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Netflix for iPhone/iPod Touch is finally here
I’ve been waiting for Netflix to release it’s mobile app for quite a while and now that it’s here, I am addicted as I’m sure many others are. I do wonder what this means for AT&T’s network load and how much longer the service will be a free part of my subscription.
If you already have a Netflix account, it’s a matter of installing the app and entering your credentials before you’re on your way to your first movie. If you don’t, free trials are available on their site or through iTunes and then it’s just $8.99/month for a subscription thereafter. Not having cable or a TV Screen at home, Netflix, Hulu Plus and YouTube are my main source for videos and let me tell you that with this addition, I am very well covered. If you do have a TV screen that is not connected to a video source, some AV cables from your iPhone to the screen can make watching movies at home a pleasure.
The app is very simple and does not offer any functionality other than watching and finding movies which I am fine with as there are quite a few other apps that let me reorder/add movies to my queue. One neat feature is the ability to resume the very last video played from your Netlfix account. I hope this can be expanded to the three most recent videos watched, like the website version, as it can get inconvenient when there are multiple users on the same account.
It’s possible to stream the videos on Wifi and 3G. I found the video quality to be extremely high on my iPhone 4 with either connection. However, I have found that the assets for the app itself have not been optimized for the iPhone 4 which takes away from the experience a little. Also, purely from a design stand-point, I’m not sure I would have placed the play button in the center of the video cover. It’s very often that the visuals draws me into a movie and in some cases, the play button covers the face of the lead actor, which I find distracting.
Aside from the nitpicky design issues, the app delivers. Now, in all fairness, the Android version needs to be released.
Take a look at the preview video:
Netflix iPhone App Video from Netflix on Vimeo.
By Gülay Birand
Published: August 29, 2010
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Tagged In: Visual Diary of Trans-Atlantic Flight
I sympathized with so many of the sketches and they each capture a painful aspect of long-distance air travel so well. I also love the concept of a visual diary. I think I’ll try to explore this a bit more on my travels. It aptly demonstrates so many things words can’t. Enjoy!
http://niemann.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/03/red-eye/
By Gülay Birand
Published: August 20, 2010
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T-Mobile G2x with Google
Another fun project I had the opportunity to contribute to. The long anticipated T-Mobile G2 is on it’s way:
The T-Mobile® G1® was the world’s first Android™ -powered phone. Launched nearly two years ago, it created an entirely new class of mobile phones and apps. Its successor, the T-Mobile G2™ with Google™, will continue the revolution.
The T-Mobile G2 will deliver tight integration with Google services and break new ground as the first smartphone designed to run at 4G speeds on our new HSPA+ network. In the coming weeks, we’ll share more details about the G2 and offer exclusive first access to current T-Mobile customers.
By Gülay Birand
Published: August 19, 2010
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How to uninstall a pesky, unresponsive APK
Now that you’ve followed the steps in my previous post on installing an APK on your Android phone, you should be able to uninstall it too. Sometimes, working with non-market, alpha or beta apps can provide unreliable results and lock up and require more unorthodox methods for removal.
I ran into this last week and it took me quite a while to figure out how to get this resolved. After some trial and error and with the help of a co-worker, I finally figured out the best way to do this.
Before doing anything else, try to use the “White Killer” app in order to stop the application. White Killer, albeit unfortunately named, can be found in the Market Place and once installed conveniently, lists all of the apps on your device. You can kill all or just one. How convenient!
Unfortunately, White Killer did not do the trick for me this time around, so I had to resort to drastic measures by mounting the device to my computer as a “drive.” I then uninstalled the app from the device. As usual, my instructions are based on Mac OS but if you need help with Win, just let me know. And please, proceed with caution, once you enter shell.
Here are the steps (I’m assuming you have a device with debugging enabled tethered to your Mac):
- Open Terminal
- Enter the following lines of code:
$ cd AndroidSDK $ cd tools $ ./adb remount remount succeeded $ ./adb shell # cd /system/app # rm [AppName].apk - Now enter
# lsand Voila! The stubborn app should no longer be in the list of apps on your device.
TIP: If you don’t know the file name of the app you’re trying to uninstall, simple enter # ls after # cd /system/app and look for it there.
By Gülay Birand
Published: August 15, 2010
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David Sedaris Makes Me Laugh
If you have a subscription to the New Yorker, I highly recommend you don’t miss out on David Sedaris’s “Standing By,” in the August 9 issue of the New Yorker.
His account of our behavior during, and general frustration surrounding, air travel is a comical revelation only in the way that David Sedaris can describe. I was howling with laughter when I read his commentary regarding American travel attire (washing shoe polish off of a pig, indeed) and how we form awkward alliances with fellow passengers during the sometimes, lengthy waits.
His article also reminds me of Steven Slater’s recent and very dramatic exit from a landed aircraft and his Stewarding career, with beer in hand.
While I love traveling, I don’t include being in transit as part of that – unless somehow my mojo kicks in and I’m assigned a business class seat. Now, that’s tolerable.
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/08/09/100809fa_fact_sedaris
By Gülay Birand
Published: August 14, 2010
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