This week started off with me begging for a good, Men in Black-style, neuralyzation but ended up with a ton of great stuff. Any coincidence we're heading into the biggest Apple event of the year? Of course not. Let's check the hot sheets....
Dumb Apple stuff, redux
Let's start off with two of a hundred memories I don't want.
The first was an article listing 7 things Apple CEO Tim Cook might do at the D10 conference that no self respecting Apple journalist, much less one of the biggest tech sites on the internet, would ever legitimately imagine him doing. When even well-informed readers know there's no chance Tim Cook will whip out the next iPhone or iPad Mini or an Apple Television, and they know the writer/editor knows that, what's the point in doing it?
The second listed a series of supposedly recent moves by Apple that would cause their late co-founder and CEO, Steve Jobs, to "roll-over in his grave". Other factually challenged content not withstanding, the list contained numerous things widely known to have been started under jobs, if not driven by Jobs. Again, savvy readers know this, know the writer/editor knows it, so why is it happening?
Us.
I've said it before and I'll say it again -- it's our fault. We get what we read, what we link to, and what we share. If those are the quality pieces, the great research, and killer analysis, if that's what gets our attention and our traffic, that's what we'll get more of.
If it's dumb Apple stuff, all we'll get is more of it, and dumber.
EFF'd up
Speaking things that make me want to reach for the Noisy Cricket...
The EFF seems to have gone on a bender this week, no doubt guzzling whatever off-world ale got the formerly reputable Consumer Reports to mortgage their integrity for cheap Apple-fueled headline hits. They made a list of "rights" that Apple was violating by locking iOS into a crystal prison, and in so doing tried to infantilize supporters and disregard the personal responsibility so integral to consumers in a free market society.
Dear EFF -- If I buy an iPhone, I'm making a conscious decision. A choice. I'm giving up control to gain user experience. If I'm not prepared to do that, I can go download Android Open Source Project, and Radio Shack up my own phone. (I'm turning to ASOP and kit parts because no commercial phone, not even Android, is actually open to consumers.)
Here's the thing -- Apple is a three star Micheline restaurant with a diva chef right out of a kitchen nightmare. Apple is The French Laundry. Apple is Nobu, And you don't walk into a fancy fine dining restaurant, barge into the kitchen and tell the iron chef you're cooking your own dinner.
If you want that, you go to the supermarket. You buy your ingredients. You cook it your damn self. Because with control comes responsibility. You can't have your freedom cake and eat it to.
And the EFF, being filled with brilliant minds, knows this. And they know we know they know this. So why the game?
See above.
Podcasts
Tons more feedback and it seems we have 2 main camps emerging: Those who want deep geek dives into the news and issues surrounding iOS, the iPhone, and iPad; and those who want more mainstream headlines with a mix of apps and accessories. And very little, if any middle ground. This week we went super-deep, with David Barnard of App Cubby, and the first part of our WWDC 2012 and iOS 6 preview.
Not to be outdone, we rounded up Kevin from CrackBerry.com, Phil from Android Central, Derek from webOS Nation, Daniel from Windows Phone, and Gary from Mobile Nations for a cross-site, cross-platform round table.
Keep the feedback coming!
Features
We put a lot of work into our features this week, and hope you enjoyed them. If you missed any, here's the rundown. First, yours truly continued to look into Apple's options for iOS 6:
- iOS 6: Is it time for Apple to revamp the multitasking fast app switcher?: A look at the history of mobile multitasking and how Apple could implement better fast app switching in iOS 6
- iOS 6: Higher hanging fruit: Features and functionality from Android, BlackBerry, webOS, Windows Phone and more, still ripe for iOS 6 inspiration
- iOS 6: A fresh coat of paint: A brief look at the history of Apple's mobile UI, and what hints it may hold for iOS 6
And our regularly scheduled programming:
- How to fix the dock connector on an AT&T/GSM iPhone 4 by Ally Kazmucha. Another fantastic installment in our ultimate DIY maintenance and repair guide.
- How to take irresistible photos of your pets with your iPhone by Leanna Lofte. Why should portraits be limited to the human members of the family?
- Diet Coda vs. Gusto vs. Textastic: Code editor for iPad app shootout! by Ally Kazumchua. Which iOS FTP and website editor reins supreme?
- [Best cases for iPhone] by Georgia. Our favorite hard cases, soft cases, bumper cases, wallet cases, charging cases, eclectic cases, and more!
- Best jailbreak apps for iPhone by Ally Kazmucha. If you've just used Absinthe on your iPhone, this is where you'll want to go next.
- Best jailbreak apps for iPad by Ally Kazmucha. Same as above, but for iPad.
Recommended reading
- Research In Motion, rear view mirrors, beer goggles and a reality check by Chris Umiastowski. Whether past corporate behavior is a good indicator for future viability.
- No, iOS is not a prison by Chuq von Rospach. A former Palm webOS insider explains the realities of why open wins our hearts, but not our money in the consumer market.
- Mobile hardware and software are separable, no matter what manufacturers tell you by Vlad Savov. In the alternative, why decoupled models may lead to decoupled attitudes among consumers.
- Game In-App Purchases: A Conflict Between Developer Economics & Goodwill by Graham Spencer. An incredibly in depth look at the consequences of the fremium App Store model.
- Jayse Hansen on creating heroic user interfaces for The Avengers, touch by Matthew Panzarino. Pure geek awesomery.
