Linked List: August 25, 2010

Wednesday, 25 August 2010

Apple Announces Media Event Next Week ★

I expect a new iPhone 4-caliber iPod Touch (retina display, dual FaceTime-ready cameras), new iTunes TV show rentals, and a new iOS-based Apple TV. The wildcard is whether there’s going to be an App Store for the Apple TV.

Update: Readers are asking about iOS 4.1. I expect that, too, along with the official debut of Game Center, which is part of 4.1 and will help reinforce the image of the iPod Touch as a mobile gaming device (and the App Store as a gaming platform) going into the holidays. Look for a bunch of Game Center demos during the event.

As for the iPad, no, I don’t think 4.1 is going to be released for it. iOS 4.2, coming late in the calendar year, is a more likely unification release for all iOS devices. Think about it — how can Apple release iOS 4.1 for the iPad next week if they haven’t released a single beta for developers?

Google Announces Phone Calls From Gmail ★

Integrates with Google Voice.

Future Claim Chowder on Tablet Market Share ★

DigiTimes:

In a Chinese-language interview with the Economic Daily News (EDN), JT Wang, chairman of Acer, said that he expects Apple’s iPad market share to drop from close to 100% currently to only 20%-30% after the tablet PC market stabilizes.

Sounds like a dramatic drop, but I’d say even if he’s got it exactly right, that’s enough for Apple to remain in first place. Imagine if Apple had 20-30 percent market share in desktop PCs.

Now imagine if he’s wrong and Apple’s long-term tablet share is more like 40 or 50 percent.

He also cited a research report indicating that the market share for Android smartphones has already surpassed that of iOS models, and noted that according to past experience, a closed platform will eventually lose to an open one, and that he believes Android simply needs a little more time before it turns strong, the paper added.

And the evidence of platforms winning solely on the basis of “openness” is what? And the Android handset maker selling more units or making more profit than Apple (or RIM) is who?

Andrew Orlowski: ‘Why Android Won’t Worry RIM and Apple’ ★

Andrew Orlowski:

The Android licensees think that today — but throwing out lots of mediocre products isn’t the passport to success. The lucrative end of the mobile device market is a product culture, and it pays to put more of your wood behind one arrow, or just a few arrows; the more you make, the less distinctive each one is. Android doesn’t really do anything to encourage the development and marketing of distinctive products, must-have phones that people talk about in the pub.

I agree. Where are the people who love their Android phones who aren’t computer geeks. Non-geek iPhone and BlackBerry lovers are everywhere.

Update: Pushback on Twitter, example A, example B.

Dan Provost Ruminates on Next-Gen Apple TV Remotes ★

One thing’s for sure: five button up/down/left/right/action isn’t good enough.

User Interface of the Week: Max Magic Microtuner ★

Bonus point for putting the version number in the application menu name.

Update: Alternate link.

Simplenote 3.0 ★

Nice update to one of my favorite iPhone and iPad apps. For me, it’s essential.

Samsung Galaxy Tab Seen in the Wild ★

Nice catch by Electronista: a Samsung Galaxy Tab in use in Australia:

Subjectively, the worker thought the device was “awesome,” and labeled it “different” when compared to the iPad.