THUMBS UP FOR SPEED

If you're all thumbs when you type on a portable device, help is on the way. Researchers at Germany's Max Planck Institute for Informatics have developed a keyboard app optimized for thumb typing.
Trained volunteers reached 37 words per minute (with a 5% error rate) on the so-called KALQ keyboard, while touch-screen users manage only up to about 20 words per minute on a Qwerty layout. The new design, which requires at least a 7-inch screen and will be only for devices running Android at first, rearranges the letters for optimal speed, divides the alphabet into halves for easier thumb access and can be scaled to suit a user's hand size. The creators hope to release the app free in May.