What Android keyboard has the B-I-G-G-E-S-T microphone button?

[Harold R]

What keyboard has the L-A-R-G-E-S-T microphone button?

I have been looking for a larger microphone button for years!

In another thread, someone suggested that there was a keyboard with back
and forth arrow keys located at:
1. Smart Keyboard Trial, by Dexilog, LLC
2. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.cdeguet.smartkeyboardtrial

1. English for Smart Keyboard, by Dexilog, LLC
2. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.cdeguet.smartkeyboardpro.en

I installed it and found that the VOICE MICROPHONE button seems slightly LARGER
(as it should be) in this keyboard than on the default keyboard.

But, do you know of a keyboard app that has a really large microphone button?

(I'd rather talk than type, and the button is generally far too small for
me to hit until the third try so I just want a MUCH BIGGER Microphone button!)

What Android keyboard has the B-I-G-G-E-S-T microphone button?

[The Real Bev]

The A.I. Keyboard has a lot of choices -- more than I'm willing to
search through. You can adjust the size of the keyboard on the fly,
which is handy. I paid for the more capable version, but the free
version is fine too. If you don't like it you can always throw i away.

--
Cheers, Bev
====================================================================
Paranoid schizophrenics outnumber their enemies at least two to one.

[Marob Katon]

The Real Bev wrote in message nev10i$ovl$1...@dont-email.me:

> The A.I. Keyboard has a lot of choices -- more than I'm willing to
> search through. You can adjust the size of the keyboard on the fly,
> which is handy. I paid for the more capable version, but the free
> version is fine too. If you don't like it you can always throw i away.

I suggest everyone who posits an app go to the trouble of finding
the URL to that app since the person suggesting the app knows the
app while anyone googling for it may find similar but different
apps.

There are three bits of informatoin that are needed to get the
right app:
1. The name of the app
2. The developer
3. The URL

Especially when the app is a "keyboard", it's easy to get the wrong
one.

To help out, here's what "I" found by Googling for that app:

1. ai.type Keyboard Free, by ai.type
2. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.aitype.android

Is that the right app?

[Harold R]

In nev88b$1bai$2...@gioia.aioe.org, Marob Katon <marob...@examples.com>
wrote:

> There are three bits of informatoin that are needed to get the
> right app:
> 1. The name of the app
> 2. The developer
> 3. The URL

I found a whole bunch of *different* AI Type keyboards but none
were named AI Type Keyboard! :(

aitype Lollipop Keyboard by a.i.themes
a.i.type keyboard for Phone by Themes for A.I Type
A Keyboard by Firsteapps
A.I. Type Tablet Keyboard Free by ai.type
ai.type Emoji Keyboard plugin by ai.type
ai.type Keyboard Emoji, art by ai.type

[Harold R]

In nev88b$1bai$2...@gioia.aioe.org, Marob Katon <marob...@examples.com>
wrote:

> There are three bits of informatoin that are needed to get the
> right app:
> 1. The name of the app
> 2. The developer
> 3. The URL

This is what I just installed:

App: ai.type Keyboard - Emoji, Art
Dev: ai.type
URL: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.aitype.android

It said "Your trial period will expire in 17 days" so I'm not sure what
expires in 17 days.

Does the whole keyboard expire?

Anyway, I installed the AI Type Keyboard and turned on the microphone key:
AITK > Settings > Appearance > Customize bottom row > Show voice-to-text key

Then I added the comma key which gave me a long press arrow set of keys:
AITK > Settings > Appearance > Customize bottom row > Show comma and context-shortcut key

Then I turned off the upper row altogether:
AITK > Settings > Appearance > Top Row > Display Top Row > off

The good news is that a long press on the comma causes arrow
keys to pop up (which is nice).

Unfortunately in the top row, you can't add the microphone. :(
And, in the bottom row, you can't change the size of the microphone.

You can only delete other stuff in the bottom row (which I did).

