The Woz: We've Fallen Behind in Smartphones


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There are things you can do on the iPhone that you can't do on Android, like set location reminders. I can say to Siri "remind me to buy milk when I leave work" and it will do.

Another example is that most music/radio apps can be controlled from the multitasking bar, so I can put the radio on, background that app, go do something else in another app and then control the radio without leaving the app I'm in.

So, again, it all comes down to preference as to what the individual wants, and trying to convince anybody that either OS is better is silly.

Seems to me that you haven't tried Android before. Even Android 1.6 can do exactly the same things. If you want to set location reminders, then you have Tasker. Pretty much every music apps that are out to Android today can be controlled from the notification bar. I currently use PowerAMP that have a nice controller in the notification bar.

Here is a screenshot from that.

2013-02-09-17-10-29.png

So what you are saying is something we have been able to do on Android since Android 1.6.

There are things you can do on the iPhone that you can't do on Android, like set location reminders. I can say to Siri "remind me to buy milk when I leave work" and it will do.

Another example is that most music/radio apps can be controlled from the multitasking bar, so I can put the radio on, background that app, go do something else in another app and then control the radio without leaving the app I'm in.

So, again, it all comes down to preference as to what the individual wants, and trying to convince anybody that either OS is better is silly.

Thats the first use of siri I found that IS actually useful! Tasker can do loops around siri possiblities. Its rediculously complicated but almost too powerful. It can completely reconfigure your phone based on GPS, cell data, wifi networks, time of day, brightness in room at anytime automatically. Like having BT on when you enter your car after work? it can do that. want bluetooth to shut off, silent profile to change and wifi to turn on and connect and complete any updates? No problem. I even seen people disable wifi, turn on bt connect to their headset, start playing an MP3 playlist, turn on GPS and launch MyRun. Once they hit a speed over 5MPH an alarm is set for 40 min to time their run. I have never used a program that is so configurable in my life. Took me like a week to read through how it actually works though. I can't speak to it however.

I also don't know what you mean about backround music. Android plays nearly every music program fine in the background. TuneIn, kConRadio, DoubleTwist, Winamp.. I can be listening to TuneIn while playing Simpsons Tapped Out and hear them both, or just whichever one I want to hear at whatever level is best. This wasn't even possible in windows until Windows 7 released.

Something an iphone can't do is watch a YouTube Video while reading a webpage. Android does that no problem with SuperVideo app. can resize the video while playing and move it around the screen with ease. Actually youtube is a bad example, supervideo no longer support it as the youtube app has to play all youtube content... But how about streaming an MKV file from your local network share/PC? Oh right.. it needs to be iFormat first, then iTuned over, unless you jailbroke and use XBMC, which can't run windowed.. Its stupid stuff like this which makes me not enjoy the iLife. The hardware is more than powerful enough to do it, and developers have more than likley submitted code to do so which got rejected.

But how about streaming an MKV file from your local network share/PC?

air video works flawlessly and is free. I don't like jail breaking and the XBMC, seems too clunky, don't like the feel.

So what you are saying is something we have been able to do on Android since Android 1.6.

how come you use windows in your avatar?
how come you use windows in your avatar?

I use Windows 8 Professinal on my Samsung laptop. Windows 8 is very good, so that's why i use that. On my main computer, i use Windows 7 Home Premium, but i'm gonna update my main computer to Windows 8 soon though.

But why do you ask about this?

I use Windows 8 Professinal on my Samsung laptop. Windows 8 is very good, so that's why i use that. On my main computer, i use Windows 7 Home Premium, but i'm gonna update my main computer to Windows 8 soon though.

But why do you ask about this?

why do you use a locked down OS when you can can choose any number of Linux distos?

why do you use a locked down OS when you can can choose any number of Linux distos?

Because Linux sucks at gaming atm. That's the only reason i use Windows. But if the game companies starts to release more games to Linux, i will for sure switch to Ubuntu.

Because Linux sucks at gaming atm. That's the only reason i use Windows. But if the game companies starts to release more games to Linux, i will for sure switch to Ubuntu.

if you tinker enough, you can get the games to work on linux. Takes some customization to set it up perfectly the way you want, but after a while, you will get it just exactly the way you like it. How come you don't make it work?

if you tinker enough, you can get the games to work on linux. Takes some customization to set it up perfectly the way you want, but after a while, you will get it just exactly the way you like it. How come you don't make it work?

I know i can get it to work in Linux. But the problem is that the main game i'm playing atm that is EVE Online is not supported by Linux in any ways. That means if i want to run EVE Online under Wine in Linux, i have to live with many bugs, witch is something wont when i can play it in Windows with none of those bugs.

