braddyg.com

via www.chompsms.com/main/changelog

This week, many Android users who forego the default SMS interface in favor of 3rd-party replacement ChompSMS were prompted to upgrade their installation via Android Market. The updated version of Chomp, dubbed 3.2, brought a couple of very visible – and mostly unpopular – changes to the interface.

The free app, which has been one of the Market’s most popular, introduced prominent ads into the Messages view and redesigned the pop-up Quick Reply notification box. Prior to 3.2, ads had been found only in the Settings screen of ChompSMS.

Reading the reviews on the Android Market gives one a very clear idea what users think of the new ads – and it’s not pretty. Many users have expressed strong feelings against the new ad placement as well as Chomp’s $3 suggested “donation” to remove the ads. The fee must be paid via PayPal, and a paid version is not available via the Android market. Posts on Chomp’s forums echo the concerns found in the market, with many users wondering how the app will “remember” their donation in the event of OS upgrades and other phone resets.

The other major change – in the appearance of the Quick Reply pop-up notification, has not seen nearly as much backlash. Chomp removed the “X” button in the upper right that closed the notification, requiring users to now press the back button to dismiss. Per the change log, the app’s developers feel the new “Quick Compose and Quick Reply features are now more widget like… Looks really nice.” That’s certainly up for debate, with the slick, smoky-glass appearance of the box being replaced by a much less appealing white and grey mixture.

In the wake of the changes, many users have claimed to be dumping Chomp altogether in favor of its competitor Handcent. I, for one, am really considering trying out Handcent before shelling out $3 for Chomp’s ad-free version. I know that, like everyone else, app developers have to make a living, and the thought of paying for a great program usually isn’t a detractor. But there’s just something about the way that Chomp handled this – pushing the update to its users with no warning and even insinuating in the changelog that the changes were “by popular demand” – that turns me off from supporting their app.

So far, I’m only a couple of weeks into my Android experience, and I’ve seen some big things during that short time, including the Droid getting the 2.1 update from Verizon, the rooting of the Droid Eris, and announcements of some great hardware and software advancements on the horizon. In fact, this is the first real disappointment I’ve had from the developer community. Let’s just hope that the good news continues to outweigh the bad.

Now that I’m in my second week of being an Android user (is it too soon to say “convert?”), I wanted to share my experience thus far: good, bad, and indifferent.

As a long-time BlackBerry user (and WinMo before that), I’m definitely one of those people who would have a hard time making it through the day without a smartphone. I thrive on instant access to email, Twitter, Facebook, and the web, both for business and leisure. When I’m out at the store, for example, and want to know what happened to musician Seal’s face, I just bring up Google search and satiate my craving for knowledge.

That said, the Verizon Droid Eris has done a good job of keeping me connected so far. The integrations with Facebook and Twitter built into HTC’s Sense UI provide subtle but useful functionality missing from the BlackBerry experience. In Android, viewing a phone book contact shows you not only their personal details, but their most recent social updates and communications logs including call, email, and SMS history. Another useful feature is HTC’s People widget, which adds a new dimension to speed dial by allowing you to call, text, or email a contact by tapping the according photo in a grid display.

When it comes to email, though, Android is forced to bow to RIM’s expertise. Push email works for GMail, but is limited to one account on Android 1.5. All other accounts must be refreshed at set intervals to pull emails. Not only does this slow down delivery, but it saps the Eris of already-precious battery life. I’ve found myself disabling the mail auto-refresh and manually checking my secondary accounts instead.

While I certainly miss the push email perfection of my ‘Berry, Android wins heartily in pretty much every other category. UI polish on Android blows BlackBerry out of the water both in form and function. Response time is quick, even on the Eris, one of the less impressively specced Droid handsets. On the Storm, one-handed typing was virtually impossible; the Eris generates best-perfect results in portrait mode even for the far-fingered like myself (not to mention the best autocorrect I’ve seen anywhere).

Shots from the built-in camera are crisp, thanks to the 5-megapixel resolution, but I do occasionally miss the Storm’s LED flash. Video isn’t quite as impressive, but is still solid by phone standards.

For me, the biggest concerns about the Eris particularly are battery life and processing power. So far, I’ve been seeing noticeably shorter battery life than with my Berry. The likely culprits? The social integrations, GPS, and “pull” email. With a few adjustments to settings and my charging patterns, though, I can easily make it through a busy day with a little juice to spare.

