Small Fish, Big Pond

This is one of the reasons I quit subscribing to Wired. Idiotic, sensationalizing, articles.
Now I fully appreciated the irony that I complain about Wired sensationalizing articles to draw viewers; and that by posting this I’m part of the problem, taking the bait hook line and sinker. But this article is going to be splayed across the internet and the news simply because of the source, and it needs to be killed now.

The Web Is Dead. Long Live the Internet

It’s the same tired argument that has been out since the iPhone and has sped up since the iPad. “Apps” and online video streaming are going to take over the internet and surfing web pages as we know it will cease to exist. Basically Chris is channeling a Steve Jobs presentation (or even plagiarizing one).

As much as we love the open, unfettered Web, we’re abandoning it for simpler, sleeker services that just work. -Chris Anderson

At least he didn’t call the services “magical”.

The graphic showing a shrinking web is hard to ignore, and I heard that 95% of online stats aren’t made up or distorted.

The reasons to scoff at head editor Chris Anderson as a moron?

1. The diagram is from 1995 (i.e. 7 years before most people used the internet), to 2005 (i.e. half a decade ago, 2 years before Job’s iPhone app revolution).
In Chris’s defense, 2005 was before the magical apps and services Chris describes even existed so they wouldn’t show yet.
2. “Web” is used here for a general catch-all that fits alot of very different and dynamic services.
3. Anybody with an office job knows that email rules the word. Even including spam it shows up non-existent on this graph. Pointing to how this graph doesn’t reflect reality of the web.
4. Apps and services are just a frontend to parse web data. The web is still there, you’re just using a very specialized browser to access it. The Facebook app is nothing without the Facebook itself.
5. The MAIN problem with the graph is that it is a measurement of bits of traffic and not representative of the web experience.

Text on the internet is the smallest part of it. This entire article takes up the same space as a 1”x1” image. On a boring static webpage the images take up 90% of the space. To put this in perspective in 2006 Wikipedia (the entire thing) was 1.2 Terabytes in size; the whole thing could fit on one large hard drive (can you say real life HHG2G?).

Videos on the internet take up MUCH more space than anything else, especially if you’re watching a HQ youtube or hulu stream. 10 minutes of HQ youtube will pass as much traffic as all the surfing you’ll do on Wikipedia for the next few months.

Suddenly the above graph makes much more sense. Even if online video made up 90% of web traffic it would still mean that more time online is spent just surfing the web. And this is why it’s shocking the editor of Wired Magazine wrote this article, it horrible mis-represents the data provided by Cisco about web traffic. Much more useful would be how much time people spend on different web sites. However that’s much harder to measure.

Well the fun’s over, Windows Mobile Phone 7 is officially off my list for a future phone.

Basically it’s been confirmed that it won’t have copy and paste or multitasking.

I mentioned a a previous article that my biggest fear was that Microsoft would try so hard to copy the iPhone that they’d copy all the worst parts of the iPhone and that seems to be the way it’s going. Even having a slick new Zune inspired interface can’t save a phone that doesn’t have basic functionality. It’s why I hate the iPhone and I’m definitely not going to change my tune just because it’s Microsoft that is now screwing itself over.

The ironic thing is that I’ve been bagging on iPhone for lack of copy/paste and multitasking since day one. It took 3 years to get C/P and is rumored to get Multitasking now in it’s 4th year. All the whole WinMo had been rocking all that since about 2001.

Now Microsoft is regressing and backing to a state of suck that even the iPhone had finally cleared.

Oh well, there’s still hope for Android. And Windows Mobile 6.5 could probably live in the HD2 for a couple years before being completely outdated.

And there’s the slim hope that something may change. Either MS will realize it’s errors, or the rumor of a second business phone OS will materialize (or fix WinMo 6.X).

Tying together two recent posts, the WiFi tech that Apple is exorcising from it’s app database is the same technology that makes GeoSense work on GPS less laptops.

On a side note I think Sekai Camera was one of the few Augumented reality apps that developed well. The comments places were far more location specific than Layar’s display.

By finding your location with nearby WiFi Access Points. Not such a big deal on iPhone since it has GPS but it just shows how useful a tool it is.

Why on earth would Apple think that it’s a good idea to pull WiFi detecting apps?

I think pulling all Porn and high Flesh to Clothing ratio apps is a little draconian but fair from a company point of view. However apps that help you find WiFi access points is a useful tool when mobile. Especially for a device that can be seriously limited if 3G reception is poor or you have an older phone with no 3G.

Porn apps are useless, and if Apple really wanted to make a statement and fix their image they’d pull all the fart apps. But legitimate apps that make a mobile phone a useful tool should be the apps to reward not remove.

