iPhone 3.0 reactions: Michael Tan

Michael Tan is the developer behind Upcoming Events.

What most impressed you about the new OS?
The whole host of new possibilities existing and new applications you can exploit. But if I have to name one, I'd say the External Accessory framework. This opens up a whole new world for innovation.

What were you disappointed with?

Not having background processing. Here's the reason:

- PNS works well for always-connected devices (iPhone with Data). We get prompt notifications (provided Apple's servers delivers them as promised in a timely fashion).

- Devices with sporadic networking abilities (iPod touch with WIFI access) will not get the notifications until they are connected to the cloud.

- For those devices with sporadic networking abilities, applications that requires a means to produce an alert in a timely fashion will not have a means of notifying the users of an event. Eg. location-aware advertisement applications, medical applications with a reminder to the user for the next dose of medication, etc.

What features from 3.0 can we expect to see in your apps?

Upcoming Events will take advantage of possibly two of the new known features -- the PNS and Map Kit framework.

How will the new OS affect your plans for new applications?
As mentioned earlier, it has opened up new opportunities and possibilities. One of these, off the top of my head, is that I would look forward to working with hardware manufacturers in enabling functionalities for the iPhone OS. Subscription based applications are also something that should be looked at. Lastly, the new features in Game Kit is promising.