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Apple Has Hired MobileNotifier Developer Peter Hajas
The speculation began last week when iPhoneinCanada posted that it believes that mobile developer Peter Hajas has started working for Apple. A developer getting a new job at Apple would not be newsworthy in itself, but Hajas was the developer of a popular jailbreak notification add-on for iOS. iPhoneinCanada describes how earlier versions of the MobileNotifier add-on works:
Peter Hajas doesn't come right out and say that he's now working Apple but did post a cryptic update to his blog saying that he will be taking a break from MobileNotifier for a while due to other opportunities.
RedmondPie has since discovered a (now deleted) Tweet posted in early May by Hajas saying that he would be heading off to work in California at a "fruit" company. Meanwhile, we've also independently confirmed that Hajas is now an employee at Apple.
Apple is rumored to be improving iOS's notification system in the next version of iOS to be detailed at WWDC, and a report from mid-February had indicated that Apple was hiring an unnamed outside developer to revamp notifications, although it is unknown if that person was indeed Hajas. Regardless, Apple has certainly already worked heavily on such a system prior to this hire, but it's still interesting nonetheless.
Proof from Apple's internal employee directory app:
Now, there's a hot tweak called MobileNotifier (beta 3 release) via Cydia that makes notifications unobtrusive and allows you to keep using existing apps. An elegant bar appears up top of your homescreen and with one tap you can choose to close or open the notification. Alerts will also appear on your lockscreen. When you double tap the Home button, you'll see a list of your recent alerts via the AlertDashboard.And associated video:
Peter Hajas doesn't come right out and say that he's now working Apple but did post a cryptic update to his blog saying that he will be taking a break from MobileNotifier for a while due to other opportunities.
RedmondPie has since discovered a (now deleted) Tweet posted in early May by Hajas saying that he would be heading off to work in California at a "fruit" company. Meanwhile, we've also independently confirmed that Hajas is now an employee at Apple.
Apple is rumored to be improving iOS's notification system in the next version of iOS to be detailed at WWDC, and a report from mid-February had indicated that Apple was hiring an unnamed outside developer to revamp notifications, although it is unknown if that person was indeed Hajas. Regardless, Apple has certainly already worked heavily on such a system prior to this hire, but it's still interesting nonetheless.
Proof from Apple's internal employee directory app:
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104 months ago
If this guy was only just hired, I hope that doesn't mean notifications are a no-show in iOS 5.
104 months ago
There has been news of them gobbling up notification gurus for the past year alongside talks of notifications in iOS5. They got Palm's notification UI designer, they got this guy and there's rumors that they were involved with boxcar too. They are serious about getting notifications made over and I'm willing to bet it's for iOS5.
I agree.
I do think that Apple has already worked on a notification system (please god), and Peter Hajas will help "update" it, and nothing else.
Are you telling me Apple couldn't set up a notification system on their own and had to get this developer to do it? What about the designer from WebOS?
The deal-breaker for iOS 5 is a notification system.
104 months ago
It looks better than what is in iOS right now, but it still seems quite intrusive.
104 months ago
that's horrible! I've seen way better notifications. Like the one you can see all your notifications when awake your phone (before you unlock it) and you're able to swipe across a notification and it'll take you directly to it!
104 months ago
This is a horrible notification system, I hope Apple won't implement this in iOS 5 but comes up with something new.
Having to tap a notification in order for it to disappear is a subpar solution and not any better than Apple's current notification system. Also read this blog post written by a designer: http://blog.cocoia.com/2011/notify/
Having to tap a notification in order for it to disappear is a subpar solution and not any better than Apple's current notification system. Also read this blog post written by a designer: http://blog.cocoia.com/2011/notify/
104 months ago
Now it takes TWO taps to dismiss the notification instead of one. Hopefully once Apple gets their hands on it, they can do an auto-dismiss after three seconds or so. This is a literal case of one step forward and two steps backward.
104 months ago
That's hardly better than what we have. A notification should pause a game if it pops up for reasons I really don't need to state.
They should follow android on this one and have notifications as a pull down menu from the status bar. So when you're playing a game or something there's actually no interruption at all, literally just a little icon to say "hey, there's something to read over here" and then you can choose to view it rather than have it forced onto the screen.
They should follow android on this one and have notifications as a pull down menu from the status bar. So when you're playing a game or something there's actually no interruption at all, literally just a little icon to say "hey, there's something to read over here" and then you can choose to view it rather than have it forced onto the screen.
104 months ago
Already have system they don't use
Apple already has a system similar to palm that they aren't using. Have you ever surfed while on the phone? The whole top of the screen pushes down and the green bar appears saying tap to return to call. It's informAtive, it's obvious, and it doesn't overlay over anything. There's no reason the same concept shouldn't be applied to notifications. Different color for different things. Phone related, green, mail, blue, etc. Of course you'd specify which you care about and maybe change colors. Touching it would bring a popup with greater detail, etc. This doesn't seem like brain surgery.
Apple already has a system similar to palm that they aren't using. Have you ever surfed while on the phone? The whole top of the screen pushes down and the green bar appears saying tap to return to call. It's informAtive, it's obvious, and it doesn't overlay over anything. There's no reason the same concept shouldn't be applied to notifications. Different color for different things. Phone related, green, mail, blue, etc. Of course you'd specify which you care about and maybe change colors. Touching it would bring a popup with greater detail, etc. This doesn't seem like brain surgery.
104 months ago
Why do people always frame it like this? Apple has never shown one sign that they're anti-jailbreaking or that they think it's useless. They don't sue jailbreakers. They don't shut sites down. They don't even put up much fight with the updates to iOS. They chose to lock things down on the iPhone to streamline the user experience, make it unnecessary for users to do system maintenance or worry about viruses. You can argue the merits of that approach, but regardless, your feelings on that topic one way or the other don't reflect on Apple at all. They've tolerated jailbreaking to a remarkable degree. Why does it surprise anyone that they'd ask one such jailbreaker to join their ranks?
I think it's because Apple has never really embraced the idea of jailbreaking. By hiring a developer of a JB app I think it's exciting because it tells me that they are at least paying attention.
Honestly, I think Apple has benefited a lot from the Jailbreak community. Not only are they exposing security holes, but they are coming up with ideas and proving what would be successful on the iPhone OS. In a sense, it's like a big beta program that Apple does not have to pay for.
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