Archive for the ‘General’ category

Apple Tablet and convergence

November 20th, 2009

I’ve written some of my thoughts on the Apple Tablet before, and my hopes that it will not be using the iPhone software distribution model.

But there is another aspect about the tablet I am going to be very curious about; I think it might be the central element to a Apple home media strategy. With the AirPort Express being able to stream music and Apple TV receiving media for the telly, I think the tablet would make a natural controller for a seamless media experience. Get something you see on the tablet onto the TV? Use Apple TV. Want to hear something over the stereo? Stream it onto AirPort express.

I still own (but hardly ever use) a cd3o, because I believe that is a natural way to have your audio. I’ve been reluctant to get an AirPort express, but integration with the tablet? That might be mighty interesting.

Let’s see what happens.

FDA on Twitter

September 8th, 2009

Via @timoreilly on Twitter:  The FDA operates a Twitter feed on Recalls: @FDARecalls. Very cool stuff; is there anything comparable around in Germany or Europe?

Idea for VoIP service

September 1st, 2009

Something that I would like to see offered by any service — ideally Skype, but maybe Gizmo will pick it up — is to have the option of having multiple dial-in numbers: One per country.  This would allow me to be available to my friends and family in other places at local rates for them, all at the comfort of their phone.

There’s actually no longer any reason for having just one phone number ring a phone.

Some thoughts on Apple’s answer to the FCC

August 26th, 2009

Reading Apple’s public answer to the FCC’s questions, I cannot but notice a few very specifically worded parts of the answer that I’d like to highlight.

The App Store provides a frictionless distribution network that levels the playing field for individual and large developers of mobile applications. We provide every developer with the same software that we use to create our own iPhone applications. The App Store offers an innovative business model that allows developers to set their own price and keep more (far more in most cases) of the revenue than traditional business models. In little more than a year, we have raised the bar for consumers’ rich mobile experience beyond what we or anyone else ever imagined in both scale and quality. Apple’s innovation has also fostered competition as other companies (e.g., Nokia, Microsoft, RIM, Palm and Verizon) seek to develop their own mobile platforms and launch their own application stores.

(Emphasis mine.) It may be that Apple provides us with the software they use themselves, but not with the APIs. In fact, quite a few interesting bits of the iPhone are not available to the iPhone developer who decides to pursue the Apple-authorized way only. Reports of things not being available are online aplenty, but let’s just mention tasks or applications running in the background, modifying the camera dialog or being able to add functionality to the settings dialogs used by Apple’s Settings app that developers are expected to hook into.

Apple works with network providers around the world so that iPhone users have access to a cellular network. In the United States, we struck a groundbreaking deal with AT&T in 2006 that gives Apple the freedom to decide which software to make available for the iPhone. This was an industry first.

Yes, indeed. This was an industry first – that this freedom lie at the discretion of Apple, and not just be a transaction solely between the user of the device and the software developers.  If a software company decided to develop for, say, the Palm Treo, they could just do that and offer their software for users of that plattform.  If a company decided that developing for Symbian was something they’d like to do, they could just do that.  Same for Blackberry and Windows Mobile.

Don’t get me wrong: I do understand that this is a double-edged sword.  No other plattform has made it so easy for users to get software onto their devices; I do believe that the App Store is one of the cornerstones of making development for mobile platforms a viable business model.  That’s one reason why the shortcomings of the App Store process are so irritating – because things could be even more fun for developers, now that the idea of developing for the iPhone fulltime isn’t so far-fetched anymore.

And I’m not even mentioning that as a customer of T-Mobile and as a german iPhone developer, I’m not sure why I even should care about the contract Apple has with AT&T. But this is not part of an investigation of the FCC.

Contrary to published reports, Apple has not rejected the Google Voice application, and continues to study it. The application has not been approved because, as submitted for review, it appears to alter the iPhone’s distinctive user experience by replacing the iPhone’s core mobile telephone functionality and Apple user interface with its own user interface for telephone calls, text messaging and voicemail. Apple spent a lot of time and effort developing this distinct and innovative way to seamlessly deliver core functionality of the iPhone. For example, on an iPhone, the “Phone” icon that is always shown at the bottom of the Home Screen launches Apple’s mobile telephone application, providing access to Favorites, Recents, Contacts, a Keypad, and Visual Voicemail. The Google Voice application replaces Apple’s Visual Voicemail by routing calls through a separate Google Voice telephone number that stores any voicemail, preventing voicemail from being stored on the iPhone, i.e., disabling Apple’s Visual Voicemail. Similarly, SMS text messages are managed through the Google hub—replacing the iPhone’s text messaging feature. In addition, the iPhone user’s entire Contacts database is transferred to Google’s servers, and we have yet to obtain any assurances from Google that this data will only be used in appropriate ways. These factors present several new issues and questions to us that we are still pondering at this time.

