So a lot of my recent posts have dealt with the iPhone...but that's probably because I've spent so much time with it this past month. As while I'm very glad I finally upgraded from my usual cheap/free basic phone (with no interwebs); things are still far from perfect...and I love redesigning/dreaming about all my gadgets and such.
So, it's late...and I should probably be in bed right now, so for both our sakes I'll try to not be as wordy as usual...well, at least from here on.
1. I want an open source OS, and I want to hack around on it without having to “jailbreak” it. I completely understand Apple's thinking and methodology with it's App Store...however, I should have the option of installing unapproved 3rd party apps (at my own risk of course). This also entails that I want access to a command line terminal and the ability to mount my phone's hard drive just like it were any other external usb drive. My next phone will quite definitely be running OpenMoko/Android/LiMo/OpenSymbian or something like that. To sum it up, I want to be able to do whatever the hell I want to with MY phone.
2. I want a true 16:9 screen....not 16:10, not 3:2... standard 16:9, with preferably 480p resolution and OLED rather than LCD.
3. This is obvious, but of course I want a more powerful CPU (dual-core would be awesome). I want a much more powerful GPU that can handle playing up to 720p video (Nvidia's new Tegra line claims it can already). More RAM, more hard drive space....you know, the usual ;)
4. A much much better camera. I've honestly never had a phone with a camera in it before. However, now that I have one....I want it to be at least as capable as my shitty 8+ year old digital camera (3.1MP). I'm talking at the bare minimum 5 megapixel, if not 10. I want all the settings, like apature and shutter speed. I need a manual focus option, white balance...the works. I need some sort of flash mechanism too. The iPhone's current camera has really shitty capability for taking low light shots. Furthermore, this camera needs to be capable of recording video, not just stills. My wife's 3 or 4 year old Razor can take video (albeit really shitty quality, but still video) why can't my frickin' iPhone? I'm hoping at least 480p resolution too. Zoom would be nice too, but I'll understand if it gets left out... Oh also, have some sort of lens cover built in for when I'm not taking photos (Nokia knows what's up).
5. A hand editable equalizer. Every set of headphones is different, I really need at least a 5 if not 7 level EQ that I can tweak to perfection rather than just a handful of presets. Side note: I haven't been able to figure out if the “iPod” app's EQ settings are system wide or are just for the iPod app. This is partially due to the fact that thru various setbacks I have still yet to getting around to jailbreaking my phone so I can transfer my music collection over (maybe it'll finally happen this weekend with Pwnage 2.0.2).
6. A more repairable design. Handling my iPhone is like handling a hand grenade everyday. I spent hundreds of dollars on this thing...and it could all be over with just one little accidental drop. I really wish I had the capability to replace my own battery or screen in the unfortunate case they were to break. Somehow I just know it that before my 2 year contract is up I'm gonna have to pay apple a hundred or two more to fix/replace mine when it breaks.
7. Here's a weird one... slightly bigger. Yes...I wish my iPhone was bigger. I've already discussed how and why I'd like it to be a little longer, but also a little bit thicker too I think. This would give room for a bigger battery most importantly, and as while I don't think it's current battery is nearly as bad as most make it out to be, it could always be bigger. I think because of it's size (and sheen) it just feels way to delicate for a klutz like me to be handling on a regular basis.
8. Stereo Bluetooth. I love my Smokin' Buds and all, but it'd be really cool to be totally wireless one day...too bad the current iPhones only support mono via Bluetooth :/
9. Front side web cam. Not only do I want the main camera on the back to be much better...I want a second one (like was rumored) on the front for video chat. I don't know about you, but I just think that would be awesome.
10. Use a standard USB port or something. It just irritates me that Apple has to have proprietary ports on their iPods and the iPhone. Why not just put a mini USB or Firewire port on there? Maybe it's just me, but I think it would awesome to be able to whip out a roll-up keyboard and start typing away (thus completely eliminating my need for a laptop altogether)...or even think about being able to plug your smart phone right up to a printer, ok perhaps that's just silly but maybe not, I should at least be able to print to a network printer that uses either Post Script or PCL. I don't know... perhaps Apple has good reason for using it's own port, maybe it can handle more bandwidth and or voltage that USB 2.0 or something. I mean, a simple converter dongle could get the job done right now...I'm just thinking what's the point.
