apple
Why I don’t want background tasks on my iPad
I’ve been thinking about what I want to use my iPad for when it finally gets it’s launch in the UK at the end of April. Casual browsing? Sure. Twitter. Yep. Email? Why not. But the thing I’m really excited about is as a magazine platform. I can’t wait for Wired to launch and I would love if my other regular magazine, EVO, became available on the platform. I think this is where the iPad will really come into its own.
So, why not background tasks? Lets face it, almost everything I will do on the iPad will be possible on my MacBook Pro. It would be almost trivial to bring out a magazine reading app on a desktop OS, but I don’t think it works. When I’m on a multitasking OS I am constantly distracted by Twitter, email and the ease to go and look at something else. Where magazines triumph is in having an exclusive grasp on my attention. I could sit and read an issue of Wired for an hour, but only if other things aren’t vying for my attention. By not having these distraction, I will be able to sit and use my iPad like a magazine, but without all that unnecessary dead tree detritus.
My iPad will fill a different niche to both my iPhone and my MBP. I expect that, if the publishing companies do it right, my magazine (and maybe even newspaper) consumption will go way up and that this, along with ebooks, will be my primary use of the iPad. Can’t wait. It’s 2010 and finally it feels like the future is here.
12 Days of iTunes App Suggests New Functionality?
Apple have posted their new iTunes 12 Days of Christmas app, which will let you know when their now traditional Christmas freebies are available. Something very interesting in the description of the app is this:
Allow you to download a free gift from iTunes direct from your iPhone or iPod Touch
Now, this could just mean that the app will open the link to the iTunes app to give you your free song, music video, TV episode, or movie. But much more intriguing would be if the app downloaded these directly into your iTunes library. Could we see Apple opening access to third party apps that can start to interact with iTunes library on the phone to add content? Imagine a band app that could add music directly to the phone’s music library, or a YouTube downloader? Maybe a game that allows you to save replays to your video library? Sure, they would need to get through the approval process first, but opening this up to third party apps would be a great move forward.
The free downloads start from the 26th of December, but the app is available now and will send you push notifications when each download is available.
UX – It's the Little Things
Some of my favourite user experience examples are the really tiny ones. Ones that you know that a little extra thought has been put into it. Apple are the masters at these sort of UX tidbits and this one I discovered recently when setting a recurring alarm on my iPhone. You can select the days the alarm will sound and, when you return to the list of alarms set it tells you which days it will sound.
But What of the Little Guy?
With Apple’s announcement that Macworld 2009 would be their last, the Apple news sites are awash with discussion of what it means for Apple and whether IDG will be able to hold another Macworld conference without their participation.
Many have pointed out that Apple doesn’t need Macworld to promote their products, especially since they are clearly moving deeper into the consumer electronics space where mainstream media reports their new products and their core users are no longer Mac fanboys. They have noted that being tied to a January date to be expected to announce new products is damaging to their stock price, their products and their personal schedule. They have demonstrated that they can hold small, product specific launches in Cupertino and get just as much coverage at a lower cost. So it makes sense for Apple to pull out of Macworld, but what are the ramifications for the smaller exhibitor?
The hype that surrounds Macworld each year ensures that the tech press is sharply focused on Apple for the first week of the year, which gives the little guy a chance to get their product in the limelight. People like Delicious Monster pretty much made their business on the back of the glowing reviews surrounding their product at Macworld. In 2009, Things will get its official launch at Macworld and will no doubt garner many a virtual column inch. Boutique iPod case manufacturers get a chance to show off their products to millions around the world if the likes of Engadget takes a fancy to their wares. Macworld is unique in trade shows where the focus is less on putting companies in touch with distributors and retailers and more on letting the end user see what you produce via the blogs, rumour sites and tech reviewers who are all out in force at Macworld.
Assuming that the conference does manage to struggle on for another couple of years, what coverage is it really going to get without the juggernaut that is the Apple speculation machine drawing the press to the hallowed halls of Moscone West? Where will these small developers of awesome apps, beautiful accessories and crazy dock-connecting gadgets get a chance to have their fifteen minutes?
Apple may not be losing out by their withdrawal, but the ecosystem surrounding them could be in for a rude awakening.
Eyecandy 1 – In the Wild
Download Eyecandy 1 – Masked Marshal
Download from the iTunes App Store
First off, congrats to @pauljholden, @philiporr and @cimota for getting this through the app store, they deserve it for what they’ve had to deal with so far. But what of the app itself?
It’s pretty much completely awesome. I let Sakura play with it this morning on the way to school and she has declared it to be “really fun”. She was immediately at home with the interface and was soon happily flicking back and forth and looking “under” the artwork. I have a feeling she will be using the pencils to copy the art this afternoon. Of course, once I showed her how she could paint it herself, she didn’t want to go into school anymore. The whinnying pony was just the icing on the cake.
Without doubt, her reaction to Eyecandy completely validates the principles behind it and I have no doubt that, even if I wasn’t wanting to support the guys at Infurious/Blue Pilot, this would be a monthly/weekly purchase. If you have a kid, you need to buy this. If you like awesome interfaces, you need to buy this. If you just want to support some local talent… you get the idea.
Any complaints? Couple of minor things. In the colouring pallette I would really like to see a “fill” option, as any sort of accuracy is difficult, though this is a limitation of the finger touch interface rather than the app itself (and I still want black to colour with). Also, the colours are possibly a little too “pastel” instead of the rich and vibrant colours in the comic itself. What I feel is the biggest issue is indirectly an interface one. Although it is a perfect interface and completely natural to use, the very fact that it introduces functionality that is completely impossible to implement in its real world counterpart means that there is no expectation of revealing the lines. Without knowing in advance that you can push down to see the ink and pencil versions, the only way to discover it is if a swipe accidentally uncovers the functionality. This is a minor thing and most people are likely to stumble upon it just from using the app, but it could be easily fixed with an initial “how to use” screen, with the option to “Do not show this again”. I would hate for anyone not to see what is a fundamental part of the experience.
But, to be honest, these are nitpicks. For the first version of comic reader (at least in the wild) it is a triumph and hopefully it will catalyse some disenfranchised artists to come to the team with ideas of content they want to distribute.
When Sakura gets home from school I’ll try and get a quick video of her playing with the app and giving her impressions.
Liveblogging (sorta) the Apple Store opening
8:52 The entire staff just walked down the queue screaming and hi5ing
8:43 Wow, there are a lot of staff. Just brought down the boxes of t-shirts.
8:34 Press are inside and/or interviewing the queue. Much consternation that @alaninbelfast got in early.
6:06am Matt & Paul have arrived bearing gifts of t-shirts and comics while recording peoples reactions to Murderdrome.
5:54am Arrived shortly after 5am to find a few brave souls that had spent the night. First pics below
