iOS5 - Apple Reigns In The Innovation

Apple recently announced the latest updates to it's iOS platform, which runs on the Apple iPad, iPod Touch and iPhone devices. The latest update (iOS5) includes 200+ new features and improvements to the platform. I'll highlight some of the biggest improvements below why they may not be good for innovation and for Apple in the long term.

Notifications

It was a well known fact notifications on iOS were intrusive and lacked any real use other than to do a very simple basic function of notifying. The new notification center improves on the old poor implementation and actually adds value. Albeit looking very similar to that of Android and WebOS. Many would argue Apple has ripped off the two aforementioned platforms, but I think they've not only done that but improved on it, and probably in a way neither Android nor WebOS could have done if they had attempted. All in all this is good for both Apple and it's competitors. A great example of how improvements can be carried out and upgraded.

...you can keep track of them all in one convenient location. Just swipe down from the top of any screen to enter Notification Center.

iMessage

For users of the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch devices which will support iMessage, this is a very good feature. A unified integrated platform to message and share content for free. For the 3rd party developers this is perhaps a big kick in the teeth. Platforms like WhatsApp, will be pushed out of Apple's system with this. Apple may be trying to impersonate Blackberry's BBM service, but what they have created is an ecosystem where Apple users will in reality choose to ignore those 3rd party services and use the native in built system. That's just how things work. Operators selling SMS bundles might as well just give up now.

You can send unlimited text messages via Wi-Fi or 3G from your iPad, iPhone or iPod touch to anyone one with those devices. iMessage is built into the Messages app, so you can send text, send photos, videos, locations and contacts.

Twitter

This surprised me somewhat. I didn't expect Apple to put Twitter integration deep into the OS.With this feature users will be able to tweet away to their desires from within iOS devices. What this will do for Twitter's 3rd party apps is yet to be seen, but yet again, having an integrated service in such an environment will only constrict innovation and make 3rd party developers for the platform that much more difficult to break through. Apps like Seesmic, Tweetdeck and Hootsuite will have to find new ways to make sure users download their apps by offering better innovation and services. With Twitter clamping down on how Twitter is experienced in 3rd party apps, this could get ugly.

Sign in once in Settings, and suddenly you can tweet directly from Safari, Photos, Camera, YouTube, or Maps.

PC Free

Android, WP7, WebOS and in more recent times Symbian users have had this setup for a long time, finally Apple decides to join the de-facto method of activating and updating devices via an OTA (over the air) method. Where previously activating or upgrading an iOS device required the use of iTunes, now it's a lot more easier. I do think this was done in order to clamp down on the jail-breaking of Apple devices. With the announcement of iCloud this is yet another instance where I think Apple tightens its hold on controlling the Apple experience whilst being done with those looking to do stuff with their devices Apple doesn't approve of. As small as this crowd maybe, I fear for the platform.

With iOS 5, you no longer need a computer to own an iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch. Activate and set up your device wirelessly, right out of the box. Download free iOS software updates directly on your device.

Whilst I do applaud some of the great improvements and enhanced features included with iOS5, I do fear for the flexibility users have when signing up to the system itself. As we move forward I do think it may become a matter of choosing one platform and being locked into that environment over another. With the way Apple likes to control its user's experiences, it feels quite like a dictatorship from an outsider looking in. I hope we don't end up being in a situation where owning a mobile handset means signing up your choices and liberties too.

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Molome Available For Android

I refrain from posting news about applications being available without doing a thorough check of it for myself, but this is slightly different. I'm not sure how, but to say the least I'm excited and glad Molome has now been released on Android.

You can download and install it on your Android device from the Market right now! Symbian users have been using it for a while now and it looks like a clone of many other camera effect apps around Instagram, Picplz, Camera360 etc, but I wanted to experience it myself to see what offered.

MOLOME is a easy & fun way to share your journey of life. Grab your phone, shoot a photo, choose from our 19 amazing filter effects and share it with your friends and family.

You will also meet with MOLO, our sweet, lovely and energetic owl. MOLO will help you to have more fun shooting photo, applying his magical filters, and share your photos on MOLOME community, Twitter and Facebook page.

