FlipStorm » rambling

When I Get an iPhone and an iPad

Simon — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 14:04:26 +0000

I still don’t have an iPhone. I’ve wanted one from the moment it was released, but I think I’m just mistiming my upgrades… I plumped for the iPod touch and it has been ok for me for a while. I will get an iPhone this year (I need a smartphone). But I also want to give the iPad a spin. So what do I want if I’m using both devices?

The Home Screen

As soon as the App Store got into full swing, it became apparent that the iPhone interface wasn’t quite perfect. For me, scrolling through screen after screen to find that app I just downloaded is just not going to cut it.

I’m a bit OCD when it comes to organising files and apps. I want to be able to get them quickly and organise them easily (sometimes while I’m out and about) and I’m not thoroughly convinced that the touch-hold-drag method is the best for organising many apps.

This is probably not so important on the iPad, but the facilities for organising many apps and bookmarks still need attention.

App Syncing

If I download an App on my iPhone, I may also want to use it on my iPad – if it’s compatible with both. So I want some way to easily synchronise the two without the inevitable plugging both of them into my laptop!

Files

I understand te pros and cons of storing files centrally on the iPhone, but there definitely needs to be more centralised access to files. Then these files can be kept in sync across devices using services like MobileMe and Dropbox and still be accessed by other apps.

This will become more necessary for the iPad when it comes to its usability as a productivity device with the iWork suite. I certainly don’t want to have to keep copying files across wireless networks from one device to another in closed-off pools of allocated memory.

Bluetooth file transfer from the iPhone perhaps?

Innovative Uses

I want to see both the iPhone ad iPad used in innovative ways to interact with my Mac. I want to use my iPad as a wireless keyboard/mouse for my Mac mini (which, when I get it, will be hooked up to my mega flat-screen) and also with purpose-built soft-keyboards for certain applications like Boxee.

I would love to be able to have my iPad on my lap, be watching pause-able Internet TV, and be able to see sideline info against the program I’m watching.

Multitasking

Understandably on the iPhone this is something that is best left untouched. But on the iPad, it will soon be obvious that something is missing if you can only run one app at a time. Whilst the push notifications system is handy, it still doesn’t fulfil in my view.

Even if apps had to have a separate background-only mode that had tighter memory restrictions and only a certain number of apps could run in the background, it would at least allow me to access my Twitter feed while I’m surfing the web! I envisage some sort of drop-down menu interface from the title bar, similar to the menu bar on Mac OS where some apps reside.

I feel certain that Apple will do this as the iPad purportedly has the capacity for such overuse.

Are you contemplating the iPad and already use an iPhone? What would you like to see integrated between the two? Express yourself in the comments.

Goals for 2010

Simon — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 14:59:00 +0000

So it’s a fine new year. I have set myself some ambitious challenges for 2010. Let’s compare notes and help each other out…

So here are my work-related goals:

Build an offline web app purely in HTML5 that is mobile ready
Build a native iPhone app
Get reactor launched
Meet more web developers
Grow my blog readership

And here are some personal goals:

Run the Bristol half-marathon
Try to lose some of the belly
Spend more time with Rach

Of course these last 3 are ever so much more important than the first 5. In fact the order that they’re listed in is definitely no order of preference or priority!

I am quite excited by the prospect of this year. I’m looking forward to it. Now I just need to get over this cold…

What are your goals for 2010? How do you think we can help each other achieve them? Share your thoughts in the comments

Exciting Stuff

Simon — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 03:46:00 +0000

I’m hugely excited by certain trends that are appearing lately. Ultimately it all comes down to how successful the goal of moving everything onto “the cloud” is becoming.

It all started a few years ago when the big software companies realised the potential of the web to take over the desktop. They put into place strategies which are now starting to see some fulfilment.

I’ve hidden the rest of this post away for a change. Go find it

Microsoft started putting a lot of emphasis on developing the .Net framework. Mozilla, Apple and Google worked hard on improving web browsers, developing and fostering earth-shattering web apps. But then came some major changes.

First: Google Chrome OS. I haven’t had chance to get this up and running yet so I’m not too sure how successful it will be. Only time will tell. The biggest concern I have is lack of support for third-party peripherals. I’m sure Google will rectify this soon enough.

Undoubtedly it will start people thinking. Microsoft and Apple have put a lot of effort into improving performance in their respective OSs, but neither has drastically deviated from the beaten path like Google.

Then there’s Go, SPDY, Wave… the list goes on. Google is really driving forward with cloud computing.

Second is HTML5. Some of the brilliant recommendations for this brand new version of everyone’s favourite markup language are going to make the next iteration of web apps even more compelling. And with most modern web browsers conforming to some sort of standards and processing Javascript at a decent speed, we could see widespread adoption of these advances very soon.

So what does all of this mean? Well personally I believe that for many consumers who have no real need for high-spec machines running expensive software, an operating system that is inexpensive, fast, lean, and gets them online very quickly will be a real pull.

