iPhone, Therefore, iBlog

100,000 apps announced - now we need a shopping list

2009-11-04T21:25:10Z

The App Store has everything. As we all know, there's an app for that. And with the news from Apple today that developers have created more than 100,000 apps for the App Store, there is something so simple missing from the experience that it boggles the mind.

I call it a shopping list. You might call it a wish list. Some may call it a download queue. Whatever you call it, it would make shopping for apps so much easier.

Apple and Amazon may compete but Apple could learn a thing or two - I love the way Amazon incorporates wish lists into both the Web site and iPhone app. I love being able to put a bunch of things on my list or in an area to buy later. That way, I can go back and think about it and decide which things I want and which things I don't.

The way it works now - in both the App Store and iTunes - is you look and you either buy or you're out of luck. You'd need to actually write down what you want or create a list somewhere and then buy each one by one.

Part of me understands the risks. If I have a wish list with 20 apps and the ability to buy them all with the click of a button, I'm more likely to spend $20. But that's OK. I appreciate the simplcity and ease of use that comes with that great responsibility.

I am hoping it's just a matter of when and not if. Apple finally listened and implemented what I think was my idea - to create a way to manage applications from within iTunes and have them transfer over to the iPhone. It works great and I love it. I know I -- and millions of others - would enjoy a better way of purchasing.

What do you think? You agree? Does Apple need to take a lesson from Amazon and implement some sort of wish list/download queue functionality? Let me know what you think here or on Twitter.

Thanks for calling.

Droid: Is it an iPhone killer?

2009-10-28T22:09:06Z

The short answer is I don't know. I don't think anyone knows just yet, but I'll tell you this much: From the buzz and the comments I've seen online, it's definitely the closest thing that exists unless Steve Jobs already has the next generation iPhone in his pocket.

I almost had a chance to try it out this morning, but sadly something came up and I couldn't get to the press briefing. But I'm impressed with what I'm hearing.

Click through for the specs and some more thoughts - you'll find those in parenthesis.

High-speed mobile browsing (We all have that. Next).

Android 2.0-powered (From what I've seen, Android is looking much better at 2.0 than it did at 1.anything.)

Voice-activated search (I can do that with an iPhone, but the fact that it's built into Droid makes the experience that much better. That said, I don't really use voice-activated anything for much of what I do, but your mileage may vary).

Slide-out QWERTY keyboard (I hear the feel of the keyboard is awesome, but after two years of my iPhone touch keyboard, I'd never go back).

5 megapixel camera with dual-LED flash (iPhone's camera - even though it was recently upgraded to 3.2 megapixels, is woefully behind the times. In fact, I think it's one of the weakest pieces of the iPhone).

16 gigs of removable storage (removable is nice)

3.7-inch display with more than 400,000 total pixels. The resolution is 854x480 which is equal to 267 ppi. For comparison purposes, the iPhone is 163 ppi.

Customizable home screen with pre-loads like Facebook and Google Maps (no big deal here, although I think Apple and Facebook should work together and do something bigger than they do now, which is basically nothing).

Multitask messaging that integrates work and personal email (I'm a fan of multitask anything. I know Apple says it slows down the experience, but apparently it can be done so I'll look forward to Apple changing its position on that soon).

Nation's most reliable and largest wireless voice and 3G data network (Sorry, AT&T, but you get zero points for this one. I would expect a phone on Verizon to have much better coverage and the overall experience to be better).

Thousands of apps and hundreds of widgets from Android Market (ehhhh. 100,000 apps in the iTunes App Store. I don't think you should be pushing the app angle).

DVD quality video camcorder featuring 16:9 cinematic display (Sounds like the quality of video/photo is just plain better than the iPhone. As I said earlier, Apple is woefully deficient in this area).

5.96 oz (That's heavy, but if it's substantial and feels right in your hand, well, that's more important.

