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2010 predictions: iPhone OS version 4.0 features
As 2009 draws to a close, its a good time to start preparing for upcoming trends and advances in the web and mobile space. The first in a series, this post is all about what should be the buzz of March 2010: the iPhone OS 4.0 announcement. Read the story »
Why the iPad’s user agent string presents a problem
The initial impressions are just about done flowing in on Apple's new tablet device, the iPad. Developers in the iPhone dev program were granted access to the new development SDK immediately after launch, but one area that is still largely in the dark is web development for the iPad.
The iPad simulator included in the SDK does not include mobile Safari, however twitter user yassiryaha managed to figure out the browser's user agent string, probably by applying a UIWebView within a test app and tracing out the value. User agent strings, for those who don't know, are effectively an identification to the page being loaded to say what browser is loading it, it's security level, and other useful information for developers to serve up their content as best as possible for the content consumer's platform.
The user agent string for the iPad, and why it matters, is after the break.
NOTE: Edited after reader Andrew provided more accurate - and more consistent - information.
iPhone SDK 3.2 beta and iPad simulator released
Following Apple's iPad announcement today, the latest version of the iPhone SDK is now available in the Apple developer center. As predicted, Apple has not announced OS 4.0, nor has it acknowledged any new functionality for the iPhone. However, a glance at the launch date for the iPad, March, does tie in rather nicely with the annual March announcement of iPhone OS updates. Expect to see unnanounced iPad features that would be shared with the iPhone (read: multitasking, new ways to manage apps) to be announced at that time along with the new features and API's of OS 4.0, and possibly a name change away from 'iPhone OS' to something more generalized, as there are now more product lines that do not have phone functionality (two) than those that do (one). In the meantime, registered developers can access 3.2 in the dev center.
Website management the mobile way
Over the past two years, mobile apps have redefined the way we are productive on mobile devices. And as more and more apps flood the market, more niche needs are being filled by developers desperately seeking to find that killer app that hasn't been developed yet. The net result is a real win for the end user - more apps designed to provide mobile methods or streamline existing methods of interaction with various services. In this post, I'll be detailing how nine applications on my iPhone have changed the way in which i manage my web presence, all for under $20 cost in app purchases.
Lenovo Ideapad S10-3t convertible netbook now available
Lenovo announced the new Ideapad S10-3t convertible netbook (engadget) at CES last week, and it is now available for purchase at lenovo.com. Featuring a first of its kind capacitive touchscreen on a convertible netbook, it is priced between $549 and $649, and runs on Intel's new Pinetrail Atom processors with Windows 7 starter or Home Premium.
This offering from Lenovo is likely to be the first of a new trend of convertible capacitive touch Windows 7 netbooks, bridging the gap between the new slate form factor (engadget) and the recent but well established netbook form factor. Windows Touch, the new multi-touch UI built into Windows 7, has been hampered thus far due to minimal hardware support and a non existent touch application sofware library. Hardware appears to be on track for a big year in 2010, but, as with all new and useful hardware technologies, it's useless without solid software to justify it. Hopefully the beta app store announced by Intel for Atom based devices pans out and provides a consolidated place for these new Touch devices to thrive.
If the rumours about the forthcoming Apple tablet device hold true and it runs the iPhone OS rather than full blown OS X, these PC devices will fill a nice niche of their own, blending a mix of full OS flexibility with mobile app convenience. A compromise for most, but something that many business users will lean toward when 'apps' don't always cut it.
Flash CS5 public beta cancelled by Adobe
Well, that was quick. Adobe has pulled the plug on the previously planned for Flash CS5 public beta, initially announced at MAX in October. So much for getting iFosfr rolling before final release. Official statement from Adobe after the break.
Microsoft launches Bing iPhone app. Yes, you read that right.
Microsoft launched a fantastic iPhone app today. That sentence really says an awful lot, and what's more first blush impressions of this app are very impressive. Echoing the functionality of the web portal itself, the app offers a fantastic image search system, maps and navigation, news, and local business and movie search. The app even offers speech to text for entering searches. It definitely looks as if Microsoft has put their $99/year Apple developer license to good use. The app is available now in the app store. Additional screen grabs after the break.
Nuance Dragon Dictation app removes contact upload requirement
Nuance has reacted quickly to the initial negative response towards the required upload of a user's contact names to their servers, releasing a 1.1 update to their Dragon Dictation app today that makes the upload optional, and allows existing users to remove their existing data from Nuance's servers if they had already opted in. The data upload is intended to improve the recognition of contact names by the speech to text algorithms, however the previous requirement of this upload of personal data was a frequent topic of concern in initial reviews of the app.
See my original review of the app here.
How paid apps increase platform loyalty
If you've ever considered the switch from PC to Mac or vice-versa, you've undoubtedly faced a slew of decisions before opting to take the plunge. One of the biggest that is not readily apparent to many is the cost of software purchased for your platform. Depending on computing needs, the software dollars pumped into one's platform of choice can range from next to nothing if you are internet only user to thousands or more if professional applications are in the mix. But what about switching mobile platforms?
Google’s Nexus One and the future of Android
If you haven't heard of the Nexus One yet, you will. Over the past 48 hours, tweets started rolling in of a potential first party 'Google phone', flying directly in the face of previous statements from Google themselves of staying strictly a platform developer. Actually, Google still hasn't moved into the hardware space. Rather, this appears to be a Google branded HTC device, the Passion / Bravo (engadget link), which makes sense given HTC's history and future plans with the Android platform.
Google real-time search accelerating crawls?
Google's recently launched real-time search functionality, which pulls data from a number of real time data sources, including the now publicly accessible Twitter firehose, is enhancing search functionality across the board. It seems that hyperlinks contained inside the microblog posts are being immediately indexed, and in turn is speeding up the time it takes for new content to appear not just in the live feed, but in the actual crawled index as well. Try doing some searches on Google for the title of any new blog posting from a major source, and note that the crawled index lists the post within minutes at most.
The real time feed could cause far reaching benefits for all of Google's services over the next few months as the big G continues their roll out. It's a safe bet that as this technology matures in the coming months we'll see further improvements that are thanks to the accessibility of real time data.
Jeff dePascale is a web and mobile applications professional based in Fairfield County, CT.
