AppFlow for the iPhone

Erica. How about coverflow for my iPhone contacts? Flipping through their pics would be great for we who remember faces not names.

Is there a source code available =)?

Pretty harsh comments here. I recall seeing a bunch of similar POC "crap" back when we were first trying to wrap our heads around this whole "mouse" thing back in '84.

It's from "crap" like this that everything else flow. Perhaps Cover Flow is inappropriate for applications, before you could only suppose, now you can KNOW if it works or if it doesn't.

In the mean time, we have yet more examples of how to do Things on the iPhone, whatever those Things are.

I don't have an iPhone, I don't know how to write code for an iPhone. But obviously, beyond the flaming hoops you have to jump through to simply get your code running on the device, the device itself offers a different modus of operation than a standard computer. So, all of those aged paradigms of operation that we're used to on normal computers need to get flung against this thing and tested so they can be discarded, improved or adopted.

Everyone is basically chomping at the bit for the SDK, until then there's going to be little "serious" work done on the machine.

After the SDK, who knows. Until then, let them play. Everything they learn, ideally, helps us all in the long ruin.

No, Erica isn't a genius or an amazing hacker -- a knowledgeable hobbyist at best.

The idea of launching applications from a coverflow interface fundamentally shits on usability, something extremely critical on mobile devices. Coverflow is *not* active function -- it is specifically for the quick perusal of nonessential, grouped information (#44 Larry's suggestion of coverflow for contacts is a much more appropriate idea.)

Considering the fluff, eye-candy sell of coverflow, do you really think Apple hasn't considered applying it to practically anything and everything?

Mobile phones need to be as simplistic as possible -- the interface must demand little attention and action for essential functions. The iphone improves on the godawful UI of previous phones, but it is already at a disadvantage without the ability to navigate by feel. The level of attention required to flip through a line of cascading icons to get to mapquest while driving is much more dangerous than the fraction of a second to habitually tap the brown icon third from top on a one or two pane panel.

People have enough trouble using cell phones without crashing into each other. Don't make it more difficult just for the sake of some stupid eye-candy.

How about cover flow for contacts? I would love to be able to scroll through pictures of contacts and tap the desired person to call or email them. The best way to implement this would be flipping to landscape view while in the phone app, then the people you have in your contacts with pictures (mostly just family and friends) would then appear just like album coverflow.

This would really require the SDK but Apple probably won't be letting anyone mess with the phone app itself!

blah... who cares, cover flow is about the slowest most in inefficient way to launch anything.

I'd like to second the notion from Chris - since Coverflow is meant for meandering, let us figure out when meandering itself may be most efficient. Contacts is ideal - I often remember faces better than names, so flipping through pictures may jog my memory. Part of the appeal of album Coverflow is the sensation of flipping through physical albums - would this carry over to photos? Anyone have other activities for which inefficiency is a positive trait?

Because Apple design is based on choice not options!
And coverflow on the iphone seems pretty useless (to me) in opposition to the current and really touch-efficient presentation.

> ERICA : Can you do the same thing with the contacts pictures ?
In portrait mode you see your contacts names and in lanscape mode, the "Contact" app flick into the contactflow... ?

chris

cool...steve jobs would be interested ...may be..