MOLOME is a cross-platform photo sharing social network for smartphone users worldwide. It is free and it will always be free for everyone to use.

Key Features

• Fast camera access for instant sharing
• 19 magical filters, including the all time popular Tilt Shift, Vignette, GentleArt, Slide Film, Old Paper, Vintage, Sepia, Black and White and Selective color removal
• New filters for MOLOME Android release: Slick UI, Pinky Leak
• Sharing to MOLOME network, Facebook and Twitter
• Earn Badges
• Follow and view Friends' photos
• View Popular photos
• Love and comment photos
• Notification
• Easy view and update your own profile & photo
• Optimize performance for Android phones
• Fast upload speed
• 100% free and unlimited photo uploads
• Support for both 320x480 and 480x800 screen resolution

If you are already using it or download it, you can add me on there.

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HD Voice - What You Should Know

Last year Orange released HD Voice and Three have just announced they we've rolled it out since May of this year. What you as a user should realise is that you'll need to do minimal work to experience this feature. As HD voice is enabled on a network level and is only available on 3G networks, all you as a user will need is a compatible handset.

Technically HD Voice is just an updated codec (WB-AMR Wideband Adaptive Multi-Rate codec) which captures more data, which in turn is sound. I experienced a few HD calls way back in January 2010 where Three did a little demo to a few journalists and myself on some Sony Ericsson K series devices. The difference in quality of HD voice is very much like day and night.

HD Voice

• Background noise is significantly reduced.
• Speech is much clearer - this is advantageous for understanding similar sounding words and letters.
• Sound is transmitted at a higher rate - deep low booming voices have more base, whilst higher pitch voices are clearer.
• Calls are more intimate - it almost seems the person is right there in your ear speaking to you.
• Requires both caller and receiver to have HD voice compatible handsets.
• Doesn't cost anything extra

Compatible Handsets (as confirmed by Three)

• Nokia C7, E7, N8, X7
• LG Optimus 3D

Further handsets will be confirmed by Three, so keep a check on their blog for news about your handset.

As HD voice calls are still new to us they’re only available between people on the Three network, and both the caller and the receiver need to have an HD Voice equipped phone. We are also looking to roll out cross-operator calls in the future. As soon as we can let you know more on this, we will.

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Push N8 - Paint SKATE

Following on from the great video of the Long Distance SKATE, we've got yet another early access exclusive. This second video is slightly different. Titled Paint SKATE, it uses the same Push Skating Prototype as before but with a bit more paint.

The second film is Paint SKATE and something completely different from our first Push N8 film, Long Distance SKATE. Produced by a New York based group of skateboarders and filmmakers, Paint SKATE is an artistic take on a skate video featuring two skaters battling it out in a real-life version of Tony Hawk’s videogame version of the game of HORSE, called SKATE. The film is layered with cool visuals and some seriously slick skating tricks, all scored using the Push Skating prototype.

 Enjoy it below. As usual keep your rss catchers aimed at the PushN8 Blog and follow the @NokiaPush Twitter account to stay up to date.

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HTC ChaCha - Can Facebook, But Can It Dance

The HTC ChaCha is a peculiar handset amongst the Android family and it's not because of it's dedicated Facebook button either. The full QWERTY candy bar style with the landscape screen orientation will further add to the fragmentation of Android itself for some, but I personally think it tackles issues Android hasn't experienced yet.

Hardware

The Cha Cha comes in a mixture of white plastic and silver metallic casing. It has a full QWERTY thumb pad, touch Android user buttons, whilst the dedicated Facebook button sits at the bottom of the "chin" found on older HTC handsets such as the Hero and Dream (G1). The included charger is also white and there is a snazzy twist clip function, although one wonders how long the plastic on plastic twisting would take to ear it out.

Physically I found the handset to be smaller than expected, the press and advertised images make it look a lot bigger than it actually is. At most I'd say it's a half centimetre wider than the Desire, whilst it being a half centimetre shorter. It fits comfortably in one hand, although one handed operation isn't easy, nor does it seem it was designed for one handed use either.