It’s funny because everybody is always saying that the App Ecosystem that Apple has made with the iPhone is its greatest strength. But in reality the ecosystem is poisoned, and it’s only getting worse.

Well another big release day with Windows Phone 7 Series, not nearly the hype of the iPad but initial impressions seem to be much better. Check the reviews here, here,here, here, here, and here.

Firstly, I agree that the UI looks absolutely beautiful for properly bringing together Social Media info, Games, Music, and Photos. Even Jesus Diaz, one of the big pro-iPhone fans on Gizmodo is saying that “Microsoft Has Out-Appled Apple” and I agree 100%.

They do a really good job of pulling in info from multiple disparate sources and putting them together nicely on their “hubs” this very idea is basically what many people think the future of computing will entail; instead of separate apps for each outlet it can all come together in one place.

And it looks so advanced compared to iPhone with good reason. iPhone is still the basic app menu homescreen it has been for the last 3 years; Windows Mobile has always been derided because it seems sold compared to iPhone. Now Microsoft has leap fogged Apple and makes iPhone look like it is, an interface design that is nearly a third of a decade old.

And here is my first problem with Windows Phone 7 (WP7), I didn’t like how restrictive iPhone was. When it’s apps came out it got better but it’s still what Apple wants you to do and nothing else. WP7 is starting to look like the exact same thing. Microsoft’s integration of Social Media, Games, and Photos is damn near perfect; however I shun social media, never use my phone for games (I don’t even have an xbox 360 and no live account), and I think photos taken from phones are a waste where a real camera should have been used.

The only thing in Microsoft’s hubs I’d really use is Zune. And when I tried Zune out on my computer I hated it; it’s the last thing I want to be FORCED to sync music through. It’s as bad as iTunes but with a different look.

And a lot of the nasty rumors that I think are no-gos for a phone for me are now official are pretty much a given.

No custom skinning by third party manufacturers (HTC Sense, Toshiba 3D, TAT Home).
Apps only come through Windows Marketplace.
No Backward Compatibility for old programs.
Limited Multitasking.
Possibly no stylus support.
Possibly no keyboard.
Possibly no COPY AND PASTE!
Yes, TechCrunch hinted at limited to no C&P. Although that’s not certain at all.

My gripes with the phone are the same as my iPhone gripes. For all the slick, pretty, shock and awe interface stuff at the end of the day I want functionality. Unfortunately all the WP7 functionality seems to be focused on helping you waste time on social media, or waste time playing games, or waste time staring at pictures (I’m single with no kids, I understand this sentiment changes with children).

I came from PDAs, for me my phone is a computer in my pocket, a resource I can look up important data, keep my life in order with PIM applications, track when I’ve spent too much time on a subject and need to move on, translate info or languages I don’t know, remotely connect to server resources I don’t have direct access to, etc. Just about every use I’m going to have for my smartphone are things that don’t exist on the WP7 phone as it stands. They’re going to need to create a lot of apps to be able to keep up with the functionality of my Windows Mobile 6.5 phone.

So ironically it looks like I may be transitioning to Android in the near future to have a phone that is diverse as the Windows Phone I have now. However it’s too early to tell on anything, so many amazing things are happening in the handheld device space this year that all we can do is wait.

The only current phone up for play is the Nexus One that looks like a killer Android device. The HTC HD2 isn’t released yet but may be the pinnacle of what Windows Mobile reached before moving to WP7. Dell is creating a smartphone-tablet transitional with the Mini 5 that looks incredibly tempting if I can justify carrying around something that big. Windows Phone 7 Series deivces will be dropping by fall. And by time all players are onstage Apple with have the iPhone 4G shipping.

The future looks bright but difficult if you’re shopping for a new toy but undecided like me.

My Phone uses WM6.5 and sometimes it feels like I’m the only one defending it; many people attack it because the interface isn’t “iPhonesie” enough for them. In other words they don’t have the eye hand coordination to hit buttons smaller than 2in square.

Plus I like that Windows Mobile is actually more open than iPhone OS or Android to tinkering and changing. Not only does it make the phone customizable to my tastes but it means that any programmer can go in there and make the Os do what they want to. Ironic since I know so many Open Source gurus that lament my choice of Windows 7 on my desktop saying Linux is the way to go. But they have iPhones…

Anyway BGR has new rumors on the specs Windows Mobile 7 will have when it’s revealed in a couple weeks. And it’s all bad news.

