Horace Dediu, Asymco:
The iOS platform as a whole reached 316 million cumulative units at the end of last year. The iOS platform overtook the OS X platform in under four years and more iOS devices were sold in 2011 (156 million) than all the Macs ever sold (122 million).
Dediu gives another interesting statistic via a quote from Tim Cook. It took Apple 22 years to sell 55 million Macs. The iPad reached that mark in two years. Astounding.
Jim Dalrymple gives an early look at OS X Mountain Lion. The new operating system was surprisingly announced by Apple today - available as a developer preview now, and to consumers this summer.
Apple on Thursday unveiled OS X Mountain Lion, the next generation desktop operating system. I’ve been using Mountain Lion for about a week now and it’s packed with new features that existing Mac users and iOS users will enjoy.
Color me shocked. John Gruber also gives an interesting look at Apple’s surprise announcement.
Abdel Ibrahim and Jon Dick satirize the Samsung Galaxy Note - the one with the pen.
After just days with a Galaxy Note, my forearms have never been so toned, and my apartment’s never been so bare. Is it a tablet? Is it a phone? It’s everything. Next up: surfing. Literally.
Bertrand Russell, quoted on DarrenBrown.co.uk:
The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt.
I’m sure many of my colleagues can relate - I can.
Apple contacted John Paczkowski of AllThingsD:
“Apps that collect or transmit a user’s contact data without their prior permission are in violation of our guidelines,” Apple spokesman Tom Neumayr told AllThingsD. “We’re working to make this even better for our customers, and as we have done with location services, any app wishing to access contact data will require explicit user approval in a future software release.”
Again, here is the relevant portion of the App Store guidelines:
17 Privacy
17.1 Apps cannot transmit data about a user without obtaining the user’s prior permission and providing the user with access to information about how and where the data will be used
17.2 Apps that require users to share personal information, such as email address and date of birth, in order to function will be rejected
Enforcement from Apple in the approval process should have caught this long ago. However, I’m glad that developers were called out for violating the policy and that Apple will require explicit permission in the future.
Jennifer Van Grove, writing for Venture Beat:
For now though, the more pressing questions seem to be: How vulnerable is our private data and how concerned should we be?
Last week, the Path app was found to transmit and store users’ address book information without asking for permission. Path later relented by removing such data from its servers and updated their app to ask for permission.
As Van Grove discovers, Path isn’t alone. Network-monitoring software discovered that Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Yelp, Foursquare, Gowalla, Foodpsotting, and other iOS apps were, in some degree, doing the same thing.
Why do these apps use your address book information? Simple. The data is employed to connect users with their contacts and to offer matching suggestions. It is apparent to everyone that these connections aren’t magical and that some form of data is needed. Until recently, though, was hasn’t been apparent is when and how the data is transmitted.
Beyond the basic courtesy of asking a user for permission to access their private data, many apps have been lackadaisical in their transmission and storage procedures. Foodspotting, as an example, sends data as plain text over unencrypted HTTP. For other apps, data is sent over simple HTTPS.
When data is stored, companies are saving contact information as human-readable. That is to say, companies are actually saving “user@mail.com” in their databases. Such practices are perplexing and present unnecessary risks. For instance, if a server gets hacked and data is human-readable, criminals have what they need with zero additional work needed.
A simple fix would be to send and store data as one-way cryptographic hashes. I won’t go into the details of hashing here - I’ll instead refer you to Matt Gemmell. While not completely impervious to attacks, hashing allows companies to anonymize your data while still using it for matching purposes.
Van Grove concludes:
the answers to those questions are unknown, and the uncertainty is enough to make even the most trusting of people paranoid.
This goes to the heart of what I mentioned previously:
A big reason that Apple has been so successful in marketing mobile apps is that people aren’t afraid to use the software.
As I stated then, Apple (and developers) need to address this - and quickly.
For you romantics, comedian John Fugelsang recalls his parents’ improbable love story.
“And now I’m going to be a dad for the first time,” he continues. “[And] the fact of the matter is, my kid gets to grow up in this beautiful, complicated world because many years ago, some guy in Brooklyn chose love.”
The iPad’s yearly update cycle is drawing near. Rumors are increasing and converging toward a particular set of details. Here is a rundown of what to expect.
Rumors are pointing to iPad 3 gaining a retina display. The resolution is expected to increase from 1024x768px to 2048x1536px. Assuming the screen remains 9.7 inches, the new screen works out to a pixel density of 264 ppi.
Given that the iPhone 4S has a pixel density of 326 ppi, does the purported iPad 3 screen actually qualify as retina? Yes, with some caveats. I’ll spare you the math in this post, but a person with 20/20 vision will be unable to distinguish pixels at 264 ppi as long as the device is held 13 inches or further from the eyes. This is a pretty normal viewing distance, so the display is retina. Of course, the distance requirement will increase or decrease depending on the eyesight of the user. In any case, the screen will be amazing.
I’m sure many of you are zoning out with all of these numbers. Here is a nice graphic from Chris Koerner that illustrates the screen’s capabilities. In short, one could view a full-resolution Blu-ray movie and still have screen left for content.
Hints in the latest beta release of iOS 5.1 point to the possibility of iPad 3 containing a quad-core A6 processor. While most rumor sites are in agreement regarding the CPU, The Verge’s Josh Topolsky reports that sources have claimed that the processor will remain dual-core. This is more of a feeds-and-speeds marketing topic. The end-user will be happy in either scenario.
Speculation remains about what GPU will be used to power the new high-resolution display. One likely candidate is the PowerVR Series6, which is 20 times more powerful and 5 times more efficient than previous generations.