EVE Online is supported under Mac OSX though. But what kind of normal person is crazy enough to go from Windows 8 to Mac OSX lol?

if you tinker enough, you can get the games to work on linux. Takes some customization to set it up perfectly the way you want, but after a while, you will get it just exactly the way you like it. How come you don't make it work?

What's with the trolling? Getting games to work properly, especially any Direct 3D game that is remotely modern is very hard on Linux. To a desktop gamer Linux still isn't a great alternative yet. Android is however a completely workable alternative to iOS and I'm pretty sure that's what the OP is talking about. Different strokes for different environments.

You don't like Apple products very much, do you? ;)

Right. But there is many good reasons for it though. Here is some reasons.

1. Apple cares more about the money than they cares about their customers.

2. Apple doesn't innovate. They steal others good ideas and tweaks it their way and then calls it their work.

3. Apple use the term 'Revolutionary and magical' to many places / times witch makes them look really unserious and dumb.

4. Apple takes double / tripple the price for something that have old and outdated hardware over the up-to-date hardware on other brands.

5. Apple is controlling way to much over their users.

6. Apple thinks their users are dumb the way they explain how their users is.

There you have some of the reasons why i don't like Apple.

What's with the trolling? Getting games to work properly, especially any Direct 3D game that is remotely modern is very hard on Linux. To a desktop gamer Linux still isn't a great alternative yet. Android is however a completely workable alternative to iOS and I'm pretty sure that's what the OP is talking about. Different strokes for different environments.

no trolling intended. It was a lead up to exactly what you just said. Sometimes people can only realize things if they are lead to the same scenario. To "you", Android its a completely workable alternative to IOS just as to some people "Linux" is a completely workable to "Windows". Just because you "can" make it work, doesn't mean another person wants to bother trying.I was making the correlation that what works for you, works for you, and what works for others, works for others. I, among others, will never want to "bother" getting Android perfect. We see no need to try (even some of has HAVE tried). We already have something that works perfectly for what we want to do. No reason to make things complicated.

no trolling intended. It was a lead up to exactly what you just said. Sometimes people can only realize things if they are lead to the same scenario. To "you", Android its a completely workable alternative to IOS just as to some people "Linux" is a completely workable to "Windows". Just because you "can" make it work, doesn't mean another person wants to bother trying.I was making the correlation that what works for you, works for you, and what works for others, works for others. I, among others, will never want to "bother" getting Android perfect. We see no need to try (even some of has HAVE tried). We already have something that works perfectly for what we want to do. No reason to make things complicated.

The problem here is that you have to fiddle and tweak a **** ton of things before you can get Linux to be somewhat of a Windows experience. On iOS though, you have to fiddle and tweak a **** ton of things before you can get iOS to get a somewhat like an Android experience.

Why go to Linux when everything is ready there for you in Windows and the same way with iOS and Android. Why go for iOS and jailbreak it when you can just use an Android smartphone where everything is ready in your hand?

So either you are trolling or you simply don't understand Windows and Linux or iOS and Android.

Right. But there is many good reasons for it though. Here is some reasons.

1. Apple cares more about the money than they cares about their customers.

2. Apple doesn't innovate. They steal others good ideas and tweaks it their way and then calls it their work.

3. Apple use the term 'Revolutionary and magical' to many places / times witch makes them look really unserious and dumb.

4. Apple takes double / twice the price for something that have old and outdated hardware over the up-to-date hardware on other brands.

5. Apple is controlling way to much over their users.

6. Apple thinks their users are dumb the way they explain how their users is.

There you have some of the reasons why i don't like Apple.

1. All companies care more about money then customers. If they cared about the customers more then money, they would do it for free for the love of the labor.

2. No company innovates. All ideas are a minor idea built upon another idea, unless you go back to fire and the wheel. Don''t mistake quick growth for innovation.

3. All companies use wording to make the products sound good. If i go buy a Honda CRV, will it really be anything I want it to be? What if I want it to be a tank? Will it turn into a tank?

4. In capitalism, this is the design if the market will allow it. Not sure about what you do for a job, but I 100% guarantee it someone else can do your job for 1/2 your paid. Does this mean you should lower your wage?

5. Control allows a unified experience. Hand an apple user a touch, ipad, or phone, and they know how to use it. Familiarity sells well.

6. Perception based opinion only.

The problem here is that you have to fiddle and tweak a **** ton of things before you can get Linux to be somewhat of a WIndows experience. On iOS though, you have to fiddle and tweak a **** ton of things before you can get iOS to get a somewhat like an Android experience.

