tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77509442596315547582024-03-08T20:09:57.931+02:00Raffi's iDeasThoughts On TechnologyRaffi Maurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17304236947411293261noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7750944259631554758.post-12121318563345580932012-06-21T21:34:00.002+03:002012-06-21T21:41:12.756+03:00What happened to Raffi's iDeas?Hi readers,<br />
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I'm sure you've noticed that nothing has happened here for close to a year now. It's a shame, I know, but I've been far too busy to post here. I just wanted you all to know that I'm still passionate about tech and have a lot to say about it.<br />
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I'll keep this content here for archival purposes; feel free to read over - some of the content is still pretty relevant. Be on the lookout, I'm sure I'll make a comeback someday. Make sure you're there cheering me on when that happens.<br />
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<b>Until we meet again,</b><br />
<b>Raffi</b><br />
<b>--</b><br />
raffimaurer@gmail.com<br />
@<a href="http://twitter.com/raffimaurer">raffimaurer</a>Raffi Maurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17304236947411293261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7750944259631554758.post-24788992293516231242011-09-01T16:53:00.000+03:002011-09-01T18:38:13.296+03:00The Perfect Recipe For Windows 8<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;">Microsoft is already hammering away at the next version of the Windows platform. It has been a few years since Microsoft released the last version of Windows and the tech world has changed dramatically. So to stay in the game, Microsoft will have to make some fundamental changes to Windows to bring it up to </span>today’s ever rising standards.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Windows 7 was specially designed to work well with Netbooks, as that was the trend at the time. Netbooks, however have not been as successful as many hoped. The initial concept sounded excellent – laptops that were lightweight, cheap and ran the latest version of Windows – but in reality, these machines where slow and bad quality. This realisation swiftly ended a short-lived era.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Then, led by Apple, we entered the tablet era. As soon as Apple released the iPad, it was apparent that although the industry had a long way to go, it was surely here to stay. Since then we have seen many significant releases, such as many Android tablets, the BlackBerry PlayBook and the iPad 2. We have seen the rise and fall of WebOS, and Android’s transition to a tablet optimized interface. The tablet space never stands still.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">In addition, we have also seen a few Windows 7 tablets surface, however none have seen remarkable success. And the problem is in the software. While Windows is workable on a tablet, the experience it delivers is nothing to that of it’s competitors. Buyers will not choose a tacky, old fashioned Windows experience above an intuitive, modern experience that works straight out of the box.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">But this is about to change with Windows 8. This new system will feature a tablet-optimised UI based on Microsoft’s Metro design language first seen in Windows Phone 7, but Microsoft will leave the existing Windows UI intact, in the form of “Desktop Mode” for the sake of traditional PC users and legacy applications. Both these things together will contribute to Windows 8’s overall UX, both on tablets and PCs. A perfect recipe.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Come on, nobody can say that they weren’t wowed the first time they saw that tablet-optimised grid of apps. There are full screen “immersive” applications that can be launched from the Start Screen, and these are developed in HTML5 and JavaScript. As well as this, all existing Windows applications will be fully compatible with Windows 8, but to run them, you are sent into Desktop Mode, which, like I explained earlier takes you back to a Windows 7-like experience. I assume most major applications like Microsoft Office will be given an immersive version, and most active Windows developers will begin creating immersive versions of their applications as soon as Microsoft release an SDK.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Fear not, however, because entering Desktop Mode does not close the Start Screen, it simply hides it. You can even run a Desktop Mode application alongside an immersive one, using a powerful feature called Snap:</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Snap can also be used to run two immersive applications side-by-side. This means that Windows 8 tablets will be the first tablets that will provide the possibility to do two things at once. Forget switching between apps – this is real multitasking:</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Windows 8 will be a hit on tablets because you will be able to continue to use the applications and programs that you know and love from your PC. They will be nicely built full screen apps (that will be downloadable from a built in applications store) that will have been optimised for Windows 8, and for the odd occasion that you need to use a classic-style Windows application, you won’t mind briefly entering Desktop Mode.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">On PCs, it will work the other way round. Desktop Mode will be your primary working space, and the Start Screen will serve as your application launcher.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Windows 8 is the bridge between a tablet OS and a desktop OS. The first ever operating system that will work on both forms of device. The simplicity of a tablet and the productivity of a PC. If someone buys a Windows 8 tablet, they could get rid of their PC because... they both do to the same thing and both run the same operating system. This is where tablets can actually become our main machines, rather than just leisure-time devices.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">So, that’s brilliant. Windows 8 on tablets. But that is not Microsoft’s only focus for Windows 8 – desktop users need and deserve new features as well. Here are just some of things they are getting:</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">This is the main change: Windows 8 will include majorly reworked version of the Windows Explorer, Windows’s built-in file management application. Firstly, they are doing away with all of the toolbars and drop-down menus in favour of “Ribbon” interface, similar to the interface that has been in Microsft Office for over four years now.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Microsoft claims that 84% of the functions that users use are included in the "Home" tab. Although this will take much getting used to for many users, it is a feature that will surely enhance the way we use Explorer. What this will do, is display features in an organised manner, instead of locking everything away in complicated menu systems. With the new Explorer, you will be able to be more productive. And as a side note, the “Up” function that allows a user to move up a directory has made a comeback having been booted in Windows Vista.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">It will feature native support for disk images. Users can now mount ISO and VHD disk images and view their contents natively, without using third party software.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">The new explorer will also include a simplified way to manage duplicate files. Currently, when you are doing a copy-over and have a duplicate file, you are presented with a windows asking you if you want to replace the file. This is fine. But if you have more than one - you are going to be presented with many Windows asking if you wish to replace, causing everything to get very confusing.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Microsoft’s solution to this is the Conflict Resolution Dialog. In English: a “Choose Files” dialog that lets you compare all duplicate files, and choose the one that you want to keep. Simple, but powerful.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Aside from the new tablet interface that Windows 8 will include, Desktop Mode will also be getting an update. The standard “Aero Glass” interface (introduced in Windows Vista) is expected to be replaced with </span></span>a more square, flatter interface derived from the Metro user interface used in the tablet mode.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Other small changes will be present, such as icon changes, new desktop background, but these are things that won’t have a massive impact on the overall user experience.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Microsoft have built support for USB 3.0 right into the OS. USB 3.0 is the third revision of the USB, and it up to ten times faster than it’s predecessor, USB 2.0.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Bear in mind that the new features listed above are subject to change, and many more will probably be added, as Windows 8 is still at an early stage in it’s development. Microsoft has stressed the fact they value user feedback greatly. They are expected to be releasing a public beta in the coming months - so anyone will be able to test it out and provide feedback.</span></span><br />
