iOS 7 is going to need revolutionary instead of Apple’s standard evolutionary changes. This is what I think they need to be for iOS to be innovative again

Introduction

When the iPhone was introduced in 2007, it brought PDA/PIM data together with your cell phone, your music and videos, and made everything work, and work well. Since its introduction a few years later, Android has matured, and matured well. Windows Phone has been reinvented and revisioned and now the iPhone isn’t the only player on the block that knows how to do convergence and content consumption.

The iPhone turns six soon and it’s still got the same interface and launcher introduced with. It’s time for an interface refresh. So, here are my suggestions for the upcoming release of iOS 7.

Redesigned Launcher

Currently, iOS users can put app shortcuts on any number of home pages.  Users can also organize icons and create folders to hold application icons by placing one icon on top of another. The interface has remained largely unchanged over the past 6 years.

A launcher is nothing more than a way to sort, manage and launch applications. The launcher in iOS is used on all iDevices, and its clearly in need of some improvement, update or change.  Android allows users to install a number of different 3^rd party launchers; and while I’m certain that Apple isn’t going to allow users to install a custom launcher, a lot of ideas can be gleaned from apps of this type from other OS’.

Have at it Apple. Wow us and give us something modern and new.  However, choice is important. It would be nice if in giving us a new UI, Apple would allow users to revert to the current UI as well.

Changes to the Notification Tray

This is one of the most valuable features in Android, and it’s been there for quite a while.  While the iOS notification tray is nice, it could, and should, do a whole lot more.  Shortcuts to specific device functions – like turning radios on and off, or pairing with specific devices – would be very valuable.

I’d like to be able to include info from other apps, like recent phone calls or place shortcuts to favorite numbers there so I can call them quickly. I’d also like to be able to customize this a bit, so please, give me more than can fit so I can put my own personal spin on things, or change things as my needs change.

Settings Redesign

A general reorg of settings would be helpful and seen as a big improvement. Some of the options in this area  are quite buried.

One of my biggest complaints with iOS 5 was that it was really difficult to get to the settings switch to turn Bluetooth on and off. You had to go into Settings, get to General, Wireless and then Bluetooth before you could get to the switch.  iOS6 changed that a bit, by bringing both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth settings up to the top of the Settings menu.  However, you still have to dive in to each category to get to the on/off switch and any other options, like pairing with a specific device.

I’d really like to see a complete tear down and rebuild here. The way Apple has all of its underpinnings and options setup and configured is long in the tooth.  I know I’m likely not to get what I want here, but it would be nice to see some work on organization and logical groupings. It isn’t always clear what is and isn’t stuffed into Settings and what might be tweaked in the actual app.

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It’s all well and good until the darn cloud is gone…so which is better, streaming or downloading?

The cloud is a wonderful thing, and it can mean and be many different things to many different people.  However, no matter what it is, no matter what it does, the cloud has one big problem.  Users must rely on the internet to get access to it and its resources.

This means different things to different people, depending on your location.  In Europe, with the requirement for ubiquitous 3G coverage throughout the European Union, and with high speed internet coming from cable and satellite providers, people can get access to the cloud and its technology from just about anywhere.  In the US, it’s a little different.

There are still many states that are without complete 3G coverage and, in some cases, without broadband internet.  The problem with all of this is that many new and soon to launch services, like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime and iCloud rely on internet access to provide the service.  Slower speed services like dial-up, DSL/ADSL and EDGE don’t handle the download requirements well, and performance of these services over these slower access services, is poor. So, there’s a problem with these streaming services when service is inconsistent.

When service simply stops – i.e. when your network connection is totally interrupted via a power outage or a service outage, when the cloud evaporates – there’s a huge problem.  There is no service.  Without a local copy of whatever resources you’re trying to access, you’re out of luck.

Services like Netflix, Hulu, Pandora and Amazon Prime – those that rely on streaming for service delivery (with or without any kind of local cached data) – aren’t functional when network service is interrupted.  Services like iCloud, which run through iTunes and may have a complete, local copy of the content you are trying to enjoy, may be better, provided they switch to the local copy if communication with the host service is interrupted.  At the very least, you could restart the media and fast forward the audio or video on the local copy to the point you were at on the streamed copy provided you can put your hands on it.

The problem is consistent, high speed network access and the fact that it isn’t available everywhere, all the time.  The problem is also storage space on your PC, laptop, smartphone or tablet.  SD & HD video can often vary in size from about 1GB to 4GB.  When many smartphones and tablets often have 8GB to 16GB of storage to start, it makes it hard to store a complete movie or TV show on your device. If you do, you run the risk of running out of needed space for mail, pictures or other items.

The bottom line is this – until internet access reaches utility status (like water or electricity), users are going to have to choose between using your internet access and streaming content to where ever you are, or carrying it with you. If you stream and you bump into a connectivity problem, you won’t get your content. If you store locally and need space later, you may not be able to add content (like pictures) on the fly.  You’re going to have to be willing to choose one or the other and be aware of its limitations.

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We’ve spent a lot of time talking about mobile devices and ecosystems and the companies that make and distribute them. Let’s take a quick moment and figure out what you should actually buy.

