Monster Watts Hybrid Solar Battery Case for iPhone 4 / 4S by Douglas Tam — Kickstarter

Nice idea but I think the changeable wrappers are a bit of a gimmick and the photograph of the prototype makes it look a little plasticky for my taste. Might be ideal for a heavy phone user in a sunny climate, though.

> The Monster Watts hybrid solar charger battery cases combine a solar charger with built-in back up battery power in protective and stylish cases for the iPhone 4 / 4S.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1213149932/monster-watts-hybrid-solar-battery-charger-for-iph

Google to launch Nexus tablet

From AppleInsider comes news that Google want to get into the tablet market:

> Google Chairman Eric Schmidt has teased that his company plans to release an Android-powered "Nexus" tablet within the next six months to take on Apple's market leading iPad.

By my reckoning that'll be over two years since the launch of the iPad and a few months after the launch of iPad 3.

Details: http://iphone.appleinsider.com/articles/11/12/19/google_promises_to_release_tablet_of_the_highest_quality_in_6_months.html

Facebook's iPad App has a Missing Feature

Facebook's iPad app isn't bad but it has at least one problem. Unusually, the Return button can't be used to send chat - you always have to tap "Send". That's a bit weird but if you're trying to use an Apple Bluetooth keyboard it becomes downright awkward. Once you've connected the keyboard you can happily type away only to find that the Send button has disappeared. To send you message you have to switch off the keyboard, tap your message, wait for Send to appear, then tap Send.

Feature request: allow "Send on Return" or keep the Send button visible even when a BT keyboard is active.

Apple iTV - Really?

Talk about overreaction. The long-rumoured Apple iTV is an obvious next step for a company focussed on delivering innovative media consumption devices but when has Apple ever done anything just because it was obvious? It may well be that they've solved all the problems (see my earlier post on the subject) but speculating about release dates is just daft, as is trying to work out how far behind any new product might leave competitors. Get the (utterly non-existent) facts here: Sydney Morning Herald.

RIM PlayBook; RIP?

Here's a quote from RIM spokesperson Marisa Conway, rejecting claims of the PlayBook's demise as speculation:

"Rumours suggesting that the BlackBerry PlayBook is being discontinued are pure fiction. RIM remains highly committed to the tablet market and the future of QNX in its platform."

The key part is "RIM remains highly committed…". If the PlayBook was selling well they would have said "The PlayBook is selling well and is on course to take x% of the market in 2011", or something along those lines. I suspect that PlayBook is dead and RIM are just waiting for it to stop twitching before they give it a decent burial. PlayBook hasn't taken anything from iPad and anyone wanting a smaller form factor will almost certainly now buy Amazon's new Kindle Fire. I give PlayBook about six weeks.

Apple officially announces iPhone event for Oct. 4

The end is in sight - Apple have scheduled their next iPhone announcement for Tuesday next week which will, hopefully, mean new hardware and the release of iOS 5.0.

http://www.tuaw.com/2011/09/27/apple-officially-announces-iphone-5-event-for-oct-4/

iOS 5.0 Around September 23rd? Not Impossible

Looks like Apple are resetting iCloud backups on September 22nd (Thursday) which may mean development of iOS 5.0 is complete; could it launch on Friday 23rd?

Alternatively, it might just mean they want to clear everything so they can do the biggest possible stress-test of iCloud as part of their ongoing development work with launch still weeks or months away. We'll know by Friday, probably. 

Apple to Reset iCloud Backups on September 22nd, Ahead of iOS 5 GM?
http://www.macrumors.com/2011/09/18/apple-to-reset-icloud-backups-on-september-22nd-ahead-of-gm/

Article: Flash’s Future Fades as Windows Close on Adobe

Looks like Windows tablets won't support Flash either. It's not just Apple who see problems with third-party browser plug-ins.

Flash's Future Fades as Windows Close on Adobe
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2011/09/no-flash-windows-8-metro/

(Sent from Flipboard)

Apple is Building iMessage into OS X Lion's iChat

I love the idea of being able to message people using iMessage from my Mac as well as from my phone and iPad. Really cool.

Details on Mac Rumours: http://www.macrumors.com/2011/09/14/apple-is-building-imessage-into-os-x-lions-ichat/

Apple is Building iMessage into OS X Lion's iChat

I love the idea of being able to message people using iMessage from my Mac as well as from my phone and iPad. Really cool.

Details on Mac Rumours: http://www.macrumors.com/2011/09/14/apple-is-building-imessage-into-os-x-lions-ichat/

Apple Working On A Scanner App for iOS

Rumours are circulating that Apple might be working on a document scanning app for iOS 5. I already use my phone to snap documents and save them to Evernote so a dedicated app with OCR and other features would be really useful.

