HWPen brings handwriting recognition to the iPhone – Apple Newton, meet your match

With the iPhone’s on-screen keyboard providing more than enough speed and convenience for everyday text input, why would anyone want to bring handwriting recognition to the iPhone? Actually, HWPen was developed by Hanwang.com.cn in an effort to make Chinese text entry a bit easier (what with all those thousands of characters in the Chinese language). Turns out, the HWPen app works in English-guise as well.

HWPen is a third-party application that can take handwritten words and convert it into iPhone text. Simply trace your word with your finger  in the text entry box, and HWPen will convert that squiggly mess into text. It’s simple and it’s free.

You’ll need a jailbroken iPhone to get HWPen, but you should have already done that, right? Right. Then you’ll need to add the “http://iphonecake.com/src/all” application repository to your Installer.app’s “Source” list. To do this, start up your Installer.app, hit the “Sources” tab at the bottom of your screen, then tap the “Edit” button in the upper right, then tap “Add” in the upper left. When prompted to do so, enter the “http://iphonecake.com/src/all” in the text box.

You’ll find HWPen listed under a new “iPhone Cake” category. Don’t be afraid of all those Chinese characters in the title, the app comes from a Chinese developer after all. Install HWPen and restart your iPhone. You’ll be on your merry handwriting way in no time!

[Via: ModMyiFone]