Facebook has done the dirty on the Birthday Reminders Applications, by implementing birthday notifcation into Facebook by default.

This has to be one of the biggest drawbacks to any closed system, you can create something really great. So great infact that the 'company' notices and then makes there own version, or something so similar as to avoid lawsuits. Whilst it is true in the past Apple has paid for these features such as CoverFlow and the new visulaiser in iTunes 8. There is nothing to stop them, a small company simply cannot afford to take them on, in such a situation.

Firstly, take a look at the iPhone. Its a fantastically designed device, and the attention to detail is insane - that's not to say the Android platform isn't. But it is a sensible justification that the platform needs to slightly closed to allow a continuity of quality to be maintained. Secondly, the iTunes to iPhone facility has yet to face any real competition, its far from perfect but there is a seamless connection from buying to using. You click buy and the app or music is downloaded and synced to your phone, without having to drag and drop, move or do anything manually. However there is growing concern that the closed nature of the platform will be its undoing see Pull My Finger [1]

Lets be fair, the Android platform does has some major advantages. Anything, anyone and everything can be developed for it, its open. The Android developers needn't be the best usability experts, they just wait for the experts to develop there own slick UI for the system - but here in lies a pitfall, how open is open. For instance T-Mobile have already said that the G1 shouldn't be used as at tethered device [2], and there are also limits to how much you can actually do, before it starts to impact on stability of the system, something vitally important if it is to really go head to head with the iPhone.

I am all for the open platform, but the average Joe consumer it makes no difference, really super cool device (iPhone) or clunky lucking no the less cool device (T-Mobile G1) 

So open shouldn't really be open?

I think the main problem with an open platform is you end up with far too much choice, which is fine for a geek. The average consumer wants simple, so I would hope that there are some very clear limits placed on developing for the Android, i.e. you can use this much and no more, you can't access the ... etc this means that stability can be maintained. 

Its the problem Microsoft has always had, you can't be all things to all people and you can't ensure everything works all of the time, which in-part open source solves the problem. But also pretty soon you can end up with the same phone running radically different programs and processes. Whilst some people may favor this model, it isn't good business. Especially when going after the Goliath that the iPhone has become.

The Android Platform and the G1 have promise but I don't think this iteration of the idea will make much of a dent on the iPhone at least not with the core consumer, but I can see the early adopters of the world moving of to Android.

As a developer I would develop for both, as I consumer I would have the iPhone, as a Geek I would have the Android. So I will end up with both in my pocket.

Written whilst listening to TWiT 162

One important thing to note was Steve Job's committed to pricing the new 8gb iPhone at no more that $199US in all 70 countries the iPhone 3g will be sold in by the end of the year. I hope this is the signal of a much bigger push by Apple to price equivalently in all countries. That said they create products people will gladly pay for in some cases even twice such as myself who will be upgrading come July 11th once again.

Surprisingly the announcement of OS X 10.6 dubbed Snow Leopard was pushed from the forefront of the announcement, giving credence to the fact it will not be a stability release just a fit and polish release to keep ahead of the competition. Also .mac will be no longer and be replaced by mobile me, which has to be an improvement of the aging .mac name and technology.

It was a bit of a let down in the fact that Steve had very little stage time, some reported as usually steve looked ill.

Shock Horror - There was no one more thing.

• iPhone 2, 
• iPhone App Store
• New Firmware for existing iPhones
• New Version of OS X 10.6 - Snow Leopard - Nice and shiny none feature release
• New Cinema Displays
• Updated Macbook Pro's 
• Twitter will die - Twitter Blog
• Lets not forget the one more thing that no one guesses, my money is on a Yellow Submarine iPhone and all the Beetles back catalogue on iTunes

Get a grip O2, even AT&T can offer Data plans for outside the US to iPhone customers.

EDGE

Whoa! The iPhone is only 2.5G phone, run! Well in all honesty the EDGE coverage is poor although I can get it most places where I go, it ain't to slow and even out of EDGE areas webpages load pretty damn fast. Its not youtube fast but it gets the job done.

Camera

2 Megapixels is that all? Well this is something that has bothered me, but not for the reason you may be thinking of. I have yet to use a camera on any phone, if I want to take a picture I have a dedicated camera for it. Though 'cameraphones' are getting much better there are still no match to a good quality dedicated camera

Price

This point I actually agree with and I think like our American cousins, we will get shafted for at least £100 come January, but do you know what I don't really care. It would be nice if there was a Pay-As-You-Go option but then I can't see anyway for o2 to make money.

The rest of the package is spot on, iPod and Phone work perfectly (not that I call many people) I am looking forward to the SDK, but may hack apptap on there before too long.

•  UK Shipping Date for iPhone and Network
• Proper SDK for iPhone, or just we are working on one. Not just make a website
• Leopard Shipping by the end of this week
• A killer feature of Leopard, not just the evolutionary stuff. Something we can all taunt the windows users with
• More use of Steveisms "boom" "Glass of ice water in hell" etc

What we have got though is a solid Safari update that works 10times better than the old version, another tool to get people to switch (Safari on Windows ofcourse) Clear detail on leopard, and just how much more polished than Tiger it is.  As for my experience with safari, I have had Safari 3 open all day, Google Reader hasn't frozen up. All my plugins work even Inquisitor (http://www.inquisitorx.com/safari/)

Search within pages works just like Firefox with abit more fancy pants animation and highlighting. Now the only thing that Safari for Windows needs is a GPO template for Windows Server, then the holy grail has been cracked. This is the only thing stopping me from deploying Safari or Firefox on the networks I admin.

Whilst the Announcements may not have been a giant leap. They certainly were a jump in the right direction. 

I wasn't expecting the keynote to end without the usual iLife and iWork Updates (though it does save my wallet) I was already and prepared to shell out for it. I can only imagine that some sort of update will be coming with Leopard to entice me, not that I Really need that much enticing.

Apple Inc. Well done, you still manage to prove the rumors right about something but wrong about the actual hardware itself and also have put to bed the most recurring rumor ever.