The APPLE MEDIA EVENT of 10/04/2011

Jeez, it's just a phone.

Unless they introduce something that links up with the human nervous system that allows us to make psychic phone calls, it's just going to be a slightly updated iphone.

I'm sure it will be cool and everything but it will only be incrementally better than the current iphone.

Damn, I need to charge my watch.

That Siri demonstration is seriously impressive.  I may need to upgrade my 3GS, lord knows the 4 didn't have enough bells and whistles for me to care.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ben W 

Jeez, it's just a phone.

 

Unless they introduce something that links up with the human nervous system that allows us to make psychic phone calls, it's just going to be a slightly updated iphone.

 

I'm sure it will be cool and everything but it will only be incrementally better than the current iphone.

Spoiled human!! 

And the whole "nervous system link up" isn't as far off as we may think... in fact perhaps it's already here... I've said too much... 

Yeah, I'm pretty excited to see what's up. I don't know if this is truly a day that will go down in history like our resident princess believes, but I'm psyched all the same. :)

It's faster (significantly) has made some marked improvements in simple things like the picture taking time, the MMS through the iOS is fantastic and Siri could potentially be a real tech breakthrough.

The iCloud and all that stuff I think we all pretty much knew.

I love the stuff about giving people access to your location on the GPS, as I plan to keep a running tally of how many days a month my wife leaves her phone at home on accident.  Other than that I won't use it as it's kind of creepy really.

Man, it took them over a year to release a phone that looks exactly the same.  I have to imagine that the only thing holding this thing up was the software.

So the 4gs is going to be it? that's all? really?

It's a piece of technology, not a painting.

But it's art...it's all ART!!!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Princess Kate 

Oh my gods..

 

Look at the new NANO SHELL, with a pedometer and over 16 new clocks!!

 

 

This is pure class! I've never before wanted a NANO, but, well, wow..

If only that watch could transform into Voltron ...

Seriously, it looks like some calculator watch from 1985.

Well, it's a piece of technology that is acclaimed for it's forward-thinking and segment-defining industrial design. The fact that there were no changes in the external design is an understandable disappointment.

Does anyone have a serious problem with the form factor of the iPhone4? I could've used a metal back but other than that (and that resolved but dodgy antenna), it's an excellent piece of industrial design. No sense in trying to come up with something new and shiny if doesn't offer a significant functional improvements. To be honest, keeping the outside relatively unchanged probably made upgrading all the guts a cheaper and simpler process, so be grateful they didn't alter the outside too much and then jack up the price dude to R&D costs.

The margin on these things are already ridiculous.  Apple makes an insane amount of money off these products ... and the weird thing is that they haven''t really actually done anything too impressive with all the money they make. They're just sitting on tons and tons of cash.

Look, I understand that the iPhone 4 is a good design.  But it's been a year and a half and there are real flaws with it.  The glass back being the most obvious one.  It makes using one without at case a risky proposition for many people.  The phone without a case is really thin, but I just don't know anyone who doesn't have a case on their phone.

So no, I'm not willing to cut them slack on this when they have one of the best industrial designers working today, tons of money and resources, and plenty of time to work on it.  It's just disappointing.

How have we come to a place where we lament a company not "fixing" what isn't broken and not foisting an arbitrary redesign every year simply for the sake of creating demand for the newest, shiniest toy? The iPhone 4 is the perfect size, it's beautiful, has a rich screen, and is well supported by third party cases. They don't see the glass back as a flaw, and neither do I. Ultimately dropping a naked smartphone means it's fucked. The margins between the materials are so small it makes little difference. The software leaps represent way more improvements than your average hardware update. The two year redesign cycle is a good thing.

I'm on T-Mobile, so I don't even own an iPhone. But this idea that any redesign cycle should fall into some predetermined pattern as opposed to when the product needs the redesign, is a bit ludicrous. I mean, for all we know, the iPhone R&D dept might be working on stuff that won't see the light of day for 3-5 years. No sense in rushing them if the design is half-baked or if the software or networks can't handle the new hardware.

That's what good industrial designers do, they take something that for most people is already 'good enough' and somehow find a way to improve it.  I'm not saying that Apple might not be holding off on a redesign until the true iPhone 5 but that doesn't mean I can't think it's disappointing that they are.

