I have been enjoying the monthly programmer's article from the folks at QuickBird studio.

I have been enjoying the monthly programmer's article from the folks at QuickBird studio.

They talk about the latest tech for Swift, Kotlin, even Dart. I like their tech stack!

https://quickbirdstudios.com/blog/

7 Different drones for 7 different purposes or using different technologies.

7 Different drones for 7 different purposes or using different technologies.  

Yes, most of these are for military use now, but you can see where they are going for general use.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wci0pJoMOqQ

Neel Bakshi gives us this breakdown of the inner working of Swift’s Method Dispatch.

Neel Bakshi gives us this breakdown of the inner working of Swift’s Method Dispatch.

There are 80/20 rules in developer knowledge.  80% of iOS programmers won’t need to know this, but 20% will appreciate this info.

https://betterprogramming.pub/a-deep-dive-into-method-dispatches-in-swift-65a8e408a7d0

Tech Humor

Two strings walk into a bar and sit down. The bartender says, “So what’ll it be?”

The first string says, “I think I’ll have a beer quag fulk boorg jdk^CjfdLk jk3s d#f67howe%^U r89nvy~~owmc63^Dz x.xvcu”

“Please excuse my friend,” the second string says, “He isn’t null-terminated.”

Here is a cool SwiftUI trick rendering your text using a colorful gradient, instead of a static boring color.

Here is a cool SwiftUI trick rendering your text using a colorful gradient, instead of a static boring color.

Once he shows you the trick, SarunW gives you a nice text extension so it is easy to use.

https://sarunw.com/posts/how-to-render-text-with-color-gradient-in-swiftui/

Yes, Nvidia makes graphic cards, but lately, they really make their money from the Machine Learning & AI software that needs their power.

Yes, Nvidia makes graphic cards, but lately, they really make their money from the Machine Learning & AI software that needs their power.

“look at how Nvidia turned the humble graphics card into a platform that dominates one of tech’s most important fields”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuV-HyslPxk

Flying Robotic Drones have been appearing, but this one from the folks at CalTech is something to watch.

Flying Robotic Drones have been appearing, but this one from the folks at CalTech is something to watch.

Leo (Legs Onboard Drone) actually makes sense. Standing takes less energy than hovering, while flying can get into and out of spaces better.

https://www.core77.com/posts/112361/CalTechs-Jaunty-LEO-Robot-Combines-Walking-and-Flying-for-a-New-Type-of-Locomotion

Am I the only one who thinks Leonardo looks a bit like the flying insect warriors from Attack of the Clones?

Direct to Video: https://youtu.be/DhpMlI8jb5o

Investment Bank JP Morgan thinks the Metaverse will become a “market opportunity estimated at over $1 trillion in yearly revenues”.

Investment Bank JP Morgan thinks the Metaverse will become a “market opportunity estimated at over $1 trillion in yearly revenues”. 

To celebrate this, they opened a Lounge in the Metaverse, which has a striped Tiger walking around.  What?!?!

https://newblock.news/jpmorgan-opens-a-lounge-in-the-metaverse-after-stating-the-1-trillion-market-will-likely-infiltrate-every-sector/

 

Colossus was the world's first programmable, electronic, digital computer, although it was programmed by switches and plugs.

Colossus was the world's first programmable, electronic, digital computer, although it was programmed by switches and plugs.

With the 70th anniversary of the WWII computer, Chris Shore of Cambridge put together this entertaining presentation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2tMcMQqSbA

I always wondered if the supercomputer from the film “Colossus: The Forbin Project” was named after the historical one. Apparently not, just a coincidence, since the real computer had not been yet classified in 1970.

I don’t usually post about hardware, but this tiny micro keyboard made me laugh.

I don’t usually post about hardware, but this tiny micro keyboard made me laugh.

My first job at Apple was part of an acquired team formerly called The Keyboard Company.  I wonder what they would have thought of this.

https://www.pcmag.com/news/tiny-59-key-keyboard-created-using-a-raspberry-pi-pico

A quick and clear explanation of Opaque Types by Natascha Fadeeva

A quick and clear explanation of Opaque Types by Natascha Fadeeva

Opaque Types are a new feature of Swift 5.1 and are heavily used by SwiftUI.

https://tanaschita.com/20220206-understanding-opaque-types-in-swift/

Tech Humor

A UNIX programmer named Lenore

Loved her job, but loved the beach more.

She devised such a way

to combine work and play:

She sells C-shells by the seashore.

Finish out this week with another classic Mac game from the past.

Finish out this week with another classic Mac game from the past.

Written by Steve Capps, co-creator of the Mac Finder, this was called “Through the Looking Glass”, but it was usually simply called Alice.

https://www.folklore.org/StoryView.py?project=Macintosh&story=Alice.txt

No specific theme but here are a bunch of useful UIKit patterns.

No specific theme but here are a bunch of useful UIKit patterns.

Thanks to Tibor Bödecs for these tips.

https://theswiftdev.com/10-little-uikit-tips-you-should-know/

30 years ago, the world was introduced to the adorably frustrating little critters, the Lemmings!

30 years ago, the world was introduced to the adorably frustrating little critters, the Lemmings!

To celebrate, this 2-hour documentary was released on YouTube.

https://www.callapple.org/general-news-items/new-lemmings-documentary/

Direct link to the Youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbAVNKdk9gA

The first tank console game, Battlezone was a vector graphics hit.

