CNN talks about the biggest tech failures for the year.
I found it interesting they mostly listed about various big loss of services, rather than new tech that failed.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/23/tech/biggest-tech-fails-2021/index.html
I use Git daily (usually from the Command Line). Not surprisingly, I only use a few commands (80/20 rule). Everyone needs to learn more!
Thank you, Tara Prasad Routray for this article. Please, could you make a Cheat List based on it?
https://levelup.gitconnected.com/top-30-git-commands-you-should-know-to-master-git-cli-f04e041779bc
More end-of-year reviews with Ariel of AppFigures showing the most downloaded apps for iOS & Google Play.
Social Media and Communications are the big winners.
https://appfigures.com/resources/this-week-in-apps/20211224
PC Magazine reviews Apple’s choices of the top Apps/Game for the Mac, iPhone, iPad & Apple TV.
It is not just who won, but what the winner means for trends.
https://medium.com/pcmag-access/apple-selects-its-best-apps-of-2021-20856485f4a4
I needed to understand SwiftUI MecOS Menus, and Sarah Reichelt of TrozWare came thru with this article.
I especially liked her section on adding to or overriding Standard Mac menus. Thank you!
https://troz.net/post/2021/swiftui_mac_menus/
There has been a lot more mobile phones over the years than most people know, and some are just strange.
PC Magazine celebrates the strangeness by sharing with us the amazing Mobile Phone Museum, a virtual exhibition.
https://www.pcmag.com/news/virtual-mobile-phone-museum-launches-with-really-weird-phones
Verizon Cell Phone Museum: https://in.pcmag.com/mobile-phones/46000/can-you-find-your-first-phone-in-verizons-cell-phone-museum
Samsung’s Phone Museum: https://www.pcmag.com/news/the-weirdest-phones-in-samsungs-amazing-phone-museum
Interesting view of why Python may be losing its popularity.
I never realized Python was named after Monty Python.
https://medium.com/codex/why-python-is-not-the-programming-language-of-the-future-4b963eb30878
Fascinating work by machine learning powered company Latitude to deliver gaming with AI.
A more structured game than there first “AI Dungeon” project, Voyage uses GPT-3 text generation algorithms to generate the interplay.
https://www.theverge.com/2021/12/19/22836418/latitude-ai-dungeon-voyage-ai-powered-game-platform-launch
Paul Hudson of Hacking With Swift helps to explore the Swift Algorithms Package.
I found the this package to be less about Algorithms, and mostly contain especially useful language extensions to Swift. As one of the built in Swift Packages of the latest Xcode, I have started routinely including it for all new Swift projects.
https://www.hackingwithswift.com/articles/243/write-better-code-with-swift-algorithms
Pavlos Simas give us a nice list of ways to increase your Xcode compile time for iOS.
His comments on how to organize your code, and keep it clean, should be taken to heart.
https://blog.devgenius.io/reduce-xcode-build-time-for-ios-bf43d3ca4ab8
Here is 2 part article on some of the most important design rules for User Interface & Experience.
Some of the rules go against “logic”, but they are still true.
https://uxplanet.org/laws-of-ux-every-designer-should-know-about-9cf25176d183
Part 2: https://uxplanet.org/laws-of-ux-part-ii-ed6e89778152
Before the 6502, 68000, or even the 8080, there was the 4004, the first commercial microprocessor.
When you realize it has been 50 years, you can think how much has changed due to this first chip.
https://www.pcmag.com/news/how-the-4004-changed-the-world
Saturday Tech Humor
‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
Except, there was one person, sat at his desk
Asking “why won’t this compile, I’m getting depressed”;
Mirror, mirror…. Let’s use Swift’s Mirror API to support Code Reflection.
John Sundell article shows how our runtime code can inspect properties of a class or structure.
https://www.swiftbysundell.com/articles/reflection-in-swift/
If you want to learn something, you really can’t go wrong with a Stanford Computer Science class.
“the Spring 2021 version of Stanford University's course CS193p (Developing Applications for iOS using SwiftUI) were once again delivered to our students in an on-line fashion.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqu6BquVi2M&list=PLpGHT1n4-mAsxuRxVPv7kj4-dQYoC3VVu
Today Youtube informed me that my Channel has had over 70,000 views this year, with 85,000 minutes played in total.
