I am a consumer of information and technology. I frequent
twitter. The first and last thing I touch every day is my ipad. I carry my iPhone
around like a detached limb. I admit this sick obsession with technology
because I know I am not the only one. But I’ve noticed something different
about my devices.
I had a lot of falling outs with friends in high school.
Someone got a boyfriend or became popular. While those falling outs sucked, I
got over it. Recently I’ve noticed a lot of falling outs that are seriously affecting
the way I run my everyday life. Google maps are no longer available on the iPhone,
YouTube is no longer preinstalled, and news broke recently that twitter and Instagram
will no longer support each other, making your Instagram pics harder to share
on the tweets. While I know these are trivial, I just have one question to ask
all these companies. When do you think your feuds are going to start affecting
your consumers?
The SECOND I didn’t have Google maps on my phone I noticed.
Transit directions are non-existent on the apple app. I still rely on Google
maps which I have to access through a browser. So what’s the point of having a
smart phone if the apps I use most aren’t even available on my device anymore?
I like my apple products. I think the design, interface, and quality are
perfect. I do not want to get a different device because Google decided to join
the tablet race.
Design and innovation are powerful things. They make the world
a better place. But if companies start putting restrictions on the type of
devices able to access applications then how are we expected to move forward
into a world where innovation is accessible to everyone. I understand that
there are politics and feuds but this is the world of business. Come to a
compromise! Although these technologies are innovative in and of themselves,
maybe the better innovation would be to find a way to work together. Humans are
very strange. We have egos and pride and let our differences get in the way
sometimes. If you’re company is trying to make the world a better place with its
product maybe you should try to make the world a better place by having strong
relationships with your business partners.
Instead of keeping their own agendas in mind, companies
should collaborate together and keep their customers in mind. One day I had a
phone that was functioning in all the ways I needed it to. The next, my beloved
apps were gone. It’s unprofessional. Pull yourselves together and come to an
agreement. Think of making consumers more efficient. It only makes sense that innovative
companies should do business in innovative ways.
