IPhone and iPad are terribly boring, what's next?(blog.shoutem.com)
blog.shoutem.com
IPhone and iPad are terribly boring, what's next?
http://blog.shoutem.com/2012/12/06/iphone-and-ipad-are-terribly-boring-what-is-next/
Interesting take on the evolution of new technologies. It is true that iPhone updates are more and more obvious and that we miss that WOW effect that Steve Jobs use to provide. What's next then?
6 comments
These devices are boring because they just keep getting better without really changing at their core. So what would make them better? Software that just keeps getting better without changing at its core. It's like saying you're bored with the Xbox 360 so you're just waiting for the new Madden to come out.
I'm not seeing the point of this piece. It doesn't offer anything in the way of information. It's a fluff piece that can be boiled down to "things are going good, so let's just keep on moving forward" with the call to action of "hey mobile devs, have you ever thought of developing for mobile devices?"
I would even argue that the big innovation isn't coming from software next, it's coming from hardware. Notice that the big talent is switching back to hardware? Just because Apple's profit margins don't push them to make another huge innovation doesn't mean that no one is innovating.
I'm not seeing the point of this piece. It doesn't offer anything in the way of information. It's a fluff piece that can be boiled down to "things are going good, so let's just keep on moving forward" with the call to action of "hey mobile devs, have you ever thought of developing for mobile devices?"
I would even argue that the big innovation isn't coming from software next, it's coming from hardware. Notice that the big talent is switching back to hardware? Just because Apple's profit margins don't push them to make another huge innovation doesn't mean that no one is innovating.
Point is that there is no much room to inovate at hardware level. Both Apple and Samsung are doing great devices now. Which is actually good.
Software is where we might see some exciting stuff coming.
Yes I'm bored with gaming consoles as well. Only innovation comes from games it selves. Kinnect is an exception.
"No more room for innovation" could have been said about everything in history. After the cell phone came out, there was no more room for innovation because it was a handheld device that fit in your pocket and let you make calls anywhere. What more do you want? After Windows Mobile, it was a pocket computer that let you program and install applications and browse the web. What more do you want?
The reason it's easy to discount past innovations and say that hardware is perfect now is because past innovations have already been developed. They've already been made, and they already exist. They're obvious now. Future innovations are not obvious, that's why they're innovations. The better software called for in the blog post is just minor iterations like a new Madden (that's a really innovative game). Meanwhile, the Kinect has already been made, so of course the Xbox is perfect and hardware is dead. Pay no attention to the fact that Kinect wouldn't have existed if people thought the same way you do.
The reason it's easy to discount past innovations and say that hardware is perfect now is because past innovations have already been developed. They've already been made, and they already exist. They're obvious now. Future innovations are not obvious, that's why they're innovations. The better software called for in the blog post is just minor iterations like a new Madden (that's a really innovative game). Meanwhile, the Kinect has already been made, so of course the Xbox is perfect and hardware is dead. Pay no attention to the fact that Kinect wouldn't have existed if people thought the same way you do.
TL;DR - Software and infrastructure is more important than hardware.
Not a new observation but one that is worth thinking about now and again.
One of the interesting things I observe about mobile devices is their use as a function of their connectivity. Which is to say tablet with no network connectivity isn't as useful as a tablet with network connectivity. The networks are growing, but outside of major metro areas they still aren't great. The previous generation of laptops carried enough along to be useful during long periods of no connectivity [1]. So things like maps that aren't maps unless you're connected are less useful. (Google finally caved on that slightly which I applauded)
Perhaps the next thing is better reference tools. As a search company I get to see a lot of things people search for and reference searches are still a big chunk of search. That is however a place that could easily be disrupted by localized data. All of Wikipedia, maps, phone books, dictionaries, etc etc etc are actually small enough to carry around now. Sure you want updates to come from the web but the main corpus? Doesn't change that much. Who is going to build the Encyclopedia Galactica?
[1] I remind people sometimes that 'networking' was an add-on feature for the first laptops.
Not a new observation but one that is worth thinking about now and again.
One of the interesting things I observe about mobile devices is their use as a function of their connectivity. Which is to say tablet with no network connectivity isn't as useful as a tablet with network connectivity. The networks are growing, but outside of major metro areas they still aren't great. The previous generation of laptops carried enough along to be useful during long periods of no connectivity [1]. So things like maps that aren't maps unless you're connected are less useful. (Google finally caved on that slightly which I applauded)
Perhaps the next thing is better reference tools. As a search company I get to see a lot of things people search for and reference searches are still a big chunk of search. That is however a place that could easily be disrupted by localized data. All of Wikipedia, maps, phone books, dictionaries, etc etc etc are actually small enough to carry around now. Sure you want updates to come from the web but the main corpus? Doesn't change that much. Who is going to build the Encyclopedia Galactica?
[1] I remind people sometimes that 'networking' was an add-on feature for the first laptops.
I personally feel that things have become a bit stale on the hardware side all around, even with the new Surface release.
I'd like to see in-device projectors soon, but is there a more useful device addition to be had? Wireless charging, maybe?
I'd like to see in-device projectors soon, but is there a more useful device addition to be had? Wireless charging, maybe?
Microsoft could take the lead and put kinect in their phones, and use their photosynth tech to automatically build 3d immersive photos. Would certainly one-up panoramas in iOS and whatever the Android clone of that is called.
Project Glass is definitely interesting, as another commenter mentioned.
Project Glass is definitely interesting, as another commenter mentioned.
google glasses...
Linkbait headline with little relation to the meat of the article.
I really hope we're not in an 'Innovation == everything gets faster' cycle. Right now IMO, software needs major help.
Ex: I love my Roku to death, but the interface is so buggy it's like using a Flash app from 1999.
Ex: I love my Roku to death, but the interface is so buggy it's like using a Flash app from 1999.
Imho it is actually good. Because Apple has too much power and can blackmail developers. If there is no hardware advantage and iPhone and Android devices get on the same level, more power will go to developers and not platforms. They will have to compete to keep devs on boards.
I predict 2 front facing cameras or 2 rear facing cameras and 3d imaging software builtin to the iPhone 6 or iPhone 7
That's already out there, I think HTC EVO has it, and it is amazingly boring.
When HTC EVO does it, a TINY focused number of people get to play with it.
When apple puts it into their one premiere phone, millions of people will have it and interesting 3rd party software is worth making then.
When apple puts it into their one premiere phone, millions of people will have it and interesting 3rd party software is worth making then.