Browsers Browsers EVERYWHERE!

I noticed today that any app, for example Facebook, cannot open links in the Safari browser.   The same is true for skype, google+, and i'm sure any number of other apps?

Why?

This essentially makes each app have its own browser.   What if somebody sends you a cool link in facebook and you click on it, it moves to another page within the facebook app and displays the web contact.   What if you want to bookmark it?   You would have to copy the text of the link, paste it in your Safari browser, then bookmark it.

What if you click a link in Facebook your friend sends you about Chuck Norris, and you want to find out more about Chuck Norris?   Close down your Facebook browser, open Safari and search for Chuck Norris (hint: you'll never find him)

In Android, ANY app can interact with any other app.   When you click a link in the Facebook app, it opens your system browser and you have full access to the system browser.    The iPhone method opens a "frame" of that browser within the app.   See the picture attached to this post...

Why is this so hard?

The Youtube App

This post is a debbie-downer for you iPhone lovers.   The YouTube app absolutely sucks.  The primary reason I have, is that there is no HD quality video, even when your on wifi.

I was trying to watch a movie trailer the other night (on the tiny 3.5" screen mind you) and was surprised that the quality was AWFUL.  The sound was awful the video was awful, everything was awful.

I have not experienced this, but if you upload a youtube video from your phone, it reduces the quality as well?   What is up with that Apple?

For comparison sake, on Android phones you can toggle HD at any time.   The sound quality and video quality is significantly improved.   It automatically is HD whenever you are connected to WIFI or 4G, and if your on a 3G connection you can toggle it on (but i wouldn't recommend it)

I'm getting the general idea that Apple is leaving out features ON PURPOSE!   Perhaps this is so they can "re-invent" them later and be "industry leading", and make "everything old new again" when they release their youtube app with HD for example.   This keeps gets them free advertising in the media.   The average iPhone buyer will not know how many features are left out of this phone until they have taken it home to show their friends.

Push, push, PUSH!!!

One of the things i've noticed over the last couple of days, is that apps either have PUSH notifications, or need to be manually refreshed.

For those that done know about PUSH notifications, it is a method of sending notifications to the phone, without the phone asking for them.   Lets take an example made-up "Macebook" app.
  The Macebook app with PUSH notifications will be told when it has a message for the user.   The Macebook app with "automatic refresh" will be constantly asking the network if it has messages.

There are good things and bad things about this.   If i had to guess, it would be that Apple has dis-allowed automatic refresh in apps.   Apple has forced developers to use a PUSH service, or have the user manually refresh.   The upside is, that there are significant battery savings with PUSH notifications, the downside is that users don't even have the option for an automatic refresh.

On my android phone, I have an app called PULSE.   On my android OS, I have set the app to automatically check for NEW news every 15 minutes.    Every 15 minutes the app contacts various news sources, and let me know if there there is something new via the notification bar.

On the iPhone, I have to manually open the app and press refresh to get NEW news.   I often forget about the app since it does not remind me that it is there.

Like I said, I bet Apple has prohibited this to improve battery life, but shouldn't it be the users CHOICE whether they want automatic or manual updates?   On a positive note, it has forced developers to use the PUSH notification system, which is a good thing!   I doubt that PUSH servers are free, and developers might enjoy a little more freedom if Apple let them.

Annoying Things - Password Edition

One of my first complaints in the first post was how annoying the required password was:  Here are the requirements for your App store password

1. The new password must be at least eight characters.
2. The new password must contain at least one number.
3. The new password must contain at least one lowercase letter.
4. The new password must contain at least one capital letter.
5. The new password must not contain three consecutive identical characters.
6. The new password must not have been used in the past year.
7. The new password must not be the same as the account name.

If you want to download an App from the Apple appstore, you must enter your password.  I think its good for 10 minutes or so, so if you download multiple apps in the same session you dont have to enter it multiple times, but I feel like apple is creating passwords complicated enought to secure Fort Knox.

I understand the need for security for users that are around shady people, but why not have a toggle to require the password.   Maybe just a 4 digit pin?

Android phones never ask for your account password after your initial login when you first setup the phone.

The requirement of this is just one reason I'm beginning to think that iPhones are ANYTHING but simple.... its just ridiculous.

I have to sit which way??

There are several SUPER BASIC tasks i feel my iPhone 4 should be able to perform.

  -Allow me to disable auto-rotate, so I can read with my head down on my pillow at night.  Instead I have to sit-up and use it vertically.  Thank you some guy (see comments)

  -Allow me to turn mobile data off to conserve battery thank you andrew

  -automatically silence the phone at night, and turn back on in the morning

  -in-app voice to text transcription

  -Allow me to silence my emails/SMS but not the phone (this is useful at night)  I've always left my phone volume on, only allow calls from family/friends in case of emergencies.

   - ALLOW ME TO CHANGE THE EMAIL OR CALENDAR NOTIFICATION!!!! I have the same notification as 110 million other iPhone.  Imagine working in an office where everybodies notifications are the same.

   - Allow me to set custom ringtone or SMS notifications.   There are only 6 17 SMS notifications to choose from, so if you are around 7 18 iPhones, two will have the same tone... but then again, apple never really is about choice...

  -More to come....

For you iPhone pro's out there, if I'm wrong about something PLEASE correct me!

iPhone positive post!

One thing i love about this phone that does not have any real android equivalent is the screen animations.   Animations are often used with any "objects" that moves around on the screen.
A couple examples of these
-GPS marker (the marker bounces around a little bit before settling)
-Scrolling left to right in the app drawer(its just so smooth)
-The way any frame in any app can move or bump into another frame.
-Moving anything around anywhere on the phone
-There are many many examples of professional animations

This is a very nice touch that apple added to iOS that really makes the user interface very smooth.

For comparison sake, I feel like the android animations were pulled straight out of Microsoft Powerpoint slide shows.  We get slide ins, slide outs, fade in, fade out, etc.   iOS animations are power point animations on steroids.

The conversation between android and Microsoft Powerpoint went like this.

Android :  "Hey Microsoft, we need some animations for our operating system, do you have any we can borrow"
Microsoft:  "ummm, I think we have some left over ones from power point that we dont use anymore"
Android  :  "SOLD!,  Wait, actually we already stole them.
Microsoft:  " We're going to sue you for using our animations!"

What is a super-user?

   I believe that there are two different kinds of smartphone users.   The standard user buys a phone with the primary intent of using it as a phone and sms.   The second intention for this group, and maybe even no intention at all is to use it for music, internet, and streaming video, games and other apps..    I would generally classify most women, and the older generation in this group.
   The second kind of user is what I have deemed the "superuser."   Superusers wake up with their alarm phone alarm clock, use their phone all day for everything, then go to bed.  They say goodnight to their beloved, then goodnight to their phone.   We buy our phone for the primary purpose of using it for games, podcasts, internet, calendars, email, and a camera. We do everything possible with our phone and at the end of the day we demand it rub our feet.  We root/jailbreak our phones the day we get them, use the LED flash as a flashlight more than a flash for our camera, and overclock CPUs to get better performance. The secondary purpose of a mobile device for superusers, is to use it as a phone or sms.
  This is important to note when deciding what kind of phone to get for yourself or for when somebody asks you what to get, which I will elaborate on in a post at a later time.