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Archive for the ‘iphone’ Category:
As Stuart notes, Skype iPhone multitasking is borked
Being able to have Skype on the iPhone run in the background is cool. However, as Stuart notes in his post Skype iPhone Multitasking Not Ready for Prime Time, there are problems in practice.
The biggest problem is your battery. Once you run Skype, it will keep running, and sucking up your battery. Instead of 5-6 hours of usage on my 3G S, with Skype in the background, I was getting more like 2-3 hours. As Stuart notes, the only way to stop it is manually from the iOS 4 multitasking (double-click) feature.
Skype should have a way to turn on/off multitasking from within the app itself. And as Stuart notes, when it is running in the background, you get barraged with notifications for everything and you have no controls over those notifications, short of quitting the Skype app from the multitasking bar.
The short of it is, if you start the Skype app, you probably want to double-click to kill it so it doesn’t kill your iPhone’s battery.
With iPad, computers demoted to “Syncing stations”
Perhaps Apple has made their hand-held products too good, too soon. At some point, the only reason we need a computer anymore is to sync our iPad.
One could say this is a problem for the future, but I know people personally that are ready for the computerless, iPad-only world today – they can do everything they want to do on their iPad. In fact, that’s exactly what they do. The laptop or desktop gathers dust, until they need to sync something or perform an update to the iPad. In practice, these folks usually also have an iPhone or iPod for which they also must use the “real computer” to sync.
The only app they run on the computer is iTunes. Yet they still must suffer all the babysitting and housekeeping that goes with keeping a full Mac or PC functioning: patches, drivers, viruses, malware, system updates etc. – all just to run iTunes. Their $1,000 PC has become nothing more than a “syncing station.”
This is also a show-stopper for recommending the iPad as a replacement for a wearing-out PC – even for someone who is a perfect candidate for it. If they have to buy a new PC , and “maintain” it, with all the support and admin hassles that go with that, even if only in order to setup, sync, and update the iPad, then iPad is essentially a non starter as a “replacement” option.
Perhaps the most important thing to consider when buying an iPad is the USB cable. It must be connected to a PC to get iPad going and to sync/update. In the name of truth in advertising, Apple’s marketing should show the iPad connected by wire to a PC because that’s the reality a buyer is faced with.
Apple, this is not a problem for some distant future. That future is here already. Please tell me when I can suggest the iPad to these users so they can get off the Windows/Mac Admin treadmill.
The Droids have their sights on iPhone
In the early days of the iPhone, I can recall conversations with executives and strategists of other mobile device manufacturers (who shall remain nameless). At the time, I remember how these companies almost discounted the iPhone. We can understand why. Here they are, with many years of experience in the industry, large market shares, etc. And there’s Apple, a nobody, no experience in the market, never built a phone before etc.
I’m not sure if these wireless companies were in denial at the time, or whether they really believed Apple and their little toy iPhone was not much of a threat. I got the sense, they really believed it. And I have to admit, I was guilty of a little underestimation of the iPhone’s potential at the time myself – that changed pretty fast for me (see this post, or this, or this).
I wonder if now, the tables have turned, and is it now Apple who is underestimating Verizon and Motorola’s new Droid that was announced today?
In my experien
ce so far with Android-based phones, they are a lot more like the pre-iPhone “smartphones” than they are like iPhone – I call them DIY phones. They are more clunky to use, less intuitive, and much less consistent between apps. Apple rules with an iron fist and that has it’s problems, but it also means the user experience is more consistent, even when using third-party apps.
However, in the U.S. iPhone has the AT&T Albatross around its neck. Verizon has created the perception that their network is better. Certainly, iPhone users know the AT&T data network is bad, bad, bad (and the voice calling ain’t a whole lot better).
Time will tell how this plays out of course, but my advice to Apple is don’t be like those companies you leapfrogged just a few short years ago. Don’t underestimate your opponent.
