There’s no denying that the blockbuster success of the app store is down right astonishing. Massively successful game developers such as EA and Gameloft have already embraced the platform, and one independent novelty game developer was able to rake in nearly $250k in revenue.

EA Mobile’s 3rd quarter revenue was nearly $47 Million, of which the iPhone and iPod touch were surely a noticeable chunk. Games such as Spore and Real World Soccer have made some waves amongst Apple fans and gamers alike.

In the future we will undoubtedly be swarmed with new and better games for both the iPhone and iPod Touch, but will they ever truly compare to the Nintendo DS or Sony PSP? It is really dependent on how you measure comparisons. Some can compare the quality of graphics and overall gaming experience, while others may measure price and ease of access to new games. Let me clarify, I do not think that there is any doubt that the physical quality of the games offered through the App Store, coupled with the touchscreen user experience can truly compare to that of the PSP. The best way to measure this would be to try it out for yourself. If you are an iPhone or iPod touch owner and have an extra couple of bucks, go ahead and download a more premier action game such as Real World Soccer. You may instantly notice that there is not much in the way of graphics comparison and the touch screen controls make game play far more difficult than if the user had access to a d-pad.

iControlPad, for example, is a prototype shell that wraps around an iPhone or iPod touch giving it a very Sony PSP like feel. The outer casing provides a directional pad and four physical buttons for game play. And best of all, they hope to offer their final product for less than $30. A third paryt accessory such as this could definitely lend itself well to those seeking a more powerful, intuitive and natural game play. But couldn’t Apple take care of this themselves? It seems as though they want to make the iPhone, iPod touch and platform as a whole a serious contender for mobile gaming, all the while ignoring the need for a directional pad or physical buttons.

Apple has definitely broken the rules on a few things in the past, and at this point nobody can tell Cupertino what to do, or how to do it. But, if Apple wants the entire platform to be taken seriously by those in the market for a Sony PSP or Nintendo DS, options need to be given to the consumer. Surely someone who has a Sony PSP on their holiday wish list, specifically hoping for Grand Theft Auto won’t be swayed into an iPhone or iPod touch (for gaming). The device might woo them on other levels, but when it comes to that gaming experience, expectations will most likely fall short.

On the other hand, the average pricing for games available through the App Store is drastically less than those made for the DS or PSP. Users of the iPhone and iPod Touch also have far greater access to purchase new games. So the advantage for overall ease of obtaining games as a whole would certainly go to the iPhone and iPod touch platform. Imagine lying in bed on a Sunday morning, wanting nothing more than to remain sedentary and possibly ease a hangover by playing a new mind-numbing game. With the just a few swipes of the finger you have access to over 1,700 to choose from, while you can scoff at the idea of having to get in a car and go purchase a new game for a PSP.

Overall I think that, at this point it is a matter of preference, as both platforms have distinct advantages and disadvantages. Perhaps the hardcore gamer would not be satisfied with the overall performance of the iPhone and iPod touch’s game play, but maybe the everyday user could find these devices to be a more practical way to waste a couple minutes or hours of their day. There is a lot to be said for the future of the mobile gaming industry, and short of Apple releasing an entirely new device better equipped for the challenge, it remains up to the user’s personal preference to decide what type of gaming experience they require.

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Filed by Wayne Westerman and John Elias, co-founders of Fingerworks, a firm that had been acquired by Apple prior to the launch of the first generation iPhone, the patent purposes a variety of secondary inputs to incorporate with existing touch gestures under the title, “Multi-Touch Data Fusion.”

Pairing data from sensing adaptations with fingertip gestures could provide significantly enhanced user functionality. There is no doubt that some operations are best accomplished with senses other than touch, as the filing suggests that in certain circumstances, voice can be used to permute certain properties of an object.  A visual editor would allow a user to freely speak out commands that can effect the item that is being touched.  For example, a word processor could allow a user to select and drag text by touch and speak out font changes, or voice commands could alter an objects size, rotation and color.

While today’s multi-touch technology is efficient at detecting human fingers, it is limited in determining which fingers are making contact.  In some instances, knowing precisely which fingers are performing certain actions can be imperative.

Wayne Westerman notes, “Finger painting, where each finger has an assigned color, stroke, or other characteristic, is a simple example of an application that would be significantly enhanced compared to the state-of-the-art by using finger identification with multi-touch data fusion,” adding “For example, if the index finger of the left hand is assigned the color red and the other fingers are assigned different colors the application must be able to determine when the index finger of the left hand is in contact with the surface in order to paint red. Conversely, the application must be able to determine when the red-assigned finger is not in contact with the surface. The fusion of finger identification data with multi-touch movement data allows the application to function without error.”

