Life with Me in the middle
mobile
Intuitive User Interfaces introduces a learning UI for Android
Feb 9th
Android has its fair share of custom user interface front ends, each customized by different manufacturers to tailor to its targeted audience. Today Intuitive User Interfaces released a new interface they claim is “based on understanding and predicting which actions users want to perform in various situation, and enabling those actions with one touch”. The entire interface is based on predicting what the user wants to see and displaying it in a new 3D design.
The new innovative interface was written to provide three major aspects:
- Personal – The phone understands which features and actions are important to different users, as each individual user utilizes the phone differently.
- Relevant – Users perform different actions in different scenarios. By identifying these associations, a set of the most relevant actions for a specific situation is presented to the user.
- Intuitive – The activation of these actions is easy, simple and instantaneous.
Having a user interface that knows what I’m thinking based on actions and locations seems like a great idea. However combined with the fragmentation that Android already faces I can’t see this being a big success. Had this been the interface that shipped with Android from conception things might be a bit different. What are you thoughts?
image provided by androidcommunity.com
via Intuitive User Interfaces Introduces One Touch User Experience for Mobile Phones.
Mobile application stores need a personality
Feb 8th
Image provided by nowsourcing.com
As I move from phone to phone exploring all the different choices we have in the application stores (Ovi, Apple App Store, Android Marketplace) there is one thing that they all share in common. Each lacks personalization and personality. Some could argue that having the ability to have applications suggested to you based on what you browse or purchase is a form of personalization but this is not enough to make it a compelling experience for most.
How many times have you found an application you would like to try but don’t have the time or resources to do so? What if the application store gave you the ability to add the application to a want list so you can follow up at a later date. If you chose to be notified with reminders one would be sent out at a predefined time to remind you to review the items. Currently if you browse away from that application the chances that you will come back to it and buy it in the future are slim to none.
Apple attempts to capture your likes and dislikes through the use of their Genius engine but if you have ever used it before you know that it is about as helpful as a sled without snow. Why not add the ability to like and dislike application types prior to actually buying the applications. With this in place a better suggestive engine could be built and custom tailored for each user. If you are anything like me you don’t want to spend your hard earned money just to rate something. Obviously the like/dislike system wouldn’t be public to other users and would be used primarily to make your experience a better one on the store itself. The existing rating (5 star) system would remain in place for public ratings for the applications themselves.
Last on my list is a developer/consumer communication channel. Every application store fails thus far with binding the consumer with an easy to use developer support channel. Because all application stores are not made equal, the developers are having a hard time keeping up with demand and support with their applications. What if a normalized developer support channel was setup for all mobile application stores? Not only would we see more cross platform development but the user experience would be much more friendly and consistent.
If you could change your favorite mobile application store to be have more personality with higher levels of personalization what would you suggest? The gates are open….
The Symbian Foundation gives away source code on a flash drive
Feb 8th
This is a brilliant idea to boost more excitement about the only truly open mobile operating system. If you want in on the action you better get to retweeting right away. Best of luck to you all.
QTC Technology and what it can do for you
Feb 8th
After reading the post by Engadget regarding Samsung EM picking up a contract with Peratech I decided to dig in to see how this new technology could be applied to mobile devices. Lets start off by defining what QTC is.
Quantum Tunnelling Composite (QTC) is a new class of electrically conductive material that has been developed to advance the capability of switching and sensing systems. QTC is a pressure switching and sensing material technology.
QTC is a patented technology developed in the UK by Peratech Limited based on original discoveries by David and Chris Lussey, the company’s founders.
First produced in 1996, QTC is a composite material made from metal filler particles combined with an elastomeric binder, typically silicone rubber. The unique method of combining these raw materials results in a composite which exhibits significantly different electrical properties when compared with any other electrically conductive material.
QTC was not designed specifically for mobile devices and has a wide range of usage. The technology was designed for any touch sensitive applications, supporting both light touches to the surface or hard presses like a virtual button.
The more research you do into QTC technology the more you realize how useful this type of technology would be in the mobile space. Due to the pressure-sensing aspects of QTC you could easily create new user interface elements to behave differently based on the pressure being applied to the screen. An example would be pressed a email message in your inbox lightly would open the message while pressing harder could fire off a predefined task such as delete/move. The potential of this technology is massive and could being a new level of innovation that we have yet to imagine. For those of us that tend to like “real” buttons on hand held devices this could bring the best of both worlds while allowing us to keep our large hi-resolution screens.