The HTC chin is back on the ChaCha. Design wise it's not too bad, I didn't find any advantages to this design. It might make viewing the screen more optimal, but I think the screen needs more help than just a little tilt upwards. The rounded edges and the smooth finish on this handset make it slightly slippery, I would think the chin plays a little part in this.

Keyboard

The rounded keys and little spaces in-between them make typing away on the ChaCha easy to get used to. Once familiarised with the layout (here we have yet another variation) and where to access the FN (function) key for your access to symbols and special characters, you'll be updating your status, commenting and chattering away on Facebook pretty quickly.

What I found missing was the lack of a trackball, whilst the arrow keys do make up for them, having them in the bottom right corner instead of in the centre under the screen is somewhat undesirable. Most Nokia and Blackberry models have that setup, the ChaCha does not, so this might take a little getting used to. But as the ChaCha does have touch screen functionality there is some compensation.

The two dedicate answer / reject buttons just under the touch Android buttons went unnoticed, it would be better utilising this space for more screen real estate.

Screen

The screen maybe a higher resolution to some other similar handsets the ChaCha will be competing in the market against, but I think there are a few factors which hinder the experience.

First and foremost, Android is not optimised for landscape use. Whilst there are a few options to make it usable, using any Android device in landscape mode all the time will be painful and the lack of support and optimisations will be clear. Apps in the market have not been optimised to run landscape nor on this resolution (480 x 320), which really make getting as much info on screen at one time very hard. Screen retail space is a major concern here. There is a real feel of claustrophobia when using the ChaCha for long periods of time. Those used to the landscape mode may not experience it as much, but coming from a larger screen, it was definitely something I had to consciously get used to.

The screens other fault is the viewing angle. The viewing angle is not as wide as I would have liked, whilst the reflective nature make it hard to see when outdoors. At times viewing images or a video at a slightly slanted angle weren't crisp or as sharp I'd like. Having to view them almost straight on or past that line of limit is not ideal.

Camera

The 5 mega pixel camera on the back of the ChaCha is not really the selling point of this handset, so I wouldn't expect amazing images from it. But the images captured were good enough for sharing to Facebook. In good lighting conditions it wasn't a problem whilst in lowlight it performed OK, whilst the LED flash wasn't as blinding as on my Desire. The option to take images in a 3:2 widescreen resolution is a nice bonus. The 480p video capture ability is sufficient for grabbing quick videos in good light, but in lowlight it's not advisable. There is also the option to capture in widescreen mode here too - 720x480. A couple of sample images and comparison with the Desire can be found below. Click them to open in higher resolutions.

ChaCha vs Desire (Auto)


ChaCha vs Desire Auto (Flash)


ChaCha Closeup

It wasn't easy trying to get the pictures as desired due to the fact the ChaCha doesn't have a dedicated camera button and also the fact the pictures were taken using the phone vertically. It's not comfortable at all.

Facebook

The ChaCha's main selling point is the Facebook integration. Not only does it have a dedicated button for quick access to Facebook, the ChaCha's software has also been optimised to utilise this. Like most of the HTC's Android handset loaded with Sense, Facebook comes as part of a pre installed package. But HTC have gone the extra yard to make use of the dedicated Facebook button. When pressed it loads up a quick status screen where one can update their status, upload a picture from the gallery or snap one using the camera to post something on one of theirs or their friend's walls. The integration works well and it's super quick to do. Holding the button down allows the user to check-in to a place by using Facebook places. Again, very easy and quick to do.

FB Chat is also preloaded on the ChaCha. This allows the user to quickly see who's online and available to chat. There are also various widgets to stay alert with the latest from Facebook on your homepage. Whilst HTC's optimised Friend stream is a one stop shop to see what everyone is up to or what they are sharing. All of which can be filtered by categories; Photos, Status Updates, Links etc.

