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iPad apps: defining experiences from the first wave
There are now over 1,348 approved apps for the iPad. That's on top of the 150,000 iPad-compatible iPhone programs already available in the App Store. When Apple's tablet PC launches, just hours from now, it will have a software library greater than that of any handheld in history -- not counting the occasional UMPC. That said, the vast majority of even those 1,348 iPad apps are not original. They were designed for the iPhone, a device with a comparatively pokey processor and a tiny screen, and most have just been tweaked slightly, upped in price and given an "HD" suffix -- as if that somehow justified the increased cost. Besides, we've seen the amazing potential programs have on iPhone, Android, Blackberry, Windows Mobile and webOS when given access to a touchscreen, always-on data connection, GPS, cloud storage and WiFi -- but where are the apps that truly define iPad? What will take advantage of its extra headroom, new UI paradigms and multitouch real estate? Caught between netbook and smartphone, what does the iPad do that the iPhone cannot? After spending hours digging through the web and new iPad section of the App Store, we believe we have a number of reasonably compelling answers. Update: Now includes Wormhole Remote, TweetDeck, SkyGrid, Touchgrind HD, GoToMeeting, SplitBrowser, iDisplay, Geometry Wars and Drawing Pad.
Nota is a sweet melody to musicians
As a musician who's been out of the loop a bit (3 years into the degree but life throws curveballs) I was happy to find a new application for the iPhone and iPod Touch appear in my inbox. It's called Nota [iTunes Link] from Melvin Rivera and it's a great way to help you learn music and serve as a reference point for the obscure terms you may not remember. I have to give this app praise because it's one of the few musical reference applications I've seen. The design of the application is very polished and definitely a pleasure to use. As you can see from the image to the right, I found the quiz to be a little easy... in fact, most musicians who've actually studied music theory will. The application shows you a note on the staff and asks you to identify it. It did challenge me a little bit (my bass clef is a bit rusty as I sing tenor, play trumpet, and tinkle the ivories by ear) and I found myself having to recite the common "Every good boy deserves fudge" and "F-A-C-E." Nonetheless, I still managed to get a perfect score on the quiz my first time through. I'm glad I switched it to advanced. The easy quiz doesn't have any accidentals and only has 34 questions compared to the 82 in the advanced quiz. Ultimately, I wouldn't buy the application for just the quiz... the pocket piano has its uses... but the application really shines in the reference section withmany definitions that all music students must know. This application is pretty good in its current form, but I'd really love to see more challenging aspects of music theory included in the app like the Circle of 5ths, Chords, Chord Inversions, Scales (I like saying Mixolydian)... there's so much more out there that could be put into this. But for a one-man effort and understanding that he's not writing a text book, I have to say "Job well done." It's definitely worth the $2.99 he's asking especially if you're just learning music and don't know how to use your F-A-C-E. Last note, Melvin is currently working on a Spanish-Language localization. ¡Yo tengo la musica!
Nokia thinks NoTA concept could save 99 percent of handset development costs
It's apparently estimated that those wild Japanese handsets can cost anywhere from 10 to 20 billion yen to develop, which translates to a range of $110 million to $220 million -- yes, close to a quarter billion frickin' dollars just to pump out one phone (no wonder Mitsu tapped out). The Nokia-backed NoTA initiative, short for Network on Terminal Architecture, hopes to fix all that by compartmentalizing a phone's functions into swappable modules that all know how to play nice with each other out of the box -- think of it like a Lego set for phone makers. If Nokia's estimates are even close to right, the potential benefits of NoTA are staggering, with development time for new models slashed by two-thirds and costs cut by 98 to 99 percent. The company is working with parts suppliers to get NoTA adopted, and a number of Japanese handset manufacturers have apparently expressed interest as well. Don't suppose the interest has to do with saving 9.9 billion yen per model, does it?Read - Nokia claims 98 to 99 percent development savings with NoTA [Warning: subscription required]Read - NXP's NoTA primer