Good example of why Apple was able to beat the wireless operators
PC World reports: AT&T Wireless CEO Hints at ‘Managing’ iPhone Data Usage saying that AT&T is overwhelmed by the data usage of iPhone users and may have to do something about it. iPhone users apparently consume 13 times the data of “the average smartphone customer.”
Yeah. You know why? Because the iPhone provides a user experience that doesn’t make it almost impossible to use the Internet in any useful way, unlike AT&Ts other “smartphone” products. AT&T counted on iPhone users having a data usage profile similar to users of these other devices with their garbage user interfaces – no wonder nobody uses any data network on those things.
With the iPhone, even non-tech gurus can easily find and use web content, email, Twitter, and other data services. And so they use it, and use it. John Donovan, the chief technology officer of AT&T told the New York Times: “Overnight we’re seeing a radical shift in how people are using their phones. There’s just no parallel for the demand.”
iPhone users are already angry at AT&T for charging so much and giving so little. AT&T whines about spending billions on data network upgrades, but let’s face it: The iPhone has been a absolute blessing for AT&T:
The average iPhone owner pays AT&T $2,000 during his two-year contract — roughly twice the amount of the average mobile phone customer.
Without the iPhone, what would they be selling? Now AT&T wants to throttle back iPhone users even more. I think that would drive a mass exodus and put tremendous pressure on Apple to open up the device to other carriers.
Why most iPhone users are not jumping ship
I’ve been meaning to write this post, long before TechCrunch founder Michael Arrington threw a tantrum and “Quit The iPhone” and before, Steven Frank, the well know Mac developer, who co-founded Panic, wrote on his blog “The iPhone ecosystem is toxic, and I can’t participate any more until it is fixed.” He says he will be buying a Palm Pre. For my part, I’m not planning to follow in their footsteps any time soon.
A lot of things are not perfect with the iPhone, to say the least. One example is the “phone” part of it. If you’re a person that really likes to use their mobile phone for, say, talking to people, you know, not typing, but with your voice, and listening to the other person with your ear, you might want to play with an iPhone a little before jumping in.
Besides that minor detail, here are a few other areas where iPhone users suffer:
- Incompatible (or limited) Bluetooth support
- No MMS (to be fixed in the future for newer phones at least)
- No Flash support in the browser, meaning many sites cannot be used from the iPhone
- No multitasking – it doesn’t support more than one application running at the same time
And of course one of the biggest practical limitations of the iPhone is being locked to a carrier, AT&T in the U.S. For many people, this means switching carriers and for all of us in the U.S., it means accepting AT&T coverage and performance, which for many people sucks.
And then there’s the whole battle of the App Store that triggered Arrington’s response and a firestorm across the net (among geeks that follow such things at least, but even carried somewhat by the mainstream media):
It seems that in more numbers than ever, consumers are speaking out against AT&T’s network problems and developers are complaining about Apple’s and AT&T’s inconsistent policies on which applications get approval.
- The Washington Post
Yes, as an iPhone user, we accept a lot of flaws with the phone and service. But guess what? Even with these flaws, the combination of iPhone device and Apple and AT&T service still kicks ass over everything else. Many people seem to think Apple iPhone users are too stupid to realize what they’re giving up. I disagree. While there may be users in that category, for many of us, we know what we’re giving up, but we’re willing to do it, because the alternatives are even worse, far worse in most cases. [I'm going to qualify this in a few specific ways. One is if you talk on the phone a lot (I don't) the iPhone limitations hit a lot harder and you'd probably prefer a different phone. Second, if you really, really, really need a hardware keyboard, for emotional or whatever reason, then don't even consider the iPhone.]
As an example of a user that has issues with the iPhone but isn’t going anywhere, consider Dave Rosenberg of cnet who writes a mostly scathing review, and then concludes with:
All that said, I’m going to stick with it for now. The interface, utility, and functional possibilities are just that good.