As for processing power, the Eris performs quite snappily on 1.5, even with multiple apps installed and running. But what about Android 2.0 or higher? Verizon’s promised an upgrade soon – here’s to hoping the Eris can fully utilize its potential.

So what’s the verdict?

Frankly, I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited about a phone 10 days into ownership. With the Android update (and Google Maps Navigation!) just around the corner, I believe I’ll be an Android user for years to come. And it’s likely a safe bet I’ll be in good company.

courtesy Flickr user ebaycoach

Popular free GPS navigation service Nav4All has lost its map license and is shutting down, according to an email sent by the company this morning.

Company CEO Hennie J.M. Groot Koerkamp states in the announcement that the service, listed as having over 27 million users, will be forced to cease in 3 days. Koerkamp states that the failure of Navteq to extend the license was “totally unexpected,” also making note of the fact that Navteq is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nokia.

Nav4All, according to the email, had experienced “exponential” growth in the past two years, fueled by its compatibility with hundreds of mobile phone models, including models from nearly every major phone manufacturer.

The full text of the email is currently available on the Nav4All website.

courtesy of wikipedia

“Eat up, Martha.” One of my favorite Simpsons moments, and a reflection of popular cultural views of the original Apple Newton platform. For anyone who doesn’t know, the Newton was a PDA platform developed heavily by Apple in the early 1990s, culminating most notably in the MessagePad series of devices.

The effort was widely regarded as a flop, although a small but loyal userbase still exists over a decade after Apple officially halted development on the platform. Many of the problems that plagued Newton – poorly-developed initial software offerings, no PC interface, and the lack of a strong marketing push – were corrected in later versions, but the platform never really caught on.

In 2010, Apple’s at it again, this time with a marketing push a decade in the making. So now that America has had a night to sleep on the announcement of Apple’s “magical” new iPad, what does it really mean for consumers and the portable/netbook/phone market? The unfortunate and poorly thought-out name is still generating quite a bit of mockery on Twitter, including a rather crude play on words that was the top trending topic for a while yesterday evening.

Posts like this abound on Twitter since Apple's announcement

But the iPad’s chuckle-inducing name is far from its only problem. The tablet suffers from many of the same ills as the iPhone (which, coincidentally, CNET judged as inferior to Newton last year). And while most can be overlooked in a phone, they are vital to the success of a tablet device designed to compete with netbooks and e-readers.

Closed OS

The iPhone has struggled with this argument since its inception. Users can only run apps that are approved by Apple – including about 500 fart apps but no Google Voice – unless they choose to jailbreak their phone. In the mobile phone market, that’s a negative, but not a huge one. In the tablet market, though, it’s a deal-breaker. I’m sure that someone will quickly figure out how to install unapproved apps, but even a jailbroken iPad will never be as open as a Windows- or Linux-powered netbook.

No Flash, No Widescreen…No Way

I’ve seen quite a few iPad defenders on Twitter claiming the device is not a portable computer, but instead an entertainment device (while, somehow, simultaneously rejecting the “giant iTouch” label). Let’s analyze that statement a little.

Sure, it can play music and video from iTunes, but what about streaming video? The lack of Flash support will be crippling for the iPad. Any $200 netbook supports streaming video – why would I spend 2-3 times as much just for touchscreen capability?

And what was Apple thinking making this device 4:3 instead of widescreen? Watching a widescreen video on the iPad means those infamous black bars will eat up nearly half the screen size, rendering your 9.7 inch screen more like a 6 inch widescreen – and making you wish you’d spent your money on an unlocked iPhone instead.

iBooks vs. Amazon

So let’s say maybe it’s something more than an entertainment device: it’s an electronic reader! Well, pretty much everybody beat Apple to the punch on that. Amazon’s Kindle has an e-Ink screen that won’t wash out in sunlight, free always-on 3G, NY Times best sellers and new releases for $9.99, all with a $259 pricetag. The iPad boasts a backlit screen that will be hard to read in sunlight, $15-30/month for 3G, 50% higher ebook prices, and $629 worth of sticker shock. But hey, at least your books will be in color!

