WWDC 2013. iOS 7. Meh.

Yeah. I said “meh.”

What’s it to ya?

WWDC 2013 was much ado about nothing.

And the centerpiece of the keynote-that-wasn’t, was unquestionably iOS 7.

While Apple wants us to believe that the latest iteration of its OS is the next best thing to sliced bread, the rest of us know better.

So effing what they’ve adopted a “flatter” look.

Who the hell cares that they’ve changed the appearance of their icons.

Big deal if you’ll be able to flip through your open applications in a vertical Cover Flow fashion.

As much as I’m loathe to admit it, most of these “innovations” already exist on Android.

Earth to Apple: just because you do something doesn’t make it great.

I mean really?

Swipe a tile to the side to get rid of it?

Side reveal to open apps or menus?

New transitions?

Android.

Android.

Android.

If they announced one more Android standard as a new iOS feature, I was going to puke.

Yeah, I’m going in on iOS 7.

But to be frank, the entire WWDC keynote was a snorelax.

It wasn’t as bad as Google’s I/O 13, but it wasn’t much better.

Apple’s presenters actually appeared to be alive.

Beyond that though, the entire keynote was almost indistinguishable from Google’s in its sheer underwhelmingness.

I know, underwhelmingness is not a word.

But how else to describe an event so totally devoid of life and energy?

There was no punch.

No pop.

No pizzaz.

Especially when you start with a massive demo fail, when Anki Drive’s robotic car failed to….drive.

We all had to suffer through Anki founder, Boris Sofman’s plastic grimace smile as he waited impatiently for the program to reboot.

And things just went downhill from there.

Now to hear Apple tell it, WWDC 2013 was a huge success.

They unveiled all sorts of new features and products.

The Mac Pro, new MacBook Air, blah, blah, blah.

Each new reveal was as lackluster as the last.

Oh, and by the way, just because you say “isn’t it beautiful” over and over again, doesn’t make it so.

I, for one, am totally unenthused by iOS7.

But developers get ready, Jony Ives’ technicolor nightmare is upon us.

They recently published guidelines for developing apps consistent with the iOS 7 guidelines.

From here on in, the apps you create have to comport with this new LSD induced design aesthetic.

And all I can say is meh.

Posted with Blogsy

WTF is a Blipp? Augmented reality, that’s what.

Flipping through today’s Metro I came across an article about Iron Man’s Tony Stark (a/k/a Robert Downey Jr.).

With my tickets to Iron Man 3 already secured, I paused to see what insight I could get before the movie tonight.

Former bad boy…

Drug habit…

Avengers..

Blah, blah, blah…

Wait, what’s this?

“Blipp This!”

Hmmm…

“If you want to try on the Iron Man suit, Blipp the photo below..”

Blipp the photo?

WTF is a Blipp?

Curious, I download the Blippar app and point it at the page.

Blippar – who comes up with this shit?

Anyway, I launch the app and a zillion little red dots scan the page until they lock onto something, and then this..

Metro before Blippar…

Becomes this.

Metro after Blippar.

Pretty cool.

Not novel, but cool.

Clicking on the tabs, I was able to put my face inside the Iron Man suit (snore), and read (another) review (snore).

The exclusive interview with Don Cheadle was a pure tease, because the link didn’t work.

It was so exclusive no one could read it? watch it?

Who the fuck knows.

App fail.

Nice try though.

Blippar is one of the latest entrants into the augmented reality space, giving traditional two-dimensional ads a three dimensional makeover.

And providing brands and advertisers, with the ability to create interactive, feature-rich opportunities to enhance audience engagement.

While still in it’s infancy, there is a lot of promise in augmented reality.

Metro touted today’s issue as it’s first “interactive edition” which means that there are more to come.

I previously wrote about my experience with Spiderman and an augmented cereal box.

Back then, I was talking about Aurasma, one of the early entrants into the space.

Since that time, many more players have joined the race.

Did you notice the rhyme in those last two sentences? Space, race. I’m a poet and don’t even know it!

Blippar has been doing some really cool things with a number of brands, including Bud Light, Justin Bieber, Wrigley’s gum and Dominos.

You can check out their Blipps page to see some of them.

One of the limitations to widepread AR adoption, though, is the fact that you’ve got to download an app to take advantage of it.

