Where are we? Android

Yesterday I wrote a rather positive article about iOS and how I see its future. Today is the turn of Android and my thoughts are also positive. The markets stats show that Android is winning in terms of market share, of that there is no doubt, but this group of Android users is split over many more parts than on iOS. Budget devices bought by those who never install an app, high-end devices bought by geeks and the trendy crowd and all of those devices in the middle sold by mobile networks to a significant proportion of users. High-end Android device ownership is changing, however, and the latest and greatest from the likes of Samsung and HTC are finding their way into the hands of normal smartphone users. They are becoming as commonplace as the iPhone and as well built (maybe not the S4), as reliable and as easy to use. They also arguably offer more flexibility to those who want to experiment and grow their knowledge of smartphones.

And all of the above is the Android advantage; it can be anything to anyone which ultimately is what is driving the market share it enjoys today. The fragmentation arguments, the constant scare stories about malware and the perceived lack of app and OS quality are driven by those who prefer the 'Apple' way. If it isn't done in exactly the same way as Apple, it can't possibly good in the eyes of some.

Despite not using an Android device as my main phone, that does not mean I can't see what is good, and at times great, about Android. The complete flexibility and choice is what I like and is what I strive for iOS to be more like. Some of the apps are inferior to their iOS counterparts and some of the hardware is just appalling, but if you make your choices wisely you will receive a lot in return. My personal view is that iOS has a very steady market and that it will increase, but that Android seems to be moving quicker and capturing the hearts and minds of more people now. It would seem that its lead is only likely to increase, but there are two potential shifts that could change that. Samsung could start to concentrate on its own operating system and Google could start to concentrate more on web services as a whole and not just Android. Look at the way Google is attempting to get its services on iOS and other platforms, despite some deliberate barriers, and you can see that the main focus is still on services for the company. I still believe, however, that Android has a healthy future and will ultimately continue to dominate and likely cement its current lead even further.

Weird phone habits

This article is about the iPhone, but many of us probably have some strange phone habits that don't make sense. The one below feels very familiar to me.

I know the ringer switch vibrates when I switch it to silent and doesn't when I flip it to noise. But when switching from silent to ring without looking at the screen, I always have to flip it three times: ring, silent (so it buzzes), and back to ring. Sometimes I do the same thing when switching to silent: silent (buzz), ring, silent (buzz). I don't know why, but it's like I subconsciously don't trust the switch.

Leave now

To all my friends still at @HTC - just quit. leave now. it’s tough to do, but you’ll be so much happier, I swear.

The above was tweeted by Eric Lin, former senior important person at HTC, at it's hard to see if this is just sour grapes or a reference to bigger problems. The HTC One is a good phone, but it seems to be struggling against the Galaxy S4 which I am guessing is killing it in terms of sales numbers. The best product does not always win unfortunately.

JIF

From The Verge- "More than 10 years after his retirement, he remains proud of his creation but there's one thing he's been wanting to clarify — the pronunciation of the word. Fittingly, Wilhite used a GIF for his Webby acceptance speech, reminding us "it’s pronounced JIF, not GIF."

I can't call it a JIF after all these years. I presumed he was joing to say it was pronouned (G)IF as that makes sense. He has gust jone and ruined it for everyone (see what I did there...)

Where are we? iOS

Many people believe that iOS, and by association Apple, is losing the ability to innovate at a pace that is acceptable in the modern mobile world. Many people believe that iOS is too simplistic and that it does not offer enough features in comparison to Android. There is a growing sense that iOS and the iPhone are falling behind, but I am not so sure.

Regardless of your feelings on the evolution of iOS and the apparent lacklustre upgrade speed, there is little doubt in my mind that the operating system and the way it works is pretty much perfect for many, many people. When I read comments on Lost In Mobile along the lines of "I am pretty much satisfied with my current smartphone experience and feel no need to change", the majority seem to come from iPhone users. Some see this as a bad thing, but contentment can be good and that is where I find myself at the moment, despite having a fascination with all things mobile and many things geeky.

It looks likely that Apple will change iOS and make it a lot flatter in the near future which could be good or it could be bad. The clamour of commentators asking for the OS to be modernised is odd to me and it seems as though many want change for the sake of change. There are some obvious improvements that Apple can make such as improving the access to commonly used settings, but on the whole the simplistic icon driven interface works well. Apple could be more open of course and allow apps to be set as defaults (browsers, email clients etc.) and sharing to any app you like like we seen in Android, but overall I believe that 95% of iOS works as it should and I find the idea of major change to be unnecessary.

The question of where exactly iOS is, which is the question I will ask of all of the major operating systems over the next few days, remains debatable. I believe it to still be in a good place in the industry and my perception is that the majority of iOS users will stay with iOS, is that more iOS users do more things with their phones and tablets than on other platforms (talking about normal people here, not us lot) and that it will only continue to grow. I don't come to these conclusions based on my personal preference, but based on the experiences of people I know. Those around me at work, friends etc. etc. It appears to me that the average iPhone user does more with their phone- no stats, no deep analysis, just my perception. I can, however, understand why that is the way it is.