The price is $199.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate. Minus a full star for that, Verizon - seriously. The mail-in rebate annoys me almost as much as that impossible to open plastic packaging that cuts your fingers. I don't want to fill out forms. Charge me $199. No rebates. Period. Not interested in the bother and the time it takes to put it all together and the time it takes to get the money.

It's available on Nov. 6.

So tell me - what are your thoughts? Would you switch to Verizon for this phone? Does it look and sound like an iPhone killer to you? Remember - it's just a matter of time before you see an iPhone on Verizon. I don't know when that will be, but I know it's if, it's when.

I'll close with this. Droid may be a great phone. And Droid may be the closest thing to an iPhone killer on the market. But I've heard it before. Voyager still makes me laugh. Palm Pre is really nothing special. The power of Google and Android is definitely iPhone's closest competitor, but will Droid be able to overpower the cool factor that comes with the iPhone?

We'll see. I always say that competition is great for everyone and this is no exception.

Let me know what you think in the comments or on Twitter.

Thanks for calling.

Big plans for next Chicago Apple Store?

2009-10-26T16:34:36Z

This is the North and Clybourn Apple Stop. This is a Red Line train to Howard.

Does that sound weird. Well, it is, but it could happen.

According to AppleInsider and chicagobusiness.com, Apple has some pretty big -- and potentially expensive plans -- for the Red Line North and Clybourn stop.

The report says that Apple will spend up to $4 million to renovate the station in the popular shopping district in Lincoln Park surrounding North, Clybourn and Halsted streets. And, Apple can, according to the report, name the stop.

And while that part of the story is huge, here's something that I think is equally huge, if not bigger.

According to AppleInsider and chicagobusiness.com, the architectural firm that has been hired to design the store is also responsible for other Apple stores, including the glass cube in New York City.

As someone who lives in Chicago, I can tell you that the North and Clybourn stop is not the CTA's prettiest stop. When you leave the station, you ascend up a very narrow escalator. But if that exit onto street level comes with a glass Apple cube? Well, I'd be more likely to go to that store than the one on Michigan Avenue, which I can walk to.

So I am looking forward to seeing what Apple has in store for the area and what it will mean for the entire area in general.

What are your thoughts, Chicago and everyone else? Are you excited about the report? What do you think of naming CTA stops? Let me know what you think in the comments and on Twitter. You can also leave your comments on RedEye's Facebook page.

Thanks for calling.

Deja vu: 5 ways Microsoft stores differ from Apple stores

2009-10-22T23:04:32Z

Check out this video. If you've ever been to an Apple Store, this is about the most severe case of deja vu you'll ever have.

Microsoft opened its first retail store today in Scottsdale, Ariz., and, well, to me it's an Apple Store. It looks like an Apple Store. The Geniuses are called Gurus. Microsoft even hired Apple executives to help launch the concept.

Of course there are some differences:

1. After customers talk to employees for more than a few minutes at a time, they turn blue and need to be rebooted.

2. Everything at the Microsoft store comes in 6 different editions. So if you need a USB cable, there's the USB cable home premium, business, platinum limited, etc.

3. Whenever Gurus are close to making sale and customer hesitates, they show a picture of that cute little girl in the commercials to guilt them into buying.

4. In the theater, when they play the I'm a Mac and I'm a PC commercials, everything Mac says is bleeped out.

5. The guys in suits and sunglasses look like secret service, but they're actually modeling the latest spy-wear. Get it? Spyware ... ehhhh.

That's my take. What's yours? Let me know in the comments or on Twitter.

Thanks for calling.

Look! Up in the sky!

2009-10-22T14:00:00Z

I love all things celestial. I'm fascinated by planets and the whole question of whether or not we're alone.

But I wasn't aware of this until recently. Check this out. On October 23 and 24, amateur astronomers worldwide will bring their telescopes to public parks and sidewalks to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Galileo's telescope and his celestial discoveries as part of Galilean Nights.

