alamin ahmed: a typical geek 2.0

Ok, where should I began with this one. This device has been one of the most anticipated gadget since the first iPhone on 2007. For me it was even more than that. This is simply because I have hold other things from buying such as netbook, Kindle, Arochos Internet tablet, hoping that this one single device would solve all the problems at once. It some what attempted to do just that, but didn't quite get there, at least in my case.

Being Apple products user for long long time, and being familiar with Apple's design, elegance and usability, I was not disappointed with iPad, rather it seems like that Apple has pushed the standard even more higher with this one. Simply gorgeous display, durable aluminum, and speeding operating system makes using iPad a pleasure and joy. Simply put, whatever wow factors and good things you have heard about this device, are either true or will exceed your expectation. So i will not bore you with all the cool features which probably know about, rather i will focus on some of the major cons about iPad which are making all the wow factors hard to stay in effect.

Here are some of the most problematic issues with iPad:

1. If there is one thing that I worry about Apple's success with iPad, is the weight. This device is really heavy for the purpose it is intended. After you use it about 20 minutes, your hands really start to feel pain. I am talking about two hands operation, and you can forget about using it with one hand for more than 5 minutes. This ruins the whole browsing, reading and watching movie experience, and makes Apple's challenge with Kindle and laptops a questioning one. If you want to use this device for longer time, you would need to put it in your thigh or on a coffee table or pay extra for keyboard stand, all of which kills the whole purpose of a tablet/slate form factor.
2. iPad has very limited use case in daily life. First of all, iPad isn't a laptop replacement. So considering you have a laptop, iPhone (or any smart phone), you will seldom find more then 30 minutes of iPad use. I am worried that after first month with iPad, most users will realize they are spending less and less time with it and start to question about their investment.
3. Honestly, I don't care what Apple or others say about being "productive" or doing "business" stuffs, iPad simply isn't a content creation device. I spent $20 buying Apple's word precessing app (Pages) and spreadsheet app (Numbers). However creating documents - typing specially - is not pleasant at all. It is okay for simple and quick touches of your existing documents, but you simply can not do any serious work. Keyboard isn't bad, but really not comfortable for lots of typing. If you have to go back to docking keyboard... why would you use iPad?
4. iPad apps are extremely expensive. I honestly don't know why. I am an iPhone developer, but still don't understand why all the developers are making users pay twice for application when they already bought the iPhone version and charging substantially more, sometimes 5x more.
5. Yes, sorry to say but lack of flash is still bit of a problem, at least for now. Some of the website such as Hulu and even Youtube's TV shows won't work with iPad. I am not against NOT having flash because I do believe that flash is a dying technology, however as of current reality, flash still is a big factor for the web.

There, I have listed most major problem with iPad. I ignored other issues such as lack of multi-tasking, camera, USB, printing and all other issues because I think those aren't major deal breaker and Apple could potentially fix these issues with upcoming update to their Operating System.

Disclaimer: I have been using iPhone since 2007.  This will be a direct comparison between iPhone and Nexus One from iPhone user's point of view.  So if you hate the word 'iPhone', then locate the 'back' button on your browser.

Unboxing images

I ordered Nexus One on Tuesday 3EST and received it next day 11AM.  Mine is unlocked priced at $579.00 with tax and FREE shipping.  Google’s online phone store couldn’t be any easier, in fact too easy to make accidental purchases.

Flickr Album

Lets start by praising the phone.  We can get to the "buts", little bit later.

Android it is, after all.

So what is Nexus One?

With Nexus One, you get a much better experience of Android OS and all the services I mentioned above.  This is mainly because it has a screamer CPU running at 1Ghz and has 3D support.  Nexus also is extremely well built, just like DROID, but much lighter and thinner due to missing keyboard.  It isn't like Palm PRE which feels like cheap and crap.

Nexus One feels really great on hand.  In some ways, bit more comfortable then iPhone.  This is because  Nexus One  is less wider then iPhone.  Even so, it has a bigger screen.  A brilliantly crisp screen with 400x800 resolution.  Crazy.  Browsing web in landscape is even closer to desktop then iPhone.

When it comes to spec and numbers, Nexus has it all.  Every type of communication, and every type of sensors you can think of.  It also has 5MP camera with flash and video capability.

Let’s start with “buts” now.  Hold on to something tight…

Ok, let me just get this out of the way, it is NOT iPhone killer.  I will simply list the reasons why not without too much writing:

• Apple's Engineers was able to optimized a full Mac OS so well, that it is able to run like a butter on 412Mhz processor.  Google’s can’t match that performance even with more then double the speed.   That pisses me off.
• iPhone’s standard GUI and the way of interaction is still far more user friendly and better then Android’s.
• Missing all the apps that I have on iPhone.  Doesn’t have any decent app for most of the categories.
• Games.  Where are games?
• Android’s bottom dedicated buttons are really annoying and confusing.  You have to tap exactly on the spot, otherwise it won’t work.  Track ball is completely useless for touch screens. Back button has confusing usage, much like Windows Mobile phones.
• Speaking of Windows Mobile, you have to deal with application task (apps running in the background).  And way to check what apps running is rooted deep in settings panel.  I liked Palm WebOS’s take on this much better.
• No multi touching.  There are numerous times when I tried pinching and two finger tapping, only to practice on my swear words.
• iTunes integration.  Yes its important.  Unless Google provides something to manage media content with, I need to use iTunes.

Conclusion

Certainly won’t replace my iPhone.  I really was hoping it would, but after making few phone calls and check on my emails, I really don’t know what else to  do with this phone.  Missing tons of apps and games.  Most of my media won’t sync due to DRM.  Also iTunes integration in general is a big must for me.  I manage all kinds of content with it, like audio books, podcasts, movies and so on.