Apple may change iOS radically, but I hope it doesn't. Progress does not always have to be born from massive changes. Progress can come from knowing what works and knowing what not to change. Those of you who believe that the iPhone is in trouble are plain wrong. It is as strong today as it ever was, and that view is based on stats, profits, user numbers and the way the numbers are moving.

Earl

The Earl Android tablet has many standout features including the ability to connect ANT+ or Bluetooth 4.0 devices to measure your heart rate, pace and cadence. A built in AM/FM/SW/LW radio tuner, a FRS, GMRS and MURS transceiver and many more features that will suit those of you who like the outdoors.

It is, however, the E-Ink screen that appeals to me the most. I want to try one just because of that.

Meet Earl, a revolutionary tablet engineered for the most extreme of outdoor situations. Built for survival, Earl works where today's smart phones and tablets cannot. Style meets efficiency with Earl's intuitive design, fusing Android 4.1 together with an energy sipping E-Ink screen and the latest in GPS, weather sensor, and radio communication technology. With Earl at your side, stay in control of your journey no matter where it takes you.

Tax

Stories like this continue to dominate, but I really do not see things changing unless the global tax rules change as well. Apple, Starbucks, Google, Amazon and so the list continues.

In its report into Apple, the subcommittee's chairman Carl Levin said: "Apple wasn't satisfied with shifting its profits to a low-tax offshore tax haven.

"Apple sought the Holy Grail of tax avoidance. It has created offshore entities holding tens of billions of dollars, while claiming to be tax resident nowhere."

Committee member John McCain said: "Apple claims to be the largest US corporate taxpayer, but by sheer size and scale, it is also among America's largest tax avoiders."

Apple said in its statement: "Apple does not move its intellectual property into offshore tax havens and use it to sell products back into the US in order to avoid US tax... More at the BBC.

Cassette tapes

The humble cassette tape, a happy memory for many music fans of a certain age, has staged a comeback for one Canadian company.

The first order came in 1989: 10 cassettes. With that began Analogue Media Technologies, a company created to help bands market their music.

Musicians would bring finished master recordings and graphic design templates, and Analogue, now also called Duplication.ca, would turn those materials into slickly produced albums, complete with labels, cover art and liner notes, ready for sale or distribution.

"We've changed products depending on what's been in style and what the demand is for," says Denise Gorman, part-owner of the Montreal-based company.

It started with cassettes and vinyl, but then the trends shifted towards CDs, then DVDs and Blu-ray.

Now, they find themselves returning to the medium that started it all.

"We're back to cassettes as one of the main attractions," says Ms Gorman... More at the BBC.

Vinyl- yes, CDs- maybe, cassette tapes- not for me. How about you? Is the cassette a valid form for carrying music or just pure nostalgia?

Can Knockdown 3 review

The Can Knockdown series has been the only mobile game that has stayed on my iPhones since they were first released. They have also been the only games that I have played regularly. It's hard to explain the reasons for this, but the way in which your exact movements are reacted to by the game is likely top of the pile. It takes a little while to get used to the throwing mechanism, but once you have it worked out you will not look back- it will feel natural, at times exhilarating and always fun.

When the second version came out, it was a natural progression of the first; better graphics, more variation, but effectively the same game. It has still kept my attention all of this time and as a fun diversion for 5 minutes it works perfectly. As an intense battle of concentration for over an hour it works perfectly. It does not matter how long you play it for- it just works and is on its own in my view as a mobile game that perfectly fits the smaller screen and which ticks every single box I want ticked. At least that is what I thought.

Can Knockdown 3 is quite a brave move on behalf of Infinite Dreams because it does more than merely improve the visuals. I will however, talk about this first. When you hit cans in a certain way now they will dent and they appear to be more reactive to the exact point you hit them at. This has previously not been a requirement, but in this new level-based experience it matters. The realism is added to by some strange obstacles that are designed to frustrate, but only a little bit, and backgrounds and environments that suit the genre perfectly. The music is not obvious at all and would sit better in a 1970's cop show, but again it works and adds a lightening effect on what is at times a dark and foreboding scene. This version feels familiar and new at the same time; the throwing is mechanism is thankfully largely unchanged with very minor improvements, but your goals have changed completely.

Previously you could play a series of games of which the best by far was trying to beat your high score over hitting different can setups over and over again. It sound repetitive and in some ways it was, but the repetition only appeared in sets and this makes the player have to understand every setup. As the setups changed the player would have to change their train of thought continually and adjust to the next challenge. Version 3 takes the idea of levels even further and you now have to try to get 3 stars on each level to progress to the next group of levels. The main difference is that you have to, at times, think about the order in which cans to hit first, how they will affect other cans and which is the optimum way to clear the level. You then have to avoid bogie cans, hit bonus cans and exploding cans in just the right order to move on. Add to this some levels where speed is of the essence and you soon find yourself experiencing every emotion as you play through challenges that gradually grow more difficult over time.

