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Adventure in App-Free Week – Day 1
Apr 11th
Remember as a kid what it was like to have “TV free week“? Where your elementary school class would collectively give up all TV, movies, and video games for a week to examine just how reliant we are on television. Well, this week I’ll be living app-free for a week; no Tweetie, no Facebook, no RSS Player, no Boxcar, no DoodleJump, no Foursquare, no 1Password Pro, no textPlus … none. Well, except for three apps — Autostitch and TrueHDR because they relate to a long-term project which I don’t want to compromise and the Rogers My Account app because I have a chronic fear of overage. Let’s see how this goes.
For immediate substitutions I’ll be using Hahlo for Twitter, the Facebook web app, and I’ve set textPlus to SMS.
Apps for Lent
Apr 3rd
I’m a Catholic: in the Catholic Church it’s tradition to forgo something you like for “Lent,” a period between “Ash Wednesday (this year February 17)” and “Easter Sunday (this year April 4)” and as such I’ve given up the App Store. Well we’re down to just one day left before chocolate and apps, and I’ve kept a list of interesting looking Apps mentioned by others and on App Of The Day by Jordan Satok ( @jordansatok ), here is the list I’ve come up with (fwiw this list was kept in Evernote for the longest time):
- Boxcar (free for first service; additional services $0.99 or $1.99) – mentioned by @netspencer – Boxcar is a notification platform built on Apple Push Notifications that allows easy Twitter push (mentions, DMs, etc…), push email notifications, remote Growl notification, and soon almost anything as they’ve opened up their APIs.
- WolframAlpha ($1.99) - mentioned on TUAW lately – WolframAlpha is an awesome tool and I use it daily (it’s an awesome aid for math class) but I’ve so far had to use the desktop web version on my iPhone (not exactly thrilling user experience). In the mean time I’ve used the mobile web version which is an automatic step up!
- Pastebot ($2.99) - mentioned by AppOfTheDay – Pastebot manages clipboards for the iPhone, it allows you to save snippets of text, sync them with your Mac, then save yourself time.
- ReelDirector ($7.99) – mentioned on MBW many times - does simple video editing on the iPhone with 27 transitions, titles, trimming, and export-to-email functionality.
- Digg (free) – mentioned everywhere on Twitter – provides easy access to Digg content: allows digging/burrying, commenting, submitting, and viewing.
Although I will resume purchasing Apps, it’s been interesting to give them up — every day was a challenge to not buy apps I see people using or talking about. Just a thought: it would be interesting to give up all apps, using them, buying them, talking about them, etc.. for a month or so.
No More Facebook App Notifications?
Mar 1st
<rant>I got a few frantic and outraged emails, texts, and IMs from some friends in the last few days relating to a message from a few app developers, notably Honesty Box, saying that (from Honesty Box) “This may be the last notification you receive from us.” Alarming. I did a quick Google search and found an official Facebook blog post relating to this matter. I strongly recommend that you read the post before continuing.
Initially I was disgusted. Although understand Facebook’s idea, this seems like regression: I don’t see how progress will come from this. For clarity, the Facebook notification system provided developers a uniform means of notifying users. There’s a key phrase there, uniform. Following the thought process to get to a Facebook app, FarmVille for example: Go to Facebook >> click on FarmVille icon >> use FarmVille. FarmVille becomes Facebook, it only makes sense that you hear about your FarmVille->Facebook news though Facebook (whether on the site in the notification panel or in your email from Facebook). After today Facebook developers don’t have access to Facebook’s infrastructure to notify users, instead they may:
- ask for permission (through Facebook Connect) to get the users’ email address
- use a counter (similar idea to the iPhone badges, the little numbers next to app icons)
- use a “news” item (whether public or private)
In other words, the only place you won’t see Facebook app notification is in under the “notifications” panel (iPhone app and on site) or on the notifications page. (Side note: I LOVE the Facebook iPhone app’s notifications pane –very Android-y) My intuition is that most developers would prefer to email you as it’s more of an alert, it’s persistent, and they can deliver tonnes of content in that single email to you (more than any news item or badge can). This makes me think of Merlin Mann, and how this doesn’t flow that well (good-bye inbox zero for me).
