i am jdw's tumble log

In June of 2010 there was an AT&T webserver on the open Internet. There was an API on this server, a URL with a number at the end. If you incremented this number, you saw the next iPad 3G user email address. I thought it was egregiously negligent for AT&T to be publishing a complete target list of iPad 3G owners, and I took a sample of the API output to a journalist at Gawker.

I did this because I despised people I think are unjustly wealthy and wanted to embarass them. I thought this is the United States of America where we have the right to do basic arithmetic and query public webservers.

I was convicted of two consecutive five-year felonies, and am now awaiting sentencing.

If you installed iOS 6 on your iPhone this week, you might have noticed that the new Maps app from Apple are somewhat lacking. Not only are the maps spotty (or flat-out wrong) in places, the app is missing public transit directions, which iOS users had gotten used to in the old Google-powered maps. Fortunately, the new app is built to hook into third-party apps for transit directions, and I think I’ve found a good one.

City Maps by Lumatic is a free transit app that covers 27 metropolitan areas in the U.S. so far. It provides step-by-step walking and public transit directions with street-level photos, nearby businesses and landmarks to get you oriented. The transit directions don’t just show schedules; they plan your whole route for you. The app also brings up Foursquare, Yelp and Facebook info for business, so you can quickly judge the quality of a place.

Prior to Apple, most product manufacturers treated the user experience and clean design as an afterthought. Now a consumer friendly design is generally considered table stakes, and companies who expect their products to be embraced in the market know a superior UE needs to be part of how they differentiate themselves. 

But when design elements (like rounded corners) and simple interactions (like pinch and zoom) can be patented, it effectively kills opportunities for innovation in the future. Certainly it’s going to have a chilling effect on companies developing new products, who now feel their need to tiptoe their designs around possible patent infringement.

So while I’m not crying for Samsung’s monetary loss, I do basically agree with the sentiments they expressed after the ruling today:

Today’s verdict should not be viewed as a win for Apple, but as a loss for the American consumer. It will lead to fewer choices, less innovation, and potentially higher prices. It is unfortunate that patent law can be manipulated to give one company a monopoly over rectangles with rounded corners, or technology that is being improved every day by Samsung and other companies. Consumers have the right to choices, and they know what they are buying when they purchase Samsung products. This is not the final word in this case or in battles being waged in courts and tribunals around the world, some of which have already rejected many of Apple’s claims. Samsung will continue to innovate and offer choices for the consumer

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