personal reflections on wwdc
There are boatloads of analysis on today’s World Wide Developer’s Conference and I’ve read… Well, I’ve read one of them. But it was enough to give me the gist of what I needed to know.
So here are three categories of three things I found interesting in today’s announcement:
What I liked
Microsoft Exchange Support for Mail, iCal and Address Book. As a Mac business user, this news is huge. It means I can now ditch Entourage once and for all and still have my Calendar available across the organization. This is essential in a corporate culture that depends on busy/free for scheduling all meetings — including booking conference rooms.
Even more massive, this allows business users to kick Microsoft office off their Macs for good. Apple’s iWork suite offers word processing, spreadsheets and presentation software that is fully compatible with Microsoft Office (and at a fraction of the cost) and now the Exchange integration completes the deal. There is now no reason that I can think of to purchase Microsoft Office for Mac. That said, I bet procurement managers will continue to buy Office for Mac for years to come — costing their companies thousands of dollars — because they simply don’t know there is a more-than-viable alternative.
Price crushing. Snow Leopard upgrade for under $30, iPhones for under $100, and $1,500 and $1,700 MacBook Pros (sorry, you are not a pro with only 2 gigs of RAM). Today Apple actually made news by taking price seriously. More important, they just crushed the PalmPre on price point and value. You can pick up an iPhone for $99 and have access to 50,000 applications, or you can get a Palm Pre for $199.99 and have access to 18 applications.
iPhone OS 3.0. From what I could tell there was nothing here that we didn’t already know from the preview a couple months ago, but I am jazzed the update is coming out in less than ten days. For a few days at least it’ll feel like I have a brand new phone.
What I didn’t like
Goodbye batteries, hello planned obsolescence. The 13-inch MacBook Pro is another laptop for Apple with the built-in, non-removable battery. Apple claims this technology is “environmentally friendly,” but it’s just not true. What it means is that Apple is building computers with a planned obsolescence that will ultimately enter the waste stream sooner than they would with a removable, replaceable battery.
This is green washing at it’s absolute worst. Apple is creating a feature that is bad for the environment for their own economic gain — the sooner computers wear out, the sooner people have to replace them — and claiming it’s good for the planet. Apple should be ashamed and Al Gore should not be sitting on their board.
No video for you. As anyone who’s ever flirted with jailbreaking their phone already knows, the iPhone 3G camera can support video capture — Apple has just chosen to leave the functionality turned off for “performance reasons.” I was really hoping that Apple would throw current iPhone users a bone and go ahead and turn this functionality on. But they decided they needed one more factor to get us to trade up at the end of our two-year contract. You would think that with the vast improvements they’ve made to the camera on the new models they could at least have given us video?
No iPhone redesign. Ok, seriously, you couldn’t give your fancy new 3GS (what is this a sports car?) a fancy new cover? I mean there were loads of good ideas out there, just pick one.
What intrigues me
QuickTime X. As someone who cuts video for the Web, I actually use QuickTime Pro quite a bit so I’ interested to see how the new version of the software plays out on Snow Leopard. The refresh doesn’t seem all that different than the current Pro offering, other than UI enhancements/changes, but I do wonder if there’s something cool inside. QuickTime is a weird little product. 99.9% of people probably use it just to play videos, and Flash is making that use more obsolete by the hour. I honestly expected QuickTime to die a quiet death in the year’s to come in favor of iMovie, but it seems to be sticking around — at least for now.
Safari 4. I haven’t used Safari for web browsing in over two-years — at least. Firefox runs fast enough for me and gives me access to a robust set of add-ons and menu bars and other assorted do-dads. But a funny thing happened on my way to the Firefox chop shop. My browser got bloated, slow and the viewable area got smaller and smaller.
Using Safari 4 is like stepping into a crystal blue ocean compared to using my current Firefox configuration. It’s clean, clear and I can see for miles. Oh, and it’s blazing fast as well.
