Tag Archives: Apple iPhone/iPad/iPod

Tasks in phones???

We use (at least I do) our phones as daily notebooks of what’s going on and what needs to be done. But there’s one thing in particular that I don’t understand.

Let me start like this. I keep track of what needs to be done using tasks. Tasks using Outlook and Exchange. Together with appointments and emails this keeps me fully informed even when my laptop isn’t available.

What worries me is the absence of tasks in todays phones and the synchronization as first class citizens. Neither iPhone or Android or Windows Phone 7 support tasks out of the box. Not talking about integrating it with calendar views.

This brings me to the question: “What are you using as tasks or are tasks obsolete?”.

Can the phones be really smart?

I was recently thinking about phones and how these, now so called smart, device work together with our life. And I have to say my conclusions are not good. :)

I have a feeling, that the smartphone are still with us as another device in pocket. Isolated, kind of, from what’s going on around. I would like to see integration, more tight integration. But not limiting.

Take, for instance, how the phone behaves according to different ring profiles in various places. I can imagine it being after some time able to recognize where I’m. No moves, 10p.m.-some alarm and still repeating wifi network name connected to? Well that’s possible my home (notice I’m not taking into account well offering GPS or least last position before you got into building) and I may probably always want to set up same ring profile when I get into these “conditions” anytime from 3p.m. (just example). And not ask me what ring profile to use. Observe profiles being set for a while and offer me one later. Chances are good you’ll be right. The phone isn’t doing some environment changing decisions on behalf of you. It is doing smart observations and offering you ways to make your life easier.

I can provide dozens of similar “guesses”. But to take it to next level the devices should do two more things. Learn what’s working and what isn’t. Are all input variables based on time in 90% wrong? Well you’re (example) maybe traveling a lot and hence having random patterns there. The device could, instead of mentioned time, take into account calendar, for instance.

That’s learning or intelligence. We may consider being part of algorithm as well. But with next point, it’s really next level. And it’s inter-device communication. One could say incorporating cloud, a word so often used today. But why not. Devices would recognize (and ask for confirmation, if needed) “friend” devices. Like wife’s and husband’s phone. But not only these obvious cases. Let me show you example. You’re at airport and the flight is delayed, you start hunting for wifi to do some work, but you’re low on battery (read further to know why the phone thinks you’ll not do it on energy left in battery). But another people found power outlet somewhere near your gate and are charging their phones. Wouldn’t it be nice if the phone would offer you this information because it knows you are going to need charging because according to the location you’re five hours from your final destination stored in appointment in calendar (that’s why are you low on battery)? And the devices would not share only “there’s power outlet”, but “I was low on battery and found power outlet near me, it might be worth offer your owner to recharge you if you’re in similar conditions, are you aware of it?”. Know what I mean?

Sharing information is just part of the solution. Learning, passing ideas and decisions and algorithms, that’s next step in experience, in life integration, in life helping. Sadly we’re not there yet.

Shortly with iPad

Some time ago I was writing about my thoughts about Kindle vs. iPad. Information about iPad was based from different sources around internet. As my friend Petr Kaleta (Mac obsessed ;) ) recently bought one and I was able to play with it for a short I would like to share some of my initial feelings.

I was first surprised with the size. It’s pretty thick, I was expecting it to be much thinner. And then the dimensions. Again I thought it’s close to A4 paper, but it’s actually smaller and square-ish. Maybe I just got wrong impression from pictures. Last but not least is the weight. The thing is damn heavy. Really, it’s heavy. Forget about holding it with one hand only for a long time and i.e. walking with it in your house. You’ll be tired quickly. My expectation here was based entirely on Kindle. And now I really realize how light the Kindle is, though for comfortable reading in any position it’s on the edge.

Now the good sides. The display, although average in resolution, is great browsing internet. Wanna check maps or weather at home just before you leave? Exactly the spot where I see iPad as a great device. Similarly checking news or TV schedule or … Simply the handy device connected to internet you have home, using it for common tasks for which you don’t want to grab your notebook or walk to computer.

And as a reading device? I don’t know. I have doubts about the weight, at least until you lean it on your body or something like that. Another story is the display. I wasn’t watching it couple of hours in a row, but I bet the Kindle will be more comfortable no matter what. And the it has also the next/previous page buttons so you’re doing minimal move when turning pages. Sliding with the finger looks or maybe is cool, but I bet on simple buttons.

Would I buy one? For half a price, yes. Would I throw away my Kindle? No. Kindle is so focused on reading; and that’s what I like on it.

iPad vs. Kindle

There’s a lot of blogposts about iPad and why somebody (not) loves it. What I wanna to do is think about is as Kindle competitor, because that’s also one target for iPad (at least from what I’ve heard).

Let’s start with my opinion. If you like reading and you’re reading a lot Kindle beats iPad easily. Let me tell you why.

First it’s the battery life. iPad is declared to last for 10 hours. That’s funny. My Kindle with wireless turned off survives a month. 10 hours isn’t simply enough if you’re traveling or you’re on vacation.

Next is the display. I don’t think iPad will have bad display, the big multi-touch screen is sure a nice piece of hardware. But for a reading, the back-light is problem. I’m a developer and I read a lot from LCDs, but the eInk in Kindle is definitely another level when reading text. You’ll not believe me, until you try it yourself. Your eyes are completely untired after reading.

Finally some of my absolutely personal “arguments”. The size (from point of reading). I know sometimes, I’m saying that I wish Kindle (normal) had a bigger display, especially when reading PDFs (http://twitter.com/cincura_net/statuses/8600418870). But when reading pure ebook, it’s ok. And the size is, in my opinion, just good to take your Kindle everywhere with you. Not so sure about iPad.

Connecting from iPhone to Firebird

During the Friday I realized, that I did a long time nothing with my iPhone & MonoTouch development environment and I should try something more challenging. As I’m still fighting with some good idea for real world test application and my UIs are looking weird, I decided to turn my attention not to iPhone app directly, but to MonoTouch capabilities.

As a true geek I decided to try to connect to Firebird from iPhone. Although, thinking about it, I’m trying to connect to Firebird (or make it work with) with various technologies (Astoria offline, Silverlight, etc.). Because .NET provider for Firebird is pure C# and we have Mono compatible build, I deduced that it should work with iPhone too.

Sure, it’s a nice challenge to whole MonoTouch stack, because the .NET provider is more about the code than about the application itself. And we’re using there a lot of different things that can go wrong or may not be available or compilable to native code. And I have to say, the guys behind MonoTouch did a great work (I still can’t believe it).

With couple of minor tweaks I was able to create application that connects from iPhone (simulator) through internet to Firebird server. Pure C#, no hacking or major problems.


Application connecting to Firebird server and showing the server version.

First I’m impressed how mature the MonoTouch is. Second I’m still trying think thru all the possibilities you have with this. With some work on UI you can deliver the same database oriented application to Windows Mobile and iPhone using the same business layer (sure some webservice approach would be better, but …).

Interface Builder crash

I think the whole iPhone SDK knows I’m from the other side of the barricade. :D What else would explain the error I faced today after less than a minute when working in Interface Builder.

On the other hand I was brave enough to send the error report (as I was able to reproduce it quite easily), so maybe it’ll be fixed in next version. Good turn? Anyway sooner or later I’ll convince the machine that I’m not a bad guy.