Nemejo

Flat isn’t a feature

On thing that I’ve learned over time is that bad design is rarely the problem.  Instead it is almost always the manifestation of a confused mission.

A web page may have too many buttons, because the business couldn’t decide what its primary goal should be.  The page may be cluttered with images and text, because everyone in an over-crowed meeting decided to add their own bit.  The payment processing takes 12 pages because of an attachment to a legacy payment system.

However, dramatic changes to a design can be a great signal to users that a change has happened.

This is what I’m hoping for from the upcoming version of iOS…a signal of change.

It is important to remember that non-Apple-developed apps were an add-on feature to iOS.  The UI didn’t need to consider how to best handle 100’s of apps.  The UI didn’t need to consider how one app may optionally want to communicate with another app.  The UI didn’t need to consider how an app would display information without being opened first.

Since its launch, every other mobile OS has eaten Apple’s lunch with regards to the base UI.  Android’s widgets, Windows’ dashboard, Blackberry 10’s keyboard, etc. 

Flattening the look of apps won’t make a change, but it can signal Apple re-taking the lead in the mobile user experience.

The iPhone is not the best smartphone

I’ve been playing with the latest Android, Blackberry, and Windows phones lately, and I can say 2 things clearly.

1. The iPhone is no longer the best smartphone on the market.
2. I would still purchase the iPhone as my next phone.

The Windows Phone has a much better start screen experience, the Blackberry 10’s keyboard is much easier to use.  Android’s OS allows for better notifications, deeper integration, and could potentially spawn the next must-have app that would not be possible on the iPhone (Google Now, Facebook Home, etc).

I’ve reached the point where the only reason to recommend an iPhone is the fact that everyone has an iPhone.  In other words, it will be the easiest to find accessories, apps, and websites that support it.  It is a “safe” choice.

Apple is a cross-roads.  It needs to innovate, without losing its core.  That means creating a new version of the OS that is a major departure from the current version.  One that recreates the lock/home/start screens.  A new openness for app makers to use features of the phone that were previously reserved for Apple’s own apps.

More than anything, Apple needs to understand that the best browser, email client, calendar, messaging, social gaming network, music player, and contact manager will not be made by Apple.  However, they absolutely need to be the device and OS that the best one runs on.

Apple has less than 2 years (a refresh cycle) to become the best smartphone again.  Palm, Blackberry, and Windows Phones can all attest to the fact that one you’re no longer at the top, its nearly impossible to climb back up.

The gaming mechanics of Google Reader

I’ve used Google Reader for longer than I can remember to read what smart people have to say.  Today, however, I realized that a part of my mind was treating it as a game and I was losing.

My goal for Google Reader is to sift through the ever-growing intelligence of the web, picking up something new whenever I have a spare moment to read.  However, the mechanics of Google Reader set up a different game…whereby I win by bringing my total number of unread posts to zero.

By seeing the unread counts grow each day, I feel like I’m getting behind.  Encouraging me to bring down that number (currently at 772 unread) as quickly as possible.  The best way to accomplish that is to go directly to the short, trivial, posts.  Ignoring (hitting keep unread) more substantive posts for a later date.

I think that’s why I’ve been drifting more towards services like Zite.  Services which put the most important/interesting items upfront and forgo the measurements of “items unread”.

2012 Resolution

My resolution at this time last year was to get fit.

It broke down to:

1. Get some sort of regular activity that is enjoyable, that I wouldn’t see as “having to exercise.  I chose to ride to work regularly, averaging about 3 rides a week through the year (2-3 to work and sometimes a weekend ride).
2. Join a gym to help build strength.  Kim got me a year-long membership to the Magnusson Athletic Club, and I resolved to work out 3-5 times a week (Saturday, Sunday, and 1-3 other days).
3. Try running.  My least favorite physical activity.
4. Eat better, especially during the midday.  Specifically to eat out less for lunch.  I was averaging eating out 4 days a week, I wanted to cut that down to 2 max.  This also meant drinking far less soda.  I was drinking about 32 oz’s on average a day of regular coke.  Bringing in a refrigerator and microwave to work helped with some of this.

The tools I used:

• Fitocracy - to track any improvement for what I could lift, how many times, etc.
• Runkeeper - to track my running and cycling performance.
• A paper calendar - tracking my weight and the number of physical activities (run/bike/gym) a week.

Goals reached:

• January 4 - Made it over Dexter hill on my ride into work.  On the 11th, I also did it the opposite direction.
• February 16 - Did my first pull-up ever.
• March 7 - Road to work in under 30 minutes (7.5 miles).  The first under 30 ride home wasn’t until July 18.
• April 13 - Pant size dropped from size 40 at the start to size 36.
• June 6 - Ran my first 5K distance on the treadmill (running the full way).
• July 15 - The last day I had soda.  I tried just having the occasional soda, but I kept reverting back to several sodas a day, so I had to stop drinking it completely.
• August 22 - Had my first unofficial 5k under 30 minutes.
• November 18 - Had my first official 5k race (Green Lake Gobbler).

Goals missed:

• I was hoping to end the year at 200-ish pounds.  I my weight loss stopped about half-way to my goal.
• I was hoping to end the year with 10 pull-ups.  6 pull-ups is still my max.
• I was hoping to have an official 5k race under 30 minutes.

2013:

• Continuing with the gym and biking “as-is”.  I really enjoy riding the bike, and the gym has built itself into the family habits.
• I’m going to try and run on the trail more.  Running on the treadmill is un-fulfilling.  Trying “Zombies, Run!” to help encourage me to get on the trail.
• Continuing with the soda ban.  It is a minor addiction, but I still see it as an addiction and I still crave it.  Not as one soda, but as many many sodas.
• I want to make more things digitally, and the gym in the evenings has taken away some of that time.  I’m going to experiment with some lunchtime runs and possibly use the at-work gym to free up some of my evenings.

Not too shabby, but more work to do.

Walled gardens and Microsoft Surface

When a company releases a new product, it must first sell the experience…but always keeping an eye towards it becoming a platform..

The original iPhone was launched as an experience.  A device and software that were built together, showcasing the best of Apple.  New touch gestures, amazing responsiveness, a hardware simplicity that allow the software to control the show.  Folks who purchased the iPhone fell in love with the experience and forced Apple’s hand to turn it into a platform and create the App Store.

The Microsoft Surface launched with an impossible strategy.  To release a dramatic, beautiful, and simple experience…but to bring along the same platform that its users had grown accustomed to.

When first opening up the Surface, I was bathed in the experience.  The device felt exceptionally well-made (although a tad heavy).  The setup was quick, painless, and personalized.  And the end result was the beautiful metro design with the live tiles waiting for me.

The built-in apps are well designed and generally work well (although some feel very version 1.0).  It made me want to believe in the device.

Unfortunately, it quickly becomes apparent that the new experience is an illusion.  The third app I opened was the Microsoft Word preview.  At that point, I find myself in the old world, running the same old apps, on the same old desktop.  It’s like watching the behind-the-scenes footage on your favorite sci-fi movie, where you find the characters are digitally animated dudes in green stretch suits.

The problem with the Surface is it can’t commit to being Micosoft’s future.  Instead, it must also carry with it Microsoft’s past.

I found myself either craving a full-size keyboard, mouse, and usb ports….or alternatively ripping off the keyboard/cover and just using it as a touch screen.  Unfortunately, the Surface isn’t optimized for either of those needs.

Windows 8 has 4 versions…from the RT that I’m currently using, to the enterprise version.  However, I just want the version where they’ve completely removed Windows 95 from it.  I’d call it Windows Reboot.