iOS5 : Missing Apps & Confusing iMessage

One the night of iOS5.0 release, I downloaded the software release with a great anticipation. I have come to trust Apple software releases so, I downloaded and installed the new iOS on my iPhone and iPad overnight. Then two things struck me morning after:

Dude, where are my Apps!

All my downloaded Applications, including purchased ones have disappeared from both the devices. In fact, I found an article on internet (http://recombu.com/news/apple-ios-5-where-has-all-my-stuff-gone_M15518.html) discussing iOS5 beta testing experience. It clearly identified occurrence of this issue and recommendation that one should reconnect their device to iTunes to synch up. So much to PC-Free promise of Apple!

Consumer experience gone extreme

iMessage which is widely spoken as great replacement for Blackberry messaging, left me confused. It is so seamlessly (http://www.macstories.net/stories/ios-5-imessage/) integrated that, we have no control on choice of sending a message as an iMessage or a SMS.

If you want to add ‘Instant Messenger’ ID (an Apple ID) for a contact, it is very cumbersome journey. Even after adding a new field to your contact, you cannot choose the Instant Messenger User ID / Apple ID (like one chooses a mobile number or email ID to compose a SMS or an email) to send an iMessage. This baffles me, because if I want to send a message (e.g. big text, images, & video) as iMessage, I have no control to ensure it will not go via a mobile network and won’t cost me substantially.

Then, I experimented with friend’s contact. I composed a new message, but instead of typing a mobile contact number, I copy pasted the Apple ID. The message title changed to ‘iMessage’ and after clicking send, the Blue bubble appeared indicating it was delivered via internet/iMessage service. When my friend started typing his reply back, I could notice he was replying.

At this moment, this is cumbersome way is the only way I know to send the message to iPad!

Blogging - a dying trend?

I cannot really call myself a blogger as I hardly broke my average of single digit posts per year. However, I do keep reading a lot blogs by others. One of the reason, I used to read regularly a select list of bloggers was that their point of view on latest news, be that of world affairs or latest technology or changing media landscape. They often gave different prospective to own point of view of recent thing on net or at news stand.

However, over last few months, I have noticed that most of these serious bloggers are tweeting their recent find on internet or worst some bloggers are simply referring to those tweets in their posts (read the PS for who is "the worst of all"). I am finding myself 'following' these tweeters. (It has made very close to a virtual stalker, keeping a tab on who's attending which event or speaking at which event.)

With so many URL/Article being just pushed on to us, I started searching for an App or application which can consolidate all the latest articles tweeted and re-tweeted it. A friend of mine (Vikram) shared me recently a web site which allows me create my own Daily Newspapers, consolidating all that I like to read regularly. It is much more than a typical RSS reader as it allows to brings in facebook and tweets feeds to construct the front pages. Check it out : http://paper.li/~/publisher/484658.

From my early days of experimenting with it, a good restriction on select choice of tweets/sites/RSS feeds that you want to link-up is very important. Just like in RSS feed reader where too many subscriptions meant the RSS reader app has a lot of reading to offer at you and soon you lost control of amount of un-read data. I would recommend to have number of specialist Daily Newspaper set up based on narrow choice of feed.

PS: The Worst of All award goes to Times of India(TOI). TOI has uncanny ability to construct a front page news report from a single tweet by chosen famous person (in Indian context)!