Take Note Apple: Please do this for next iPhone update

Even though I think iPhone has the best user interface of any smartphone out there (although Android comes close), it really needs to rethink its home/idle screens. If there is one thing I dont think is great, is that the iPhone does not use a today screen which can easily show relevant up to the minute info on the homescreen. I do not want to unlock, and then check each app just to see what is up. While I am not fond of the Nokia N97 widget interface, I do like the idea that teehan+lax came up with. Apple please take note:

iPhone OS 4.0 maybe?

PS: As @henre has pointed out, this is pretty close to the Windows Mobile today screen. Agreed.

New mobile Apps that caught my attention

This past two weeks I came across two applications on iPhone which really impressed me in terms of their concept. The first is Waze, which is basically a crowd sourced mapping service that is built on open source software. The basic idea is that instead of using expensive map distributors like Garmin or Navteq, users can build maps themselves just by running the Waze application on their phone. When many Waze users ride a similiar route, naturally it will mean that a road exists in that area. Users can then go onto the Waze site and edit roads that they have driven on.

Once these roads are built, Waze tracks users of the service in real time, and these users can contribute to the service in the form of reporting cops, speed camera, slow traffic etc. Despite Waze saying that it is a worldwide service, they clearly are US focussed at the moment. Hopefully that will change soon enough. The service is also available on a variety of mobile platforms including Windows Mobile, Symbian and Android as well. The idea is brilliant, lets hope it pays off.

The other new app I came across is Cyclopedia, which is augmented reality app that relies on geotagged Wikipedia posts. The application relies on the iPhone 3GS’s GPS and compass, and then impose Wikipedia posts over your current camera image. The concept is once again brilliant, but it relies on the services (read: number of geotagged posts around you) in order to be effective. The user can set the radius of posts around him/her which should be displayed. So far I have found it quite effective, especially when going to new places and trying to find your bearing and find interesting things around you. The app is however very buggy and crashes often, but an update is probably on the way.

Google drops a bombshell on Apple

Today Google released enhancements of two of their products which seems pretty normal by the looks of it. However, these two updates were targeted primarily as a move to trounce Apple. These two applications are Picasa (a free photo managing and simple editing suite, for Windows and Mac) and Gmail Sync (Google’s free email service).

Picasa:

First up Picasa gains “Name Tags” which automatically searches faces in your photo library, and then you can tag them. Based on these tags, Picasa will then try to look for more similiar faces and tag them as well for you. If Picasa is unsure of a face it will try to guess who it is based on previous name tags. You simply need to confirm it. (Picasa has had this functionality in its Web Albums service, but Name Tags is now built right into the application.)

Picasa also gains much better geo-tagging abilities. Previous Windows versions of Picasa had “experimental” support for Geotagging, but it was not particularly well integrated, and it worked hand in hand with Google Earth. Now however, geotagging is integrated right into the Picasa interface, with an additional frame opening showing where photos were taken. This is a big improvement, and frankly a much better.

So why is these features so important? Because Picasa offers these features absolutely free, whereas Apple’s iPhoto is a paid for application. True, it is free with every Mac, but upgrades to the latest ’09 costs $79.

Google Sync:

Then we get to Google’s other major announcement. Today Google is enabling push services for its GMail services. This enables users to connect to Gmail and having their email “pushed” to their devices as they arrive, as opposed to having to check it at predefined intervals. Not everyone needs push email – in fact, I think you should be very dependent (read: addicted) to email to require push functionality. This service is available to iPhone, Windows Mobile and Symbian S60. Google has offerred these mobile “sync” services for contacts and calendar, but today it completes the sync package with email.
Apple has offered this push email functionality to it’s MobileMe members for quite some time already, so this is nothing new. However, once again Google undercuts Apple’s $99 MobileMe fee with a much lower cost: $0.

With this new Google announcement the only other reasons to go for MobileMe is the iDisk application on your iPhone and also the Find my iPhone feature, which is great. $99 great? Doubt it. The simple fact of the matter is that MobileMe should be a free service, as it would be a great value addition to the iPhone.

One cannot help but wonder if there is some major competition growing between Google and Apple. In the last few months Google’s CEO was kicked off Apple’s board of directors, Google Voice was rejected from the Appstore and there has been a lot of finger pointing between the two companies regarding this. Now one can be on whichever side you wish – but if Google keeps on giving away functionality for free which Apple insists on asking money for, it becomes tough to side with Apple.