For people who need more advanced apps… we’re not going to see the end of Windows, Linux or Mac OS anytime soon. But with some major desktop tools steadily moving to the web, it looks as though a web developer’s job could soon be completely online.

As offline functionality starts to make an appearance in more and more web apps, I believe we’re going to see certain apps including this as a feature in premium subscription levels.

Something else I’m intrigued by at the moment is the advent of single sign-on. Sadly I don’t believe that it will ever catch on everywhere, but it may be enough to make the remaining latecomers ship up or ship out.

What’s really interesting is how some people are using OAuth. It’s meant as an API authentication system, but Elliott Kember and a few others are making the ingenious use of it. Some of his apps and ideas use the Twitter OAuth system to log users in.

So I don’t have to create an account for his latest app, Chatrbox, I simply sign in over on Twitter.

This is an interesting approach and fuels the debate over whether OAuth and OpenID can get along or whether OAuth will simply kick OpenID’s butt.

Whatever happens, it all adds up to a brighter web-based future, don’t you think?

Going Green Is Hard Work

Simon — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 21:55:00 +0000

Now I know you disagree… all you have to do is become exposed to gamma radiation and get real angry, right? Wrong. You are not Bruce Banner, and you’ll never turn into the Incredible Hulk. Plus you don’t play with gamma radiation do you? Be honest now…

That’s not the kind of green I’m talking about. It seems for the past couple of years a lot of people have gone crazy about being eco-friendly, saving the planet, greenhouse gases and whatnot.

Here in the UK, the government has set up and continues to fund the Carbon Trust and various green initiatives (which we should have been doing years ago). For most consumers this means changing lightbulbs from incandescent to fluorescent, with obvious benefits all round.

But there’s an even better solution to CFLs: LEDs. That’s right, those little plastic light bulbs you messed about with at school! A lot of research and development has been put into manufacturing LED lamps that match the usefulness of fluorescent bulbs.

There are some amazing benefits:

They last even longer than fluorescent bulbs (much longer than the old incandescent ones)
They give off a better quality of light, brighter and whiter
They come on immediately
They give off very little heat
They consume a quarter of the power of fluorescent bulbs
They don’t buzz
They don’t contain any mercury
They are 100% recyclable

Now I don’t care who you are, that’s amazing! These are the ideal. So what’s the catch? Well at the moment they’re ever so slightly more expensive… but once you’ve got them, you’re saving money!

For commercial environments (particular suspended ceiling office spaces) this is a big winner. Couple these babies with some intelligent lighting systems and you might never have to change your bulbs!

Saving money + planet = the thrifty super hero… still not quite the Incredible Hulk though!

This is all from research that I’m doing for a new client. They’re into supplying, fitting and testing these bad boys. More details coming soon!

I Want Google Wave

Simon — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 08:58:00 +0000

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PK2eiItbWUg]

Waste of Time

Simon — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 22:22:00 +0000

If you follow the link embedded in the title to this article you will be taken to a BBC report with a video on it about some of the latest trends in modern computing. Have a watch and come back here when you’re done.

Now, I’m no Apple fanboy… they have their faults (oh yes!), but you have to appreciate the thought and conviction they show when you compare their products to the ones being strutted about on this video. Let’s break it down:

First off, the netbooks. Apple has yet to show any competition in this market and a lot of analysts are wondering why they don’t want a slice of this low-end pie. In my view the answer was always obvious: netbooks came and went years ago. The only reason for their return to fashion is the lower cost to the consumer.

However, it’s a false economy as consumers want more power from these tardy devices and still have to resort to a “proper notebook” after all. Apple’s answer: the MacBook.

Then there’s the touch-screen netbooks and notebooks. I’m sorry but there’s just no way that was ever meant to be and hence why Apple hasn’t done it! It’s not the golden egg we’re looking for. Just because it’s what we’re told to expect and part with our hard-earned notes for doesn’t make it any more useful.

This kind of technology really thrives in the mobile market (and I mean even smaller than a netbook). Moving away from the mouse and keyboard just won’t happen on larger devices. Apple’s answer: iPhone and iPod touch.

This leads to the third one: the net tops. Great idea! These should’ve been around years ago… let’s get rid of the box and just have a screen, keyboard and mouse. Even this though they have to spoil with touchscreen. As can be seen from the video, this isn’t ideal. Apple’s answer: iMac.

Worthy of note in all these cases is Apple’s timing and hence their true understanding of the market. The MacBook has been around for years, the iPhone and iPod touch came out just at the beginning of the netbook craze, and the iMac has been one of Apple’s favourite products for over a decade.

Not only are these products years ahead, they show a great level of understanding. It seems to me that Apple aren’t after the quick sale and jumping on the bandwagon to make a quick profit. They want to produce things that people will really use and use properly.

Some people complain about Apple’s prices. I would argue that when you look at the through-life costs of owning an Apple product, compared to these fad-gets (my play on fads and gadgets), your overall expenditure would’ve been much cheaper.

