Linked List: May 12, 2015

Tuesday, 12 May 2015

Walt Mossberg Tests the Apple Watch for a Month ★

Walt Mossberg:

Some commentators have complained that the Apple Watch lacks a “killer app” — the one thing that would make it irresistible to consumers. But I disagree. I think any new device like this becomes attractive when it looks good, works well, and does multiple useful things of different value to different users.

I think the “killer app” problem is a marketing issue. A “killer app” feature can help a new device or platform gain traction, because it makes it easy to write about and talk about. Apple Watch doesn’t have that problem — it’s hard to imagine how it could be getting more attention than it is.

The iPod had a simple “killer app” aspect: a thousand songs in your pocket. Boom. But it took years for the iPod to become a mass market hit, because Apple was in such a different position as a company.

Domino’s to Roll Out ‘Tweet-a-Pizza’ ★

Bruce Horovitz, reporting for USA Today:

Beginning May 20, Domino’s, the pizza delivery behemoth, will roll out a “tweet-to-order” system that lets U.S. customers tweet for pizza. Domino’s will become the first major player in the restaurant industry to use Twitter, on an ongoing basis, to place and complete an order.

Even wackier: Domino’s frequent customers will be able to order by tweeting only the pizza emoji to @Dominos.

Seems like validation for the Push for Pizza guys, who’ve been doing the “order a pizza in just a few taps from your phone” thing since last year.

Also worth noting that in today’s world, “ordering online” means ordering from your phone — but without making a phone call, and in most cases without using a web browser.

What Will Verizon Do With AOL’s Media Properties? ★

Charlie Warzel and William Alden, reporting for BuzzFeed:

Currently, Verizon has no plans to spin off several of the high-profile media properties within its Brand Group, including TechCrunch, Engadget, MapQuest, Moviefone, CrunchBase, and Alpha. Multiple sources inside the Brand Group unit tell BuzzFeed News they’ve also been assured that no layoffs are planned for any of those properties.

And yet it’s still unclear what the acquisition means for AOL’s Huffington Post Media Group. Earlier this morning, Recode reported that AOL has been in talks — most seriously with German media conglomerate Axel Springer — to spin off the Huffington Post as its own entity. Sources BuzzFeed News spoke to within AOL were unaware of such talks.

Verizon to Acquire AOL for $4.4 Billion ★

Verizon, earlier today:

Taking another significant step in building digital and video platforms to drive future growth, Verizon Communications Inc. today announced the signing of an agreement to purchase AOL Inc. for $50 per share — an estimated total value of approximately $4.4 billion.

Consider how far AOL has fallen, and how much the media world has changed: in 2000 AOL acquired Time Warner for $182 billion, creating a post-merger company then valued at over $350 billion.

Redesigning Overcast’s Apple Watch App ★

Great writeup by Marco Arment on how he completely redesigned the Overcast watch app after actually using it:

Trying to match the structure of the iOS app was a mistake. For most types of apps, the Apple Watch today is best thought of not as a platform to port your app to, but a simple remote control or viewport into your iPhone app.

My initial app was easier to conceptualize and learn, and it closely matched the iOS app. But it just wasn’t very good in practice, and wasn’t usually better than taking out my phone.

The new app is a bit weird and polarizing, and has a learning curve, but it’s great in practice if it fits your preferences. (Just like the Apple Watch.)

The original design wasn’t bad at all — it was actually one of my favorite third-party Watch apps. But the new design is clearly better.

I think every developer who started working on their Apple Watch apps before actually owning an Apple Watch would do well to reconsider their designs. It’s one thing to know you shouldn’t simply design like the Watch is a small iPhone. It’s another thing to have a sense of what makes for a good Watch app — and you have to actually use an Apple Watch to gain that sense.