What Features Should Be Included With iPhone 3.0? 606
With the announcement coming tomorrow, Macworld has posted their top list of 15 features they would like to see in an iPhone 3.0 update. The list includes some things that people have been asking for since launch (like cut and paste) and things that were once there but have since been silently removed (like push notifications/background apps). With almost 2 years of time to grow and learn, what other things are woefully inadequate on Apple's popular handheld?
C&P and Thunderbird support (Score:3, Informative)
I'd like to second the desire for copy-and-paste; it's the thing that has really been bugging me since I got an iPhone.
Being able to sync with Thunderbird, without having to do the "Thunderbird sync to Google, iPod sync to Google" thing would be nice. If they could add support for syncing calendars with Sunbird at the same time, that would be spiffing.
Re:Non-ATT Service? (Score:1, Informative)
Not around here it doesn't. If you want suckage talk to Sprint or T-Mobile.
Re:A printer! (Score:5, Informative)
skipping tracks is as simple as clicking the inline button on the earbuds. pause is a double click. The buds also double as your headset so that phone calls automatically pause the music and give you a chance to answer with another simple squeeze of the button. Hanging up is just one more squeeze again and then back to the music. It's not advanced, but it's perfectly sufficient...
Re:A printer! (Score:4, Informative)
Click the headphone button twice to skip to the next track, three times for the previous track.
I'm not sure why I bothered responding, though. It's pretty obvious you just wanted to get a quick bash in.
walled garden (Score:5, Informative)
The iphone is awesome and I want one but it's still a walled garden so I'm avoiding it. Here's a perfect example:
http://appstorehell.chocoflop.com/wiki/Main_Page [chocoflop.com]
What the hell is wrong with my iPhone / iPod application and why do I not get any answers after months of waiting ?
So you got an iPhone and thought it was a great device and you decided to write software for it:
* You learned objective-C and Cocoa programming
* You paid 99$ to register as an official developer
* You wrote a nice application
* You submitted your application.
* and then...
Image:mail.png It doesn't get rejected, but you get a message that says...
Your application YourApp is requiring unexpected additional time for review. We apologize for the delay, and will update you with further status as soon as we are able. Thank you for your patience.
Looks like nothing to worry about. So...
* You wait for a week, then two, then three, four, five, six...
* You write e-mails to devprograms
* You make phone calls to developer support
But you never get any answer ? After a pair of months you get used to the idea that your app will never be accepted nor rejected.
Image:question.png So what is happening really ?
Knowningly or not you most likely hit on one of the "secretly forbidden" features that Apple doesn't want on the AppStore. Those are issues that are not specifically mentionned in the agreement and that they are not willing to defend. Their solution, which is unofficial but which has proven to be systematic is to let developers linger in silence for ever.
It's a cool technology but Apple's engaging in superdickery here, same as the American cell carriers. Apple had to use their clout to get unmetered broadband from ATT but cheering them on for that feels kind of like WWIII Ukrainians cheering on the nazis for pushing out the communists.
Re:Non-ATT Service? (Score:3, Informative)
Re:A printer! (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Working Exchange support (Score:4, Informative)
Can I ask what problems you have with the Exchange support? I don't really have any problems, but maybe there's something I haven't really tried?
Re:Returning to music from phone call (Score:3, Informative)
You know that the mic tab on the iPhone 3G is a button, right?
You can answer/end a call by clicking it.
You can also start/stop playing music by clicking it when not calling... and you can double-click to advance to the next song, and triple-click to go back a song.
Unfortunately, the lack of voice dialing is really something I don't understand. I can connect my Acura audio system to act as a bluetooth speakerphone for my iPhone... but I cannot dial numbers by just clicking the button on the wheel and speaking, the way my parents can with their cheapo phones...
Re:A printer! (Score:3, Informative)
Mine, and most people's I know, are doing fine. But there are lots of 3rd party alternate headphones out there made to work with the iPhone. They have the microphone and control buttons. Some of them are dirt cheap. And, oddly enough, the apple store carries many of them.
Comment removed (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Working Exchange support (Score:3, Informative)
Exchange support seems to work great if your exchange server is setup to support it. Everyone I know who has an iPhone plus Exchange (including myself) never complains about it except for one friend who can't sync at all....but it's a server configuration issue for his company...not an iPhone issue.
Re:Working Exchange support (Score:3, Informative)
1. Only the inbox will download new messages, all other folders must be synchronized manually
2. Manually syncing a folder fails about 2/3 of the time
Both of these bugs are pretty major on their own, but together it makes iPhone is basically worthless as an Exchange client.
Additionally, IMAP support has the same bugs.
Cribbed or Coincidence? (Score:3, Informative)
Most of this list matches the top items on www.pleasefixtheiphone.com.
Now for the flame bait: Most of these features are on the latest BlackBerries.
Re:huh? (Score:5, Informative)
You do know that you can use a shared iTunes account on multiple phones and you won't have to purchase apps twice, right?
Re:What about ... (Score:5, Informative)
Exactly. Main features I am looking for:
1. tethering
2. OBEX file management (to replace USB sticks)
3. A2DP
All of which are part of the gimpy bluetooth stack.
What bugs me the most on the list is the A2DP. My old corny ass motorola phone from 5 years ago can play music through my bluetooth headphones, but my iPhone, which is supposed to be a modern marvel that actually evolved from a music player, cannot.
Also on my wish list is the ability to develop iphone apps on my computer (OSX does not work at all in vmware), and maybe someday I have dreams of being able to get firmware updates, and be able to install them from linux.