And of course there's an iPhone component here. Click through and I'll tell you more.
Not sure if you've ever used an iPhone app called Distant Suns - I mentioned it on the blog a while ago - but it's a really cool app that uses the compass on the iPhone 3GS to identify planets, constellations and much more. Of course, you don't need to have a 3GS to enjoy it, but it doesn't hurt.

And if you are interested in Galilean Nights events in your local area, click here.

If you are planning on participating in a Galilean Nights event or if you use or have used Distant Suns or if you just want to talk about space in general, leave me a comment. Or talk to me on Twitter.

Thanks for calling.

Surprise! New remote

2009-10-20T18:28:21Z

I'm not exactly sure how excited I am about this, but Apple also unveiled a new remote.

It's $19. That part is fine.

There isn't even a dedicated page about it on apple.com, just a page in the Apple store.

"Control your Mac, iPod, or iPhone from afar with the sleek aluminum Apple Remote. Play, pause, adjust volume, move forward and back, and access menus while playing music and video."

Personally, and I have a feeling this isn't just me, I really don't want to control my iPhone with a remote. What I do want is a great remote app that controls my Mac. And while Apple's remote app is good, there's so much more it's capable of.

I'd happily pay $19 for an app if it could do it all.

Maybe that's coming next Tuesday :-)

Let me know what you think of the new Apple remote in the comments or on Twitter.

Thanks for calling.

It's Magic! Apple's new Magic Mouse

2009-10-20T16:05:10Z

**Be sure to also read Psychology 3.1.2: What does your iPhone homescreen say about you?**

Also, check out Surprise! New Remote.

Hello, sexy mouse!!

Apple introduces Magic Mouse -- the world's first multi-touch mouse. It was just a matter of time, I guess, but wow. It's basically everything that's wonderful about the iPhone and iPod touch and a multi-touch track pad on a laptop all put into a mouse.

Multi-Touch allows customers to navigate using intuitive finger gestures. Instead of mechanical buttons, scroll wheels or scroll balls, the entire top of the Magic Mouse is a seamless Multi-Touch surface.

And it costs $69. Oh, and it's bluetooth, so no wires.

Oh, and this is interesting. Apple adds:

-- To extend battery performance, Magic Mouse includes an advanced power management system that works with Mac OS® X to automatically switch to low power modes during periods of inactivity.

What do you think? I can definitely see myself getting one of these things. Let me know what you think in the comments or on Twitter.

Thanks for calling.

Psychology 3.1.2: What does your iPhone homescreen say about you?

2009-10-19T20:50:33Z

OK - The gallery of iPhone screens is up. The first study is complete. Click here to see it all and be sure to comment and let me know what you think!

That's my iPhone homescreen. Tweetie is first followed by Facebook - I'm a social media fiend. The rest is mostly about communication and keeping my life in order.

About two weeks ago, I asked you all to send me screenshots of your first iPhone screen. It's my belief that we can learn a lot about people solely based on their iPhone screens - and, specifically, the first screen, which tells us what our priorities are.

So what we have here, as it says in the headline, is Psychology 3.1.2: What does your iPhone homescreen say about you? I know I've already learned a lot about my readers and followers, and I think you'll learn a thing or two as well. What's more is that you are seeing homescreens from people around the world.

One thing I've learned so far is that many of you aren't afraid to jailbreak and really show your creativity. It's my guess that you all don't want to be told what to do - that you want your iPhone to look the way you want it to look. I wouldn't jailbreak my phone, but I'll tell you that I love how the screens look because they are so different.

For the gallery of submissions, check out this link. Then please share all your thoughts in the comments and talk to me on Twitter. And please do share this with others - especially people you know with iPhones. Eventually I'll do this again. It was a lot of fun. Thanks to everyone who contributed to this awesome social media project.

Thanks for calling.