Most people aren’t going to do that, especially if there are competing systems.

Think QR codes and Microsoft Tags.

It’s not like anyone who already had a QR code reader installed on their device saw a Microsoft Tag and was like, “Oooo! I really want to see where that takes me, let me go to the app store and cop that app.”

And it’s highly unlikely that once someone selects an AR app, they’re going to get a second (or third) one to view a different promo.

Hopefully one day, this functionality will be built directly into your device, with handset manufacturers utilizing a uniform AR platform.

With the AR space still so fragmented it will probably be a while before any app achieves a significant foothold and/or becomes the standard.

But seeing another use of augmented reality in the wild tells me that an AR future is not far off.

Google Now and Siri. Friends or Enemies? Frenemies.

There can only be one!

Didja hear?

Google Now is now available on iOS!

Aren’t you glad?

No?

Are you saying you’re not up on Google Now?

Google’s version of the personal assistant.

Well let me disabuse you of your ignorance.

About a year ago, when Google introduced it’s intelligent personal assistant for Android , many prognosticated the end of Siri.

Although Google Now wasn’t available for iOS, it was compelling and differed starkly from Apple’s PA offering.

For one, there was no Q&A.

You didn’t have to ask Google Now anything in order to get information.

Simply dial up the app, and it presented you with multiple options, all gleaned from you.

No questions asked.

More importantly, Google Now was intelligent.

Siri is stupid.

No learning curve.

No matter how many times you ask Siri a question, she’ll never intuit that you may be asking her to repeat a function she’s performed in the past.

Dumb dumb. You make me sick.

On the flip side, Google Now takes all the information it already knows about you and serves it back to you before you’ve even thought to ask.

The more you do (within the Google suite), the smarter it becomes.

Sounds bananas right?

How the heck can it tell you something about something you haven’t even asked about?

Magic, duh!

No seriously.

Google Now is an ‘intelligent assistant’, because it learns about it’s user based on that user’s activity and their previous history in other Google applications and services.

Say you’re heading out and start searching for a restaurant, Google Now will show you theaters and night clubs around you to hit afterwards.

Are you a fan of sports? Google Now will automatically update you on the latest scores from all the NBA playoff games.

That was then.

This is now.

And the feared rivalry is no longer conjecture.

Google Now for iOS is here!

Don’t look for it in the App Store though.

It’s not a stand alone app.

It’s an update to another app, Google Search.

I’ve got the Google Search app on my iPhone.

And lo and behold! There’s an update for it.

Update the app and Google Now is front and center with a little informational video.

Click through the navigation buttons, and Google Now walks you through the various utilitarian ways that it can help you.

From traffic alerts on your commute to work.

To flight information when you travel.

Google Now places a bunch of ‘cards’ at the bottom of the search screen, which you simply swipe up from the bottom to access.

My initial foray into Google Now served up the weather and a bunch of restaurants around the office.

There was also a card with an upcoming conference call.

Snorelax!

I’m sure folks with more exciting lives – or who live in Google – have infinitely more exciting stuff popping off.

If you’re (justifiably) paranoid about the privacy implications of yet another Google service, rest easy.

You’ve got to authorize the app to use your personal information.

But once you do look out!

Not really.

There are a bunch of things you can do on an Android which you can’t on your iOS device.

So that clever little swipe up from the bottom of the phone to activate Google Now – deaded.

Things like Fandango, Boarding Pass, and Events are all off limits too.

Not much of a rivalry.

I doubt I’ll remember to use the search app to look for shit anyway, even though its on my device.

So I probably won’t get much out of Google Now.

But the rest of you blokes should use it and tell me what you think.

Is Google Now the right information at just the right time?

Or will this be just another unused app icon sitting on your phone?

UPDATE: Funk Flex is so digital. And so mobile too.

FunkMaster Flex is one of the most widely recognized DJs in the world.

He’s an on-air personality and radio icon whose name is synonymous with New York.

He has broken a slew of records and established innumerable artists.

His ‘bomb drops’ are the virtual equivalent of a platinum plaque.

If Flex drops a bomb on your record, you’ve made it.

Flex is not just a master of the airwaves.

He’s also recognized as a serious car enthusiast.

