The woeful performance and usability of Android is precisely the reason that Apple can treat developers (and consumers) however they like; it’s not even playing the same game, much less on the field with the iPhone. That Android is a mobile Linux platform is sadly apparent. Android suffers from the same issues that have plagued Linux on the desktop for years: the lack of integration between software and hardware, buggy and under-featured applications, a lack of attention paid to user experience issues. The encouraging openness and bits of innovation in Android are overshadowed by mediocrity.
Latest Updates: iPhone Reviews RSS
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iPhone vs Android
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Why Both Kids & Parents Love The iPhone
Nice post (and comments) on kids and the iPhone / iPod Touch.
The kids definitely seem to prefer Apple’s devices over the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP.
I’m also making note of graham’s recommendation for an educational app for the kids:
An iPhone kids application you should check out is iStoryTime. It’s a library of narrated and illustrated kids books for the iPhone. There are 6 books available in the Apple AppStore today: http://www.istorytimeapp.com/appstore With new ones coming out every week.
Great for driving in the car, on the airplane, or at a restaurant waiting for the bill when the kids are going crazy.
Books are $1.99/ea from iTunes and can also be purchased on your phone from anywhere. Great for entertaining the kids in a guilt free way. All the wholesomeness of a book with the convenience of your phone.
Enjoy!
Website: http://www.istorytimeapp.com
On the AppStore: http://www.istorytimeapp.com/appstore(click to view full-size)
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Virtual Keyboard Comparison: iPhone vs HTC Magic (Android)
(image is copyright Lukas Mathis)
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iPhone in Business
How the iPhone is used for business operations, and usage examples.
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The Palm Pre / iPhone Multitasking Myth
You cannot access data over the cellular connection while on a voice call with the Palm Pre, says Daniel Eran Dilger.
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Canon Photographers Discuss the iPhone and iPhone Apps – Lots of useful information in there.
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Interesting observation on the popularity of the iPhone vs Nokia N97 in London – melgross:
I can tell you that everywhere we went in London there were N97 ADs. Esp. in the Underground. You were pelted with them on almost every escalator. Nevertheless the iPhone seemed everywhere.
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Typing Croation on the iPhone – Neven Mrgan:
Now that 3.0 has a Croatian dictionary for auto-correction, I actually find it easier to type Croatian on the iPhone than on my Mac.
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iPhone for those deaf in one ear – Tom Cole:
The “assistive” technologies for iPhone 3GS don’t stop there. As someone deaf in one ear, iPhone 3GS is the first iPod where I can tell it to mix all sound into both channels (essentially, stereo->mono in both ears). This lets me use the headphones of my choice (current Apple’s “in-ear” model) and get all the sound in my sole functiioning ear.
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iPhone Accessibility For The Blind Person – David Pogue:
You’d never suspect that the iPhone 3GS, which has no physical keys at all, is one of the easiest smartphones in the world for a blind person to use. But now it’s true, thanks to VoiceOver.
When you turn on VoiceOver (in Settings -> General -> Accessibility), you can operate everything — read your e-mail, type replies, surf the Web, adjust settings, run apps — by tapping and letting the phone speak what you’re touching. It uses whatever language you like, at a speaking rate you prefer. It’s pretty amazing.
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Typical Apps Usage on the iPhone? – GregoriusM:
I have purchased some good quality apps, and will keep some of the free Lite apps, and a few of the free full apps. So, I’m sure I’ll have at least 35 to 40 apps on the touch at any one time, or probably more.
… and …
That being said, I love the choice we are given. This is the best PDA I have ever owned, and that is only the very basic function that I started with when moving from a Palm TX, and we all know what else is on the device that brings it to the very cool, very productive, very entertaining device that it is.
Apps are a very big part of that.
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iPhone photography: Art or gimmick? – Sion Fullana:
For starters, I’m specialising in candid street photography. No poses, no permission asked. There are two ways of doing that: with a big telephoto lens from far away, or with the iPhone up close, where people think you’re just texting or playing games, when in truth you are snapping away.
On the other hand, there’s the more ‘artistic’, almost painterly feel of the images you can get with the iPhone. Something about its small lens (of really great quality, beyond the lower resolution) allows the device to capture colours and light, if you know how to position the phone, with spectacular results. And finally, there have been several situations where I took the same portrait or scene with both my iPhone and my Lumix, and what you got on the phone was more interesting than in the camera … crazy, but true.
The following screen capture shows the Apple iPhone to be the 2nd most popular camera on Flickr as at Jul 14, 2009.
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Jeff Behm explains the iPhone’s usefulness – Jeff works in an all-Mac studio environment, and the iPhone syncs his “… calendars, contacts, email, web bookmarks, and many other applications – these automatically – others with very little effort.”
Regarding GPS and Google Maps, Jeff adds:
With the included GPS and Google Maps, yesterday I drove right to a location scouting site with zero glitches and no computer mapping. Just needed the address. I can find my location at any time on Google Maps with the GPS, since where I am is displayed in real time when the Location signal is turned on.
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iPhone as a Portable Photography Portfolio – As a photographer, “vwgn” finds the iPhone indispensable, and says:
The option of carrying a portfolio around that’s divided by content so I can pull up a dozen portraits or a few architectural shots depending on who I want to show what to is absolutely beneficial.
