¶ A Big Day for Tweetbot

Tweetbot 2.0

Tapbots released Tweetbot 2.0 for iPhone and iPod touch today. What was already a really well polished Twitter client is now at a high gloss. My biggest pet peeve has been fixed in the timeline. You used to need to tap twice on an account name or link to activate it, and now it is a single tap.

I also really enjoy how Tapbots has relocated the retweeted by icon and text. Direct messages have been overhauled and display much like the Messages app in iOS 5, but with Tapbots’ signature style.

The coolest little touch is the redesigned notification of how many new tweets have loaded. It sticks to the top of the tweet list, and as you scroll it counts down the number of remaining new tweets. Like I said, it’s a nice touch.

Tweetbot for iPad

But that wasn’t all Tapbots was up to today. They also released Tweetbot for iPad, which is a separate app from its smaller-screened sibling.

Tweetbot for iPad is really impressive. Tapbots has paid a lot of attention to detail in the interface and interaction. The layout and flow of the app was designed brilliantly.

If you miss what once was Tweetie, and abhor what Twitter has done with it since acquiring it, you should give Tweetbot a shot. It’s the kind of “everything and the kitchen sink” client that Tweetie was. The iPad experience is fantastic. Most of all, Tweetbot’s polish on both devices makes it feel like a precision instrument.

For $2.99 each, you can buy Tweetbot for iPhone/iPod touch and iPad on the App Store.

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I am a huge Twitterrific advocate. Not only is Twitterrific a universal app, it has a Mac version, and offers the same experience across the board. However, in recent months, Twitterrific has tended to fall behind on the feature list when compared to the competition. I still love Twitterrific and it is my go-to app, mainly because the mindset of its design gels with me. And, after years of using it, I have found that when it starts to lag behind in comparison, it means it is on the verge of a giant update to lap the competition.

¶ If You Mess with the Bull…

About a week and a half ago, patent troll Lodsys started sending out letters to US-based iOS developers claiming they were infringing upon patents held by Lodsys regarding the use of Apple's In-App Purchase system. In a gist, they claimed Apple held a license to these patents, but that license did not trickle down to third-party developers.

This is especially troubling for the iOS ecosystem because the majority of developers are individual people or very small companies. These developers cannot afford a long, drawn out legal battle with a company that exists solely to litigate patent suits. Instead, these developers would just have to pay the license fee. Granted, the fee Lodsys was requesting is quite small and likely wouldn't put too many developers out of business, the problem stands that once one patent troll goes after developers, others will follow.

That would make developing for iOS fairly unattractive. How could a developer trust that a new feature Apple rolls out in the SDK wouldn't invite more licensing fees? Basically, if Lodsys had its way with developers, iOS as a development platform would dry up really fast.

So ever since all this broke, a lot of folks have been waiting to see how Apple would respond.

From Apple Senior Vice President & General Counsel, Bruce Sewell, to Lodsys, LLC, today:

I write to you on behalf of Apple Inc. (“Apple”) regarding your recent notice letters to application developers (“App Makers”) alleging infringement of certain patents through the App Makers’ use of Apple products and services for the marketing, sale, and delivery of applications (or “Apps”). Apple is undisputedly licensed to these patent and the Apple App Makers are protected by that license. There is no basis for Lodsys’ infringement allegations against Apple’s App Makers. Apple intends to share this letter and the information set out herein with its App Makers and is fully prepared to defend Apple’s license rights.

[…]

Under its license, Apple is entitled to offer these licensed products and services to its customers and business partners, who, in turn, have the right to use them.

[…]

Because Apple is licensed under Lodsys’ patents to offer such technology to its App Makers, the App Makers are entitled to use this technology free from any infringement claims by Lodsys.

[…]

Therefore, Apple requests that Lodsys immediately withdraw all notice letters sent to Apple App Makers and cease its false assertions that the App Makers’ use of licensed Apple products and services in any way constitute infringement of any Lodsys patent.

A saying my Dad has favored as long as I can remember comes to mind:

If you mess with the bull, you're going to get the horns.

Well said, Dad. Well said.

iPhone App Essentials

I've seen a few of the folks I follow on Twitter get a Verizon iPhone 4 today, and quickly posed the question of what are the must-have apps. Here's my list:

• A twitter client. My two recommendations are either the official app or my personal favorite, Twitterrific.
• Apple has some great apps. iBooks for reading (fanatastic for PDFs, also comes with a free copy of Winnie-the-Pooh), Remote to control iTunes or an Apple TV, Apple Store which is handy if you ever need to make an appointment at your nearest Apple Store, and an absolute must-have — Find my iPhone. If you don't sign up for this, you will regret it someday. It's a free service Apple provides, so there isn't an excuse.
• 1Password Pro is a great standalone password manager, but it is even better when paired with its Mac or Windows counterpart. I recommend syncing your 1Password keychain over Dropbox.
• Everyone needs a little entertainment in their lives, so I suggest Netflix for watching movies and managing your Instant Queue on the go. Also, Wigglehop is a great way to see what is showing at theaters nearby. And of course, IMDB for when you need to settle a bet about who was in what movie.
• If you fancy Starbucks and have a registered Starbucks Card, get the Starbucks Card Mobile app so you can reload your account and pay for your coffee all from your phone.
• I like to take photos, and my favorite apps to do so besides the standard Camera app are Camera+ and Instagram.
• To keep up on news important to me, I use Instapaper, where I save links for later that I don't have time to currently read, and Reeder to keep up with my RSS subscriptions.
• I'm a big fan of Amazon Mobile, as it allows me to quickly compare prices when I am in a store, and order if the price is right. To track those shipments from Amazon (or anyone else) I use Delivery Status touch. One last shopping related app is Groceries. This app keeps my wife & I sane in the grocery store.
• Lastly, a few utilities: LED Light for iPhone 4 Free does one thing well, and that is turning on the iPhone 4's LED as a flashlight. Have a crooked picture on the wall and want it level? The Stanley Bostitch Level is there for you.

Those are some of my favorites. Enjoy your new iPhone 4.