iPhone
Is Apple’s snubbing Flash all about money or a sign of things to come?
Before the Apple press conference was over yesterday this image of a broken plug-in icon where Flash content should have been displayed was flying around the internet showing and the debate over why Apple refuses to put Flash technology on the iPhone, iPod Touch and now the iPad was reignited again. So what’s the real story behind all of this?
We have all heard the company line from Apple that they have not included Flash because they want to keep the platform stable and that is threatened by Flash because it is a resource hog and a security risk – which are both true. The problem is that it’s a convenient truth because the reality is that Apple could work with Adobe to fix the problem but it’s in their best best business interest to keep Flash off their platforms. Flash represents a risk to their substantial revenue generated from people buying TV shows, movies, apps and games through iTunes. It would threaten their development community as the appetite for those paid apps and games would shrink. So while everyone points to Apple as the creative thought leader the reality is that they are just like any big business where a threat to their bottom line is takes priority over everything.
No one paying attention yesterday even started to believe Steve Jobs when he said things like “The iPad is the best browsing experience you will ever have.. better than a laptop” after seeing that broken plug-in icon. You can’t make a statement like that when you are going to exclude 70% of online games, 75% of video on the web and millions of other sites from that browsing experience. You can’t make that statement after you just made fun of Netbooks for being useless but they support Flash content.
All of that being said this isn’t a love letter to Adobe and a complete condemnation of Apple. They have have forced a conversation a lot of designers and developers have had for a while now that Flash is in trouble. It has really languished since Adobe purchased it most of the changes coming in the form of useless filters and changes to the coding language but real strides to move the platform forward. The Web experience is moving more and more onto mobile devices and HTML 5 looking to take a good sides bite out stranglehold on the ability to create rich experience. Flash is struggling for the answer to how it will be part of this new future. Last year Adobe launched the Open Screen Project with more than 50 partners to get Flash and Adobe technology working across all platforms and devices. It sounded good but they haven’t shown any breakthroughs and it leaves me feeling that it was more of a PR stunt to show how everyone is working with them but Apple.
For me the bottom line is that their are faults and flaws on both sides of the isle.
For Apple we will agree that Flash is a flawed technology but millions of people create or consume Flash sites every day and that makes it a standard online technology we want on a device like the iPad. In the past we have been willing to somewhat forgive the exlcusion of Flash on the iPhone and iPod Touch because on those devices they are used to having a mobile device browsing experience where they get lighter versions of sites and paired back content. But with the iPad experience you are moving from that small mobile device screen and mindset to a laptop like experience and that changes all the expectations of what the device will do. The compromise of no Flash content is no longer acceptable and you can’t hide behind the company line anymore. For many people, including me, it’s a deal breaker that’s going to keep a $729 iPad off your bottom line because you’re protecting $1.99 apps. To me that’s just bad math.
For Adobe you need to evolve your platform and respond to the challenge because Apple is imposing their will on you and they have changed the game with the iPhone. When I consult with any business that gets retail traffic I tell them to stay away from Flash because with the number of searches being done from an iPhone you don’t want to risk business customers not accessing your content but being able to get your competitors non-Flash content and winning out. As designers you have to give us a solution we can work with or we will be forced to walk away from you because we have chose the success of our customers over nostalgia and platform penetration numbers.
For the rest of us another author said it better than I can when he wrote about this subject “We know some things are bad – quarterpounders, cigarettes, Jack Daniels and Flash animations – but we choose to consume them because the rewards frequently outweigh the risks.” Like with all products we vote with our wallets and we have a choice. Buy the device and accept the fact that Apple is restricting your choice and content or don’t and show them that we will like companies who take a creative leadership role just not at the cost of reshaping the online world solely for their bottom line.
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Graffiti Analysis 2.0 – Documenting more than just ink.
