When Will Apple?

Hoping one day I can download iOS apps without returning home

2012-03-16T14:26:28Z

Does it annoy anyone else that every time you buy and app it takes you out of the app store and back to the home screen to watch a progress bar? No? Well what’s wrong with you, it’s super annoying? If you answer yes, there is some hope that this may change in the future (probably not though).

I hadn’t downloaded Purchased apps for the app store in a while, but when setting up my new iPad (since I did it as new) I was downloading my apps using this method and to my surprise I was able to quickly go through the list tapping the download button next to each app while staying in the app store. The icon just changed to [Installing] then [Installed], making it quite easy to get all my old apps back on my new iPad. Sadly updating and installing first time downloads still takes you back to the home screen.

Why does Apple do this? My guess for new apps is to see where your new app’s home is on the home screen. I think it’s unnecessary, but what do I know? Why they do it for updating apps is anyone’s guess, although it’s not quite as annoying for updates as it is when you are shopping around in the app store.

What do you think about this? Piss you off or you couldn’t care less? Comment or Tweet me @justin_horn

I still don’t think the 2012 iPhone will have a 4 inch screen, maybe 3.85 inches

2012-01-25T22:35:31Z

Seth Weintraub of 9to5Mac got a tip from a Foxconn employee discussing some new iPhone prototypes:

The source said various sample devices are also floating around (they vary slightly from one another), so it is impossible to tell which one will be the final. Some things in common with all of them, however, are:

4+ inch display (made by LG on at least one of them).

No teardrop-shaped devices, as rumored in the lead up to the iPhone 4S. Samples so far have been symmetrical in thickness (also longer/wider).

Neither of the sample devices have the iPhone 4/4S form factor.

Neither of the devices are the final versions.

Also:

If we follow patterns and give a five month-ish lead time, it would appear that Apple is back on its new iPhone launch for summer

Most people I’ve spoken to, mostly on Twitter, seem to think the iPhone will, at least for the 2012 version, be on a fall release like the iPhone 4S. I’ve always thought the iPhone 4S was “delayed” and the 2012 iPhone would come out in the normal summer June / July release schedule, more likely July. So I agree with this part of the rumor.

UPDATE John Gruber chimes in, saying that production hasn’t started. Even though I trust Gruber’s sources, I still don’t think we’ll have to wait till October for the next iPhone.

I also agree that the teardrop shape is not going to happen. It just doesn’t seem to fit with the direction Apple is going. I could be wrong, but I hope not.

Now onto that 4 inch screen. This is not going to happen. The first, although maybe not the most obvious, reason was brought to my attention last year by Dustin Curtis’s 3.5 Inches post:

Touching the upper right corner of the screen on the Galaxy S II using one hand, with its 4.27-inch screen, while you’re walking down the street looking at Google Maps, is extremely difficult and frustrating. I pulled out my iPhone 4 to do a quick test, and it turns out that when you hold the iPhone in your left hand and articulate your thumb, you can reach almost exactly to the other side of the screen. This means it’s easy to touch any area of the screen while holding the phone in one hand, with your thumb. It is almost impossible to do this on the Galaxy S II.

Another great point, brought up by John Gruber in his post regarding the iPhone 4S event:

Apple decided on the optimal size for an iPhone display back in 2006. If they thought 4-inches was better, overall, as the one true size for the iPhone display, then the original iPhone would have had a 4-inch display. It’s not like 4-inch screens are harder to make, or use some sort of new technology. If anything they’re surely easier to make, as the pixels are less dense.

Now onto my more boring technical point that has been brought up before, but really does seem to be a very logical reason for not going to 4 inches, the retina display. The current iPhone screen is 3.5 inches diagonal. Well, it’s actually 9 cm (3.54 inches), which is why I had trouble figuring out how Apple got to a pixel density of 326 ppi. Let’s see what happens when we increase the size to 4 inches using a formula from Wikipedia: Pixel Density.

First we calculate the diagonal resolution in pixels.

Then use that to determine the PPI.

dp = sqrt(960^2 + 640^2) = 1153.776

PPI iPhone 4/4S 3.5″ Screen = 1153.776 / 3.53 = 325.926

PPI 4.0″ Screen = 1153.776 / 4.0 = 288.444

According to Steve Jobs magic number for retina display, 300ppi, the 4 inch screen falls short. Can you imagine the press backlash if they still call this 288ppi screen a retina display? A term coined by Apple? It won’t happen.

So now you’re thinking, they can just squeeze in some more pixels, just like they did when first going to the retina display. Yes, they probably could bump up the pixels to something like 1024 x 682, but do you think they would want to require app developers to make a third set of graphics, for a 5-10% improvement in quality. I also doubt Apple, a details oriented company, would want to stretch all the current graphics even 1% to achieve this mythical 4 inch screen.

UPDATE Also in John Gruber’s “chime in“, he says:

Longer and wider? Sounds like bullshit. I can see Apple putting a bigger display on a device of the same size. I can’t see them making a bigger device.

I agree. I think the next iPhone would be smaller and lighter if anything. Also, I could see Apple increasing the size up to about 3.85 inches which, at the same resolution of 960 x 640, holds to the minimum 300ppi needed for retina display. This also plays into iPhone 5 rumors last year, where the screen went all the way to the edge of the iPhone shell, for a small screen size increase.