Let’s make an analogue to this problem; everyone knows about the iPhone application notification system (actually called the Apple Push Notification Service, or APNS). Introduced in iPhone OS 3 after much adieu and to the rejoice of developers and customers. Let’s do to APNS what Facebook did to their notification system.
*This is a thought experiment; what I’m about to say is only for the purpose of demonstration*
Imagine a day when you get notices from your iPhone apps saying “As of [a date] you will no longer receive notifications from [this app]“ after checking this notice out, you see that they allow you sign up with your cell phone number to receive SMS notifications.
Before launching the APN service, Apple made sure that it would be used, that it would be API relevant, and that it wouldn’t kill them to operate it, and that users would be able to control which notifications they get. That last part is what Facebook is really missing, that and an easy way to remove apps from your account, but that’s another rant.
</rant>
I will close on a positive note: Facebook is doing what most companies (*ahem* Microsoft *ahem*) would never do, remove API components. This is a change, and change is scary at first (look at every time Facebook changes their interface) but this will ultimately be for the betterment of the platform, which is exciting.
Links:
textPlus, eh?
Feb 16th
textPlus Canada banner, spotted on Friday
textPlus is FINALLY available in Canada. As of last Friday, textPlus users have been able to send free text messages to Canadian wireless customers, and were notified if they were part of the beta program. Today, textPlus went public with the expanded customer base. Currently (quoting the textPlus blog post), Rogers, Telus, Bell, Fido, Virgin, Aliant, Northern Tel Mobility, SaskTel, and Telebec Mobilite are supported as of today. textPlus has implemented this switch on their servers, so you won’t have to re-download, re-signup, update, cover your iPhone in maple syrup, or anything else to take advantage of this.
Bonus: This means that all textPlus users (foreign and domestic) will be able to text Canadian phone numbers for free, and you (as a Canadian) can freely text Americans and other worldwide textPlus users. Awesome travel tip!
Also, up to 20 contacts (made of textPlus addresses and real phone numbers) can group chat. That means that if one person adds to the conversation then everyone will receive the message. *Yay* for group chatting!
Also, see the textPlus blog post to enter a contest to win textPlus gloves.
Just a bit of background: textPlus by Gogii is a free service which allows users to send text messages to cell phones, there is an app for iPhone/iPod Touch and Android which makes access to the service easier. You can sign up in app or by texting !NAME to 60611.
Sending a message from textPlus can take two paths:
1) You have the free app and are signed up; now you just enter a textPlus username, pick a contact’s phone number, or enter a phone number, up to 20 all together, and press compose. Type a message and it will be sent to the recipients for free to you (this uses data, not your text messages); the recipient(s) don’t pay for this if they have a messaging plan which includes received messages. If there are more than two people involved in the chat, all messages will be forwarded to everyone. The other people can replying to the message in their inbox. Then you will receive notification of that all in a very short period of time. The syntax is very similar to Twitter via SMS in a way.
If someone wishes to textPlus you they just text !chat to 60611, then you will receive a message asking you to add textPlus usernames and/or other numbers to the new chat session; a conversation will be started.
2) You don’t have the app/can’t get the app (using Blackberry, other phone) [see the textPlus blog 'Pro Tip' about this]
From any cellular phone, text !chat to 60611 and follow the instructions to set up a username and in the future after you’re all setup, invite other numbers to chat. Texting to 60611 and receiving messages from textPlus doesn’t cost any more than texting a domestic number.
Also, see the Revision3 show, App Judgement review textPlus.
*Remember: there isn’t a way to include textPlus in your My5 plan and requires a texting plan, unless you like overage fees.*
Half-dozen Common Questions Answered [UPDATED]
Feb 4th
[UPDATED on February 20, 2010]
These are the top six questions I’ve been asked this week regarding technology.
1. Text, video, and picture messaging doesn’t work: I have WiFi and the internet works, but messaging doesn’t…?
This is usually asked by smartphone owners: however your phone can use WiFi to go on the internet, and it’s the same internet experience, text, video and picture messaging can only be sent or received over the cellular network (unless you’re sending them to an email address, but I’m talking about phone-phone messaging). There are some emerging technologies where you get a “micro cell”, a device that can be integrated in to a router, or can be plugged into your modem (cable, DSL; doesn’t matter), creates a small personal cellular site. The most notable implementation of this is by AT&T, the “AT&T microcell.”