The filing also notes that this technology would lend itself to permit an iSight camera or visual sensor to recognize facial intentions, such as a users gaze at a certain object on screen to determine what operation to perform.  Even the users facial expressions can be recognized as a user’s frustration could tell a computer that it’s misinterpreting a command. For example, an inexperienced user may become frustrated with with the learning process involved in performing certain tasks.

Westerman writes, “Say that the user is trying to scroll through a document using a two-finger vertical movement (gesture). Scrolling, however, is not working for him because he is unknowingly touching the surface with three fingers instead of the required two…He becomes frustrated with the ‘failure’ of the device. However, in this case, the system recognizes the frustration and upon analyzing the multi-touch movement data concludes he is trying to scroll with three fingers. At this point, the device could bring the extra-finger problem to the attention of the user or it could decide to ignore the extra finger and commence scrolling. Subsequent emotional data via facial recognition would confirm to the system that the correct remedial action was taken.”

A users grip on the device could also generate data that would provide additional information. This could include modifying an object that is being touched by the angle of the device itself, as well as hand and finger size, and even data from from body temperature and heart rate.

Such biometric fusions suggest “typical applications that might benefit from the fusion of biometric data with multi-touch movement data would include games, security, and fitness related activities,” Westerman wrote. “Hand characteristics such as size, shape, and general morphology can be used to identify an individual for the purpose of allowing access to secured areas, including computer systems. While hand characteristics alone would not provide a sufficient level of identity verification, it could be the first door through which a user must pass before other security measures are applied.”

[via AppleInsider] [via Electronista]

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Several examples from the filing, which lists Apple industrial design chief Jonathan Ive among its inventors, are provided below. Some examples not listed, but included in the filing, include cycling through pages by vertical and horizontal finger swipes, and simultaneous zoom and rotate maneuvers.

Apple explains that on a tablet Mac, the buttons of a control box may be are smaller than a users finger and located close together. Therefore it may be difficult for the user to make a selection directly without possibly pressing an undesirable button. To solve this problem, at least a portion of the control box would be enlarged, including the buttons therein when the user places their thumb over the control box. Once the control box has reached its enlarged state, the user can then accurately select one of the enlarged buttons. The control box would then reduce to its initial size after the button is selected or after a predetermined time period in which no selection was made or when the user moves their finger away from the control box.

In the above example, Apple explains that scrolling through data items in iTunes on a full-screen tablet would function similar to scrolling trough a list of contacts on the iPhone. When the user slides their finger or fingers over the touch screen, vertical scrolling, which moves media items up or down through the window, is implemented. The direction of scrolling may follow the same direction as finger movement, or it may go in the reverse direction, the company said. In one particular embodiment, a single finger is used for selecting the media items from the list, and two fingers are used to scroll through the list.

The specific illustration above shows how a user would position their fingers over the multipoint touch screen over the keyboard to enter data into a word processing program. For example, the user may place one of their fingers on the Q key in order to produce a lower case “q” in the word processing program. When the user decides that a letter should be in upper case, the user places one finger on the shift key and another finger on the desired letter (as indicated by the arrows). In order to continue typing in lower case, the user simply removes their finger from the shift key and places their finger over the next desired letter as they would on a traditional keyboard.

Another next-generation multi-touch technique is illustrated through the display of a virtual scroll wheel. The scroll wheel may be displayed automatically as part of a program or it may be displayed when a particular gesture is performed, according to Apple. “By way of example, during the operation of a music program [such as iTunes], the virtual scroll wheel may appear on the GUI of the music program when two fingers are placed on the touch screen rather than one finger which is typically used for tracking in the music program,” the company said. “In some cases, the virtual scroll wheel only appears when two fingers are placed on a predetermined area of the GUI.”

“It should be noted that although a surface scroll wheel is shown, the principals thereof can be applied to more conventional scroll wheels which are virtually based,” Apple added. “For example, scroll wheels, whose axis is parallel to the display screen and which appear to protrude through the display screen. In this particular implementation, however, linear motion of the fingers are used to rotate the virtual scroll wheel.”

Additional thoughts: Bill Gates highly believes in the tablet form factor. If anything, Steve wants to make this Mac so he can take it to Bill Gates and say… “Here, now you can’t resist, can you! CAN YOU !!!”

[via AppleInsider]

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With the release of Apple’s new iPhone 3G only 3 full days away, the industry is gearing up for another blockbuster release, only this time… It’s Global. Apple has set a goal for itself to sell 10 million handsets by the end of this calendar year and analysts have been clamoring that Apple will shatter this goal. New features such as Real GPS, Microsoft Exchange Support and the much anticipated demanded 3G network support, make iPhone 3G perfectly positioned to demolish its competitors and further revolutionize the mobile phone industry. With complex applications, features and revolutionary input gestures, why was a feature as seemingly simple as copy-and-paste absent from the first generation iPhone? And more importantly, why is it going to be absent from the second generation iPhone 3G?

