Chatime User Experience

Chatime has been around in Malaysia for quite a few months. Though not as trendy as before, it still has its place as a casual beverage.

So what has made them special? It is the “User (Drinker) Experience”!

You will never run out of Pearls (or any other topping). It seems that Chatime has measured just the right amount of toppings for their drinks. Eventually, you will end up with extra toppings at the end of the drink most of the time.

That’s why sometimes Chatime employees can be quite defensive and rigid with the way you customize your drinks. Chatime tends to believe that they have everything measured in place for the best drinking experience.

Thoughts on Facebook Approach to Mobile

Facebook recently released a Camera app called Facebook Camera on the Apple Appstore for iOS. It is essentially like Instagram, a quick way to digest photos posted by friends and also a simplified way to get your mobile photos onto Facebook.

Not long ago Facebook released several mobile apps like Page Manager and Messenger.

It seems like each app serves a specific purpose to help user quickly get things done. This is judging on the fact that the Facebook App is so bloated that it needs to load many many stuff like Messages, Wall Posts, News Feed, Images, and so on.

Looking at that, Facebook seems to be trying to split each components into separate apps such that they would perform faster ( quickly look at photos, quickly take pictures, quickly reply friends, etc. ).

I wouldn’t be surprised to find more apps coming from Facebook probably an Event app, Group app, and more.

This is crucial because they may lead towards a better Advertising platform on their mobile space and also towards the rumored ‘building their own phone’.

Advertising Platform - With each app being entirely focused on what they are doing, Facebook can choose to diverse the way they serve their ads. Camera app can serve ads that are focused on pictures, Event app can serve ads that are focused on stuff that are happening around you, things like that. 

‘Building Their Own Phone’ - Facebook Camera seems to be named in a way that its a camera by Facebook. If they were to build a Facebook Phone, each components of Facebook will act as a separate entity like Camera, Messenger, Page Manager, Event, Group, … just like how iOS name their apps like Calendar, Messages, Maps, and so on. Pretty generic name right?

In my opinion it seems that the directions on the way Facebook is deploying their mobile apps are heading towards these directions. Ads and a Facebook Phone!

Thoughts on Personalization

This information age, data is everywhere and we began to see plenty of services and apps out there that harnesses these abundant data for personalization.

I am sure you have come across a few personalize apps like some personalized magazine, personalized deal sites, personalized music app, and so on.

They tailor content based on your interest and gets better over time based on your behavior (what you like what not) and also social signals.

It may be just me but these services have an initial setup process. This setup process ask what you’re interested in. For instance a deal site may ask if you like outdoor activities, fine dining, and so on. While a personalized magazine would ask what topic you’re interested in reading.

This is all good, but the problem i am having with such services is that it discourage discovery. I may not be interested in outdoor activities right now, but i may do so sometime later. However, i may be lazy or tend to forget to include that into my personalized app.

Plus, how will i pick up new interest when i personalized the app specific to what i am currently only interested in?

There’s definitely plenty more work to be done in making personalization much much better and seamless.

Google Plus Needs to Open Fast

Facebook recently rolled in a bunch of features like video call, group messaging, privacy control, and location status message. They are all quite in sync with answering to Google Plus’ features.

Facebook is doing it right here by taking some features they learned from Google Plus. Google Plus may have all these awesome features like Circles, Hangouts, Sparks, Privacy Control, and such but only a certain percentage of the world are able to enjoy it. Business owners and the rest will just have to wait.

How much longer does Google intend to keep Plus closed?

It will only be a matter of time before Facebook catches up with Google Plus in terms of features. After all they already have the users, there is no reason for Facebook users to migrate over to Plus.

Learn by Doing

We are living in one of the best time in technology history (which hope that it gets better and better). There are many data out there (given via APIs) for us to access to build cool stuff. There are plentiful of framework that helps us build applications quickly and securely. Plus, there is Google, where information and reference for something that you are unsure of is just around the corner.