I don't believe that's true, and I don't believe it falls within the spirit of design. There are classically designed products that have stood the test of time for decades. I think they can leave the look (and ONLY the look) of a well designed phone alone for two years in the midst of a terrible economy without it being claimed that they've grown complacent. Hell it'd damn near be an act of charitable frugality if it didn't ultimately create a beneficial cycle for them in the long run. Especially when it's clear the chassis, camera, antenna system, and virtually every other non-visual feature has been reengineered. The idea that it has to look better to be another triumph of design is a little silly.

Well, I agree that iconic designs can stand the test of time, I just disagree that the current iPhone is the pinnacle of that design.  I will admit that some of this is just boredom with a style that's been around for a year and a half now but I don't know why anyone object to my disappointment that there wasn't an equivalent improvement in form to go with the added functionality.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dontEATnachos 

Well, I agree that iconic designs can stand the test of time, I just disagree that the current iPhone is the pinnacle of that design.  I will admit that some of this is just boredom with a style that's been around for a year and a half now but I don't know why anyone object to my disappointment that there wasn't an equivalent improvement in form to go with the added functionality.

Completely agree with you. The current iPhone is not a pinnacle of design, there are plenty of phones out that outdo it in form and function. I expected more from them with this though.

Interesting that, on a film site, you all elect to very much ignore the man behind the curtain.

I had some free time this afternoon so watched the event unfold.  Outside of Siri and the, what I will grant is probably pretty seamless, iCloud aspect of this phone every other "innovation" seemed lifted from Android.  Notifications, OTA updates and speech recognition?  And I say man behind the curtain because while Apple integrates these 1-2 year old functions into iOS they are currently suing anyone and everyone for using supposed Apple gestures and software ideas.

They also like their fuzzy math over in Cupertino as well looking at a few of those market share slides.

Also, did I miss something or is the 4S absent LTE radios but they are claiming speeds on par with current half-assed AT&T 4g phones?  If I understand the AT&T network somewhat they don't even have the capabilities of the radios Apple put in; they are more on par with Asian and European markets, no?  Am I correct in assuming what I read means that the radios inside mean jack shit to Verizon, and now, Sprint "4G" subscribers?  So Apple expects people to pile on the iPhone bandwagon on those two networks for two year contracts and then magically they drop the iPhone 5 in a year or less with LTE radios in them?  What utter bullshit.

*EDIT*  BWAH-HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!  

*EDIT*  It wouldn't surprise me if Apple and AT&T were in bed when it came to developing internals for this thing and Apple had inside knowledge of the AT&T-Mobile merger before it was announced.  AT&T figured they could then regain lost Verizon customers by having these radios that worked on their brand spanking newly purchased infrastructure.  Scratch that, even if the merger goes through the phones wouldn't work for the frequencies regardless.  I hope the Justice Department quashes this merger ass they rightfully should even more than I did before.

Something along the lines of Siri would be nice to see in Ice Cream Sandwich but most of this today was meh from and Android/Google standpoint.  It wouldn't surprise me if, as usual, Apple is behind the times once ICS drops in a few months.  They are no doubt great at creating the next big thing but they always get eclipsed by whoever their dominant competition is.

But then again, I could be biased.

I have a 3GS.  I'm buying this sucker like yesterday.

TEA.  EARL GREY.  HOT.

I hope the iPhone 6 has a replicator.

I'm in the same boat, having a 3gs I'll upgrade. While my wife still have the 4 so there really is no point. 

I'll just skip the 5 and just go for the 5s. I can go every other year with the Iphones. UNLESS version 5 just demands my attention, and money.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

I have been reading through some more information and I now take back what I said about Siri.  My 16 month old HTC Incredible performs all those functions apparently.  And it does them extremely well from the past few minutes of playing around with it.

So utterly far behind.  The only thing left is the seamless iCloud integration and something tells me I just haven't looked into Google's cloud offerings enough to realize my phone is capable of all that as well.

I think you are incorrect in assuming that the Incredible's Google Voice Actions voice commands are as robust as the capabilities in Siri. But it'll be interesting to see what reviews say once it's available.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dontEATnachos 

I think you are incorrect in assuming that the Incredible's Google Voice Actions voice commands are as robust as the capabilities in Siri. But it'll be interesting to see what reviews say once it's available.

