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WWDC 2013 Predictions

With just over 12 hours until the 2013 WWDC keynote presentation, hundreds (or more) speculations, mock-ups, and predictions have hit the net.

I’m not typically one for making predictions or hypothesizing, especially when I have no insider knowledge of the matter, but I can’t help but speculate what may be on display in Moscone come tomorrow afternoon.

1. iOS 7.

This one is obvious. We know its gonna be called iOS 7 – the banners are up and photos are out. The bigger question is about what it will include.

Looking back at the iOS 4, 5, and 6 announcements (and associated banners), there was always a heavy weighted font and element of realism involved. Now that we’ve seen the slim iOS 7 type-face, I can only assume that we are bound to see a might lighter, smoother, simpler iOS.

I also think Apple is going to reshape the developers aspect of iOS. With recent rumors of AirDrop like functionality coming to
iPhone, iPad, and iPod touches, a much more advanced file structure and true app <> file interaction. Much like Android has offered for years now, the ability to click a photo and open it in any photo editor or send an document from app to app without having to export to Dropbox and move it around would be huge.

2. OS X 9?

While the general consensus is that OS X 10.9 is coming (has anyone else realized that technically the name is them OS 10 10.9?), I’m under the notion that we may see a very new OS X released. While the Mac operating system has certainly changed over time, many elements have remained consistent. It’s about time we see a huge change in OS X, hopefully not at the cost of usability or function. I’d truly like to see OS X 11.

With support for touch screen control (more on that later), more human interaction (Jarvis, look-up iron man 3), and a less hierarchical file system (to coincide with iOS) would all changes the Mac user demographic could make good use out of.


3. New products

I’m in full agreement with Mark Gurman on the lack of new iPad mini (or any iOS device). I could, however, see Apple alluding to new devices in updates to Xcode and app requirements. Support for a new screen resolution could quickly suggest a larger iPhone or higher PPI iPad mini.

Reports say Apple could be looking to AGAIN update the retina MacBook Pro line, which, to me, only makes sense if the update includes touch screen. An updated retina MacBook Air could also be huge for the Apple PC lineup, as well as a retina Thunderbolt Display.

4. The unknown.

Apple’s hobby market, the Apple TV could likely be a show stopper at WWDC, depending on what recent deals Apple may have made and how actively Apple decides to become involved in the future of home entertainment.

Another area of speculation is the iWatch market. If Apple is truly holding the Ace to drop at the end of the Keynote, it could completely reinvent the idea of wearable tech. With devices like the Pebble, Nike’s Fuel Band, and the increasing curiosity surrounding Google Glass, Apple releasing a wrist watch type wearable device could set the tone for yet another new industry (much like it did in the tablet industry with the iPad.

I’m no genius, but it looks like Apple is truly in a unique place that could greatly impact it’s position in mobile market in a matter of a few hours. If Apple fails to deliver significant (desired) changes, it could be a sign that they are losing their edge. Will we see a mass exodus – probably not – but it has become increasingly apparent that the Apple OS platforms have become stale, and developers are anxious to see what changes that will bring to the worlds most advanced computer and mobile operating systems.

It all goes down at 10 AM (pacific) tomorrow, and I’ll be following along as well as I can!

What do you think is to come? Send your best guesses to me on twitter – @IanFuchs, or leave a comment down below!

 


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Why Verizon’s Shared Data Plans Suck

I’ve been a paying Verizon customer for over almost 3 years now (after a brief stint with AT&T after college).  My cellphone contract is the longest standing commitment I’ve had with any company for any thing (aside from my bank accounts).  On top of having the experience of being a customer, I also had the privilege of working for a Verizon Wireless Premium Retailer as one of my first jobs out of college.  Regardless of what money I give Verizon or what experience I have with the company, one things if for sure… THEY ARE TRYING TO SCREW ME .

When I signed on to have Verizon as my wireless provider, my account looked something like this.

700 Min + Unlimited texting: $80.00

Moto Droid (mine): $9.99 + $30 unlimited data

Moto Droid (my wife): $9.99 + $30 unlimited data

Basic phone (home phone) $9.99

Total bill – $170+taxes and fees.

Around year later, we picked up iPhones (when Verizon finally offered it) for our daily phones, and maintained the same basic phone as our home phone… but our bill went virtually unchanged.  We were able to use our iPhones as much as we wanted for texting and surfing the net.  On top of that, our 700 minutes included the unlimited nights and weekends + unlimited mobile-to-mobile calling, so we were using – at most – 150 minutes/month (if I used my phone for work related things).

