It’s the last Tech with Taylor for the semester! I’m just as sad as you, but together, we can persevere.
On to the news!
1. More iOS 7 rumors
Like I talked about earlier, rumors suggest iOS 7 may be released later than the usual iOS update because of an aesthetic overhaul.
But new rumors reported by Bloomberg say Apple is considering dramatic changes to the Mail and Calendar apps.
Citing “people familiar with the matter,” the Bloomberg article says Johny Ive, SVP of industrial design at Apple, is risking a delay of iOS 7 to get rid of realistic aspects of applications (think the yellow notepad of Notes) and create a “flatter” UI.
I’m assuming by “flat” UI, the story means a more streamlined, clean-cut look a-la Windows Phone 8.
Think about it. I would consider iOS 6 the opposite of a “flat” UI, meaning every app and every screen of the OS feels like it has physical depth, indicated by shadows or folders that open up “into” the OS.
It’s purely an aesthetic choice and I’m completely okay with it. Apps like Notes and Game Center look awful because of former Apple SVP Scott Forstall’s obsession with creating real-world-looking applications. If Johny Ive can get rid of that throughout iOS, it might be the revamp Apple’s i-devices need to seem up-to-date again.
2. Android fragmentation still exists
One of my biggest problems with Android is the perceived level of control users have over the OS.
What I mean by that is, Android is open-source, meaning anyone can do almost anything they want with the OS. That includes carriers and manufacturers who do whatever they can to muck up Google’s admittedly beautiful operating system. These skins and the lack of regulation on hardware requirements of Android phones leads to fragmentation of the market.
So when reports come out that Android Jelly Bean (4.1, 4.2) finally surpassed Ice Cream Sandwich (4.0) in market share with a total of 28.4 percent, I’m saddened because that means well over 65 percent of users who have Android devices don’t have the latest and greatest version of Android.
That means developers have to make a choice — make their app compatible with every version of Android or ignore most of the market and only develop for ICS/JB. It’s a decision developers shouldn’t have to make, and Google really needs to begin some regulation of the quality of hardware its software runs on.
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That’s all the tech news … for the semester, y’all. It saddens me to know I won’t be bringing the latest and greatest in tech news to you for more than two months, but thus is the news cycle. Who knows, I might end up blogging from whatever state I’m in over the summer. After all, there are plenty of tech events — Google I/O, WWDC and E3 all happen in June and July. But until my next post, I wish you all good luck on finals and have an absolutely fantastic summer.