So why not, take the opportunity to build something real, perhaps application for mobile devices, desktop, web, anything at all; even tangible physical stuff. As long as the development time spent yields something real, high chance that you will get a sense of satisfaction when it is completed.

While there are just so many great technologies out there that changes almost everyday. How are we going to keep up with it or pick them up to build stuff with it?

Your best bet is to learn by doing it.

For instance, I have always wanted to learn how to develop applications for the iPhone. You could be reading programming books day and night, follow their little sample code, and assume that you get it. In my case, i realized that as soon as i reached the end of the book, i have forgotten 50% of the stuff that i have read.

I decided on a different approach. Instead set sight on a project, it does not have to be fancy; maybe an app that calculates tip or an app that tabulates some data, anything at all. Start building it, and that would allow you to think about how are you going to work around the available tools to get that working. There is a high chance that you will reach a dead end. When that happens, pick up your book for reference on how to solve that. Or even go online and start Googling about the problem. Since those references can only help you so much, you be given room to think about the problem and start trying until you get it working. What you get at the end? Sense of satisfaction for getting a feature to work and also a big picture on how the tools and technology actually work.

So go on build something real. Not sure what in the world JSON is about? Look for an API that spits out JSON, and start parsing it and you will understand its purpose and how to bend it at your will..

Turntable.fm - Simple Gamification for all

Turntable.fm easily became the hit of the web. It is essentially a site to listen to music, like Pandora, instead the music selections are powered by actual real human users.

So how does Turntable.fm convince users to get involve in selecting music for others to listen?Gamification! It works in a way that you could be a DJ of a room, taking the role of searching for music for a specific genre. Listeners will then rate the music selection to be Lame or Awesome. So, the more Likes you get from fellow listeners, the better your credibility thus will be able to upgrade your avatar.

After using Turntable.fm for about a day or two, i find one thing smart about it in adopting Gamification. Whereby, regular users who do not wish to put too much commitment in the game, will still be able to easily use the application.

Turntable.fm caters to both type of users.

1) Music experts 

Music experts can now unleash their potential in recommending songs to the mass and at the same time play the game feature of obtaining awesome avatars.

2) Normal users

Normal users like me (at least for now) will get the benefit too by listening and discovering new music by experts. Plus it is not too hard to get involve, anyone could anytime be a DJ and contribute, or perhaps as easy as liking a music played by other DJ to feel involved in the community.

Turntable.fm will definitely be an interesting follow as they scale their app and eventually figure out a business model to keep them around.

Native or Cross Platform Development

I have only recently got into mobile development both during my spare time and also at work. I did not just get into a specific platform and build apps for it. In fact, earlier ago, there was a class project that requires me to build a simplified VOIP app for Android, then working on some native iPhone application, and also looking into the option of using Cross Platform tool like PhoneGap. Doing all those allowed me to ponder why these options co-exist. What are the drawbacks and benefits of using either one of those tools, Native or Cross Platform?

In my opinion, there is a place for each one of those. So back to the saying of “using the right tool for the right job” and here is my take on it.

Go Cross Platform when you are “Focusing on getting as many eye balls possible on your app, willing to take an extra step to accomplish something, and do not have much concern for making money on the app store”. To break them down…

1) Focusing on getting as many eye balls possible

When your application is cross platform, you will very likely be using web technologies to build the app. Having that, you will build the app beginning with HTML, CSS, and Javascript. That means you should be able to display that app on any web browser. From that point on, you will then turn it into a native-like app experience using PhoneGap and probably Sencha Touch UI (something that i have worked with) so they can be submitted to the mobile app stores. You will be able to reach customers who are using web browser and regardless of what sort of mobile phones they are using.

