Comments on: Mobile Apps: Breaking Out of the Pocket

By: AlexW

AlexW — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 00:27:48 +0000

@itpastorn I think it’s going to be more difficult to set standards for mobile devices, because there will never be any agreement on what it the perfect screen size/form factor.

Desktop screens have been driven by a ‘biggest you can afford’ mentality. It’s a gradually moving target, but a somewhat predictable one.

With mobile devices, I’d personally never consider another device with a smaller screen than the iPhone — I want something that I have with me ALL the time, and that does a handy job at everything – surfing/IM/Twitter/email/maps.

My brother swears he’d never comfortably carry something that big in his pocket, and would prefer a simple motorola, along with a little 3G-enabled netbook for surfing/IM/Twitter/email/maps etc.

Trying to have a standard interface that works for his both phones is going to compromise both, isn’t it?

By: itpastorn

itpastorn — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 08:40:18 +0000

@AlexW:

Actually I think it is more of a matter of standards. Physical interfaces should be according to a standard, also for phones and other portable devices.

For phones form-factors should probably be allowed to vary, though, but that could easily be solved through an adapter cage.

General note (from my whole life’s experience, not this thread). Why is it that a lot of people who love standards for communication do no get the need for standards on the web – and vice versa?

By: AlexW

AlexW — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 05:23:54 +0000

@craig I’m not too worried about it popping out — I think some good engineering can manage that.

Vibration and the elements would be the two things that I’d be most concerned about. It sounds more extreme than the average pocket.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 05:09:24 +0000

what about when your phone stalls/freezes?

By: AlexW

AlexW — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 00:02:34 +0000

@itpastorn All the bike maker can do it build a zero emissions bike. Sourcing the power is a separate but solvable issue.

On the potential for a dangerous monopoly developing — have to say, I agree. It’s going to be up to Blackberry and Android and others to come up with compelling alternatives to avert this situation. Producing different dash moulds for 2 or 3 different devices wouldn’t be ideal, but if the demand was there…

@artemis It is a potential issue. The software would need a higher than normal level of vetting and testing. I wonder what laws come into play here too?

Ultimately, this is a feedback device, not a control unit, so complete failure of the iPhone shouldn’t make the bike unusable.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 18:37:51 +0000

@ artemis

“What if te Iphone crashes” — spot on… :-)

By: artemis

artemis — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 12:45:48 +0000

What if te Iphone crashes (as they so often do) wll it take the bike with it?

By: itpastorn

itpastorn — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 07:56:32 +0000

Just remember. It’s only zero emissions if the electricity has been produced cleanly, and not through the burning of fossil fuels!

And please pause for a while and consider the implications of everything being iPhone only. Have we not learned that monopolies are bad and open standards are good. Web devs of all people should know this by know.

By: Craig Buckler

Craig Buckler — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 07:40:08 +0000

That’s a fantastic idea. Mind you, is there any danger of it flying out of the holder when you’re speeding down the motorway or driving over cobblestones??!

By: webnician

webnician — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 06:58:03 +0000

I believe you hit the nail on the head with the “default interface/input device for other devices”. This seems like inevitable technical progress — consolidation & modularization. I love this kinda’ stuff, especially when it wasn’t already obvious (to me).