New apps (especially games). As I’ve said in the past, I’m not a big gamer, but I feel like iPhone OS 3.0 opens up huge avenues for gaming — especially games that pit you against other iPhone users. For instance, the missus and I love a good game of backgammon. The new iPhone will allow us to play each other on separate phones during long plane trips. Is this a huge advancement for mankind? No… Is it something cool that we’ll enjoy. Probably (especially her, since she always kicks my ass). And, this is just the tip of the iceberg for what the new OS opens up.
video games aren’t my thing
as I’ve said in the past, but Braid looks like a pretty intelligent title, with a bit of a metaphysical bent. If I were any good at video games, this is the type of title I would buy.
Braid trailer from David Hellman on Vimeo.
we three links
Stereogum’s “Decomposed,” featuring great bands performing in a stripped-down, all acoustic environment. Including The Soft Pack (above).
Mozilla’s Prism liberates web apps from the browser in much the same way Fluid does. But Prism uses Firefox and Fluid uses Safari.
SugarSync lets you share files across computers and devices, but not all files to all devices. Because, you know, not all files are created equal.
why no running applications in the background?
One of the biggest complaints/mysteries about the iPhone operating system is why, exactly, Apple refuses to let applications run in the background.
Apple has long maintained that they prevent applications from running in the background to reduce strain on processors and battery life. But I think something else is going on.
It’s clear that, by limiting background processing Apple is protecting one of its core businesses: iTunes sales. As Fast Company’s Chris Dannen notes in this excellent analysis of why Apple is missing the boat by not allowing background processing:
This also eliminates the possibility for truly powerful subscription music applications. Why would I pay a few bucks a month for a Rhapsody application, if it existed, when I can’t keep listening to music and check my email at the same time? Only Apple’s iPod app can keep music playing in the background when I do other stuff, leaving all other music apps impotent. (emphasis is all me.)
And that’s really the point isn’t it? Apple wants iTunes to be the only fully functioning music application on the iPhone, because it’s the only one it makes real money from. By hamstringing LastFM, Pandaora and others, Apple is simply protecting a core business.
iPhone 3.0 means not having to jailbreak
I am pretty well satisfied with the functionality Apple announced today with iPhone OS 3.0. They clearly have listened to user complaints about the phone and introduced some new Apple applications that make the phone a bit more useful.
More than anything though, Apple clearly is looking to swamp the competition when it comes to creating a platform that is developer-friendly.
The slew of third-party applications announced today, combined with the new features Apple is bringing to the table should give developers the chance to really innovate and make a solid platform truly great.
Here are some notes on what Apple brought to the table today (hat-tip: Gizmodo’s list is fantastic):*
What I’ll definitely use:
- Copy and Paste (text and photos): I’ve wanted this for text for ages — especially for copying links out of safari. And today, I needed to paste two photos into an email, so there you go.
- Search in Mail, Calendar and iPod: Oh yeah — especially Mail. God. Definitely Mail.
- Landscape keyboard: Duh. Why the fuck was this not in version 1.0?
- MMS: see above.
- Improved calendar support: I will go calendar crazy now. DC United’s schedule is on Google as is my personal calendar. So: Yay.
- Note syncing: This sounds crazy, but this is the functionality I am most excited about/intrigued by. It has the opportunity to be really hot if Apple gives some thought to implementing it.
It could be anything from a quick, “jot down a note and have it on your computer,” thing. Or, it could be a full on personal organization tool (coupled with iCal). I’m psyched to see this in action.
- Auto Safari login: Finally, Twitter will remember me when I click through from Mail to follow people.
- Voice memo: I am a brilliant man with lots of brilliant ideas that have gone unrecorded — but no longer.
- Push notifications: Oy, finally. Instant Messages are finally useful. Christ Almighty.
- Accessing music from other applications: This has some interesting possibilities for developers — especially music applications. I can see LastFM and Pandora using this functionality.
