iPhone 5 RevealSeptember 12, 2012
Today was one of those big days that us gadget geeks anticipate. It was pretty cool finally beholding all of the details about the iPhone 5.
My simple reaction: Very nice! Apple has delivered another solid improvement. I'm looking forward to putting in my preorder on Thursday and getting to play with it soon.
My positive reaction is paired with some feelings of sorrow for BlackBerry. Sorrow is probably too strong a word. The increasing realization is that RIM isn't a company today that is going to release a phone that can match the iPhone in terms of thinness, weight, manufacturing marvel, and all-around "wow" in terms of how it looks. Well, perhaps that can be said for all of the other companies on planet earth. But back to my point: I think every BB10 fan would love to see RIM become more Apple like in its ability to create physical objects that make your heart skip a beat. Part of that is specs, and RIM is doing pretty well there these days, but there is definitely more than specs. Anyway, I shouldn't dwell on that too much, but point noted.
I'm actually really intrigued by the maps application. It seems incredible bold, almost stupid, for Apple to be doing their own Maps. I mean, isn't Google the king when it comes to that stuff, and isn't it a pretty big deal to try and top that? So I'll be interested in playing with their maps. What REALLY caught my eye were those 3D renderings of buildings that looked 5 years ahead of the curve in terms of eye candy. Hard to tell from such a brief glimpse, and of course they're going to have San Francisco perfect, but those zoom overs looked super super impressive.
I was actually surprised that more wasn't said about Siri. They've added some new capabilities, but this didn't seem to be a Siri-intensive release. Maybe that's understandable given that last release was Siri-fest. Hopefully we'll see another volley of inspiring Siri stuff in the next couple of years.
Built for BlackBerry and the $10K Developer CommitmentSeptember 5, 2012
It is great to see that RIM finally released details on the 10K offer they announced back in May. I really wish they had been able to release these details sooner, such as in June, but that's water under the bridge now.
Back in May when I heard about this offer, my mind started spinning. It was one of those "too good to be true" kind of things, so I was naturally guarded, wanting more details. The most critical details I was interested in were:
1. | Is there a limit to X apps per developer? |
| 2. | Can Adobe AIR apps qualify? |
The first point is extremely important because I enjoy pumping up simple but very useful apps. For example, my "Send to PC" app only took an hour to make, and it is grossing between the 1K and 10K mark. So, if there weren't a limit to the number of apps per developer, a skilled person could make $200,000.
Secondly, since all of my 30 or so PlayBooks apps (except for one) are written in Adobe AIR, I would obviously be a bit disappointed if AIR apps didn't qualify.
So to find out now that there is a limit to 1 app and that AIR apps don't qualify obviously takes some wind out of my sales. That turns this from being a get rich quick scheme into a nice perk, especially for new devs. (which I'm not)
All that said, I think these limitations are probably very smart on RIM's part. Creating a get rich quick scheme for devs isn't what RIM is trying to do here. Instead, they're trying to lower the risk for new devs, and encourage quality, and that's precisely what I think this offer will succeed at.
Sep 12 update: RIM has changed course and will accept AIR apps into the "Build for BlackBerry" program. That's great! I still wish there wasn't a limit on the number of apps per developer. Wouldn't anyone want to have a shot at scoring big with 20 decent apps? But alas, reality.
BB10 MapsSeptember 3, 2012
A little while ago I enumerated some of the big ticket items that BB10 needs to be successful. Something that I missed was a great maps experience.
I'm very curious if and how this will materialize. The original maps application on BlackBerry (if you don't include Google Maps) won't cut it in 2013. And launching a smartphone in 2013 without a very good map experience is not a great move.
Sept 5: A screenshot of the BB10 home screen has surfaced which looks legit, and "Maps" is one of the icons. Not a surprise obviously but a good sign, and makes me very curious what the app will be like.
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