Sheehan Alam

Technology. Entrepreneurship. Finance.
Sheehan Alam
Sheehan Alam

I'm an entrepreneur and mobile application developer at StockTwits. I build realtime software like NASDAQ QFolio HD.

I co-founded and sold TweetyStock, a social investing app for the iPhone.

Here I discuss technology, entrepreneurship and finance. Ping me if you want to do biz.

       

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Android Initial Thoughts

Now I know this isn't a truly fair comparison, since the iPhone 4 (my current phone) is one generation ahead of the Nexus One (the only Android phone I have) comparatively, so I'll try to keep this post about more about the OS and experience than hardware & guts.

What I like about Android
  • Deep Google integration - and I mean DEEP. It's nice logging in with my Gmail account and having Talk, Voice, Contacts, Mail and Calendar synced up and ready to go.
  • Notifications - Android will notify you when you get a new e-mail, sms, twitter, facebook etc. in one single place that is convenient to access. This makes me super productive.
  • Navigation - turn by turn, voice directions will replace any GPS you have. This is truly a killer-app and probably a deal breaker for a lot of folks.

What I think could be better
  • Better Multitouch - this isn't as smooth as I'm used to on the iPhone. Makes a big difference when surfing the web, viewing google maps, or zooming into pictures.
  • Lack of Gestures - most apps require you to navigate through menus or use the back button to move from one screen to another. Gestures are easier to perform and more natural.
  • Better apps - this isn't Android's fault per say, but the quality of apps in the market could use more polish. Twitter is a good example of a shining Android app.

Overall, Android is a pretty solid platform. It's truly a smart phone, with tons of features. If you're looking for polish, I would still recommend the iPhone (disclaimer: I'm a fanboi). I'm excited to see what future generations of Android will have to offer.

Posted 2 minutes ago

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The Best Investment Advice You'll Ever Get From Mark Cuban

"Saving 15pct on the $1k dollars worth of items you know you will absolutely spend money on is a better return on your money than making 15pct in a year on a $1k investment  because you don’t pay taxes on it." - Mark Cuban, The Best Investment Advice You Will Ever Get

Posted 7 days ago

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Apple Rejecting Apps That Require Registration is GOOD

There have been reports of Apple rejecting apps that require users to register first before using. This is great. Registration is the biggest barrier to entry. User retention drops off dramatically at the point of registration on the web. The mobile experience is completely different, and users want access to information quick. Wasting time registering is not quick. It's tedious. The best solution for businesses and developers is to allow users to see your free content. This is quick. If user's want to dig deeper and access premium content, ask them to register, there is no harm in that. 

Posted 9 days ago

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Beautiful iPad Apps - July Edition

CalcBot - Beautiful calculator with nice crisp sound fx when you click on buttons

FlipBoard - takes your news, twitter and facebook feeds and lays it out into a magazine. This sets the bar high for news readers.

Uzu - sweet particle physics visualizer. You have to see it to believe it. Press your finger against the glass and the particles will react.

FlickPad - cool way to visualize your Facebook photo stream.
Posted 1 month ago

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Beautiful iPad Apps - June Edition

Productivity
Digits - I find it odd that Apple didn't include a basic calculator with the iPad. Never fear, this app makes great use of typography; not to mention has a roll to keep track of every calculation you've made. Beautifully simple.


News
The Early Edition - Displays your Google Reader/RSS feeds in a news paper style format. This is a different take on UI, a deviation from the standard lists we are all getting used to.

Pulse - taking hints from BBC, this is a full featured RSS reader. The beauty is in the simplicity. Most people aren't familiar with RSS jargon, so searching for blogs is extremely simple.

Productivity
Evernote - syncing notes to the cloud couldn't be any easier. Clean and simple design.
Posted 2 months ago

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Quick iPhone 4 Review

Good
  • Sleek, all glass design
  • FaceTime video calling works all the time, seamlessly, with very high quality resolution. 
  • Dual camera is awesome. Especially during FaceTime.
  • Camera takes very high quality pictures for a smartphone.
  • Retina display stands up to the hype. Text is crisp & clear.
  • The phone is snappy
  • Battery lasts a little bit longer.

Bad
  • The antenna problem does exist. Signal quality will drop depending on where you hold it.
  • Signal seems to be spotty compared to other 3GS models.
  • AT&T is still the worst network in the USA

Sample Photo Taken w/ the Camera app
Posted 2 months ago

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The iPhone Needs Flash

I've had many debates in 140 characters or less with my friends @mazimi, @dustinstapp, and @ishboo3002 over why Flash doesn't matter on the iPhone. I stand by all of my points that flash is slow, drains battery, and is mostly used to serve crappy ads on the web. However, yesterday I was showing my dad my shiny new iPhone 4 (blog post on that later this weekend), and he asked, "Lets go on ESPN 360 and watch the World Cup". I told him "There is no flash, so we have to settle for a paid app in the App Store that streams it". While this is "ok" it is not a seamless experience, and an un-Apple experience where everything "just works."

 
Even if flash is unfit for the iPhone the user should still have the choice of installing it. Folks like my Dad who aren't as tech savvy as me just want something that works and works simply. While Flash technically isn't the best solution, it is currently the only working solution.
 
To @mazimi, @dustinstapp, and @ishboo3002 - lets keep the healthy twitter debates alive :)
Posted 2 months ago

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NBA Players on Team USA?

I'm not the hugest soccer fan, but I believe this guy should be playing in the NBA.

Disclaimer: I have mad photoshop skills.
Posted 2 months ago

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iPhone vs. Android Phones

Three simple reasons why the iPhone has trumped thus far:

  1. App Store - Not only does the iPhone platform have the largest app community, the quality of the apps are much better.
  2. Multitouch & Responsiveness - Swiping, pinching and zooming are quick and fast on the iPhone. It still amazes me that three years later the competition can't even create a multitouch display to rival even the first generation iPhone.
  3. Design - Sex sells. The iPhone is sexy. Devices like the Motorola Backflip and HTC EVO are not.

Disclaimer: This is not a jab at Google or the Android operating system. The key problem isn't the software or the features. The problem lies in the fact Google and their manufacturer's can't get the marriage of software & hardware right. The execution of the iPhone is what makes it so great.
Posted 2 months ago

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Entreprenuers vs. Investors

"One of the great things about young entrepreneurs is that they don’t know that something can’t be done. So they try something that’s so audacious and usually end up pulling it off. But I don’t think that audacity is great when it comes to investing." - Fred Wilson of Union Square Ventures

Posted 2 months ago

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