Microsoft Bing's AI chatbot comes to the SwiftKey keyboard

Image: Microsoft

The latest Microsoft property to get its Bing AI capabilities is its popular mobile keyboard app, SwiftKey. When you click the Bing button on the top left side, you get three options: Search, Tone, and Chat. You can look things up while conversing with someone using Search. Chat will suggest responses that are in keeping with the messages you're responding to. And Tone will help keep things formal if you're replying to a work email. You can also access up to five chosen languages in the same release.

Source

SwiftKey Beta introduces the Animoji-like Puppets

It seems every single app wants to have some sort of take on Animoji. Even third-party keyboard apps aren’t safe. SwiftKey Beta is trying this feature out on its own with a new feature called Puppets. It’ll let you record yourself as one of these five animals: dinosaur, cat, owl, dog, or panda. Like all incarnations of this feature, it makes use of your phone’s camera to track your facial movements. Of course, it has the help of artificial intelligence to make this possible. And since it is part of your keyboard app, it’ll work with just about any app. You can record clips of up to 30 seconds long and you can choose to leave in the sound you recorded or just mute it. It is, as we mentioned, shareable wherever you want to.

At this moment there is no native still capture button, so if you want stills, you need to export the clip and screenshot. Ease of use varies as well. As Android Central points out, if you send it through Slack, Facebook Messenger, and Telegram, then you need to select the recipient again even if you’re in the message thread with them. Also, it can’t track mouth movements as well right now, but it’s understandable since this is the beta version. Here’s to hoping SwiftKey tweaks this for the official release.

Microsoft purchases SwiftKey for $250 million

Microsoft has just bought popular Android and iOS software keyboard maker SwiftKey for $250 million. Although SwiftKey gained its reputation for creating innovative predictive keyboards that make using software keyboards on smartphones more efficient, it seems that Microsoft is after possible Artificial Intelligence applications. 

Once a paid app with 300 million users on Android and iOS, SwiftKey went for the premium model and has struggled to profit from a highly competitive segment of aftermarket predictive software keyboards. While it has yet to be formally announced, Microsoft will likely absorb the company’s 150 employees around the world are expected to join Microsoft Research. 

Source:9to5Mac

SwiftKey beta fixes font bug on Android Marshmallow

SwiftKey updated its beta app to fix a bug that rendered the key fonts and icons hardly readable for some Android Marshmallow preview builds. Now, it’s back to normal size, making it easier for you to type/swipe away on your keyboard. The latest beta also stops support for Gingerbread or other older devices. If you’re interested in being part of the SwiftKey beta program, you have to join this Google Group and select the “Become a Tester” link.

Source: Android Police