Why go to Linux when everything is ready there for you in Windows and the same way with iOS and Android. Why go for iOS and jailbreak it when you can just use an Android smartphone where everything is ready in your hand?

So either you are trolling or you simply don't understand Windows and Linux or iOS and Android.

Why go to Android when everything is ready there for you in IOS? We could go in circles forever. Are you starting to see that it comes down to 100% preference?

Why go Android when the optimization is already done for you in IOS? We could go in circles forever. Are you starting to see that it comes down to 100% preference?

Because as a user I don't equate excessive dumbing down with optimisation. If iOS had the same advanced capabilities as Android I doubt it would operate any faster. I have a single core Samsung Galaxy S, and whilst it's probably not quite as fluid as it would be on a Galaxy S3, Android 4.2 is still very usable on this phone.

no trolling intended. It was a lead up to exactly what you just said. Sometimes people can only realize things if they are lead to the same scenario. To "you", Android its a completely workable alternative to IOS just as to some people "Linux" is a completely workable to "Windows". Just because you "can" make it work, doesn't mean another person wants to bother trying.I was making the correlation that what works for you, works for you, and what works for others, works for others. I, among others, will never want to "bother" getting Android perfect. We see no need to try (even some of has HAVE tried). We already have something that works perfectly for what we want to do. No reason to make things complicated.

They aren't the same scenario at all. Android is perfectly usable out of the box, and everyone I know that owns an Android phone is perfectly happy with it. Android users root their phones and install a custom ROM to get even more control over their experience. That's the difference that people like you don't seem to get, using open source software isn't about having to tweak the s*** out of everything, it's about having the freedom to edit your software as you wish. Of course certain products are going to suit certain scenarios better but that doesn't mean that a product isn't usable. For 80% of the tasks you'd wish to accomplish with Windows or OSX, Linux is just as capable of performing them. Despite my personal love for PC gaming, PC gaming makes up a very small segment of the PC using market. And it's that kind of narrow minded ignorance Apple seem to thrive on. A few flashy animations and overly simplified and dumbed down software does not make Apple products empirically better.

1. All companies care more about money then customers. If they cared about the customers more then money, they would do it for free for the love of the labor.

2. No company innovates. All ideas are a minor idea built upon another idea, unless you go back to fire and the wheel. Don''t mistake quick growth for innovation.

3. All companies use wording to make the products sound good. If i go buy a Honda CRV, will it really be anything I want it to be? What if I want it to be a tank? Will it turn into a tank?

4. In capitalism, this is the design if the market will allow it. Not sure about what you do for a job, but I 100% guarantee it someone else can do your job for 1/2 your paid. Does this mean you should lower your wage?

5. Control allows a unified experience. Hand an apple user a touch, ipad, or phone, and they know how to use it. Familiarity sells well.

6. Perception based opinion only.

1. So you mean Google doesn't cares about their users when they actually are changing Android for the better in each releases?

How much different are the first iOS version to the latest iOS version?

Ahh there you have it. Apple gives a damn about their users and just keep going with the same **** over and over and over and just steals their users money for nothing new pretty much.

2. So Samsung doesn't innovate with their Smart Stay, Direct Call, Smart Alert, S Beam and Pop Up Play functionality witch is actually smart features like a "Smart" phone should have?

3. Please show me how many times Samsung or Sony have used the term 'Revolutionary and magical' in their keynotes or web pages?

4. Still doesn't help. Why pay double or tripple the price for something i can get for cheaper that is actually much much more powerfull that gets your work / job done much much faster?

Someone may ask, why buy a Ferrari for so much money while you can get a pretty damn good Toyota to half (or even lower than that) the price?

The difference here from Ferrari and Apple is that Ferrari costs alot because they actually use super high quality components in their cars (witch use much better components in their cars over what Toyota use) where Apple use old and outdated hardware that is much worser than the components you can get in a computer made by another brand.

5. No, it doesn't. To much control stops you from deciding over your own device witch will restrict you from setting up the device YOUR way. No matter how much you belive in your self, you will never get a better experience on a phone where you can't set it up your way over a phone where you actually can decide you self how to set it up so it will work best for you every day.

A phone that is set up to 'fit for all' will never have a good experience for most of the peoples.

6. So you think Apple takes their users serious when they can say that their users isn't smart enough to change a theme on their phone while they mean their users can use Mac OSX fully out?

You see where this is going right?

Again, to me it seems like you have no clue what so ever about what you are talking about.

Because as a user I don't equate excessive dumbing down with optimisation. If iOS had the same advanced capabilities as Android I doubt it would operate any faster. I have a single core Samsung Galaxy S, and whilst it's probably not quite as fluid as it would be on a Galaxy S3, Android 4.2 is still very usable on this phone.