2) an extra step to accomplish something

Cross platform tools can create native-like app experience. Note “native-like”, what that really meant was using the Webview feature of native tool to create an illusion that users are engage in a native application. What this really mean was that, you will not be able to achieve full native support. Say for example, if you are using PhoneGap, yes you will have access to various native phone API like camera, accelerometer, compass and so on. Still there are some API that are missing like loading a map on screen or trying to load a web page within an app. However, i have found there are talented people out there who are hacking their way by creating plugins to load mapview or perhaps create their on mini webview to be integrated into PhoneGap. Plus, mobile platforms are moving really fast with introduction of new APIs and features. So cross platform tools have to keep up with those progress fast enough to ensure developers are not late into the game. Nevertheless, to achieve something, you will have to dig it, do it yourself, or hack your way through.

3) without concern for making money through the app store

So when you are targeting a cross platform audience, you probably don’t really have a target niche audience that you would like to serve. Since cross platform tools are used, users will definitely be able to tell the difference between using your app as compared to an app built using native tool. There are competitors in almost every platform that are using native tools to do something that you’re doing as well. There is a very high possibility that users would end up purchasing those native apps instead. Your best bet is to serve it through advertisement, since you are getting a wider audience. That might not pay as much as raw purchases but still it does help.

Go Native when your “Goal is to serve a niche set of customer, focusing on user experience, making money on the app store, and to create complex animation intensive application”. To break them down…

1) Goal is to serve a niche set of customer

You will need to be able to tell the characteristics of an iPhone, Android, or Blackberry user. By knowing what kind of app customers of each platform are expecting, and would like to just serve them; you will probably be well off building your app using native tools to do just that. There is no need to do anything extra by going cross platform since that is your only concern. For instance, Android users are more incline towards apps that are free and user interface design goes second. iPhone users would buy anything on the app store so long as it has a good user experience. Each platform framework will provide you the tool to create an app that does just that.

2) focusing on user experience and make money on the app store

So when you are using native tools, you are following the philosophy/footsteps of the platform provider. Apple has a few native apps that they ship with the iPhone (eg. Mail, Contacts, Photo, Camera) and also couple of other optional apps in the app store (eg. Pages, iMovie, Garage Band). Apple is setting an example on what may be an ideal app that a user would use. When you use the iPhone UIKit native framework, you will be damn well sure that you can create the same sort of experience as those apps done by Apple. Right now with over 400,000 apps in the AppStore to model after, you can be sure to be as successful as them. There is definitely money to be made in each platform’s app store since users are willing to pay for an awesome experience.

3) creating complex animation intensive application

Cross Platform tools like PhoneGap and Sencha Touch as far as i know utilizes heavily on Javascript and CSS to produce animation on screen. Since web browsers on mobile phones today aren’t fast enough, you will not get the exact same snapiness as you would from a native application. Plus, there isn’t really much tool out there to even create awesome HTML5 Javascript animated application on a desktop web (but you could try Hype for Mac). Your best bet is to play by the platform provider’s integrated developmental environment which comes pack with drawing framework and debugging tool to help create custom animated applications.

Yeah so it’s the “right tool for the right job”

Core Apps + Tons Tons of Apps = Everyone

Yesterday DHH wrote an article on only using 10 apps on the iPhone, and they happen to all be core applications developed by Apple.

Based on my observation, turns out that statement is true, but it does not apply to everyone. Not everyone would have core applications making up 90% of their must-use apps.

In fact, the significance of the 200,000 apps in the App Store give users choice to mix match their ‘daily most used apps’.

If the user is a cook who spends most of his/her time in the kitchen, a recipe app would be in one of the 10 most used apps. Surely, the usage of core applications perhaps like Phone, Maps, Camera, etc.. intersects with other users ( journalist, contractor, teacher, etc.. ). But the outlier remaining 10%-20% of the apps used most of the time could vary, and that’s the reason why the App Store is such a vibrant ecosystem.

Any regular user would want to purchase an iDevice (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch), because he or she will get all the goodies from the core apps, and some additional apps that fills his/her daily need.

Ofcourse, it is possible to just use Safari to browse for any information alive on the planet. And that is my preferred way of consuming blogs and news as i could navigate between various news source while waiting for other news source to load. I can’t do that on an app. While there are some, who would prefer only reading a single news source, being inside the wonderful experience of a native app.

