Posts in news

Loren Brichter Talks About Pull-To-Refresh Patent and Design Process

Circling around on the internet over the last few days has been the news that there is a patent application for the “pull-to-refresh” feature that Loren Brichter pioneered in Tweetie and is now an extremely popular UI gesture used in a lot of iOS, Mac and Android apps. Twitter holds the patent application, not Brichter who recently left Twitter after they acquired him and Tweetie a few years ago. It’s also important to note that the patent has not yet been granted, it is simply a patent application at this point in time.

Featured in the latest One More Thing podcast (a tie-in to the Australian iOS conference we wrote about last week, featuring many of the speakers), Brichter briefly talks about the patent (note that this was actually recorded before the news about the patent spread wildly on the internet) and says:

… I can’t talk about the specifics but Twitter owns the patent, but I don’t think people have anything to worry about.

Brichter also describes the design process that resulted in the “pull-to-refresh” feature being implemented in the episode. He talks about how in Tweetie 1.0 the refresh button would be on top of all your tweets because there wasn’t enough room on the navbar because of a back button and compose tweets button. But for Tweetie 2, Brichter thought he could “make it a little simpler” so that you didn’t have to scroll to the top, lift your finger and tap on the refresh button, instead he asked the question:

…why not just make refreshing part of the scroll gesture itself? So it was kind of an obvious extension of a simple idea.

The whole episode is certainly worth a listen, Brichter offers some great insights on development and his experiences as both an independent developer and a developer working in a large team (like he did for Twitter and Apple).

Thanks to Stuart Hall for the heads up.

Apple Offers Refunds To Australians, Promises to Clarify 4G iPad Marketing

Today’s hearing into the ACCC’s allegation that Apple is misleading Australian consumers with its labeling of the new iPad as “4G” has recently adjourned for the day, with two promises from Apple. First, it will offer full refunds to any customer who purchased the WiFi + 4G model expecting it to work on Telstra’s 4G network (although this isn’t too significant, given Apple already offers a 14-day period to return any product). Second, it has committed to further clarifying its marketing to explicitly note it is incompatible with the Telstra 4G network. Emma O’Sullivan tweets that the phrasing will be “this product supports very fast cellular networks, it is not compatible with current Australian 4G LTE networks”. Apple promised to update all marketing to this new phrasing by April 5th.

It seems fairly clear that Apple wants to resolve the dispute with the ACCC quickly, not only committing to these two promises as an interim agreement, but also advocating the use of closed-door mediation with ACCC. In contrast, the ACCC is pushing for a full trial in early May.

Bizarrely, one point that Apple argued in the hearing today was that Australia’s mobile networks were “misnamed”. Apple argued that what are currently called 3G networks in Australia should actually be called 4G networks by “international standards” - the ACCC responded by saying that Apple is in fact using “US standards”.

LogMeIn Pro Adds HD Streaming To Any Device

LogMeIn, the company known for making it a breeze to remotely access your home computer, has just rolled out a new feature to their Pro level service. LogMeIn Pro now includes HD streaming to any PC or iOS device. Streaming works through a web browser or through LogMeIn’s free iOS app. The feature comes at a great time now that the new iPad is available – the Retina display and 4G LTE speeds are going to be amazing hardware accents to the fine software product that LogMeIn has put together. Here is what LogMeIn’s VP of Products, Matt Kaplan, had to say about the new HD Streaming feature:

“Anywhere, anytime access is an expectation for today’s mobile, multi-device user and justifiably so. With the new HD streaming capabilities, Mac owners can get the full benefits of their multimedia content, whether for work or for play, from virtually anywhere in the world. We see it as an amazing experience on any device, but combine it with the LogMeIn app and a new retina display iPad and you’ve got what we believe to be a remarkable solution for displaying, playing and working with today’s highest resolution media.”

The new streaming feature seems similar to other offerings by already popular iOS solutions including AirVideo or StreamToMe but LogMeIn has the unique benefits of other features such as Remote Screen Control, File Browsing, and Computer Management. The Pro Service starts at $39.99 a year if purchased as an in-app upgrade through the free iOS app and looks like it might be a killer service to try if you just picked up a shiny new iPad. I personally have always stuck with a combination of VNC, Dropbox, and AirVideo to serve these purposes but now that seems like quite a bit of hassle compared to the ease of setting up a LogMeIn Pro account.

LogMeIn is available for free from the App Store.

Australian Consumer Watchdog Alleges Apple Of Misleading 4G Claims

The ACCC (Australian Competition and Consumer Commission), Australia’s competition watchdog has just announced it will tomorrow seek orders against Apple for allegedly making misleading iPad “4G” claims in its marketing of the new iPad in Australia. It alleges that Apple’s promotion of the new “iPad with WiFi + 4G” is misleading “because it represents to Australian consumers that the product “iPad with WiFi + 4G” can, with a SIM card, connect to a 4G mobile data network in Australia, when this is not the case.”

