Virtual keyboard makers Minuum have never met a device they haven’t figured would be better with a keyboard. The team makes a tiny keyboard app for Android which lets you type by sliding your finger across the screen, but Minuum is also working on apps for computers with 3D motion sensors, Google Glass, and smartwatches like the Samsung Galaxy Gear.
Now the team is taking aim at smartwatches with round screens… like the upcoming Motorola Moto 360.
Minuum’s claim to fame is that it takes up less screen space than a typical keyboard by placing three rows of letter practically right on top of each other.
The idea is that you can slide your finger from letter to letter the way you would with Swype or other gesture-based keyboards, and Minuum will use text prediction technology to figure out what word you meant to type.
On a round screen, this means the keyboard will curve to take up the bottom half of a circle while leaving most of the center of the screen free. In the company’s demo image, we can also see suggested words popping up in the top of the screen… all while leaving text messages or other content visible in the center.
Google’s Android Wear platform for smartwatches and other wearables is designed to support voice input so you don’t need to type out text on a tiny keyboard. But if you’re in a place where you’d feel conspicuous talking to yourself or pulling out your phone, it could be nice to at least have the option to type short messages.