- Aaron Sorkin’s Steve Jobs Movie is Going to be a Disaster by Farhad Manjoo. The possible problems that might arise when you mistake an incredible scriptwriter for a historian.
Pushing the little red button
What's better than selling a reverberating carbonizer with mutate capacity to an unlicensed cephalopoid? WWDC 2012, of course, and it's just a week away. I'll be arriving in San Francisco around this time next Sunday, along with Leanna and Seth. And we're going to make iMore's coverage look GOOD.
So tell me -- what do you want to see?
Reader comments
Editor's desk: Flashy thing me. Please.
"Dear EFF -- If I buy an iPhone, I'm making a conscious decision. A choice. I'm giving up control to gain user experience. If I'm not prepared to do that, I can go download Android Open Source Project, and Radio Shack up my own phone."
Yes, you know the trade off you're making, but does the average consumer know? You know, the 99% who don't read iMore or spend their spare moments trolling around XDA-Developers? What's wrong with trying to educate consumers about those things?
The average consumer may not know, but probably doesn't care either...
Correct... anyone with the desire/ability to "control their experience" to that degree is probably tech-savvy enough to know that the IOS ecosystem may not be for them.
I've really got to agree most wholeheartedly with the first Stew that posted, wasn't me but his comment fits my sentiments perfectly!
There are three types of Apple customers;
First the ones that don't know and definitely don't care.
Second the ones that Do know, they make a conscious decision to purchase because that was the reason they were purchasing from Apple in the first place.
Third, the ones that Do know and it bothers them a little bit but they jailbreak because it gives them the flexibility without losing out on the Apple experience.
It sounds like all of your wants for iOS 6 are exactly what BlackBerry 10 seems to be. As for the group sharing capabilities, there's a service that does all of what the man to the left dreams of at night. It's called BBM Groups, it has Chats, PIctures, Lists, Calendars and App content. For wanting the fluid app transition, BlackBerry 10 is certainly the solution for that desire as well.
À propos, on dit restaurant Michelin. Pas de "e" à la fin.
You are going off the deep end with the EFF. You seen to think that, once somebody chooses Apple, freedom is a non-issue. The world is not Boolean that way.
Re: If it's dumb Apple stuff, all we'll get is more of it, and dumber.
Thank you for not linking to that, Rene.
Re: So tell me -- what do you want to see?
More videos of interviews with developers, naturally. It's WWDC so there will be plenty of them around...
When you read this post back in the morning, let it be a lesson. Don't drink and blog.
Hahaha this
My niece just came to me and said why is my htc battery dieing 5 times a day! Well by time I found the problem, it's all those so called OPEN apps on the playstore totally messed her phone up! Well for tech savey people this wouldn't be a problem but for her I honestly think a iPhone would be better suited because of ease of use,and apps in the app store almost never mess with your phone like the tweaks she messed with on android!
Bottom line = ease of use = gpa,gma,niece,dad,mom....... Get my point!
People like me want more,
Tech savvy people=jailbreak!!!!!
It's funny. I watched MIB (The first one) with my oldest Daughter Friday night, and then we were talking about it so much that my other Daughter wanted to watch it, so we watched it again last night. And then, this morning, we have a flashy thing me article.
I'm guessing I wasn't the only one trying to get people who hadn't seen any of the MIB's caught up for a visit to the movies for MIB 3...
I want the best WWDC conference coverage ever and I expect iMore to deliver it. :-)
As we Southern women say down here...HELL YEAH! U tell em!! :D
Renee the EFF attacked Microsoftvtoo in the same blog post, but spent more time on Apple because Applecis more locked down. You can't accuse them of link bait here because there's no mention of Apple on the home page at all. basically, that blog post was no big news, it's of a piece with their long term advocacy of jailbreaking, and their long term defense of free software developers.
Your rebuttal basically says that you willingly jump into the "prison" that Apple has set up for you. That doesn't mean there aren't disadvantages to the prison. If you don't like the way apple does things, you can't go to the app store to get your tweaks.
And frankly Renee, your restaurant analogy basically is a full blown attack on jailbreaking. I'm surprised that more haven't picked up on that. I didnt realize you were so anti-tweaking. Why do you cover jailbreaking on your blog if its so wrong to make your own food at the restaurant, Renee?
I agree with you that most of the rights EFF identified are not valuable, but some are. That's why I jailbreak, and I only bought an iphone because I could jailbreak it.
Not sure if you actually read what I wrote, or if you were busy playing Galaga (Didn't think I saw you, but I did...!)
I'm not anti-jailbreak at all. I love it. I jailbreak all the time.
It's a choice, and I take responsibility for it. So is staying stock. Both are valid options.
Again, if I want to cook for myself I go to the supermarket, buy what I want, and make it.
Re-read what I wrote again. (i.e. don't read into it what you want, read what I actually wrote.)
I read it before, and again, and it still says in response to the crystal prison idea that you made a choice, and that if you wanted control, you'd do android. Hen you analogized to a pricey, high rated french restaurant and said if you don't like the food there, you go home amd make your own. That whole response ignores that you can jailbreak an iphone and have most of the control the EFF is complaining about.
And i know you're not anti jailbreak, which is why such a harsh analogy was so surprising. That's the sort of argument I'd expect an anti jailbreaker to make. "Take what the chef gives or go home. ". Maybe you don't see the full force of the analogy. I'm taking it at face value.
And while you might see me playing galaga, you didn't today. Must have been another reader.
@Rene re: EFF: brilliant analysis. Perfect. Best editor ever.