Flex is a staple at car shows.

His passion for cars rivals that of Jay Leno.

But what I find intriguing about him, is his digital game.

When it comes to online and social media, Flex is not to be trifled with.

In fact, he frequently states “I’m so digital NY,” on his daily slot on Hot 97 FM.

With over 687,000 Twitter followers, almost 67,000 likes on Facebook, and over 166,000 followers on Instagram, his digital footprint is impressive.

And now, it appears that he’s crossed yet another threshold.

Mobile.

On Wednesday, Funk Flex dropped the FunkMaster Flex iPhone app.

Having previously announced the release of DJ Rich Medina’s app a few months ago, I was curious to see what Flex was coming with.

So I went to the App Store and downloaded it.

At first blush, it seems like a fairly simple app.

The home screen alternates between images of Flex, black t-shirt clad, hat to back, pointing menacingly at the camera.

Atop his image sits his familiar red FMF logo.

At the very bottom of the screen is a music player, featuring a play/pause and fast forward buttons, and short description/title of what’s playing.

Between the image of Flex and the music player, sits a clever little carousel.

With icons that allow you to navigate to the various other features of the app.

There are sixteen such little icons.

Which makes this simple seeming app, not so simple after all.

Indeed, the app is, as Flex likes to say, “a beast.”

First of all, it’s chock full of music.

In addition to the music player on the home page, tapping the Music icon takes you to even more pages of music.

Flex gives you instrumentals, remixes, mix tapes and songs for days.

And it’s not just Flex’s stuff either.

Cats like Swizz Beats, Timbaland, the Neptunes, Just Blaze, Pete Rock and others have blessed Flex’s app with some well known (and obscure) instrumentals.

Selecting the grid in the top left corner navigates you back to the home page.

From there, features like Pictures or Videos, transport you deeper into Flex’s world.

There’s also a Store feature, which is kinda wack because its the full HTML site on the phone.

But aside from that, there are other fan specific features that make it a cool app.

Now, you must know, I’m no fan of Flex.

If you peep his show, he’s a bully.

He regularly clowns other DJs and basically talks smack.

Considering how long he’s been in the game, you’d imagine he would have matured and achieved a more elevated mindset.

Not so much.

Ego is a bitch.

The day I downloaded the app, I was incredulous.

FunkMaster Flex has an app?

I couldn’t accept it.

So I did a lil’ digging and the app is really just a template.

Almost indistinguishable from at least twelve other apps developed by Salcedo Mobile.

Salcedo has created DJ apps for a host of lesser-known Spanish (or is the correct term Hispanic?) DJs.

They took the meat of the app – all those wonderful features – and reskinned it for Flex.

So while the app is still quite dope, it’s not original.

And there’s nothing wrong with that.

Says Stephen sarcastically.

I’ve got to give Flex credit though, because the app is dope.

And selecting Salcedo Mobile as his developer sets the bar high for other DJs interested in getting into the app game.

Props aside, one thing noticeably absent from the release of Flex’s app: promo.

Outside of hearing the announcement, there’s no mention of the app anywhere.

If you Google it, nada.

Check InFlexWeTrust.com, nada.

Even if you visit the developer’s site, it’s not listed among their portfolio of apps.

But I’m sure that Flex’s loyal fans will get the word out, so that may be all the promotion it needs.

UPDATE: As of Wednesday, April 17, exactly one week after the release of the DJ Funk Flex app, the app is number 11 (free iPhone music apps) in the App Store.

Funk Flex has some loyal fans.

Need to do dirt? Get you a Burner (app).

When Techcrunch, Engadget and Gizmodo all talk about the same thing on the same day, my Spidey-senses start tingling.

So you can imagine the buzzing in my head reading about the release of Burner for Android today.

Don’t want to call your ‘herbologist‘ mom from your regular phone?

Can’t remember if the girl you copped that number from last night was cute (or not)?

Girlfriend mad at you and not responding to your texts?

Take no chances.

Burner is the solution for all that (telephonically) ails you.

The Burner app let’s you spoof your mobile phone number.

Instead of seeing your real number in the caller ID or as the source of a text message, your callers/text recipients see your Burner number instead.

Genius!

I took Burner for a spin and hit up my herbologist mom.

Getting set up was a cinch.