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I’m convinced that Windows 8 is a great starting point for Microsoft in the tablet industry. They have a lot of catching up to do if they are to become a major figure in that field, but this is the first and biggest step forward towards that dream. Microsoft will holding a press conference next month where they will reveal more information, so we will have to wait and see what else they have up their sleeve.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;">You can read about Microsoft’s progress on building Windows 8 at their official blog: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;"><a href="http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8">http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/</a></span></div>
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Raffi Maurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17304236947411293261noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7750944259631554758.post-76524182870459284672011-07-12T15:11:00.001+03:002011-08-31T19:47:11.240+03:00Thoughts On Google+Google has never been very good at social networks. Despite a few genuine attempts to become the world’s favourite social network, Google has, until now, never seen success.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">First, there was Google Wave. I, among many others would name it one of the most pointless services in the history of social networks for one reason – it is neither innovative nor creative to reinvent something that already exists. Wave was no more than an instant messaging service and an email service combined and this sort of thing is hardly revolutionary. And as Google already had such services in full swing (Gmail, Google Talk), it wasn’t long before Google Wave faced closure.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Next up was Google Buzz, a service built straight into Gmail. Google Buzz offered a very basic social experience – status updates, likes, and comments. Buzz was almost immediately criticised for being too public, and was rejected for being incapable and too basic. So as Buzz continued to fail, it was becoming obvious that Google plainly weren’t managing to keep up in a world that had focused in on social media in recent years. And this was a massive disappointment after their giant success with Gmail.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Google were doing it wrong. They were building and running social networks the way they thought they should be. While to them, these social solutions seemed brilliant and even genius, the general public thought otherwise and these services therefore fell flat.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">But Google weren’t finished, and were in the market for a third chance. They were prepared to give it another shot. That third try was called Google+</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Cautiously referred to internally as a project, this was like nothing Google had ever done before. And thankfully, they hadn’t made the same mistake again. Instead of attempting to invent yet another way to socialise on the web, they instead copied the model of the world’s most popular and well-known social network, Facebook. I myself had first impressions like “I’ve seen this somewhere before” upon entering Google+ for the first time.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">But, delve deeper and you’ll find that what they have done is actually so much more than just Facebook with a Google colour scheme</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: inherit;">Circles</b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">, for instance, is a brilliant (though slightly unintuitive for the layman user) method of friend organisation.</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: inherit;">Sparks</b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> is another nice feature (this one, however, is stolen from Twitter!) that lets you view topics that interest you.</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: inherit;">Hangouts</b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> is a fancy name for video chat. Hangouts are ideal for group video chat, something that Facebook has not yet mastered, somehow - a severe disappointment for their "awesome" press conference.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Google+ really provides the best social experience ever. It sports a great user interface and integrates other Google services that many people constantly interact with, such as Gmail and Google Calendar. Also, Google has released a brilliant Android app, and iOS users can take advantage of the pretty usable web-app while they wait for the soon-to-be-released iOS app.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">But what’s interesting, however, is that despite providing a great experience, Google+ doesn’t introduce any </span>ground breaking<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> concepts or features. Every feature that Google+ provides is an improved and renamed version of something that already exists in other social networks. So while Google+ is well designed, nicely integrated and a joy to use, it is nothing close to revolutionary.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">And this fact makes me wonder – will people actually bother to use it? I’m not talking about tech enthusiasts like myself who are excited to use it just because it motivates us – I’m talking about simple users who want to interact with friends and family. Will such users go to all the trouble of migrating their social lives to Google+ when they are perfectly comfortable within the realms of Facebook, with their already built up networks of friends? Possibly not.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Just because Google+ has been given attention in the tech world during it’s pilot period, doesn’t mean it will be embraced by the outside world when it is officially released. And even with improved functionality such as Circles, it may fail to be recognised as the primary social network.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Sure, if Google+ had been there first, then it would be the most used social network today. But it wasn’t - it was instead made up of lessons that were learned from social networks that were there first.<br /><br />Don’t get me wrong – Google+ is better than Facebook, but not enough to overtake it in terms of users. The reason is that Facebook has a massive user base. Maybe it’s not the best social network – but simple users don’t really care. They have their social lives set up on Facebook; they won’t bother to move away.<br /><br />I won’t write Google+ off completely, because I still feel that it has potential to become incredibly successful. But whether or not it is a Facebook killer is another question. But whatever happens, I’m just happy Google finally cracked it - giving users what they want - greater control over our own data and how we share it.</span></div>
Raffi Maurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17304236947411293261noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7750944259631554758.post-91382742524307950582011-05-17T19:55:00.005+03:002011-05-18T12:32:42.090+03:00Mobile sacrifices that build better products<div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Every single piece of software that is built is designed to work best with the hardware that supports it. That is the idea, at least. Be it an entire operating system, an application, or just a tiny background utility, this same rule always applies.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Take Microsoft Windows, for example. The user interface has been designed from the ground up to perform best in the standard desktop environment (mouse, keyboard, etc). Every single component in the operating system is designed to provide the best experience with the hardware that we use it with.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">And after the graphical user interface was first introduced, this fact just became part of the big picture. Software worked well in the environment that had been created, and no further thought was required. But came the day when a problem arose. As smartphones were slowly creeping in, an entirely new type of system was required. There was no longer a need for a mouse, and in many cases, there was no physical keyboard either. This was a totally new computing environment.<br />
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So the OS providers had to go and sacrifice their existing systems and invent an operating system that worked more efficiently in the mobile environment. This was the sacrifice of mobile. It was recognised that a mobile device is supposed to be an all-in-one device that is portable, lightweight and easy to use on the go. And once Apple made their historical move with the introduction of the iPhone, realisation sunk in that styluses and related external components were to become a thing of the past.<br />
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But what is truly amazing is that out of this initial dilemma, of having to totally rethink the OS, came products that were, in most cases, far better than the products they started with.<br />