Conclusion

The HTC ChaCha is clearly aimed at a specific crowd. I'm not sure whether it excels at what it's aimed to do. But if the handset can be priced at a decent market, then there would be relative success. High end users on the whole would prefer a different setup or handset. There is too much change and adaptability for them. I think if it's aimed at the budget market the ChaCha may succeed, but put it up against a Blackberry Curve for example and it would have no chance, despite it's overwhelming features.

The ChaCha for me is a good experiment to see where Android users could end up and how far they would go to try something different. I don't quite agree having a dedicated Facebook button would make it a more social handset. There are plenty of apps, widgets and customisations in the Market to easily turn any generic Android handset into a "Facebook" phone. I'd rather HTC and others concentrate on doing what they have and expand on those, the HTC G2 and Desire Z are great examples. A dedicated camera button instead of a Facebook button would be a starting point.

The HTC ChaCha asks more questions than it actually answers. Can Android cope with handsets purely designed to work in Landscape mode. Are developers aware of Landscape mode and are they optimising their apps to utilise these options. Can Android become flexible enough to cope with varying different resolutions and handset design without fragmenting itself even more? I for one hope so.

Pros

• Keyboard has great feedback and is easy to use.
• Facebook users will love the integration.
• The Camera isn't bad for everyday use and point and shoot scenarios.
• Small, compact and very ergonomic.
• The White on Silver design works well.

Cons

• The landscape screen is alien to regular Android users.
• The lack of a trackball won't help those coming from Blackberry and similar setups.
• Lack of apps optimised for landscape.

The HTC ChaCha is available on ThreeUK on The One Plan with AYCE (all you can eat) data.

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Appview: GO Launcher EX

There are plenty of alternative Launcher applications for Android for those that are bored with their default Android launcher options. Many have nice and snazzy UIs, widgets and extra functionality. During my time with Android I have cycled through a few; Launcher Pro and ADWLauncher being two of the most popular in the market.

I decided to try out something new ever since I upgraded to a custom Gingerbread (2.3.4) ROM. This is when I found GO Launcher EX.

"Yet another Launcher" - I thought.

I installed and started messing around with the Launcher settings and configuring it to the way I prefer. What I found were some very nice transition effects and customisation options. Whilst there were also an abundance of custom themes available from the market. I settled on a Honeycomb theme, and with a few tweaks my Android experience was yet again somewhat different whilst staying consistent.

One thing I would recommend for those trying out GO Launcher EX is their Calender GOwidget, which is pretty awesome. It gives all the functionality of the Android calender in the widget itself. Very convenient for those that live forever in their calenders.

Extended version of GO Launcher, one of the most popular home application.

GO Launcher EX is the extended version of GO Launcher, one of the most popular home apps in Android Market. It’s a highly customizable home replacement application, which will run when you press your android phone’s HOME key.

GO Launcher EX supports hundreds of themes, fast flip speed and tons of useful functions.

Features

- Hundreds of themes

- Fancy home screen transition

- Smooth scrolling experience

- Icon popup menu

- Folder and task manager in app drawer

- Gesture supported

- Scrollable & resizable widgets supported

For those to looking enhance their Android experience and looking for something different with a lot of choice, you should try GO Launcher EX out. It's FREE, easy to install, customise and use.

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HTC ChaCha Overview

**The Full HTC ChaCha Review Here**

The HTC ChaCha is an Android Qwerty smartphone, but unlike any other it's got a dedicated Facebook button and is in a typical Blackberry form factor. The landscape screen orientation along with the Qwerty keyboard and dedicated Facebook button make the ChaCha a potential social messaging smartphone to rival all others.

Whether or not it will succeed is yet to be seen. I was lucky enough to be invited by Three to a meetup for the ChaCha and get my hands on the handset. The initial impressions are pretty good. It's a lot smaller than it looks in the pictures. It's not as flimsy or light as I thought it might be. I'll be testing it out in the coming weeks to see exactly how this handset performs on it's main selling points; Facebook integration and messaging.