Re:Working Exchange support (Score:2, Informative)
Re:A printer! (Score:3, Informative)
Oh..and I think it is from the website I liked...but, when you order, call them and ask for the 'code' to get the discount. Usually it is just the model of the earphones, in this example se530 did it. I got them for about $200+ off the MSRP.
Re:my idea (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Pretty easy list (Score:1, Informative)
The iPod connector itself already has a USB port stuffed into it, along with TTL serial, dedicated power, audio in & out, and some other stuff:
http://pinouts.ru/Devices/ipod_pinout.shtml [pinouts.ru]
For those of us without X-Treme soldering skills, here's an easier way to get at them:
http://www.podgizmo.com/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=27 [podgizmo.com]
Re:Pretty easy list (Score:2, Informative)
I don't really need video recording, but I am a bit miffed that I have no way to record voice calls.
I like this idea, but the legal complexities are an issue. Even in the United States, laws differ from state to state, but the iPhone is sold worldwide...
Re:What about ... (Score:5, Informative)
It's interesting that the G1 (which I have) and the iPhone are the only "smartphones" which such crippled bluetooth stacks.
Lack of A2DP was shortsighted (admittedly cupcake firmware for the Android rectified the A2DP issue for android handsets, but its still lacking compared to other phones)
My Nokia N95 did a lot better in terms of Bluetooth.
In fact, one of the best Bluetooth implementations I have seen was on a SonyEricsson phone, which was not even a smartphone, the K800i.
It has
- OBEX (send files/contacts/calendars to other devices)
- OBEX FTP,
- A2DP,
- HCI (Aka bluetooth remote control built in, use it to control media player, and even a mouse pointer)
- HDCP (print to a bluetooth equiped printer)
- Blutetooth PAN gateway (a Network Access point via bluetooth, allows one or more computers to wirelessly tether the internet connection on the phone.) This is unique as I have not seen any other phone implement this, and implement this well. IT also exposes a USB based Ethernet network too, for wired access. No need to remember APNs, or do a dial up on the computer using either of these two methods.
- Bluetooth modem the "alternative" common method of accessing the net/modem/fax wirelessly
- BlueTooth SIM- A funky way of allowing another mobile device (such as a car phone) to use the SIM card on your handset to log in to the network. So you can have a car phone, with the full radio stack, and everything, but keep the SIM in the phone (this will cause your car phone to handle all calls, instead of the mobile handset)
- A2DP implemented WELL (For example, I had a iPaq as a music device, and i was able to connect this and the ipaq to the BT headphones, and when a call came through it woudl take over the headset using the headset profile, then properly release it afterwards, if the ipaq was NOT paired, then it would also use the A2DP to have a single device connection).
- Bluetooth serial port.
It even had an option to allow more than one device to connect at the same time (at the expense of greater battery usage). With this option, I was able to have my Moto A2DP headset, iPaq, and K800 connected to each other. with music going from ipaq to headset. Calls from k800 to Headset, and internet from k800 to ipaq. It worked pretty well.
Not bad for a non-smartphone. I really miss that trio now, with my "next generation devices".
Re:Usable Navigation (Score:5, Informative)
The reason you don't get turn-by-turn directions with Google maps is that Google's agreements with map/GIS data providers (all those with copyrights listed in the bottom corner of your map) forbid it.
A license that allows turn-by-turn directions that is controlled by GPS costs money, hence why there aren't any free apps that do this, except for one, AndNav [andnav.org] for Android, that uses Open Street Map data instead of commercial map data.
In fact, AndNav started out doing this with Google Maps until running into this problem.
Re:A printer! (Score:4, Informative)
I had couple of pairs of apple ipod and one iphone headphones but they are all the same concerning the build quality.
The rubber rim on the earbuds start to crack and disintegrates whether you use them or not after couple of months. After that the rubber which is around the (male) connector likes to get loose because it dilates after a while. After it gets loose, it starts to crack, and in couple of weeks time it will fall apart too. Lastly, as the rubber around the connector is finished, the wire will snap just at the connection with the plastic at the connector itself. This happened 3.5 times now (I managed to save the last pair with alot of electrical tape and handling it like its a grat mogul diamond) out of 4 pairs I have. I have never seen such poor quality from so expensive players/phones before.
If you don't believe me, take a look at the pictures here [blogspot.com] and here [blogspot.com].
Lastly, I would have bought some other iphone compatible headphones but there are none in croatia unfortunately. Moreover, I still haven't found the adapter to use any other headphones in my first gen iphone.
Re:Usable Navigation (Score:3, Informative)
Unless you're referring to a 3rd-party app or a beta firmware or something like that, you're smoking crack. The Maps application built into the iPhone does not automatically recalculate directions when you go off-course.
Re:What about ... (Score:5, Informative)
Using apple keyboard -
http://www.modmyi.com/index.php?pageid=home&news_page=2 [modmyi.com]
video showing iphone to iphone gaming
http://www.flickr.com/photos/56083335@N00/3288725388/ [flickr.com]
Now, like the man said, its crippled.
Re:Usable Navigation (Score:1, Informative)
The best option currently is a jailbreak app called xGPS. It has voice-guided turn-by-turn navigation and can re-calculate routes.
It's got a couple bugs right now (they just added the voice part), but it gets the job done.
Re:What about ... (Score:2, Informative)
It's interesting that the G1 (which I have) and the iPhone are the only "smartphones" which such crippled bluetooth stacks.
The G1's bluetooth isn't crippled anymore in Cupcake (which is coming in a month btw)