iPhone Roundup

Some of you are tired of the blizzard of coverage the iPhone is getting, so this roundup of iPhone stories is running off the main page. First off, EMIce points out what seems to be plenty of prior art (as well as a booming research scene) on the multi-touch interface that Steve Jobs demo'ed, boasting of having "filed for over 200 patents." FastCompany has a profile of NYU researcher Jefferson Han and his killer demo of a multi-touch interface at TED. Next, Toreo asesino writes in with Microsoft's Steve Ballmer's take on the iPhone; the Microsoft CEO doesn't sound very impressed. And finally, an anonymous reader notes CNet's article on why the iPhone, once it's in the hands of consumers, may be the most muggable item of consumer electronics ever.

Most muggable item?

[hansamurai]

I'm sure the iPhone may well become the most "muggable" item on the street, but I'm still a little confused. The Cnet articles says this:

The Apple iPhone will trigger a revolution in street-crime convenience. It's a three-for-one deal: not only is it a mobile phone, it's also a cutting-edge video iPod and a Wi-Fi enabled Internet browser. The Met says that people are stealing mobile phones even if they are locked, so that they can access the other features, such as the camera and games. The highly functional iPhone couldn't fit more perfectly into a mugger's dream.

So it's a 3-for-1 deal, an iPod, mobile browser, and phone. If I'm not mistaken, without a usable service (which would no doubt be disabled within minutes of it being reported stolen to Cingular), what are you left with? An expensive video iPod with "camera and games." This is all well and fine in itself, and the article went on to explain how obvious it will be that someone has an iPhone when they're talking into their white headphones, but still, I'm not seeing what's so lucrative when a wallet, purse, Rolex, laptop, or small dog may also be available. At least those don't immediately lose two-thirds of their value when stolen.

The plan will make or break the iPhone

[CyberSnyder]

Most anyone that is interested in the iPhone will already have a cellphone and be locked in to a 2 year contract already. Personally, I have a pretty good deal for my Family plan with Sprint. Moving everything over to Cingular will likely end up costing an additional $100 per month on top of the $599 I'll need to pay for the phone. So, over 2 years, the iPhone will cost about $3000. As much as I like the phone, that's a little too expensive for a gadget. Now if Cingular introduces a plan as revolutionary as the iPhone at launch then they will sell these phones as fast as they can make them.

Re:iFiasco

[franksands]

Tecnology becomes frugal very quickly. Watch the streets today, and see how many peoply walk without problems talking to their cell phone or listening to their iPods/any other audio player. The iPhone may be all shiny and glamorous when it is launched, but a couple of years from now, it will be as common as any other gadget.

Re:The plan will make or break the iPhone

[phoenixwade]

Most anyone that is interested in the iPhone will already have a cellphone and be locked in to a 2 year contract already. Personally, I have a pretty good deal for my Family plan with Sprint. Moving everything over to Cingular will likely end up costing an additional $100 per month on top of the $599 I'll need to pay for the phone. So, over 2 years, the iPhone will cost about $3000. As much as I like the phone, that's a little too expensive for a gadget. Now if Cingular introduces a plan as revolutionary as the iPhone at launch then they will sell these phones as fast as they can make them.

lets see:
    ($100.00 x 24) + 599.00 is certainly in the ballpark of 3k.
the more likely figure for cost is going to be closer to:
    ($100.00 x 24) + 599.00 - (the rate you already pay for your service X 24)
    And it seems to me that the target market is already paying premium service fees (so the monthly fees will likely be a wash or, perhaps there will be some savings, since the phone itself will be able to do some of the things that you used to have to pay the service provider extra for.) The iPhone is capable of doing a lot of things without connecting to the providers pay services when (Wireless Broadband) is available, so you may actually save money, potentially quite a bit. I believe the, at least in urban environments, wireless broadband is becoming the rule, rather than the exception.