2. Why can’t I use my cell phone to connect the iPad to wireless data?
This question has been posed a lot to me in the last week since the iPad announcement, only by poeple who have smartphones (Blackberry, iPhone, or Android): the fact is that all of these phones are capable of sharing their data with other devices, called “tethering,” however:
iPhones will only tether to other computers; Mac and Windows only (sorry, your Ubuntu/other Linux netbook won’t work). Or you can jailbreak your iPhone and use an (illegal!) app like xx or xx and tether… if the iPad can create (let alone join) a computer-to-computer network (called an “adhoc” network).
The Androids can tether, but going the legit way, you will have to pay [INSERT CARRIER HERE] more money for a separate data plan even though you don’t use near all of your current data plan… yes, I know they’re “buttheads.” However there are apps you can use, they cost money, and the reliability of them varies. You’re using the phone that will probably get you closest to a cheap iPad.
The Blackberry can tether, but unless you purchase tetherberry for $58 CAD or pay [INSERT CARRIER HERE] for a separate tethering data plan, you’re SOL.
There’s another problem: as of yet, the WiFi-only iPad can only use WiFi tethering: that means that you will need to tether via WiFi. This could cause a problem if you’re not using a jailbroken iPhone with an app like xx or an Android phone with xx.
<Update February 20, 2010>
In response to a comment from Billy, I should clarify. The iPad does indeed do 3G cellular data. However it requires it’s own cellular account and can’t share your cell phone data (some carriers have plans where a phone and data device such as a laptop card can share a data allotment, but that isn’t what I’m referring to). I was responding in the context of those who don’t want to pay another (minimum $15/mo) data fee.
</Update>
3. Can you upgrade my iPhone?
Yes: other’s can upgrade your iPhone to the latest version. This is a common question from my peers who use dial-up (yes, there are still places sans broadband in this day and age). The typical iPhone update is ~300MB, or about 12+ hours of solid dial-up downloading. Other iTunes users can update your phone provided that you’ve already sync’d the iPhone (or iPod touch) with your computer. Also, if you go to restore your phone to factory settings (in iTunes) then you will have to download the firmware or let me do it. Hint: if you’ve jailbroken your phone, it would make the updaters’ life a lot easier!
4. Why are my iPhone/iPod Touch apps crashing/not opening/running slow/other?
This happens to me all the time! The simple solution: you reboot your phone. Unlock your device to the home screen, hold the power button (at the top of the device) until you get the “slide to power off” notification, slide it. Once the screen has gone blank, wait a few seconds, then press and hold the power button for a few seconds until you see the Apple logo.
5. Why are my iPhone/iPod Touch apps wiggling on my home screen?!?!
You pressed and held your finger on an app icon, this puts your phone in a mode which allows you to relocate the icons; when the icons are wiggling you can tap and drag them to any position on the many home screens. To stop them from wiggling and exit the relocation mode, press the menu/home button (the circular button with a picture of a square on it on the front of the device).
6. Is it possible to download Youtube video to your iPod/iPhone/iPod Touch?
Assuming your iPod has the ability to play videos (the fat-nano or better, the iPod 5th gen or better, and any iPod touch or iPhone) you can. On Mac OS X you can use a native application such as TubeTV (the best Mac way I’ve found). In Tube TV you go into the preferences and select the quality you want. In general, select the name of your device. If you’re on an iPhone, select the option that is not ‘cellular’. This will take care of downloading and converting the video for your iPod. You then just click-and-drag the video files to your iTunes library and make sure that movie syncing is enabled on your iPod (the movies tab when your iPod is plugged in). There is also Podtube available. You could also use Tooble, another program I’ve used to download Youtube videos. Tooble is freemium: you can download videos for free from Youtube, or upgrade to the “Pro” version for more features, check out the site for a full feature list. All three of these are free.
On Windows there isn’t as much variety as on the Mac; the only program I’ve grown to trust for Youtube on Windows->iPod/iPhone is the Windows version of Tooble. Same as Mac, it’s free, but you get more features for the ~$20 Pro version.
<Update February 20, 2010>
In response to Billy, I will add the Orbit Video downloader is a viable, and recommended by him and CNet Download.com, option for downloading Youtube videos for your iPhone or iPod.
</Update>