(Emphasis again mine.) Well, I find that hard to believe.  From my understanding of the technologies involved, there is no way that Google Voice could be replacing any functionality on the iPhone.  They may be offering an application that offers similar or equal functionality — but it’s hardly a novel idea that companies would come in and offer software that does the same thing as an already existing piece of code, only potentially better — or rather, more in line with what the users expectations and needs are. If that’s what the users want, Apple would be well-advised to listen.  And if the users find the experience too confusing for their own good or plainly do not like the application, no interest in it will happen anyway.  I think that’s what’s called a market economy.

But it brings us around to the point from above: Even though the tools Apple offers are the same they use, there’s a strong distinction of what the independent developer is allowed (or able) to do, and what they themselves do.  There is, for instance, no way of answering a phone call programatically on the iPhone, and I’ve got at least two ideas for applications that would be doing that.  Or filter out types of SMS that get routed to an application, which would then act on them.  Heck: I’d just like to be able to get an application to be started at a specific time of day, reliably.

The following applications also fall into this category.

Name: GVDialer / GVDialer Lite
Developer: MobileMax
info@mobile-mx.com
Name: VoiceCentral
Developer: Riverturn, Inc.
4819 Emperor Blvd., Suite 400
Durham, NC 27703
Name: GV Mobile / GV Mobile Free
Developer: Sean Kovacs
sean@seankovacs.com
We are continuing to study the Google Voice application and its potential impact on the iPhone user experience. Google is of course free to provide Google Voice on the iPhone as a web application through Apple’s Safari browser, just as they do for desktop PCs, or to provide its “Google-branded” user experience on other phones, including Android-based phones, and let consumers make their choices.

I’m taking one app out of that list: GV Mobile.  It’s developer, Sean Kovacs reports differently. It also has not rejected GV Mobile; it had approved it and suddenly pulled it from the App Store, with some warning in advance to the developer. This, to me, is not “continuing to study it.”  Of course, it’s also not rejecting it — because it had been approved.

Apple does not know if there is a VoIP element in the way the Google Voice application routes calls and messages, and whether VoIP technology is used over the 3G network by the application. Apple has approved numerous standard VoIP applications (such as Skype, Nimbuzz and iCall) for use over WiFi, but not over AT&T’s 3G network.

I’m not sure what to even make of this paragraph.  Are they trying to tell us they do not know how Google Voice works? Or that their examination of the app has not even reached a state where they would be likely to … try out how it works? From my understanding of what I read online, it should not be hard to figure out that the app does not use VoIP over 3G — and there’s always the possibility of actually asking the developers how their app functions. But this paragraph alone does not instill trust into the approval process with me.

But let’s see what comes of all this.  Maybe Apple will improve the quality of the review process, as they say they’re planning to.

epaper and touch?

August 26th, 2009

Would the epaper displays the modern ebook readers use, combined with a touch interface work as a graphics tablet that shows your sketches?

Apple Tablet

August 25th, 2009

So let’s assume for a moment that Apple is really going to to a Tablet. Why should they me modelling it on the iPhone, and not the Mac? If it’s going to be with a 10″ or 12″ display and have at least a halfway decent processor, I think the natural choice would be to go with the Mac as the starting point; the ModBook shows the possibility of such a venture. There’s loads of software available for the Mac as a platform as opposed to — probably none that would be running without modification in the App Store today. So if they want the plattform to take off quickly, I guess it would be in their interest to have the ready-to-run software available right away.

If Apple were indeed to offer an App Store for the tablet, it more certainly the not needs to be just one distribution channel for the plattform, not the only feasible way for developers to get software onto the devices.