Full story on Cult of Mac.

http://www.cultofmac.com/113516/apple-working-on-a-scanner-app-for-ios#more-113516

Apple's iBooks Store Passes 250k Books

Last time I mentioned Apple's iBooks Store (summer last year, sometime) I think it had about 4,500 titles. Now it has over 250k (see shot below) and the variety is quite impressive. I like reading with iBooks, so this is good news.

Software Update Causes Headaches for Some Droid Customers

Remind me why anyone would want an Android phone? "Open" is great but "working" trumps it every time.

Software Update Causes Headaches for Some Droid Customers
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2011/07/droid-x-update-problems/

Twelve South

Twelve South (http://twelvesouth.com) are an interesting American company making accessories for Apple products. I haven't actually bought anything from them but I'm on their mailing list so I get glimpses of new products every so often and I think I might quite like to pick up a couple of their case products, known as BookBooks. Have a look at their site, you'll see why they are so named and also why they might be of interest.

Apple Could Buy the Mobile Phone Industry

Apple Could Buy the Mobile Phone Industry

Daring Fireball

Horace Dediu:

Given the current valuations, it would not be difficult for Apple to acquire every phone vendor except for Samsung with cash alone.

 ★ 

Sent with Reeder

iBooks just seems to work

One of the features announced by Apple yesterday as part of their iCloud product is an extension of iBooks that allows you to order books through iTunes and have them delivered directly to your iOS devices. This product is listed as a Beta but it worked when I tried it - the book I bought in iTunes was available to read by the time I had picked up my iPad and opened iBooks.

Not a life-changing feature, perhaps, but certainly a nice little improvement to an already slick system.

iPhone Camera Button Concept

This is a really neat idea but I can't help feeling a bit sorry for these guys; the main advantage of this product (the physical camera button) has just been rendered obsolete by the changes announced in iOS 5. Oops.

Red Pop
http://www.coolhunting.com/tech/red-pop-iphone-photo-accessory.php

iOS 5.0 Announced

Yesterday it was predictions, today the results. Basically we can sum it up as some right, some wrong but overall the new features in iOS 5.0 look like a pretty amazing package. It's a pity we have to wait till the autumn but at least there's a fair amount to look forward to.

Get the details here: http://thisismynext.com/2011/06/06/ios-5-announced/

Steve Jobs' Keynote at WWDC

So what do we expect to hear tomorrow from Steve Jobs? With no inside information at all, here are my predictions.

I think the following things are quite likely to appear in iOS 5.0:

1. Imminent availability, maybe within a week, but no accompanying hardware (yet)
2. Hugely revised notification system, probably (since they're still hiring people) with more features in 5.1 and 5.2
3. Deep voice control integration. Apple have bought several companies in the voice recognition area and it makes sense for this technology to appear sooner or later
4. iCloud integration for backups, file-sharing, contacts, calendars, email and other data. MobileMe on steroids.

The following things might appear, but seem less likely:

1. Widget system and an improved lock screen. This has been on the wish list for four years and would be nice to have
2. iPhone 5 - now expected in September, probably not appearing tomorrow
3. iPhone Nano - could make an appearance at the end of the keynote but there's loads of other stuff to announce - seems unlikely
4. Apple TV with voice control and apps. Not impossible but not hugely likely.

iCloud will also feature tomorrow and is likely to be tightly integrated into iOS 5.0, both for iPhone/iPod/iPad and Apple TV. I'm hoping to see shared calendars and contact lists so that the wife and I can simplify our data management. File-sharing and backup seems likely, along with over-the-air syncing and upgrades of some sort.

So in total I've made 14 predictions. Check back tomorrow to see how I've done.

Eurostar and Flash - not all good

It's my fault for not installing Adobe Flash (because of this) but I can't help being slightly annoyed that large companies like Eurostar will only give you the data you need if you have a particular technology on your computer. I don't, so I can't get the data I need. It doesn't work on my iPad either, which is even more annoying, since I now can't get this data on either of my usual machines. 

I don't see why they couldn't serve alternate content for those of us who don't use Flash. I hope their trains are more functional than their website.

Pretentious post about writing

I quite enjoy writing. At work I write emails, workflow descriptions, user guides, reports, technical texts, marketing brochures and a variety of other documents. At home I mostly write dreadfully boring blog entries while imagining that my prose is insightful, witty, entertaining and respected. 

