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When I looked at the title of this article, I said “Oh yeah – Twitter launched a music service or something.”

Q.E.D.

about 2 hours ago on A month after launch, have we forgotten about Twitter #Music?

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This is so stupid.

“We need more than a year to deal with a problem we created that used to work before we filtered it.”

So glad I’m on T-Mobile.

about 23 hours ago on AT&T says 'any' mobile video chat app will work on its network by the end of 2013 4 replies 31 recommends

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Everything you said is completely valid and I agree with most of it. My point is that my Nexus 4"feels" different than an iPhone 5, but it doesn’t lag any more or less than an iPhone 5. Saying either an N4 or an iP5 doesn’t lag is just not true, of course – they both do. What we should be talking about is how they “feel” different when scrolling. iOS feels like it’s connected physically to your finger and Android doesn’t. That’s not lag – I’m not sure what it is – but it’s definitely different.

When I pick up a modern iOS device it’s noticeable but honestly, I’m used to Android’s way on my N4 so now I prefer this. My fingers know what to expect on Android now. It’s just different – and that’s perfectly fine. Just how many other things are just different. There’s nothing inherently wrong or right with different approaches – they’re just different and up to individual tastes.

I had the original iPhone weeks after it was launched, then a 3G. I haven’t owned iOS since then – but I still RESPECT iOS. It’s a great platform. Just not one for me.

4 days ago on Android amazes me 3 replies 2 recommends

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As soon as the Nexus 4 was generally available I cancelled my Verizon service ($250 fee) and switched to T-mobile.

I am incredibly happy with my decision. I was especially happy to explain to the CS rep why I was switching: 1) NOT A REAL NEXUS 2) Terrible prices 3) NOT A REAL NEXUS and also 4) NOT A REAL NEXUS.

4 days ago on Verizon is Suckie 1 recommend

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Yeah but I store my photos on it (raw format) so I’d need a much more expensive one. I might be able to make do with a 256 GB SSD but really I’d need a 512GB one to keep me from moving stuff off of my MBP. And last time I checked, the 512GB SSDs are stupid expensive. :(

4 days ago on Android amazes me 1 reply

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Honestly we’ve just now come into the first real generation of Android phones with near or equivalent GPUs to the ones Apple has had for years. The Nexus 4 has the Adreno 320 GPU and it performs equivalent to the iPhone 5. Some benchmarks are higher with others lower. Roughly equivalent.

The GPU in the Galaxy Nexus was the same tired GPU that was in the Nexus S, if memory serves me.

So ironically though the Android platform is known for putting the fastest handsets on the market, their GPUs were historically lesser than their Apple competition.

So honestly unless you have an Adreno 320 or better GPU in your handest, you’re likely seeing artifacts of the past. Android didn’t have full GPU rendering of the UI and proper buffering until JB and it thus GPU choice was less important. Until the current crop of Android superphones, that is. And now you can get a $299 Nexus 4 with a still fast quad-core CPU and the Adreno 320 GPU.

Does Android lag? Of course. Don’t be stupid.

And so does iOS. Every operating system lags. My late 2011 Macbook pro lags like a mofo with Mountain Lion.

4 days ago on Android amazes me 3 replies

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That’s the beauty – the more reliance users have on Google Play services, the better Google will be able to pull this off without carrier BS. It’s brilliant.

4 days ago on The real reason there was no Android 4.3 1 recommend

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And equally importantly, these updates are generally available to Android 2.2+ devices – not just the handful of Nexus devices that would get 4.3.

4 days ago on The real reason there was no Android 4.3 1 reply 1 recommend

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Completely agree. The “Big Stuff Comes With An OS Update” thing is Apple. They don’t update anything in the core OS outside of an update. Google has proven that they can update a vast majority of the OS with update OUTSIDE of an OS update and that’s huge. We see the gaming API, the new location API (HUGE simplification of location and addition of geofencing), the new Volley networking API (another huge simplification of concurrent network ops), as well as a myriad of other API improvements and additions. These will all bring super meaningful changes to make Android apps work and look better.

