iOS4 brought a lot of changes to the iPhone and iPod Touch, including multitasking. However, there are still areas which remain surprisingly clunky. Chief among them is updates. Let’s start with app updates.

I’ll start with the premise that updates, at least those done through the update mechanism of the App Store, are generally both free and useful. Sure, occasionally there are bugs, but these are typically resolved quickly. I keep myself up to date by regularly loading the App Store app and checking for updates. This is ridiculous. I’m better that many people don’t do this, and as a result are running old and potentially buggy versions of software. Updates should work like Apple’s own Software Update on the Mac. At some regular interval, the user should be alerted that there are updates available and be given the option of installing them. Even better would be the ability to set a time of day to download and install updates automatically. This would benefit greatly from a better notification system, but Apple would be crazy not to be working on that now.

OS updates are another chore. Right now, even the most minor OS update requires tethering via USB to a computer – no, to THE computer you sync with. There needs to be some way to push out simple bug fixes without being stuck synching with a desktop, which many people rarely do. I understand the advantage of being able to back up before any software update, and this should be an option. At the very least, the user should be alerted that an update is available and it’s time to plug in.

The iPad has ben a far bigger hit than I would have anticipated, but having used one for the past several months I understand why. The touch interface is natural to use and easily grasped by even technophobes, and the large screen makes for a more pleasant reading and browsing experience than the iPhone. Furthermore, it’s light weight, compact form factor, and impressively long battery life make it more natural for using as a content viewer than a laptop.

But it’s not perfect.

A few things Apple needs to tackle for the next iPad:

• front facing camera – this would make a great FaceTime device, though the will be more risk of the lack of perceived eye contact that comes from the distance between the camera and screen. This will be there, no question.
• lighter weight – even though it’s considerably lighter than most laptops, the iPad still feels heavy, because it looks like you should be able to comfortably hold it in one hand. You can hold it in one hand, but I wouldn’t say it’s comfortable.
• higher resolution screen – the screen looks downright pixelated, especially in contrast to the amazing iPhone 4 retina display.
• Lower price – competitors will arrive sooner or later, and the will be cheaper. Unless Apple goes for the kill with volume pricing.

I’m not sure if all this will be possible with one device – it sounds like there may be a potential split in the line with two different sized devices, perhaps with other differentiators. I don’t yet have a sense of what a 7 inch iPad would be like, but it might work if it came along with a lighter weight and the same overall resolution.

I finally got my free black bumper for my iPhone 4 last night. I forced myself to keep it on to get a good feel for how well it works. Some thoughts:

• it doesn’t look as bad as I expected. Not as sleek as the bumperless phone, but not bad
• it’s less slippery in the hand since the bumper is a bit rubbery
• it is harder to get the phone in and out of my pocket
• it’s not as comfortable to hold and feels bulkier
• it fits fairly well, but once in a while there’s a little shift in position, which makes an otherwise solid phone feel less solid

Overall, I’d say it’s not worth it unless you really can’t avoid the “death grip”. The bumper’s coming off tonight.

I had a little adventure with my shiny new iPhone 4 over the past weekend. I was at the beach with my young son, who was splashing about in the ocean water when I thought…wouldn’t this make a great video? I hadn’t brought my camcorder with me, but I did happen to have my iPhone 4 with it’s rather impressive video capabilities. I reached into my pocket, as I’ve done effortlessly many times before and pulled it out of my pocket.

Maybe I was distracted by my mental planning of the perfect shot, or maybe my hands were just a little moistened by the ocean air, but my usual solid grasp on the phone failed me.. I watched, as if in slow motion, the phone slipped from my hands and tumbled downward into the shallow ocean water. I reacted quickly, knowing that even my lightning reflexes would likely be too slow to prevent the inevitable.

As I reached down, the iPhone looked upward at me, its “Slide To Unlock” screen still on, as if to say “how could you have done this to me?” I snatched it out of the water and dried it on my shirt. It seemed to still be working, but then a message popped on the screen. “This Accessory is not designed…” I pretended I hadn’t seen it. There was no accessory attached. I knew what it meant. Water damage. I shut off the phone, planning to “rice” it when I got home (following the internet lore that storing a water-damaged gadget in rice can help extract the water).

ON the way home, the phone awoke on its own, as if activated by an invisible hand. Despite the fact that my own hand was quite visible, it was unable to make the iPhone do anything. The slide to unlock screen was now merely mocking me, like a spurned lover. No amount of sliding would produce the desired effect.

Using my wife’s phone, I booked the next appointment at the nearest Apple Store. After a few minutes wait, the “Genius” approached me. “So, you’re having a problem with your iPhone?” he asked, with a helpful tone. “A problem? A problem? Oh, I’d say we have a problem!” I wanted to answer. Instead, I let the iPhone tell the story itself, sheepishly adding a vague comment about an unfortunate encounter with the Atlantic Ocean. I braced myself and my credit card for the inevitable.

The Genius glanced around. “Normally, we don’t do this, because it’s not covered by warranty. But because it’s so new and we want to make our customer’s happy, and there haven’t been that many cases available…” I was tempted to interrupt him to say that a case wouldn’t have really made a difference here, unless it was waterproof, but I got the idea that I should just let him finish. After asking my permission to do some diagnostic testing, he returned with a small black box. Inside was a new iPhone 4. Using the no-longer-included SIM Removal Tool, he skillfully extracted the MicroSIM card from my dead phone and transplanted it into the new phone. He handed me some papers to sign, authorizing the exchange.

Price: $ 0.00

People accuse me of being an Apple fan, but isn’t it justified?