I can't explain the essence of Can Knockdown 3 because it is unexplainable. If you want a game that requires skill, patience, strategic thinking, quick reactions and deadly accuracy all at the same time then this is the game for you. Where else would you find all of that in one game? The latest Can Knockdown will follow the previous two and reside on my smartphone for a long time to come, and will no doubt be played regularly. Simply brilliant.

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The PDA that made PDAs cool

Launched in 1997, the Psion Series 5 was a clamshell PDA running an OS called Symbian EPOC. In those days of stand-alone PDAs that either looked like doorstops or were little more than digital address books, the Series 5 offered a potent collection of features in a pocket-sized package, including a big screen and a proper slide-out QWERTY keyboard that you could touch type on. The keyboard was the highlight; although it was small, it had large, responsive keys with decent spacing, making typing much more comfortable than the tiny keys or on-screen keyboards of previous PDAs... More at Medium.

Thanks to Richard for spotting the above article at Medium. Some of us are never going to let the Psions go are we. Never.

Jolla

I'm not quite sure what to think of Jolla and the newly announced Sailfish phone. It doesn't feel different enough to me, but of course more choice is a good thing. I have a series of articles coming up over the next few days that will look at the industry as a whole and which will hopefully explain why I believe platforms like Jolla need to differentiate more.

At the core of Jolla is Sailfish, a mobile-optimized OS that has the flexibility of a unique, open platform. This is the world’s best stage for your apps, including those for Android™. Simply and intuitively operate the device, entirely with gestures. All of the screen estate is yours, without the need to stretch for the corners or spin the device in your hands.

We promise not to screw it up.

Nice to see the above phrase in a billion dollar acquisition press release.

I’m delighted to announce that we’ve reached an agreement to acquire Tumblr!

We promise not to screw it up.  Tumblr is incredibly special and has a great thing going.  We will operate Tumblr independently.  David Karp will remain CEO.  The product roadmap, their team, their wit and irreverence will all remain the same as will their mission to empower creators to make their best work and get it in front of the audience they deserve.  Yahoo! will help Tumblr get even better, faster.

Tumblr has built an amazing place to follow the world’s creators. From art to architecture, fashion to food, Tumblr hosts 105 million different blogs.  With more than 300 million monthly unique visitors and 120,000 signups every day, Tumblr is one of thefastest-growing media networks in the world.  Tumblr sees 900 posts per second (!) and 24 billion minutes spent onsite each month.  On mobile, more than half of Tumblr’s users are using the mobile app, and those users do an average of 7 sessions per day.  Tumblr’s tremendous popularity and engagement among creators, curators and audiences of all ages brings a significant new community of users to the Yahoo! network.  The combination of Tumblr+Yahoo! could grow Yahoo!’s audience by 50% to more than a billion monthly visitors, and could grow traffic by approximately 20%.

Predict the future of mobile in 150 words

You have until 7th June 2013 to send me your prediction for the 'future of mobile' in 150 words or less. The best answer received will win £50 (or local equivalent) which will be paid by your method of choice on 8th June.

All answers need to be sent to shaun (at) mailstm.co.uk. Good luck!

Image courtesy of gamethu.vnexpress.

Messaging?

With the announcement that BlackBerry Messenger is heading to iOS and Android and that Google is improving Hangouts, are you likely to try them to see if they are better than what you already use? Also, what do you use currently? It's WhatsApp and iMessage for me.

The Lumia 925 camera

Nokia has published a feature comparing the Lumia 925 camera with the Sony Xperia Z, iPhone 5, Samsung Galaxy S4 and HTC One.

The end result is indeed impressive, but my personal choice is to buy a brilliant phone with a decent camera, not a really good camera that is an adequate phone. Maybe the 925 is streets ahead of the other Windows Phone devices, but I think it is quickly becoming obvious that this platform needs something more to happen on the hardware and software front. It's already looking a little stale.

Car mode

New! Car Mode for iPhone. A simplified interface that allows you to safely and easily control Stitcher while driving in both portrait and landscape orientations. Tap the Stitcher Logo at top of any screen to select car mode.

Good to see the Stitcher Radio app receive an update that makes using it when in a car easier. All podcast apps and music players should include a car mode- would make life a lot easier.

Focus, Damn It!

The photos fail to tell the story well by falling short of basic photojournalism requirements: good composition, sharp focus, and a decent dynamic range. Some shots benefit from pushing back against those givens; most do not. A photo accompanying an article as documentary fact should tell a story to the reader as well as the words it complements. Shortcomings in photos are more immediately obvious to readers than shortcomings in words.

Reporters rely on their iPhone, Android phone, or other devices for a wide range of circumstances in which they don’t work, and that reduces the value of their reporting in an age when freelancer writers should be able to produce words, pictures, audio, and video — and even package that combination into a pitch, if not a final deliverable product... More at Medium.

A refreshing perspective.