I found an interesting site today called Graffiti Analysis that studies the unseen motion involved in creating a tag as opposed to just documenting the results. The original version of Graffiti Analysis, developed in 2004 as part of thesis research at Parsons in New York City and can be viewed here. The new version is done with custom software that records the motion data and archives it in a free database housed at 000000book.com in Graffiti Markup Language (GML) files, a new digital standard used by other popular graffiti applications such as Laser Tag and EyeWriter. Influential graffitis artist such as SEEN, TWIST, AMAZE, KETONE, JON ONE and KATSU have had their tags motion captured using the Graffiti Analysis software.
The custom software they use is Graffiti Analysis 2.0 that are playback and capture applications available for free in OSX, Windows and Linux as well as the open source code for both applications. You can also get both in one package with their iPhone application called Graffiti Analysis available through the iTunes Store for $1.99. The downloadable desktop applications require some handy work to build an acrylic capture stand that isn’t that hard to make but the iPhone application may be easier starting point for most people. The iPhone application records your tags with line thickness based on the speed you draw the tag and you can uploaded your tags to 000000book.com for free just like the applications. The resulting tags rendered in 3-D space with the ability to rotate the phone rotates the tag in 3-D and use multitouch to zoom in and out.
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Adobe finally takes a stand on Flash for the iPhone
I’m not sure how long Adobe has been doing this but as I was testing a new site I am developing today on my iPhone, clicked on a Flash inset and was presented with this message on Adobe’s site. In the past it would just take you to the Adobe Flash download page which of course didn’t work. So it seems that Adobe has lost their patience with Apple’s delays and wants to make it clear where the problems lies for finally getting Flash Player on the iPhone web browser.
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Emirates iLingual lets your phone to the talking
Emirates has launched a interesting new iPhone app that helps you speak in three different languages (French, German and Arabic ). You take a picture of your mouth and then the app animates the photo so you can hold your iPhone in front of your real mouth and let the phone do the talking for you. The talking mouth gimmick isn’t original but unlike the MouthOff app this one actually has some real value beyond just a party gag.
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VW drives GTI launch with just an iPhone app
VW has decided to launch their new 2010 GTI soley through a new iPhone app that is an independent level of the racing game Firement Real Racing, which has already received 70-million downloads since launching back in June. In this version can choose between 6 different GTI to race with the best times competing to win one of six real limited-edition black GTI MkVI cars.
This is the first time that I know of where a brand is using an iPhone all as their only marketing and advertising for a product. The choice to build the app on top of an existing successful app was a smart one we have seen how badly building an app from scratch can go in the case of the Audi A4 launch application. This game actually makes the driving experience fun and gives consumers a strong impression of the car that could drive them into dealerships. I wish that link to the dealerships was more prominent because you have to realize that you will find that info under Showroom. Once you find it the functionality is well done as it uses your GPS location to find the nearest dealer and then ties into the iPhone nicely with options to call the dealership or map a route.
I think VW has made a lot of smart decisions in creating this app and an experience that will have a positive effect consumer who had this car in their consideration set but only time will tell if a free app can drive consumer to buy a $25-$30,000 car.
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Toyota Prius iPhone App lets you draw on Times Square
Back in August Toyota released the Prius Experience iPhone app that let you take a 360 degree tour the Prius interior, take a photo of a Prius ad to get a augmented reality version of the ad or draw shapes that will be added to the Prius environment. You are prompted to “draw a tree” but you can draw anything you want but i has to be done with a single continuous movement. That drawing them populates the landscape behind the Prius as it drives along. This week the app gives you a chance to move those interactive elements from your iPhone screen to the Reuters board in Times Square. The creations are updated on the live displays in realtime throughout the day and you can check it out via the livecams on the Times Square web site. When I tried it I got a warning that because of high volume, all artwork might not be displayed and that drawings will go up in the order in which they were received. I think this is a well worded cover for the their behind the scenes approval process which obvious is in place as I haven’t seen anything obscene go rolling across the screen.