When “Big Red” decided they were going to jump on the bandwagon of tiered data (no more unlimited – pay more to use more), I gave it a moment of consideration.  With the tiered data plan, I could keep my bill unchanged, but instead of paying the $30 for each smartphone to have unlimited data, each phone would be limited to 2GB/month (that’s what you get for $30).  Verizon even sweetened the pot by offering customers who jumped to tiered data a double-up on their data.  For only $30/line/month, we could pull 4GB of data each (totaling 8GB of data available/month – granted it wasn’t shared).

This didn’t sound like a bad deal… but when I could have unlimited data for $30/month, why would I choose to switch to something that gives me less for the same cost?  Then Verizon started policing usage by “legacy” data plan users.  If you were on an unlimited data plan, Verizon could “optimize” their network, by limiting your bandwidth, to allow more consistent speeds for those on tiered data plans.  This was a huge difference from AT&T’s data throttling, as Verizon would only do this when necessary (like when a specific tower is experiencing higher-than-normal traffic – like at a baseball game or concert).  The potential for Verizon to cripple my iPhones ability to surf the web scared me a little, and I began to think more about the tiered data plans.

A discussion with my wife reminded me that the best deal is the one that gives you the most for the least… stick with unlimited.  And we did.  Then the news broke – Verizon was dumping their 11-month-old tiered data plan options, and switching to a “more affordable” shared data model – Share Everything.  You already share minutes and texts with everyone in your plan, why not share your data too?

because is f***ing expensive.

Verizon’s new Share Everything plans sound really good – when pitched in commercials & by reps.  Verizon will tell you the new Share Everything plan features a couple “attractive” features.

  • Unlimited minutes, shared across all your devices
  • You can have up to 10 devices on your plan – a decent jump from the previous limit of 5!
  • You no longer have to pay extra to use tethering/mobile hotspot on your smartphone  ($20 value)

Verizon also boasts that you get unlimited texting with the ShareEverything (SE) plan, but most people already had unlimited texting bundled in with their minute plans – especially if they’re using a smartphone or have kids (the target audience of the new SE plans).  While Verizon highlights the unlimited texting as another great perk, I don’t see it as a real gain.

Lets take a look at the cost of the new Share Everything plans.  To start with, you choose your devices.  Smartphones ring in at $40/month each – which is the same as what I’m paying now.  Basic phones roll in at $30/month each, so a $20 increase/month from the current basic line cost.  Verizon also throws in hotspots/jetpacks/air cards/etc. for $20/month, and tablets for $10/month.   Where this gets interesting is that you no longer pay for the overall minute plan in the same sense.  You now choose your shared data level, and are left with your total.  The lowest offering is $50 for 1GB of shared data.  Whether you have 1 smartphone or 6, the data remains a shared bucket across all devices. Lets look at what I would get for the same dollar amount I pay now:

 My iPhone: $40

My wife’s iPhone $40

Basic Phone: $30

Unlimited Talk & Text + 2GB data: $60

Total bill – $170+taxes and fees.

Are they for real?  2GB of SHARED DATA! Had I jumped to tiered data when it was a per line addition, I could have 2GB for myself, my wife could have 2GB for herself, and we’d pay the same.  Better yet, with Verizon’s double data deal, we could have have 4GB each for the same cost.  How is this a good deal?  Who does this work for?

This is a good deal for someone.  It has to be… but who?  People who have several lines, constant wifi access for all devices, and spend a lot of time talking on the phone (to non-Verizon customers, during the day).  Seems like that really narrows the scope a bit, right?  Lets say – just for fun, that I ultimately ditch that basic phone and get a tablet instead.  I could move that $30 basic phone down to a $10 tablet price, save myself $20/month?  Fancy that, I can get 4GB MORE of data (a total of 6GB for $80) for that extra $20 and keep my bill the same.  It starts to look a little better here, but I’ve given up a line that can be used to talk or text.  I’m no longer getting one of those “great features” of Share Everything on one of my lines.