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But it’s not perfectly obvious what makes these products better. People who joined the mobile community in recent years only see what they hold in their hand; they weren’t around when mobiles were first developing and don’t know just how painfully bad mobile OSs were when companies tried to mirror the PC interface model on mobile (Windows Mobile, for example).<br />
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So what great functionality came out of the “mobile sacrifice”?</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"></span><br />
<b>A better, more streamlined user interface<br />
</b>The best example perhaps is the Windows Phone OS, the successor to Windows Mobile. Microsoft spent many years trying to create a mobile OS that worked and looked just like Windows. In an attempt to make a fresh start, they created the Metro UI. A mainly text-based UI featuring very few icons resulting in a far less cluttered screen. The result is an OS that is incredibly easy to use with the hardware.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
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Apple and Microsoft are mirroring their mobile interfaces on their desktop systems, with Windows 8 and Mac OS X (see article: <a href="http://raffisideas.blogspot.com/2010/12/back-to-mac.html">Back to the Mac?</a>) and Hewlett-Packard have spoken of plans to bring their mobile system, WebOS, to the PC as well. This seems like a backwards approach and is proof that the mobile interface is far more logical and user friendly even in a desktop environment.<br />
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<b>Application Repositories<br />
</b>The task of browsing and downloading from sites that aren’t optimised for mobiles is pretty irritating. The solution was to create a place where all the apps for that platform would sit. This also opened up opportunities for money making on both sides (OS provider, and developer). This form of application distribution has grown to become extremely popular over the last few years (see article: <a href="http://raffisideas.blogspot.com/2011/02/app-trend.html">The App Trend</a>).<br />
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<b>Built in components<br />
</b>Smartphones have many built in components (camera, gyroscope, GPS, etc) which enhance the way we interact with the technology. This sort of functionality levels the device’s capabilities in some cases beyond that of a PC. This also opens the doors for software and technologies that can’t even exist on the desktop, such as Augmented Reality and Barcode Scanning.<br />
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<b>Conclusion<br />
</b>I find it really incredible what has been achieved here. I’m sure rebuilding an OS is quite a mountain to climb, but it was definitely a worthy action if it actually enhanced the way we see and use the combined technology. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if we see the death of desktop OSs in the near future.<br />
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</span></span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Raffi Maurer</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
Follow me on Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/raffimaurer">@raffimaurer</a></span></span><br />
</div>Raffi Maurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17304236947411293261noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7750944259631554758.post-69119460914806519982011-04-04T16:50:00.001+03:002011-04-04T18:29:52.568+03:00Two Weeks With Android<div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BsukQeKCK0Y/TZnPlHKTFpI/AAAAAAAAARk/D7SP-hUrRw0/s1600/74px-Android_robot.svg.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BsukQeKCK0Y/TZnPlHKTFpI/AAAAAAAAARk/D7SP-hUrRw0/s200/74px-Android_robot.svg.png" width="168" /></a></div><div>When a non-tech savvy thinks of a smartphone, usually the first thing that will come to their mind will be the iPhone. The iPhone is by far the correct and most logical choice for inexperienced users. iOS is both easy to learn and use (except for iTunes, that is) and works in most cases, straight out of the box.</div><div><br />
</div><div></div><div>iOS’s simplicity and ease of use is supported by the fact that it is a closed system. What you see is what you get, with no exceptions (this doesn’t apply to jailbroken devices, but I’m talking about a stock device). This is excellent and not so great all at the same time. I will explain why.</div><div><a name='more'></a></div><div><br />
</div><div>As I said before, it means that users can quickly learn how to use the OS and only run into problems when they want to upgrade the firmware or sync their data. But on the other hand, it means that more knowledgeable users who properly know what they are doing are closed within the boundaries of a smug, proud Apple realm. And it’s very tight indeed.</div><div><br />
</div><div>So of course you could jailbreak, but this takes time and is a fairly complex task. There is no effortless method to customize an iDevice to be exactly the way you want it. Apple want you to own and run you device their way, download only Apple-approved apps and use hardware designed only by Apple.</div><div><br />
</div><div>I wasn’t always this critical of iOS. I’ve spoken quite highly of it in past - praised it for it’s simplicity, spoken highly of it’s app store. But more recently, I have seen the ugly truth, which is that iOS quite simply isn’t what a mobile OS is supposed to be. It certainly isn’t what a post-PC OS was supposed to be. And all this changed when I started using Android.</div><div><br />
</div><div>I have spoken briefly about Android and it’s openness (see “The Mobile War: Apple vs Google”) but never in detail. Back then I didn’t know enough about it and hadn’t had enough experience to talk about it in great detail. But about two weeks ago, I received a ZTE Blade (Orange San Francisco) and have been very impressed with an OS I rarely acknowledged a few months ago.</div><div><br />
</div><div>So, Android is of course not as simple to use and is not as clearly structured. But that really doesn’t matter. Because when there is so much powerful functionality, and so many hidden wonders, that general usability really ceases to matter altogether. What I mean by “hidden wonders” is that instead of shouting about all the amazing parts of the OS (as Apple never fails to do), it is all left for you to discover and I am finding things all the time. </div><div> </div><div>Recently, we saw the release of Android Honeycomb (3.0), a handheld Operating System designed specifically for tablets. I see it as an Android equivalent of Apple’s iOS for iPad. But Honeycomb is so much more than iOS for iPad. It is built from the ground up to maximise the potential of tablets, whereas iOS for iPad was built to mirror iOS for iPhone and iPod Touch, which is exactly what it does. It is no more than a standard iOS build blown up to fit a 9 inch screen.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Honeycomb doesn’t resemble the latest release of the mobile version (Gingerbread) in the slightest. I can see many features and GUI elements that are included in the more powerful release Honeycomb, that could easily be brought over to the mobile. In January, an Android chief told a writer from TechCrunch that the next version of Android is to be called Ice Cream Sandwich (the version number is still unknown). “Ice Cream” is fairly logical, as each Android release name is a dessert, but what is the reasoning behind the use of the word “Sandwich”? My prediction is that this will be a release incorporating all of the best Gingerbread features and all of the best Honeycomb features. Essentially, a “sandwich” of the best of Android features. Should be interesting...</div><div><br />
</div><div>Android is far more affordable as well. There are many devices to choose from, many of which are cheap to buy and run. Development on Android is easier and cheaper as well.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Of course, there are downsides to Android as well. Lack of immediate official firmware upgrades means that people resort to flashing their ROM with an unofficial release (I had to do this myself). Although not too complex, it is still very time consuming and this problem could easily be fixed if Google and the manufacturers were willing to work together to push new upgrades to customers faster. But apparently there are not, so we have to it manually, or wait for the official upgrade to arrive. iOS doesn’t have this problem only because they provide both the software and the hardware. So no points to either side on this one!</div><div><br />
</div><div>The worst thing about Android, in my mind, is the Android Market. Firstly, it’s security system has, in the past, been show to be inadequate, although people try not to remember the DroidDream nightmare. Secondly, it is pretty horrible to use and the search feature is absolutely abysmal. Most of it’s content is brilliant, though. I was delighted to find that apps that had cost me on iOS were totally free on Android (apps such as Angry Birds and WhatsApp Messenger). At least there’s something that's good about it.</div><div><br />
