The AppsLab

A major update to the WebCenter Spaces iPhone app dropped today. Get the app here, or find the update in iOS if you’re already using it. I saw a preview of this update a few months ago, and it really is a major update to the first version, which debuted back in July 2010. Congrats… Read More

Anonymity bugs me, but after many years of existing on the intertubes, I realize that it’s frequently necessary for authentic commentary and very often, more interesting. Many people cannot (for fear of reprisals) or choose not to (for personal reasons) attach their names to what they say online. However, the problem with online anonymity is… Read More

Yes is the short answer, myself included. Are we too reliant on GPS? – O’Reilly Radar From the post: The core issue is that GPS technology has been built into many crucial infrastructure applications, from transportation systems to power grids, and in many cases there is no fallback option should the GPS signals suddenly become… Read More

One of the many knocks on the iPad (and iOS generally) is its very public and purposeful lack of support for Adobe Flash. Obviously, one of the selling points for Android tablets (and phones) is the inclusion of Flash. So, when the Xoom dropped, its lack of Flash support was definitely a head-scratcher. Last week,… Read More

A long, but interesting account of the chain of events that led to Nokia’s deal with Microsoft. Musings on Mobile Software, What Happened to Nokia? The Register has its own take, also worth a read. Even if you can’t care less about mobile, these are worth a read if only to study the politics of… Read More

It’s iPad 2 launch day, so there’s a lot of really derpy analysis floating around about how the iPad will dominate tablets, etc. Makes sense, right? One exception was this brief from Forrester, citing Amazon as Apple’s only real competition. Maybe I liked it because it makes a similar point to my own about the… Read More

Saw this yesterday on Signal vs. Noise. Something about it fascinates me. Imagine yourself presented with this box. You’d immediately flip the switch, and after that, again to see if you could defeat the mechanical arm. It’s entertainment value far exceeds what you’d think from a description. It taps into our innate curiosity first, then… Read More

Editorial note: Here’s a guest post from Ultan O’Broin (@ultan) from the Oracle Applications User Experience Team in Dublin. You should read his blogs on translation and user experience. Enjoy. Community content. It’s all the rage, an outstanding example of collective intelligence-sharing, and a great user experience engagement and loyalty building strategy. It’s experiencing incredible… Read More

While reading The iPad Falls Short as a Creation Tool Without Coding Apps over on Wired, I was reminded of that Rich (@rmanalan) has said this a number of times about the iPad. For many of us, it’s essentially a casual computer/toy because it lacks any tools for creating software. This is the main reason… Read More

After I watched Meaningful Play: Getting Gamification Right, YouTube suggested another Google Tech Talk, Fun is the Future: Mastering Gamification. Watch this one too.

Here’s another highly informative Google Tech Talk on gamification.

This is a fascinating read if you’ve played the game and care about why you continue to pour hours into mastering it. It’s probably equally fascinating if you haven’t or don’t understand the appeal. I wouldn’t know, being dangerously addicted myself. Why Angry Birds is so successful and popular: a cognitive teardown of the user… Read More

This is cool. Million-song dataset: take it, it’s free The newly-released dataset will inevitably lead to some fascinating research. Incidentally, the Ars post mentions that Pandora uses trained musicologists to recommend music based on your preferences and habits. I wonder how Apple produces Genius results. Anyway, Google Music is on the horizon, and being an… Read More

And so it begins with “The Dark Knight” . . . . louisgray.com: Rent Movies on Facebook With Credits, Starting With WB A month ago, after Apple announced their in-app subscription model changes, I wondered if content owners would turn to Facebook as a channel, not for more revenue (the 70/30 split is the same),… Read More

Here’s another smart design improvement on USB ports. Infinite USB Ports | Geekosystem Combine this design with the impossible-to-put-in-upside-down design, and you’ve got something magical.

Before you light up the comments, make sure to read the first part of this review, in which I give my overall assessment, i.e. I really like the Xoom and think it’s an important piece of consumer electronics. To list the Xoom’s issues, I’m using the classic euphemism from our school days. So, let’s jump right… Read More

The Motorola Xoom is an important product. It’s not something new or something magical. It’s just a tablet. So why is it important? It gives the iPad some competition. Yes, I’m aware that Samsung, Dell, and others sell Android tablets. Yes, I’m aware that the Kindle and NOOKcolor are preferred by many for reading eBooks.… Read More

Nielsen released some mobile statistics, which set off the usual ink-spill, and yes, I know I’m also guilty. As noted previously by Jason Grigsby (@grigs), not all analysis is created equal. Anyway, among other things is this observation: Trends Show Android Gaining Among The Young And Vivacious I had the misfortune of eavesdropping on a… Read More

Yes it takes 10 minutes to watch this video, but I’ll bet you will. Update: Andrew Tait is the man responsible for this epic journey, h/t Jason Kottke, Geekosystem. On display here is one item that users generally take for granted, i.e. backward compatibility. Plus, this is another great use for a VM, providing a… Read More

The most interesting nugget I’ve seen from today’s iPad 2 announcement was about iTunes, specifically that iTunes contains 200 million accounts. Apple Now Has 200 Million iTunes Accounts, Biggest Credit Card Hub On Web You can create an Apple ID without attaching a credit card, and I think you can use iTunes with that same… Read More