Review: The New Facebook App for iPad

There was no mention of it at the F8. Apple didn't bring out a surprise guest in Mark Zuckerburg at its iPhone conference last week. Where was the much anticipated and now long overdue Facebook app for iPad that the world has been waiting for?

Well, on Monday afternoon, the app quietly arrived via a post from Facebook's own page on, you guessed it, Facebook. 

It's main integration is for the iPad, previously incompatible with the Facebook mobile app for iPhone, but it also serves as an upgrade for iPhone users. It is said that this app will also work across Android and other mobile platforms soon. 

So, I took this app for a test drive last night on my iPad, and I have continued using it this morning. At first, I did not see the point of going to this app over my web page. The functionality seemed, if anything, scaled back from the web experience. After some more time with the app, I found that it was a better over all experience for iPad Facebook-ing. 

The key difference for a user standpoint is that everything can be run through the app. If you click on an article, for example, you will be taken to the site that the article is on, but it is still framed within the Facebook borders. This will change the game for developers. Instead of creating apps that rest on your mobile device, you will now see more apps that are ingredients into Facebook's app experience. 

The new app provides great new features, including optimized photo viewing, and as mentioned above, never having to leave the app itself to visit different sites. 

That said, there are a few functionality changes that Facebook must make right now:

1) Sharing a link. The web experience lets you post a link and recognizes that you are doing so by including the article title, choosing a thumbnail or embedding the video. On the app, the link shows up raw and looks like a user error when posted. 

2) Back button or History. One of the cool new features is that you can simply slide the screen from left to right and it will take you back to the page you were on before. Unfortunately, this does now work the other way around. Clicking through to an article on a different site, still within the Facebook app framework, you can easily lose where you were on that site if you, say, accidentally flipped the screen back with your finger. I mean, you can find it again, like I had to this morning, it was just a pain to retrace my steps. 

3) Pages filters. On a 'fan' page, there is no filter to only read what the Page administrator has posted vs what everyone has posted. This was a distracting and annoying experience. You'll quickly see how much spam and nonsense other people post on your fan pages without this feature. 

4) Video chat. Through the message function, which is slick and very useable, I was surprised that I could not video chat. This would be a huge step for Facebook in the mobile space, especially considering their recent partnership with Skype. 

The new app will need some improvements, and more will likely bubble up the more people use it, but over all, the experience is quite good. I will be interested to see how the new web features, including Timeline, will integrate into the Facebook app moving forward. ~p

iPhone 4S: It’s Got Guts. Unfortunately, that’s all it has.

Today was the day we were all waiting for. 

Or was it? 

Apple launched a new iPhone today, as per reports, but it was not the iPhone 5 that has been frenzied over media outlets for the past couple of months. Instead, Apple announced an iPhone 4S, which is essentially high-powered iPhone 4. It comes with lots of cool, exciting new innovations on the inside, while on the outside, the same iPhone that we’ve had since June 2010. 

The biggest announcement today was Siri. This new feature, exclusive to the iPhone 4S, will change the way we interact with our smart phones, and eventually, all of our devices. At its core, it is first real push for commercializing Artificial Intelligence. From the video I watched, it is still in its infancy, but it works and interacts very well. Also, as I’m reminded from my Android-using friends, a similar feature has been available to them for some time.

The other new features for iPhone 4S are truly groundbreaking, including iCloud, and an 8MP camera that also shoots 1080p video. Even though one could argue that 8MP is 2-year old technology for the smart phone market, the details are commendable, like stability control, a fifth lens for sharper images, and letting in more natural light to better represent the color in your shots.  

These features come together to truly make this ‘the most amazing iPhone yet’, as the tag line says. Still, I can’t help but be disappointed in this announcement. 

Maybe it’s superficial, but for weeks I have been reading about the possibilities for the new iPhone 5 design - wider and taller screen, thin body, sleek rounded corners. I’ve seen fake pictures and pretend mock-ups of what it was going to look like. And I’ve been really excited to get my hands on one. Through that process, I convinced myself that the iPhone 4 was way too chunky, especially in comparison to, say, the new Blackberry Bold.  Not to be picky, but I’ve also been looking forward to a 10MP camera, and new battery technology to power these cool features. 

