I will agree with iPhone buyers being treated like convicted criminals once Apple starts filing lawsuits for attempting to open-up the firmware, break the encryption, etc. Until then, things seem to be just rolling along. The question is, when is Apple forced to interfere in order to protect its intellectual property rights?
Features I have found lacking on my iPhone: * Click SMS, hit + to add recipient, only gives my contacts list, does not provide list of recent (unidentified) callers - I want that (yes, I know I can go around that by clicking the unidentified caller then selecting send a message to them). * Mail filtering! Yes, I know I can set up IMAP filtering (and have done so for two accounts that I can directly manage). However, some accounts are limited to POP. I have advanced filter rules set up on my Mac laptop (that also runs Vista). I think it should simply give me an option to dupe the folders & rules that are on my laptop to my phone. * Copy/Cut & Paste. Fairly simple to implement, just see the TouchStream keyboard from FingerWorks that Apple bought out about three years ago. Let me Tap-Tap+Drag or Two-Finger-Tap+Drag to select text, then pinch my fingers (or pinch 2 fingers+thumb) to copy or cut (could swap direction of selection to handle that) and then unpinch fingers to paste, across apps. * Further gesture recognition (see abilities of TouchStream keyboard). * Google Maps needs to show buses! Like the web based one does. It would be nice if it also added pedestrian paths/routes or gave pedestrian+bus mode! (Ok, the latter is something that needs added to Google Maps or a mashup in general). * Google Maps needs hybrid maps - it has satellite & road map.. give me the overlay! * WiFi needs a power-save mode that gives you a small handful of options. For example: a) only seek/use wifi network when unlocked, b) quick wifi on-off button (three clicks is a bit much), c) option to have wifi turn off when phone is locked.. d) detect if I am cycling available networks (aka driving/moving fast) and put wifi on pause/hold for a while.
Oh.. and bonus for those that want a physical keyboard on their iPhone.. Here is a quick & dirty how-to: 1) Buy our favorite iPhone case. 2) Pick up a rubberized keyboard mat (or make your own / pull it out of an old phone) that can be lined up with the iPhones on-screen keyboard. 3) Put hinges on the keyboard. Place small leather or conductive strips on the bottom of the keys. Have key press area be roughly finger-sized (slightly smaller, whatever the smallest ou find thaty our phone accepts as a touch area). 4) Attach keyboard, via hinge, to exterior case. 5) Attach case to iPhone. 6) Make sure when you hinge the keyboard it comes from hiding behind iphone as part of case to in front of iphone, laying just above the screen (snapping into case front) 7) type away, as long as the keyboard is available. If you use a clear keyboard or clearish keyboard it would work even better.
Oh & I officially announce that as prior, open-source, GPLv3 (er, however that would apply), open patent, whatever, free-for-all, you can sell it but you can't patent it (only I can, so there), prior-art/idea/publication for people to go ahead and use and sell and distribute for the iPhone.. Because I suck at manufacturing (set something up similar for the wifes, it sorta works *cough*).
Now that we've thrown 'em off the trail, use the form below to get in touch with the people at Engadget. Please fill in all of the required fields because they're required.
I will agree with iPhone buyers being treated like convicted criminals once Apple starts filing lawsuits for attempting to open-up the firmware, break the encryption, etc. Until then, things seem to be just rolling along. The question is, when is Apple forced to interfere in order to protect its intellectual property rights?
Features I have found lacking on my iPhone:
* Click SMS, hit + to add recipient, only gives my contacts list, does not provide list of recent (unidentified) callers - I want that (yes, I know I can go around that by clicking the unidentified caller then selecting send a message to them).
* Mail filtering! Yes, I know I can set up IMAP filtering (and have done so for two accounts that I can directly manage). However, some accounts are limited to POP. I have advanced filter rules set up on my Mac laptop (that also runs Vista). I think it should simply give me an option to dupe the folders & rules that are on my laptop to my phone.
* Copy/Cut & Paste. Fairly simple to implement, just see the TouchStream keyboard from FingerWorks that Apple bought out about three years ago. Let me Tap-Tap+Drag or Two-Finger-Tap+Drag to select text, then pinch my fingers (or pinch 2 fingers+thumb) to copy or cut (could swap direction of selection to handle that) and then unpinch fingers to paste, across apps.
* Further gesture recognition (see abilities of TouchStream keyboard).
* Google Maps needs to show buses! Like the web based one does. It would be nice if it also added pedestrian paths/routes or gave pedestrian+bus mode! (Ok, the latter is something that needs added to Google Maps or a mashup in general).
* Google Maps needs hybrid maps - it has satellite & road map.. give me the overlay!
* WiFi needs a power-save mode that gives you a small handful of options. For example: a) only seek/use wifi network when unlocked, b) quick wifi on-off button (three clicks is a bit much), c) option to have wifi turn off when phone is locked.. d) detect if I am cycling available networks (aka driving/moving fast) and put wifi on pause/hold for a while.
Oh.. and bonus for those that want a physical keyboard on their iPhone.. Here is a quick & dirty how-to:
1) Buy our favorite iPhone case.
2) Pick up a rubberized keyboard mat (or make your own / pull it out of an old phone) that can be lined up with the iPhones on-screen keyboard.
3) Put hinges on the keyboard. Place small leather or conductive strips on the bottom of the keys. Have key press area be roughly finger-sized (slightly smaller, whatever the smallest ou find thaty our phone accepts as a touch area).
4) Attach keyboard, via hinge, to exterior case.
5) Attach case to iPhone.
6) Make sure when you hinge the keyboard it comes from hiding behind iphone as part of case to in front of iphone, laying just above the screen (snapping into case front)
7) type away, as long as the keyboard is available. If you use a clear keyboard or clearish keyboard it would work even better.
Oh & I officially announce that as prior, open-source, GPLv3 (er, however that would apply), open patent, whatever, free-for-all, you can sell it but you can't patent it (only I can, so there), prior-art/idea/publication for people to go ahead and use and sell and distribute for the iPhone.. Because I suck at manufacturing (set something up similar for the wifes, it sorta works *cough*).
-M