After Party – Ep 32.1 – Retro
Nic:
twitter.com/NicBall
Nic@TheGadgetGurus.net
Google+
Liz:
twitter.com/Liz_Money
hellolizzy@facebook.com
Show Notes After the break…
Google+ Guru Breakdown
Google+ is the search giant’s take on social networking. Yea, the same guys that made Buzz. So why the hell would you care about Google+? Well, it is actually pretty friggin awesome! Google has managed to take many existing ideas and merge them into a single site that is not just easy to use, but it’s a lot of fun as well. They have improved on many things that both Facebook and Twitter lack while at the same time tossing in some new features to lure users over. I have been using Goole+ for just over a week now and wanted to share my Guru Breakdown with you.
Editorial: Why Apple Did Choose Twitter Instead of Facebook for iOS?
When Apple announced their “One More Thing” this year at WWDC, Twitter Integration, my first thought was “Why not Facebook”. While Twitter has blown up exponentially over the last five years to it’s current 200 million users, it is still over shadowed by the 500 million Facebook users. Users spend over 30 hours a month on Facebook while only two hours a month on Twitter. So why did Apple choose to integrate Twitter so tightly into iOS 5 and not include Facebook?
For starters, Apple and Facebook have gotten off to a rocky start with Ping. Apple introduced Ping with Facebook integration, but it has since been pulled. Apple was accessing an API that is free to use, but not for a large volume of requests. Facebook then blocked access from Ping and the integration has not made a return. Is Apple not willing to shell out the licensing fees for Ping and iOS or have they just not settled on an agreement with Facebook yet? Steve Jobs is known for holding a grudge and blocking Ping from Facebook is a good way to piss him off. Apple and Facebook’s rocky relationship could be one reason why the social network was left out of iOS 5.
Another possible reason as to why Apple chose to integrate Twitter into iOS 5 might be less political and more to do with use cases. Twitter users access the service more from mobile devices than Facebook users. Apple is obviously focused on mobile and iOS right now, Steve Jobs even demoted the Mac as “just another device” at WWDC this year. Twitter users have embraced mobile use more so than any other social network and Apple may have recognized this and decided to integrate it into iOS 5.
Whether the reasons are political or technical, one thing is for sure, Apple and Facebook are looking less like partners and more like enemies.
After Party – Episode 28 – Money Mouth
This week Nic and Liz discuss all things hacking, E3 and a good chunck of legal news. Plus we talk about Liz’s new contest called Money Mouth!!
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Nic:
twitter.com/NicBall
Nic@TheGadgetGurus.net
Liz:
twitter.com/Liz_Money
hellolizzy@facebook.com
Show Notes After the break…
Apple iOS 5 Adds New Notifications, Cuts the PC Cord, Twitter Integration and More
Yesterday was a big day for iOS users with the announcement of iOS 5. Apple addressed the single largest complaint from users and updated how iOS handles notifications. Instead of annoying modal pop ups that interrupt what you are doing, users will see a small indicator at the top (think webOS but at the top) that no longer stop you from what you are doing. Clicking the notification brings you to the app or you can swipe down on the screen to view a list of all system notifications. Apple also tossed in a stock ticker and weather widget within the notification window.
Along with notifications, iOS 5 will implement “PC Free” startups that no longer require you to use a computer to get your iOS device up and running. The back up and restore process has also gotten the PC Free treatment. Using iCloud, your iOS 5 device will have daily backups sent right to the cloud and restoring from those backups are all done OTA with no need for a computer.
Apple also introduced a new messaging service called iMessage. iMessage is a push messaging service very much like Blackberry Messenger that uses data in order to send instant messages directly between iOS users. You can send images, videos, your locations and contact information all within the standard messaging app. The service is fully functional with read receipts and the ability to see when someone is typing to you. Goodbye BBM, it was fun while it lasted.
The other major change in iOS 5 is Twitter integration. Much like Android’s “share” function, iOS will allow you to update Twitter directly from within applications. Only Safari, Maps, Camera and YouTube look to be supported, but I am sure more apps are to come. Hopefully this is one of the APIs Apple released so that third parties can build this into their own apps.
Along with the above enhancements to iOS, Apple also made tweaks to the camera, allowing you to use the volume up button to take a picture (ala Camera+), added tasks like reminders, Newsstand for magazines, WiFi syncing, and multi-touch gestures for the iPad. Head on over to Apple’s iOS 5 page to watch the videos and see all the info.