But maybe Apple will again surprise us with an entirely new take on the topic. They’ve done that before.

iPhone blogging

February 4th, 2009

Und jetzt, ganz neu auf diesem Blog: Blogging vom iPhone aus. So könnte ich jederzeit etwas schreiben, wenn ich wollte. Ob das die Frequenz meiner Beiträge signifikant ändert?

Update!

January 22nd, 2009

Nach einiger Zeit des ruhigen Dämmerns tut sich wieder was auf diesem Blog; selten zwar, aber es kommt Leben in die Bude. Im Zuge des Arbeitens habe ich auch ein Update von WordPress gemacht — war auch schon lange notwendig.

Und somit: Jetzt auch mit aktuellem WordPress, und da hat sich wirklich einiges getan. Es macht Spass, hier was zu tun!

Einkaufswahn!

July 26th, 2006

Ohne Worte. http://gadgetstorm.com/

Pressestimmen

June 26th, 2006

Sehr schöne Übersicht, was die Welt sagt: Respekt vor der revitalisierten Fußballmacht – WM 2006 – sport.ARD.de

Fussball im Fernsehen

June 23rd, 2006

Auf der einen Seite Delling, Netzer und Beckmann.  Auf der anderen Kerner, Klopp und Rethy.

Genug gesagt.

Fussi!

May 26th, 2006

Unter FootieFox findet sich endlich nochmal eine sinnvolle Erweiterung für den Firefox. Die Liste der Ligen ist imposant, die Optionen gut gewählt. Definitiv gut gemacht. Jetzt muss es sich nur noch mit den tatsächlichen Spielen bewähren.

[tags]FootieFox, Firefox, Firefox extensions, soccer[/tags]

BlueSecurity goes down

May 19th, 2006

I’m surprised that the demise of BlueSecurity actually seems to draw such big circles on the net.  The overall sentiment seems to be one of sympathy with the people behind Blue Frog. But writing a tool that spams spammers doesn’t seem like such a  smart move to me in the first place.  For one, those people are at this job longer and have more experience, and for two, threats of massive DDoS-attacks aren’t particularly novel, either. It is not at all surprising that somebody who makes his living of using cracked computers to send out mail in ways that often is illlegal in most jurisdictions would start to retaliate.  Standing up and complaining about how completely amoral these people are is … pointless.  We knew that they are all along.

What I find more surprising is that there still is so very little pressure to finally get those bot nets squashed. ISPs, law enforcement, politics—that’s where they need to jump.  They need to get pressure on Microsoft to make botnets not something as easily established.  They ISPs need to get their act together to better deal with infected machines on residential links.  Block connections to the irc servers the botnets connect to.  Get people informed on what their PC is up to. Why does the world have to live with all those hundreds of thousands of machines that their owners can’t really operate well enough and are now sending out junk like mad?

[tags]BlueSecurity, Spam, Internet Security, Internet Policy[/tags]

Wir haben genug!

March 2nd, 2006



IMG_3342

Originally uploaded by koneude.

Kann bitte endlich Sommer sein?

Let them play!

December 13th, 2005

New York times, maybe you need to register. Ogre to Slay? Outsource It to Chinese – New York Times

Winter vorm Büro

December 13th, 2005



Winter vorm Büro

Originally uploaded by koneude.

So sah es aus, als es richtig kalt war. Ist zwar nicht direkt der Blick aus dem Fenster, weil aus anderer Perspektive — aber sonst schon sehr ähnlich dem, was ich so sehe.

Erfreulicherweise ist es ja nicht mehr so kalt.

Bin ich Deutschland?

November 2nd, 2005

Im Spannungsfeld der Überlegungen zur Globalisierung und der gerade beginnenden nächsten Patriotismusdebatte (mit der Du-bist-Deutschland-Kampagne von Bertelsmann, dem Deutschlandtag der jungen Union in Augsburg und nicht zuletzt einer Gesprächsrunde bei Maischberger, die letztens auf 3sat wiederholt wurde) stellt sich mir persönlich die Frage, wer es aller ist, das dieses Land ausmacht — und wie mein persönliches Verhältnis zu diesem Land ist, das ich wohl auch bin, wenn ich die Kampagne richtig verstehe. Ich lebe jetzt seit fünfeinhalb Jahren hier, arbeite hier, zahle hier Steuern, lese hier Zeitung und habe meine unmittelbare Familie hier. In gewisser Weise bin ich wirklich auch Deutschland — dennoch spießtsich bei diesem Gedanken was in mir. Vielleicht will ich gar nicht Deutschland sein, sondern einfach nur ich — das war bisher auch schon genug Arbeit. Aber vielleicht macht eben dieses Streben um Authentizität mich zu einem Teil Deutschlands; es geht eben nicht um Individualität, und schon gar nicht um jeden Preis.