I can see how they are trying to pull everything together with the campaign theme of “Harmony Between Man, Nature and Machine” and the play between the app and the Times Square board is an interesting twist but it is done on an old execution (the Nationwide Insurance ‘Life Comes At You Fast’ Times Square site I worked on launched 4 1/2 years ago). In the end the app as a whole falls short because it feels like a collection of the latest techniques that never really come together to make anything really conceptually or executionaly breakthrough. The Times Square functionality is still live so you can download the app now and decide for yourself if ti makes you want to buy a Prius.
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The best iPhone apps for designers & creatives
I have been traveling a lot lately and have found some pretty cool iPhone apps that will make working on the road easier and more entertaining.
PhotoKeys: Photoshop Remote – $2.99
I am 6′ 4″ and wedging myself in to a coach airline seat is bad enough but trying to do anything in Photoshop is nearly impossible because I can barely get to the trackpad let alone the keyboard. In those cases Photoshop Remote has been a lifesaver because it puts the entire Photoshop toolbar, as well as many useful shortcuts like Cut/Copy/Paste, Undo/Redo and Open/Save into a fullscreen iPhone app.
Learn more | Get it on iTunes
AirMouse – $2.99
Made by the same people that brought you Photoshop Remote, Air Mouse basically turns your iPhone into a really well designed trackpad, wireless remote or Logitech MX mouse replacement. It is clear there was a lot of time spent polishing the interface and responsiveness because it is a quality mouse substitute when you are on the go.
Learn more | Get it on iTunes
KERN & EYE vs. EYE – $0.99 each
If you are a designer then these two games will be right up your alley. Kern is a game that has you drop a missing letter into a word and based on your accuracy and the height or leading is it is dropped from determines your points. Eye vs. eye lets you compete against against a fellow designer to see how can more accurately match a color from memory. The better the match the higher the score. Both are a fun design centric diversion when you are on the road or a need a break from a late night work session.
Learn more | Get it on iTunes
myPantone – $9.99
If you have ever been in a client meeting or design session and needed to know what a certain Pantone number looked like then app is for you. You can also build color libraries, extract colors from photos, generate harmonious color combinations and cross reference colors against other Pantone color libraries. It is a lot cheaper and easier than lugging around your Pantone color books.
Learn more | Get it on iTunes
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The Puma stock ticker with benefits
I think Puma has been able to create the first experience that makes the wild swings in the international financial markets into something entertaining with the Puma Index iPhone app. The app uses real financial data from the Dow, German (DAX) and Australian (ASX) markets to control the amount of clothes on male and female models. If the market is up the models in the app get dressed in layers and if the market tanks then the models strip down to their Puma Bodywear.
This application follows the holy trinity of application success where your content has to be either funny, sexy or functional. This one clearly falls into the sexy category with a key twist that makes all the difference in keeping it from becoming an open once and delete experience. Since they tied application content to the dynamic nature of the financial markets it stays dynamic. That creates a sense that you need to keep coming back to check in on the app throughout the day and the week to see what you are missing. Each one of those exposure shows you more and more of their clothes and builds a bigger and bigger brand impression. The average consumer probably isn’t that tuned into that level of the experience and simply enjoy watching the show and that is what makes it so successful.
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DIRECTV scores big with NFL Supercast
Having been born and raised in Pittsburgh I am a fanatical, bleed black and gold member of the Steeler Nation. That means that this time of year I always get DIRECTV’s Sunday Ticket so I can watch every Steeler game. That also means this time of year I am going to get a lot of eye rolling and loud sighs as my wife opens the DIRECTV bill because the Sunday Ticket package and Superfan HD upgrade are expensive to watch just 16 games a year. Every year I struggle with if it is really worth the money because it never fails that there is at least one or two Sundays where we have an event, vacation or something that keeps me away from being able to watch the Steeler game live. In the past this meant that I recorded the game on my DVR and then tried to avoid all TV’s like the plague until I could get home to watch the game. I hated those days because it always felt like I was wasting money by not being at home to watch Steeler game and whatever other games help some interest for me.