On the top row, you can turn the whole row off or you can only turn
on or off the following in the top row.
Numeric = on
Utils = off
Punctuation = on
Accent Characters = off
Recent Emojis = off

I'll try it but it seems VERY SLOW compared to all the other keyboards
and it's far too complicated for my tastes.

All I want is to use the MICROPHONE instead of the keyboard.

If I could find either a keyboard that defaults to the MIC (I'd be in
heaven) or if I can find a keyboard with a BIG MIC key I'd be in heaven.

[The Real Bev]

Yes. I thought of going to google play and looking, but I was busy and
figured that I'd done my bit toward being helpful. Anyone interested
enough to look would probably not have a problem finding it.

I was correct. It's the first one that pops up. This is the theme that
I like:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.aitype.android.theme.ezreader


--
Cheers, Bev
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
If you have one lawyer in town, he goes hungry.
If you have two lawyers in town, they both get rich.

[The Real Bev]

This is PROBABLY the one I use. I had not realized that the FIRST one
to pop up is the paid version. I bought it, but not after using the
free version for a while.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.aitype.android

The emojis are a waste of time and space :-(

[Marob Katon]

The Real Bev wrote in message nf0c07$tga$1...@dont-email.me:

> Yes. I thought of going to google play and looking, but I was busy and
> figured that I'd done my bit toward being helpful. Anyone interested
> enough to look would probably not have a problem finding it.

That's why I suggested people list three items when suggesting software.
1. The name of the program (often there are many with the same name)

2. The developer
3. The URL

The problem is two fold:
a. The person looking up the program has *no idea* which is the right
"redirect" or "keyboard" or "file explorer" or "call blocker" etc.,
simply because there are *many* with the same name, sometimes done
confusingly on purpose (just look up VLC for example).

b. The person suggesting the program also has no idea who the *developer*
is, nor the URL. All the person suggesting the program knows is what
it looks like on the desktop and in use.

So, it's work on both sides, but, the work for the person suggesting
the app is more certain, because they will *recognize* the app once
they google for it on Google Play.

Once the person suggesting the apps looks it up, the three bits of
information will be clear, and lurkers and people coming here from
search engines will have all the information, even years from now.

That's why I suggested people list three items when suggesting software.
1. The name of the program (often there are many with the same name)

[The Real Bev]

Too much trouble for what might be marginal benefit. What's the problem
with the google play link?

It's a real pain that so many apps have exactly the same name. I deeply
resent having to look at pictures in order to decide which is the right one.


--
Cheers, Bev
========================================================
"We don't know how smart people can be, but we know that
dumb goes all the way to zero." -- Joe Chew

[Marob Katon]

The Real Bev wrote in message nf0uf4$7fu$1...@dont-email.me:

> Too much trouble for what might be marginal benefit. What's the problem
> with the google play link?
>
> It's a real pain that so many apps have exactly the same name. I deeply
> resent having to look at pictures in order to decide which is the right one.

You are correct that the Google Play link is all that is needed.
The only problem with that link is that it doesn't translate well
into English, because it's a link, and often people (not me, but other
people) have trouble with the links wrapping and then the link becomes
meaningless to them (not to me, but to them).

In reality, it should be an either/or type situation.

We either give the name of the app & the developer, e.g.,
1. Easy Voice Recorder by Digipom

Or ...

We give the URL to the app:
2. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.coffeebeanventures.easyvoicerecorde

I like to give both, because the URL can be truncated, and the
name of the app can be so similar to zillions of others as to
be nearly useless.

NOTE: There are times that I wasted a *lot* of time on the wrong app
due to this error.