One Word: AT&T

AT&T’s network has been the bane of iPhone users since its inception, growing more and more painful with each unit sold. The network, already the target of competitive shots from Verizon, has been reported as nearly unusable in some iPhone-heavy metro areas. So what does Apple do about that? They devise an even more bandwidth-sucking device, then all but tie it to AT&T service. Yes, they claim it works with “nearly all” 3G services, but that doesn’t include T-Mobile, and its micro-SIM card limits its use on even more networks. In the US, the large majority of iPads will be on AT&T, stretching an already strained network to its limits – and possibly beyond.

What does it all mean?

With all those disadvantages, it’s hard to believe Apple will sell any iPads, right? Well, not exactly. The one thing that Apple does extremely well is create loyal fans. The Apple faithful will spend their money on this device and the ensuing apps, but the large-scale adoption won’t come until the price drops noticeably (if ever). For now, though, it’s a good bet that quite a few Newtons will finally see the end of their extended run.

Recently I did a little review of what I learned from social media in 2009. As part of that review, I spent a bit of time looking over notable tweets from others that I had saved from various points in the year. I found lots of useful information (even some I’d forgotten already), but one tweet really stuck out in my mind.

It was posted by fellow email marketing guy and former co-worker DJ Waldow from the Mail Post Email Insiders Summit in early December. The comment came from a panelist discussing some email no-nos:

I couldn’t help but agree with the sentiment – I almost immediately discount a marketing email that includes my name in the subject or greeting. But the comment holds a deeper lesson for all marketers that may not be so obvious.

Build relationships

As a marketer, you probably know that gaining your audience’s trust is paramount. But you’ll have a hard time gaining trust through gimmicks like faux personalization. Including information relevant to the recipient is a good idea, but it takes more than a name to really build a relationship with your client base. With the rise in popularity of Facebook and other sites that allow people to connect on a more personal level, consumers are already barraged by people masquerading as friends. Sometimes it’s a random acquaintance who wants to connect on Facebook; others it’s a blog commenter who’s trying to drive traffic to their affiliate site. Social media users, in particular, are hyper-sensitive to anyone in the digital world who claims to be their “friend.”

Very few brands have managed to gain the almost unbridled trust of the consumer – Apple is a great example of one that has. However, it takes much more than a few personalized emails to attain that level of brand loyalty. Apple and companies like it have been able to create and maintain a culture that mirrors their consumers’ interests and values, thus driving market share and creating brand evangelists.

Become a thought leader

So what can you do to gain your audience’s trust? Instead of working to establish yourself as the consumer’s friend, position your brand as an authority in your space. Generate useful, relevant content through social media and marketing channels. Don’t use social media just to sing your own praises; give consumers information they can use even if they don’t need your product or service right now. That way, you can assure you’ll be on their mind whenever they are in the market for a provider.

In addition, this will open the door for communication with consumers. Information sharing should never be a one-way street, so be sure to monitor and respond to comments and feedback. Letting consumers know that you value their opinions and genuinely want to help will instill confidence in your brand and reap great rewards in the long run.

If you’re looking for that elusive bag of crap, you won’t find it now. Woot is temporarily down, no update yet on when it will be back up. Too many Woot-off fans?

Update: The outage lasted only a few minutes, but there have been intermittent issues with accessing Woot all day. Maybe all the last-minute shoppers are clogging up their tubes…

Earlier today on the Google blog, the search engine giant announced some new content will begin appearing in search results, including public content from social networking sites like Twitter and FriendFeed. The announcement promises “a dynamic stream of real-time content from across the web,” and was followed by a post from Facebook announcing that they are working with Google to make public content from their users available in search results as well.

In about half an hour, the Facebook post has already generated over 250 comments weighing in both for and against the move. This should come as little surprise to most, as users are notoriously averse to change, especially when it comes to privacy. But is there really anything to worry about?

At first glance, this seems like an odd partnership for Facebook, who just last week announced they were removing regional networks and beefing up privacy controls. After a closer look, though, the move starts to make more sense.

Facebook plans to implement stricter privacy controls, allowing users to micromanage their content’s availability piece by piece. This means that users will have more control than ever over which content will be made available to other users of Facebook. When you factor in the current model -that anyone, regardless of school or business affiliation can sign up for an account – you realize that any content marked as public on Facebook is already viewable by essentially anyone who cares to do so.

While this may be the case, adding Facebook posts to Google search results certainly broadens the reach a bit, for better or for worse.  One no longer needs to know anything about a person’s identity to stumble across their content on Facebook.