The ACCC is seeking urgent interlocutory relief to ensure consumers are made aware of the correct technical capabilities of this device. Additionally the ACCC is seeking final orders including injunctions, pecuniary penalties, corrective advertising and refunds to consumers affected.

It will tomorrow make an application to the Federal Court in Melbourne for orders against Apple for allegedly contravening Australian Consumer Law (ACL). It advises consumers who have purchased or are considering to purchase the new iPad to ensure “they have a proper understanding of the mobile data networks which this iPad can directly access by a SIM card”. There are 4G networks operating in Australia but none are currently compatible with the 4G bands that are supported in the new iPad. Unlike in the US, carriers in Australia have not blurred the line between 3G and 4G networks by calling HSDPA a “4G” network, so when 4G is used in marketing in Australia, it truly refers to the next generation of mobile networks such as LTE.

Australian mobile carriers  Telstra and Optus have already ceased using any 4G references in their promotion of the new iPad, whilst Apple continues to use the 4G terminology with only a small fine print below stating;

The iPad with Wi-Fi + 4G model can roam worldwide on fast GSM/UMTS networks, including HSPA, HSPA+, and DC-HSDPA. When you travel internationally, you can use a micro-SIM card from a local carrier. You can also connect to the 4G LTE networks of AT&T in the U.S. and Bell, Rogers, and Telus in Canada.

Rovio: 10 Million Downloads Of Angry Birds Space In Less Than 3 Days

Rovio announced on Twitter today that Angry Birds Space racked up 10 million downloads in less than 3 days. Unfortunately Rovio didn’t give more details as to which 3 days saw more than 10 million downloads (presumably it was the first 3 days after launch) or which platforms were proving most popular. Angry Birds Space (the latest game in the Angry Birds series) launched on March 22nd (Thursday last week) on to the iOS, Android, Mac and PC platforms.

Nevertheless, it is a very impressive feat that Rovio was able to garner so many downloads in such a short period of time - it’s clear to me that Angry Birds continues to be an incredibly powerful brand that is being managed very well by the folks at Rovio. It’s also worth pointing out that last November Rovio revealed that the Angry Birds series had been downloaded over 500 million times since launching in late 2009.

Regarding Apple’s Edge and the new Apple TV Interface

Alongside a hardware update that supports 1080p playback, the new Apple TV introduced a brand new grid-like interface that draws upon influences from iOS. Where previous Apple TV interfaces were more or less clickwheel-iPod inspired, the new interface replaces sleek and jewel-like menus for a series of colorful icons that provide quick menu access to Netflix, TV Shows, and MLB.TV just to name a few. However, the interface is now at the center of brief controversy around Apple’s design decisions and the absence of Steve Jobs.

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One More Thing Conference, A Unique iOS Conference In Australia Is Running Again In May

The ‘One More Thing Conference’ is running again this year in May on the 25th and 26th, and like its launch last year it’ll be located in the beautiful city of Melbourne, Australia. It isn’t a traditional programming conference, but more of a “meeting for iOS developers, designers and those who just want to come along for the ride”. In fact the aim of the conference isn’t necessarily to improve your designing or programming talent, but rather to “leave with more confidence in your abilities as an iOS developer or designer.”

The conference comprises of two parts; the main conference on the 26th of May and two “mini-confs” on the 25th. Speaking at the main conference are people such as Raphael Schaad of Flipboard, Adam Kirk of Mysterious Trousers (makers of Calvetica), Igor Pušenjak of Lima Sky (makers of Doodle Jump), Justin Williams of Second Gear (makers of Elements) and other very talented people in the iOS world. Meanwhile the “mini-confs”, are smaller (limited to 30 people) sessions where the environment is more conversational, with one focusing on design and the other on programming. Loren Brichter (formerly of Tweetie and Twitter) and Neven Mrgan are just two of the speakers that will lead these respective “mini-confs”.

Tickets to the main conference are currently selling at $249 (that’s an early bird price though, after the 12th of April it goes back to $349), whilst the “mini-conf” session tickets cost $499 but are limited to just 30 people.

Short Q&A with Organiser Anthony Aguis

To get some more information and perspective on what the One More Thing Conference is, I spoke with one of the organisers, Anthony Aguis who also ran the first conference last year.

Graham: Hi Anthony! So give us a brief overview of what the One More Thing conference is about and perhaps what you learnt from running the conference last year.

Anthony: I learned that I could actually make a conference happen and that people liked it! The feedback we got from last year’s event was fantastic. It would have been a shame not to do it again. The overall theme of the conference is still the same as 2011 - get developers confident, psyched, and ready to move from dreaming of making apps, to just doing it. The main difference for 2012 will be the lessons we will learn from the speakers. There’s some serious experience in our line up that have awesome stories to tell.