I asked it to give me the weather...BOOM, headshot.

I asked it to play Pandora...BOOM, headshot.

I asked it locate a restaurant...BOOM, headshot.

I asked it to set an alarm... it asked me to download a clock app that was compatible with voice features, I did.  BOOM, headshot.

I could go on but this video from August 2010 should be enough:

The only thing I haven't figured out how to do with it is make an appointment but give me a few minutes.  And it doesn't coyly talk back to me, it just does what I ask it to do.

But then again, I may be biased.

To create an appointment... check out his link... http://lifehacker.com/5634360/use-google-voice-actions-for-any-web-service-that-supports-sms-or-email

Quote:

Originally Posted by Princess Kate 


Can it understand differently phrased sentences? Can it do "Will I need an umbrella today"?
That is a big stumbling block in the adoption of such features into the main stream. Non tech people much prefer natural language browsing

Don't throw your back out reaching like that, Kate.  Voice recognition software is so old hat I had forgotten my phone could do it.  I used it quite a bit when I got my phone and to be honest unless you are talking on your phone, talking to your phone isn't as revolutionary as you'd like to delusionally believe.  It gets old pretty quick and most people realize how much quicker it is to just type the necessary input.  Hell, realistically, voice integration should be used 1000 times more on Google phones because of the obviously inferior software keyboard.  But it just isn't.

So far across the web the 4S is a dismal failure of a launch excepting Apple sheep like yourself who are divorced from reality.

Oh, to be sure, it will sell like gangbusters as Apple has elevated the milking of its revenue stream to a fine art.  That much I will not argue against.  But the rest of the launch was old news to the rest of the tech world and the iPhone 5 will most assuredly be behind once again as Google releases ICS.

Hell, the 4s is technically inferior to an Android phone that is a month old at this point, two once the 4S is in people's hands.  And that phone has a big brother coming in a few weeks that will be even better.

But you may be biased.

At this point, the iPhone and its design isn't really the problem for me. iOS is. I found it dreadfully boring prior to today. Siri did nothing to change that. I enjoyed Google Voice Actions and Vlingo when I had an Android phone...for the first maybe 3-4 times I used it. Same with my current Windows Phone. Both well-implemented. Ultimately, because it has to be processed over WiFi and/or 3G/4G.....I found it quicker and easier to use my fingers to get what I wanted. 

I want to search for something on Bing on Windows Phone...I just type the first 2-3 characters, it usually pops up. Same for Google Search on Android. Why bother asking Siri what's the weather going to be when if I unlock the screen, it can be instantly waiting for me visually as a Live Tile (Windows Phone) or widget (Android)? I want an app open. I say "Open ____" on either device. It opens, but it's usually quicker to just tap the hub or app myself. Windows Phone and Android also read texts to you as you drive, and you can dictate them back if you wish.

The primary appeal of Siri, IMHO, would be in natural queries like "Siri, who won the NBA MVP in 2004?" or stuff like that. Basically, stuff I have no interest in, and if I did, certainly not in getting to it "quicker" than is already possible on all modern smartphones.

The real showstopper for me, tho, is that YOU often have to confirm via touch whether what Siri is bringing you is what you asked for. Might as well go get it myself. I don't want to sound like a "innovation hater". I'm not. But Apple's stupid simple touch-icon interface took off and brought the industry with it for a reason: It's more immediate and reliable than any other method of input for the foreseeable future.  

You don't have to confirm via touch. You can tell Siri to send the message, book the appointment or whatever.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Princess Kate 


Engadget... They're no APPLE super fans.

*EDIT* Just not worth it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SAIRUS 


Umm just watched the conference, Siri can be confirmed via voice as well.
I'm getting the phone, but I recognize the fact what some people see wrong with the iPhone. It's the standard, but it sets the standard well.
Also selling my iPhone 4 will net me some profit.

Confirmation via voice is similarly off-putting for me. Reminds me of navigating phone prompts when I have to call a company's customer service line for something.

Is Siri cool? Sure. But strictly speaking for myself, there's nothing it will save me time doing or make easier than the competition. Honestly, if a text exchange starts happening when I'm driving, I just call the person. Ultimate voice control there. I mean, doing it the Siri way is just having a slow ass phone call with a transcript anyway.

