显示标签为“iphone 4s”的博文。显示所有博文
显示标签为“iphone 4s”的博文。显示所有博文

2011年11月11日星期五

Siri --- The Next Generation of Search Engine?

Days ago, Eric Schmidt, Chairman of the board and former CEO of Google, said that siri, released on Apple latest iPhone 4S, is a great development in search area and it will be a main competitor to Google's core search business. This is a very interesting topic. Let us read his words between the lines from a user's point of view. Is Eric Schmidt's words really mean that or not.

One of the basic principle of webpage design is "don't make users think". That is to say a nice design never makes its users think and learn how to use it. That's a kind of waste of time. From my point of view, this principle has general applicability to a certain extent, especially for users. When users get a new product, they need to know how to use it and experience the enjoyment fast. As a common user, you will not focus on how many new tech used on this new product in most cases. Instead, you want to know what can this product do, how well will it work and how about its user experience. A nice product always does a better job than its competitors on the ease of use. The reason why Apple's products are popular is not only their industrial design but also their nice user experience. The nice user experience includes incredible ease to use and smooth human-device interaction.

Take one of my own experience as an example, when I am filling some forms and I use google to search Hong Kong's post-code more than once then I need to choose one of the ten results from the first page of google search results and after I click one of the results I can finally get what I need, the Hong Kong's post-code. Let's think, if I use siri, it's much more easier than that. I just need to ask "What's the post-code of Hong Kong?" to her, I will get my answer fast and I even do not need to see it, siri will talk to me and tell me the post-code of Hong Kong. For users, they all lazy. Talking about the iPhone 4s, it is a nice smart phone from Apple. iPhone to Mac can help you to backup your iPhone 4s files on your Mac. For windows users, please use iPhone to PC transfer. No matter search engine(Google) or Siri, they are just a kind of solution, a way to meet their needs. They care about the result is accurate or not and the response is fast or slow. When both of the two ways can help users to solve their problems, as a user, they will prefer the easy, quick and better user experience one. Of course, siri and other voice search products that may be appear later have a long way to go. At least, now siri only support few languages. I think that Siri's popular proves that voice search will be the king in search area. People are lazy and they need more easier to use product. At the same time, I believe that a voice search product that can be used in multi-platform will be much more popular than siri, which can only be used on iOS platform.

2011年10月14日星期五

Top 10 Features in the New iOS 5

Apple will release the brand new iOS 5 for users to update soon for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. For a lone time's waiting, Apple finally brings us the perfect iOS 5, the most advanced mobile operation system in the world, with notification center and other more than 200 upgrades.

Among the new features, some of them are already have on iPhone and iPad with 3rd party app. Now Apple brings them back to their own operation system. If you have ever used "WhatsApp", you will not feel strange when you are using iMessage. WhatsApp allows users to transfer info quickly, including words and multimedia stuff, and with no limitation on mobile platform. "iMessage" adds some new functions based on WhatsApp, such as store the conversation with iCloud. If your device has Instapaper, you have already experienced parts of the new version Safari's function. If you are using something like "Remember the Milk" as reminder, you will love the iOS 5's remind function badly.

Some other features may simple but really useful, such as you can take a picture with the volume-up button without unlock the screen. So many new features and now let us see the top 10 new features with iOS 5.

Top 1 Notification Center

I will give the top one new feature to Notification Center. Apple finally gives up the annoying pup-up window when you are playing game or having something important. The previous notice window like a box with no words, it is really annoying, especially at night, when you are playing games or just chating with friends, a notice window pop-up, have you ever imagine that you will throw your iPhone to the wall.

Now Apple brings us Notification Center to replace the unwelcome pop-up window. This one is like the "Mobile Notifier" app or something like that. The Notification Center not only shows user notice, but also the weather and app's real-time info. If you lock the screen, you can also use the drop-down notice without unlock the screen. When yo swipe the screen, you will see the summary of every notification.

Top 2 iMessage

Apple's iMessage is something like "BlackBerry Message". It runs on more than one devices with iOS 5. For example, you can first chat with your friends with your iPhone and then pick up your iPad to talk with them directly. In future, Mac OS Lion will have this feature also. With it you can see who is reading with delivery and read recipts. While, the difference with WhatsApp is that you can not run iMessage with uniOS devices. Maybe Apple thinks that it is not worth to talk to your friends that with Android and BlackBerry freely.

Top 3 New Camera and photo app

This version iOS has two simple but useful features that will meet all the users need. One is that you can access the camera app without unlocking the screen. You can just use grid lines and pinch-to-zoom gestures to get your shot just right. Focus with a tap. You will never pass a pictures that you want. The other is the you can just press the volume-up button to take photos without using the one on the screen. This will be the most welcome feature for the users who take photo often with iPhone.

The new camera app adds simple photo edit functions, you can easily edit your pictures with it, such as Crop, rotate, enhance, and remove red-eye. This will be really useful for the users who do not have "Camera Plus".

Top 4 Newsstand

There is a Newsstand on iOS 5, which is really like iBooks. But they have differences, such as the Newsstand is only for magzine and Journal. In fact, it is like someting the between iBooks and File folder.

Top 5 Twitter

In iOS 5, Apple brings Twitter into it everywhere. Such as post pictures to Twitter after you take your photo. IOS 5 allows you to share yous stuff on Twitter directly when you use YouTube, Safari and even Maps. And Apple adds a Twitter option under the contact list.

Top 6 New Safari

The new Safari adds several new features. When you are linking your iPad and iPhone, the webpage will be redesigned to adopt the difference between two screens, it will be more friendly for users when the page is without ads and redesigned.

The redesigned webpage will be added to the read list and saved , you can read it offline later. You can lso sync the page to different iOS 5 devices and Mac OS Lion devices and read them anytime and anywhere. It could be use the iCould.

The view page tab also be added to the new Safari, when you open a page, the tab will be listed under the address bar. It is really fast described by Apple official website. Hope it will sove the problems on lod Safari.

Top 7 Reminders

The new Reminders makes it easy to set out many things to do. Simple and clear, you can arange your day easily and also it can be sync with iOS 5 devices and Mac OS X devices. The most eyeball caught feature is that if you added "buy milk" to the to do list and you forgot it totally. Do worry, it will remind you when you are passing by a milk store or supermarket.

Top 8 Email System

Apple enhances the email system with much more text format. If your friend likes put all the words bold, that will be a dasister for you and you will not understand his point of view. So more text format can solve this problem easily.

The control of text indent. When you are quoting, you can control the indent yourself.

Top 9 No longer need PC's assistant

With iOS 5, your iPhone, iPod touch and iPad will no loner need the assistant from iTunes and PC. At this point, Apple finally catch up Android and Windows Phone 7. It is really convenient that when you open your new devices, a welcome interface will appear and you can update all your apps on iOS 5 with wifi.

Top 10 Game Center

Apple gives some improvment on Game Center and introducing some ideas from Xbox and other game platform, such as adding avatar, game discovery and supports Words for Friends and Scrabble and other game like that.

So all the Apple fans, updating your devices to iOS 5 as fast as you can and enjoy the over 200 new features brought from Apple.

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