One particular app that comes to mind that needs to use Volley RIGHT GODDAMN NOW is the Facebook app. The look and feel has been updated, but it’s clear that its networking code is ancient. It still has troubles (as do many apps) with network issues and Volley looks to make that a thing of the past.

The only thing you need an OS update for is baked-in stuff like bluetooth 4.0 (expected in 4.3) or kernel-level fixes for security. Those things are still important but the UI is now pretty well established since 4.0 and the major changes we’ll see will be through APIs bringing developers what they need to make better, simpler and more elegant apps – and all of those can be pushed through the Google framework updates and Play store updates – OUTSIDE of the OS update schedule. Huge.

4 days ago on The real reason there was no Android 4.3 1 recommend

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It’s almost like Google should release some specific store for Google Play aimed at kids!

4 days ago on What are the best iOS apps that are not in Play Store yet? 1 recommend

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Wait – so someone borrows the UI design but codes their own from scratch and it shouldn’t be allowed to exist? I think that’s called market pressure. If you’re a company who doesn’t WANT to or doesn’t try to code on Android, you in my mind forfeit any care I have for someone else doing what you didn’t want to.

Of course, there’s probably no legal ground for my perspective.

4 days ago on What are the best iOS apps that are not in Play Store yet? 1 reply

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Epic pun is epic.

5 days ago on Google encourages developers to push the limits by hacking Glass 5 recommends

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Right on – my bad then.

The ONE thing I need to freaking see and likely requires an OS update, though, is to finally activate the bloody Bluetooth 4.0 profile for low-power devices.

5 days ago on Google I/O a disappointment?

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Surely you must not be serious?

“I am serious – and don’t call me Shirley.”

sadtrombone

5 days ago on New Google Music app breaks compatibility with ill-fated Nexus Q media streamer 6 recommends

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I can’t stand this statement for one specific reason.

Tell me what you didn’t get that you should have with a new version of Android?

Google’s moving away from needing a core OS update to provide new features. That’s an incredible innovation. IMHO you should be thrilled that you don’t have to update the OS to get the new geofencing, or the new network libraries, or the new game center, etc. It’s Apple that needs an OS update to get that stuff – not us.

5 days ago on Google I/O a disappointment? 1 reply 1 recommend

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Why is everyone speaking in past tense? There’s two more days of sessions… a keynote does not a conference make.

5 days ago on Google I/O a disappointment?

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Google has shifted the paradigm over time to where software updates are only for kernel-level updates. Think of all the stuff in Android now that’s updated through Play – it’s nearly every app I use on a regular basis. We don’t need a new UI – JB is pretty perfect as far as I’m concerned.

Hangouts IS a disappointment though because it didn’t launch with the one thing it has to have to succeed – SMS/MMS.

The “I need a new OS version” thing is Apple’s doing since they update nothing outside of an OS update.

5 days ago on Why All the Negativity?

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So you’re perfectly okay with Microsoft being in “a direct violation of the terms and conditions of the company’s YouTube API”?

You think they don’t have to play by the rules?

6 days ago on Google demands Microsoft remove YouTube Windows Phone app, cites lack of ads 1 reply 3 recommends

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Please define “destroy” and “budget” with context.

6 days ago on Google turns the Samsung Galaxy S4 into a Nexus phone, coming June 26th for $649 6 recommends

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And this is of course really about how bad Apple seems to be at its cloud focus. I’ve heard nothing but problems for iCloud unless you are 100% in bed with the Apple ecosystem. If you are – it works well (with exceptions you note) but as soon as you take even a baby step outside, it’s game over.

And that’s a huge plus Google can bring to this equation. If they can pull this off cross-platform, that’s – finally – huge.

6 days ago on Exclusive: Inside Hangouts, Google's big fix for its messaging mess 1 reply 4 recommends