Even with the enhanced privacy controls, it appears that the days of Facebook as a (semi-)private social network may be numbered. Many users are barely aware of the existence of these privacy controls, and even fewer actually use them to any measurable degree. It’s a pretty good bet that Facebook is counting on this fact, allowing them to publicize tons of user-generated content and generate additional traffic – and more importantly, revenue – to their site.

What does this mean for Facebook users? If you’re a business or organization that wants a new avenue to get your content in front of the public, this is a great step. But if you’re an individual who uses Facebook to maintain your personal, social, and family networks, you’ll want to start paying attention to those privacy settings very soon.

It’s a good day to be a BlackBerry owner. While iPhone users are getting Rick rolled by an impish hacker, the BlackBerry Developers Conference is in full swing with some big announcements.

Crackberry.com reports that RIM’s press release to start the BBDC announces some great tools designed to enable rich content development for the BlackBerry platform.

OpenGL graphics support, which will enable the creation of 3D games and graphics, will be supported for BlackBerry OS 5.0 and higher through an updated version of the BlackBerry Java SDK. A beta version of the software is already available, so it’s only a matter of time until developers start pushing their more advanced games – and I can’t wait.

Also announced was an all-new GUI builder, which will introduce “drag and drop” functionality to creating Java GUIs for BlackBerry apps. This could be a real game-changer in the app market, but it won’t be available for another few months – the current projection is mid-year 2010.

For those of us who like to tinker with our BBs but aren’t quite developers, there’s also the BlackBerry Theme Studio. This is a suite of design tools that make custom theme creation much more simple and flexible. BlackBerry themes aren’t always the most aesthetically pleasing, and anyone who’s ever tried to create a BB theme using the old option, Plazmic, should understand why. That’s why the new Theme Studio is music to my ears. I’m currently downloading the suite to play around a little and I’ll report back with my impressions in a few days.

All this, and BBDC has barely started! I’m really looking forward to seeing what the rest of the conference holds, but I’m most excited to see what kind of rich content and apps pop up as a result of these new tools. Honestly, last week’s “Droid Day” had me a little down about being locked into the BlackBerry platform, but these updates have helped to cure the BlackBerry Blues.

To follow the BBDC as it happens, check out Crackberry’s live blog or the official BBDC blogs.

Verizon Wireless must be doing something right with their new “There’s a map for that” ad campaign, because AT&T is chomping at the bit to get the spots taken off the air. Yesterday Engadget reported that the wireless carrier filed a complaint alleging false advertising and a motion to stop Verizon from airing the ads.

AT&T alleges that Verizon’s spots are misleading and lead consumers to believe they would get no cell service outside the blue areas on the maps shown in the comparison. All this even though the maps clearly show 3G coverage, and a disclaimer announces that calls can still be placed outside 3G coverage areas.

Sounds like a case of sore loser syndrome to me. Verizon came up with a really clever (and true!) marketing campaign and are rightly making the most of it. Verizon’s network is far superior to AT&T’s – ask any iPhone owner in a major metro area – in spite of the latter’s larger share of the smartphone market. The claims are absolutely true and I hope the courts shoot down AT&T’s attempt to take attention away from its shoddy 3G coverage.

Personally, I’ve had all of the major players in the U.S. wireless market, and Verizon has had the best combination of network coverage and customer service of the whole bunch. AT&T, both in its current incarnation as the new Cingular and as the original AT&T Wireless, was just about the worst on both counts (they should thank Sprint for being so terrible).

One would hope that AT&T would be spending their iPhone profits on actually improving their network instead of throwing it away on frivolous lawsuits. That way, maybe they’d actually be able to keep some of those subscribers once they lose the Apple exclusivity deal. As it stands, though, it looks like AT&T is firmly entrenched in its mediocrity, and ready to defend it to the bitter end.

Earlier this week, the European Union’s governing body, the European Commission, unveiled plans to require all new music devices – including MP3 players and mobile phones – to have default volume levels. These levels would be set at what the administration deems “safe” for listening. Safe listening levels will be determined by the European standards body (CENELEC) and would only mandate that these settings are defaulted by the manufacturers (meaning they could be changed by the end user).

The Commission says the changes would likely take up to 2 years to take effect. In addition, it reminds that while EU standards are not mandatory, they generally become “the ‘de facto’ norm” for the industry.

This just seems to add fuel to the fire for those who claim the EU tends to meddle in the affairs of its citizens. What do you think? Is the EU protecting the populace from itself, or is this a case of overregulation?