Keep it up Google. (Your move, Apple…)

Long Overdue Full Review: iPhone 3GS

Vodacom launched the iPhone 3GS about a month ago on 28 July, but unfortunately stock was very limited – in fact, there is still a major shortage of the 3GS in South Africa. (you can read my about my mission to get one here, and a bit of well deserved praise for iStore here).

To the untrained eye, the iPhone 3GS looks eerily similar to its older brother – in fact its pretty undistinguishable. (Tip: only difference is the chrome lettering on the bottom half of the back). Clearly Apple is using a similar strategy it has in its computer business for years – they continually refine a form factor, with only radical changes every few years. Apple has also fortunately made the iPhone 3.0 OS updates available to the older iPhones – this review wont focus on the changes in iPhone 3.0.

The unboxing experience is also very similar to the 3G, only difference being a slightly smaller box and the lack of a polishing cloth. Not a big deal on my opinion. Still would love a dock like the first gen iPhone though. The headphones also got a slight revision – they now have volume control as well. These controls in the wire is however a bit more useful with the 3GS’s voice control, but we will get to that later.

The device still has its minimalistic design with only a few buttons – a timeless design that I reckon Apple will stick with for years to come. It still has the glossy plastic back which attracts fingerprints just like the front, but the white models tend to not attract as many fingerprints. Overall I like the form factor a lot, and it does feel very good in your hand. Even though it might feel on the large size, it clearly is a sweet spot once you start using the screen interface. It is also quite thin and sleek – especially compared to other smartphones on the market.

The iPhone 3GS on top of the Nokia N86 8MP, Nokia E75 and HTC G1.

So what has changed? It is all under the hood – first up, the processor is bumped from 412 to 600 MHz, with a larger cache to boot. This has a very clear improvement in the general speed of the device – applications load much quicker, some cases even double the speed. The interface reacts quicker as well – but this might have something to do with improved video chipset as well. The new chipset improves 3D games tremendously – playing a graphically rich game like Hero of Sparta or Assassins Creed shows much smoother frame rates which also add to playability of the games. Clearly Apple is making a major push into handheld gaming.

The framerate also carries over to general use on the devices – flipping pages in apps (for example clicking the “i” button in Weather) have a much smoother visual transition.
Hopefully game publishers will not focus too quickly on the new video chipset seeing as games will become very bad on older hardware, but there is of course still a much larger user base with the older hardware, so that wont happen too soon. Here is a video to show the speed increases (excuse the lack of proper focus, but you get the idea):

Memory has also been doubled to 256 MB – this leads to less page refreshes in multiple tabs in Safari, big applications never give a low memory error, and it yes, it also contributes to the speed. The 3G chipset is also now 7.2 Mbps cabable (up from 3.6) which does increase browsing and download speed. Unfortunately in South Africa this will go to waste – we have the ability on Vodacom Broadband Advanced now, but the fact that you have to pay extra irritates me.

Apple has also added a compass – which does not really sound like a big deal. And yes, in its current guise it does not add a lot to the user experience. You get a compass app, which, you guessed it, shows a compass pointing North. Google Maps also now uses the compass to show you which way you are looking at. But the real change is with apps that are coming – Yelp recently showcased its new “monocle feature” that enables you to look through the camera with restaurant reviews pointing at the restaurants you are looking out. Rumour has it that Google’s streetview will also get this soon. (You might have also heard that Google’s streetview cars are finally surveying South Africa).

The iPhone also gets Nike+ functionality like the 2nd gen iPod Touch has had. I used Nike+ on my Nano a while back, and the interface has been nicely ported to the iPhone OS. However, the lack of hard buttons to control while jogging is not great, guess you have to run with your iPhone supplied earphones to use the in cable controls.

Multimedia:

The iPhone also gains a few other enhancements – first up the camera. The sensor has been boosted from 2 to 3.2 Megapixels, but perhaps more significantly, has gained a autofocus lens. While this is old news on just about all other smartphones, Apple has made a few very useful additions to the way you use the camera. Instead of merely framing a shot and taking the picture, the iPhone allows you to select where you want to focus in the image. This works very well – in fact, I really hope to see this functionality in stand alone cameras soon. Photos do look much better than the 3G, with richer colour and and slightly better performance in low light. Could still use a flash though.

