iPad + Halloween = Costume Awesomeness
Posted by chezza on October 31
This is what you get when you combine an engineer, two iPad 2’s, some fake blood and a shirt with a few holes cut out.
Swipe
This is Swipe, a blog by pinch/zoom about mobile, design, user experience, usability, development and the future of technology.
Android Fragmentation
Posted by fling on October 31
The sad state of support for Android devices. Some of the highlights of the chart
- 7 of the 18 Android phones never ran a current version of the OS.
- 12 of 18 only ran a current version of the OS for a matter of weeks or less.
- 10 of 18 were at least two major versions behind well within their two year contract period.
- 11 of 18 stopped getting any support updates less than a year after release.
- 13 of 18 stopped getting any support updates before they even stopped selling the device or very shortly thereafter.
- 15 of 18 don’t run Gingerbread, which shipped in December 2010.
- In a few weeks, when Ice Cream Sandwich comes out, every device on here will be another major version behind.
- At least 16 of 18 will almost certainly never get Ice Cream Sandwich.
And worse 16 of the 18 devices listed are still on contract today, meaning these poor customers are locked into old Android phones that are no longer being updated by their carrier.
Mobile fragmentation is worse now than ever and Android is to blame!
When I first wrote of my mobile Ubiquity Principle over two years ago I thought the days of ridiculous fragmentation was behind us. Back then I described the problem of fragmentation this way…
Getting your application on one platform is a snap, but getting it on two is a challenge, five a costly headache, and supporting fifty virtually impossible.
But when it comes to Android, old school mobile rules still very much apply. Every device maker and carrier are rushing Android products to market that bare little resemblance to their brothers. But of course they are, otherwise why would you buy an HTC Android device over a Samsung Android device? The model is ridiculous and can’t scale in the face of stiff competition like Apple.
As someone that loves in the mobile medium, I’m pissed. I want to see great mobile tech flourish, not fragment and die… as most of us long timers have seen so many times before.
Ricky Gervais on Comedy
Posted by fling on October 27
BBC has produced a number of clever trailers for the Global iPlayer for iPad that pinch/zoom designed earlier this year.
Gruber reviews the iPhone 4S
Posted by fling on October 12
http://daringfireball.net/2011/10/iphone_4s
“This is the easiest product review I’ve ever written. The iPhone 4S is exactly what Apple says it is: just like the iPhone 4, but noticeably faster, with a significantly improved camera, and an impressive new voice-driven feature called Siri.”
Genius is Messy
Posted by fling on October 6
Steve Jobs in his home office in 2004. One of the last photographs Diana Walker would take of her friend.
Remembering Steve Jobs
Posted by fling on October 5
We owe so much to Steve Jobs. He has repeatedly inspired us with his vision. And has given us faith and confidence that pursuing our passions can make the world a better place.
He will be missed, but he will never be forgotten.
A hip accessory for the hippest hipster
Posted by chezza on September 29
Samsung has unveiled its newest tablet accessory – a custom made road bike with a ‘top of the range’ tablet holder positioned between the rider’s legs.
The detachable Tab holder positioned in the triangular frame is made from quality Carbon fibre featuring the same Carbon specification used on F1 cars and has a fantastic strength to weight ratio. Accessible from the side, the Galaxy Tab 10.1 holder allows for the device to be used easily whilst on the move. Applications such as dashboards tracking mileage, route planners and repair instructions for punctures, can be downloaded from the Android Marketplace to enhance everyday cycling routes or more adventurous trips – a handy addition for any cyclist.
Now admittedly I’m a fair-weather cyclist but I can’t really see myself sticking my head between my legs while I’m riding to check a map on my tablet. I also have enough issues with getting mud on my jeans during the constant Seattle drizzle so can’t really imagine what sort of dirt, muck or water would start to cover the tablet – I’m not sure that hanging it exposed to the elements during a Seattle winter is the best hardware care for expensive electronics.
There was no price that I could find for the bike, but I assume it’s many times the cost of the Samsung Galaxy Tab.
Designers don’t just make things easier and simpler to use, we open up new opportunity spaces through a more creative approach to problem solving.
— Fast Company on the innovation in design in America
In-App purchases on the rise
Posted by chezza on September 22
Distimo has released some fascinating figures around pricing and in-app purchases for mobile apps.
Just 4% of all iPhone applications feature in-app purchases but, among the 200 highest-grossing applications in the iTunes App Store, 72% of the application revenue came from those with in-app purchases. It says a lot for the “freemium” model, where developers give away the app for free, but then offer additional features with an in-app purchase.
The slides are embedded below.
Comparative sizes of the world's largest photo libraries
Posted by chezza on September 20