</div><div>But as I said before, it’s easy to forget the small glitches and problems that Android has, because altogether, it is a much more powerful Operating System than iOS. And not only that - it is so much better.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Raffi Maurer</div><div>Note: I have been away for a while because of a special celebration. Now that I am 13 I will endeavour to provide even more insightful and interesting iDeas.</div>Raffi Maurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17304236947411293261noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7750944259631554758.post-85854052738623022742011-03-03T11:34:00.005+02:002011-03-16T11:12:50.775+02:00iPad 2: My thoughts<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-0CaQ1hQI5K8/TW9I2-clp0I/AAAAAAAAAPA/DqMqMMisbTg/s1600/Untitled.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="65" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-0CaQ1hQI5K8/TW9I2-clp0I/AAAAAAAAAPA/DqMqMMisbTg/s400/Untitled.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">So after months of rumours, the iPad 2 surfaced last night. A while back, I wrote an article about my hopes for the new iPad (see article “<a href="http://raffisideas.blogspot.com/2010/12/ipad-of-tomorrow.html">The iPad Of Tomorrow</a>”). Although I provided a handful of ideas that proved accurate last night, there were plenty I missed, mainly because I wrote that article long before the bulk of rumours began to surface.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span><br />
<a name='more'></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">The problem with these rumours is that they were discussed in such detail, which meant last night’s event brought only a few surprises. And Steve didn’t do a “One More Thing” as he usually does. Quite disappointing, really.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">So the iPad is twice as fast, thirty three percent thinner and point two pounds lighter. It comes on AT&T and Verizon and will be sold in black and white. I just hope they keep their promise about the white version, it’s simply beautiful. Then there’s a never-ending list of minor features which all contribute to a better tablet experience (at least they are supposed to).</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">The new device’s introduction was accompanied with the words “All New Design”. Every time they say this I’m completely thrown. Okay, so the back is now flat and there are two cameras, but there isn’t much more than that. There’s still a home button, it’s still a nine inch device. There is not a single fundamental difference – not one!</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">iOS 4.3, in my opinion is hardly worth mentioning. It only includes one noteworthy feature, which is Personal Hotspot for the iPhone 4, the ability to share your 3G connectivity with devices that don’t bear 3G capabilities (such as PC, Mac, iPod Touch). But honestly – how long will it be until all of these devices will be 3G ready? It won’t be long until all of this functionality will be rendered totally redundant.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">We have the addition of the front and back facing cameras, with full integration with the iPad 2’s built-in apps FaceTime and Photo Booth, and iMovie which will be available from the App Store upon the new iPad’s release. Speaking of which, iMovie looks incredible and is unbelievably good value at just $4.99. That’s the amazing things about mobile apps.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">The iPad 2 now supports HDMI out (with the help of a little plug-in). In addition, it will charge your iPad whilst connected, and supports all apps and even supports device rotation. The plug-in will be available for $39.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Smart Covers were introduced. Perhaps this is set to become a tradition – Bumpers for iPhone 4, Smart Covers for iPad 2, what next? Bumpers and Smart Covers are both designed in such a way that will enhance the user experience and keep the device safe, without detracting from the device’s core design. And what is their method? Simply create a case that doesn’t cover the back! Smart Covers snap seamlessly on to the iPad with the help of a few magnets. The underside of the cover contains a microfiber cloth that Apple claim will </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">clean your screen! But we’ll have to wait and see if this actually works.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-2pkasRqJTdg/TW9IQhPTt_I/AAAAAAAAAPA/veoRyVc6B9A/s1600/dsf.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-2pkasRqJTdg/TW9IQhPTt_I/AAAAAAAAAPA/veoRyVc6B9A/s400/dsf.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I’m a bit surprised that the new iPad doesn’t have a Retina display. Apple is definitely in the midst of planning </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">to streamline everything, devices and OS’s alike, so it’s a wonder why they didn’t include this.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Once again, I feel as though Apple has purposely underdeveloped the iPad. What about those multitasking gestures we saw a few months back? Although removed from iOS 4.3 after beta one, I think we will be seeing those again. But the iPad 2 is enough to keep people talking for a good year or so, and Apple can get to work on the next iPad.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I can’t understand people who sit there hoping that Apple will enable Flash, because they simply won’t. Apple only have one way of thinking, the Apple way, and will never step outside of the box towards technologies like these. The lack of Flash won’t stop people from buying it, and as long as this is the case, don’t expect any changes.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Steve Jobs said “This will define the category for years to come”. Indeed it will, until someone comes up with the next big thing. The iPad 2, although not the most capable of tablets, will definitely prove to be one of the most successful releases of the decade.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">And it looks like my Twitter feed is already filling up with iPad 3 rumours. This tablet era is far from over...</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Raffi Maurer</span></b></span></div>Raffi Maurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17304236947411293261noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7750944259631554758.post-25155965880309248532011-02-10T18:00:00.013+02:002011-03-16T11:13:14.231+02:00Facebook's Ultimate Vision<div align="center" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-H91I5L0pF84/TVQLFYeAyTI/AAAAAAAAAPA/lo0EMcoVJZU/s1600/facebook-logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="120" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-H91I5L0pF84/TVQLFYeAyTI/AAAAAAAAAPA/lo0EMcoVJZU/s320/facebook-logo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Facebook just hit its seven year milestone. That's seven years since the creation of the social network that changed everything. No exaggeration – it really did change the world of the internet. It’s true to say that for example MySpace was around a good while before Facebook; but look at where Facebook has left these once thriving social networks. I am not saying that it’s impossible for other social networks to be successful; Twitter (my favourite social network!) for instance, is surviving just fine alongside Facebook.</span></span><br />
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Facebook is famous for its site redesigns. And these redesigns never fail to kick up a fuss – everyone’s news feeds fill up with Facebook hate messages! It’s incredible that at the young age of just seven, Facebook has undergone five official interface evolutions.</div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-xEmznl6dVQM/TVQLMfK6xzI/AAAAAAAAAPA/sHX56Gb4lNw/s1600/profil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-xEmznl6dVQM/TVQLMfK6xzI/AAAAAAAAAPA/sHX56Gb4lNw/s1600/profil.jpg" /></a></div><div align="center" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: center;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">Its amazing to think that this colossal service started out in a university dorm, and has now reached almost every corner of the earth. I don’t think the inventors had planned for it to expand to this scale and this quickly. And Facebook continues growing as we speak. Just this week, they announced that they will be moving their official head office to the former headquarters of Sun Microsystems, where they will enjoy a more flexible and spacious future.</div></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;">I think it’s fairly obvious to Facebook and the general public that there isn’t much more room for growth within the confines of a plain social “network”. So where will it go? To answer, I am going to expand an idea that Mark Zuckerberg alluded to a few months ago.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">If Facebook managed to become the largest social network in just a few short years, just think about how far it could go! Thinking outside of the box - Facebook could become the underlying component of every form of social interaction on the planet (except for physical human interaction of course)! In other words, Facebook effectively becomes the social “layer” of the internet, feeding many other future software offerings that would have never been possible without it.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">But this is not another one of my famous cases of “time will tell” – it’s happening already. Facebook is finding an answer to virtually every single social application on the internet. Facebook’s new messaging system has rolled out to many users already, providing a email equivalent (you even get an @facebook.com address) and we’ve recently seen the releases of products such as Facebook Places and Facebook Deals.