Graham: One of the new things for the conference this year are the mini-confs, one focused on design and the other on programming. This sounds like a great idea, especially considering it will promote a more conversational atmosphere between the audience and the great speakers you’ve got attending. What made you decide to have such “mini-confs” alongside the full conference?

Anthony: The mini-confs came about because some of the speakers I invited weren’t comfortable in front of a large audience, so rather than not have them come to Australia at all, Lauren (my One More Thing sidekick, who designed the website and everything else you see to do with One More Thing), suggested we just give them a smaller venue, so we did. That creates a unique opportunity to pick the brains of some super talented people. It’s like a university or college tutorial where you debate and interact, as opposed to a lecture with lots of people in it.

Graham: What are you most looking forward to yourself in the conference this year?

Anthony: I’m really hoping there’s a spate of wonderful apps released on the app store, a few months after One More Thing, inspired by what attendees have learned there. That’s why I put the effort into putting it on, to have cool apps to use myself!

Graham: The conference is being held in Melbourne, Australia, for those who aren’t from Melbourne and particularly for those overseas, can you tell us a bit about the city and perhaps why someone from the US or Europe might enjoy visiting?

Anthony: I’ve lived in Melbourne all my life, so I’m a little biased - but if you’ve never been to Australia before, Melbourne is a great place to start. It’s a very cosmopolitan and urban city, with over 5 million people of all sorts of cultural backgrounds calling it home. But not too far out from the city is some of the most beautiful countryside and scenery, you’ll ever see, with the Great Ocean Road and the Grampians National Park just day trip away. If you like sport, you’ve gotta watch an Aussie Rules football match too. I’ll even go with you!

Graham: So if our readers are interested in attending, where can they get more info and purchase tickets?

Anthony: onemorething.com.au has all the details - we have special early bird pricing if you register before April 12th, so don’t take too long deciding to attend.

Graham: Thanks for speaking with us Anthony, is there anything else you’d like to tell our lovely readers before we wrap this up?

Anthony: We’ve got a podcast up on iTunes in which Peter Wells & Marc Edwards interview all the speakers at One More Thing 2012. Plus everyone can watch the videos from the 2011 conference up on Vimeo. Great way to get a feel for what you’ll get from One More Thing in 2012.

Angry Birds Space Now Available

Angry Birds Space, the first new game from Rovio in over a year, is now available on the App Store. Officially announced back in February, Angry Birds Space takes a radically new approach to the series by setting the war against the pigs in outer space, thus bringing completely re-imagined dynamics and physics to the franchise.

From our previous coverage:

Based in a weightless environment, the basic gist of the game seems to be that in such conditions, trajectories are affected by gravity, and objects end up following curves, rather than straight lines. Using a “galactic slingshot” in footage shot on-location at the International Space Station, NASA’s Don Pettit explains how astronauts and scientists have to consider these changes in physics and gravity when they are in outer space; apparently, this mechanic will be brought to Angry Birds Space in a fairly accurate representation.

Angry Birds Space, unlike the Rio and Seasons spin-offs, brings a new gameplay that has allowed Rovio to design a whole set of different birds, levels, and in-app purchases. Angry Birds Space comes with 60 levels, new superpowers, hidden bonus levels, and a zero-gravity mechanic that, for those who have played with the Nintendo Wii in the past, somewhat resembles Mario Galaxy’s unique approach to planets and interstellar jumps.

Early coverage of the new game positively remarked how Angry Birds Space will feel familiar to the franchise’s veterans, while still adding a new way of thinking and constructing trajectories on screen. Angry Birds Space is now available on the App Store, both in iPhone and iPad editions. You can check out the game’s trailers and first hands-on videos after the break.

Adobe Releases Photoshop CS6 Beta

Adobe has tonight released the beta of Photoshop CS6, giving users a “sneak preview” of the new tools and performance enhancements that Adobe has been working on for CS6. The standout new features include an even better Content-Aware Patch tool that allows you to literally move objects around an image like they were always there, a ‘modern’ UI with much improved performance and re-engineered tools.

The Verge has a detailed look at the beta and amongst the new features, they highlight a few features such as background save, easy iris blur and tilt shift tools and even a simple video editing tool that lets you use many Photoshop tools and shortcuts. Meanwhile, Marc Edwards of bjango runs through a list of improvements and changes that matter most to him as an interface designer - highlighting some of the more minute details, such as layer searching and group clipping masks, that have a big impact on how things can be accomplished.

You can download the beta of Photoshop CS6 for free. A final release will be made available sometime in the first half of this year for $699 new or $199 if you’re upgrading (those prices are $999 and $399 if you want CS6 Extended). Jump the break for a video from Adobe that highlights some of the notable improvements and new features in CS6.

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