What I might use:
- 3G Tethering: intriguing, might use it, but honestly, I can’t think of the last time I didn’t have WiFi when I needed it.
- Stereo Bluetooth: Only if I buy fancy headphones.
- Send and receive files: Maybe. I don’t store a lot of files on the iPhone.
- Peer-to-peer Bluetooth: This does have a lot of possibilities for third-party developers, but I wonder: Why Bluetooth? Wouldn’t a WiFi network connection be more robust and cast a wider net?
- Voice Communication in applications: This probably means I can call my brother in Paris on Skype.
What I might find annoying or won’t use:
- Spotlight: Probably won’t use this, but we’ll see. Apple seems to just love spotlight. I think it’s just OK.
- Stock application: Fuck the stock application.
- Shake to shuffle: Really? Do Apple employees commute? Or ever put their iPhones in their pocket?
- WiFi auto-log in: I don’t subscribe to hotspots, I eat them for breakfast — or something like that.
- Anti-phishing: Umm… I know a phishing site when I see one. (He said, before surrendering his credit card number.)
- Rumbling: What? Oh, this is a gaming thing I guess. Sweet.
*I skipped some of the functionality because it was tied directly to developers.
Great Apps, “Meh” Apps
I’ve had my iPhone for almost two months now and — as the incessant commercials will tell you — one of the great things about this particular mobile device is the ability to download applications (”apps” to those in the know) that allow users to do things other than make phone calls.
After trying out 52 of these so-called “apps” I have some thoughts on which ones I quite enjoy and others that I enjoy less than I initially thought I would when I downloaded them.
Here are those thoughts:
Great apps
Lose it! (free) — By my estimation, I’m about 20 pounds overweight, so I need to go on a diet. This app had me input my weight and asked me how much I wanted to lose. Then it told me how many calories I can eat in a day and still lose weight. It then encouraged me to exercise and noted that if I exercise more and stay under my daily calorie count, I will lose weight faster.
As I eat food, I input what I consume into the application and it tells me when to stop eating.
fring (free) — The iPhone sucks for not having an instant message application that can run in the background (my wife’s six-year-old blackberry can do this), but the fring app is the next best thing — especially if you have multiple IM accounts, and especially if you want to make free VOIP calls to your brother in Paris and haze him about Newcastle’s suckiness.
AP Mobile News Network (free) — Yes, I actually can read Washington Post and New York Times stories on 320 X 480 pixels, but the AP app serves up shorter, more timely content.
Public Radio Tuner (free) — A real bummer about using public transportation is not being able to listen to my precious NPR. With this app that problem is solved. I can listen to the stream of my local station (WAMU) or almost any station from across the country. Here I am Michele Norris.
Shazam (free) — This is like the original iPhone app — or at least the one I remember seeing advertised first. It’s the one you hold up to a speaker and it tells you what the song is. While this is a great party trick, I find it’s most helpful when listening to XM Radio in the car. If there’s a song or artist I want to remember I just tag it in Shazam, then I can grab it off eMuisic later.
Sports Tap (free) — Here’s what you need to know about this: Fulham beats Swansea 2-1 to move on to the quarterfinals of the FA Cup off of goals by Clint Dempsey and Bobby Zamora. The next match is a Premiership tie against Arsenal.
Polarize (free) — This makes cool iPhone photos cooler by giving them a Polaroid look. You can even write a caption in the white space at the bottom. Check out the Polarize Flickr group for some cool examples.
Poker Trainer ($0.99) — I play in a $10 buy-in poker tournament once a month, so clearly I’m a super high-roller. What I like about Poker Trainer is that it’s not about beating weird avatars. Instead you play Texas Hold’em and “bet” on how likely you are to win the hand. Since Hold’em is about patience, this app reminds you which hands you should throw away.
Lightsaber Unleashed (free) — If you have a three-year-old who likes to be chased around the house while sword fighting, this is a must-have. Even is the three-year-old in question has no idea what the hell a lightsaber is.