They aren't the same scenario at all. Android is perfectly usable out of the box, and everyone I know that owns an Android phone is perfectly happy with it. Android users root their phones and install a custom ROM to get even more control over their experience. That's the difference that people like you don't seem to get, using open source software isn't about having to tweak the s*** out of everything, it's about having the freedom to edit your software as you wish. Of course certain products are going to suit certain scenarios better but that doesn't mean that a product isn't usable. For 80% of the tasks you'd wish to accomplish with Windows or OSX, Linux is just as capable of performing them. Despite my personal love for PC gaming, PC gaming makes up a very small segment of the PC using market. And it's that kind of narrow minded ignorance Apple seem to thrive on. A few flashy animations and overly simplified and dumbed down software does not make Apple products empirically better.

As a user, I agree that a few flashy animations and overly complicated and customization software does not make Android products empirically better either, although it gives you more things to play with.

Again, to me it seems like you have no clue what so ever about what you are talking about.

I don't care what you use. I don't even care what I use. What I use could say CRAPBOX on the label and would not change my mind one bit. Unlike for some people, a product is not a church to me. Unlike for some people, a company is not a religion to me. I can choose whatever product suits my needs best. Some of you hold Android brand so close to your heart, its very disturbing.

I don't care what you use. I don't even care what I use. It could say CRAPBOX on the label and would not change my mind one bit. Unlike for some people, a product is not a church to me. Unlike for some people, a company is not a religion to me. I can choose whatever product suits my needs best. Some of you hold Android brand so close to your heart, its very disturbing.

Ahh, good to see that my points against yours are pretty spot on then.

Oh also, just because you choose a product that suits your needs best doesn't means a single thing that the product you choose is any good at all compared to other products of the same type.

As a user, I agree that a few flashy animations and overly complicated and customization software does not make Android products empirically better either, although it gives you more things to play with.

Except I never made that claim. Whether Android is better than iOS is a matter of a user's opinion. However Android does offer more features and options than iOS. That's an empirical fact.

I don't care what you use. I don't even care what I use. What I use could say CRAPBOX on the label and would not change my mind one bit. Unlike for some people, a product is not a church to me. Unlike for some people, a company is not a religion to me. I can choose whatever product suits my needs best. Some of you hold Android brand so close to your heart, its very disturbing.

I own a Windows 7 PC, I browse with Chrome, I download my emails with Outlook, I game with Steam and Origin, I own an Android phone, and I use Neutron MP to listen to my music. Please quit with the tiresome trolling.

Android does offer more features and options than iOS. That's an empirical fact.

And is also fairly irrelevant to most users. Which should be obvious when you replace Android with Linux and iOS with Windows in that sentence of yours

