“The problem is how to comfortably enter text onto the screens of pocket-size devices. Anyone who uses a cell phone to laboriously tap out text messages, or a BlackBerry to respond to e-mail, knows what I’m talking about – – those tiny keypads cause thumb strain. At the same time, software that attempts to recognize either speech or regular handwriting isn’t reliable.
SHARK in its current form – – demonstrated so far on full-size Windows XP notebooks – – puts a small grid on the screen. The grid shows a cluster of letters in what appears to be random order.
To write a word, you put the stylus on the first letter of the word and then drag the stylus to draw a line through the alphabet cluster, touching every letter in the word. When you lift up the stylus after hitting the last letter, SHARK figures out what word you want and displays it on the screen.”