Apple has long been known to be a very obsessive company. A Steve Jobs quote can pretty much sum up the company’s philosophical approach to a very streamlined (and rather minimal) product line; “We don’t get the chance to do many things in life, so every one of them should be great.” This fundamental outlook on life from Jobs has carried over into the way Apple does business and into the rate in which they release new products.

Many of Apple’s competitors such as Dell, Hewlett-Packard and Sony, have a slew of products from which you can choose. They use highly complicated names for their computers such as the C700T, dv6700z and D400 to make extra sure you get confused while finding that perfect product. Apple on the other hand, gives you clear-cut choices such as the iMac, Macbook, Mac Pro, or Mac mini. By being so obsessively neurotic about (every possible millimeter of) each product they release, Apple consistently sets itself apart from the competition.

The problem is, that while this highly neurotic obsession puts Apple and its products on top of the industry, it also creates rather large road-bumps for the company to get over. Sometimes, it seems like all the negative press and harsh criticism they receive could have easily been avoided through simple development. If Apple can develop apps like Visual Voicemail, iPhone Safari, the Mail App, iTunes Store, App Store and the entire iPhone SDK, why can’t we get a simple picture sending application, or some sort of copy-and-paste integration into the typing sections of each app? About a week ago, a friend of mine got her iPhone stolen. While I was playing around with her temporary Nokia replacement, things such as sending pictures seemed like a distant memory to me. For a company so hell-bent on perfecting that “User Experience” — Apple seems to leave out interaction that pretty much all consumers are used to, have accepted, and react well with.

At first I hoped that Apple was secretly working on a picture sending application for the iPhone that would “blow everything else away” with a fruitful Yahoo/Flickr partnership. Or that copy-and-paste would be announced with an iPhone optimized Word Processing application that Apple had been working on for years (but wasn’t ready or something). It makes sense that a company so involved with every aspect of their hardware and software, would take simple features like sending pictures and copy-and-paste and “re-invent them.” But nothing has been announced. In fact, the company hasn’t really even addressed these as missing features! So, what gives? It’s been over a year and still nothing? Well, the answer is a rather tricky yet understandable hurdle that the company is working to get over.

Interface Pattern Inconsistencies are the major culprit here. I have to ignore the risk of sounding too technical because the reasoning behind these missing features is in fact, very technical.

Taking extremely high-level technology and making it accessible to everyone, is one of Apple’s core beliefs. A major draw for consumers and new Apple switchers is the shiny interface that Apple develops into every piece of software it releases. As a devoted Apple user, I couldn’t imagine spending so much time inside of an Operating System and having it look, or worse behave, like it was somebody’s after-thought. The interface is so important to Apple, that they give absolutely no leniency to anybody developing software for the platform. The same goes for the iPhone. One could argue that this is the main reason Adobe’s Flash hasn’t yet made it to the iPhone. With Adobe pushing hard for Flash’s default interface components throughout the web, Apple is pushing hard to control its interface elements with the release of the iPhone SDK. A standard set of buttons, modules, widgets, scrollers and software interface elements have been built right into the SDK for developers to use. This is done to ensure a seamless user experience for the end-user. Imagine going from application to application, and having each one use a completely different set of components for the buttons and elements on the screen — not my idea of a good experience.

While Apple is hard at work developing the iPhone interface, certain patterns emerge. The natural way your hand moves or reacts from any given position becomes apparent over time. This of course, plays off of the interface you are using. 



Interface Pattern Consistency Test

Let’s do a little test as an example — Follow the steps below.

1. Grab an iPhone or iPod touch and wake it up with your right hand.

2. Unlock it with your right thumb.

3. Hit the Phone icon with your right thumb.

4. The natural progression in interaction is to scroll through your contacts or recent calls with your thumb,
which at this point is hovering over the screen.

This series of miniature events are called Interface Pattern Consistencies. This is what helps cement new user input methods and ways of interaction, that a mass amount of consumers (essentially the world) will be able to easily adapt and learn how to naturally use. If inconsistent patterns emerge during Apple’s research and development, then it’s safe to say that we as end-users will never see them. So, Interface Pattern Inconsistencies are the reason that current iPhone software is lacking copy-and-paste.

It has been reported that Apple has not been able to finalize the implementation of copy and paste into any application, let alone as a standard method on the iPhone. There have been hacks that the community has developed in lieu of these missing features, but to no surprise they are missing that genuine Apple polish. Copy-and-paste will not be an application dependent feature, it will be a standard across the iPhone development platform. Only when Apple reaches a finalized integration of the feature they are happy with, will we as end-users experience it in our handsets.