I downloaded the app from the App Store, entered my phone number and got an SMS with a verification code.

Once I plugged in the code, accepted the Ts&Cs and waited a few seconds, I was in.

Burner works off credits, which dictate how long your Burner number lasts.

Hence ‘burner’.

On the low end, there’s the Mini burner, which lasts 7 days, or 20 minutes talk time or 60 texts.

At the other end of the spectrum, there’s the Large or Long burner, which lasts 60 days, or 75 minutes talk time or 225 texts.

But you get a sample Burner right off the bat.

I’m not sure how much credits cost, but the next time I need to call my herbologist mom, I’ll let you know.

That’s my Burner number.

Feel free to give me a call or send me a text.

It’s a burner, so don’t sleep. The number will be gone tomorrow!

Need to do dirt? Get your Burner (app) on!

The new Aeropostale app is here! And I’m great.

I’ve been siting on a juicy tidbit of information for a few weeks now.

I wanted to blab about it, but I had to play it close to the vest until it was official.

Today, my client forwarded a link from Mobile Commerce Daily, letting the cat out of the bag, so I guess I can share.

The new Aeropostale app has arrived!

What’s the big deal, you ask?

Well, if you must know, both of the Aeropostale apps described in the Mobile Commerce Daily article are my projects.

So I take great pride in this announcement.

The Aeropostale iPad in-store kiosk, which was developed for their concept store in Roosevelt Field Mall, is special for a number of reasons.

Not the least of which is the fact that it was my project.

Did I say that already?

I kid. I kid.

What makes the iPad app special is the thought that went into it.

Aeropostale wanted to make an interactive tablet app that would simultaneously engage the user with non-shopping related activities, while providing useful information and the ability to initiate and complete purchases (if they so desired).

The features, function, layout and UI were carefully designed to be visually engaging, provide ease of use and ultimately, fun.

With the Aeropostale iPad kiosk, they’ve achieved their desired end.

The center piece of the app is the Music player.

On the Music page, you can browse through the various songs on the playlist, Cover Flow style, and select the song you want to hear next.

Depending upon how many votes a song gets, it gets moved up in the playlist.

The other highlight of the app is the Outfit Builder, which lets users swipe through three carousels, tops, bottoms and accessories, and create an outfit of their own.

Once you’ve created a look to your liking, press the ‘Select This Outfit’ button.

And boom! Your outfit is built.

You can share or buy your outfit right on the spot.

You can even ask an associate to help you find the items you’ve selected while you’re in the store.

Other interesting features include a Video page, Style Guide, Scanner and Shop Online feature, which serves up a tablet optimized version of the Aeropostale site.

Version 2.o of Aeropostale’s iPhone app is also a thing to behold.

And I’m not just saying that because it’s my project.

Did I say that already?

I kid. I kid.

But seriously, their new app is the bees knees as the old timers say.

No seriously.

It’s really cool.

Check it.

Super fly feature numero uno: users can toggle between Aeropostale two brands, Aeropostale and PS, simply by clicking on either logo in the header.

Super fly, right?

So so def feature dos: Girls and Guys carousels on the Shop page let you swipe though all content categories.

So so def, right?

Three times dope feature tres: the Style page lets users browse and play videos and connect with Aeropostale’s Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest social media profiles.

Three times dope, right?

In addition to these super fly so so def three times dope features, the app has all your standard features and functions baked in.

To wit: store locator, coupons, scan, search, yada yada yada.

The list of stupendousness goes on and on, but I’d rather not prattle on endlessly about how great the apps I usher to life are.

You can download the app and see for yourself (how great I am).

If you’re a mom of teens/tweens, this app is definitely for you.

Aeropostale makes great, fairly priced stuff and this app makes it über easy to browse and buy on the go.

If you’re a teen/tween yourself, Aeropostale’s app are built with you in mind, so cop that app!

And congratulations on finding your way to my blog…please excuse my often foul mouth.

I can’t legitimately take all the credit though.

I’ve got a talented team of creatives, developers, QA and account managers – who I won’t specifically name here lest they steal my thunder – who helped make this app a success.

Anywho, Aeropostale’s apps have given me a reason to talk about myself.

Thank you Aero!