Big news however is the addition of video recording – again, a feature that just about every camera phone had for the last few years. But the iPhone’s video recording looks stunning – the framerate is decent, and the resolution is fine as well for casual use. The 3GS also enables a user to trim the video right on the device to take out unnecessary parts, and then the user can email the video or upload it directly to YouTube. Again, this is something that other phones have had for a while, but the iPhone’s implementation is just so simple, it begs to be used. (The new Facebook for iPhone app also supports video uploading, and this is something I have used a few times already).

The iPod’s functionality is pretty much unchanged, but storage has doubled. The 3GS is now available in 16 and 32 GB sizes. This is great news for people like me who still carried around their iPod classics on long trips – although it is not 120 Gig, 32 Gig is still a big jump from the previous capacity.

Other changes:

The other major change is again something other phones have had for a long time – Voice Control. But once again, the Apple implementation is worlds ahead of other manufacturers. As expected you can call people by saying: “Call John”. You can also tell the 3GS what number to call: “Dial 082 555 5555” and it will phone the number. However, for the number dialing I found it had a touch time with my South African accent (and no, I don’t speak like Wikus vd Merwe). Hopefully Apple will improve this in a software update.

But the 3GS allows you to control you iPod as well in this function, for example: “Play songs by Radiohead”, or “Play album OK Computer”. Then the creepy lady just confirms: “Playing songs by Radiohead”. This worked flawlessly with all the music I threw at it – and remember, the 3GS now supports up to 32Gig storage, which is a lot of music and movies.Here is a video (once again sorry for the lack of proper focus):

Apple also claims slightly better battery life for the iPhone 3GS – which is an outright lie. After using the device for a month, I have not found any improvements in the battery whatsoever. In fact, I will go as far as saying that the battery might be worse than the iPhone 3G, but not much. This is still the achiles heal of the iPhone, and seriously needs attention in the next revision (or even software update if its possible). Hopefully the next gen iPhone will get an OLED screen. The battery life is still better than almost all of its touch screen rivals however.

The other problem I have with the 3GS is with its Bluetooth – for some reason it does not upload names and numbers to my Supertooth handsfree kit. The previous iPhone 3G did this with no problems. While the 3GS connects, the device cannot read out names aloud anymore, merely telling the number which is just irritating. But I am confident Apple will fix this in a software update.

The screen also now has a oleophobic coating that supposedly repels oil from you fingers – I did not test this, seeing as I covered my iPhone in a Invisible Shield – which I highly recommend, if you can get it at a good price.

Conclusion

The iPhone 3GS and iPhone OS 3.0 addresses almost all the issues people have had with iPhones since day one – it finally has a decent camera, and many small additions like MMS and tethering is now available.

If there is one theme I have noticed with iPhone development is that Apple truly does not care if the iPhone does not do certain things. Instead of trying to pack every conceivable function into a device (like the Nokia N97), the iPhone only implements new features if these features can truly add to the experience of the phone. The camera, video recording and voice control all exemplifies this. This is features that are old news, but the implementation on the iPhone is just brilliant. I find myself using these features much more than on any of my other phones – why? Because its easy, and not merely a bolted on little feature – it integrates brilliantly with rest of the device.

My overall opinion of the 3GS is a mixed bag – there are real credible improvements, but I would not yet recommend it to current 3G owners. In South Africa there is currently a major price premium for the 3GS. The price in its current form is tailored for Apple fanboys (might be guilty) and gadget freaks (guilty as charged). If you already have a 3G, I would hold out for the prices to drop. But if you have upgrade coming up, go for the 3GS, it is worth the extra money.

Pros:

• Speed. Glorious Speed.
• Much improved camera and addition of video recording
• Voice Control is actually useful
• Graphically intensive apps look even better.

Cons:

• Current cost in South Africa is way to high. Give it a month or two.
• Battery life is NOT improved.