The new iPhone 5 was suppose to launch today and put Apple miles ahead of the competition - burying Blackberry, and firmly distancing itself from Android and Microsoft powered devices. This was going to be the moment to solidify and validate Apple as the most valuable company in the world. But that didn’t happened this afternoon. 

The stats that Apple shared during the KeyNote today also lead me to believe that they knew the crowd might be underwhelmed. While impressive, they came across as somewhat defensive.

• Macbook pro and iMac are the best selling noteboook and desktop in the U.S.
• There are 60 million Mac users around the world. Apple has sold 45 million iPods so far this year (ending in June).
• iPod marketshare in the U.S. is above 70%.
• iTunes users have downloaded more than 16 billion songs.
• iPhone has 5% of the Worldwide Mobile Phone market.
• More than half of all iPhones that have been sold were iPhone 4s.
• Apple has sold more than 250 million iOS devices.

Bottom line, it took guts to launch a iPhone 4S today. Unfortunately, that is all the iPhone 4S offers. Other smart phone companies, I would assume that you have about 9 months before the real iPhone 5 hits the market. Use your time wisely. ~ p

Is Apple's 12-month Product Lifecycle Still Good for Business?

It's that time of year again. No, not when Valentine's Day chocolate is still on sale as Cadbury mini-eggs come back. Even though that is happening right now, too. I'm talking about the annual product lifecycle for Apple, namely the new iPhone and iPad 2.

Steve Jobs is a master of supply and demand - creating hysteria over new product launches for years. And making it last to some degree for a full 12 months. Even now, people can't wait to get their hands on an iPhone 4...even though it's old news as far as new products go.

This makes me wonder if Apple's strategy has worked too well. If they stick to their guns and launch iPhone 5 an their annual cycle, we should be seeing it soon. With this strategy, we should also be getting a real glimpse of iPad 2. In fact, there is a strong suspicion that Apple will unveil the iPad 2 tomorrow (March 2). But, as with iPhone 4, the original iPad is still flying off the shelves. With this in mind, my first question is 1) Are they not cutting into their own product market share by releasing a new product when demand is still high for the current version? 2) Does Apple need to continue to release new products on a 12-month cycle, or has their dominance with innovation given them enough breathing room to essentially dictate how and when new innovations should hit the market? As a consumer who is waiting for iPad 2, I hope not. But I guess that's the power of a company that's now worth $100 billion more than Microsoft.

Knowing that the traditional timeline for new Apple products is quickly approaching, the rumors surrounding those products have also ramped up. There is a growing list that you can read here. The ones that stick out to me are the much larger screen for the iPhone 5, including a slide-out keyboard, and a camera between 8 and 12 megapixels. The larger screen and better camera sound right in-line with Apple's innovation style - but the slide-out keyboard would be a big surprise to many users if it happened. I can only assume this feature would open up the market for business consumers - trying to steal that domain from RIM's Blackberry.

The other no -brainer for me is the back and front facing camera for the iPad 2. Apple's Facetime application has the potential to indirectly create customer loyalty that's as strong as RIM's Blackberry Messenger. I know that's one of the only reasons I am still on a Blackberry, and the same goes for most of my friends. The camera on the iPad 2 is also one of the driving reasons I do not currently have an iPad 1...I'm waiting to for this feature and application to change my life.

With Tablets starting to flood the market, this indeed looks like it will be the year of the Tablet. As a consumer, I look forward to watching the market evolve and unfold, and see who is leading the pack when December holiday shopping comes around. My money will be on the iPad...but maybe RIM's Playbook has a game plan up their sleeve. ~ p

Is the Playbook everything I want iPad 2 to be?

I got an iPad for Christmas. I took it back. My reason was obvious and logical: I am waiting for the next one. This mythical next one is supposedly launching March 15th. But that is completely unofficial and just based on the cycle of other Apple products. Still, it was good enough for me. I want a camera. I want to use FaceTime. I want a better screen and more storage in a lighter, more powerful package. Too much to ask for iPad 2? Maybe. But it is right on par with Blackberry's first edition of the Playbook.