Highlighted Features:

• Dedicated Facebook Button
• Qwerty Keyboard
• 2.6-inch touch screen with 480 x 320 resolution
• 800 MHz CPU
• 5 megapixel color camera with auto focus and LED flash + VGA front camera
• 512MB RAM
• MicroSD card support
• 1250 mAh Lithium-ion battery
• WiFi 802.11b/g/n
• Android (2.3.3.) with HTC Sense 2.1

In the meantime check out the video from the lovely Sedge of the Three Social Media team and check out the features on the official website for the HTC ChaCha

If you have any questions or queries, or anything you'd like me to try out with the handset, leave a comment below, find me on Twitter or e-mail me.

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Push N8 - Long Distance SKATE

If you're not familiar with the Nokia Push stuff, then you must be hiding under a rock. They do very cool stuff with Nokia phones. I've covered a few of the cool stuff they've been doing before. Especially the PushN900 and PushBurton stuff they were doing with the Nokia N8.

Exclusive readers of AdonisMobile can get an early look at the latest stuff they're doing with the Nokia N8. Keep your RSS services glued to their blog, but in the meantime enjoy the cool video early.

Nokia Push is about showcasing the creativity of people by giving them the opportunity to demonstrate the power of Nokia devices and the Push N8 project is a great example of that. We challenged people to show us the most creative ways of demonstrating the Push KAPing and Push Skating prototypes through film and the eight teams are now ready to unleash their final films.

The first film is Long Distance SKATE. Using the Push Skating prototype, a London based group of skateboarders and filmmakers set out to show what could be possible with the technology. Using the prototype, two skaters battle against each other to outdo each other’s tricks – one in London and the other in Paris.

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AdonisMobile v4

Welcome to AdonisMobile V4.

This is the latest and greatest overhaul to the design of the site thus far. It's more spacious, smoother and easier for me to handle as an Admin.

There are new features implemented with the new design. Feel free to look around and tinker with stuff. It's designed to get you the reader to interact more and express yourself.

• There will be a monthly voting on questions related to mobile on the right pane.
• The Facebook group widget, which you can like.
• There are also more clearer and easier options to subscribe, follow on Twitter and Like on Facebook too.
• Popular posts of the month are displayed, so you can see what's being read on AdonisMobile often.
• The new featured posts section is bigger with larger pictures, highlighting some of the reviews and content I've written previously.
• There is also a contact / about me page at the top. This will help you get in contact with me briefly as well as giving you insight into how AdonisMobile is run.
• The share buttons at the bottom of posts are now also on the main homepage, allowing you to share posts quickly.

I'd appreciate feedback on the design, features and bugs if you come across any. I hope you enjoy your experience. If you don't remember what v3 looked like, see below. I'm sure you'd agree, it was more compact and less flexible in comparison.

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Appview: Revision3

Revision3 have a really great web page to access some of the great content they create. I'm a keen Diggnation fan, I watch it mainly for the banter and the interesting conversations between Alex and Kevin, whilst I also catch up with Destructiod to keep up briefly with my gaming news and snippets.

The Revision3 Android app is pretty similar to their slick web page UI. It's been designed for touch, has some nice graphics and above all high quality content. This is the biggest pro for me. Having access to the shows I watch on there in great quality on the go. There are many apps out there which have video streaming, but all suffer from choppy poor quality streams. Revision3 doesn't. The streams are high quality HD video - screenshot below from an actual stream.

Revision3 - the leading Internet TV network featuring Diggnation,Tekzilla & more

Watch your favorite Revision3 shows on the go on your Android phone with the official Revision3 app!

We've made it quick and easy to watch your favorite shows from the Revision3 lineup, so if you're into Diggnation, Film Riot or Tekzilla, it doesn't matter - they're all here for you to watch and enjoy!

If you haven't checked out Revision3 and you are interested in most things to do with technology, then you should check out Revision3. There are plenty of shows on there to choose from. The quality of the content is great and with their Android App you can keep up with the latest from your favourite shows anytime, anywhere.

I'd like to see some extra features in the app itself.

• A way to subscribe to a show and be notified with push messages when new episodes are posted.
• Also a nice offline sync feature perhaps with the ability to watch the shows later offline.

Their rss feeds already has the link for the videos in them, but it would be nice to have an option there which would make this available via the app.

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