Like I said, I’m no Apple fan-boy, but I can understand why so many are!

3G vs LTE-Advanced

Simon — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 23:43:00 +0000

Does it make any sense to you? It didn’t make any sense to me either a few years ago. But this little snippet from Wikipedia makes it all very clear:

LTE provides up to 326.4 Mbit/s for downlink and 86.4 Mbit/s for uplink. LTE-Advanced, in development as a minor update to LTE networks, supports maximum download rates of over 1 Gbit/s.

Basically, I want LTE-Advanced now. Interesting that it’s only a “minor update” to existing LTE networks. Apparently there’s only one of these planned and in production at the moment… in Oslo. I’m moving to Norway, b’bye!

Overcoming Professional Prejudice

Simon — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 17:38:00 +0000

I’ve just been on the phone with a potential client. From our brief chat it’s clear that they have experienced problems with “web” people before now. This has affected their view of our services at FlipStorm, even though they know nothing about us.

So, how do you overcome that kind of prejudice? You could turn to the salesman’s pitch… tell them all the guff they either already know or don’t want to know and spin it to make it sound like you’re the best. If they buy in, they’ve got to spend some more money and they might just get lucky.

If they are smart though (and your client is always smart, no matter how stupid they are!), they won’t go for any of that. So you need to toss them a bone. Prove to them that you are prepared to go that extra mile. Give them something for nothing… a favour!

Some of you may see this as flaring up the spec work debate, but before I start a urinating competition, I’d like to mention that there are absolutely no limits on how far you take this; it’s entirely up to you, if you think it will achieve the desired result without costing you too much. If you make it clear to the client that this is a gimme and that any work as follow-up from that will be payable then you’re in no danger of giving false impressions or cheapening your services.

Quite the opposite, in fact; it adds value to your services. It could be a deal-maker and something so simple to you that it takes you all of 10 minutes. Those 10 minutes are definitely worth a new customer!

Ah but, I hear you say, will that be a quality client? That depends largely on how strict you are with your freebies. Too much and clients get used to it, expect and eventually demand it.

We will have to wait and see if it pays off in this case, but I have found it to be genuinely worthwhile.

CMSs != Web Apps? WTF?

Simon — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 23:00:00 +0000

Well it’s coming to the end of 2008 and there’s nothing left to say, but:

Why Are CMSs Not Included In The “Web Apps” Balloon?

There was a time when going up into the sky was every boys (and some girls) dream. To be like a bird, fluttering at high altitudes in the cold, thin air… so naive…

Sorry… rambling again. My point is that mankind poured decades of research into flight, spanning many centuries. IMO, one of the greatest achievements in the field is the hot air balloon (although I’ve never been in one).

As I see it, the hot air balloon is a brilliant and exhilarating contraption. But to ride one with any sense of control (and I am a control freak) takes an awful lot of know how. You have to be a pretty cool kid to guide a hot air balloon with any safety.

The same is true with web apps. They’re a wild giant canvas filled with the piping hot air of incidence and popularity, warily directed by the most aimless sense of direction conceived (in some cases). But it seems the basket is too full for you, you and you!

That’s right, you’re not a web app, soaring among the hilltops, if you’re a CMS or other such ilk. However, I contest this. A CMS and a web app are interchangeable. Henceforth, I will no longer think in terms of a CMS. All such things will be called web applications – plus I think CMS is really formal and business-y and I don’t like that, not one bit.

So let us all jump aboard the web app balloon and bring it swiftly earthward!

On a slightly less diabolical note: 24ways has been brilliant this year. There have been some terrific advancements this year and I can’t wait to see what 2009 brings! Let’s go together.

END;

Mac OS X and NDAS

Simon — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 02:39:00 +0000

I am loving my Mac. I’m no fanboy, mind. I appreciate the simplicity and extra thought that make up its better parts. There are still some things I may find to do in Windows. I will be installing Windows as a matter of cause (and no doubt it will run blindingly fast!)

However, the Mac environment has quickly become my preferred one. Its uncomplicated integration and neat up-sleeve tricks make it fun to use as well as functional.

Over the past two weeks though I have had one stumbling block: Ximeta, Inc’s NDAS software. I own a Freecom MediaPlayer 350WLAN HDD enclosure. Freecom have always supported the Mac platform, but for some reason I couldn’t get it to work.

My initial findings suggested it was probably because I was trying to connect to an NTFS formatted drive. That was easily remedied by a couple of packages that were freely available: MacFUSE and NTFS-3g. These two enable full read-write access to any drive that is formatted using Microsoft’s NTFS.

The problem remained. So I tried using the latest version from Ximeta. This had no effect. So I tried uninstalling my current version and reinstalling the newest version. Bingo!

Now I don’t have to worry about reformatting my drive! That’s saved me another 2 days worth of copying, burning, copying… Thank you Mac community!