Tretakoff Musings

As expected, at the recent Apple WWDC event, Apple announced a major revamp of iOS, with iOS7. Claiming to modernize the user interface, add updated multitasking, and overall a much more modern and elegant experience, iOS7 was released to developers in a beta at the conclusion of the event, with us unwashed masses promised the final version in the fall (most likely with a new addition to the iPhone/iPad family). But this intrepid iOS user was not to be deterred: I wanted iOS7 now.  So, armed with little more than a vague desire, I launched my quest to get. that. damned. beta. This is my story. So, my first challenge: how to get in the rarified air of Apple considering me a developer worthy of the beta. I expected to have to embark on a crash CodeAcademy course, or a torchlit ceremony of Steve Jobs worshipping. Anything Cupertino could throw at me, I was ready. I'd fool these high priests of code, and escape with the beta prize, with none the wiser. So steeled, I launched my que...

Apple's iOS has routinely been beat up for the user interface in the stock apps that come with the iPhone/iPad. Lately, the criticism has been on the use of "skeumorphic" design (i.e. design elements meant to resemble a real-world analog, like the use of simulated wood and green felt on Game Center or the simulated  brass casing on the compass), but lost in the noise is the real challenge: making the apps much more useful. Today, let's look at the iOS Calendar app and some of the alternative versions that may make you rethink using it. First, the standard app. Like most calendar apps, derives it's look from the classic paper DayTimer from the analog age. Decent information delivery, with the option to switch between List, Day, Week and Month views. Good separation and use of the screen real estate to display all day events vs. timed ones. A separate drawer to manage received calendar invitations. Prominent controls to go to Today, vs. whatever day you are on. ...

Would you rent your personal car out to a traveler? That's what Flightcar , a new company operating out of San Francisco and Boston, want to help you say "yes" to. What if I told you your car would be covered by a $1 million insurance policy? And that you'd get free parking at the airport? And that you'd get free valet curbside service to your flight and when you arrive? And that your car would be professionally cleaned before your arrival...for free? Not convinced? Ok, tell you what: what if I throw in a $10 gas card? OK, that answers the question of why you'd want to list your car. But what about renting a car? Would you choose Flightcar? Why? For an upcoming trip to Boston, I priced rental cars out: the least expensive for about $500 for a compact for the time I will be there. Flightcar? How about a swanky 2009 Lexus GS for less than half that? You even get to see a picture of the car, learn about its owner, its description, mileage, and they throw in ...

Thanks to the folks here who voted , I opted to expedite my Pebble experience, eschewing the Grey color I originally chose, and going for the Black. A couple of weeks later, and my wrist was wrapped with a Pebble. Voila! Thank you all for your encouragement; the results were overwhelming in favor of the going for it now. Good job, Internet! So, now that I finally have the smartwatch I have been waiting for, for a year, what do I think? I haven't worn a watch for nearly 15 years. I stopped wearing one because I have an innate sense of time (or have carried an electronic device at least that long that has a clock in it), and wearing a watch made me tense. So, I was a bit concerned that the old familiar tension would come back, but I'm happy to report it's not the case. Part of it seems to be that, since it is truly redundant as a timepiece for me, and 15 years of conditioning to look elsewhere for the time, I simply don't consider it as a tireless taskmaster (...

On the heels of today's leaked info that Yahoo is buying Tumblr for $1.1 billion comes the news that some folks think that's too little . Tumblr earned a whopping $13 million in revenue in 2012; that's right; not $30 million, not $300 million: $13 million. Essentially, they are being bought for an almost 85x of their earnings. And someone is complaining? Tumblr offers a lively photo-based blogging service...for free. It is quite active, and has a lot of users, which explains Yahoo's interest. And yes, Tumblr has burned through the cash, all $125 million of it. With 18 whole employees, and millions of users, it still couldn't generate enough revenue to hold on for more than a few more months...and Yahoo gives it a massive exit...and someone is complaining? On the heels of Facebook's completed $1 billion acquisition of Instagram (12 employees), and it's imminent $1 billion acquisition of GPS app Waze (80 employees), it's pretty clear that $1 billi...

As a long-time comics aficionado, I have delightfully enjoyed the renaissance of the superhero movie. Arguably, you could say that it started with Bryan Singer's X-Men , Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins , or even Sam Raimi's Spider-Man . But the one that I feel has really started the absolute frenzy was Jon Favreau's Iron Man : Not only did it do a great job of making a fun movie, with a somewhat believable premise, but it was a perfect blend of characters, action, and, most importantly, comic book story arcs that culminated in the blockbuster, The Avengers. The third Iron Man movie came out a couple of weeks ago, and I finally got to see it. I was pretty excited, as, unlike the previous two, it was written and directed by Shane Black. Who the heck is Shane Black? Glad you asked: virtually every great buddy cop action adventure movie in the 1990's was a Shane Black creation: the Lethal Weapon films, the vastly underrated The Last Boy Scout, the truly magnificen...

For those who have not heard, Google has updated their Google search app for iOS with one of the most sought after features of Mountain View's highest end Android phones, Google Now . Yep, you can update or get your Apple loving hands on it, right now, in the App Store. If you are not familiar with Google Now, it is the next step of mobile and information: learning what you do and like by a combination of your searches, your Gmail account, and your location. For instance, you show up for 8-10 hours a day in one location, typically during the day. Google Now asks if that's where you work, then proactively pops up traffic info for you for your commute home, roughly around the time you usually head out. Neat, right? I'm a big proponent of the fact that our smartphones are actually still a little dumb: they wait for us to ask for help, instead of learning. With Google Now, you take some good steps there. Unfortunately, the iOS experience leaves me a bit bemused, specificall...