The tools I use to capture my thoughts and present them to my audience are amongst the most sophisticated ever constructed. The laptop computer, or any computer for that matter, is an exquisite piece of precision-engineered equipment that most people take for granted or curse as some aspect of its delicate interior (usually the installed software) performs less than perfectly.

The computer upon which I am drafting this article has been teased into existence through a bewilderingly complicated sequence of manufacturing processes. It has arrived in my home as an object of desire and beauty and will doubtless leave in several years having finally exhausted my patience and been replaced by a younger, faster, lighter, more beautiful alternative. Computers, like superheroes, die young or live to become the villain, hunted down and replaced by their more virile descendants.

And the software? It is easy to be rude about software or to underestimate the challenges facing programmers. Many people, myself included, are frustrated by faults, bugs, inconsistencies, poor design decisions or missing features that hinder their work or reduce their productivity. Building software is difficult; building great software that delights the user is particularly tricky.

I have been wondering this week about user-delighting, distraction-free writing software. Modern operating systems present a variety of distractions for the struggling writer. Email, Twitter, Facebook, BBC News and Google Reader compete for your attention. Instant messaging applications, alarms and task managers try to pull you from your task. Even the operating system tries to get in the way, updating, restarting or simply deciding that whatever you are doing must wait while it completes its own activities.

The idea of the distraction-free writing tool is that everything, including the controls of the application you are using, is hidden from view while you capture your prose. This leaves you looking at a page full of text, a word count and a page indicator. If you have a quiet environment in which to work, distractions should now be minimal.

My plan was to buy a dedicated application to facilitate distraction-free writing and, as ever, Google suggested several possibles. Byword (bywordapp.com) seemed to offer the right combination of features and price (£5.99, Mac App Store) but just before I bought I saw a recommendation for Pages (Apple's word processor, £11.99, Mac App Store) in Full Screen mode and, as Pages already lives on my MacBook, experimentation was simple.

In conclusion, for distraction-free writing on the Mac I recommend Pages in Full Screen mode. Byword's features are more specialised (paragraph focus, for example) but Pages offers a full suite of general-purpose word processing tools that you will need as  soon as your text is ready for formatting. 

iPad Widgets

I don't really like Android much - it just doesn't appeal - but I quite like the idea of smart desktop "widgets" on my iPad and I think i might be tempted to buy such things, if they existed. So what features might a widget system need to be successful?

Firstly, it has to just work. No messing around, no hassle, just install, activate and use and, when you're done, delete. Secondly, the widgets have to consume negligible resources, hibernating really quickly when a full-screen application is running or the iPad is in standby. Thirdly, they need to be cheap and, finally, they should be dynamic and, ideally, able to interact with each other (if only to request greater screen real-estate when they have something to communicate).

None of this is outside the realms of the possible; maybe widgets will appear in iOS 5.0 with a modern notification system. Maybe.

Project and Flipboard

I have been playing with Virgin's Project magazine on the iPad because issue five was free (it was sponsored by someone, can't remember who). The content is a fairly standard mix of articles that look like they could have come from GQ or Esquire or, at a stretch, Maxim so the standard of journalism is moderate to good; not bad for a free magazine but probably not something I would want to pay for.

Content aside, their are two major problems with Project. The first is the UI, which is inconsistent and difficult to use. Buttons for summoning the menu bars seem to move around, there are quite a few different ways to move to the next piece of content (swipe left, swipe down, tap button, tilt iPad etc.) and it isn't always easy to identify which parts of the screen are UI and which are article. This makes for a generally frustrating experience and I do not plan to buy issue six.

The second problem is that the rendering is, on many pages, horrible. For example, with the iPad in landscape mode the first screen of the contents page is crisp and clear, as you would expect. Move to the second page (swipe up) or rotate to portrait and the images and text degrade significantly, giving you the impression that you're looking at a poorly scanned image. This is pretty unpleasant and makes reading the magazine rather difficult; again, it doesn't encourage me to persevere with the next edition.

It's interesting to compare Project to Flipboard, my Facebook/Twitter/Google Reader client of choice. Flipboard presents your chosen news sources in a magazine format and allows you to tap-down into the story or follow links to new content. It's easy and intuitive with clearly labelled consistent UI elements that make navigation a pleasure. Moving from to the other demonstrates the gulf in the quality of the experience; Virgin have a long way to go to make Project worth buying.

I Saw This Coming All Along

I didn't, it was John Gruber at Daring Fireball. Google are tightening their grip on Android, making it ever more difficult for manufacturers to use just as it becomes popular. That's mean.

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/11_15/b4223041200216.htm

Queuing for iPad 2 in London

A colleague of mine took this photo at lunchtime on Friday outside the Apple store in Covent Garden. Word on the street was that the queue had started around midnight.