Good news for Facebook on the iPhone

2009-10-19T19:11:57Z

I don't know about you, but I'll happily forgive Joe's admitted lack of communication on Twitter if it comes with awesome news for the Facebook iPhone app.

First and foremost, 3.0.3 is coming with bug fixes. For the most part, Facebook is pretty stable but there are some issues when loading old posts that drive me insane.

And then the big news, at least to me, and that's push notification. Joe has been hinting about this since pre 3.0, so it's nice to see that things are coming along. However, one thing that is going to make or break Facebook's push is the ability to customize.

I couldn't possibly handle getting every status update as a push notification, but I'd welcome the option to select certain friends. That level of customization is a must and I'd rather wait 6 months than have an option that says "push on or off." That's just not going to fly.

But I don't want to get too far ahead of myself here. First bug fixes. Then, a robust push notification experience that makes Facebook for iPhone simply awesome.

What do you think? You excited? Let me know in the comments or on Twitter.

Thanks for calling.

In app purchases now for free apps too!

2009-10-15T21:57:00Z

This is huge. Apple is extending in-app purchases to free apps as well, meaning the end of the need of lite versions.

Here's the announcement from Apple:

In App Purchase is being rapidly adopted by developers in their paid apps. Now you can use In App Purchase in your free apps to sell content, subscriptions, and digital services.

You can also simplify your development by creating a single version of your app that uses In App Purchase to unlock additional functionality, eliminating the need to create Lite versions of your app. Using In App Purchase in your app can also help combat some of the problems of software piracy by allowing you to verify In App Purchases.

Visit the App Store Resource Center for more details about how you can add In App Purchases to your free apps.

This is great news for developers and users alike.

Discuss it with me and everyone in the comments or on Twitter.

Thanks for calling.

Apple taking bigger stand over jailbreaking

2009-10-14T19:52:29Z

MobileCrunch has a great write-up today on what Apple is doing to get tough with jailbreakers.

My opinion has wavered back and forth about jailbreaking over the years the iPhone has graced us with its presence - I now understand the freedom that comes with it and that there are users who think the price they've paid affords them such freedoms.

So what's going on?

Apple, however, well, it doesn't want the iPhone to be anything other than what it is. And it's now taken steps in the latest models of iPhone 3GS to stop jailbreaking completely. Whether or not Apple will be able to succeed - there are a lot of really smart programmers out there leading the charge to make sure it doesn't happen - is anyone's guess.

And once I start posting some of the awesome iPhone home screens that I've been asking you all to send in, well, you'll see some amazing looking jailbroken iPhones. Literally, some of those photos made my mouth water, although I was also hungry at the time.

Anyhow, it's always a lively topic: Tell me what your stance is on jailbreaking? Are you for it? Against it? Don't care? Let me know in the comments or on Twitter.

Thanks for calling.

So THAT'S what the 5.6 carrier update does

2009-10-14T14:40:43Z

Thanks to the fine folks over at iPhone Savior, it looks like we know what the 5.6 carrier update for AT&T accomplished - it's the one that came right with the 3.1.2 OS update.

"When sending photos or videos in an MMS message, the progress bar would stall at about 90% then result in an error ending with a (!) red exclamation point next to the MMS message. The associated message failed to be properly sent, though standard text messages worked as normal. The 5.6 patch addressed that particular MMS issue."

Well that makes sense because that was happening to a lot of people, myself included. Rebooting the phone temporarily fixed the problem, but it always came back.

Read on for my short - but relevant - rant/suggestion.

It drives me insane when I update something on my computer - whether it's iPhone related or not - and I'm not told what I'm updating.

Apple is notorious for this, although I must say that with 3.1.2 they explained everything I needed to know up front. But that whole "bug fixes" thing drives me crazy. I have no reason to believe there aren't actually bug fixes, but which bug fixes? My bug fixes? Someone else's bug fixes? When someone writes me to talk to me about a problem they're having, well, I'd love to be able to tell them which update fixes it. Instead, I'm left with bug fixes.