Something that doesn’t make sense to me here is this:

  • Mobile phone plans started out offering 50 minutes, no texting and you got billed for roaming (you know, calling outside of the town your phone number was native to).  It was expensive ($60 for 1 line, 50 minutes).
  • A few years later, plans featured larger minute offerings for the same price – or less (500 minutes for $60).
  • Skip ahead a few more years, and plans could include text messaging – again, more for about the same price (US Cellular, AT&T, and Verizon offered 500 minutes + unlimited texting for ~$65).
  • In 2009(ish) – more minutes, unlimited texting, unlimited data, slightly more costly, but a load more capability (1 line with 500 min, unlimited text, and unlimited data = $90).
  • Jump to 2012 – unlimited minutes (which is a useless notion), unlimited texting, and less data… for more money!  Ridiculous.

The mobile industry is screwing over customers more now than ever before.  Is there a good solution – not really.  I’m still holding onto my unlimited data plan.  Verizon says that when you upgrade (and sign a new 2-year contract – which means a subsidized phone cost), all customers on unlimited data are forced to change to a tiered data (for individuals) or shared data (for families) plan.  The only way around it is to pay for the phone at full-retail price.  My hopes of a $200 iPhone are lost, and I assume I’ll be shelling out $650/iPhone in a month or 2 when Apple drops “the new iPhone” onto the market.

At this point, it’s a lose-lose – but if they’re going to attempt to screw me around every corner, this is my tiny way of giving them the finger and taking advantage of being a long-standing customer.

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My Hopes for the Future of Mobile Social Media

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We are in a very rapidly changing time, and experiencing technology that becomes outdated in an instant.  Social media rules the mobile world, and mobile is taking over the way we work, learn, communicate, and document our life. Yesterday’s new social network is tomorrows “old news.”

It seems that every day, a new social platform emerges. Some of these zone in on niche markets – others take on the likes of Facebook and Twitter – while some start in 1 target group and explode into the other. Instagram, for example, was introduced as a way for photographers & fans of analog photography to share and create photographs akin to the days of Poloroid instant develop photos, and will soon be under the wing of the “Big F” – and where that will go, nobody knows.

One social network, launched in November of 2010, has truly caught me by surprise. A social network that combines the ideas of Facebook status, Twitter micro-blogging, photo sharing, and location tagging called “Path” I had seen the occasional post on Twitter with a link back to someone’s “Path”, but never gave it much thought. A few weeks ago, I decided to give Path a try, and to my surprise, the app is so much fun to use.  Path isn’t just another tired social platform. The whole principal behind Path isn’t to share news and links, or to create a network of all your friends. Instead, Path is about sharing your journal, or “path”, of your life on the go. The apps home screen shows a stream of all your friends current paths. Path informs you when your someone has looked at your moment or gone to your profile. It notifies you (if enabled) when your connections post to their Path or leaves you an emoticon (akin to liking a Facebook post). Path isn’t about what happened or what will happen – its about the NOW – and about sharing as you are out-and-about!

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What makes Path most interesting to me is that it has such a visually and aesthetically pleasing interface, and it’s one of the smartest social networks I’ve ever experienced. Path learns from your post habits. When you launch Path in a new neighborhood, it automatically posts the your location has changed to whatever city/village/area you are in.  I went to a White Sox game with my wife, for example, and as I got to my seat, I launched Path – and there it was “Ian : In Bridgeport, Chicago”. Of course, I can then hone in on where exactly I am, and upload a photo. In a matter of seconds, I can tap the (+) button in the bottom corner, tap the camera icon, snap a picture, choose my location – U.S. Cellular Field, tag my wife under “I’m with” and click done. The smooth and inviting interface makes sharing fun and enjoyable.

Path has a number of other excellent features. I suggest that if you’re looking for that social space that’s personal, semi-private, and beautifully designed, then you check out Path [app store link]. I hope other social networks can take note of Path’s unique and seamless UI, and *smart* updating, it could truly change the social networking game.

 

 

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The iPad 3 – Announcement-Day Eve

this post was inspired by the mashable article “What if everything we think we know about the next iPad is wrong”

With all the off-the-wall speculation, rumors, claims, “insider” details, and the like – I figured it was my turn to share some insight into what I believe the next generation iPad will include.

Reports have claimed things like a lack of home button, 4G/LTE connectivity, a super hi-res Retina display, iOS 6, a new moniker (iPad HD), a new price point, and so much more… but here’s the truth in what to expect.

On Wednesday, March 7, 2012, Apple will release the ePad (as a throwback to the old eBooks & eMacs). The ePad will be a 7.5″ Windows 8 tablet with a surprisingly low resolution (similar to the 1st generation iPod Touch). It will come in 1 size – 4GB. It won’t have 4G/LTE… or 3G for that matter. It will only be available with WiFi – but limited to WiFi 802.11 a/b… no 802.11 g/n. This tablet will form a new partnership between Apple and Microsoft that will allow Apple to slowly start a downward spiral.