11. Use more of a matte finish. Honestly, the shiny look of the iPhone is great for press pictures and whatnot, but it just ends up in smudge city at the end of the day. I really wish companies would go for some sort of rugged rubber or something rather than the shiny, brittle plastic. Obviously the glass on the front would have to be glossy...but why the rest of the phone? I've already noticed the cheap chrome plating around the edge chipping and getting rough in not even a month of usage so far.
That's about it. An hour later now, it looks like I failed on the whole keeping it simple concept. Honestly, number 1 and 4 are the only ones I really really need...but they'd all be nice ;)
Showing posts with label ideas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ideas. Show all posts
2008-08-08
2008-07-20
Why isn't the iPhone's screen 16:9?
So, like many of you... I've been obsessed with my new iPhone this past week. I have grown curious as to why its designers decided to use the screen it did. The more I think about it, the more it would have made sense to go with a 16:9 ratio screen. I don't know what possessed them to go with a 3:2. This device is supposed to become my premier place for viewing mobile video...wouldn't it make sense to use the standard aspect ratio for all things video today?
I've done the math (hopefully it's right) and if we keep the same width, the length only grows by about half an inch (approx. 1.3 cm), which I'd be more than fine with myself, and probably everyone else too I'd imagine. I've made a quick little graphic to give you a better idea of what I'm talking about here.
Now this makes the screen 4.1 inches rather than the 3.5 it currently is, or just about the same size as the PSP's screen. Assuming they were to keep a similar resolution, it would go from 480 x 320 to 569 x 320 I guess. The 569 sounds a little awkward to me, so I bet they'd probably shift it up or down by 1 pixel. Then again, if a higher resolution puts a strain on their hardware this might make them want to drop the resolution to what the PSP uses (480 x 270). What I'd really love to see is for them to bump it up to EDTV resolution (aka 480p-wide, or 854 x 480). Honestly, I can't see any self-respecting portable media player that has a resolution less than this. Maybe Apple will go this route with their next generation...but by then, I'll probably have moved onto something powered by OpenMoko/Android/LiMo/MobLin/OpenSymbian/etc ;)
PS: Haven't gotten around to jailbreaking my iPhone3G just yet, hopefully all will go well tonight...
I've done the math (hopefully it's right) and if we keep the same width, the length only grows by about half an inch (approx. 1.3 cm), which I'd be more than fine with myself, and probably everyone else too I'd imagine. I've made a quick little graphic to give you a better idea of what I'm talking about here.
Now this makes the screen 4.1 inches rather than the 3.5 it currently is, or just about the same size as the PSP's screen. Assuming they were to keep a similar resolution, it would go from 480 x 320 to 569 x 320 I guess. The 569 sounds a little awkward to me, so I bet they'd probably shift it up or down by 1 pixel. Then again, if a higher resolution puts a strain on their hardware this might make them want to drop the resolution to what the PSP uses (480 x 270). What I'd really love to see is for them to bump it up to EDTV resolution (aka 480p-wide, or 854 x 480). Honestly, I can't see any self-respecting portable media player that has a resolution less than this. Maybe Apple will go this route with their next generation...but by then, I'll probably have moved onto something powered by OpenMoko/Android/LiMo/MobLin/OpenSymbian/etc ;)
PS: Haven't gotten around to jailbreaking my iPhone3G just yet, hopefully all will go well tonight...
2008-07-14
10 Features Pandora on the iPhone is Missing
So I did it... I broke down and jumped aboard the iPhone train this past weekend. One of the number one reasons I decided to take the plunge? Internet radio anywhere I go...particularly Pandora. I'm so addicted to Pandora, I almost never listen to my personal music collection anymore.
So, when I saw that they released a Pandora app for my new iPhone 3G, I was ecstatic. The app's great...but there are a few things I'd love to see in a future update. The web based version of Pandora has alot more controls for you than the simple iPhone app...which is to be expected (for now). Still...there are a few features I'd love to see added in a future release.
