letter to letter and the input path analyzer will figure out what they're typing. This means that instead of having to type out each letter without bumping others, a user can swipe through each letter quickly, saving them a lot of time and effort. Swype claims to help the average user text up to 50 words per minute, an impressive feat for touchscreen devices.

The Swype app installs with no fuss, just download, run, and then activate third-party keyboards in the iDevice's settings. After the user completes those three simple steps, Swype is now installed and ready to use. The user can immediately begin to Swype their way through all their typing needs.

Aside from being a useful app, Swype allows users to customize keyboards from within the on-screen keyboard settings. This new nifty little app is available for iPads and iPhones running iOS 8 or higher, and costs $1. The Android version is also available if you're using that instead of iOS.

Who Swype is for:
Anyone who finds themselves texting or typing a lot on any iDevice running iOS 8 or later.

Who Swype isn't for: Non-power-texters much can probably pass on this one

[horst]

But what are the ramifications of Swype having Full Access to just about everything on your iPhone (contacts, calendar, e-mail, photos, Internet, yadyadyada).

[DiabloConQueso]

The ramifications are probably that gains the ability to auto-complete information from those databases, which is a useful and personalized feature that saves time when typin/swyping non-common information, like your friends' names and addresses and what-not.

Or, maybe it harvests all the information from those databases, sends the information to some remote server in China, and then a bunch of Chinese hackers can analyze your family recipe collection and vacation photos for nefarious purposes.

[Jayhorn]

I have tried Swype several times, and have yet to see how you can type faster using it. To me it feels like a very clunky way to enter text, while I find thumbing to be quick. I guess you just need to use it for a few weeks to get past the clunkiness to really give it a good evaluation.