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For all of the innovation and practicality of the multi-touch user interface for the iPhone, MacBook Pro and MacBook Air, the current gestures may still seem a bit limited. After all there are but so many gestures that you can currently use including zoom, rotate, scroll/browse, pinch, pan around, …etc.

Yet a recent patent application details Apple’s quest for expanding the amount hand gestures that its multi-touch displays can recognize, that could really take things to the next level.

The new patent application to come out of Cupertino, dubbed “gesture learning” showcases Apple’s development of a language of sorts, based on gesture inputs consisting of hundreds of words.

In order to detail the possibilities of gesture language, Apple has split single gestures into two phases. The first of which includes the specific finger combinations called “chords.” The second phase utilizes the movement of the fingers and when combined with the first phase a full multi-touch gesture is made.

According to Apple:

Each of a user’s hands acting alone can execute twenty-five or more chords. For example, five fingers that can be independently raised or lowered give rise to thirty-one combinations. Additional chords may be distinguished by whether only the fingertips are in contact with the surface or whether the length of the finger is flattened against the surface. Further chords may be distinguished based on whether the fingertips are placed on the surface close together or spread apart. As noted above, modifier keys (e.g., the Ctrl, Alt, Shift, and Cmd keys of a keyboard) may be used to distinguish different chords. Modifier keys may also include buttons, touch-sensitive or force-sensitive areas, or other toggles located on the device.

And then:

Many chords can have at least thirteen different motions associated with them. For example, a two-finger chord (for example, the index and middle fingers) could have specific meaning or action assigned to the lateral motions that include rotation, translation, and scaling. Rotation (clockwise and counter-clockwise) of the two-finger chord gives rise to two unique meanings or actions. Translation (left, right, up, down, and four diagonals) gives rise to at least eight unique meanings or actions. Scaling (contraction or expansion) also gives rise to two meanings or actions. The vertical motion of a chord may comprise lifting the fingers of the chord off the multi-touch surface almost immediately after they had touched down, (e.g., tapping the multi-touch surface with the chord) or multiple taps, etc.

So essentially, 25 chords x 13 movements = one whole hell of a lot of to learn (325). It will certainly be interesting to see multi-touch gestures of this magnitude in action and the effect that it will have on the user experience.

via Unwired View.

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Their website states the following:

Although these “touch” enabled products may seem like an option to cure your desire to get fingerprints all over your display, they don’t seem worth the rather hefty price tags. The current 20″ iMac SlipCOVER System sells for $699 and $899 for the 24″ (that’s on top of your iMac’s initial cost). It may seem like companies and developers attempting to replicate Apple’s “multi-touch” technology within their own software/hardware are getting pretty close to the real thing, but they’re not.

No company is going to be able to replicate Apple’s revolutionary technology except for Apple, Inc. The simple matter is Apple’s attention to details at every step of the way. Responsiveness, usability, ease-of-use and the overall quest for that perfect “User Experience”; All of these factors coupled with genius marketing tactics are what play into Apple’s success with new technologies. Apple’s products don’t only create massive amounts of hype, they live up to all of it (people WANT Apple’s devices, and they love them months after they’ve owned them). Something that Apple’s competitors simply are not able to do or make happen. It’s nice to see fellow companies like Troll Touch try and replicate a sought after technology and experience, but their products seem to miss the mark.

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It’s important to remember that grains of salt are 100% necessary when reading this post.

It seems as though one of Macenstein’s readers, Doug has submitted and interesting piece of information.

Doug claims the following.

some intrepid investigators have noticed the apple tv has a unused bluetooth capability. not for much longer. you will be able to pair this keyboard with the apple tv. why? an apple tv software update will include full .mac compatibility. check and write email, surf, organize photos, create and order a photo book or upload them to a .mac gallery, and ichat, even video ichat. plug in a USB webcam, or even a digital camcorder or just a digital still cam as long as it has video capture and USB.

apple tv gets a standard hardware upgrade. slighter better processor and video card, but storage can go up to 340GB. the bigger the drive the more stuff you can buy from itunes.

you better recognize!!

Even though Macenstein says that Doug is a devoted, faithful reader, they also go on to say that none of Doug’s new submissions are “100% accurate or 100% INaccurate either, but, they are fun to discuss says Macenstein.

Here at MacBlogz.com, the thought of a wireless keyboard does not excite us. We have been expecting this for a while now. Additionally, Apple should maybe focus a little more energy on merging the Apple TV with the Mac Mini. It seems like one is missing a processor and the other is missing an Apple TV. Either way, this keyboard will further the development of couch-surfing .

Full article here.

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