The carrier updates -- in this case from AT&T -- usually don't explain anything, with the exception of the much-publicized 5.5 which added MMS functionality in the first place. But knowing that this fix was for the red exclamation point error (my official name for it) - well, that would have been most helpful.

So to recap - I'm looking for more openness when it comes to describing what's new in software updates and carrier fixes.

Do you agree? Disagree? Let me know in the comments or on Twitter. I'm all ears.

Thanks for calling.

An Apple Store for Disney? Yes, please!

2009-10-13T15:28:31Z

Why in the world didn't someone think of this before?!?

The New York Times is reporting today that Disney is going to overhaul it's approach to retail at the mall by creating a theme park type of experience - and here's the best part: They are going to be guided by Steve Jobs!

We all know what the Apple stores are. They are places of genius and magic where everything is just cool. From the theater to the genius bar to the displays to the glass staircase - it's one of those places you want to check out no matter what part of the world you are in.

Now Disney stores on the other hand? Meh. I mean, I remember when they first opened and it was all cool to look around and check out the stuffed animals. But now? It's a kids store. It's not some place that I try to go, although it won't ruin my day if I walk in. Not exactly a glowing endorsement, right?

But a Disney store that is like an Apple Store? Hold on!

I'm sitting here just trying to think what this store would look like and the images are going by so fast that I'm getting dizzy. I mean, think about it ... the displays you could have controlled by Apple computers and devices of things like Up and Cars and, well, just about any Disney movie -- I'm thinking Disney World type of experience.

Epcot Center is one of my favorite places anywhere. I used to wonder why Florida is the only place where you can enjoy it. I don't expect that to change anytime soon, but what if there was some sort of tie or some sort of similar concept in major cities around the world? It would not only be amazing for Disney and Apple, but think of what cities will do to get a piece of that in their backyard? I think they'd do just about anything.

I can think of a million places in Chicago where such a concept would not only work, but would be destination for millions of residents, tourists - singles, families, couples - whatever. And granted - I may be taking this a little far. Right now, the talk is a store makeover, but we all know that nothing Steve Jobs thinks about is small.

Please click on the link and read the New York Times story for a true taste of what this experience could be. It's not even open yet and I'm excited. The current Disney store and Apple store in Chicago are a block apart! I say just buy the block and rebuild it!

Whistle while I work ... da da da da da da da. Just whistle ...

What do you think? You feeling the Disney-Apple love? Let me know in the comments or on Twitter.

Thanks for calling.

Photoshop for the iPhone is sweet!!

2009-10-09T21:32:49Z

Well, there are a whole bunch of photo editing apps in the App Store, but I believe I just found my new favorite and I didn't have to pay a cent for it.

And neither do you.

Photoshop.com Mobile is out and it's great.

And the use of a simple-to-set-up online account (free for a basic one) makes this app even more powerful. You can edit your photos, and like any good image program, the changes are non-destructive and can be undone. You can use photos on your phone or ones stored in your online account. If you decide you need more than 2GB of storage, you can purchase additional space.

The menus are easy to use and there's all kinds of edits you can do including crop and you can apply all kinds of filters like sketch and black and white and pop.

Here's a link (opens in iTunes). I'm really impressed with version 1.0.

Let me know what you think either here or on Twitter.

Thanks for calling.

Tweetie 2 is out

2009-10-09T20:40:05Z

Just a short note to let you all know that Tweetie 2 is out today in the App Store.

As I've said, it is my recommended Twitter app.

Here is a link to my original world exclusive on the announcement.

And I know there are some of you that think you shouldn't have to pay for a new version. I'd remind you that new versions of software aren't free. Upgrades are, but we always pay for new versions and it is my humble opinion that this is no different and not a cause for concern, alarm or anger.

Let me know what you think of the version. I think it's clean and fast.

Thanks for calling.