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It suggests the universe's first generation of stars formed much later than previously assumed. Einstein's 100-year-old theory: Thanks to relativity, researchers calculated that clocks on Mars tick 477 microseconds faster per day than on Earth. This minute gravitational difference is crucial for synchronizing future interplanetary space missions. Don't panic: NASA's James Webb Telescope finally eliminated the threat of asteroid 2024 YR4 striking the moon in 2032. The rocky giant will give us a safe fly-by without causing any harm. This week in gaming? The latest issue of Pulasthi's Weekend PC Game Deals curates several exciting games on sale this week. RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 Complete Edition and Voidwrought have replaced the old titles in this week's Epic Games Store giveaway. For Xbox Free Play Days, the new titles include House Flipper 2, Blades of Fire, and Assetto Corsa Competizione. Steam Summer Sale 2026 kicked off with discounts for everything from the newest games and retro gems to all sorts of DLC packs, until July 9. Meanwhile, NVIDIA GeForce NOW added support for several new titles, including Dark Scrolls, SAND: Raiders of Sophie, and EMPULSE. That said, here are some more stories from the gaming world: Age of Empires Mobile comes to PC, here's how to carry over progress from your phone Xbox Insiders get Xbox 360 achievements and Gamertag character upgrades Grand Theft Auto VI pricing revealed alongside Ultimate Edition and pre-loading details Sony announces Bungie layoffs that will affect "significant number of employees" From the review corner This week, Steven published a review of the TerraMaster F4-425 Pro AI-powered NAS, featuring an all-metal exterior on the lines of the four-bay F4-425 series. Powered by the octa-core Intel Core N350, the TerraMaster F4-425 Pro is highly energy-efficient, operates quietly, and offers three M.2 slots. On the flip side, OpenClaw support requires removing security hardening (SPC), AI requires a paid subscription, the software feels like a beta, and the rubber feet constantly come unstuck. ZimaBoard 2 1664 Starter Kit Another NAS setup reviewed this week is the ZimaBoard 2 by IceWhale Technology. It comes in a small footprint with great modern hardware through a combo of Intel N150 and DDR5 memory support. On the downside, the memory is not upgradeable, ZimaOS is a bit barebones, factory reset requires USB flashing, and there is no automatic backup via the mobile app. Synology's BeeCamera software Christopher wrote his review of the software that powers BeeCamera Plus and said "the BeeCamera app is a great way to add private home monitoring to your network but there are some limitations." It's free with an easy setup process, fast response time, and good AI and detection features. However, there is no desktop version; it only works with Synology cameras, some configurations are difficult to set up on a phone, and it lacks the features of the surveillance station. More price drops! We got you covered with some hot tech deals all week. For some reason, if you missed out on a great discount, here is a summary of some recent deals that are still alive: Onkyo Dolby Atmos AV receivers are really solid deals 4TB TEAMGROUP MP44Q, 2TB T-Force G50, and 2TB WD My Passport SSDs drop to great prices Edifier S3000MKII hi-fi audiophile grade bookshelf speaker is at its lowest price now The best controller for XBOX and PC is down to the lowest price Limited time Prime Day deal cuts price of this Hisense 65" 4K smart TV in half To view all of our recent deals, click here. So, these were some of the biggest tech news and other updates from this week. There will be more issues of our 7 Days series in the coming weeks and months, so stay tuned. You can also support Neowin by registering for a free member account or subscribing to extra member benefits, along with an ad-free tier option. Have a great weekend!
    • Zen Browser 1.21.4b by Razvan Serea Zen Browser is a privacy-focused, open-source web browser built on Mozilla Firefox, offering users a secure and customizable browsing experience. It emphasizes privacy by blocking trackers, ads, and ensuring your data isn't collected. With Zen Mods, users can enhance their browser experience with various customization options, including features like split views and vertical tabs. The browser is designed for efficiency, providing fast browsing speeds and a lightweight interface. Zen Browser prioritizes user control over the browsing experience, offering a minimal yet powerful alternative to traditional web browsers while keeping your online activity private. Zen Browser’s DRM limitation Zen Browser currently lacks support for DRM-protected content, meaning streaming services like Netflix and HBO Max are inaccessible. This is due to the absence of a Widevine license, which requires significant costs and is financially unfeasible for the developer. Additionally, applying for this license would require Zen to be part of a larger company, similar to Mozilla or Brave. Therefore, DRM-protected media won't be supported in Zen Browser for the foreseeable future. Zen Browser offers features that improve user experience, privacy, and customization: Privacy-Focused: Blocks trackers and minimizes data collection. Automatic Updates: Keeps the browser updated with security patches. Zen Mods: Customizable themes and layouts. Workspaces: Organize tabs into different workspaces. Compact Mode: Maximizes screen space by minimizing UI elements. Zen Glance: Quick website previews. Split Views: View multiple tabs in the same window. Sidebar: Access bookmarks and tools quickly. Vertical Tabs: Manage tabs vertically. Container Tabs: Separate browsing sessions. Fast Profile Switcher: Switch between profiles easily. Tab Folders: Organize tabs into folders. Customizable UI: Personalize browser interface. Security Features: Inherits Firefox’s robust security. Fast Performance: Lightweight and optimized for speed. Zen Mods Customization: Deep customization with mods. Quick Access: Easy access to favorite websites. Open Source: Built on Mozilla Firefox with community collaboration. Community-Driven: Active development and feedback from users. GitHub Repository: Contribute and review the source code. Zen Browser 1.21.4b changelog: New Features Updated to Firefox 152.0.2 and 152.0.3 Added 'Edit pinned tab' context menu item to manually set a pinned tab's URL Added 'Add Route for Domain' context menu item to quickly add a tab's domain to the Space Routing settings Fixes Prevent sidebar from flickering when moving a tab (#14131) Full-screening while on a glance tab will now expand the glance tab to a normal tab (#11766) Fixed space routing tabs opening in background when it should be in foreground (#14183) Other minor bug fixes and improvements. Download: Zen Browser | 90.2 MB (Open Source) Download: Zen Browser ARM64 | Other Operating Systems View: Zen Browser Home Page | Screenshots 1 | 2 | Reddit Get alerted to all of our Software updates on Twitter at @NeowinSoftware
    • I was using searxng for about a year , self hosted, but results were starting to timeout and eventually it became unusable so I switched to degoog. Much better for my needs, more polished and add-ons like maps and calculations etc
    • Fake Superman doing the Anti-Trump PR for us, good man !
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