That pretty much sums it up. However, all this said, Apple still needs to use this episode as a reality check. The iPhone has a global marketshare of only 1.9 percent. The competition is heating up, big time. Apple has a bullseye on their back, with the entire industry setting their sights on displacing them. For the most part, this is Apple’s game to lose. Apple needs some humility here (not something Steve Jobs has ever been known for). They could be knocked off their pedestal if they go too far. For some, like Arrington (and Om Malik before him), they have already crossed that line. For many of us, we’re not blindly following Apple wherever they go, but weighing the options, and, for now at least, staying with the iPhone, but keeping an eye open to the alternatives.
Apple bans Google Voice on iPhone – what’s next?
TechCruch and others have reported that Apple has banned GV Mobile from the App Store due to it “duplicating features that the iPhone comes with.”
What’s next? Will Apple will start adding secret hidden “blacklists” to Safari too so competitors cannot even develop web-based versions of their apps?
Skype for iPhone challenged by limitations
Apple’s decision to not allow “background” apps and AT&T’s decison to not allow voice calls over their network, severely limit the utility of Skype’s iPhone application.
No calls unless you can get Wifi.
In general, incoming calls are impractical, even if you’re on wifi, since the Skype app has to be the one and only active app in order to receive calls. If you’re doing something else on the phone, like browsing or checking email (or twitter), you cannot receive calls.
In test calls, I found the app unreliable even when all the conditions are met. Trying to call the iPhone Skype from a PC, the calling side just continued to ring, even after I answered the call on the iPhone. The Skype for iPhone app then seemed “frozen” where I couldn’t end the call or do anything except hit the big button.
When calls did connect (requires the iPhone to be connected via Wi-fi), the call quality was fine.
Not being able to make Skype calls except when connected to wi-fi is a pretty big limitation for me. Ironically, when a friend had to call their wife on Skype in Costa Rica recently, I had to let them use PhoneGnome and OpenSky on my iPhone to do so, because that was the only combination that worked on iPhone without wifi.
iSpykee – Open-source Spykee for iPhone
I finally finished making my previously mentioned iPhone hack for Spykee into a form I could release for public consumption. It’s still not perfect, but at least I’ve removed external dependencies so it can be installed without too much difficulty.
Spykee wifi robot interface for iPhone and iPod Touch
Basically you run the “controller” software on your LAN (the same LAN as the Spykee robot) and then use your iPhone to control and interact with your Spykee robot from anywhere.
The “controller” software is available as open-source and can be used on Mac OS X, Windows XP/Vista, or Linux/UNIX systems. As far as I know, this is the first release of an open-source implementation of the (binary) Spykee protocol. This software is provided in “C” under the BSD license, so it could be used as a basis for other home-grown Spykee applications, including motion detection, stealthy audio snooping etc.
iSpykee currently supports moving the robot, by touching areas of the video image: left, right, forward, and back; changing the robot motor speed (”Turbo mode”); turning the headlight on and off; taking a snapshot of what Spykee is seeing; turning “Video surveillance” (motion detector) mode on and off. It also supports a “low bandwidth” mode that can be useful when using iSpykee from a slow network connection (such as Edge).
Please check it out and join the iSpykee Google Group.
Updated to note that the “controller” software now works on Windows too.
Nokia N97 – when will they get that it’s not just about a touchscreen?
Om has a nice post about the forthcoming Nokia N97 Superphone to be released “sometime in the second quarter of 2009.” He says:
As for the 5800 Xpress, a friend of mine recently brought one to the U.S. and after I played around with it for an hour, my response was meh! The touch was OK, just like it’s OK on any other device, but it’s not as responsive as the iPhone. So no, it’s not an iPhone killer, not by any means.
