Mobile – Page 3 – ɔimoɈɒ

Language Learning for Kids?

I’m looking for resources for teaching young kids Spanish and French. In my ideal world these would be iPhone or iPad apps, with goal-based outcomes built-in. Seems like a missed opportunity. Of course, this is one of the things I’d like my new startup to build. Assisted Learning Experiences. Teaching by Asking. Learning through Play. … Continue reading “Language Learning for Kids?”

I’m looking for resources for teaching young kids Spanish and French. In my ideal world these would be iPhone or iPad apps, with goal-based outcomes built-in. Seems like a missed opportunity.

Of course, this is one of the things I’d like my new startup to build. Assisted Learning Experiences. Teaching by Asking. Learning through Play. Assessing by Doing.

That’s one of the reasons I’m pumped to be going to Learning Without Frontiers next week. I’d love to put together a group of folk interested in technology based learning and teaching. I even registered a domain for the grouping!

Musing about Learning and Teaching Technology

There’s a group of companies here in Northern Ireland who are focused on the growing educational technology market. Educational technology is, for most part, just the application of general technology to the education market without necessarily the grounding of technology with pedagogy or learning. Technology manifests as tools, as a medium and as a network. … Continue reading “Musing about Learning and Teaching Technology”

There’s a group of companies here in Northern Ireland who are focused on the growing educational technology market.

Educational technology is, for most part, just the application of general technology to the education market without necessarily the grounding of technology with pedagogy or learning. Technology manifests as tools, as a medium and as a network. We might use Photoshop to teach a certain skill, we might populate a wiki, blog or other content management system in order to store and record or we might use email or instant messenger to communicate – but none of these have any specific pedagogical or learning purpose.

I suppose the difference is whether you are using the technology to teach as opposed to teaching about the technology.

Some of the ideas I have regarding ‘educational’ technology are certainly in the tools, media and networks areas. Tools to inform parents of progress, new methods to deliver established content and the development of peer groups beyond the school all fit into these neat categories.

Applying game reward principles to learning and teaching is an enhancement that I can’t accurately describe in the context above. While the tools may be the browser or the iPad, the medium may be the web or dedicated apps (with graphics, sound, video) and the network may be the reporting of achievements (either to the peer group, the teacher or the parents), the process of matching the query to the answer, the process of imparting the techniques for research and the striving for success will be part of the pedagogical delivery.

During my schooling, knowledge was analog. It was written in books, passed on through a formalised oral tradition and collected in condensed form for schools. This meant that if you wanted to know something, you had to visit a library, open a book, ask a teacher. The answer would be both “best effort” and also subject to the local bias of a region. To find out any depth of information, you had to be truly curious. Today, the search for knowledge has become trivial. A tool (the browser) used to access a medium (like Wikipedia) across a network (the Internet) brings the knowledge of the largest encyclopedias into reach of the most casual researcher. For depth, for interest, however, we have to rely on the innately curious; the quality of wanting to know more than your peers, to become excellent at something.

We have to develop the learning and teaching curriculum to create curiosity for the curious will inherit the earth.

Getting Involved in Open Data in NI

[Title Reference: All Your Base Are Belong To Us] Today I met with some of the team from DETI and then later, with the team responsible for CAAN. The subject of both was vaguely similar – the opening of ‘government’ data in order to stimulate economic growth. In the case of DETI, it’s regarding the … Continue reading “Getting Involved in Open Data in NI”

[Title Reference: All Your Base Are Belong To Us]

Today I met with some of the team from DETI and then later, with the team responsible for CAAN.

The subject of both was vaguely similar – the opening of ‘government’ data in order to stimulate economic growth. In the case of DETI, it’s regarding the development of a community of developers who will be able to respond quickly to government identification of unmet needs – similar to the recent calls by the TSB (which was inspired by the DETI project writeup).

All of this will be progressed later this week in a meeting which will include other departments in a non-committal and ‘no prejudice’ discussion of the value of opening select datasets to the public eye and, more importantly, to the eyes of eager developers for the construction of apps for web and mobile.

I’m interested in finding some local developers who would be interested in these datasets. We’ve begun the process with Code4Pizza and Code4Pizza will remain as the social gathering for information dissemination and hack sessions – but there needs to be a group of local developers who have a vested interest in getting access to new datasets for commercial objectives.