The vast majority are my videos from various cosplay events and cons, along with bits and pieces.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHhvNiyY4Xls9X_zmcEWmyQ
My most popular video is about one of my favorite movies: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eP6bkialg8
Here is an interesting traditional puzzled move into 3D VR space.
“Puzzling Places brings a myriad of objects and places to life with the use of a photogrammetry, a technique that takes high-resolution photos and constructs them into a 3D model”
https://www.roadtovr.com/puzzling-places-coming-psvr-release/
Youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xqfvfr1dCS4
“A good science fiction story should be able to predict not the automobile but the traffic jam.” ― Frederik Pohl
In 1923, someone predicted what cells phones would lead us to.
https://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/i0wae0/when_we_all_have_pocket_telephones_daily_mirror/
A buddy and I are in the same programming class.
My friend starts writing down a note.
I look at it
He says "Hey! That note is private"
I respond "But we are in the same class"
Today I gave a presentation on Augment Parser, easily one of the best tools when implementing Command Line apps for Mac or iOS.
Here is the link to my Git repository with my presentations, and other publications.
https://github.com/magesteve/publications
Direct link to keynote document: https://github.com/magesteve/publications/blob/master/presentations/Argument%20Parser%20Talk%20Steve%20Sheets%20Dec%202021.key
Chris Eidhof of Objc explains the difference between Implicit animations and Explicit animation under SwiftUI
“objc.io publishes books, videos, and articles on advanced techniques for iOS and macOS development”
https://www.objc.io/blog/2021/11/25/transactions-and-animations/
Everyone’s talking about the Metaverse, it is good to see people pooling their ideas and thoughts.
VR/AR Association is hosting this one day free virtual summit on Dec 17.
https://hopin.com/events/metaverses-and-avatars/
Bloomberg reports a change in marketing strategy for Apple in regards to the unannounced products like the Headset and/or car.
Do I get tired of posting unconfirmed reports on the Apple AR/VR headset? Fortunately, not yet!
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2021-11-28/apple-car-vr-headset-launch-plan-belkin-boost-charge-pro-review-kwjly0i1
Now that I have accepted SwiftUI into my heart, I find SwiftUI Lab to be a great resource.
Advanced animation, advanced Views, the Lab specializes in the little bits that make an App polished.
https://swiftui-lab.com/
A detailed analysis of issues using SwiftUI’s EnvironmentObject keyword.
Thanks to Riccardo Cipolleschi for his explanation of the two common, if faulty, methods to deal with dependencies.
Comments: I understand Riccardo Cipolleschi points, but will have to spend time working with EnvironmentObject to decide. I like SwiftUI simplicity of using keywords. That said, I am leaning towards Type Erasers. While I do not have a solution for better testing with SwiftUI, I dislike his solution of “explicitly defining the dependencies and to pass them in the View initializers”. For more than one or two dependencies, this becomes messy very quickly.
https://betterprogramming.pub/why-you-shouldnt-use-environmentobject-in-swiftui-a527d5c2bd
Liskov Subsitution Principle (mentioned in the article): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liskov_substitution_principle
Now the Animations are battling classic Arcade characters. Who will win? Lose? Get their quarters back?
In 2006, Alan Becker did a short animation where the drawing took over the paint program. 17.4 subscribers later, he is still at it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kCePEEBjvc
Alan’s Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/noogai89
Original Animator vs. Animation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npTC6b5-yvM
He’s making a database.
He’s sorting it twice.
SELECT * FROM CONTACTS WHERE BEHAVIOR = “NICE”
SQL Claus is coming to town!
Well used Callbacks, Combine or Swift’s Async/await, how should you implement your Apple network code?
Thanks to Riccardo Cipolleschi for this in depth article about using each approach.
https://betterprogramming.pub/how-to-convert-your-ios-network-layer-to-work-with-combine-or-async-await-869364313bd3
Adam Rush starts his blog with a handful of posting, including this tidbit about new features of the future Swift 5.6.
Inferring the type of a collection and improved availability condition checking, both very useful.
https://www.swiftlyrush.com/whats-new-in-swift-5-6/
An IBM Ad from 1988, that show if you don’t want to explain your product, just throw celebrities at it.
Yes, that is Hawkeye, Radar and Col. Potter from M.A.S.H. hawking the IBM Application Sysrtem/400.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKZ34h1sT24
Debugging Asserts don’t just have to be in Unit Test, they should be in your main code.