This isn't the first time I've seen a demo on the Playbook. But it is the first time I've seen a product demo so close to launch with what I describe as 'in-the-moment' testing. Who knows how many takes this Jeff guy took, but it looks unedited and real, and so does the 'bar stamp' on his hand as he takes us through the features. Nice touch.

So as I wait and wait and wait for iPad 2 to come and out almost certainly let down my high expectations, I get closer and closer and closer to getting everything I want right now in the Playbook.

What do you think? Should I wait or buy a Playbook? ~ p

The Beatles on iTunes Was My Second Guess

Good for Yoko Ono for finally giving into the pressure of iTunes, and realizing that fans, including me, want to hear more, in the easiest way possible. Or maybe she's just running out of money. Either way, it's good for Beatles fans everywhere! ~ p

Apple Announcement will Change How You Listen to Music

Apple has an announcement coming tomorrow. Any guesses? Word on the street is that they are 'killing the MP3' file format by introducing a live streaming function. From the sounds of it, this would be cool and make a lot of sense. Basically, you and everyone else would access your music through a 'cloud' storage service, instantly streaming and playing music on your iTunes enabled device. This is a logic step moving forward. Why would we keep a catalogue of music, eating away our personal storage space, when we could simply access it in the same way from Apple's cloud? It would be even cooler if we could simply type in our user name and password and access our music from any iTunes-enabled device, mobile or not. 

The only hurdle I currently see is people, including me, who do not have an iTouch, iPad, or iPhone and, therefore, do not have Internet or cloud capabilities on our iPods. I'm sure Steve Jobs simply sees that as an opportunity for me to upgrade my device and give him some more money. I can't blame him. I would buy a new device for this service. But first, let's see if tomorrow is indeed a day not worth forgetting. ~ p

If Apple Owned Facebook

Apple, meet Microsoft, your new mall-mate. Oh, you already know each other? Awkward...

When I was in school, my business Professor asked me, 'If you lived on the beach, and in the middle of that beach, there was a hotdog stand that had a line-up of consumers 50-yards long every day...where would you put your hotdog stand to cash in on his market?'

Interesting question. I thought about it for a minute, mostly wondering if my beach-bum-self would be more like Tom Hanks in Castaway or Matthew McConaughey in, well, real life. Then I said, 'I wouldn't open a hotdog stand,' which, of course, made my teacher's lip furl, eyebrows cringe, and nostrils flare, 'I would open a water stand. I mean, have you even seen a hotdog eating contest? They're on a ratio of like 1 dog to 1 glass of water, easy!'

The correct answer was mine. But it was also to open a stand right beside the other guy - not down the road, not on another beach, right beside the poor guy who busted his butt and took the risk to create a market of hotdog eaters on a beach somewhere. This would create competition and, more importantly, give consumers an option.

I think someone at Microsoft had the same Professor.

The new Microsoft store will open in the Mall of America in Minneapolis and sit directly opposite the Apple store. One of the few store-fronts that Microsoft has in market, this one looks to be twice as big as their Apple rivals across the hall. With other Microsoft stores, they make no secret about trying to steal and copy Apple's strategies, and have even included their own version of the Genius Bar, called the Answer Desk.

Some might call this move cheap. I think it will keep Apple on their toes, and should result in a battle of best customer service between the two. Plus, if you're an Apple employee and you ever go bananas, you could have a job waiting for you right across the hall. ~ p




(Source: http://www.electronista.com)

Office for Mac '11 Overhaul Kills Entourage

It was announced today that Microsoft is launching the Office for Mac 2011 next month on October 26th. The standout line for me in the launch video can be paraphrased as 'Office is something that people feel like they need. We hope this version is something they'll want, too.' After watching the video, I gotta say, it worked. I want it.
 
This overhaul version promises to be a lot faster, and includes cool new aesthetic features, including a new full screen option for Word. It has also dropped the often-frustrating Entourage and opted to include Outlook. For the reasonable price ($120 for a single install and $150 for 3-install Family Pack) it'll get some immediate attention...including from me. ~ p




(Source: Mashable, The Office for Mac Blog)