Meh apps
Twitterrific (free, or $10 for the non-ad version) — This app used to be totally hot, but it’s not so much anymore. A lot of people are talking up Tweetie, and the latest version of that app does seem pretty hot — what with its Instapaper integration, landscape keyboard and stupid farting.
But the real reason Twitterrific is on the meh list is the annoying way it opens at the last tweet I read when I closed the application, instead of at the top of the list. This means I have to scroll like mad to see what people are up to now. It’s annoying. That said, I don’t know if I’m into spending $3 on an iPhone app.
iBlogger ($0.99) — Again, nothing wrong with this guy. It’s actually a pretty effective little application. The problem: who the fuck wants to blog on an iPhone?
Last.FM/Pandora (free/free) — It’s probably blasphemous for me to say this, but these are essentially the same apps for two different services. For both, the UI is gorgeous and when I have used them they’ve worked great. Unfortunately, because they can’t run in the background I use them very rarely. Also, I don’t have iPod speakers that are compatible with the iPhone, so I can only listen to stored music on these speakers. In short, the actual functionality of the iPhone doesn’t match up with the service these apps provide.
Any Game (prices may very) — When I got my iPhone I said to myself, “maybe I’ll get really into games and just amp up the geek factor.” Then I downloaded a bunch of games, played them a few times and realized I sucked at every one of them. I still have some of them on my phone, but I never play them. That said, if you ever want to play Pac Man, come on over and I’ll toss you my iPhone.
Is an iPhone Pro in the Making? (Pure Speculation)
TUAW: Apple says jailbreaking is illegal:
The Electronic Frontier Foundation has posted the news that Apple has filed comments with the US Copyright Office stating that the act of jailbreaking your iPhone is a copyright infringement and a DMCA violation, and therefore illegal. The EFF says that Apple is claiming that jailbreak apps still require modified versions of Apple’s software, and Apple apparently believes that those versions are infringing on their copyrights.
This is a pretty aggressive move by Apple. My guess is that they are looking to create different versions of the iPhone (like the “Pro” version of the MacBook) and locking down the software is an integral part of this strategy.
For instance, I can see a scenario where Apple creates a beefed-up phone — more battery power, more memory, more storage — that allows users to run applications in the background, use video and take advantage of other “locked” services.
Having users easily open up that functionality through free software is a threat to their business model. Also, it’s gotta really piss off the developers at Apple.
To Jailbreak or Not to Jailbreak?
As I discussed in my post earlier this week, I have some fairly substantial complaints about the current software offering on Apple’s iPhone 3G.
Well, seemingly on cue, ReadWriteWeb posts a tantalizing piece on jailbreaking the iPhone. This of course would provide access to applications solving most, if not all, of my iPhone gripes. (I haven’t found an easy-to-install MMS application, even for jailbreak, but that doesn’t mean it’s not out their.)
That said, jailbreaking (aka. hacking) my newest and most favorite piece of technology — breaking the warranty and AppleCare agreement — scares the daylights out of me.
So, before I even think about going for broke, I need some iron-clad answers to a few questions:
If I jailbreak my phone, can I still download apps from the Apps store and sync my phone with iTunes?
The answer seems to be, “yes” but I’d love to have this confirmed.
If I jailbreak my phone and something gets seriously fucked, I can just restore through iTunes, right?
Again, the answer seems to be, “yes,” but I need confirmation.
Will Apple release some of these features themselves without the risk and hassle of jailbreaking and voiding the warrant?
Seriously Apple, fill a need here OK? (see below)
The Pwnage instructions referenced in the post says it is for use with iPhone 3G 2.1. I have 3G 2.2. Is there a Pwnage tool for this version? (And/or doesQuickPwn 1.1 work for 3G 2.2?)
I have no fucking clue. In fact, what’s the difference between QuickPwn and the full Pwnage tool?