From the CAAN perspective, they already publish their data in a limited fashion, restricted only by OSNI/L&PS licensing (and yes, I’d like to see some minor changes there to facilitate developer update). They, like many agencies and departments, have a revenue target to hit and I reckon that some canny developers would be interested in a revenue share in return for access to the data and some co-branding. CAAN are the body responsible for providing information on walks, cycle paths and canoeing activities in Northern Ireland. My pitch this afternoon went along the lines of they have 200 “quality” walks and they need to get more people walking them, they need more information on the people walking them and they’d like to be able to include safety and amenity information. That sounds like a perfect solution for a motivated developer.

Adding in game mechanics (Achievements!) for completing walks, gathering information on how frequently they walk them, sending out information on organised gatherings and also querying how many people are in a walking party are all activities that would be done well from an iPhone, Android phone or Blackberry. If the developer did it right.

So, if you’re interested in getting involved, then get in touch.

Nothing else need be said

This was tested at home (BT5), at work (BT6) and at Forestside (BT8). The results were pretty much the same (though the numbers were lower at home). Related posts: Onlive: Gaming in the Cloud review Use of OpenData: Icelandic Earthquakes Someone else’s urgency What Steve said…

This was tested at home (BT5), at work (BT6) and at Forestside (BT8). The results were pretty much the same (though the numbers were lower at home).

Is the iPhone 4 an improvement?

From the Daily Telegraph in Australia: I’ve been using the iPhone 4 for nearly a week to make calls, send and receive emails and surf the web from various places around the city and suburbs. Is the antenna an issue? No it’s not. Have I dropped calls? No, I have not. Have I noticed an … Continue reading “Is the iPhone 4 an improvement?”

From the Daily Telegraph in Australia:

I’ve been using the iPhone 4 for nearly a week to make calls, send and receive emails and surf the web from various places around the city and suburbs.

Is the antenna an issue? No it’s not. Have I dropped calls? No, I have not.

Have I noticed an impact on the device’s performance? No.
…
Is the iPhone 4 an improvement over the iPhone 3GS? Absolutely.

This article also included the following sentence:

If reception is an issue where you live you will probably experience difficulties no matter what smartphone you use.

which essentially says to me that Apple should not be saying “We’re as bad as other smartphones” but rather “We’re just as good”. The current slew of videos showing that other smartphones have reception issues just ring of sour grapes.

I am looking forward to testing a iPhone 3GS versus an iPhone 4 next week, both on the 3 network.

iPhone vs Android: software lock-in and halo effect

From CNNMoney.com 77% of iPhone owners say they’ll buy another iPhone, compared to 20% of Android customers who say they’ll buy another Android phone. I’ll address these as the result of two separate things. SOFTWARE LOCK-IN Software lock-in on the iPhone is high for most people. Once you’re in there with Angry Birds, Plants vs … Continue reading “iPhone vs Android: software lock-in and halo effect”

From CNNMoney.com

77% of iPhone owners say they’ll buy another iPhone, compared to 20% of Android customers who say they’ll buy another Android phone.

I’ll address these as the result of two separate things.

SOFTWARE LOCK-IN
Software lock-in on the iPhone is high for most people. Once you’re in there with Angry Birds, Plants vs Zombies and any of the other paid-for iPhone apps, you’re going to suffer from an unconscious lock-in. This hasn’t really occurred on Android initially because of it’s slow adoption but more recently because it’s still not possible to actually be paid in many countries if you’re a developer which is slowing adoption as well. And because the good paid apps aren’t there, normal people aren’t buying them which is again reducing the lock-in.

Software lock-in (essentially meaning the ability to transfer your software to other similar devices but not other platforms) is working well for iPhone but is currently worthless on Android. Software lock-in is not a bad thing in itself – it can’t be used as an argument for or against any mobile platforms because all of them practise lock-in – but it has an effect.

For example, this is my page of folders on iOS:

Every one of those folders is an incentive to stay with iPhone. Primarily because there’s some good fun in there but also because my kids are really happy to be distracted by lots of different colourful games when we’re waiting in the car or during a long journey. Therefore I get additional lock-in pressure from my kids.

HALO EFFECT
In the office where I’m based there are six people. When I started there, one had an iPhone (me!). The others had a variety of Blackberry and Windows Mobile devices. Now, two years later there are five iPhones and one Android device in use. (One of the individuals went to HTC Magic running Android from Blackberry and since then has had a iPhone 3GS and is now on an iPhone 4.) The one Android device left here in the office is a HTC Hero still running Android 1.5. I would describe this as a Halo effect. Different to the common Halo effect (easily described as the effect of buying one device with an Apple logo meaning you buy a lot more), this is showing that experiences with the device are leading to others buying the device. This is partially related to software lock-in; people are interested in getting the same software as you.

For the record, the one Android device will apparently disappear from this office when the contract ends. This is not a good trend for Android.