Generally the iPad has been ahead of the iPhone in terms of storage. With the iPhone 4S gaining a 64GB option, many speculate that the high-end iPad 3 will bump to 128GB. Given all of the improved components rumored to be in the iPad 3, plus Apple’s push toward iCloud, I think Apple will pass on 128GB in order to maintain profit margins.
In terms of memory, the iPad 2’s 512MB of RAM has proven sufficient. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if they increased it to 1GB.
Questions remain about cellular connectivity. Most sites are confident that the iPad 3 will support the latest generation 4G LTE technology. However, as Mickey Papillon points out, world devices were more plausible with 3G devices because antennas only needed to cover four main bands. With 4G LTE, there is a potential for upwards of 38 different frequency combinations. Another issue is that while AT&T and Verizon have the capabilities, Sprint isn’t rolling out LTE until this summer. Apple could potentially release a U.S. model for AT&T and Verizon - limiting Sprint to CDMA - while releasing international models that cover popular frequencies.
Another issue is battery life. LTE devices have been plagued with poor battery performance. Apple will not significantly sacrifice this on an iPad. Thus, I’m assuming Apple will use a newer, more efficient LTE chipset.
Rumors of a smaller iPad (8 inches) are again circulating. The idea is appealing if you believe Apple needs to compete with the Kindle Fire. I recently wrote why I don’t think Apple will do so. Today, John Gruber addressed the possibility of a smaller iPad:
I wouldn’t bet on it.
Rene Ritchie reported yesterday that sources confirmed that the iPad 3 will be announced on Wednesday, March 7th, 2012. Jim Dalrymple responded with a simple “Yep”, which, given his track record, translates to “it will happen”.
Both the iPad 2 and iPhone 4S were announced early in the week, made available for pre-order on that Friday, and went on sale the following Friday. Assuming Apple continues that trend, I would expect the iPad 3 to be announced on March 7, made available for pre-order at 12 AM PST on March 9, and released for sale on March 16 (maintaining current price points).
The iPad 3 is shaping up to be an incredible update. It will prove a worthwhile purchase for those who have never owned an iPad or for those with an iPad 1. The screen alone will be enough for me to upgrade from an iPad 2. While everything remains rumor now, all will be revealed in a bit over three weeks.
On February 7, prolific Mac accessory maker Twelve South announced the HoverBar ($80) - an extendable arm that connects an iPad 2 with a table, iMac, Apple display, and more. I naturally ordered one, and it arrived today. Here are my initial impressions.
The HoverBar arrives in Twelve South’s distinctive and sturdy boxing. As usual, they recommend awesome ways to stay green and re-use the package, including re-purposing it as a photo box, gift box, or pen holder.
The HoverBar includes the following: a flexible arm with a washer, a two-way mounting clip, a hex key, a silicon pad, optional cable clips, and an iPad display clip with collar.
Assembly is straightforward. If attaching to an iMac or monitor, you connect the arm into the straight side of the mounting clip. Anything else requires screwing the arm into the 90-degree opening. The silicon pad is included to assist in tightening the arm. The display clip is then affixed to the ball-tip of the arm and tightened with the collar. Next, the clamp is mounted to the desired item - in my case, an Apple display - and tightened using the hex key. Finally, the iPad pops into the display. The arm is then adjusted until your iPad is in the desired position. Below is what mine looked like when finished.
The HoverBar’s parts are high quality, which one would expect given the price. Assembly was a breeze. However, there were issues when it came to mounting and adjusting the HoverBar.
The arm is very stiff and can be difficult to manipulate. Making matters worse is the connection of the arm with the mounting clip. The two are simply screwed into one another. No matter how tight the connection appears, it would often come loose when I adjusted the arm. This would result in an iPad folding down toward the desk. Frankly, I let a few curse words fly in disgust. In my opinion, the connection should have included a locking mechanism.
Once the iPad was in the desired location, the mount was generally sturdy. In one case, I used the iPad to test an app in development while coding on the Mac. This was extremely useful and, in my opinion, represents the best use-case. I also had the iPad display a journal article while writing a manuscript. This was also useful, although reaching up to swipe became rather cumbersome. I had the same experience when using the iPad for normal tasks, such as checking email, Twitter, or a web page.
While the mount was sturdy, there was a certain amount of bounce in the iPad when touched. I suppose this is inevitable with an arm attachment, but either way I found it slightly annoying. In general, frequently reaching up to the device inhibited my workflow.
Another potential issue is that the display clip only works on a naked iPad. That means you must remove any case prior to use. If you have a folio, or any other tight-fitting case, this can prove burdensome.
In my opinion, the HoverBar is best used as a passive display. Examples might include app development, research, or having a calendar open. However, in cases where you frequently interact with the iPad, the HoverBar doesn’t quite deliver. My arm became slightly fatigued, the iPad wobbled, and I found myself distracted from the desktop environment. It was quite obvious why Apple has avoided a touchscreen iMac.
If you like the look of the iPad side-mounted to a display, intend to use it as a passive screen, and don’t mind removing your case, the HoverBar is a great solution. Otherwise, I would advise against purchasing because cheaper options exist for similar functionality. I will likely return the HoverBar and stick with the Twelve South BookArc. While having a high-quality industrial design, the HoverBar’s benefits weren’t worth $80.
Mobile analytics firm, Xyologic, released data today about Google TV app downloads:
According to our analysis, these apps have a total install base of 4,793,000. Please note that 6 of these apps – which come pre-installed at Google TVs – combine to 4,441,000 of these installs. Only 352,000 Google TV exclusive Android apps have been downloaded so far.
That means only 8% of installed apps on Google TVs were newly downloaded. Even worse, pre-installed apps had an average rating of less than 2.5/5. Logitech’s complaint that they lost over $100 million on the project, combined with Xyologic’s report of weak app adoption and poor user ratings, makes Eric Schmidt’s claims seem extra delusional.