AT&T changes data plans again: more GB, more money

2012-01-19T00:41:01Z

AT&T is missing that $5 (x2 iPhones) from me every month since I switched off their “unlimited” plan. So now they want to offer people 1 more GB and get that $5 back. Same as last time they did this, if you want to stay on your current plan, you don’t have to change. So only downside for me, I no longer have the option to turn on tethering (which would now be $50 vs $45) for one month and then turn it off again without being forced into the $30 for 3GB plan.

Still AT&T’s biggest dick move is still not offering text plans besides 20 cents per text and unlimited, basically forcing me to keep unlimited text messaging even though most of my texting is iMessaging now. Verizon still offers these text plans, so I am tempted to switch.

AT&T Press Release:

AT&T today announced new data plans for smartphone and tablet customers that will launch this Sunday, January 22. The plans give customers more data and value.

The new smartphone plans include:

AT&T Data Plus 300MB: $20 for 300MB

AT&T Data Pro 3GB: $30 for 3GB

AT&T Data Pro 5GB: $50 for 5GB, with mobile hotspot / tethering

Smartphone customers needing additional data can pay $10 per additional gigabyte on the AT&T Data Pro 3GB and Data Pro 5GB plans; AT&T Data Plus users will receive an extra 300MB for $20.

The new tablet plans* include:

AT&T DataConnect 3GB: $30 for 3GB

AT&T DataConnect 5GB: $50 for 5GB

Existing smartphone and tablet customers will have the choice of keeping their current plans or choosing one of these new plans, and the current $14.99 for 250MB plan for tablet customers will remain available.

(via Android Central)

iOS 5.1 beta 3 released to devs via iOS software update

2012-01-09T19:40:39Z

Discovered by @funguyom, the iPhone 4S Enable 3G switch is back. At first it was assumed this was a hardware issue using the combine CDMA / GSM chip, but glad to see this update add this ability back in. Or else what would us AT&T users do when their 3G network goes down?

Kindle Fire’s one touch solution button

2011-12-21T17:04:45Z

Conan O’Brien showing off that he’s just as tech savvy as Jimmy Fallon. Good stuff.

Via Philip Elmer-DeWitt

NFL to stream playoffs and superbowl to web and mobile devices

2011-12-21T01:24:02Z

CNN Tech:

The upcoming wild card games, the Pro Bowl and the Super Bowl — TV’s most-watched annual event — will be streamed for free to computers on NFL.com and NBCSports.com.

That’s the good news. The bad is for mobile devices it’s Verizon only, plus there is an extra fee for non LTE devices like the iPhone and iPad:

Verizon smartphones with a high-speed 4G LTE data plan can stream the games through the NFL Mobile app for free, a spokeswoman for the carrier said. Mobile devices with 3G service, such as the iPhone, iPad or older smartphones, require a $10-per-month Verizon Video subscription, she said.

I’m on AT&T for my iPhone and have a WIFI only iPad, I’ll be watching on the old fashion DVR and HDTV.

iOS 5.1 released to developers

2011-12-21T02:12:52Z

That is all…for now.

So far, don’t see any noticeable changes from iOS 5.0.1.

I got this error when first getting back on the phone. Not sure if this is referring to CDMA / GSM or something with the Dual Antenna.

Siri makes sending group messages a bit easier

2011-11-18T21:37:09Z

If you’ve ever tried to send a group message to more than a couple friends with the built in Messages app, you know it’s not very convenient. You have to type each persons name or hit the add contact button, add one person, then repeat. It would be great to hit the add button, select multiple recipients, and then return back to the message screen, but so far Apple is saving that for a future update. This could possibly be the breakthrough feature of iOS 6, you heard it here first.

All jokes aside, I discovered, by accident¹ of course, that you can create a group text by separating people with “and”, like this:

Siri: Do Do
Me: Send text to Girlfriend and Chiyin and Jason and Miguel and Tom and Monica
Siri: What do you want to say to these six people?

It has worked well for me on my test, getting all the names right, but if you aren’t sure, you can just tap the message inside Siri to open up the Messages app with all the names populated.

1. I was trying to text my girlfriend Nicole, “Mother nature cleaned my car”, but instead Siri understood, “Text Nicole, And mother nature cleaned my car” as ” Text Nicole and Mom, Nature cleaned my car”.

AT&T bumps up the upgrade eligibility date for iPhone 4 buyers

2011-11-03T04:33:37Z

Just saw a Tweet from Neven Mrgan stating that those who had a November 25 upgrade eligibility date (the ones that bought iPhone 4 on release date) are now eligible to buy an iPhone 4S at full discounted price, about a month early. I just checked on my girlfriend’s account and confirmed this myself. Not sure if this only applies to those who had the November 25th date, or if it goes beyond that, so if you were close go check it!

(via @mrgan)

Walter Isaacson: In the end, Bill makes the Zune and Steve makes the iPod [Video]

2011-10-26T04:09:20Z

Yes, the Zune is still the butt of jokes. I first noticed this trend way back in October of 2008, when NBC’s TV show Chuck joked about owning a Zune.

Now 3 years later Walter Isaacson, the author who wrote Steve Jobs biography, joins in on the fun. Isaacson, appearing on The Daily Show with John Stewart, highlights Steve Jobs’ more artistic and mystical style compared to Bill Gates’ brains and business sense.