Mark Lucking explains inserting the Assert command into your Swift Apps.
https://levelup.gitconnected.com/assertions-in-swift-a0ef807f6c25
A propeller airplane going 345.4 mph using an electric-only motor? Amazing.
While most people associate them only with cars, Rolls Royce has long avionics history. I am not surprised they did this.
https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/rolls-royce-worlds-fastest-electric-aircraft-intl-scli-gbr/index.html
Mark Lucking gives us this incredibly useful collection of Random generators for Swift.
I especially like the code for unique random numbers (never duplicating a range) and secure random numbers.
https://betterprogramming.pub/5-swift-extensions-to-generate-randoms-87401ccc60f
Happy Thanksgiving!
Enjoy your pumpkin pies.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NV9EM75V120
Just like demolition derbies and building implosions, there is something spectacular in a flop. Even a tech product flop.
Here are some of the biggest hardware disasters from the past.
https://www.pcmag.com/news/the-biggest-hardware-flops-of-all-time
Another list of development techniques that every Swift programmer should know.
Consistent code is easier to read, both for others and for yourself. Otherwise, reviewing your own code from 2 years back can be a chore.
https://medium.com/@zhuyp/12-tips-to-make-swift-more-concise-4f4ed63f3063
More than a bit of knowledge on the sate of Windows running on ARM from Jean-Louis Gassée.
With Apple’s M1 ARM Macs, this becomes more than a bit interesting.
https://mondaynote.com/windows-on-arm-again-2097ff043f3a
Every Swift developers should have these 7 Array features in their back pocket.
Thanks Mohd Hafiz for a very good list!
https://medium.com/geekculture/7-array-features-every-swift-beginner-must-know-745a11b8f6f1
This excerpt from Steve Levy’s book Crypto introduces Whit Diffie, the man who invented public/private key cryptography.
Steve also talks about the early days of Crypto.
https://onezero.medium.com/the-untold-story-of-the-man-that-made-mainstream-encryption-possible-231c749d5005
Programmers count differently, case in point:
1) The two most difficult things in programming are memory management, naming things, and off by one errors.
2) My girlfriend told me I care more about my programming job than about her. I told her she is the #1 thing I care about.
The remains of the once vast Atari Corporation celebrate their 50th anniversary by releasing 3 new Atari 2600 game cartridges.
Released thru the new AtariXP, “a publisher of collectible, physical games beginning with never-released and rare Atari games from the 1970s and 1980s”.
https://hackaday.com/2021/11/18/video-gaming-like-its-1983-new-game-cartridges-from-atari/
Atari website announcement: https://www.atari.com/atarixp-launches-new-game-cartridge-initiative-with-the-release-of-three-never-published-titles/
Atari XP site: https://atarixp.com
“WWDC Notes is an open-source and community-driven effort to collect notes for all Apple's WWDC videos.”
Not all sessions are covered, but it has become my goto research spot before I watch any WWDC video.
https://www.wwdcnotes.com
“Washington Metropolitan Gamer Symphony Orchestra members and guests will give a special Giving Tuesday fundraising concert live on Twitch”
They are always enjoyable to listen to! Here is the announcement on Facebook.
https://www.facebook.com/events/640790516923359/
Twitch TV Link: http://twitch.tv/wmgso?fbclid=IwAR1POWaVT8o_vdQ5PqOWBIts8dNIw6ENOTzM4Nn8-6UUIylpUG4tS4VhMuU
Ok, the Science Geek in me found this interesting. Using X-Rays, scientists discovered a theoretical mineral in a diamond.
Davemaoite (yes, named after a guy named Dave) can only be formed 400+ miles below ground (heat and pressure), but a volcano pushed this sample to the service. What else is down there?
https://interestingengineering.com/new-mineral-discovered-in-diamond-that-formed-410-miles-below-earth
An excellent article by Michale Long on the correct way to implement MVVM with SwiftUI.
His explanation of “ObservableObject” is especially good.
https://betterprogramming.pub/swiftui-view-models-are-not-protocols-8c415c0325b1
I firmly believe that for any tech platform to be a true success, it must have a “Killer App”.
VisiCalc was the Killer Apple for the Apple // (and later PC computers). It was something that was easy to do on the computer, but almost impossible to do without.
https://www.stackbit.com/blog/story-of-visicalc