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">And the Facebook Phone has been touted for possible release this month. This might not necessarily be tied to a mobile network either. With constantly growing 3G (and related services) with global coverage; internet calls may be a more attractive option. There is even proof that Facebook may be testing their own VOIP calling system, as this “Call” button was spotted on a random user’s profile just a few weeks back:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-NdOEy9Ad0Qg/TVQLS1T8yUI/AAAAAAAAAPA/Xmtzp-AH5Fw/s1600/Facebookvoip.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="62" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-NdOEy9Ad0Qg/TVQLS1T8yUI/AAAAAAAAAPA/Xmtzp-AH5Fw/s640/Facebookvoip.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NdOEy9Ad0Qg/TVQLS1T8yUI/AAAAAAAAAHU/neKWiJJ5alY/s1600/Facebookvoip.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"></span></a></div><div align="center" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Facebook are slowly building up their services, and it’s only a matter of time before they will pull them all together into something incredible. That’s when everything changes. Facebook connect is just the start of their ability to take new software offerings from unrelated companies and plug them straight into the social networks social “layer”. But what else can we expect from them? A Social Web Browser? This already exists with RockMelt. Maybe even a Facebook OS? That may sound pretty wild but it’s no more wild than Google Chrome OS!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Whatever happens Facebook has grown too big to simply be overtaken by another company. But there are concerns from people who want better privacy and what a company of its size does with our data when it offers a social layer to third parties. When twitter arrived Facebook wanted to change the game from being private to being more public, but this is not what we created a Facebook profile for. Facebook will need to address this area by creating a better way to split what you want your friends to see and what you want Mum and Dad or even your boss to see. There are other companies waiting in the wings to fill this need including the company Diaspora. Facebook will no doubt be watching with interest and hopefully will continue to innovate.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">In my lifetime Facebook has ruled supreme but as I become a teenager and start working over the next 7 years I predict it will be a very different place indeed. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Raffi Maurer</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Default Font', serif; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>Raffi Maurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17304236947411293261noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7750944259631554758.post-1945456659639094802011-02-01T20:50:00.007+02:002011-04-04T16:43:11.780+03:00The App Trend<div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-9xiJ0qPSMTU/TUBtBeRTMFI/AAAAAAAAAPA/PJmDbxMVjq4/s1600/AppStore.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="104" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-9xiJ0qPSMTU/TUBtBeRTMFI/AAAAAAAAAPA/PJmDbxMVjq4/s320/AppStore.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">"The App Trend" as I refer to it, is nothing new. It's not talked about in the news, it's not mentioned on my Twitter feed. So when it came to writing this week's article, I had a choice. Either I could write about the fact that Facebook now lets you log in via HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure), or I could find a topic not so commonly discussed, delve deeper into the concept, and bring forward some of my own ideas.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">After all, that's what this blog is all about. Raffi's iDeas in not a technology news feed. If you need one there a hundreds of tech bloggers to follow on Twitter. Raffi's iDeas contains articles written only by me, generally on the topic of "Technology Culture". What I mean to say is, I will take simple technology concepts and expand on their meaning. Old techology is just as important as new stuff.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">But let me get back to the article. Mobile applications as I'm sure you know, are all the craze at the moment and have been for a couple of years. There are many home-developers and large scale app development companies around the globe, so these stores are constantly updated with new content, ready for immediate download by whoever owns a compatible device. And the bottom line is: </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>People download apps like nobody has ever downloaded software before</i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6Ps3FjMiWlY/TUKsOFidgSI/AAAAAAAAAPA/sTXClTQUBws/s1600/187px-Download.com_logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6Ps3FjMiWlY/TUKsOFidgSI/AAAAAAAAAPA/sTXClTQUBws/s1600/187px-Download.com_logo.png" /></a>And this truly confuses me. Why should these app stores have any more success than an online download site such as Download.com, launched in 1996 (fifteen years ago)?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Why are they different? What makes app repositries a much more attractive option?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Single Click</b></div><div class="MsoNormal">Downloading and installing from an app store is childs play. Whereas downloading and installing on a PC for many people is almost impossible. There are a million and one options and preferences to select. Finding a website to download it from, download, locate .exe file, extract files, select options, and leave to install for a while having given relevant permissions. Now it's installed; leaving your desktop and start menu in a total mess, full of shortcuts and links that are not standerdised in any way. You get the idea. With an app store, the proccess is seemless. You locate the app via the simple search engine. Simply hit install and enter your password. Wait for your app to install and you're away. These apps always work straight out of the box.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Central Repository</b></div><div class="MsoNormal">I think it all boils down to having everything in one place. The app store will notify you if there are updates available for any of your apps. If you purchase an app and happen to delete it, most stores will allow you to download it again for free as long as you had purchased it before. The iOS App Store even lets you sync your apps with iTunes on the computer. This will enable you to share apps amongst as many devices as you wish, as long as these devices share the same Apple ID.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Apps are Priceless...</b></div><div class="MsoNormal">...almost priceless at least. There is a large collection of free apps, which are amazing. In addition to those, there are many free "lite versions" of apps that would usually cost. This a very sneaky method of tempting the user to invest in the full version.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">And even so, most full versions are never priced much higher than a few pounds/dollars. Angry Birds, for instance is priced at £0.59/$1.00 and contains over two hundred levels. I have had Angry Birds on my iPod Touch for more than two months now, and I am nowhere near the end of the game. This, again, is another sneaky little trick. Most people wouldn't want to spend money on a PC game because they are priced at tens of pounds/dollars. But these micro-payments are a little easier to come by; one would be more inclined to buy something that is so cheap. And when you are paying in these tiny amounts, it's very easy to lose track on the amount that you've spent (that's why I keep a list of each app I have bought and how much it cost me!)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Reliability Is Everthing</b></div><div class="MsoNormal">Reliability is probably the biggest reason. It's important for the downloader to know that the app is relavant to it's description, virus free and worth downloading. Online sites like Download.com contain content from all corners, so it's impossible to be sure. With the iOS App Store, for instance, the app must be approved by Apple themselves before it is posted to the App Store. It's comforting to know that the app that you have downloaded has been approved by the people it was developed for. That way you can be sure that it is a safe and worthwhile download. The Android Market works in a slightly different way, but I'm not going to go in to that now as I disscussed it last week (see article "The Mobile War: Google vs Apple").</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Conclusion</b></div><div class="MsoNormal">It's no wonder why apps have been so successful. They make a lot of sense. The stores are organised, logical, reliable, and your desired application is one click away. But apps are going further than just mobiles. Very recently, we saw the release of the Mac App Store which is essentialy just a Mac-based version of the iOS app store. It has proved fairly successful, although it doesn't posses the "Almost Priceless" factor like it's iOS brother. But I guess it will be another case of "time will tell".</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">It's pretty obvious that Microsoft will come forward with their own app store in the next version of Windows, dubbed "Windows 8". This will probably be very close to the iOS store. Microsoft seem to have become followers rather than leaders like they were in the 20th Century. It's amazing how things change.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Raffi Maurer</b></div>Raffi Maurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17304236947411293261noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7750944259631554758.post-25719976361276168152011-01-13T21:07:00.009+02:002011-03-16T11:14:47.266+02:00The Mobile War: Google vs Apple<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