- The traditional Home Screen will get a whole new look and will not support custom interfaces like Sense and TouchFLO
- No Flash support as time constraints prevented its inclusion
- Applications will be installed through the Windows Mobile Marketplace only, manual installation from a storage card will not be allowed
- Say no to multitasking and yes to push notifications which may be provided by a Microsoft hosted push notifications environment
- No .NET Compact Framework backwards compatibility so all those old apps will not work, but a portion of the data and business logic .NET CF may be ported at some point
- Browser is based upon desktop IE7 codebase, but with some IE8 functionality and is currently faster / better than the iPhone 3G
- No more active sync or Windows Mobile Device center. Zune software will handle all syncing

Basically they’re going to make WinMo suck as hard as iPhone. I’m frankly sick of the world striving to emulate the iPhone and focusing on all the worst aspects of the iPhone to adopt. First it was taking away the stylus, now where locking down the device and not allowing third party companies to improve upon the design.

I REALLY hope that either this is all bunk. Or the rumors that the phone OS is splitting into a Business and Consumer version; and that this is the consumer version and the Business version will retain the openness of the current OS.

Here we go again. Quality over Quantity.

Again news is distorted on a lot of tech blogs that focuses on simple numbers and pie charts rather than reality.

Many sites are reporting about how the iPhone is more popular to develop for than the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP. I’m not surprised by the numbers but look at what we’re talking about here. There are a few good games for iPhone but most are cheap flash style games; compare that to the complex fully and professionally developed games for PSP and DS.

When looking for a gaming system you need to consider the games; and I want a system that runs games with the depth of the Final Fantasy series, not a bunch of cheap games that involve tapping gophers as the pop out of virtual holes.

Apple announced that it had sold over 3 billion apps in their app store.

Pro-Apple blogs and iPhone fanboys proceeded to download their favorite fart app or lightsaber app and have impromptu iPhone saber duels (also known as an “iPhone circle jerk”). More level-headed people have overlooked the announcement the same way we overlook the fact that McDonalds is always bragging about “billions served”.

Who cares how many have been sold. The hamburgers still taste like shit.

Edit: Thank god I’m not the only one tired of seeing hipsters show off the latest popular app waste of money.

Besides the “Google phone” and the Iranian Twitter hack it seems that the iPhone sales news in Japan is blowing up all over the place.

The news is that iPhone now makes up 46% of the Japanese smartphone market.

This sounds amazing considering that Japan is so phone centric that Apple could dominate the market in just a couple years. The problem is that the sample was only taken by what Impress considers “smartphones.” The ubiquitous Japanese keitai that EVERYBODY in Japan has wasn’t factored in.

So really the article heading should be that the iPhone makes up 46% of 5% of the Japanese phone market, hardly a market dominator.

“But it’s 46% of smartphones, not Dumbphones.” Keep in mind that the “Dumbphones” that weren’t included in the above percentage have features such as:
-Mobile Web
-Email
-REAL Cameras
-Turn by Turn GPS directions
-2D Barcode scanning
-RFID payment systems
-2 way video calling
-HDTV receivers
-SMS
-MMS (the iPhone still doesn’t have that!)

In reality it should be the other way around, the iPhone has 46% of the dumbphone market. But that’s nothing to blow off, it means it’s got a good chunk of the market over Windows mobile, Android, Palm, and RIM. Pretty decent. But instead of looking at these skewed numbers lets look at the big picture.

46% of the smartphone market is 3 million phones. Pretty good for a year an a half.

But as of 2 weeks ago there are 110 million phones in Japan.

That means the iPhone makes up 2.7 of the phones in Japan. If you gather 50 random phone users in Japan ONE of them will have an iPhone.

This is really just another case of not seeing the forest for the trees; a problem that is common if you’re deeply entrenched in the tech news world (to be fair not all blogs got hung up on the 46%). For all the news we hear about the iPhone it’s only been out (in the US) for a couple years. Most non-tech people hold onto their for long than that so as rabidly popular the iPhone is it’s still not a market dominator.

The same thing happened yesterday when news came out that iPhone had just recently passed Windows Mobile in the number of smartphones in use. People were amazed that this hadn’t happened a year ago. It’s not shocking at all, RIM and Windows Mobile (and quickly Android) are on many handsets and all carriers. Plus RIM and WM have been on sale for more than twice as long as the iPhone. Joe Wilcox has a good breakdown of that data.

So as in most things before you freak out when somebody put out amazing numbers like “It’s over 46(9000)%!!!” take it with a grain of salt and look at it from the perspective the average person and not the tech blog angle.

Michael Arrington said that he’s getting rid of his iPhone (TechCrunch: I quit the iPhone) because of the Google Voice debacle. He thinks Apple is too restrictive in what it allows, and that they are sacrificing the customer’s best interests to protect their own bottom line.

Wow, for such a mainstream blogger I’m surprised it took that long for him to realize this. I figure that out back in 2000 before the iPod when Apple didn’t let competing 3rd party hardware work with their computers. Apple is the most locked down, proprietary company in the tech world, even Sony is more flexible.