What are your ideas for the use of QTC pressure-sensing and switching? The gates are open, voice your ideas.
Looking for a Android phone on the cheap? Now is the time
Feb 5th
If you have been waiting to get an Android phone due to the high prices now just may be the time to jump on in and get one on the cheap. This is of course if you don’t mind those lovely two year contracts. If you are interested you better hurry because this sale is this weekend only.
via Super Bowl savings on your favorite Android phones | Android Central.
Nokia impresses with their latest Ovi store video
Jan 20th
I am very impressed with Nokia’s latest video efforts touting the Ovi store. This video is both creative and captivating and makes you want to grab your phone and start buying applications. What do you think?
Would you want a Nexus One with a keyboard?
Jan 13th
The rumor mills are full with the talk of a revision of the Nexus One coming out with a full qwerty keyboard. The rumor is this will be called the enterprise edition and could possibly be a world phone. Would you consider moving to or purchasing the Nexus One if it had a full qwerty? I wouldn’t hesitate to jump ship and fast if this does indeed show the light of day.
Will Google own the smartphone market?
Jan 12th
In the end, Google and Android will own the smartphone market. It won’t happen this year and it may not even happen in 2012 but the day is coming when the de facto standard for smartphones.
Multiple manufacturers have reported that Android phones are on the way including up to five from Motorola this quarter and a number from Samsung this year. Google also has a number of handsets in for testing and should be rolling them out after the Nexus One.
While product in pipeline is also nice, I think the real value is in the software. At CES we saw Dell and Lenovo releasing Android phones running Android but without – and this is important – major Google branding or applications. This is, in the end, why Android will soon rule the roost: carriers can remove functions as it sees fit, thereby creating entirely new versions of the OS and UI for their own purposes.
The only problem? Google’s control of the OS pipeline. Various sources have complained that Google controls which OS version various manufacturers are allowed to use and the result is a segmented market with potentially fractured OS trees. However, in the end, the carriers and the manufacturers have control over the OS.
What’s going to happen to also-rans like Windows Mobile? I suspect manufacturers will roll mobile features into future desktop/laptop OSes, leading to a convergence of functionality for mobile Windows devices into Windows 7. Why have a dumbed down Windows Mobile when most devices are powerful enough to run a version of Windows 7? Microsoft is not out of the game, but as a mobile OS provider their days are numbered.
via mobilecrunch.com
After reading the article by John Biggs over at MobileCrunch I couldn’t help myself from posting a short follow up to get your opinions. Lets take a quick look at where Android is going and what I feel is the major problem for the rapidly growing mobile operating system.
As you know Android handsets are popping up left and right from manufacturers almost too fast to keep up with. This does prove that adoption levels are high and like John Biggs states, the Android market share is booming. So what is the problem you may be asking? The problem is that Android is facing major segmentation problems which are causing developers to struggle to keep up with making sure applications are compatible. Like Symbian and Windows Mobile, manufacturers are adding their own user interface look and feel, which I have no problem with. This does cause confusion with consumers but is not an underlying problem. The real problem is that applications are not working on all phones even though they could be running the very same version of Android.
Anytime a platform is tweaked to the point that it’s core has fundamentally been changed and this breaks application compatibility there is a big problem. Nokia has had this problem for years and to this day is a very sore spot for many Symbian fans. When we buy a smartphone with a mobile OS we expect to be able to run any applications that were written for that mobile platform. We don’t however expect to have to check to see if our phone model is on the “supported phone” list. When I refer to segmentation this is exactly what I mean. While I may be alone with this feeling I would love to hear what you have to say. Is this a problem at all or will Android continue to grow and take over the mobile industry as everybody seems to be forecasting?
The gates are open.
The apps begin to flow for the Nokia N900 with the Ovi store (beta)
Jan 12th
via unwiredview.com
If you are a Nokia N900 owner get ready to have even more applications readily available for your device through the Ovi store. The Ovi store is still in the beta stages but shows great promise and is a great step forward for the Maemo platform. With the Ovi store coming to more and more Nokia devices it is providing a consistent experience on loading applications to your devices. Consistency is an important thing because it allows users to move between devices and feel at home. Even more important is that it will create customer retention if the experience is a good one, creating a demand for future devices.
Have you tried the Ovi store on the N900 yet? If so what are you thoughts?