In all likelihood, Apple won’t release a new iOS ever again, and will soon shut down the App store all together to push for more HTML5 based web-apps & will use the Windows marketplace as their sole distribution center.

The likelihood that Apple will drop the home button is not likely, and I assume that Apple will actually throw back to the original iPod (remember that one… with all the buttons… yeah… that one…) and will have a button to perform nearly every normal function on the device. The device will no longer be touch sensitive as a way to make room for the Serial ATA hard drive and the hatch for the D-cell batteries. Apple will also limit syncing to a new cable, only available to customers for use within Apple retail locations, with a Genius appointment. These cables won’t be sold in to consumers, which will further strangle Apple as a company.

All of this great new technology and these fantastic new features will be available immediately after the announcement event at the startling price of $189.99 (to compete with the Kindle Fire).

So what do you think? Will you be picking one up? I know I’ll be 1st in line!

 

P.S. This is all sarcasm… just want to point out how RIDICULOUS some rumors can be… how 1 person saying some is from a credible source can really spin things out of control.

Tomorrow will be another fantastic event, and I seriously can’t wait to see what Apple has in store for us. My prediction is just as good as any – but I’m guessing the following

  • Retina display
  • WiFi/3G (AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, Unlocked)
  • (Maybe) 4G-LTE
  • Possible elimination of the home button for touch sensitive buttons (similar to many Android devices – or better yet, Palm style touch area)
  • 16/32/64 GB options
  • I don’t foresee iOS 6, since 5 is so new… maybe some big new features in a 5.3 (similar to 4.3 from 4.1?)
  • No change in price, although the iPad 2 may drop in storage size (like the iPhone 4 did when the 4S was released) and the iPad 2 would be come the “affordable” version

Anything else Apple gives us in the new iPad will be a surprise to us all… tomorrow will tell!

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The Next Wave of Classroom Technology

The following feature article was written for Waldorf’s “The Torch” quarterly magazine.  See the original article here!

We are living in very an unique time. It is a time where teenagers carry smartphones, college students live on their laptops, and jobs are centered around email, texting, and video conferencing.  For those who are behind or feel it is too hard to learn now – the world around them seems to be evolving faster than ever… and IT IS.

Graduating college just over 2 years ago, I was on the cusp of what is now somewhat of a technological revolution.  Since 2008, the adoption of smartphones has more than doubled for adults to an impressive 35% – and that number continues to grow.  A study by Pew Research Centers puts 18-24 year olds at an astonishing 49% using smartphones, and 58% of 25-34 year olds. So what does that mean? Nearly half of all college-aged students are carrying a smartphone – and it’s effecting how they learn. Continue reading “The Next Wave of Classroom Technology”

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Review: Kurt Cobain’s Graphic Novel meets the Digital Realm (iPad App)

The iPad, for me, is a web browser, a productivity tool, and a way to consume visual media.  When I was tasked with checking out “Kurt Cobain: The Graphic Novel,” I was skeptical as to how it would fit into my typical iPad use – but I’m glad I gave it a try.

Downloading the app (available here) was a fairly painless process, although it does take a little time, even over wifi, due to the applications size.  The App Store requests the user to be 17+ in order to download, as the novel does contain some “R” rated (violence, drug use, sex, depicted suicide) content.  The $5.99 price tag was also relatively easy enough to swallow, especially for a Nirvana fan or comic book enthusiast.  The story takes you through the life, fame, and death of Cobain, in a unique and extremely visual 84 pages.

Overview: At first launch of the novel, you’re greeted with a comic book illustration of Cobain, with angel wings, on his knees crying, which very quickly establishes that this is the digital version of “Godspeed” – the print version of the Kurt Cobain graphic novel.  The home screen is optimized for both landscape and portrait viewing modes, but that doesn’t extend to the pages of the novel.  From the home screen, you can jump right into the comic, although there are a few other options (intro, help, about, etc).  There is also a light guitar riff that plays on the menu.  Enjoy it, because it’s the only sound included in the app. Clicking “enter” springs the comic open, and you’re immediately swept into the comic’s artwork by Flameboy.

