Apple really needs to allow applications access to a modified launchd -- instead of running in the background, allow apps to register programs to execute on events like "every half hour" or "when my location changes by 200m", with the events unified into batches.
The only remaining reason to run in the background would be for playing audio.
this has been said over and over again. The main problem with this is that:
1) the battery would not last as long as Apple wants it to
2) what if 2 applications receive a notification at the same time? how can this be handled (what if 7 apps at the same time?)
3) there is not enough ram available for apps to stay in memory, and when an app receives a notification it should than be started with this notification.
the battery would not last as long as Apple wants it to
The battery lasts even longer if you turn your phone off. Of course, you have no functionality, but who cares... great battery life!
what if 2 applications receive a notification at the same time? how can this be handled (what if 7 apps at the same time?)
Say hello to my little friend "loop".
there is not enough ram available for apps to stay in memory, and when an app receives a notification it should than be started with this notification
If the app can't handle the notification quickly, then it can be dropped on the floor. This is Google Latitude, not a controller telling your heart when to beat.
Also, handling notifications doesn't require the entire app to be available. When I process emails, the only thing that actually runs is a tiny script to insert a record into the database. The intense processing can happen latter.
In the case of Google Maps, the GPS location is passed in as an argument to a tiny script, which makes one HTTP POST request. If that takes too much memory, then the iPhone really, really sucks.
If you gonna do it via the web integrate into gmail. When I sign onto gmail to check my mail ... automatically update my status. Also, offer an option to see where my friends are via a map overlay in gmail. Maybe even email me when a friend is X miles from me.
A separate web app to update status is a ridiculous UX!
I agree, I think Apple just wants to make Google look bad here. Latitude works great on Android and Windows Mobile. It's just the iPhone that sucks, "at Apple's request".
"We worked closely with Apple to bring Latitude to the iPhone in a way Apple thought would be best for iPhone users. After we developed a Latitude application for the iPhone, Apple requested we release Latitude as a web application in order to avoid confusion with Maps on the iPhone, which uses Google to serve maps tiles."
That seems a little silly. The difference in the user experience for the two of those has very little difference, except that the browser is open. It's also a good explanation for why it's taken so damn long for this to come out.
>And if you miss the experience of launching the app directly from your home screen, you can add a bookmark to the home screen by opening Latitude in Safari and tapping the + icon > Add to Home Screen > Add.
App icons (for mobiles) have become the equivalent of the browser bookmark.
He also mention that they've built it as a web application after talking with Apple. Otherwise, I guess they would have preferred to make a native app.
Another example for me not to believe Google claims about the future of mobile appstores.
Of course the first time I clicked allow this site to know my location, safari crashed! I think this would be a much more interesting app if it was integrated into maps. Logging in and checking it online is a bit of a process and kind of slow. It will be interesting to see how this competes with other geo-social networks. Are there any bigger players then loopt?
Seems silly to make a web app of Latitude but I'm not sure what else would be gained from creating an iPhone app. I'm really interested to see what happens in this space (for Brightkite too, etc) when or if Apple lets us write services for location tracking.
The only remaining reason to run in the background would be for playing audio.