I, myself, have bought each iPhone as it has been released (I’m still waiting for my iPhone 4 to arrive) but despite my interest in Android, I’ve yet to buy any hardware. This is entirely because the hardware churn in Android is extremely rapid which means there never seems to be a good time to buy. With the iPhone, you know there’ll be a new model every June but with Android, there’s a new model with slightly tweaked specifications coming out every month or so. And some of them have Android 2.1 and some have earlier versions of the OS but I’m expecting Android 2.2 – hence my reticence to buy now. The minimum specifications for Android seem to be rising and some features (such as the ballyhooed Flash) do not run on sub 1 GHz devices so this is again putting me off – 1 GHz has become the new minimum and currently shipping devices don’t seem to be exceeding this. Where’s the high end device?

All of this contributes to a ecology where Android is selling briskly (helped by Buy One, Get One Free tricks – also used by RIM but never by Apple) but that people are not returning to Android as a whole. It’s something that Google needs to resolve. And Nokia needs to respond as well – though they may have sold 10x the number of handsets as Apple, Apple is making more than 10x the amount of profit (creating a factor of nearly 100 difference between the companies). iPhone with it’s singular presentations (ignoring the current ‘legacy’ iPhone 3GS still being sold) is a clear marketing position. Nokia still produces dozens and dozens of different models. This is why iPhones in cafés are so recognisable but it’s so hard to identify the market share for any other individual model of phone. This contributes to the Halo effect I mention above. You can easily spot people using iPhones (and due to the dearth of ringtones, hear them). How about the frequency of spotting any other model or brand of phone?

An App for the Apple Store? Or your Store?

Apple launched the iPhone 4 Free Bumper or Case programme yeterday with little hoopla. You download a free app, verify your iTunes account and pick one of the cases they have pre-selected. iLounge has a great review of the cases on offer. This app is, if you think about it, an Apple Store app. Not … Continue reading “An App for the Apple Store? Or your Store?”

This app is, if you think about it, an Apple Store app. Not an iTunes store app or an App Store app, but one where you can order physical goods using your iTunes ID. Apple spoke recently about there being 150 million credit cards linked to iTunes accounts and this provides an easy way for Apple to verify identities, ship to paying customers and establish an interesting precedent.

Apple currently takes 30% of all purchases and while this may work for digital content (where the cost of distribution is trending to zero), there’s no way that a company which ships physical product (atoms) could afford to give away 30% to Apple. This means that third parties who ship atoms have to establish their own stores and provide their own merchant accounts. If Apple could facilitate the selling process (albeit for a much smaller fee), then I think they could quickly gain a presence in the shipping of physical items.

On the other hand, they may leave that to Amazon or eBay to manage.

If, on the other hand, you fancy an App for your own physical store (presumably selling boutique atoms), you should probably get in touch. I don’t develop apps (and am not associated with any companies which do) but I have some friends in some of the best iPhone development contracting companies who have done some astounding work and can provide some good references.

Apple is not the dominant player in any market that matters

How significant is Apple to the mobile market? Mobile Review writes: Before the Digital Agenda anti-competitive investigations centred on companies with dominant market positions, this initiative would change that to companies with a significant market position e.g. Apple. It may result in Apple being forced to allow Flash on their iOS platform amongst other things … Continue reading “Apple is not the dominant player in any market that matters”

How significant is Apple to the mobile market?

Mobile Review writes:

Before the Digital Agenda anti-competitive investigations centred on companies with dominant market positions, this initiative would change that to companies with a significant market position e.g. Apple. It may result in Apple being forced to allow Flash on their iOS platform amongst other things like allowing 3rd party devices to sync with iTunes e.g. the way Palm tried to do with the Pre. Apple has built a closed eco-sysem for itself that delivers a first rate user experience in terms of interoperability, a situation not totally dissimilar to what Microsoft was trying to do with bundling its own products with its Windows OS, a move that ran foul of the EU’s competition commissioner.

As much as I would like to say that Apple is dominant in the smartphone market, it’s simply not true. Apple is behind Nokia, Samsung, RIM and others in their share of the overall mobile market – and they’re not even dominant in smart phones. Apple does, however, have significant mindshare – which isn’t the same thing. The comparison with Microsofts EU ruling regarding anticompetitive practises with their monopoly is unwarranted – Microsoft had a 95%+ market share at the time. Apple is not even out of single figures in their share of the mobile market.

Adobe has been crowing about being present on 97% of Internet devices and yet they’re bleating to the DoJ and the EU to allow them to increase this market share? It’s plain who has a dominant or significant market share here and who is trying to force their will upon the market.