One of the most repeated questions over the last couple of years has been - which mobile-based operating system is best to use. There are many OS’s (Windows Phone 7, webOS, Symbian, etc), but you don't have to think hard to see that Apple iOS and Google Android are the most talked about mobile operating systems and seem to pretty much lead the "Mobile War".<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I'm going to start off by telling you that I can't (nor can anyone else) tell you which is definitively better. The reason for this is that they are totally different systems. They were built from the ground up in completely opposite ways and have developed in opposite directions. Apple’s iOS is a “closed” system and Android is an “open” system.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-rVPw68ZiFvE/TS86D-FduxI/AAAAAAAAAPA/Liwu94FsXe0/s1600/Picture1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="153" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-rVPw68ZiFvE/TS86D-FduxI/AAAAAAAAAPA/Liwu94FsXe0/s400/Picture1.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Left:</b> iOS (closed) <b>Right:</b> Android (open)</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">This means that there are a lot more applications (apps) available for download on Android. But this sounds very confusing. How can Android have more apps than iOS, when it's app store has only 200,000 compared to iOS's 300,000? This is because on Android you can download an app from virtually anywhere, whereas on iOS, you can only download Apple-approved apps from either the iTunes Store on your computer, or from the App Store on the device itself. <br />
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The official 200,000 apps on the Android Market do not include the apps which people have simply posted to their websites ready for download by anyone who wants them. Google do not have to approve the app before it is posted. Android is open! This is great from the developers perspective - you are sure to have your app released. But this prospect also opens up quite a few problems... <br />
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Firstly, you are completely open to viruses and malware, and even though Android has a tight and reliable security system, there is no knowing if you are totally safe. And also, there is no guarantee that you are actually downloading the app that the distributor claimed you were. This is really a problem. But it's pretty rare that such a thing should occur and if it does, it wouldn't be so hard to deal with it. <br />
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Because Android runs on a number of different kinds of devices (all from different manufacturers) Android has had to be optimised and very often, slightly rewritten in order to run on those devices. There are many different versions of the Android interface that have been created to run/look better on specific kinds of devices. <br />
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But for Google, this is a huge advantage. Android (although more than a year younger than iOS) is a much more popular OS. This fact is not related to the capability or functionality of the OS’s. It is more to do with the fact that iOS only runs on Apple devices - you can't have one without the other. Android runs on tens of devices not manufactured by Google (you can even run it on a device that wasn't designed for Android). That raises Google's chances of gaining more users. If the customer doesn't like the Android phone he/she was offered, then the customer can simply chose a different one. If you don't like the iPhone, you simply can't run iOS. <br />
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The biggest divide between these Operating Systems is the fact that Android runs (without a fuss) Adobe Flash Player. Apple claims that iOS simply can't handle it, that it would drain the battery in a heartbeat, but nobody knows how true this is, and just how quickly it would drain the battery. Skyfire showed that it was possible when they released their browser app for the iPhone and the iPad, but even so, they haven't been able to create a browser that embeds the content, and it only works for Flash videos. You can't even interact with Flash elements in any shape or form. <br />
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<b>Conclusion </b>As I said at the beginning of this article, I'm not here to tell you which one of the Operating Systems is better, I have simply outlined the differences, and the ups and downs of both systems. Having read this, it should become obvious which OS appeals to YOU more, which OS is right for YOU. And the truth is, they are both incredible platforms. The question has many right answers depending on who you are. <br />
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If you have an opinion or an addition to anything I have said here, please feel free to add a comment. I am also pleased to have released a mobile version of this blog which allows for easy reading on smartphone devices. <br />
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Raffi</span>Raffi Maurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17304236947411293261noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7750944259631554758.post-65950365573750477652011-01-06T21:29:00.004+02:002011-03-16T11:15:11.105+02:00Collaboration - The next big thing?<div class="MsoNormal">The amazing thing about the internet is that people were totally unaware of how far it would grow. It has grown to the point where the internet is the centre of our lives, be it in business, social activity or personal use.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">It started with email (which first appeared as early as the 1960s). It was the start of the evolution of communication. The next stage was IM (Instant Messaging). Based on the concept of email, with the ability to “instantly” exchange messages in a feed, rather than sending separate emails for each line of a chat. Makes a lot of sense from a conversation perspective.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">One of the net’s milestones was when people began to create websites. A simple way to release information and keep people informed. Then came VOIP (Voice Over IP). Hence the name, it enabled people to make calls over the internet. A painless way to call abroad, but only painless if you had enough bandwidth and you managed to hold the connection for more than a few minutes.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">“Can you hear me?... Can you hear me?...”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Blogs were (and still are!) the easiest way to share articles or even a few lines of information on a certain topic. There are blogs touching thousands of topics, and you are sure to find one that follows your particular interest.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">More recently “Posting Websites” have appeared. Websites that are made up of user provided data. YouTube, for example, is built around user uploaded videos.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I would say that the next milestone was the launch of social networks. The new definition of socialising and a new way to communicate. It breathed new life into IM and in some cases, rendered email redundant. Facebook are expanding on this concept as we speak.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Then we come to today, and the cloud. I have discussed it before (see article: “Google Chrome OS – A year on). In it’s current state, the cloud is just a storage area and a very unused storage area. It gives the ability for multiple users to gain access to files – but not sharing. It’s not yet seen as secure and not at all practical. People don’t trust it yet.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">So what is the next stage of the internet’s evolution?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">What we need is real-time collaboration on documents stored in the cloud. People with the ability to work on large scale projects and productions without having to meet face-to-face (i.e. virtually). Even the ability to work on the same document (possibly different areas of the document) at the same time. The ability to post boxed comments against design work whilst the designer is working on the same document. This would allow real time collaboration just like being in the meeting room working on the same document together.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Collaboration – real time.