Simulacrum of an Apple keyboard, built in CSS3

This is very neat: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/921159/Keyboard/page.html#

Apple Planning Smaller iPhone Priced - Redux

There were stories a couple of weeks ago about a possible low-cost version of the iPhone which I wasn't very impressed by (see http://myryama.posterous.com/apple-planning-smaller-iphone-priced-at-200-w) because it all seemed just a little unlikely given the colossal amounts of money Apple make from the full-cost version.

Now, I'm not so sure. I can't help thinking that a modestly priced feature-phone with deep and extensive voice integration, high-quality aesthetics, possibly streaming music from the cloud and offering a slick email and contacts experience via a free version of MobileMe might make a compelling package. Something for the "One last thing..." section tomorrow, maybe?

Another Objection to Android

Lots of people I know, primarily developers and technical people, dislike the iPhone because Apple have locked-down the operating system, limited the configurations changes a user can make and allowed installation of only those apps that have been acquired through their curated store. I sympathise, I really do, but for me the important thing about a phone is that, whatever software I install, it should remain a functioning, secure phone.

So is Apple's system perfect? No, there are security flaws (as there are with all operating systems), missing features (again, not unusual) and sub-optimal compromises that I would prefer not to have but, overall, it's hard to argue with the "it just works" philosophy; I've never been able to do anything to my iPhones that causes them to stop working.

Keep that in mind as you read the question below, which I stumbled across on Stack Exchange:

I have a 32g micro sd card, and some of the apps I use state that they have permsisions to modify sd card memory. I have a lot of personal files on my card, and the other day, some app, I don't know which one, had practically wiped out over 15gs of files from my card! How can I block apps from wiping out my sd card? I don't see what possible good can come out of an app that can wipe out all my personal files. I backed up my pics when a guy at work told me an app had re-formatted his SD card. Sure enough, the same thing happened to me. I was able to back up my files BEFORE it happened, but how can I prevent this from happening again?

Stack Exchange is a site predominantly populated by developers and technical hangers-on asking (mostly) questions about programming, computers and related subjects. My problem is not with the advice posted in response to this question, which is pretty reasonable given the circumstances; backup your data before installing new apps, test apps to make sure they do what they say they'll do etc. My problem is that I don't understand why any user would buy a phone where there was a serious risk that his personal data might be deleted by a rogue app - isn't that a pretty fundamental flaw? Does anyone, even a die-hard Android fan, really want to have to test each app they download? What if the bug is in a reputable mainstream app - should they be testing those, as well as apps from random unknown developers?

The whole thing puts me off and there's no way I'd even consider Android, for any purpose, while it has these sorts of problems. In fact, now that I've thought about it some more, I wonder if Android's security problems are so severe that allowing Android phones access to corporate networks might not, in itself, present an unjustifiable risk? Something to ponder.

Apple's revenue tops mobile market, but share sinking

Poor Apple, losing market share like it's going out of fashion. Google would love to have a successful app store...

A Continuous Client; Nice Idea

Found this on Engadget: http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/26/a-modest-proposal-the-continuous-client/

Interesting idea. Could Apple be working on something similar, possibly utilising their gigantic new data centre?

How many tablets launched at CES this year?

Let me give you a clue; lots (full list: http://www.shawndubravac.com/2011/01/2011ces-tablets/). So, sooner or later, Apple will get some competition and their market share will shrink, but will they care? No, I don't think so - I suspect they're focussed on quality, user experience and margin rather than market share and they've got the volumes to drive down their costs and invest heavily in new processes and technologies.

This gives them a serious advantage and even if we ignore all the other things they have in their favour (like first-mover advantage, the halo effect from other iOS devices and a fantastically strong brand) it's got to make them a firm favourite for tablet supplier of the year 2011, and that's before we see what iPad 2 has to offer. Could be an interesting year.

iPhone Mail App - serious attention to detail

The behaviour of the Mail app, described in the article linked below, borders on the obsessive and helps explain why people like the iPhone. Very neat.

http://theinvisibl.com/2011/01/24/iphonemail/

Annoying iBooks and App Store Feature

This is only a minor niggle but it annoys me whenever I stumble across it. In iTunes on the iPad media are queued for download when you buy them so you can buy three items from the same page without interruption. In iBooks and the App Store, you are dumped out of the store when the purchase is completed and you have to then tap back through the system to buy a second item on the same page.

As I said, only a minor niggle, but Apple are normally very good at eliminating interface and application inconsistencies so this one stands out like a sore thumb. There might even be a damn good reason for it but if there is I can't spot it.