Rating:
9 out of 10. (Would have been 10 if the price was equivalent to 3G before 3GS launch, or the battery was better)

The iPhone Apps I Recommend

Recently I came across Hertenberger’s post about what iPhone Apps he uses, so I decided I will do something similiar – after all, there are a LOT of apps out there, and I always enjoy seeing what people use on their iPhones and how they link into their lives. Well here is my homescreen:

Just like Hertenberger’s post, I obviously put my quick access apps down on the dock/tray, and then the most often used apps on the homescreen. Here is my choices, and why I use them.

Contacts and Calendar: While nothing spectacular, I use these apps with Google Sync, which means I always have the latest possible version of my contacts and calendars on my phone. I do not use push, they update when I open the apps. Google Sync method is highly recommended. Want to know how to set it up? Read the guide here.

Facebook: Yeah, you all know Facebook, and yes, it is truly great on the iPhone. While nowhere near the functionality of the full website, it is quicker and easier. I am pretty sure anybody who uses Facebook on their iPhone hardly ever go back to the full website. I am really looking forward to version 3, which will enable a lot of new functionality on the iPhone.

Tweetie: This is the best twitter client on the iPhone in my opinion. Despite competitors being available for less, or even free, you cannot beat the stability and speed of tweetie. Its simplicity has caused me to switch to tweetie on my mac as well. Well worth the money.

Reader: This is not a traditional App, but merely a shortcut key to the Google Reader website. I use Google Reader multiple times per day, and it is a brilliant RSS reader. The iPhone specific interface is also a bonus. Highly recommended. Tip: If you read a lot of different websites every day, consider using Google Reader. You get through a lot of news much quicker and easier than manually visiting every site.

News24: The News24 application is well executed and a very quick way to quickly scan new headlines in SA. If you live in SA, try the application. Highly recommended.

Voice Memos: I use Voice Memos to record all my lectures and then upload them as podcasts for my students. Bonus is that my old iTalk Pro stereo recorder works with Voice memos to increase the sound quality as well. Can take up a lot of space, but if you have a large memory size iPhone you ought to be fine.

Beejive: Beejive is a multi protocol messenger that supports push notfications on iPhone. While its $10 price is a bit outrageous compared to other IM’s on the Appstore, it is stable and feature rich. I especially like the Facebook integration, and the fact that with with the new version you can stay signed in via Push Notifications for up to 7 days. If they drop the price to $5, I think they will have a major hit on their hands.

These are all apps I use every single day – what Apps would you recommend? How does it link in to your lifestyle???

You can also read Hertenberger’s recommendations here.

Review: ZAGG Invisible Shield for iPhone 3G/3GS

I am someone who is overprotective of my gadgets – I am almost cautious to remove the film off my gadgets the moment I start using them. Therefore, I tend to almost get decent cases for my devices (I personally use a iSkin Revo on my iPhone, but they are almost nowhere in SA.)

So this weekend I decided to give the Invisible Shield a go. Its claim to fame is that it is a very durable plastic film that was originally used by the US military to protect helicopter blades from debris and damage. Guess its strong enough for gadgets then. They also come with a lifetime guarantee, so they have confidence in their products.

Putting on the iPhone is different from normal films, but its easy enough. With normal adhesive based films you have one shot to align the film, which is quite tricky. The invisible shield comes with a water based solution that you spray on your fingers and on the film, which enables you to move around the film and properly line it up on the device.

Once you have aligned it on the device, you simply spray the top side of the film as well, and use the squeegy to squeeze out the bubbles. Then dry off the device, and let it stand for a while. Some people use a low heat hairdryer to allow the film to set, I just put it underneath a lamp for 10 minutes.

Once it is set on the device, I noticed that it has a slightly rubbery texture, which can be quite a change from the smooth glass feel of the iPhone. It also has a slight orange peel type texture, almost like your iPhone has developed cellulite.

But it definitely is tough. To test it, I asked my girlfriend to try and scratch it off – no go. A slight mark showed, but within a few minutes the mark disappeared. Very cool.

If you want to see some other “stress tests” that people have done with the invisible shield, look around on Google. Here is an example:

Would I recommend it? At R200? I guess not. If it was half that price, I would get it for all my gadgets (they make it for a variety of devices).

But if you adamant about not using a case with your devices, then it might be a good investment. My primary reason for a case on a phone is drop protection, something I dont believe this film would help with at all.