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-RVDsyU-BhXQ/TS9H7ZjpyhI/AAAAAAAAAPA/lUyFf6imUDk/s1600/Picture2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="142" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-RVDsyU-BhXQ/TS9H7ZjpyhI/AAAAAAAAAPA/lUyFf6imUDk/s400/Picture2.png" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Online collaboration could be a very effective tool for developing relationships, building agreements, and working with colleagues or friends to accomplish shared goals.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">However, right now starting your own online community or even collaborating online can be a little overwhelming. If you are an organisation, these tools probably exist internally. But, for the general public, these tools just don’t exist. And we are ready for them.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">There are many resources available to help people collaborate and these products range from extremely complicated with expensive file servers to simple online collaboration solutions (such as Google Docs). But what about the general public? What about their requirements for limited or public access to collaborative or virtual environments. This is the next step in the evolution of the internet. Forget social networking. My concept of online collaboration creates a social collaboration and networking environment.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">What is required is a follows: Simple online storage; ability to post documents through your web browser; ability to assign parts of documents and make changes. Essentially you can create an online collaborative document repository. Versioning will help to track changes whilst working in multiple groups. Security and reliability will be a major factor if this idea is to succeed.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I am very interested as a young tech blogger to hear from people who use these types of environments in the workplace today. These technologies already exist for large companies and I truly believe it is only a matter of time before this is made available to the general public.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Collaboration is for me, the next big thing for the internet community. What are your thoughts?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Raffi</div>Raffi Maurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17304236947411293261noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7750944259631554758.post-49694364312692278062010-12-23T11:34:00.006+02:002011-03-16T11:16:01.264+02:00The iPad Of Tomorrow<div style="text-align: left;"></div><br />
<a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-vO4kUUi2u7M/TULRbMJO3qI/AAAAAAAAAPA/u8PwDJ60G0M/s1600/ipad-LEAD01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-vO4kUUi2u7M/TULRbMJO3qI/AAAAAAAAAPA/u8PwDJ60G0M/s200/ipad-LEAD01.jpg" width="144" /></a>In my last article I talked about the most important technology of 2010. One of these, obviously, was the iPad, which I dismissed as something that is "currently" too heavy and very incapable. I wish to stress the word "currently". With ever evolving micro-technologies and possibilities, there is more than a million ways that Apple's tablet, namely the iPad, can be improved and developed further.<br />
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But this is a first generation try for Apple in this area. They built and released the iPad upon the success that was the iPhone. Although many people have forgotten this already, the iPhone took until it's 3rd edition (the iPhone 3GS) until people actually rated it. The two devices that preceded the 3GS were slow, and a whole lot less capable. It took a long time for them to get it right. And even now, a whole stack of problems remain unattended to with the iPhone 4.<br />
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What I mean to say is, it's going to be a while (years, in fact) until they get it right. It's not a case of trial and error, it's just that Apple's vision is years ahead of today's technology. They literally have to under develop their products and wait for the time when their vision of the product becomes a possibility.<br />
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So what exactly can Apple, at this point in time, put into the next iPad?<br />
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<b>Camera</b><br />
In line with a new product that Apple has integrated in the iPhone 4, iPod Touch 4th Generation and the Mac, we could see FaceTime come to the iPad. Apple is very keen on the idea of streamlining their products, so it's likely we will be seeing this somewhere on the next iPad<br />
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The iPad was highly criticised for it's lack of camera on the back, used to take photos. Although I never understood why this would be necessary - it's not like you're going to take a 9 inch device with you on a trip out. I can still see Apple adding this as it still makes sense, even if its not necessary. Lets not forget - it would just be more for them to boast about in forthcoming keynotes!!<br />
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<b>USB Port</b><br />
As the iPad is often used as a family device and often as a laptop replacement, it's quite obvious that it needs a USB port. People want to be able to share information and data between different devices at different locations. And if you're not keen on sharing information in the cloud (see my second article Google Chrome OS - A year on for more information on the cloud), then the only other simple sharing method is a USB stick or device.<br />
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<b>Lightness</b><br />
Using an iPad when sitting down on a chair is very uncomfortable due to it's weight. It begins to hurt your hands and arms and proves pretty unpleasant. In essence, it's not very nice to sit with. The <b>only </b>way this can improve is introducing even more micro-technologies and reducing the weight of the device.<br />
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<b>Capability</b><br />
This is less related to the actual device, more to do with it's Operating System, iOS (for iPad). iOS was initially designed for iPhone and iPod Touch and upon the creation of the iPad, Apple literally blew it up to fill the 9x7 inch screen (I said this in my first article, "Back to the Mac?"). The iPad actually does less than the iPhone (it can't make phone calls or exchange text messages) and does nothing more than the iPod Touch does, except for access to 3G networks. And considering it costs about £300 more than the iPod, something is clearly wrong.<br />
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The advantage of the iPad is it's huge screen. That means there is a lot more room to lay out information and to show off the incredible GUI design that Apple is capable of. There are so many possibilities when you're working with a big screen - I think with that on their side, Apple can improve capability and functionality of the iPad.<br />
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<b>Conclusion</b><br />
As I stated before, it's going to take time. Apple knows exactly what they need to do with the iPad and all of their products. But they are taking it slow, either because the technology simply isn't there yet, or they just want to boast about their amazing inventions/improvements one by one. Quite right too!<br />
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RaffiRaffi Maurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17304236947411293261noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7750944259631554758.post-53036966609753913892010-12-15T20:20:00.006+02:002011-03-14T15:48:13.213+02:00The Most Important Technology Of 2010<a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-XoODEmLUQU0/TULSSNrREbI/AAAAAAAAAPA/60IQbCq9WLU/s1600/2010-roth-ira-conversion-rules-limits.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="166" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-XoODEmLUQU0/TULSSNrREbI/AAAAAAAAAPA/60IQbCq9WLU/s200/2010-roth-ira-conversion-rules-limits.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
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Another jam-packed year is drawing to a close with hundreds of new technologies and new releases. But I'm going to focus on the main ones, the ones that matter the most.<br />
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<b>Apple iPad</b><br />
As a product that had been rumoured for months before it's release, it was hardly a suprise when Apple brought out the iPad, which ultimately is a giant iPod Touch. Currently it's too heavy and too incapable for me to show any interest in owning or recommending it.<br />
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<b>iPhone 4 + iOS 4</b><br />
Apple had kept the development of the next iPhone tight under lock and key until a tester left one of the prototypes in a bar, soon to be found and leaked all over the internet. Turns out this was the final design for the iPhone 4, which was released a few months later. Included were many excellent new features such as the beautiful Retina display, a camera flash and much more.<br />
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It was bundled with iOS 4, which introduced multitasking, an improved interface, folders and general improvements. I am an active user of iOS, and this update really boosted it's abilities.<br />
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<b>Windows Phone 7</b><br />