To me, this feels like a real comic book, and, in my opinion, it is a truly brilliant use of the iPad’s screen.  They say a picture is worth 1,000 words, and this graphic novel holds true to that.  The art work is dark, detailed, and tell most of the story by it’s self.  A simple double tap of the screen on any of the tiles will bring it full screen, and from there, users can swipe left or right to read it frame by frame.  This feature makes the digital version stand out over the print version and really improves the experience as a reader.


Verdict: Reading the novel, to me, almost felt like I was watching it on TV.  I found myself getting somewhat lost in my own imagination as I slid from one image to the next.  A soundtrackto the novel would have made it truly interactive, although the experience can be enhanced further by loading your iPad music library up with a handful of Nirvana tracks, and letting the music help set the mood of the graphic novel.

Comics and graphic novels are definitely a market that can utilize the iPad as a tool to further their reach, and “Kurt Cobain: The Graphic Novel” is a prime example.  If you’re into Nirvana/Kurt Cobain, or know someone who would really enjoy a digital comic, I recommend you check it out in the App Store… it’s worth it!

Rating: I would say that “Kurt Cobain: The Graphic Novel” is a 3.5 out of 5.

Pros:

  • Illustration Quality
  • Frame by frame content viewing
  • Like reading a ink and paper comic book

Cons:

  • Lack of audio content
  • Lack of true landscape version
This review was written by me, as a guest writer for Mactrast.com

Check out the original post HERE!!

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1955-2011

In the passing of Steve Jobs, I felt it appropriate to dedicate the home page to Steve’s genius and different thinking.  I also wanted to share a handful of quotes that I feel can apply to many things in life.

“Design is a funny word. Some people think design means how it looks. But of course, if you dig deeper, it’s really how it works.”

 

“We’re just enthusiastic about what we do.”

 

“Every once in a while a revolutionary product comes along that changes everything.… one is very fortunate if you get to work on just one of these in your career…. …Apple’s been very fortunate it’s been able to introduce a few of these into the world”

 

“We’ve never worried about numbers. In the market place, Apple is trying to focus the spotlight on products, because products really make a difference. […] Ad campaigns are necessary for competition; IBM’s ads are everywhere. But good PR educates people; that’s all it is. You can’t con people in this business. The products speak for themselves.”

 

“That’s been one of my mantras — focus and simplicity. Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains.”

 

“The most compelling reason for most people to buy a computer for the home will be to link it into a nationwide communications network. We’re just in the beginning stages of what will be a truly remarkable breakthrough for most people–as remarkable as the telephone.”

 

“It’s really hard to design products by focus groups. A lot of times, people don’t know what they want until you show it to them.”

 

“Picasso had a saying: ‘Good artists copy, great artists steal.’ We have always been shameless about stealing great ideas…I think part of what made the Macintosh great was that the people working on it were musicians, poets, artists, zoologists and historians who also happened to be the best computer scientists in the world.”

 

“[Y]ou can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.”

 

“Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure – these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.”

 

“I read a study that measured the efficiency of locomotion for various species on the planet. The condor used the least energy to move a kilometer. Humans came in with a rather unimpressive showing about a third of the way down the list….That didn’t look so good, but then someone at Scientific American had the insight to test the efficiency of lomotion for a man on a bicycle and a man on a bicycle blew the condor away. That’s what a computer is to me: the computer is the most remarkable tool that we’ve ever come up with. It’s the equivalent of a bicycle for our minds.”

 

“But there is one more thing…..”

 

“… Stay hungry. Stay foolish.”

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Steve Jobs: Think Different

Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers.
The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently.

They’re not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status quo.
You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them.

About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them.
Because they change things. They push the human race forward.

And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius.
Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world,
are the ones who do. – Steve Jobs, Former CEO & Founder, Apple Inc.

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New Trends in Web Design…

The web is a constantly changing place, and the way we view websites and perceive “good vs bad” webpages has a lot to do with what is popular at a certain time, and what the abilities of the designer are/were at that time.  In today’s Web 2.0 world, with sites like wordpress, blogger, youtube, and a gamut of social networks, we are used to interacting with the web in a certain way.  Here are a few trends (for now) that make a site more visually appealing and user friendly.

Minimalism

Simplicity, lack of clutter, and precision… all words that describe what has been a fairly consistent trend in web design.  When designing, using empty space and allow it to frame your message – creating a more precise communication of the content that is most important.  When aiming for minimalism, I would suggest using a grid system—but keep in mind that designers have mixed opinions about this approach. Without a grid, though, there is a danger that what you produce will appear disorganized and incomplete.

