This Week's Sponsor:

Textastic

The Powerful Code Editor for iPad and iPhone — Now Free to Try

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.

Read more

The Apple Community, Part II

A few hours ago, I came back from the Apple Store at Roma Est driving all the way back home after a 19-hour wait for the new iPad. Tired – exhausted, my head exploding for the absurd coffee intake I forced my body into, but happy, smiling because I knew that what I had imagined all along didn’t turn to be true – it was better.

Until yesterday, I had never waited in line for an Apple product before. I always preferred driving to the store myself after a few days, or simply asking one of my US friends to ship me an iPhone or iPad without waiting for the Italian launch. A lot of people told me “I was missing out” – that for an Apple fan, getting in line to wait for a new product isn’t just about waiting, which is boring per se, it’s about knowing the people that share your same passion, not giving a damn about spending 20 hours of their lives to get “a device”. Today I can say buying an iPad was just the tip of the iceberg for what has been an incredible experience – something that I look forward to for the next big Apple launch.

I know I am late to the party. I’m fairly certain you all know what a “Day One” looks and feels like. Long lines, security staff, Apple employees, the cheering and the clapping before and during the launch. All that felt new to me. Unexpected and familiar at the same time, as if I was getting to know for the first time a family that, however, I had always known somehow.

It’s no exaggeration to call the people I got to meet in real life last night an extended family. I wrote about the Apple Community before, but actually meeting the people I mention so often is different. I shook hands and made bad jokes 5 minutes after arriving at the line. I talked to folks I only “knew” through Twitter and Facebook, and got a chance to really know them from a much more rewarding perspective. I talked to the founder of another blog and spent two hours discussing the future, where we see things going for our sites, and the state of Italian Apple reporting in general. I introduced myself to Apple PR, finally giving a face and a smile to the people that keep in the loop about news and announcements. I shared meals, coffee – and lots of it – and exchanged phone numbers and Twitter handles. Because whilst I may have known some of those folks already, clicking on usernames and friend request buttons after knowing them felt more real. Necessary. Natural. An obvious consequence.

It was surreal. I mean, we’re talking about a bunch of people – from any kind of social extraction – waiting in line and sitting on the ground to buy a gadget. We are talking about employees of a big corporation, all dressed up in blue and clapping and shaking your hands because you are giving them money. Because you are the customer. And it was surreal, because it felt like you were there as a friend. As my girlfriend put it - “they make paying more pleasant, as if you are glad you are giving them money”. I don’t know if I’m “glad” I spent 700 Euros today. But I sure am happy to have paid for this product in that way.

On the other hand, it felt real. Surprisingly so. You are meeting up with these people you only know from profile pictures and wall posts, and you realize these are real people that have their history, their flaws, their bad jokes about food and sports, and all those traits that turn flaws into the thing we love the most about human beings: that we’re different. That we all have problems and may argue about politics and Android. But that, in the end, if 20 hours spent in line to get an iPad can make us laugh, we should celebrate those 20 hours. Appreciate them. Treasure them.

The more cynical of you might dismiss my words as the usual excitement of a nerd who is happy about paying for Apple products because it is this company’s big, evil plan to make us think we have a choice. You are free to think whatever you want. Maybe it is Apple’s grand scheme to get rich by providing a friendly customer experience. But we do have a choice, and we have chosen to make the most out of it. Those people, those stories – heck, those 13 espressos were real. There is no corporate strategy that will take that away from us. There is no exclusive or breaking news that can beat the fact that some of my readers can also be my friends.

In our review of the new iPad, Cody wrote “you won’t believe it until you see it”. I agree. The device is fantastic. But I ’ll add this: the greatest thing about Apple isn’t the product line itself. It’s the community. It’s the users and the developers and the journalists. It is you, reading this on an Apple device. It’s the Apple community using Apple products. And you won’t believe it until you experience it.