IFA 2010

Went to IFA 2010 in Berlin. That’s one big show! Saw a Samsung Galaxy Tab (I want one!) and the HTC Desire.

Took my iPhone 3GS with me with everything shutdown except wireless. I had some offline maps – they weren’t that hot.

Signal strength… there’s an app for that…

No, wait. There isn’t on the iPhone. Certainly all the wifi ones have been banned.

How bizarre.

Update: now that I have an android tablet, there is a wifi scanner for android.

Android programming…

Android programming:

• Java – check!
• XML layout – bonus! – check
• IDE runs on Windows – check
• Emulator runs on Windows – check

iPhone programming

• Objective C – fail (old language)
• C++ – check, however fail, because you have to have some Objective C
• Layout done in a tool – fail
• IDE only runs on a MAC – fail
• Emulator only runs on a MAC – fail

iPhone iOS4 multitasking

So we’re told the great ios4 will allow multitasking but in such a way that it doesn’t flatten the battery. Except, that’s exactly what it does do! As you use apps, they get loaded into memory… and they stay there until you realise (after your battery flattens quicker than before) you need to shut them down…

Pity Apple didn’t think to offer a choice – should this app multitask or not? Could at least let the user decide. Oh sorry, we can’t do that sort of thing can we.

Sigh…

Android here we come…

iBooks

Available on my iPhone now that I’ve upgraded to iOS 4.0

Shame the library only shows UK books. Still no sign of anything outside.

Ah the wonders of the electronic age.

eBooks

It wasn’t that long ago, I could buy my favourite author in eBooks. Now, apparently ‘cos I’m in the UK, I can’t. Seems very disappointing and discouraging. On my iPhone, you can get a Barnes and Noble app but you can’t use it to buy books in the UK…

That magical device…

I had planned to buy an iPad but…

• It’s expensive.
• It’s an enlarged iPhone with no camera.
• You can’t program it without a Mac (yes, I do have one…).
• It costs $99 to register to get applications published.
• Your application might be rejected.
• Your application can only be created with Objective C etc. – bang goes Mono, Delphi et al.
• No Flash.
• No USB without an adapter.

Just too many issues for my liking, so I’ll pass. I’m looking at an Android phone next. I hear MonoDroid is coming!