Well, Microsoft have never been that successful when it comes to hand-held devices. First there was Pocket PC, which turned in to Windows Mobile. These were not unsuccessful products, but not exceptionally great. Whilst all that was going on there was Windows Tablet PCs. Although a great concept, it never hit the ground and they almost disappeared completely (Tablets have actually made a comeback recently, but lets just say, they're not made by Microsoft these days!). Well, Microsoft's fourth attempt is Windows Phone 7. With an interesting new interface and an OS that actually works, Microsoft might be on to something. Only time will tell if it will be successful.<br />
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<b>Xbox 360 S</b><br />
Microsoft released a "refreshed" version of the Xbox 360 games console. Very few fundamental changes are present in the new model, although the entire design has been overhauled and the box is now black, instead of white. They made some changes to the port arrangement on the back and expanded the available hard-drive sizes. Nothing that exciting.<br />
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But then there was Kinect for the Xbox. At first, it may appear to have the same features as the Nintendo Wii, released almost five years ago. But Kinect is so much more. It enables the user to physically interact with the game, without touching any controls, or sensors. There is a Motion-Sensor that sits above your screen (just like the Wii's sensing method). This could really be big, but at the moment, only a few games are actually compatible with Kinect technology. But, give it time, and something good could be on the way.<br />
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<b>Conclusion</b><br />
2010 has seen the release of many great technologies. But in comparison to other years, 2010 has been somewhat disappointing. Think about it...<br />
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2007 was the year of the iPhone.<br />
2008 was the release of the first Google Android phone.<br />
2009 saw the release of Windows 7.<br />
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So nothing that huge this year, but there have been some interesting new technology, mainly things that could take years to come into their own. The road has been paved for the future of technology that is multi-touch and motion. We're entering an era of these technologies. Get ready...<br />
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RaffiRaffi Maurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17304236947411293261noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7750944259631554758.post-91004400273182310892010-12-08T18:41:00.005+02:002011-05-17T19:44:22.740+03:00Google Chrome OS - A year onI, like many other people, followed Google's keynote last night very closely.<br />
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They started off by doing something that was surely influenced by Apple, which was boasting about Google Chrome previous success since it's release in 2008. And good for them! As a Chrome user myself, I can safely say that it <b>is</b> the best browser I have ever used. And they have 120 million users, which tells you something about it.<br />
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Then they talked about Google Instant, a feature which they recently implemented into Google Search. The idea being that the search results load as you type. So in Google Chrome, the webpage loads as you type in the URL. Simple stuff.<br />
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"Sandboxing", which is actually a very interesting concept. It's not an actual feature, rather a technology which runs updates seamlessly in in the background and prevents malware from reaching sensitive resources.<br />
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Next, Google previewed the long awaited Chrome Web Store. These are different from Mozilla Firefox's Add Ons which simply add functionality to the web browser, I would compare these more to an iPhone Application. The difference is, these apps are usually web-based and open-source. I can sort of understand why they are doing this. Many people criticised the fact that Chrome OS was "just a web browser". With the ability to add apps that run under the browser, it will keep its status of "Web Browser" but could be considered an OS.<br />
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As demonstrated below:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-nzrdD_zM-k4/TP92o3YL1xI/AAAAAAAAAPA/E5S6D-9uxoI/s1600/6a01053596df9b970c0147e074d732970b-580wi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-nzrdD_zM-k4/TP92o3YL1xI/AAAAAAAAAPA/E5S6D-9uxoI/s400/6a01053596df9b970c0147e074d732970b-580wi.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And on that topic, Google began talking about Chrome OS. They said that all Chrome devices will ship with cellular connectivity. And you will be able to print to any wireless printer using Google's CloudPrint (I wonder where they got that from...). The chosen cellular provider is Verizon which is offering very affordable packages and Google claim that it will work abroad as well.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">They are pretty keen on keeping your system secure a seamless task as well. The system will be auto-updated in the background (like Sandboxing). The system core and most sensitive files will be read-only to ensure security.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Conclusion</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Google OS, even with web apps and all that jazz, is still just a web browser. And Google know it. But truth be told, the world <b>is</b> (very slowly)<b> </b>moving in to the cloud (wherever that is...) and this could actually be the sort of OS we could be using day-to-day. But that's the future and right now, I don't think enough people have data in the cloud and there are lots that don't want it there at all. At the moment I don't think it's strong enough to compete with Windows and OS X.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Raffi</div>Raffi Maurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17304236947411293261noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7750944259631554758.post-22301154228800555972010-12-01T20:13:00.006+02:002011-05-17T19:44:42.591+03:00Back to the Mac?Just a few months ago, Apple held a conference called "Back to the Mac". I had a little trouble understanding why they had titled it that. Were they implying that the public had "forgotten" about Macs? Or was it that Apple were revisiting an area of the company that had remained somewhat untouched for many months.<br />
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I was left in confusion until I stumbled upon an article (actually written by Apple themselves) that straightened out the story.<br />
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Apple first released OS X in 2001, around the same time that Microsoft released Windows XP. And Apple continued to spit out versions, but it was plain to see that they were struggling to innovate. I'm not doubting it - they created some great products within those years, but something was missing, something new, something great.<br />
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And it was coming.<br />
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In 2007, around the time that OS X Leopard (version 7) surfaced, Apple released the first iPhone, along with it's special mobile operating system, iOS (known as iPhone OS at the time). This was a true novelty to the world and people lined up in their millions to get an iPhone. Then in 2010, they released the iPad which generated much excitement (and criticism!), although it had been a much anticipated product for years beforehand.<br />
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So why is all this important? Well, this is where I will explain why they referred to the conference as "Back to the Mac". What Apple did with OS X was change it in to an Operating System which worked with mobile devices. The result... iOS for the iPhone. Then they took the OS for the iPhone and (quite literally) stretched it to fit the iPad's 9x7 inch screen, adding the obvious tablet functionality.<br />
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To create iOS, Apple had to make compromises, given the boundarys of mobile platforms. And often, those compromises resulted in discovery of new technology's, new possibilities and more. And that leaves the iPhone and the iPad, in some cases, more capable than OS X.<br />
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So by "Back to the Mac", they were talking about the way they are building the 7th release of OS X, Lion, due in August 2011. They took something good they made on Macs (OS X) and brought it to the iPhone. They took what was on the iPhone and brought it to the iPad. Now they are bringing all of the functionality back to the Mac. Folders, first introduced on the iPhone and recently brought to the iPad will appear in OS X. "Invisible" scroll bars are also included.<br />
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</div>There is some much that can be brought from iOS to the Mac, and so much that can still be brought from Mac. And hopefully bringing these features to the Mac will sprout a whole new set of functionality, just like it did on the iPhone.<br />
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RaffiRaffi Maurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17304236947411293261noreply@blogger.com2