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TheAppleBlog
News, reviews, walkthroughs, and real-life application of Apple products
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iOS Battles Android for Market Share
Net Applications and AdMob have released their latest reports, and both suggest the protracted struggle for the future of mobile computing is far from over.

Net Applications, which derives web browsing market share from some 160 million visitors to sites within its network, has now proven that iPad owners like browsing the web. The iPad, running iOS, nearly doubled its share of the operating system market, from .09 percent in May to .17 percent in June. That surpassed the iPod touch, which remained at .12 percent, while the iPhone dipped from .60 to .59 percent from May to June, likely in anticipation of the iPhone 4.

According to Net Applications, the combined total for iOS is now .87 percent and will likely pass desktop Linux, which hovers around one percent, but that’s not the Linux that matters. For June, Android was up a fraction to .14 percent, about a sixth the share of iOS and less than the iPad. Looking at Net Applications data, Android doesn’t appear to be much of a threat to iOS, but in AdMob’s May report we see something else.

AdMob derives data from some 23,000 websites and mobile applications, meaning iOS and Android usage is far higher than units sold.

Source: AdMob

Since late 2009, around the launch of the Verizon Droid, the trend has favored Android, but not just Droid. As of this May, 14 devices represented 92 percent of Android traffic on the AdMob network, compared to one device last May. Android has further shown a 29 percent increase month over month since last year, while iOS has slowly declined.

Source: AdMob

But those aren’t the only statistics in AdMob’s May report. Looking at devices by operating system, iOS more than doubles Android’s share in the U.S., and more than triples that share worldwide. Currently, iOS is experiencing strongest growth in Europe and Asia, while 67 percent of Android devices are in North America, followed by 13 percent in China. This could mean Apple has successfully expanded its market worldwide and Google has not, but it’s more likely that Android has just not taken off worldwide yet.

The bad news is Apple will likely never dominate mobile operating systems. Even if a Verizon iPhone launches early next year, the chance to crush Android has passed. The good news is that even if Apple loses to Google, the average consumer will never know the difference. In just three years, iOS has established itself as a major mobile platform that cannot be dislodged anytime soon. As far as one can see into the future, maybe five years, there will be an abundance of apps, Apple will continue to be profitable and we can expect many Next Great Things.

If that is defeat, I embrace it.

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Apple's Guide to Ergonomics
Apple has published a guide to ergonomics on its site since as long as I can remember (2002 perhaps?) and it remains relevant, but severely outdated. I’ve been secretly hoping for an update to this that includes photos that aren’t of old school CRT displays and a section that covers the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch which are being used far more by customers every day when on the go. It’s an easy site to run through but I’ll review a bit of the highlighted sections, below.

Apple’s Ergonomics site focuses on Repetitive Motion Injuries, Upper Body Risk Factors with solutions, Back and Legs Risk Factors with solutions, Seating, Eyes & Vision and Work Area Layout strategies.

In the Upper Body Solutions section, there are details that discuss how to angle and extend your arms and wrists to reduce pain and repetitive injuries caused from typing for long hours over many years. Solutions include using an adjustable or split keyboard and keeping your wrists and hands aligned in a straight line when interacting with the computer. Of course, we have to highlight that Apple doesn’t sell a keyboard that’s adjustable or split but it did back in the 80s.

In the page dedicated to Back and Leg Solutions, which I feel is the most important for people who spend eight hours a day for decades in front of a computer, Apple details that using your computer while leaning forward can lead to complications as you get older. Naturally, this is the only way to use a laptop computer given the screen is elevated directly on your desk which is generally at a lower height to allow comfortable typing. Apple recommends using an external monitor with your notebook closed. Apple also says to avoid prolonged computer time and take breaks often.

I personally love Apple’s page dedicated to Eyes and Vision as it details room lighting, angles of where to sit (like next to an outside facing window) and the distance you should be from your monitor (18-24 inches away). The Work Area Layout page is by far my favorite and I’ve been incorporating these tips into my every day computer use for years.

Here are a few tidbits from Apple’s Mobile Work Layout suggestions:
- Create a foot rest out of a backpack, phone book or trash can.
- Improve low back support with jackets, pillows or towels.
- When using a portable computer, consider using an external keyboard periodically to allow for greater flexibility in working postures.
- If you are using a portable computer on an airplane, consider bulkhead or exit row seating to allow yourself a little more room. Also consider an aisle seat to make it easier to get up and stretch periodically.
It’s more interesting if this is your first time exploring Apple Ergonomics because you’ll see how many things you’ve missed that might and probably will lead to issues down the road. Sure, there’s a pill or operation for everything but avoiding those is certainly the better option. You can see how I’ve applied Apple’s ergonomic tips to my work setup at home. The monitor is 20″ from my face, my chair sits upright at the appropriate height for my waist to be even with the keyboard and nothing is out of reach that requires me to extend my body to grab it. For long blogging sessions, I’ll utilize a pillow to raise my feet and a window facing outside is right behind me to allow for natural light in addition to overhead lights.

How do you make your work setup more ergonomic?

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Quick Tip: Send PDFs to iTunes for iBooks Syncing
Getting PDFs into iTunes to sync them with iBooks on your device can be a bit of a chore. But by using the method below, you can send any document or even web page straight to the Books section of iTunes for syncing with ease.

To get iTunes ready is simple. All you have to do is open your Applications folder, and make an alias of iTunes by control-clicking its icon and selecting ‘Make Alias’. Now drag your newly-created alias and drop it in [Your Home folder] → Library → PDF Services. What this does is adds iTunes as an option when you select the PDF button in a Print dialog.

At the moment when you click PDF under Print, it’s going to say ‘iTunes alias’, which isn’t very informative. Rename your iTunes alias in the Finder to something along the lines of ‘Send PDF to iTunes’ or ‘Add PDF to iTunes’ and the menu item in the Pront dialog should update next time you open it.

Now whenever you have a document or web page open that you’d like to read in iBooks, all you have to do is go to File → Print, then click the PDF button in the lower left and choose your menu item for iTunes. The document will be saved as a PDF and sent straight into the Books section of your iTunes library.

This method works for any application that can open PDF files, not just iTunes.

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Video Walkthrough: Hulu Plus on the iPad
We just received access to Hulu Plus for the iPad, and the first thing we did was grab some popcorn for an Arrested Development all-nighter check out how the service looks on the iPad.

The Hulu app is clearly inspired by the applications published by ABC and Netflix. However, it’s still missing some of the cross-platform features that Netflix is known for. For example, users of the desktop version of Hulu Plus can’t add episodes to the iPad’s Queue.

GigaOM staffer Kevin Tofel did a walkthrough for us of the Hulu Plus app, which has been available on the iTunes App Store since yesterday (please note: Kevin’s walk-through is based on the free version, which offers limited access to content). You can check out the walkthrough below:

In our experience with the paid service on the app, we found that it still has a ways to go before it’s ready for primetime. Hulu Plus displays all video in 720p, which can be nice — if you have the patience to wait for it. In our early tests, we noticed some serious latency issues when starting up episodes.

Oftentimes, it would take 10 seconds or longer before an episode would play, and more often than once, we’d just give up completely. We also had the app crash on us once or twice. Those may be issues Hulu can easily solve — but it could also explain why the service hasn’t been made more widely available.

Related content on GigaOm Pro: Report: The In-App Advertising Landscape (subscription required)

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