[Arno Welzel]

Marob Katon schrieb am 2016-04-18 um 03:15:
> The Real Bev wrote in message nf0uf4$7fu$1...@dont-email.me:
>
>> Too much trouble for what might be marginal benefit. What's the problem
>> with the google play link?
>>
>> It's a real pain that so many apps have exactly the same name. I deeply
>> resent having to look at pictures in order to decide which is the right one.
>
> You are correct that the Google Play link is all that is needed.
> The only problem with that link is that it doesn't translate well
> into English, because it's a link, and often people (not me, but other
> people) have trouble with the links wrapping and then the link becomes
> meaningless to them (not to me, but to them).
>
> In reality, it should be an either/or type situation.
>
> We either give the name of the app & the developer, e.g.,
> 1. Easy Voice Recorder by Digipom
>
> Or ...
>
> We give the URL to the app:
> 2. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.coffeebeanventures.easyvoicerecorde

Which is wrong ;-)

The right one is:

<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.coffeebeanventures.easyvoicerecorder>

Or just the canonical name of the app:

com.coffeebeanventures.easyvoicerecorder

This is usually enough to find it.

> I like to give both, because the URL can be truncated, and the
> name of the app can be so similar to zillions of others as to
> be nearly useless.

Oh - this was a demonstration of a truncated URL? ;-)

> NOTE: There are times that I wasted a *lot* of time on the wrong app
> due to this error.

As your URL? And then someone looks for "Easy Voice Recorder" and will
find this one:

<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.appshunt.easyvoicerecorder>


--
Arno Welzel
http://arnowelzel.de
http://de-rec-fahrrad.de
http://fahrradzukunft.de

[Marob Katon]

Arno Welzel wrote in message 5714D648...@arnowelzel.de:

>> We give the URL to the app:
>> 2. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.coffeebeanventures.easyvoicerecorde
>
> Which is wrong ;-)

That was a typo, so, thanks for catching it.

> The right one is:
> <https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.coffeebeanventures.easyvoicerecorder>

Thanks. That's why it's good to have *multiple* references to the app.
1. NAME:
2. DEVELOPER:
3. CANONICAL NAME:
4. URL:

> Or just the canonical name of the app:
> com.coffeebeanventures.easyvoicerecorder

That's another good reference.
I presume the "canonical" name is always in the URL?

> This is usually enough to find it.

So is looking for the developer "usually" enough (but not always because
some sleazy apps farm themselves out.

>> I like to give both, because the URL can be truncated, and the
>> name of the app can be so similar to zillions of others as to
>> be nearly useless.
>
> Oh - this was a demonstration of a truncated URL? ;-)

No, that was a typo.
But it served that purpose nonetheless.

> As your URL? And then someone looks for "Easy Voice Recorder" and will
> find this one:
> <https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.appshunt.easyvoicerecorder>

Yep, some apps just say "voice recorder" on the icon, which is what people
"see" every day, so, they tell others to just download "voice recorder" and
that will get you dozens of apps to choose from, some of which are terrible
and only some of which allow the user to move the location of the voice
files to anywhere they want.

So, the point is that one can give *as much as* this much info:
1. NAME: Easy Voice Recorder
2. DEVELOPER: Digipom
3. CANONICAL NAME: com.coffeebeanventures.easyvoicerecorder
4. URL: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.coffeebeanventures.easyvoicerecorder

The problem, of course, is that *none* of that information is obvious
just by looking at the app icon on your desktop.

My question:
Is there an easy way to get all this information about an
installed app from one of the application apps on Android
(other than from Google Play)?

[Frank Slootweg]

Marob Katon <marob...@examples.com> wrote:
[...]

> So, the point is that one can give *as much as* this much info:
> 1. NAME: Easy Voice Recorder
> 2. DEVELOPER: Digipom
> 3. CANONICAL NAME: com.coffeebeanventures.easyvoicerecorder
> 4. URL: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.coffeebeanventures.easyvoicerecorder
>
> The problem, of course, is that *none* of that information is obvious
> just by looking at the app icon on your desktop.
>
> My question:
> Is there an easy way to get all this information about an
> installed app from one of the application apps on Android
> (other than from Google Play)?

Well, it depends if it's 'easy', but it's quite possible to get the
'canonical name' (i.e. 'com.coffeebeanventures.easyvoicerecorder') of an
installed app.