The N97 however, seems, like a worthy competitor… it will be sold in the U.S., where it’s going to cost $650; it will go on sale in June 2009…
I agree with these comments, but I would add that none of these other mobile players, whether carriers or phone manufacturers, seem to understand what battle they are fighting. They seem to think it’s about touch screens and hardware. Even Om emphasizes the touch screen issue:
The very fact that Nokia is only now getting out touchscreen phones shows that as a company it is stuck in bureaucratic quicksand, with a culture of consensus that makes it difficult to respond to new challenges. Nokia — and I have been following them for a while — has become one of those companies that, much like Microsoft, is good with announcements, not so great with the follow-up.
Stuck in a “bureaucratic quicksand” perhaps, but it’s really more than that. Nokia is selling just another piece of hardware. At one time, that mattered, because that’s how the industry worked. Apple changed all that and nobody has really grasped the magnitude of it yet. Apple changed everything about the mobile landscape. It may seem the same, but it’s not. It seems few people really appreciate what happened. That’s good for Apple – bad for the all their competitors. As long as Apple’s would-be competitors continue to respond in 20th century ways to the new 21st century mobile phone landscape, Apple will continue to run roughshod over the industry.
Nokia is offering a Do-it-yourself solution, where users have to bring their own carrier, service plan and applications. That’s never going to be an “iPhone killer” because it’s not the same market – it’s not the same battle at all.
The problems for Nokia and any would-be “iPhone killer” don’t end with simply realizing the situation they’re in. Once they realize it, they will also realize they can’t compete on the same playing field. Apple owns the hardware, the distribution, and the service plan. (I know people get an AT&T plan with iPhone, but it might as well not be. It is an iPhone plan.) Nokia can’t do this. They don’t have distribution or control over the service plans. The carriers can’t do this. They don’t have Apple’s expertise at controlling the hardware. And most importantly, none of them have the App Store.
It’s not about the hardware. If it were, Apple would already be in trouble. Compared to many other mobile phones, including many of those from Nokia, the iPhone is a piece of junk, hardware-wise. Apple isn’t winning because their phones are better. Apple is winning because the experience is better. People can actually use the iPhone. Ordinary non-technical people are doing things they have never done before on a mobile phone – things they would never do on a Nokia or other DIY solution.
Nokia may do fine in the DIY niche they’re in – but they will never have anything approaching an “iPhone killer” unless they make a bunch of acquisitions and change who there are.
Spykee iPhone Hack
At left you’ll see my first cut at a rudimentary Spykee mini-console for iPhone. If you’re familiar with the standard PC or Mac Spykee console app, you’ll recognize many of the functions.
This app only implements a sub-set of the full PC and Mac consoles. I basically wanted to get some minimal functionality working before going too crazy with the UI and more esoteric features. Here’s what it will do:
(1) Move the robot, using the left, right, forward, and back buttons. Each press of the button moves a fixed amount.
(2) Turn the camera LED light on and off.
(3) Tell Spykee to take a snapshot.
(4) Turn ‘Video surveillance’ mode on and off.
Most importantly, the app shows you on the iPhone what the Spykee is seeing. It does not stream video in this version. It updates the “viewport” image periodically when the scene changes (or on demand with the ‘Update’ button). This keeps bandwidth usage down and still gives you a view of what the robot is seeing — and it even works on slow Edge connections.
It’s got another feature to help when controlling Spykee from a slow iPhone connection, where using the ‘Resolution’ button, you can flip between a lower resolution (but much less data) image and the normal full resolution Spykee view. This, and other features of the app, are demonstrated in the video below.
I made a video to show that, while this is still a hack, and is not ready to distribute by any means, it does actually work in real life, with a live robot. If I just provided the above screenshot, there’s no way to tell if it’s just a mock-up.
The video shows some of the basic functions as well as limitations. Even with those limitations, it is pretty cool (if I do say so myself), to be able to sign in and view what Spykee is seeing from anywhere, with just the iPhone without lugging around a PC or Mac, and even on a slow Edge connection.
UPDATE: Finally released. See: http://mrblog.org/2009/03/15/ispykee-open-source-spykee-for-iphone/
