The Tech Sketch

This week, a study has come out from AppStore HQ, claiming that there are about 55,000 app developers between Android and iOS, about 1,500 of which develop for both platforms. AppStore HQ also points out that many high quality applications are from cross platform developers. I wouldn’t quite be surprised, considering they must exert the effort to convert applications from one platform to another, so why not exert the effort of quality? That is precisely what is happening, and the quantitative aspect of this is on the rise as well.

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The latest movie inspired motorized vehicle to come into the real world (and Ebay) is the new Tron Legacy Lightcycle. The movie isn’t out until December, although I suppose the makers of the Batpod wanted a head start. These Lightcycles are made to be street legal, and are made with 22 inch hubless wheels, custom Hoosier tires, carbon fiber/fiberglass exterior, two inch hardened steel frames, electric or gasoline motors, and neon behind the frosted Plexiglas for the nice accent colors. These Lightcycles will cost you $35,000, and will undoubtedly make people perform a double take upon operation. Oh, and did we mention? It comes in the original yellow, blue, red, green, and orange colors. You can find it here on Ebay.

-Simon
simon(at)thetechsketch.com

Android 3.0 Gingerbread is getting closer by the day, with an expected launch of the fourth quarter of 2010. More details were released today on a Russian podcast by Eldar Murtazinhas. Most of these details are quite notable, the first, and most general, being a revamped UI. Android 3.0 is said to have somewhat a new look and feel, making it more intuitive to navigate around.  There will also be some requirements devices will have to meet to have Gingerbread on it. Devices must have a minimum of a 3.5 inch display, 512MB of RAM, and a 1GHz processor, much like the iPhone 4. There will also be a 1280 x 760 resolution available for larger phones and tablets than 4 inches. Android 2.2 FroYo will soon be used for “lower end” devices by next year.

It seems as though Google is trying to tighten their restrictions, and attempting to fix the problems that have blessed and cursed Android from the first year on. No longer will manufacturers be able to whip out a new device with a new operating systems, yet carrying specs that won’t be able to run it nicely. Platform fragmentation is what Android needs to heal, and tightening the horizon seems to be Google’s attempt to fix it. It will cure most problems set forth, and will more than likely provide consumers with a nice experience. FroYo looks nice, although the buzz Gingerbread is bringing about seems to bring forth something very welcome and unexpected by Google.

-Simon
simon(at)thetechsketch.com

Hulu on Apple devices has been something most users have wanted for a while. Today, Hulu has come out and unveiled that service. This service, Hulu Plus, is an ad-supported service provided by Hulu for $9.99 a month. This provides you with unlimited HD streams of full season runs of shows you would normally find on Hulu, such as Fox, ABC, and NBC. This service will be supported on many platforms such as PCs, iPads, iPhones, Samsung Blu-Ray players, and some gaming consoles. At the moment, this service is only available for Hulu Plus beta members, and it looks very promising. You may request a beta invite here. An application will be available to iPad, iPhone 3GS, and iPhone 4 users without a subscription to Hulu Plus, allowing you to watch a few episodes to see how the service will be like. It is nice seeing Hulu listen to their users, not leaving them behind in the midst of these mobile devices not supporting Flash. No longer will they see blank boxes of disappointment.

-Simon
simon(at)thetechsketch.com

According to Bloomberg, the beloved “Verizon iPhone” is finally making its way over in January. There are quite a few interesting aspects to this, so here are bullet points to sum it up.

• The Verizon iPhone will arrive in 2011, around January.
• Production of the new CDMA iPhone will begin in late 2010, around September.
• AT&T’s exclusivity deal with Apple will expire in 2011.
• The new iPhone may be a 4G capable device.

The Verizon iPhone is no doubt on the mind of Steve Jobs, it is only a matter of time before it hits shelves. I believe this iPhone will be released sometime in 2011, although not as early as January. Verizon Wireless is still building their 4G network, and it seems as though they will not be ready for a major release until mid 2011. I would expect an announcement to be announced between January through June of 2011, giving Verizon enough time for prep. It would also give Verizon enough time to tone down the Droid campaign they run with ever so much enthusiasm.

In any case, consumers who aren’t willing to buy an iPhone for the sole reason of it being on AT&T may loosen up their hostility toward the iPhone, and start focusing on the networks.

-Simon
simon(at)thetechsketch.com

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With monthly unlimited plans hitting a plateau in the mobile industry, it seems as though many carriers and consumers are veering away from the plan altogether. Many people would rather pay however much less for a plan with less minutes, because they don’t talk that much. None the less, there are still those who need the unlimited power, and there are still carriers who offer it.

-Simon
simon(at)thetechsketch.com

Photo via Graham Smith.

The iPhone 4 has had its fair share of praise recently, as it deserves, although a seemingly overlooked issue is Apple themselves. Yes, the iPhone 4 has reception issues due to its antennae placement, and Apple’s response has been to either hold it in another position, unlike they demonstrated, or buy a case, more specifically, one of their Bumpers. It’s not the most ideal way to handle a situation which the media is all over, so Apple, take action, and do something about it.

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This week, Qualcomm has been shipping their first dual CPU Snapdragon chipsets (MSM8260 and MSM8660). These new processors are clocked at 1.2GHz, and are made with the new 45nm process technology for very low power consumption. These processors will provide much power for mobile devices such as phones, smartbooks, tablets, and so on. So all of this talk is nice and all, but what does all of it mean in practice?

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