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Apple hire may bring widget/live tile-like app icons to iOS

Apple hire may bring widget/live tile-like app icons to iOS

Posted: 13 Dec 2011, 14:52, by Michael H.

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Apple hire may bring widget/live tile-like app icons to iOS

As we've mentioned before, Apple doesn't like to bring major changes to the UI of iOS, and prefers to iterate slowly, so the focus remains on the apps, but a new hire may be pointing to some very interesting changes in the future. We've already seen how Apple hiring developer Peter Hajas directly led to a much improved notification system, and the newest hire may bring similar changes to the iOS UI.

The new hire is Jan-Michael Cart, who is most well known for posting very impressive concept videos online. He is a mass media arts student in Georgia and announced that he was hired as a design intern at Apple. Cart has put together videos for various systems including different multitouch gestures, but the most impressive and the one we'd like to see incorporated into iOS is the Dynamic Icons concept. As you'll see in the video below, the idea is basically to transform iOS's app icons into Applefied Live Tiles like you'd see in Windows Phone 7. The app icons would change based on notifications, and icons could be zoomed into for a more widget-like feel with updating info.

The ideas may be things we've seen in other platforms, but Cart's video definitely has that Apple feel to it, showing he understands the design philosophy that Apple tries to adhere to. He may just be an intern scheduled to work for 7 months, but we're hoping that these ideas make their way into iOS.

source: Jan-Michael Cart via ReadWriteWeb

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1. Meth7 posted on 13 Dec 2011, 15:56 31 6

Good job Apple! Maybe it's your turn to get sued.

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3. biophone posted on 13 Dec 2011, 16:00 4 21

No! They are taking something that already exists widgets and implementing it in a completly new and I think better way. Its a clean design that makes naturual sense to a user. Apple is on its way to improving their platform with these very creative minds on board.

13. sgogeta4 posted on 13 Dec 2011, 16:38 8 2

A delusion is a false belief held with absolute conviction despite superior evidence. Unlike hallucinations, delusions are always pathological...

20. networkdood posted on 13 Dec 2011, 17:49 2 2

biophone is joking around....

34. Kjayhawk posted on 13 Dec 2011, 20:27 3 1

Biophone this is a concept video, if apple does plan to use widgets you can almost gurantee that apples final product will look nothing like this. It will probably be a half ass concept like the iPhones notification system.

36. RageQuit posted on 13 Dec 2011, 21:36 4 0

If apple can sue for things they didnt invent why doesnt it work the other way around. I dub it the Apple phenomenon.

39. biophone posted on 13 Dec 2011, 22:13 2 7

Mac had widgets before android. Sorry

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50. Eingild posted on 14 Dec 2011, 08:09 0 1

Linux had widgets before Mac OS. Sorry

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4. E.N. posted on 13 Dec 2011, 16:02 6 3

I don't see Apple getting sued for this. And hopefully the video is very preliminary because although a very good idea, the implementation isn't the best. But this is probably a very early "prototype"

14. Contreramanjaro posted on 13 Dec 2011, 16:45 7 0

I wouldn't call this a prototype and it 100% isn't from Apple. It's just a concept, there are tons of people that make videos like this. This guy is just really good at it and Apple won't get sued. The idea of dynamic tiles has been around for ages. The challenge is getting it to work on the iOS interface which is used by less than computer savvy soccer mom's as well as the technologically competent.

19. E.N. posted on 13 Dec 2011, 17:26 0 0

When I said prototype I didn't mean first ever made (hence the quotations), but just a very early version for iOS. I think we're on the same page.

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26. DetroitTech posted on 13 Dec 2011, 18:10 0 0

"less than computer savvy soccer mom's..." I like that. And it's true. However you will fine more technologically competent people on the "other OS". But I'm sure there are some using iOS. But less and less as jailbreaking seems to be fading away...

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16. JeffdaBeat posted on 13 Dec 2011, 16:50 2 0

Um...from everything I could tell, this video isn't from Apple. This is more speculation than it is absolute fact. So...yeah maybe we should wait for Apple to actually take action before we talk about suing...

18. andro. posted on 13 Dec 2011, 17:09 4 5

Apple don't copy ever,everyone always copies apple even kenwood and morphy richards have obviously copied apples phones with their breakfast toaster ranges. The sooner the world submits to this madness then apple will cease sueing

28. christianqwerty posted on 13 Dec 2011, 18:17 3 0

People are okay with google creating a new voice assistant,l but if apple tries to make widgets, by god the world is ending. Geez. Truth is, apple, rim, microsoft , google, ect, they all take ideas for each other. Whether apple wants to admit it, they take ideas too. So can we stop the blame game please.

41. bigboy029 posted on 13 Dec 2011, 22:39 1 0

Thank you!!!

43. tedkord posted on 13 Dec 2011, 23:44 2 0

It's called hypocrisy. It's like when a "family values" politician gets caught with underage prostitutes. Apple spends so much time yelling hysterically that everyone else is just copying off them, its only natural that people are going to spot the hypocrisy when they're blatantly copying Android notifications, or widgets, or whayever.

If Apple doesn't want to be called a hypocrite, then they shouldn't act like one.

38. hepresearch posted on 13 Dec 2011, 21:57 3 0

Nah... you don't get it! Once the next version of iOS emerges with "live tiles", Microsoft will be the one getting sued...

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2. biophone posted on 13 Dec 2011, 15:58 2 13

Love it good hire apple. I am excited because this will be great with the bigger screen of the iphone 5. Typical apple move in refining something that already exists. Ios 5 brought notifications ios 6 dynamic icons.