Uhh, I can’t tell if The Verge is trying not to spoil the joke for us, or if they’re actually confused about who is sending out the tweets from The Onion. I’m really hoping it’s the former.
I understand that everyone is clamoring for a UI refresh in iOS 7 (myself included), but I’d much rather see Apple provide deeper OS integration for apps. Will I be happy if they make the Calendar app less of an eyesore? Yes. Will I still use Fantastical or Sunrise as my preferred calendar app? Most likely. iOS has gotten mature to the point where I believe third party devs will stay one step ahead of Apple in terms of app design (and function) for the foreseeable future. IMO, they ought to devote resources to opening up the OS and allowing apps like Fantastical or Sunrise to update in the background. Or allow me to set Google Maps as the universal default for directions. Or set Chrome as my default browser. Among recent and “buzzworthy” apps (i.e. Tweetbot, Sunrise, etc.), a workarounds to Apple’s arbitrary limitations are appearing – like setting Chrome to open links instead of Safari, or getting directions in GMaps instead of Maps. It’s clear the ecosystem will move on without Apple, but I’d prefer these options to be supported in the OS rather than the wonky workarounds we’re seeing.
Sorry if that was a bit off topic. I guess my final point is Apple can update the look and feel of the OS all they want, but odds are I’m still going to turn to third-party apps instead of the Apple offerings – and those third-party solutions are almost guaranteed to look better.
Get Cobook. So far the best contacts app I’ve found. It integrates your facebook data and your iCloud data. Brewster was annoying as hell and I never found Smatr that useful.
I’ll tell you what HTC is doing that is so great. Other than Apple and Nokia, they are the only handset manufacturer right now that gives a damn about industrial design. Stop and think for a second about the state of smartphone design right now. If we subtract HTC from the equation, where are you going to buy a premium feeling Android phone? The Nexus 4 is the only thing that comes close.
HTC is pushing the industrial design envelope forward by stepping up to the plate and challenging Apple. IMO, Nokia did it best with the N9/Lumia 800, and then fell off the wagon with the ridiculously-sized Lumia 920.
And let’s be real: if you’re using an Android phone, and you read The Verge regularly, you probably know how to root an Android phone and throw a custom ROM on there. Updates become less of an issue when you take this into account.
You’re kind of missing the point of the XL2420T. It’s a 120hz monitor with super fast response times and next to no lag – in other words, it’s meant for gamers. IPS screens have better color accuracy and overall image quality, sure, but unless you’re willing to spend big bucks you’re not going to get the refresh rates or response times you get on TN panels. Trust me, if you have a video card that can support it, you’re going to want the 120hz over the extra height and over the color accuracy.
What? I always though it was the opposite – that websites chose the skinny content bar so they’d render properly on older, non-widescreen monitors.
If you want a great example of a dynamic scaling, check out Polygon. They’re website seems to utilize the entire screen no matter what device you’re using. I fully expect The Verge to adopt this format somewhere down the road..
