Baidu Research launches voice-centric Android keyboard --- ‘TypeTalk’

In a statement released on Monday, Baidu Research announced the launch of a new ‘TypeTalk’ app in the US and other countries. The app is essentially a third-party Android keyboard which boasts AI-powered voice recognition.

TypeTalk -- the voice-centric Android keyboard -- is a free app which is now available for download from the Google Play store.

Announcing the launch of the TypeTalk app, Baidu Research -- the research division of China’s Internet search giant Baidu -- said that the app has specifically been designed for speech input, and it supports speech-to-text or swipe input.

In addition, the TypeTalk app also comes with a QuickShare feature which gives users the ability to quickly post things like GIFs and points of interest. With the help of the QuickShare feature, users can browse, search and share GIFs from Giphy, restaurants and places from Yelp, and straightaway share their current location with others.

Describing the TypeTalk app as “the first full-function Android keyboard that is 'voice first,' not 'voice also',” Bijit Halder – chief of Baidu's AI Lab product team in Silicon Valley – said: "Unlike conventional keyboard designs, where voice is targeted for occasional use and delegated to a small icon, TalkType is designed for voice as the primary input mode."