My Initial Impressions of iPhone 3GS

I have had the iPhone 3GS for a week now, so I thought i might just tell you my first impressions. This is not meant to be a review, so I will just give a quick once-over on what is new on the 3GS:

Speed:
This is the major change. And, oh boy, does it make a difference. I was never particularly bothered by the speed of the older 3G model. In fact, if I never used the 3GS I would have been blissfully unaware of the 3G’s slower processor and lower capacity RAM. Applications start much faster, things react quicker below you fingers, graphically rich apps have much higher framerates as well. Playing a game like Hero of Sparta is significantly better on the new 3GS. Here is a video (please excuse the poor focus, but you get the idea):

The 3GS of course also has increased network speeds – 7.2 Mbps to be exact. I did not notice significantly faster internet speeds, but browsing is indeed faster, but I think that is down to the processor and memory. Data transfer and backups in iTunes is also a lot faster (and the 32GB of storage does not hurt either!)

New Camera:
The camera has been upgraded to a less mediocre 3.2 megapixel, up from the old 2MP. But the major difference is the addition of the autofocus lens, which does make photos a lot better. But the coolest part is the new “click to focus” feature, which enables you to focus on specific parts of the screen. While new Nokia’s can set the aperture in photos, this comes close, and is much more intuitive. Video recording is now also a feature, and it is very good. While it is not HD video, the framerate is excellent. Videos can be trimmed on the device, and then it can be compressed and sent to Youtube without any fuss. It works a treat.

Voice Control:

This is seriously cool. Yes, I know your Nokia had it since 2002, but this is a different breed. This actually works, and is not some feature you try once and forget. You simply hold in the home button for a few seconds (even while locked) It recognizes number you want to dial (e.g.: “Dial Five Five FIve, One Two Three Four”), Names, Nicknames and perhaps the coolest, it controls the iPod. For example you say: “Play album Hail to the Thief” and it repeats you. You can also use Genius by simply saying “Play more songs like this” and it will then tell you *Playing Genius playlist based on There There by Radiohead”. Very cool, and it works great while you are driving. Here is a video (once again sorry for the lack of proper focus):

Battery life:
Whatever Apple tells you, battery life has not improved. I use my iPhone quite extensively, with Push EMail and Find My iPhone activated. While browsing through wifi gets a little more battery life, the overall experience has not changed. You are still going to charge your iPhone every night.

I will still a post a full review later!

Look what I got my hands on

Turns out five 3GS’s were sent to the two iStores in the Cape Town area. So last night I went to go pick it up.

Have to say-for the first time I was seriously impressed by the service at iStore. Finding one of the new model phones was pretty tough, seeing as Gauteng normally gets the first batch. This resulted in a bunch of conversations with different Vodashops, who were all pretty useless, telling me I can only get one later.

But iStore phoned me up and told me they had the phone in stock, and they reserved it for me. But more on that later.

Have a good weekend people.

The iPhone 3GS arrives in SA, finally

Yes, the 3GS is finally here. Vodacom apparently interpreted July ’09 as “31 July, 12:00, and only in a few stores in SA, and only in Gauteng”.

After phoning a few Vodashops, it has now been confirmed that the iPhone 3GS is available today in SA, although only in Gauteng. If you are anywhere else, sorry for you buddy.

The next shipment of the phones are only coming second week of August, and that is probably when other provinces will get it.

Now while you Johannesburg and Pretoria guys and gals enjoy your 3GS, I will just stare at the beautiful mountains here in Stellenbosch.

To Vodacom: Im not mad at you, just disappointed.

More info on Vodacom’s site.

Update: After speaking to Vodacom head office, the iPhone is “launching” on Saturday, but stock is only available to stores by Wednesday. When asked about other provinces getting it only later, I was informed that no, couriers will send it to all provinces.

So when is the iPhone 3GS arriving in SA?

Just received an email from Apple telling me that the iPhone 3GS is “available” in SA on 31 July:

Well, Friday might also mean 7 August which seems more likely. However, I just phoned Vodashop to ask about this, and yes, once again they are clueless. They stated it is “launching” on Friday, but they do not know when they will be able to order it yet for clients.

So what does “launch” mean Vodacom? Just a tip to Vodacom: Apple did the whole “launch” thing in June already. You dont have to – its your job to inform us where and when should we be interested.

Again, I am still flabbergasted that Vodacom has NO info whatsoever on this issue.