1. Add the ability to continue listening to Pandora while using other apps. I'd really like to keep listening to Pandora while I'm browsing the web or wasting time on Facebook. This is probably the number one flaw with the current version of the app.
2. I really miss what I call the "snooze button". On the regular flash/web version of Pandora you have to click the "Guide Us" button at the bottom and then click on "(Zzz) I'm tired of this song, don't play it for a month". Sadly, I end up using that button alot more often than I'd like.
3. We need the ability to add more songs/artists to our stations via the app. All of my stations are multilayered with fairly long lists of songs I like in a particular genre, however if I create a new station via the iPhone app I only get the ability to use a single song or artist seed. It'd also be handy to be able to do all the same things you can edit on the regular version...if nothing else, maybe allow us to click a button to open up Safari and go to the edit page (assuming feature #1 on my list is fulfilled first).
4. It'd be really nice to be able to pull up artist, album and song info from within the app...just as you can access the "why are you playing this" feature.
5. Song history, like in the regular version would be nice too...although not absolutely necessary. It sure would be neat to flick my finger to the right and go back and see what I just listened to ;)
6. Resume where you left off. It'd be pretty cool if when I closed/paused the Pandora app, I could come back to it later and finish out the last song I had going and go from there. This would be especially handy for when you receive a call while listening...
7. The volume control needs to be reworked. Right now it's kinda funky to change the volume. It may just because I have fat fingers or something, but I have to try shifting the volume slider 3 or 4 times before it responds...I've almost convinced myself I have to double click it first to unlock it :P Also...I've discovered I can use the physical volume buttons on the side of the iPhone, but I'm not sure if I'm actually changing Pandora's volume, or just my headphones/speaker volume since the slider does not change/update along with it.
8. Do a better job of caching. Yes, I'm sure the iPhone has limited RAM available, however I've got plenty of hard drive space you could go ahead and cache the next song to. On my computer, Pandora instantly starts playing the next track when the current one finishes...but there's quite a noticeable lag between tracks on my iPhone. Now do note, this only occurs when I'm on the EDGE network (3G's not gonna be available in my area till at least October), and there's no problem when connected thru wifi, but once again that's one of the whole reasons I wanted an iPhone, so I could listen to Pandora in my car...and most of America won't have 3G for quite some time.
9. Offer EQ options. The iPhone's "iPod" feature has the ability to choose different EQ settings, but I'm not so sure that affects Pandora. If I'm right, and it doesn't...this is another much appreciated feature (of course the web based version could use this too).
10. Stream in Stereo. This is another one I'm not sure of currently...but I'm fairly sure the iPhone version of Pandora is streaming in mono, which I assume is to save bandwidth (which certainly makes sense when on EDGE). However, when I'm on wifi, or 3G it'd be really nice to have stereo like we get on the regular version. Also, on the flash based version I'm pretty sure Pandora uses 128kbit mp3 audio, but that's I assume a limitation of Adobe's Flash player, so why not use Ogg Vorbis or AAC in the iPhone App edition where you have more control? That would certainly help lower the bandwidth costs.
11(Bonus): Ok, I'm just dreaming with this one...but it'd be awesome if Pandora would look at my Last.fm profile while generating my stations to get even more insight into my tastes ;)
Also, of note....I haven't seen/heard a single advertisement since I've been using the iPhone Pandora app. I don't know how they're affording to do this, so if this changes in the future...Pandora, please give us the choice between free with ads and paid without ;)
Pandora I love you! Keep up the good work...
[Check out my stations]
Update: 2008-07-15@00:09CDT
A couple more I forgot...
12. Add the ability to switch accounts. My wife has her own account, and will surely want to switch over to listen to some of her stations during trips and such...
13. Progress bar. Much like the regular web version, there needs to be a progress bar to give you an idea of how much song is left...maybe even better if you can some how click on it and see an exact seconds....ie: (2:38 of 4:53) or something like that ;)
So, when I saw that they released a Pandora app for my new iPhone 3G, I was ecstatic. The app's great...but there are a few things I'd love to see in a future update. The web based version of Pandora has alot more controls for you than the simple iPhone app...which is to be expected (for now). Still...there are a few features I'd love to see added in a future release.
