Archive for the ‘Technology’ Category
Common sense iPhone improvements, Part 2
Several weeks ago I posted Part 1. Here are five more improvements that I hope to see in the next iPhone:
1. Open photo-texts from lock screen
Normal texts, that is, texts with text, can be opened directly from the lock screen. But even after the recent software update, texts which only consist of a photo cannot be.
2. Incorporate photo/document attachment widget from the “compose email screen”
Perhaps this is more difficult than it sounds, but wouldn’t it be great if, when writing a new email, one could press an “attach file” button and then add a photo or a document from the Dropbox app? This would make the iPhone’s email system resemble that on any desktop or laptop.
3. Select multiple text recipients from checklist
The iPhone’s method for creating a music playlist is fantastic. There is a checklist of all the music and one must simply check off every song or album to be included in the checklist. There should be a similar process if one wants to send one text message to multiple recipients.
4. Give an option to not send a group MMS
Whenever I send a text to multiple recipients, the iPhone will turn it into a group iMessage or a group MMS. Then someone invariably responds, thinking that I will be the only person who reads the response. Of course, everyone ends up reading the response, and anyone caught in the MMS will read every response sent by each member of the MMS. Apple should give an option to send, for example, 10 copies of the same message to 10 individual people, not to one group consisting of 10 people.
5. Mute all sounds
A few weeks ago, I was playing Draw Something during class. Being that my phone was on silent, I felt secure that my phone would not reveal my clandestine game. But alas, a video ad came up between turns, and students around me got to enjoy a commercial of the newest ABC sitcom. There needs to be an option to mute all sounds, whether originating from a phone call or internally from an app.
Part 3 coming soon…
Common Sense iPhone Improvements, Part 1
If I had 1,000 wishes, I think my 999th would be for Apple’s software developers to see this blog post. Many of these, I’m sure have been suggested across the Internet. In this post, I’ll list five improvements that I think Apple could make in any future software update. Here they are:
1. Wifi Pestering
This is the most irritating tendency of iPhone 4. If my phone is within range of a wifi network, but I am using 3G, whenever I open an app or access a webpage, the bubble asking me to join a wifi network pops up. But what if I want to remain on 3G, either because it’s faster than any nearby wifi network or because all of the wifi networks are password protected?
Turns out that my #1 problem with the iPhone is in fact not a problem at all. Under >Settings>Wifi, turn “Ask to Join Networks” to the “Off” position.
2. Text messages automatically going to unread texts
If you have unread texts from one recipient, and you open the green text message bubble, you are automatically directed to the unread texts. What if I want to write someone else? What if I want to keep that text as unread? That being said, there should also be an option to mark texts as unread.
3. Don’t exit the App Store when downloading
When one downloads a new app or updates an existing app, the phone automatically brings you out of the App Store and to the location where the new app or update is downloading. Why? Often when I install/update, I intend to peruse the App Store.
4. Access 3G without turning off wifi capability
Sometimes my phone is either hooked up to a slow wifi connection. If it’s slower than the 3G then I’d rather use 3G for Internet usage. But if the iPhone is connected to a wifi network, in order to use data, one must turn off the wifi on the phone. This makes no sense. Often when I turn off the wifi, I forget to turn it on for a few hours, as I’m sure many people do. I envision something like this:
I could touch the wifi/3G symbol at the top of the screen, and then can select whether I want to use data or wifi for Internet usage.
5. Enable user to seamlessly text a contact from the text screen
The iPhone already gives a very cool feature that allows the user to share a contact in the phone with another person via text or email. Right now, when texting Person A, I can seamlessly add/take a photo from the text screen. This feature should exist for contacts. There should be a bubble (or an option for a bubble) in each text screen, allowing the user to add a contact to a text without exiting out of the Messages app.
Part 2 coming later in the week.