As complicated as this might seem, it isn’t really complicated at all.  We’ll get to specific goodies, next time, but I wanted to take a few moments to talk about how to determine exactly WHAT to buy, given that investing in an ecosystem largely takes you down a specific road, given that you’re likely going to want to mix and match your data on your devices.

What does this mean?

Simply put, if you start a document on your computer, at some point, you may want to shoot it to yourself via email or upload it to your choice of cloud storage (like Dropbox, Windows Live Mesh. iCloud or Amazon Cloud Drive to name a few) so that you can edit it on your laptop or tablet when you get home.  Maybe you stumble upon a bit of brilliance on the way home from work (or where ever you might be) and you stop to take a moment to jot down a few notes in it on your smartphone. A fully functioning, adopted (on your part) ecosystem allows you to do this with your data and your devices. For everything to function this way, its all gotta be connected somehow.

So, again, what should you get?  Here are my recommendations on how to figure this out.

Mac Users
This is probably the biggest no brainer of the bunch; but its not as open as other platforms.

• Apple Ecosystem: Stick to the Apple ecosystem and iTunes, iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. The desktop tools all have iOS components and partners, and the data you create on your Mac is designed to enable you to work on all of Apple’s devices. You’d be amazed how elegant and simple it is; but then again, you’re stuck there, and you have to want to be stuck for it all to work.

• Amazon Ecosystem: Since Amazon also has developed Kindle software for iOS, users wishing to move to or from parts of the Amazon ecosystem will also find a bridge here. However, since the Kindle Fire is Android based, see the Google Ecosystem, below.

• Google Ecosystem: Trying to implement parts of the Google ecosystem in an Apple/iOS world isn’t going to be easy, so be ready for some challenges. You aren’t going to be using iTunes to sync content to any Android device, and if you’re a Mac user, you undoubtedly have SOME content there.

Windows and Linux Users
Windows users have a few options, as basically all ecosystems are open and available to them. Linux users (and non-iTunes users) can use doubleTwist for media and rely on Exchange or Google Sync for PIM data.

• Apple Ecosystem: Windows users have been using iDevices for years. The Apple ecosystem is completely open to all Windows users. The only thing you need to insure is that all your iDevices and iTunes have been updated to their latest versions.

• Amazon Ecosystem: Windows and Android go well together. In fact, many Windows users are also Android users and vice-versa.  Amazon has carved itself a very unique corner of the mobile market by introducing its own app store and inking deals with music labels, and movie and TV studios. The content is available through Amazon Prime, and you get a 30 day free trial with the purchase of a Kindle Fire.  Google itself hasn’t been able to nail this bit down yet, so Amazon stands apart as the most complete player in the Android space, despite the lack of an Amazon-branded smartphone.

• Google Ecosystem: Despite recent developments with Google Music and Google Books, Google’s ecosystem is still somewhat disjointed.  For as much money as Google has, they really need to nail this down. Users who go with an Android tablet and smartphone should be able to exchange purchases and data with all of their devices, provided they are compatible. The only difference may be the Amazon App Store, as I’ve not bought any apps there as yet.

In the end, you shouldn’t really try to mix and match Apple and Amazon/Google devices. You’re going to run into too many challenges trying to get the data and content from one to another, especially on the media and productivity sides of things. eBooks are easy, but will require Kindle software to bridge the gap.

Come back next time, and I’ll have specific gift recommendations for your 2011 Holiday Gift recipients.

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• Apple releases iTunes 10.5

Yesterday Apple released the latest version of iTunes before the grand release of the iCloud service and iOS 5. Being used more as a multimedia platform, it was obvious that Apple will prepare iTunes to support the Cloud technology and the latest iOS. Now iTunes is the component that ties the iCloud service where you can store your music and TV purchases and your iOS devices (iPhone, iPad, iPod touch). This means that each purchase will be automatically shared to your computer or portable device.

Besides the iCloud service, iTunes can share your purchases with all your portable devices through your Wi-Fi network at any time. This means no additional costs in case you are at home and you have a proper Wi-Fi network.  Another important feature is that now previous purchases can be downloaded again at no costs if the products are still available in the iTunes Store.

The most notable addition in the latest iTunes is the Ping social network for music addicts. You can now follow your favorite artists and friends and discover what music they are listening to. Thanks to Ping you can also stay in touch with the latest news and updates from your friends and beloved artists. Share your thoughts on any song you have purchased from the iTunes service and all your connections from the Ping network will see them.

Besides the social network music-orientated content, Ping brings also TV show rentals for only $99. The new Apple TV hasn’t been forgotten, therefore Ping comes with direct support for this service and with a slight revision to the user interface.

iTunes remains the core of the multimedia content for the Mac users and for anyone that posses an iOS portable device.

download iTunes 10.5 for Windows | download iTunes 10.5 for Mac

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World Wide Developers Conference San Francisco 2011 has three Software Revolutions prepared for the public: Mac OS X Lion 10.7, iOS 5 for iPhone/iPad and iCloud to keep them all together.