What is it about Apple doing well which sends competitors into unreasoning panic? Why do we have Microsoft fumbling with Windows Phone 7 and then undermining their own efforts with the Microsoft KIN and then undoing all that work after selling just over 500 devices? Why do we have Adobe tripping over themselves to get Flash onto a couple of devices when they themselves lay claim to 97% of the content framework market? Why is Nokia stumbling with half-baked attempts like the N97 and their own hubris regarding signal/antenna issues when they should be working to make something truly great. Why is Google lying and rewriting history to suit their new paradigm where they are the only freedom option against Apples alleged iron grip of the market? You have to remember that in each of these respective markets it is these companies, not Apple, who is the dominant player. Apple is, in every case here, a distant minor player. So why are they so worried?

It’s plain to see that not only have these companies lost their cool but they’re also out of ideas. Apple is a niche player. Their own dominance, in digital downloaded music, is what they consider to be a break-even business. It enabled the rise of the iPod but in itself it doesn’t make a huge benefit to Apple’s bottom line. When companies have to lie, cheat, plead with the authorities – then you have to acknowledge that something is rotten.

And it is blindness that motivates them. Microsoft has a successful OS launch with Windows 7 and some neat new innovations with Windows Phone 7. Notable because they haven’t copied the iPhone. So why are they pissing about with Courier and KIN and all the rest? Why squander that advantage? And what the fuck is Ray Ozzie doing?

Adobe used to be a great company with great product. Now all I see is posturing about Flash on iPhone. Flash, a recently acquired technology, is being pursued at the expense of their own self-regard. Give it up, make Photoshop, Acrobat, Illustrator even more kick-ass! (and make them as good on the Mac as you do for the PC and see if Apples attitude softens) Stop making me roll my eyes at every douche move you make.

Nokia. Stop fucking about. The last good phone you brought out was the N95. Move the fuck on. Stop whining. Stop over promising and under delivering. And stop wasting effort on Symbian. No-one likes working with it. And anyone who says they do just doesn’t want to lose a dominant position on a dying platform. They’re stupid and you need to ditch them.

Google should know better that the Internet stores truth better than any other medium before it. We know you didn’t buy Droid to save us from Apple. We know your OS is a ‘little bit open’ but getting access to it requires signing away your first born. Stick to what you’re good at. You’re a shit liar.

These mega-corporations will gut themselves rather than see Apple win – even when Apple isn’t trying to win. They’re being distracted from making good products. They’re declaring Apple to be a winner when it ain’t true and they’re suffering because of it. And it needs to stop.

iOS Development Resources by ManiacDev

Just some links to remind myself. ManiacDev has a host of iOS development resources from tutorials on how to make glossy buttons to comparisons of open source and commercial game engines. iPad Development Tutorials iPhone Game Development Resources Related posts: So, I want to start a games company… Putting some meat on the bones A … Continue reading “iOS Development Resources by ManiacDev”

Just some links to remind myself.

ManiacDev has a host of iOS development resources from tutorials on how to make glossy buttons to comparisons of open source and commercial game engines.

Going Live

LiveNet is a project by Mencap to help “children and adults with learning difficulties and their carers to use ICT to improve health and wellbeing, gain access to information, connect with their community and help achieve their full potential” OpenLiveNet aims to involve the wider tech community in Northern Ireland in the production of some … Continue reading “Going Live”

OpenLiveNet aims to involve the wider tech community in Northern Ireland in the production of some of these solutions by providing MenCap with some much needed technical expertise, some development muscle and to provide something of a “many hands” approach to the aims of the project as well as much needed awareness in the wider community.

What’s the end goal here?
The creation of user interfaces and software which are easily learned, provide meaningful feedback and can help provide an improved quality of life for individuals with learning difficulties and their carers. Such as (but not limited to) these:

new models for web-based social network creation, interaction, identity and privacy
mobile apps which will help with development of independence, communication and personal safety
touchscreen applications to help with communication, creativity, learning

This project, plus my interest in the presentations by Jesse Schell at DICE 2010 and Jane McGonigal at TED were a primary influencer in my ideas for Alien Salvage. The company, which I announced a few days ago aims to create experiences which align with much of this – with the additional remit of compelling design for the wider community as well.

For OpenLiveNet we still need some technical experts and development and design brains to help shape the future. There is a commercial angle on this and savvy individuals will be able to see the opportunities here. If you’re interested, enter your details on the OpenLiveNet page or drop me a line.

The first meet-up I plan to hold in July if you’re interested.