Mobile Applications, RIP

Sometimes, Somebody have to call a Spade a Spade. The truth is getting out louder and louder. Mobile Applications are all but dead.

The business of making native apps for mobile devices is dying, crushed by a fragmented market and restrictive business practices. The problems are so bad that the mobile web, despite its many technical drawbacks, is now a better way to deliver new functionality to mobiles. I think this will drive a rapid rise in mobile web development, largely replacing the mobile app business. This has huge implications for mobile operators, handset companies, developers, and users.

Even RussellBeattie has called it quits.

The Mobile Operators had never allowed third party developers to deploy their applications into the networks by demanding a heavy toll. The iPhone and the next generation of the SmartPhones are now having full fledged browsers and the web browser is the platform for application development.

Having developed many mobile applications, I had realized this truth longer. However, Lightweight Widget Applications could be the survivor of the native mobile applications. Everyone has praised Yahoo Go! Platform. This could be the dominant platform for Mobile 2.0 applications (widgets and widget platforms).

Column Oriented Databases

Google is slated to launch its AppEngine web platform which would allow outside developers access to their BigTable Database Engine which is the distributed, column oriented database. There are alternate open source column oriented databases available including Hadoop and Hypertable. SimpleDB from Amazon also provides a similar service.

Comparing SimpleDB to Relational Databases -

"Today, many developers correlate the word "database" with Relational Database Management Systems (RDBMS). While RDBMS offerings provide deep functionality, for many use cases, they introduce more complexity (and more cost) than is necessary. Many developers simply want to store, process, and query their data without worrying about managing schemas, maintaining indexes, tuning performance or scaling access to their data. Amazon SimpleDB removes the need to maintain a schema, while your attributes are automatically indexed to provide fast real-time lookup and querying capabilities. This flexibility minimizes the performance tuning required as the demands for your data increase."

These developments are the first steps of the next leap in database technology. SQL might lose its position as the Dominant Domain Specific Language for Databases. The next step in the database would include graph oriented databases which would graphs as additional abstract connecting the columns. Also, Datalog, a logic programming based query language, could become mainstream.

A database which supports Streams, the core data structure in MirrorWorlds, and which can store and dynamically reorganize by Person (who), Place (when), thing/tag (what), Event (where) and helps querying using who/when/what/where constructs would be the next leap in database technology. The immediate application for this database would be news sites such as techmeme, buzz.yahoo.com, news.google.com, topix.net etc.

Moblin - OS for the Internet Devices and Country Specific OS

Intel has announced that it would adopt linux based Moblin as the operating system for netbooks and other internet appliances. Notably absent is their counterpart, Microsoft. Intel is using Apple as their alliance part for major technologies like ultra-thin laptop processors etc. what does these two entail? It is losing its thoughtleadership position.

Microsoft is slowly but surely getting pushed out or getting cornered from both Apple at the top end of the market and linux from the bottom end of the market. With Enterprise Market also heading towards Open Source Technology Stacks, are the current trends indicating a market shakeup?

What is the most exciting part of moblin and other linux based OS is that it would open up new markets for country specific oS at least for the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China). There would also be country specific OS coming up in European countries.

MirrorWorlds - Another Inspiration of Apple

David Gelernter's Linda Spaces Concepts have been acknowledged as the inspiration for Java by James Gosling. His MirrorWorlds Streams and Streams based Desktop is the inspiration for many web2.0 pioneers. MirrorWorlds has however not got its due yet and it is now suing Apple for infringing on its patents.

Checkout my blog post on time/calendar based file system which is also in a way based on the mirror worlds concept.

Secret of Apple's Designs

Apple's products have been heralded as the best of designs. Someone has identified the secret of the source of apple's inspiration - Braun. The designer behind the Braun's products of the 1960s
is Dieter Rams. One can clearly see the similarities in their philosophies way beyond the sparse use of color, the selection of materials and how the products are shaped around the function with no artificial design, keeping the design "honest."

This passion for "simplicity" and "honest design" that is always declared by Apple Designer Jonathan Ive whenever he's interviewed or appears in a promo video, is at the core of Dieter Rams' 10 principles for good design:

• Good design is innovative.
• Good design makes a product useful.
• Good design is aesthetic.
• Good design helps us to understand a product.
• Good design is unobtrusive.
• Good design is honest.
• Good design is durable.
• Good design is consequent to the last detail.
• Good design is concerned with the environment.
• Good design is as little design as possible.

This post would be rated as one of the best posts I've found in the blogosphere.