In this blog post at SplatF, Dan Frommer describes how Amazon, Kobo and others have been forced to remove all trace of their external stores from their iOS applications if they do not want to pay Apple a cut of all revenue from purchases originating in the application.
For example, the Kindle app no longer has a “Kindle Store” button, which used to open Safari and take you to their store. Now, on opening the application, it’s not really obvious how one, you know, gets books to read.
I think Marco knocks the nail on the head on why I just can’t “get” social networks.
Locking your identity in won’t prevent a major social service from succeeding. Sadly, most people don’t care about giving control of their online identity to current or future advertising companies.
But there will always be the open web for the geeks, the misfits, the eccentrics, the control freaks, and any other term we can think of to proudly express our healthy skepticism of giving up too much control over what really should be ours.
Why and How Google+’s Interface is Kicking Ass
While I’m still not able to access the application itself, the feedback Google+’s design and experience has been getting seems to beget the term “next generation”.
Every interaction seems to have been thought through and designed until it’s [last] little bits (and those matter as much as the big bits). It even has room for some warmth (like the circle rolling away when you delete it) which is rare for Google’s cold UID approach.
Sound bites have been an increasing menace within politics and public life in general for a long time now. I’d always assumed that the news editor would edit down a short interview to an even shorter sound bite to give a bit of talking-head-action to brighten an otherwise fact-heavy story.
It’s always revealing to see behind the curtain. I’ve watched a couple of videos this morning which, when seen together, are certainly that.
HP’s TouchPad seems to be the first real iPad competitor. The webOS-based tablet is certainly the only device I’ve seen to far to tempt me away. It’s got some really clever features, and the multi-tasking UI is streets ahead of the one on iOS. I wondered whether HP’s acquisition of Palm would work out, and I’m very pleased to see it seems to be going well so far. I’d love to try out a TouchPad for myself.