Typography

A variety of type faces have been around for quite some time, and today designers are using it as a primary tool of innovation. Until recently, many web designers used a strict set web-safe fonts (Times New Roman, Helvetica, Arial). But with the growing numbers of tools and applications, typography has become a primary design element in its own right. The demand for larger and more exciting fonts is rapidly increasing, and these fonts are replacing the old system fonts as designers play with new techniques, styles, and sizes. Tools such as WhatTheFont, CSS Typeset and Typetester have helped designers be more creative and allow for different typeface to be used across the web.

 

Smashing Magazine on Textured Backgrounds

Textured Backgrounds

Literally everything I’ve seen lately has explored and implemented this in some form of another.  There is always some type of grain, noise, stitching, or other texture that subtly appears in the background of sites.  You many not fully notice it, but it’s back there, and there are a few things to know about using it…The visual experience of the audience increases exponentially if the background is aesthetically pleasing and precise. The points to focus on are simplicity of design and the illusion of textures to create depth and dimension on the page. Nothing too excessive, and nothing to transparent.  Test and retest until you find that perfect fit.

These are just a few trends that are currently popular… to see more, check out the links below and try different things to make your site unique and hip.

Web Design Shock

Active Web Group

Web Design Tuts+

Web Design Ledger

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OSx 10.7 Lion

So I know it’s like a month out of date, but I just finally got Lion installed on my macbook.  I love it. I’ll touch on a few of the big features, and how I feel they will impact work.

The 1st things I noticed was Mission Control. I had just started trying to utilize spaces, but couldn’t justify using them because they weren’t convenient to get to. With mission control, using a simple multitouch gesture makes it fast and simple to see all the spaces and choose which space to put which applications in. I also like having the dock available at the bottom, so if I were to need to open a specific application in a specific space, it is simple to do so. Launch Pad was the 2nd big thing I noticed, which give a very iOS feel to desktop computing. When you open launch pad, all the applications on the computer are aligned in a large format grid on the screen. It seemed really neat at first, but for me, I prefer the dock at the bottom. It’s what I’ve gotten used to and I have all the major apps I use right there. In experimenting with these features, I did stumble across the multitouch gestures that activate each feature. It’s smooth to use, and it makes for a very fluid transition between my iMac and my Macbook Pro (assuming you use the Magic TrackPad for your desktop mac). A few other multitouch gestures I discovered: go back or forward in safari with a 3 finger swipe left/right, slide between spaces/dashboard with a 4 finger left/right swipe, easy pinch and zoom in safari and several other apps with 2 finger pinch/spread.

The redesigned Mail app was my next stop on the exploration of Lion. I have to say, the update is very nice and adds a certain iOS-ness to the application. The conversation viewing is also very nice, although there seem to be a few strings of emails that don’t work correctly. My assumption is that if someone were using Mail on a mac, and emailing me, it would look very similar to a threaded text conversation (like on an iPhone, Android, newer BB, and others). This makes reading past emails much smoother and easier. I’m not a big email search person, but the new search feature works very slick also. Another thing I noticed in Safari and Mail (works in other applications also) is that when typing, Lion will automatically drop suggested word(s) under what you are typing if you hesitate for a few seconds – akin to typing an email or text in iOS. It also has a form of auto-correct (DAMN YOU!) that will correct some words and simple type-os. I have yet to experience an incident like with iOS, where it creates a totally bogus sentence, though.

The final “big” feature that I was initially unimpressed by was Air Drop. When I followed the keynote presentation at WWDC, and even when I initially installed Lion on my MacBook I thought it seemed silly and impractical. When I installed it onto my iMac, however, it became apparent that it was a very convenient tool. Here’s a practical application:

Students have gathered in our multimedia lab, each on 1 of 12 iMacs. The instructor has a folder of files for the days exercise on her iMac at the front of the room. In the past, students had to log into a server, navigate to a folder, download the file to their computer, and then remember to disconnect from the server before class was over. Now the instructor can simple open up the Air Drop, and with a simple drag and drop, each student can receive the file from the instructor without having to connect to any server. It’s fast, simple, and wireless. And to make it even better, a student who is on their MacBook or MacBook Pro in the classroom can also receive the file. A simple drag and drop is all it takes.

There are several other “big” changes to Lion (full screen applications, for example) that are fun and impressive, but are not features that I’ve found I need or utilize at this point. So far everything seems clean and works well… It’s the OS Lion GM release, so I will update after the official release is made if there are any other big changes. Speak your thoughts in the comments below!