Nein, es hat auch damit zu tun, dass wenn es um Nationen geht, mein Herz vor allem dann schneller schlägt, wenn es um Österreich geht. Ich empfinde mich immer nochzuerst als Wiener, auch wenn ich die Stadt bestenfalls ein paar Tage im Jahr erlebe. Ich sehe es lieber, wenn Hermann Mayer gewinnt und nicht Bode Miller. Ich habe etwas Mitleid, wenn die österreichische Nationalmannschaft die Qualifikation zur WM 2006 nicht schafft. Ich schäme mich etwas, wenn es um die FPÖ geht (und nach der Trennung sogar noch was mehr) und ich bin etwas aufgeregt, wenn der Stadtrat gewählt wird.

Nun ist das Verhältnis der Österreicher zu Deutschland und den Deutschen beileibe kein einfaches. (Das Umgekehrte schon, weil Österreich für den durchschnittlichen Deutschen außer vielleicht als Urlaubsland keinerlei Relevanz hat – wenn man von einem gewissen Unterhaltungswert als Zielscheibe zahlloser schlechter Witze absieht.) Selbst manch Politiker ist so wenig souverän, dass er von Österreich als das bessere Deutschland spricht. In gewisser Weise ist es brüderlich: Österreich ist der kleine Bruder, der sich an seinem größeren Geschwisterchen abarbeitet. Der besser sein möchte, der dem anderen zeigen möchte, wos langgeht. Dadurch aber verstellt es den Blick auf die Sachen, die tatsächlich besser laufen oder wo Österreich in der Tat seine Stärken hat. Soll es geben.

Und auch wenn ich schon länger hier arbeite und lebe, ich habe es doch in mancher Weise noch nicht geschafft, mich von meinen Bildern zu trennen. Meine Sicht auf Deutschland ist zwar sicher verändert und verbreitert – und pragmatisch gesehen in den meisten Dingen nicht so unterschiedlich vom Leben in Wien – aber eben das Gefühl, das ist noch nicht da. Wenn es um Ausländerfeindlichkeit geht, oder so Fragen wiedie doppelte Staatsbürgerschaft fühle ich mich zunächst als Ausländer. Es ist mir rational klar, dass Deutschland divers ist, und ich meinen Platz eben auch hier habe. Ich bin nicht mal einer von denen, die die Toleranz fordern oder die die Integrationsfähigkeit herausfordern. Man sieht mir meine Staatsbürgerschaft nicht an. Aber vom Gefühl, da ist es anders. Da bin ich eben nicht Deutschland, sondern bestenfalls so was wie ein Beobachter. Ein noch nicht abgestoßener Fremdkörper. Es gibt keine Anlässe, woran sich das festmacht. Ich werde nicht angefeindet, meine Nationalität ist kein Thema. Ich habe auch keine Ahnung, wo das herkommt und warum ich so empfinde; ich kann es aber auch nicht auf Wunsch abschalten. Es ist so.

Und wahrscheinlich bin ich auch mit all diesen Fragen ein Teil von Deutschland. Was auch immer das genau bedeutet.

Serverschrank neu

July 27th, 2005



Serverschrank neu

Originally uploaded by koneude.

Übrigens, um nochmal das Thema Verkabelung aufzugreifen: So sieht mittlerweile das Zentralstück des Netzwerks aus. Mit dem Umzug ins neue Büro hat sich auch bei der Infrastruktur was getan.

Schlafzimmerszene

July 23rd, 2005



Give me WLAN …

Originally uploaded by koneude.

Ich bin genügsam … ein Bett, ein wenig Kaffee, manchmal was zu Essen und WLAN-Zugang.

Desk

July 22nd, 2005



Desk

Originally uploaded by koneude.

Und so sieht es gerade aus, wo ich arbeite. Ja, der Schreibtisch ist tatsächlich immer in diesem Zustand, wenn ich ihn am Ende des Tages verlasse. :-)