I cannot understand why Apple is getting so much negative press for this item, I'm not buying one any time soon, but I'm happy with my basic no camera 3 year old flip phone, and not someone Apple is trying to sell the phone to. But it looks cool, has an impressive set of features, and is priced in line with other high-end phones. So is all the negative press fanboy action, a targeted campaign by a competitor, or just a natural reaction to a stupid or overhyped product?

( I know the /. answer to that.... since the point of the post was to highlight negative iPhone press, but /. readers, in general, are smart enough to figure that out. )

Re:NO KEYBOARD?!

[KonoWatakushi]

I doubt it; I am typing this on no real keyboard, and once you get used to it you will never want to go back.

The Fingerworks TouchStream--a multitouch keyboard--presents a very nice interface, with gestures, mousing, and keyboard combined. Typing is somewhat difficult, but that is only due to the (relatively) crude design. (and the other aspects more than compensate for it.) As Jefferson Han pointed out in his presentation, on a more dynamic device, the keyboard can adapt itself to an individuals typing. As software improves, it should work very well; in fact, much better than existing keyboards.

Re:Subdued response from Ballmer

[Albert Sandberg]

"He's probably wondering why can't he (MS) and its partners not make something as appealing as what Apple does?"

From pirates of silicon valley, which is of course no good for quoting, but still, "We have culture, they don't".

Re:Apple bought the company

[rsborg]

But FingerWorks as a company has ceased operations... And it doesnt seem like Apple is going to reissue their products...

It's not about the products. When companies acquire other companies, many things are considered assets... products, as you mention, but also the workers/knowledge, the IP, the customer lists... often times the products sold by the acquired company themselves are not nearly the most valuable thing in an acquisition.

In this case, it was clear the patent portfolio of Fingerworks was the value-add to Apple.

Re:Not impressed

[tgibbs]

This is not so terrible as the HORRIBLE AND STUPIDLY DESIGNED Mighty(???) Mouse, but almost.... Anyway, people will buy it.

I'm glad that you put in the comment on the Mighty Mouse, because it gives me a good index on how much to trust your opinion. I really love my MIghty Mouse. I gave up a wireless 3-button scroll Mouse for the initial Mighty Mouse, just because it was so comfortable and so much easier to use, seeming to magically know what I wanted to do, that it was worth the inconvenience of going back to the wire. Now of course, I have the wireless version. These days, it drives me nuts when I have to use an old-style scroll mouse.

Third party software, Phone locked tight

[iendedi]

The lock on the phone has nothing to do with Steve Jobs being a control freak. Apple is introducing a very sophisticated handheld computer into the marketplace and selling it as a lifestyle device. If the system were open to third-party developers, in the traditional way, how long would it be before phone-spyware, phone-adware, phone-rootkits and other nastiness appeared? There is also the consideration of having a wave of voip software alienating the carriers that Apple NEEDS to ensure the success of this expensive venture, a wave of peer-to-peer filesharing apps on the handset that would alienate and anger the media companies that Apple is in bed with for iPod content and many other potential catastrophes.

Can you image phone spyware? Where you are, who you are calling and texting and potentially even sly use of your camera and microphone? This is no joke. If Apple gets this wrong it will be a complete disaster.

My prediction is that Apple will allow third-party development, but it will be through some certification system. Applications will have to be submitted to Apple for digital signatures or somesuch. This is an expensive proposition for Apple, so I wouldn't expect it to happen right away. But there will be a very serious call for Apple to open the platform and eventually, this will happen (or something similar).

We should be applauding Apple. They have done something very significant here. This device is unique and shatters the envelope. Follow-on models are guaranteed to be amazing with features such as iChatAV, even larger screens, perhaps even docking stations with keyboards, graphic cards, etc... We are witnessing a true paradigm shift. Apple is attempting to ensure the success of this venture. Their behavior will change radically once these devices are ubiquitous.

I saw an interesting discussion regarding Flash and Java. If Flash and Java are supported through Safari on the iPhone, then it is reasonable to assume that application deployment could be completely tied to those technologies. It isn't ideal, but it is a far cry from having no way to run custom apps. Also, everyone here should know, without question, that it will be a month before a root-kit is released (in our community) that allows us to take control of this device and install software.