So my point is that, everybody is different, everyone has their own ‘daily most used apps’. They won’t realize that most of the time they have been using core applications. Plus the existence of the App Store opens up wider possibilities for any type of users to began using and love an iDevice. That is exactly why Google, HP, Microsoft, and RIM are trying to woo developers into their platform. To have essential core apps plus tons and tons of apps to fill up the niche of every other users alive.

Core Apps + Tons Tons of Apps = Everyone


Facebook Extends Its Reign in the Internet with the Send Button

Facebook has just introduced another feature into its Social Plugin called Send. It is basically an extension to the well-loved Like button.

Well, the Like button was really powerful. For one reason, it is really simple for anyone to connect Facebook to their online content even without needing any web developmental skills. And ofcourse, when a Facebook user like a content, it becomes visible to all his or her friends, and that content spreads like wildfire.

Now comes the Send button, which is really easy to add to your site or extend an existing Like button. When a user shares a content with their Facebook friend, the shared content shows up in their Messages. I am thinking there are a few reasons to why Facebook is pushing out this feature.

  1. Sharing Becomes Super Easy
    • On the Share interface, you could type a name of a friend or a group to share the content with. And it seems to me that there isn’t any limit to how many you can share with.
  2. Email Is a Second Thought
    • Because your Facebook friends and groups show up on the fly as you type, although you can share a content to an email address, that may become a second thought. It is much simpler to share content via Facebook when you don’t have to remember what’s your friend’s email address.
    • Eventually users will get more and more used to sharing stuff personally via Facebook
  3. Control Who You Are Sharing With
    • When you Like a content, it shows up on your profile and your friend’s feed. But when you share, you are able to pick and choose who you intend to share with.
    • Simple, nice, and does the job. Who wouldn’t use that?
  4. Encouraging Users To Group Their Friends
    • Just a guess, but users may somehow learn about the Share feature, and may be more inclined to group their friends. The Share feature has not enable user to share by friend list, but this could be a driving force towards that as user somehow learn how they can restrict what they would share online

Anyhow these are just my guesses. I will never know what’s Facebook’s true intention on having another social button appearing online beside the Like button until maybe sometime later, but it surely is extending its reign in the internet.

iPhone App for Coffee Freaks - Barista App

As someone who recently got into brewing espresson type coffee, after getting a medium scale espresso machine on Amazon, i am inclined to use the ‘coffee’ keyword in searching the Apple AppStore. I will never know what i would get, maybe some ornate coffee recipe? some guidelines in making great espressos? stuff like that.

Well, i happened to stumble upon a really beautiful and useful iPhone app, called Barista.

Few things i must say about this app,

1) A must have for home barista

It teaches you everything from how to brew an Americano up to making an Affogato. They can all be accomplished with the most basic tools and espresso machine.

2) Video Tutorials

Barista also includes videos on how to pour some latte arts and also the basics of using an espresso machine. Sure you could pull out Youtube and get tons and tons of brewing tutorial video, but i think this app really nailed it with the right angle and clear camera resolution.

3) First step to becoming a better barista

Sometimes when you are interested in brewing espressos, you have no idea where and how to start. This app points you to the right direction on the whats and hows. It is loadful of information explaining the definition of the type of espresso drinks out there, buzzwords ( maybe you won’t get lost when talking to other fellow barista at a local Starbucks ), and some quick tips to get a good espresso done. After using this app, you could perhaps be on your own feet to further extend your barista knowledge.

4) “Made with love” User Interface

It is obvious that the developer has spent quite some time designing the user interface of the application. It is very clean, easy on the eyes, and the color scheme choice is just right. This makes the app experience on looking up for recipes a joy!

With all that, then again you could always go around the internet to look for these information. It would be pretty fragmented to look for different pieces of information (video tutorials, definitions, tips, etc.. ). This app packages everything into one beautiful well made user experience.

So yeah, in short, interested in brewing your own mocha, latte, or espresso in your comfort of your home without knowing where to start? Check out the Barista app on the AppStore at $2.99 now.