We’ve now become more aware and conscious that not everyone has the ability to use technology the way we’re used to. But that doesn’t mean that they can’t and shouldn’t benefit from all the mobile and digital conveniences that we have and so tech companies need to develop products that will cater to those with limited accessibility. Google has been very intentional about that and one of the things that they developed is to have Morse Code available in their Gboard virtual keyboard.
This was announced and launched for Android after the Google I/O Conference 2018 last May but now they’re launching it to more devices and platforms and also improving the existing one. Basically, when you activate the Morse Code support in your Gboard, the keyboard area will fill up with two large dot and dash icons. You can go ahead and type out words and sentences using this form of communication that was developed back in the 1800s.
If you want to learn how to use Morse Code, either for your personal education or to communicate with someone with accessibility difficulties, Google created a Morse Typing Trainer game that claims to be able to teach users in just under an hour. One of the tech developers who collaborated with Google on this project, Tania Finlayson, shares how it came about and her own personal journey with Morse Code itself.
The Gboard for Android lets you hook external devices to your smartphone. Finlay also shared the source code that she developed with her husband so other developers can use it to connect to their apps and services. Update your Gboard to the latest version to be able to activate the Morse Code option.
SOURCE: Google