But as I said it before, if Google is your world, and Apple is your villain, then Nexus One is made for you.

Google Wave is, as you probably have heard by now, Google's attempts to redefine email. However, this has no chance of replacing emails anytime soon. And by soon I mean, not in another 5-10 years. Google Wave has no use for normal users. This is mainly because in order to communicate with others, they must also have Google's Wave. This is a huge draw back even if every Gmail users start using Wave. Google Wave needs the ability to have backward compatibility with "current generation" email. Only use case I can think of right now is for collaboration.

Google should really try to pitch the concept of Google Wave - that is to have One-Copy-Threaded-Email (I made that up...) , which stays live in the server and keeps version of all changes. In an essence this is the core of Google Wave. Every other features, like timeline, widgets, and all fancy drag and drops are nothing more then ahs and oohs.

Different type of email protocol isn't something new. Currently we have two standard and most widely used email protocols, - POP and IMAP. So a new protocol, say Wave, won't be something totally absurd. Just like it took quite a while for IMAP to take off, it's okay if Wave takes similar bumps. But until it becomes a standard protocol, Google's Wave has no future.

Who are making money on iPhone

1. Various parts of application can access View elements
2. Work with HTML code as you would for php objects.
3. Customize and reuse HTML tags
4. Easier and useful to work with nested and complex tags such as lists (<ul>,<ol>, <dl>), forms (<form>)
5. Create compound HTML elements, such as a input control with a label.  This requires two different tags, but using php object we can encapsulate them into one object.

How to use HTML element object in php

<?php 
// create the paragraph tag 
$p = new HtmlElement('p'); 
$p->align = "center"; // adding html tag attribute 
$p->append('This is a paragraph.'); // add the inner text of the tag 

// create a div section  
$content = new HtmlElement('div'); 
$content->style = 'padding:4px'; 
$content->id = 'main_section'; 
$content->append($p); // add the p tag previously created. 

// finally outputting 
print $content; 

// this will output 
// <div style="padding:4px;" id="main_section"><p align="center">This is a paragraph</p></div> 
?>

Coding HtmlElement

1. HTML tag name
   
2. attributes for that HTML tag
   
3. finally rendering

• Ranked top 10-15 paid app will sale about 70 a day
  
• Top 25-40 ~ about 35-50 a day.
  
• Top 40-55 ~ about 15-20 a day.
• Top 60-75 ~ about 4-10 a day.

• Top 30-40 ~ 40-60 a day

• Top 40 - 50 ~ 70-100 a day
  
  

v1.1 features:

1. Allows to manually sort task lists.  This option is found under sort/group menu.
2. Application icon badge with due/overdue count.
   
3. Lists  show hierarchy levels.
   
4. Lists by priority - "high", "normal" or "low".
   
5. Now you can add due time along with date.  This will help track daily tasks.
6. Ability to delete completed tasks
7. Swipe-to-delete feature.
8. As may requested, we also added additional symbols/icons for the tag.
9. Emailing tasks will also include sub tasks in nice formatted text (HTML formatting used)
10. Application setting allows to change some of the default behaviors.

Here is a quick video of Task PRO v1.1

1. Repeat/duplicate feature.  (One of the most requested).
2. Desktop application to quickly view/add/edit tasks.  This should work with both Mac and Windows.
   
3. Backup/restore database.
4. Full Toodledo syncing with supporting more fields.
   

1. Brightness setting:  this alone can do the trick of getting most out your iPhone's (or any device for that matter) battery life.  Even though iPhone has bright and gorgeous screen, you may want to turn it down to get that screen playable little longer!
   How-to: "Settings" -> "Brightness" -> slide it to about one seventh
2. Auto brightness: iPhone has built-in sensor that checks the lighting condition where ever you are and adjust the brightness accordingly.  This is sweet feature, but the sensor eats up battery life.
   How-to: "Settings" -> "Brightness" -> turn the "Auto-Brightness" switch "OFF"
3. Auto-Lock: turn that display off as frequently as possible.  Make sure it is set to 1 Minute
   How-to: "Settings" -> "General" -> "Auto-Lock" -> "1 Minute"
4. Auto detect Wi-Fi: iPhone has feature to
   How-to: "Settings" -> "Wi-Fi" -> "Ask to Join Networks" -> turn "OFF"
5. Email Check frequency: this may not be suitable for lots of business or frequent email users, but it does save battery life.  You can set iPhone to check email every 15, 30, 60 minutes or do manual check.  Of course, ideal setting for saving battery would be "Manual", but you can also set to "Every hour"
   How-to: "Settings" -> "Mail" -> "Auto-Check" -> select "Manual" or "Every hour"
6. Turn of some sounds: iPhone makes noise for about everything you do on it.  You can turn off some of these sound effects such as keyboard click noise and Lock Sound noise.  These two are really unnecessary for the most part.
   How-to: "Settings" -> "Sounds" -> "Lock Sounds" turn "OFF" and "Keyboard Clicks" turn OFF
7. Turn of that Equalizer: yes, according to Apple, turning of Equalizer will save little battery time!
   How-to: "Settings" -> "iPod" -> "EQ" -> "Off"
8. Turn of Sound Check: iPhone provides Sound Check feature to adjust music volume to keep consistent range for all songs.  Most of the time it does not work (at least for my songs).  So you can turn it off to save some juice.
   How-to: "Settings" -> "iPod -> "Sound Check" turn "OFF"
9. Audio encoding: compress size of your music file for better cache purpose and encode using MP3 or AAC encoding. AIFF and some other formats are not good and eats up CPU cycles
   
10. Room Temperature: Keep iPhone in room temperature and do not charge your iPhone while it is in carrying case or cover.  This keeps battery in ideal temperature even when charging.
    

iPhone. Ahs and Ohs