This year I got email from DIRECTV that said since I had the Superfan HD package they had a desktop and iPhone application that would let me watch all the games live from my laptop or iPhone every Sunday. I immediately downloaded both to try them out since I was going to be in NYC this past Sunday and I will not be traveling on a Sunday later in the year and won’t be able to watch the game. The desktop app is built on Adobe Air and is similar to other video application like Hulu Desktop with simple controls and good quality video. I liked this because it will be perfect when I am on the road later in the year and can watch the game live on my laptop from the comfort of my hotel room.
The iPhone app is what honestly blew me away. Yesterday at 1p.m. I fired up the iPhone application to see if it would be any good. The main interface is simple and clean but effective with each game showing the score, an arrow to indicate possession and line undearth that shows the progress of the team’s drive down the field. It turns red when they are inside of the 20 yard line to let you know they are more than likely about the score.
I tapped on the Kansas City vs Baltimore game and was shocked when about 10 seconds later the game pops up on my screen streaming over just the 3GS signal. The video quality wasn’t stellar and resembled the old days of the original Real Media and Quicktime when you got about 10-12 frames per second and get a decent amount of detail on low motion shots and grainier video on the fast action plays. The audio was clear which helped smooth over the experience by letting you find out who made the play since you couldn’t quite read their name. I continued to watch the game in the back of a New York City taxi as it rocketed downtown still amazed I was able to watch the game over nothing but the 3G signal. I arrived at my destination where my iPhone found a familiar WiFI hot spot and the video snapped into sharp, near broadcast quality focus from the new found bandwidth. I took screenshots of both 3GS and WiFi video quality and if you click into the article you can see the comparison.
3GS video stream video quality
WiFi video streaming quality
More important to me than the cool technology was that this year I feel like I am really getting my money’s worth out of my DIRECTV football and those weekends out of the house aren’t wasted. This isn’t the first time this year I have felt that way as DIRECTV has been quietly putting mobile technology to really good use. The release earlier this year of their DIRECTV scheduler gave me my favorite and most useful app I have on my iPhone. Scheduler lets you search and schedule DVR recordings from anywhere so when I am working late and forgot to record the latest episode of Entourage it is no problem because I can I find the show, decide if I want to record it in the living room or upstairs in the bedroom and when I get home it is waiting for me.
I think all of this is really smart because they aren’t making new content or trying to create a flashy experience but instead they are focusing on making me feel like I am getting my money’s worth out of their product. In this economy when people are trying to save all the money they can having this kind of focus is really smart because it retains customers and keeps them spending more disposable income with your company. I already know that next year I will order the Sunday Ticket again because those nagging reservations about missing the game when I can’t be at home will be gone.
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New search tools – AppBoy & Addict-o-matic
I came across two interesting new web search portals today for mobile applications and traditional search I thought I would share to see what you think of them.
AppBoy
Appboy is a new online platform that was created with two purposes. FIrst it is a search engine or sorts that will help you weed through the thousands os applications to find the best iPhone, Android and Blackberry apps out there. You can also post application ideas that the community can vote on in order to get a develop to create it. I can’t find any real examples that this has actaully happened but if it does you get $250 which does really small given the potential upside and profit a great application could generate. I am curious to see if we will starting seeing more and more sites like this to help you get to the quality application out because when it is left to popularity we are left with fart generators and moron tests.
Addict-o-matic
Addict-o-matic starts out looking like your average search engine that happens to have a large Dyson-esque mascot. You plug in what you are searching for and the site returns the results in 19 separate content boxes that show you results from sources like Twitter, YouTube, Digg, Yahoo Web Search, Flickr and 13 more. You can dig into any one data source if you want to but I found it interesting to try different terms to see the data grouped and displayed in this new way because it gives you a different feel for the results.
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