I find it hilarious when people spout off about how great the open-source movement is, how Microsoft is the stifling evil empire, then they go buy an iPhone and Macbook Pro. It’s a very common hypocrisy in the tech world, reminiscent of when people here in America decry communism, claim they don’t support human rights abuses, then go to Wallmart to fill up on cheap Chinese sweatshop goods. Good job funneling all your money to your moral polar opposite.

Sorry, back to my point.

Recent tech news this week was all about Amazon’s Kindle burning books by remote. People are outraged that they paid for something loaded with DRM and the company took access away leaving them high and dry. Again where these people 8 years ago when we said this is what will happen with DRM?

iPhone has a killswitch in it too, that can remotely cut an apps’ access to portions of the phone. It’s never been used like Kindle was, and it would only disable certain functionalities of the app but what happens if Apple decides that an app is a “Competitive Threat” and uses their power to tip the scales back in their favor. I’m sure some of you are scoffing that “Apple would never really use that!”

That’s what you said about the Kindle.

This is the problem with DRM and companies that are as restrictive as Apple (and apparently amazon). You’re voluntarily giving THEM the power to control what you can do with a device YOU own. By buying into these companies, their products, and their services you’re funding their modus operandi and killing those whose morals and policies may be more inline with your own.

No company is perfect, but when you give your $500 of support to a company will it be to one that allows you the freedom to do as you like, or to the company that tells you what to like?

This has to be a joke. One guy does a DIY iPhone shoulder mount which was a dumb idea but a good excuse to tinker if you like making things on your own. But trying to market handheld mounts for a smartphone is idiotic. The only thing dumber than selling these things is buying one; and people probably will. It falls into the, “I’ll buy anything shiny made by (or for) Apple.”

Listen well people: the iPhone camera is better than the previous iPhone but still absolute shit compared to a real video camera. Phone cameras are for recording drunken moments when you don’t have a real camera. Don’t spend $400 on a phone and $200 on an ugly handle for it when you can get a real 1080p HD Camcorder from a reputable camera company like Cannon for $600 (or less).

Honestly, the first sign that you fail at Videography is if you’re using a phone to record your subject.

I still think it’s a joke. One handheld is honestly called the Owl Bubo, either it’s a joke or the very name proves my point that you have to be an idiot to make this item.
http://wantowle.com/Want.html

Thanks Engadget.

I make a lot of jokes that the iPhone has nothing but apps for making various fart noises so this may seem like a weird place to heap praise. I know a lot of people reading about the new Dunkin Doughnut app for the iPhone are immediately thinking of Police jokes or how funny it is that the iPhone has an app to help you add on the pounds with sugary baked goods (There’s an app for that!). But this is actually one of the first applications to use technology and social networking for a useful, efficient, marketable purpose.

Anybody who has done a food or drink run for their coworkers or friends knows how quickly it becomes a hassle. After deciding you could use a doughnut and will grab some for everybody else you shout over the cubicle walls trying to find others who also wants doughnuts. Then you have to write down orders, deal with people changing their minds, people who don’t know what is available, and people don’t know how much it will cost. Run to the store, makes sure they have what people want, order a long list in front of a line of angry customers who don’t want you taking up their time to order 20 doughnuts, and check prices so you can charge people when you get back. Then you drive back, try to figure out what’s what, decipher your chicken scratch note to figure out who ordered what and try to collect enough money you don’t end up getting shafted.

In the end people just say “fuck it” and grab a dozen doughnuts for everybody else and watch them fight it out for who gets the sprinkles, and who is stuck with glazed.

Dunkin’ Run helps to simplify the process. Not just being a digital notepad, it pings your listed co-workers so they can opt-in for an order. It also gives them a menu to choose items from, lists the output on the runner’s phone for an accurate order when they arrive at the store, and finally has the list of who got what when you get back to work.

Theoretically you could even tie this app into the corporate database so the staff know ahead of time that a large order is coming up and have it ready when the runner arrives, tie the service into the GPS and map features to direct a runner to the nearest store where the order is waiting, even list what items are out of stock and not available. All the while people who remain constantly undecided can update their orders while the runner is enroute.

It seems kind of complex just to go buy some doughnuts but the idea can be adapted for so many uses that it can make a huge difference it speeding up the efficiency of ordering and purchasing products and services. Adding web and email to a phone isn’t really a big deal, by itself at best it’s just a small mobile computer. But applications like this that make use of those services and tie them into larger online databases are where the true convergence happens.

Lets hope we see a trend of more intelligent apps like this for the iPhone and all smartphones.

Via gizmodo.