“Mac OS X has over 250 new features and 3000 api’s for developers.”

At WWDC 2011 Mac OS X Lion was presented with 10 key new features:
1 – Multi-Touch Gestures
Improved gestures and BYE BYE scroll bars

2 – Full Screen Apps
New top-right button for it. You can see all applications in full screen.

3 – Mission Control
Bird-eye-view for everything you have running.

Downside to all these features means you have to learn some gestures, learn how to use and get used to mission control, and get used to new full-screen apps.

4 – Built into Lion Mac App Store
Because this was a very “hard” thing to do.

5 – Launch Pad
A gesture for all your applications, it also looks very alike iOS from iPhone/iPad.

6 – Resume
Remembers the application setting, selected texts if it gets closed intentionally or by accident.

7 – Auto Save
Lion can automatically save any document while you are working.

8 – Versions
Automatic versions of your document. A time-machine of all your document versions.

9 – Airdrop
Aa sharing documents and files from a mac to another. Peer-2-Peer Wifi based sharing tool. This is sharing folder improved in visual way.

10 – Mail
Improved version of Mail with some features and user interface from iOS. It also has bubble-like history for the emails which is cute.
I must admit I love the search feature, you can finally easily search and find fast something on your email.

Check them out:

Mac OS X Lion will be priced only for $29.99 available in July only through Apple App Store.

( If you take out the flashy box, and the manuals, the disk and all the manufacturing process and SHIPPING for these Mac OS X disks – then you can make a $29.99 operating system, Just wondering why microsoft is still behind on this )

iOS 5 – new OS for your revolutionary device

Here are the WWDC 2011 presented iOS 5 features :
1 – Notification Center
No more interrupting, no more losing the list of notifications if you have the screen locked Notifications Center “is a single place which combines all notifications ” “just swipe your finger down from the top to get your notifications center”.

2 – Newsstand
Magazines and news papers will be available on your iPhone, in a single place that combines all of them (by purchase). The best part is that you get music and video inside the news. This feature downloads in background all the papers and data. (unfortunately you need a good data plan, without it, a music magazine will download while you are sleeping, increasing your bill)

3 – Twitter – new twitter app integrated

4 – Safari Updates - improved reading options. reading list – to read your page later – this will sync up on your Mac or PC and a great feature: tabs for iPads.

5 – Reminders (text, date, location so on)
Love the “location” feature, you can now program reminders by GPS location (if you leave or arrive somewhere). The downside to this is that I can’t imagine what your battery life will get if you use it a lot. Reminders will sync with Exchange on windows and iCal.

6 – Camera
Lock screen shortcut, use the volume up button to take the photo, grid lines, pinch to zoom, AE/AF lock using your finger and basic photo editing features.

7 – Mail
Rich text formatting, drag addresses, support for flagging, search entire content from the mail server, swipe to inbox gestures, added support for S/MIME and built-in dictionary.

9 – PC-FREE
No more “plug in iTunes to setup”, Software Updates are OTA (Over-The-Air), Delta Updates you download only the updates not the entire OS, create/delete calendars from iOS.

10 – iMessage
New message system between iOS devices iPhone-iPad-iPod Touch, supported over WiFi and 3G.
You can exchange:
- text, photos, video, contacts, etc
- delivery receipts (confirmation of sending)
- read receipts (confirmation of read)
- typing indication
- pushed to all devices

The new iOS 5 includes also over 200+ new features, here are a few that were mentioned in the WWDC 2011 conference:
- Split Keyboard for your iPad if you type with your thumbs
- Game Center “iOS is the most popular gaming platform on the planet” (support for Turn-based games)
- Airplay mirroring (wireless mirroring iPad over Apple TV)
- WiFi Sync to iTunes
- Multitask Gestures

iOS 5 will be available this Fall. Will it work on all earlier versions of the iPhone ? – NOPE.
iOS 5 will work only on iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPad, iPad 2, and iPod Touch 3rd and 4th gen.

iCLOUD
- stores your content and wirelessly pushes it to all your devices
- is integrated with your apps so everything happens automatically.

iCloud and MobileMe are not the same thing.

iCloud features:

- Now iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and iMac – can be synced completely automatically through iCloud. You don’t have to be near your mac or iPod to sync your new music.

- You can Sync: contacts, iCal, mail, appstore purchases, keynote presentations, documents,album photos, music (purchased with your Apple Id), books and magazines.

- IBooks also remembers bookmarks so you can read something on your iPhone and continue on iPad.

- Backup – if you get a new phone, everything you purchased (music apps and books, camera roll, device settings, app data, and personal data)

- iTunes Match for $24.99 will scan your music (no upload) that you ripped or purchased from another place, match it with 256kbps AAC DRM-free music from iTunes and you can have the same benefits as music purchased from iTunes.

Limitations include: 1000 photos, 30 Days storage time on the cloud, 5 Gb of storage (mail, documents and backup) for your Apple ID beside purchased music, app, books and photo stream.
Again, you should have a data plan on your mobile device.

And the best part of this – THIS IS FREE. (no more MobileMe year subscription)

Everything looks pretty iNICE.

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