[IDEA] D-Pad Keyboard

[drewden123]

As I was driving yesterday, I was frantically (and dangerously) trying to type a text message on my Vogue. As you people with phones that have no hard kb, you know how frustrating it can be to type a message, let alone while one is driving. Now I know that it's not safe to text while driving period, but there are certain times when it is necessary. I came across the idea of a D-pad keyboard. You would use the directional pad on the phone to select letters from a keyboard, and then use the center button to select that letter for input. While this would not be fast or efficient typing, this would help greatly to type messages when only one hand is free for driving, or some other activity, as it would give the user an actual button to press. Sadly, I have no programming experience whatsoever. I also don't have a steady source of income, so I cannot guarantee any donations if someone developed this. But maybe if enough people caught on to the idea and liked it, a bounty could be started for someone who developed something like this. I've uploaded some rough mockups of what it might look like.

[fallingup]

As I was driving yesterday, I was frantically (and dangerously) trying to type a text message on my Vogue. As you people with phones that have no hard kb, you know how frustrating it can be to type a message, let alone while one is driving. Now I know that it's not safe to text while driving period, but there are certain times when it is necessary. I came across the idea of a D-pad keyboard. You would use the directional pad on the phone to select letters from a keyboard, and then use the center button to select that letter for input. While this would not be fast or efficient typing, this would help greatly to type messages when only one hand is free for driving, or some other activity, as it would give the user an actual button to press. Sadly, I have no programming experience whatsoever. I also don't have a steady source of income, so I cannot guarantee any donations if someone developed this. But maybe if enough people caught on to the idea and liked it, a bounty could be started for someone who developed something like this. I've uploaded some rough mockups of what it might look like.


DONT. TEXT. WHILE. DRIVING. Especially on a touchscreen only phone. Not to mention your mockup would take extremely long to type out one word let alone a message. what you want would be to have multiple slides, first slide you can go either L or R with the full keyboard split in half. pressing L will give you a slide with the letters of q-t, a-g, z-v; R will give you y-p, h-l, b-m. from these slides you can go U, D, and R. U will give you top row of letters, D will give you bottom row of letters, just select will give you middle row and R will give you either number pad or symbol pad. minimum key presses is the key.

[flyboy009]

You should try the phone keypad, I find it alot easier when driving. Of course I still don't recommend typing while driving ;). But why I think would be even better is voice feedback. As you press a letter or key on whatever keyboard you're using it would voice the key you pressed then enter the character with a confirmation click sound when you release the keypress.

[unknown123456]

First off, please stop texting while you're driving. Why can't you just pull over and do it? Why risk your life and other innocent people because you're texting? NOTHING is that important for you that you can't just pull over to the side of the road and do all your texting there. Your idea is unique but pretty useless for your situation as well. It seems it will take a lot longer to move the directional pad and hit enter after the right selection with the middle button on that button decal. At the end, you'll still have to look at your phone while texting. How would you find the defendant if you were one of the juror in a jury, listening to some guy who seriously injured or killed someone because he was texting?

[chad.pflughaupt]

Actually, with an SIP such as TenGO this is an excellent idea.

[anaadoul]

one day i really needed to text while driving, i started typing.
suddenly i realized that the traffic stopped and i was so close, luckly my breaks could stop me on time.
other wise, i would never be here i guess.
since then, i never touch the phone while driving, the max is picking up the phone using BT Headset.
scary. be carefull, driving is not a game, you cannot load life back if mission failed.

[drewden123]

one day i really needed to text while driving, i started typing.
suddenly i realized that the traffic stopped and i was so close, luckly my breaks could stop me on time.
other wise, i would never be here i guess.
since then, i never touch the phone while driving, the max is picking up the phone using BT Headset.
scary. be carefull, driving is not a game, you cannot load life back if mission failed.

Yes, I understand your experience. And thank you all for all your replies. I'm glad a lot of people are concerned about the safety of all the drivers. However, I also stated that this could primarily be used in OTHER activities in which you only have one hand free or cannot/should not be fully focusing on your phone. I realize the risks of texting while driving, which is why I don't when in any type of traffic. I live in rural Indiana, where most of the times it's a wide open road with fields to the left and right and not a car in sight. I just thought this would be a simple solution if the urgency was presented where someone needed to send a quick text. I also think voice feedback would be helpful. Even better would be speech-to-text + BT headset. That would be the ultimate program for this situation, but I have yet to see anything close developed. Once again, thanks for all the input.

[codybear]

You should try the phone keypad, I find it alot easier when driving. Of course I still don't recommend typing while driving ;). But why I think would be even better is voice feedback. As you press a letter or key on whatever keyboard you're using it would voice the key you pressed then enter the character with a confirmation click sound when you release the keypress.
Phone keypad would be your best bet.

one day i really needed to text while driving, i started typing.
suddenly i realized that the traffic stopped and i was so close, luckly my breaks could stop me on time.
other wise, i would never be here i guess.
since then, i never touch the phone while driving, the max is picking up the phone using BT Headset.
scary. be carefull, driving is not a game, you cannot load life back if mission failed.
lol.
wouldn't be cool if there was a giant reset button.
haha.


I agree with everyone though, don't text while driving.
In most of the states in the US it is actually illegal to do so,
and has quite the hefty fine associated with it.
There was this girl about 6 months to a year ago that was driving down the US 60 (in arizona) and was in the left lane of the highway, and ended up swerving all the way accross every lane of traffic and tboned a parked van on the side of the road that had overheated.
Inside that van were 2 adults, and their 4 children
(2 young teens and 10 and 5 yr old I believe, something around those ages).
All 6, and the girl texting, were killed upon impact.
They found the girl texting gripping her phone (with keyboard slid out) in her hands.

Moral of story, Population control.
:D:D JKJKJKJKJKJKJKJKJKJKJK!! I'm goin to h*ll for that one.
But seriously, I don't recommend texting while driving.

[marekPLPH]

TEXTING WHILE DRIVING is good if you have set your vehicle in AUTO PILOT! XDDD

[drewden123]

Ahh well, guess the idea is shot down by the community. I really meant it for more purposes other than driving, just thought driving would be one of them even though it's not recommended. I guess I'm just unsuccessfully trying to find some way for efficient, easier input on a touch screen like the Vogue. I have small fingers myself and I have yet to find a quality keyboard that I can get up to speed on. And yes the phonepad is the next best thing if the need arises. Has anyone seen anything close to being capable of speech-to-text? I'm probably dreaming here but that would be an amazing app that could probably make a lot of money

[jez83uk]

What could surely be possible would be for the 9 buttons available on the d-pad to correspond to a t9 keypad. Press up for abc, up-right for def and so on.

[segadc]

Definetly would like a d-pad keyboard! The more options the better.:cool: Check out a psp for reference.

[drewden123]

What could surely be possible would be for the 9 buttons available on the d-pad to correspond to a t9 keypad. Press up for abc, up-right for def and so on.

that idea sounds pretty good, except I'm pretty sure on the Vogue, or any other d-pad on a phone, there aren't diagonals (up-right, down-left, etc.) are there? Just up,down.left,right.

[uniqueboy]

A better solution to your texting while driving would be a speech to text software, have a look here (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=524612). I have not tested it myself yet but it looks interesting and safer than the alternatives. Please don't risk other peoples lives.:)
And please vote in my poll.

[drewden123]

Thanks for the link! I also voted on your topic.