Jacob Hall, Editor-in-Chief of TapSauce | APPS | 08.06.2012 @ 1:00 pm
Today in “Apple Domination”:
How far was Steve Jobs planning to take Apple? For years, the thought of an “iCar” was a vague industry rumor, but it was always said with a laugh and wink. Of course Apple wasn’t seriously considering making an automobile! Well, um…it looks like they’ve actually talked about it. The news came to light when Apple Vice President of Marketing Phil Schiller took the stand in the ongoing patent trial between his company and Samsung and he let it slip that Jobs was seriously considering a camera or a vehicle prior to the creation of the iPhone. It’s tough to imagine Apple building a car right now, but in a decade or so? Expect to see those Apple stickers that come with new iProducts to start being used on bumpers in a more literal way.
Today in “NBC Sucks”:
When I reviewed NBC’s Olympics App last week, one of my problems (among many) was the serious ad overload, which often came close to crippling the experience (although the rest of the app did that fine on its own…zing!). Since I don’t have cable, I haven’t been able to take advantage of NBC’s streaming content through their website, but it looks like it has similar problems, namely way too many ads. I understand how important ads are to keeping websites profitable, but when they completely wreck the experience for people who are already paying for your service, there is a problem that must be addressed. The world is moving online. Let’s fix this now, people.
Today in “Cool New Apps”:
What are we to make of iCache? A successful Kickstarter project, iCache is an app that works in conjunction with a physical card, allowing you to put all of your loyalty cards and credit cards onto one piece of plastic. The card can then only be used after being activated through the app via your thumbprint. It’s a wild idea and one that feels fraught with potential problems, but there’s no denying just how cool it is. TechCrunch has a review of the iCache and it sounds like a mixed bag (but at least a mixed bag that is still being worked on and perfected). Well, I guess we need to track down one and give it a look, huh?
Today in “Freaking Awesome!”:
Although it has nothing to do with apps, it has everything to do with technology and is, therefore, worthy of nothing here: the Curiosity successfully landed on Mars last night, a triumphant moment for NASA and for anyone who believes in the joy of exploration and the unlimited possibilities at our fingertips if we work together. Most of the technology we take for granted today has its origins in NASA labs, so a NASA victory is a victory for us all.