There’s a lot of different Pwnage tools out there and I have no idea which is the right one, and I don’t want to try this thing unless I know it’s going to work and my phone is not going to be screwed. (See, question 2)
Finally, has anyone ever tried to jailbreak a phone and had it fail so miserably they had to throw the thing in the trash? Similarly, has anyone ever jailbroken a phone, restored it via iTunes and then had it serviced under Apple’s warranty?
The answer to these questions will likely be the deciding factors on whether or not I decide to jailbreak.
But why should I even be debating this (with myself)? Why hasn’t Apple simply allowed its development community to work to its fullest potential? I understand that Apple wants to keep the UI simple and ensure that phones will perform well and not get bogged down by junky applications, but can’t users make those decisions for themselves?
After all, Apple hasn’t limited development on the Mac OS platform and we seem to be able to judge if and when a third-party application is no good or hindering the performance of our equipment. Why can’t we make the same decisions on our phones?
The Next iPhone Software Release Should Include …
My lovely wife got me an iPhone for Christmas and I have to say that it is far and away the best piece of technology I’ve ever owned. Like the best designed Mac products it’s a device that makes you more productive by compelling you to use it.
But that’s not to say that the iPhone is perfect — far from it. As anyone who has read the spasmodically good reviews of the Palm Pre can tell you, the iPhone software could use some improvements.
Here are the improvements I would make in no particular order:
- Just added: Eliminate “Slide to Unlock” screen. This is redundant to pushing the center button which seems to be the only way to wake the phone up.
- The ability to run third-party apps in the background. At the very least, we need an Apple IM client that supports all major platforms that can run in the background. I shouldn’t be held captive to AIM and Gtalk when I’m on IM.
- Video. Seriously, WTF with no video?
- Notifications that don’t shutdown the application you’re running. Plain and simple, I don’t want my browser to close out when a call comes in.
- Cut and paste. (See Palm Pre)
- MMS, not just SMS. This one is really bizarre. Why can’t you send a frickin’ picture to another cell phone using the iPhone? My free Nokia could do that, (Yes, there’s a work around, but that’s just insane.)
- Ability to manage iTunes library by individual song or album, not just by syncing playlists. Better yet, let me also delete songs and albums from the iPhone itself using the swipe and delete functionality.
- Also, we need to be able to manage browser bookmarks outside of a sync environment. Right now my Safari (which I happen to not use) is set up with mobile and iphone links, just so I can manage, and sync, the phone’s browser.
- For the love of God, let me delete the pre-installed Apple applications. Sorry guys, I’m never going to use your stock ticker app.
- And/or, create an application tray, similar to the Mac OS dashboard tray that allows users to hide applications they’re not using.
That’s what I have for now. I’m sure others will pop up, and I’llpost updates to this list as they do. In the meantime, I’d love to hear from any other iPhone/iPod Touch users about what they’d like to see from the next software release.
Testing Blogo
I just downloaded a trial version of Blogo a new desktop blogging platform for Mac that seems to have a lot of promise. It has a really great UI that’s really perfect for the Mac that even expands to a full screen view if you want to just “get in the writing zone” and push forward. Other features include:
- Photo editing and placement drop box,
- Word and character count,
- Template preview, and
- the ability to add tool tips to links
But the killer feature is browser integration that allows users to place media from sites like YouTube, Flickr and Vimeo among others directly into the Blogo editor via drag and drop — no copying and pasting embed codes necessary. It will even convert photos on a current Flickr page into a slideshow and throw it right up on the site. You can see a demo of browser integration for these services below:
In the past I’ve used Ecto, MarsEdit and am currently using ScribeFire for desktop blog publishing. All of them have had their advantages and disadvantages, but Blogo is the one that that has impressed me most upon first use. I’ve got 21 days with the trial, so we’ll see if they convince me to give up $25 to continue using it and give up the free ScribeFire.