Clearly, iChat would be seen as a threat to Cingular's revenue stream. It's pretty obvious why this wasn't included. That is an artifact of the Network monopoly marketplace we live in. It sucks, but it is what it is.

However, I know what Steve is doing. He knows that he cannot deploy a cellphone without a network. But once there are enough users of iPhones, his negotiating position will change. People will become loyal to the iPhone product, willing to switch networks rather than switch phones. The two year window with Cingular is the gestation time for this to happen. After that, you can bet your *ss that iChat and all manner of liberation will emerge. If it doesn't, then people will abandon iPhone for similar products guaranteed to ship from the likes of Nokia, Samsung and Motorola.

Elimintating the possibility of third-party software installation is not the only way to protect the phone, clearly. But it is the only sane way to enter the intensely competitive and huge cellphone market. A privacy disaster or virus disaster (etc..) would quickly eliminate Apple from carving out any significant piece of that market. Steve is entering with all the control in his pocket in order to ensure a successful birth. Wait for the child to grow a bit, it will open up.

Re:Third party software, Phone locked tight

[aaroneous88]

If the system were open to third-party developers, in the traditional way, how long would it be before phone-spyware, phone-adware, phone-rootkits and other nastiness appeared?

Because we're all suffering from the plethora of Treo and Blackberry malware!

Re:Third party software, Phone locked tight

[catwh0re]

I'd be most concerned about a piece of software that automatically dials pay-for calls when the device is idle. Or software that silently sends pay-for text messages, or silently surfs the net visiting advertisers.

When you're computer has some spyware program, it may pop up adverts and send you around the internet cashing up some advert program but ultimately it won't cost you much.. if anything at all. However when your phone has spyware you realise it because your phone bill is in the thousands.

It's a connected device and as consumers we deserve, rather require, the manufacturer to keep the platform free from exploitation.

The iPhone is best thought of as an iPod with a wap phone attached with a few bridging functions to make it all work well together... and not as a hand held computer with telephony/internet connectivity. It's a far more limited device and hence there is a lot of software that simply shouldn't be run on it.

Re:Not impressed

[Vitriol+Angst]

I concur.

Anything that Javascript can do.

But there is also Quartz running on that machine ... basically it must have a 3D accelerator chip because it is actually running Mac OS X -- just a compressed version of it stored in under 500 megs of Flash. It must have Core Graphics and Core Video -- so the latest OS.

So basically, anything that Apple wants to allow, that runs on OS X, and doesn't exceed the performance.

Look at the animation of the CDs again; that is a 3D transform of multiple objects composited over video in real time. Quartz composer can take a video feed, react to sound, and build it all on the graphics card. At 160 DPI, I'm guessing there is almost a 720pixel wide screen there -- maybe 640. So, I'm guessing that this machine is equivalent to a 5 year old desktop in power.

The main stumbling-block would be software interpreting it. The Widgets are easy enough to build and willl get easier. They use PNG graphics files and Javascript. They can actually use C++ programs and JAVA -- but I'm not sure what Apple is allowing for the iPhone.

OpenGL is also in their -- inside of Core Graphics. Again -- it all depends on if they have developer tools that make it easy enough for programmers to build decent games, and how much apple allows.

Definitely mindsweeper, or a ported version of DOOM if Apple allows it.

Ballmer's Keyboard Fantasy

[scdeimos]

Ballmer also specifically pointed to the iPhone's lack of a keyboard as a potential drawback for heavy e-mailers. "If you want to send e-mail, touchscreens are okay," he says. "We have touchscreen-based devices, but I think keyboards are generally preferred for people who do much typing."

I have to call BS on this one. We've got plenty of corporates using Windows mobiles (I'm not one of them, thankfully) and the serious e-mailers do prefer a keyboard - a Bluetooth keyboard, not the built-in ones. You can even get them in pocketable folding formats. iPhone has Bluetooth? Check!