Boxee iPad App Request: The Perfect Remote

I’m really excited to watch Boxee on an iPad, but as someone who’s invested time and money in a killer home theater setup, I’d love if Boxee would use the iPad to solve the fact that remotes suck as a means for interacting with content.  The iPad is an awesome content consumption device, yes, but it also has the potential to be the greatest companion remote ever.  

What I’d like to see is pretty simple: a Boxee remote app for the iPad that presents the Boxee menu structure in parallel with the video playing through Boxee on my Mac Mini.  A persistent, inch-tall band would contain controls for the currently playing video (play, pause, etc.), but the bulk of the screen would be taken up with the classic boxee interface, allowing me to browse content without interrupting the main screen (comparable to how I can now concurrently browse and listen to music in iTunes).  For bonus points, the iPad’s onscreen keyboard makes text search easy.

I’m all for pushing the limits of the iPad, but let’s not forget that this device can expand the possibilities for tools that don’t warrant the iPad’s cost on their own.  Few people want to pay $500 for a touchscreen remote, but I’m sure many people would love to have the $500 remote experience for free on a device they already own.

Random Thoughts

Here are some random thoughts/questions I’ve been kicking around lately. They’re mostly half-baked. Thoughts welcome.

• Why doesn’t Amazon sell mobile apps through its storefront? Why doesn’t Palm partner with Amazon for this purpose? How about Google?
   

• Is patenting software equivalent to patenting language (or grammar)? Put another way, when it comes to software, doesn’t copyright law strikes a better balance between incentive and protection than patent law? We don’t grant patents to authors with novel plot lines, but somehow people keep majoring in English. In fact, maybe it’s time to come up with a whole new IP system altogether. This medium is unique, so should be its governance.

• Is saying Walmart hurts innovation like saying LeBron hurts youth basketball participation? (re: the “I can’t compete against it/him, so why even try?” mentality)  I’ll talk about abuse of market power all day, but blanket statements like “Walmart is bad for small business” completely miss the point.

• Is low-end disruption now possible in home automation/networking? This used to be the province of the ultra wealthy (Bill Gates’ house, anyone?).  But with inexpensive, open source hardware like Freeduino, I bet you can hook a lamp up to wifi for under $20 (after production economies are factored in). Verizon FiOS and AT&T U-Verse STBs already hook into the network. A well-positioned wi-fi (or bluetooth) to IR converter could work for unconnected legacy equipment. There’s smart grid implications here too.
  
  As for remotes, no need to buy hardware—build an app. Compete on design (think: the boxee of home control) and use a psuedo-freemium model. You get the remote app for free, and it connects to all devices you have. The Premium side comes from hardware module sales.  Think wifi versions of this thing (which is great, by the way). At this point, the only real barrier to home automation is the hardware, and that may not be a barrier anymore. At the least, open source hardware has decreased the barrier significantly. I like this idea. Get in touch if you do too.

• Did most of the people who were going to buy an iPad preorder one?

• I spent the last two days playing with my fiancee’s iPad. While I’m sure people can and will use it for business productivity, I think the device’s future lies in shallow web interfacing (e.g., quick browsing, calendaring, basic email, light gaming and other casual, intuitive uses). This thing is the best accessory I’ve seen in the connected home. But when I travel, I’m still taking my MacBook. It’s not much bigger and it’s loads more powerful.
  
  But I love the iPad, and I finally see a real future for home tablet computing. I don’t think the iPad will own work tablet computing—it will capture a massive chunk, especially early, but ultimately businesses rely on personalized, complicated uses that only a widespread, engineer-driven development community can provide. That’s why I’d bet on Chrome OS in the enterprise space.
  
  I think we’re about five years away from tablets being as ubiquitous as smartphones. Having an open alternative to the iPad will be a great thing. In the meantime, though, the iPad is a bit frivolous, yes. But it’s here. And it’s fucking awesome.*

• LastPass has changed my life. It makes my browsing far more secure while speeding up my passwording interactions. That said, faith has no place in internet security. Until LastPass opens up completely and competes on design, I will maintain a twinge of doubt. But I’m not saying anything new here. 

*HT to Mark M. for the line

More iPad ideas that I love

Sheet music - http://www.forscoreapp.com/

Board games - http://www.gametableapp.com/

So far, my favorite ideas for this device use it as a surface (rather than as a handheld).  It’s an affordable, portable version of MS Surface.  It’s not a laptop. Truly innovative ideas will develop uses specifically tailored to the unique nature of the product.

Use cases for the iPad (so far)

From Engadget:

New screenshots make the iPad seem less like a giant iPhone

I’m not ordering a first-gen iPad, but that’s not really a relevant data point (my dad and my fiancee have both already placed their orders, so it’s not like I won’t be using it).  That said, I’ve been noodling on what the possible use cases are for the device:

• Frequent Traveler
  Frequent traveler with no need for heavy-duty business computing (e.g., modeling), but wants access to their digital media on the go.  Easy to toss in a bag and go.  Usage breaks out by travel scenario:
  
  1. Waiting for the plane - music, games, news (if 3G)
  2. On the plane - music, reading (Kindle app)
  3. At the hotel - email, news
• Connected home - Entertainment
  Device lives on the coffee table in a tv room, waiting for use.
  
  1. All-home remote - in the connected home, this thing could be the greatest universal remote ever (music, movies, lighting, etc.)
  2. E-reader - it’s every coffee table book (and novel) in one
  3. Quick access internet - need to settle an argument? Look it up without dealing with a full-blown computing experience (or a mini screen)

• Connected home - Organization
  Device lives on the kitchen island.
  
  1. Organization - scheduling, grocery lists, reminders, tasks
  2. Entertainment - music (through networked speakers
  3. E-reader - morning paper?
  4. Quick access internet - see above

• The “Why Not” Purchaser
  Purchased by someone with cash to burn as they walk by the Apple store.  No use case in mind.  Just seems like something cool.

So really we’ve got three use cases and a purchasing motivation.  Focusing on the use cases, two themes emerge:

1. A good indicator of usage is where the device “lives”
2. The device just might be the digital equivalent to a summer home

As to point 1, I imagine the need to let the iPad “live” in a common area (rather than in a charging dock next to a wall) is why SJ was so adamant about the 10 hour battery life and the ability to hold a charge. People are fundamentally lazy—if the iPad isn’t sitting in front of them at all times, they’re not going to use it enough to develop a bond.

Regarding point 2, I don’t see anyone buying the iPad as their main (or only) networked digital device.  That’s not to say the thing won’t be a roaring success—at the moment, the pre-order figures are outstanding—that’s just to say that the device, even if it lives up to the hype, probably won’t change the world so much as it will change the computing usage of many affluent people.

And all that is fine.  The iPad doesn’t have to change the world to be successful.  So long as the software reflects its hardware, I’ll be satisfied.  You rarely see Apple try to cram a usage into the wrong hardware.  The iPad is neither a mouse-and-keyboard-driven laptop nor a pocketable phone/connectivity device, and I expect the OS to reflect that.

I’m excited.