Today Google introduces Virtual Keyboard API.

A great way stop people from using English/Latin characters to spell out words in other languages.

Five languages have been included. Arabic, Hindi, Polish, Russian and Thai.

http://googleajaxsearchapi.blogspot.com/2009/06/introducing-virtual-keyboard-api.html

That seriously is the most useless piece of software google made up to date, why would you want to take over something which should be left purely and entirely to the operating system... (or any piece of software which comes between the client software and the input from the keyboard)

I thought it was kinda cool...

David
It's a big issue with multilingual website.
Many people don't have access to keyboards in their language because they are either using public computers or don't know how to enable it. People also have difficulty finding the characters on the keyboard.
This API doesn't only let you click on the buttons, but actually provides an illustration of the keyboard and translates your keyboard strokes to that language of your preference.

Being able to use your own keyboard to type what's shown in the on-screen keyboard is pretty cool actually.

>> People also have difficulty finding the characters on the keyboard.

Does this API really help with that problem though?

drtimofey: in that case they should rather encourage (especially windows) OS-makers to make it easier to switch. I am semi-used to the slovak keyboard layout as well and I have used the original dutch layout, so I am quite aware of the issue, but this doesn't explain why suddenly this should be dealt with on the level of the site.

PS. When I first saw it I really thought it was quite cool, only a few second later I realized that it was totally useless.

I dunno.... I think Windows is too busy focusing on the Engli$h-$peaking market to even care.