1. Add the ability to continue listening to Pandora while using other apps. I'd really like to keep listening to Pandora while I'm browsing the web or wasting time on Facebook. This is probably the number one flaw with the current version of the app.
2. I really miss what I call the "snooze button". On the regular flash/web version of Pandora you have to click the "Guide Us" button at the bottom and then click on "(Zzz) I'm tired of this song, don't play it for a month". Sadly, I end up using that button alot more often than I'd like.
3. We need the ability to add more songs/artists to our stations via the app. All of my stations are multilayered with fairly long lists of songs I like in a particular genre, however if I create a new station via the iPhone app I only get the ability to use a single song or artist seed. It'd also be handy to be able to do all the same things you can edit on the regular version...if nothing else, maybe allow us to click a button to open up Safari and go to the edit page (assuming feature #1 on my list is fulfilled first).
4. It'd be really nice to be able to pull up artist, album and song info from within the app...just as you can access the "why are you playing this" feature.
5. Song history, like in the regular version would be nice too...although not absolutely necessary. It sure would be neat to flick my finger to the right and go back and see what I just listened to ;)
6. Resume where you left off. It'd be pretty cool if when I closed/paused the Pandora app, I could come back to it later and finish out the last song I had going and go from there. This would be especially handy for when you receive a call while listening...
7. The volume control needs to be reworked. Right now it's kinda funky to change the volume. It may just because I have fat fingers or something, but I have to try shifting the volume slider 3 or 4 times before it responds...I've almost convinced myself I have to double click it first to unlock it :P Also...I've discovered I can use the physical volume buttons on the side of the iPhone, but I'm not sure if I'm actually changing Pandora's volume, or just my headphones/speaker volume since the slider does not change/update along with it.
8. Do a better job of caching. Yes, I'm sure the iPhone has limited RAM available, however I've got plenty of hard drive space you could go ahead and cache the next song to. On my computer, Pandora instantly starts playing the next track when the current one finishes...but there's quite a noticeable lag between tracks on my iPhone. Now do note, this only occurs when I'm on the EDGE network (3G's not gonna be available in my area till at least October), and there's no problem when connected thru wifi, but once again that's one of the whole reasons I wanted an iPhone, so I could listen to Pandora in my car...and most of America won't have 3G for quite some time.
9. Offer EQ options. The iPhone's "iPod" feature has the ability to choose different EQ settings, but I'm not so sure that affects Pandora. If I'm right, and it doesn't...this is another much appreciated feature (of course the web based version could use this too).
10. Stream in Stereo. This is another one I'm not sure of currently...but I'm fairly sure the iPhone version of Pandora is streaming in mono, which I assume is to save bandwidth (which certainly makes sense when on EDGE). However, when I'm on wifi, or 3G it'd be really nice to have stereo like we get on the regular version. Also, on the flash based version I'm pretty sure Pandora uses 128kbit mp3 audio, but that's I assume a limitation of Adobe's Flash player, so why not use Ogg Vorbis or AAC in the iPhone App edition where you have more control? That would certainly help lower the bandwidth costs.
11(Bonus): Ok, I'm just dreaming with this one...but it'd be awesome if Pandora would look at my Last.fm profile while generating my stations to get even more insight into my tastes ;)
Also, of note....I haven't seen/heard a single advertisement since I've been using the iPhone Pandora app. I don't know how they're affording to do this, so if this changes in the future...Pandora, please give us the choice between free with ads and paid without ;)
Pandora I love you! Keep up the good work...
[Check out my stations]
Update: 2008-07-15@00:09CDT
A couple more I forgot...
12. Add the ability to switch accounts. My wife has her own account, and will surely want to switch over to listen to some of her stations during trips and such...
13. Progress bar. Much like the regular web version, there needs to be a progress bar to give you an idea of how much song is left...maybe even better if you can some how click on it and see an exact seconds....ie: (2:38 of 4:53) or something like that ;)
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