Note:  I would be remiss if I failed to acknowledge that these apps were made possible through the hard work and dedication of Dianne Ramlochan. I was shamed into adding this footnote.

Visualeyz. We rocks eyeballs!

The artist formerly known as Mos Def rocks the mic with Visualeyz on the visuals.

If you pay attention to anything I say, you might recall that I dropped the name Visualeyz a few weeks ago.

I was talking about a JDilla tribute featuring DJs Questlove, Mike Nyce and Rich Medina in Philly.

I also brought up Mark Hines, of Visualeyz, who was manning the visuals for the night.

If you read that post, you probably thought, “Who is Visualeyz and what does ‘manning the visuals’ even mean?”

You would have been well within your rights to be curious.

As the purveyor of information, I am duty bound to disabuse you of your ignorance.

Visualeyz is the video production, VJ, and marketing arm of The Marksmen.

The About page of visualeyz.net describes Visualeyz as follows:

Visualeyz is a Video Production, VJ, and Branding outfit that brings stylized club and in-venue video mixing and branding together into a powerful marketing tool. In other words, we rock eyeballs.

Visualeyz provides video mixing and branding together into visual presentations and powerful cultural and social experiences.

That’s a mouthful.

But I feel like I haven’t really said anything.

Let’s try this again.

When Madonna was looking for the final dancer to join her crew, as part of the Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange, Visualeyz was tapped to provide background visuals for an on-stage dance routine.

When Masters of the Mix was looking for a crew to shoot and edit the final scene of the second season, announcing the winner, they called Visualeyz.

When the Philadelphia Museum of Art needed to do something interesting to kick off their Art After 5 series, Visualeyz was at the top of their list.

When big dogs need visuals done right, they call Visualeyz.

Visualeyz offers businesses and brands numerous opportunities to connect with and engage their clients, customers, and sponsors.

Whether it’s a small local business targeting a niche audience or a big brand with a national pitch, Visualeyz has to tools to reach them all.

With the proliferation of smart phones and increasingly powerful mobile devices, Visualeyz helps brands target the mobile generation by providing 2nd screen experiences, microsites and integrated smartphone apps that engage audiences before, during and after events.

Visualeyz pushes live on-screen social media feeds, real-time posting of photos, audio and video content to brand profiles, and supplies full analytic data about who attended, how they accessed and interacted with your brand.

They’re part of the same crew who developed the interactive Red Rooster, Tillmans NYC, 1300 Fillmore and Townhouse mobile web apps, which let users browse the venue’s playlist right from their mobile devices.

In a nutshell, Visualeyz helps bridge the gap between engagement and conversion.

I’m kinda excited to see what the future has in store for Visualeyz and the brands they work with.

Here are a few branded teasers.

Okayplayer.

Goodie NYE.

Worship Recordings.

If your a brand looking for a deeper level of engagement with your audience, you better get you some Visualeyz in your life!

The Galaxy S IV is coming! Apple be very afraid.

Is Samsung the Apple-killer?

Back in the day, I could have cared less about non-iOS device leaks.

If it wasn’t an iPhone or an iPad, it didn’t matter.

The only leaks that interested me were about Apple.

Period.

Whenever a new Apple product was announced – or rumored – I’d scour the interwebs, looking for photos or reviews.

I’d follow endless threads of speculation about which features would be included and which would not.

I would consume any article from any source like manna from heaven.

But if it wasn’t an Apple product, I could give two shits.

But yesterday, something unusual happened.

I saw a Techcrunch article with leaked pictures of a Samsung.

It was the new Samsung device, the Galaxy S IV.

And I found myself…

Wait for it…

Reading the article!

Who knew that there was this whole other world of leaks?

Who knew that non-iOS leaks were newsworthy?

Who knew the Chinese were as inept at keeping Samsung’s secrets as they were Apple’s?

I have to admit that I was intrigued with what this new Samsung has to offer.

Although I despise Android devices, they’re giving Apple a run for their money.

In fact, Samsung is outselling Apple in China.

Analysts predict that Samsung will completely overtake Apple when it comes to innovation with mobile devices.

So they must be doing something right.

But if leaked photos weren’t enough, now there’s a video too!

Notice the background iPad audio in the video.

Ironic, isn’t it.

