Bryan’s Bulletins : Apple makes apps better

First we must understand the iPhone before we create an app for a phone, right? Ok! So this blog explains what an iPhone has and what its potential with apps are.  Lets jump right into learning about the iPhone. Start with the basics.  

Gestures

All iPhone apps respond to Gestures not clicks. There are 9 gestures on on both iPhone and iPad. (these are important to understand so I copied the chart straight from the apple IOS website)

• Tap - To press or select a control or item (analogous to a single mouse click
• Drag - To scroll or pan (that is, move side to side).
• Flick - To scroll or pan quickly
• Swipe - In a table-view row, to reveal the Delete button.
• Double tap - To zoom in and center a block of content or an image.
• Double tap - To zoom out (if already zoomed in).
• Pinch open - To zoom in.
• Pinch close - To zoom out.
• Touch and hold - In editable text, to display a magnified view for cursor positioning.
• Shake - To initiate an undo or redo action.

These gestures are one of apples keys to success, along with great customer service. These gestures allow users to interact with their iPhone like never before. Gestures give users the ability to actually be in the app, interact with it, and not just watch it.

The Hardware


The hardware doesn’t seem all the important at 1st glance; however the hardware enables faster graphics and response time. (Apples iPhone 4S has a dual-core a-5 chip.) The better the chip the faster everything will load, including apps. It also allows for a longer battery life. Apple’s transparent electrodes below the screen are what allows for gestures and multiple point screen. Without this, there would be no gestures. The Accelerometer inside the iPhone allows it to be oriented. It knows when it is being tilted in terms of a 3d plain. To make it simple, it has a balance like we do and knows when it is upside down. It allows game apps like “Cro-Mag Rally” that makes you use forward, backward, left, and right tilts on your iPhone/iPad. Better software means potentially better apps.


The Camera


The camera is great for taking pictures and uploading them on Facebook. It also enables a motion detection input device that allows apps to have human computer interaction. (Ex: It would allow something similar to the Xbox Kinect on the iPhone.) As far as I know, this has not been done on the iPhone. The camera still has a lot of unused potential with apps. Using the camera as motion detection input device would be an amazing inclusion for an app.


Siri


Siri is like an advanced version of OnStar for your iPhone. It is voice recognition software with a brain. Apple writes “Siri… lets you use your voice to send messages, schedule meetings, place phone calls, and more.” There is so much potential for apps with the use of voice recognition software.


With the new iPhone and some creativity the potential for new apps are endless. Now that you understand what the iPhone is capable of, the apps that you can create are endless.


Tune in next week and to find out about some startling iPhone/iPad history.