For my (Huawei) smartphone, it's trivial, because it's built-in File
Manager can save the APK of an installed app to a file. When you do
that, the APK file gets the name '<canonical name>.apk' (i.e.
com.coffeebeanventures.easyvoicerecorder.apk), so you have the canonical
name and can use that to search Google Play to get the rest (1., 2. and
3.). This built-in File Manager is (AFAICT) not available seperately, so
it's not an universal solution.

For an universal solution:

AFAIK, 'ES File Explorer File Manager' [1] can also save an installed
app to an APK file, but because my phone's File Manager can already do
that, I didn't try.

If 'ES File Explorer File Manager' cannot do this, or no-one can/
wants_to figure it out, I can give another pointer.

[1] <https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.estrongs.android.pop>

[Marob Katon]

Frank Slootweg wrote in message dnktlb...@mid.individual.net:

> AFAIK, 'ES File Explorer File Manager' [1] can also save an installed
> app to an APK file, but because my phone's File Manager can already do
> that, I didn't try.

I also have an APK saver which gives what you called the "canonical name".
1. NAME: App Backup & Restore
2. DEVELOPER: Apex Apps
3. URL: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=mobi.infolife.appbackup
4. APK: App Backup & Restore-mobi.infolife.appbackup-53-v3.2.0.apk

But as far as I can see, this app doesn't give us all the information we need
(unless we guess, which will sometimes be right and often be wrong):

A. NAME OF THE APP
B. DEVELOPER
C. CANONICAL NAME
D. URL

It would be a nice app that could just tell us "just" these three things:

a. The true name of the app
b. The name the app displays (usually it's a truncated name for example)
c. Who the developer is

[Frank Slootweg]

Marob Katon <marob...@examples.com> wrote:
> Frank Slootweg wrote in message dnktlb...@mid.individual.net:
>
> > AFAIK, 'ES File Explorer File Manager' [1] can also save an installed
> > app to an APK file, but because my phone's File Manager can already do
> > that, I didn't try.
>
> I also have an APK saver which gives what you called the "canonical name".
> 1. NAME: App Backup & Restore
> 2. DEVELOPER: Apex Apps
> 3. URL: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=mobi.infolife.appbackup
> 4. APK: App Backup & Restore-mobi.infolife.appbackup-53-v3.2.0.apk
>
> But as far as I can see, this app doesn't give us all the information we need
> (unless we guess, which will sometimes be right and often be wrong):
>
> A. NAME OF THE APP
> B. DEVELOPER
> C. CANONICAL NAME
> D. URL

Doesn't 'App Backup & Restore' give you '<CANONICAL NAME>.apk'?

If it does, it - effectively - gives you C', and we've already
discussed that you can get D. from C. and A. and B. from D.

> It would be a nice app that could just tell us "just" these three things:
>
> a. The true name of the app
> b. The name the app displays (usually it's a truncated name for example)
> c. Who the developer is

Yes, I understand that you would *like* to have an app, which does all
of this, but (IMO) it's not that much trouble to put C. in the Google Play
Search bar and take it from there.

As we've discussed earlier, having only C. is enough and unambiguous.

Anyway, the pointer I referred to earlier is:

'Apk Downloader' by marga :)
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.marga.ApkDownloader>

N.B. Don't pay attention to the 'Downloader' bit, (IMO) it's a misnomer.

[Marob Katon]

Frank Slootweg wrote in message dnkvel...@mid.individual.net:

> Yes, I understand that you would *like* to have an app, which does all
> of this, but (IMO) it's not that much trouble to put C. in the Google Play
> Search bar and take it from there.
>
> As we've discussed earlier, having only C. is enough and unambiguous.

I don't disagree, but how many people bother to google the canonical name
before saying to use "voice recorder" or "call recorder" or "barcode
scanner"?

So, yes, we are both of the same thought that *something* unique should
be suggested when people suggests apps on c.m.a, and with that unique
something, anyone can google for the correct app.

The problem is that most people suggest the name that shows up on the
icon, where that name is likely one of the most ambiguous things they
could suggest.

Sigh.