Otherwise, the phone is already in my hand to activate Siri (or I'm hitting that button on the white headset), and it's just ostentatious "asking" it to do stuff I could do myself quicker and more accurately with a tap or two. I just have better things to do than have a "conversation" with a robotic voice.

In my experience, driving is pretty much the only time where speaking seems like a better input method than touch.

Speech as an interface has a lot of limitations to it.  Consider that even when talking to other humans it's difficult to be sure they understood exactly what was asked.  Traditional input methods offer more precision in your commands than speech does (the higher bandwidth of a 2D response makes it easy to convey more information quickly).  Speech is also not private, so when in a public area people generally don't like to sit around broadcasting their every action for others to hear. And if the environment is noisy, it impacts the performance of the voice recognition as well.

Speech has benefits from an accessibility standpoint for feedback for the visually impaired and as an input for those with fine motor impairments but those are special cases and not the vast majority of users.  The only real benefit from an input standpoint will be if it can take things that were more complex to input manually and make it quicker, but there are still the limitations above.

From purely a technical achievement level it's impressive and depending on how the architecture works for mapping language to system functionality, there could be some really cool stuff going on there.  But from practical standpoint, there are real questions about how useful it will be on a regular basis.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dontEATnachos 

In my experience, driving is pretty much the only time where speaking seems like a better input method than touch.

 

Speech as an interface has a lot of limitations to it.  Consider that even when talking to other humans it's difficult to be sure they understood exactly what was asked.  Traditional input methods offer more precision in your commands than speech does (the higher bandwidth of a 2D response makes it easy to convey more information quickly).  Speech is also not private, so when in a public area people generally don't like to sit around broadcasting their every action for others to hear. And if the environment is noisy, it impacts the performance of the voice recognition as well.

 

Speech has benefits from an accessibility standpoint for feedback for the visually impaired and as an input for those with fine motor impairments but those are special cases and not the vast majority of users.  The only real benefit from an input standpoint will be if it can take things that were more complex to input manually and make it quicker, but there are still the limitations above.

 

From purely a technical achievement level it's impressive and depending on how the architecture works for mapping language to system functionality, there could be some really cool stuff going on there.  But from practical standpoint, there are real questions about how useful it will be on a regular basis.

Well, well said.

And as I noted earlier, it feels like pure farce when I'm using a PHONE to have a voice-dictated back-and-forth text exchange.

The fact is, it still requires physical interaction in the form of holding down a button to activate it and then tapping the mic icon or your headset for every subsequent query. So, what steps is it actually saving me? It seems to be most useful when it's mimicking Ask.com or Wolfram Alpha, but I wouldn't even need all the fingers on my right hand to count the number of times I've tapped either of those resources in the past 12 months. Hell, I'm not particularly happy pulling out my phone to look up an IMDB listing to settle a film question when hanging with Nick, Justin or any of the ATL Chewers. 

Maybe I'm just not cool enough to have a life where a "virtual personal assistant" would be of great benefit to me. I'm not trying to make MORE meetings, as I get enough notices for the ones I have now. I know when I'm free for dinner. I don't need to verbally dictate what songs to play as that is why I create playlists in the first place.  

Quote:

Originally Posted by SAIRUS 


Let me ask you something. Is this a business decision, or is it personal? 'Cause if it's business I'll go away happily. But if it's personal, I'll go away... but I won't be happy.

I feel like I am not recognizing a movie quote here or something.....

You're not serious, right?

Well, a Google search seems to indicate that it's an Arrested Development quote.

I'm so lame.

Just pre-ordered the 16GB black iPhone 4S for my fiance.  She'd been back in the country for a few months and holding off until the new one came out.  She's a bit underwhelmed but doesn't want to keep holding out for the next iteration.

Unfortunately AT&T screwed up their online system and thought that she WASN'T eligible for a new phone so instead of being able to use the web form and it taking 5 minutes, I had to call in, sit on hold for an hour and a half and then order it.  And I'm not even 100% sure that went right.  The rep on the phone said the order wouldn't be placed until I clicked a link on a confirmation email I haven't received yet.