Archive for Mobile
August 15, 2007 at 10:18 am · Filed under Web Applications, Hardware, Usability, Mobile, Social Networking, User Interface, Information Architecture, User Experience
Facebook released a new UI for iPhone users. Customized specifically for the iPhone, the UI is much more intuitive to use than the Facebook mobile UI (m.facebook.com). It also greatly improves the user experience from simply surfing the ‘regular’ Facebook site (www.facebook.com) in Safari on the iPhone.
There are no signs of Facebook Applications created by third party developers being supported at this time, but, I would imagine that Facebook has that on their radar for both Facebook Mobile and the Facebook iPhone UI.
Tags: Apple, Facebook, Hardware, Information Architecture, iPhone, Mobile, Social Networking, Usability, User Experience, User Interface, Web ApplicationsShare This
July 16, 2007 at 5:54 pm · Filed under Hardware, Mobile, Applications, User Experience
If you have an iPhone you may have noticed that when you plug it into a Macintosh, iPhoto launches right along with iTunes. I don’t mind iTunes launching as it is there to synchronize my music, and I have it open all the time anyway, but why iPhoto?
The reason why it is opening iPhoto is that OS X sees the iPhone as also being a camera. As with other camera’s, its default action is to (you guessed it) wake up iPhoto. I don’t use my phone to take pictures much, and I certainly don’t need iPhoto to open every time I sit my phone on its cradle to get a bit of juice. So, I poked around to figure out how to make it stop.
After fruitless adventures in both iPhoto and the iPhone’s Preferences/Setting (although seemingly the right places to look) I got a good lead on how to change the behavior. The application that controls how the Mac responds to how to handle what happens when a camera is plugged in is the Image Capture application, not iPhoto (and that’s the one kicker here-if you make this change, iPhoto will not automatically open for any camera).
To change the behavior:
- Open Image Capture (in your Applications directory)
- Open the Preferences panel (Image Capture > Preferences…)
- Change the drop down following “When a camera is connected, open:” to “No application”
That’s it.
Tags: Applications, Camera, Hardware, iPhone, MacBook Pro, Macintosh, Mobile, os x, Photography, User ExperienceShare This
June 12, 2007 at 9:26 am · Filed under Mobile, Programming
Thinking different, Apple released long awaited details regarding a mashed-up approach to developing for the iPhone.
At the core of the development platform is a markup language, purportedly called “HTML“, which will run in what Apple is calling a “browser instance.” This new leap forward in computing also embraces something called “AJAX,” which will reportedly provide interactivity.
Documentation is limited, but two relevant sources have been found here
and here.
UPDATE: This addition to the original post is about the only thing in it not completely sarcastic: Apple did recently post some iPhone web application development guidelines.
Tags: AJAX, Apple, iPhone, Mobile, ProgrammingShare This
April 6, 2007 at 12:18 pm · Filed under Mobile, Beta
1-800-GOOG-411. It’s called Google Voice Local Search, and it looks like its poised to take the sting out of your phone bill if you’re used to paying the steep charges for a simple 411 call. The new service is currently available in English only, and only to callers in the United States looking for businesses (not individuals) in the U.S.
What’s free?
- Searching (by voice) to find a business
- Connection to a business once you find it
- Having the information you find sent to your cellphone via SMS (if you’re using a mobile phone)
More information is available at Google Labs. 1-800-GOOG-411 (1-800-466-4411)
Tags: Beta, Directory Assistance, Free, GOOG 411, Google, Google Labs, Google Voice Local Search, Mobile, SMSShare This
March 18, 2007 at 3:12 pm · Filed under Privacy, Events, Mobile, Social Networking
At the SXSW conference, there was a phenomena I was exposed to called Twitter. Twitter is described on the Twitter site as “A global community of friends and strangers answering one simple question: What are you doing?” Twitter allows you to let the world (or your select group of friends) know where you are and what you’re doing via phone, IM, or online. I signed up to give it a try, and, well, I’m not a Twittter.
There definitively is a movement that is not only comfortable, but highly motivated to share the details of their life. Down to the minutia. As often as not with complete strangers. Everyone has heard of Flick’r, MySpace, Instant Messaging and blogs. Twitter is focused on a different level of information provided on a different frequency of updates; quick-hits of information, where you are and what you’re doing, provided as frequently as the Twitter user wants to provide it. An Instant Messaging Blog in some ways.
I’m not a Twitter for a few reasons. First, the people in my life may use Flick’r here and there or post some interesting marketing or technology tips to their blog, but they aren’t on the edge of the curve running towards the lifestreaming movement. Second, I don’t have the desire to share minute-by-minute (or hour-by-hour) detailed information of what I’m doing or where I am with my circle of friends, never mind the Internet community at large. To be honest-I don’t understand it. More than anything, what’s intriguing about Twitter and the state of online social networking is how rapidly the online social networker’s outlook on privacy, security, and transparency is changing.
Tags: Blog, Events, Flickr, Instant Messaging, Mobile, MySpace, Privacy, SMS, Social Networking, SXSW, Transparency, TwitterShare This