If these leaked photos are any indication of the public’s interest and penchant for non-iOS devices, then I need to pay attention.

I must be ill.

Jailbreak is here! Jailbreak is here!

After several long months of waiting, there is finally a Jailbreak for iOS 6.

I know most of you are like “so effing what?”

But for the geek technorati, this Jailbreak is a godsend.

In the past, I went through all kinds of conniptions to get my iOS devices jailbroken.

When word of a new jailbreak hit, it was on!

I’d head uptown, snaking my way through side streets and back alleys.

Special knock.

Password.

Think Neo getting a knock on his door in The Matrix.

A few hours of tinkering, backing up, installing and configuring and…Viola!

Jailbroken devices.

And free apps as far as the eye can see.

But that was before Hackulous and the Installous store were unceremoniously shuttered.

What?!

You didn’t know that Installous, the infamous pirate app store, shut down earlier this year?

Well it did.

Leaving many Jailbreak aficionados, like myself, in the dark about the future.

And with no way of getting our grubby hands on cracked and app store rejects.

For months we’ve been wandering an iOS wasteland, waiting for a Jailbreak messiah.

And we’ve been rewarded for our faith and patience.

Enter Evasion.

The Evasion jailbreak tool picks up where Installous left off.

For one, it makes jail breaking your phone a cinch.

I’ve never personally jailbroken my own phone.

Moreover, I never dreamed that I’d be able to jailbreak my own device in a matter of minutes.

It was so simple, that I found myself shell shocked.

I haven’t even visited Cydia to cop any new apps.

Now that’s not to say that I won’t.

I just haven’t yet.

I think the ease with which I was able to bypass Apple’s draconian efforts to bar third party app developers, dulled it’s appeal.

What good is being bad if everyone can do it?

A jailbroken device was a sign of anarchy.

But you’re not an anarchist if your actions are….ordinary.

In any instance, I’m just happy I’ve (once again) wrested control of my device from Apple.

And can trick my iPhone 5 out the way I want.

If you’re interested in joining the 7 million of us who have already tasted freedom, check out Redmondpie.com’s simple instructions for getting your jailbreak on.

Disclaimerm: Jailbreaking allows you to access apps and tools which have not been expressly blessed by Apple (=passed Apple’s vigorous muster). So whenever you install apps onto a jailbroken device, know that you run the risk of fucking some shit up.

i-Blason Part II: Booooo!

A week or so ago, I wrote a not so glowing review of the i-Blason Power Slider Rechargeable Battery Case for the iPhone 5.

I basically said that it was a piece of crap.

I’ve blasted other brands before and never heard a peep.

So you can imagine my surprise when someone from i-Blason responded.

Not only did they hit me up, but they were genuinely helpful.

Colin, from i-Blason, offered to exchange my case with another.

Based on his assessment of my situation, he surmised that I had a bum motherboard.

After a few back and forth emails, I received my new case.

Kudos to i-Blason for superb customer service.

I promptly switched out my case, hooked it up to my 8 pin connector and was set to go.

With my new case, I felt confident that I would be able to rock all day with a full charge and my backup.

Needless to say, I was perturbed to see my iPhone at 50% less than an hour later.

I hadn’t thought I had used the phone to that extent.

In fact, I was confident I hadn’t used it at all.

But hey, I had my new handy dandy charging case, so no worries.

At 10% battery, I turned on the i-Blason case hoping to get right.

But nooooooooo!

Once again, I was sorely disappointed.

Before I had anything close to a full charge, there was no more juice.

And the case was hot.

I couldn’t accept that this replacement case was worse than the original.

So I gave it another shot.

Charged my phone (separately).

Charged my case (separately).

Plopped my fully charged phone into my fully charged case.

An hour later, I’ve got a hot case in my pocket.

Why is this stupid thing hot?

Why is my battery on my phone at 50%?

Is this stupid case draining my battery?

I promptly decoupled my precious iPhone from this obviously defective piece of crap.

I turned to the interweb to see if I was alone.

Alas, I was not.

Review after review on sites like Amazon gave the i-Blason poor marks.

Wish I read them sooner.

At this juncture, I can only say, unequivocally, that the i-Blason iPhone 5 charger case is not to be trusted.

If you’re in the market, avoid these overpriced i-Blason products like the plague.