The first tank console game, Battlezone was a vector graphics hit.

I never know a more advanced version was made by Atari for the US Army!

https://spectrum.ieee.org/battlezone

Even Robots need love...

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

Combine, Apple declarative Swift API for asynchronous events is starting to see traction, so some folks are moving from RXSwift to it.

Combine, Apple declarative Swift API for asynchronous events is starting to see traction, so some folks are moving from RXSwift to it.

QuickBird Studios provides this transition guide for those who are making that change.

https://quickbirdstudios.com/blog/rxswift-combine-transition-guide/

The Gorilla Arm syndrome is raising its ugly head again, this time with the Quest 2 Hand Tracking feature.

The Gorilla Arm syndrome is raising its ugly head again, this time with the Quest 2 Hand Tracking feature.

The repetitive strain of moving your hand toward a display screen is probably the #1 reason Apple never released a touch-sensitive iMac or iBook.

https://www.pcgamesn.com/oculus/quest-2-gorilla-arm-vr-injury

Saturday Tech Humor

Knock, Knock.

Who’s there?

<very long pause>

Java

(Let the programming language shaming begin)

Thanks to Steven Curtis for this explanation of Bézier curves, the basis of most modern graphics UI.

Thanks to Steven Curtis for this explanation of Bézier curves, the basis of most modern graphics UI.

I especially like how he shows the 3 ways to handle the 3 point curves.

https://stevenpcurtis.medium.com/bézier-path-and-curves-using-core-graphics-268fbb77dd80

My favorite Historical Firearms YouTube channel just had a chance to go SciFi, by trying out the very first portable, shoulder-fired rail gun.

My favorite Historical Firearms YouTube channel just had a chance to go SciFi, by trying out the very first portable, shoulder-fired rail gun.

Technically this is not a firearm, since it uses electromagnets, but this may be the weapon type of the future.

https://www.forgottenweapons.com/arcflash-labs-gr-1-anvil-portable-gauss-rifle/

Direct YouTube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAHKS0nVlL4

An earlier interview with David Wirth, one of the founders of Arcflash Labs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIl1XmEDdVY

 

Combine Computer Information Theory, with the hottest web game out there, and you get this video on solving Wordle puzzles by 3Blue1Born

Combine Computer Information Theory, with the hottest web game out there, and you get this video on solving Wordle puzzles by 3Blue1Born

Grant Sanderson's channel combines math and entertainment to make some great videos.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v68zYyaEmEA

The UK Center for Computer History has an archive of amazing videos on Youtube.

The UK Center for Computer History has an archive of amazing videos on Youtube.

Located in Cambridge, England, the Center has been posting videos for 7 years. They are worth a look!

https://www.youtube.com/c/TheCentreforComputingHistory/playlists

The Center for Computer History: http://www.computinghistory.org.uk

The Meta is starting to address the real world of physical harassment in the Metaverse.

The Meta is starting to address the real world of physical harassment in the Metaverse.

Any VR system that is created can be abused, but it is good that from the very start Meta is addressing this issue.

https://www.linkedin.com/news/story/meta-combats-vr-harassment-4670721/

Original article on The Verge: https://www.theverge.com/2022/2/4/22917722/meta-horizon-worlds-venues-metaverse-harassment-groping-personal-boundary-feature

Meta Tech Pod is an interesting podcast on all things relating to Metaverse products. Including iOS mobile apps.

Meta Tech Pod is an interesting podcast on all things relating to Metaverse products. Including iOS mobile apps.

Hosts Amy and Pascal how Messenger for iOS was rewritten as part of Project Lightspeed to make it smaller and faster.

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/faster-and-smaller-messenger-for-ios-with-amy/id1370910331?i=1000549521948

The Playstation VR 2 headset was announced by Sony at CES, and they are worth reviewing.

The Playstation VR 2 headset was announced by Sony at CES, and they are worth reviewing.

Until now, Eye-tracking and foveated rendering (drawing in higher resolution at the spot you are looking at) was new tech, not available on consumer VR headsets.

https://www.roadtovr.com/sony-playstation-vr-2-announcement-psvr-2-specs-field-of-view/

Saturday Tech Humor

 Saturday Tech Humor

Linux isn’t magic.

It’s sudo science.

Incredibly details article about the current state of Apple’s AR & VR development by the staff of MacRumors.

Incredibly details article about the current state of Apple’s AR & VR development by the staff of MacRumors.

I hope we will see an Apple Augmented Reality platform in 2022, not 2023.

https://www.macrumors.com/roundup/apple-glasses/

What makes a casual game great? The Atlantic talks about this in regards to recent Wordle love-fest.

What makes a casual game great?  The Atlantic talks about this in regards to recent Wordle love-fest.

The article uses the term “Unoriginal” to describe something that builds on what people are already comfortable with.

https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2022/01/solving-wordle-puzzle/621413/

Recently several people have asked me about GraphQL, so I thought I would post this great tutorial by Felipe Laso-Marsetti of the RayWenderlich team.

Recently several people have asked me about GraphQL, so I thought I would post this great tutorial by Felipe Laso-Marsetti of the RayWenderlich team.

Almost everyone I know uses the Apollo Framework when working with GraphQL.

https://www.raywenderlich.com/10886648-graphql-using-the-apollo-framework-getting-started

I can’t believe I am posting this: when interest collides, an article on using SwiftUI to write a Wordle game.

I can’t believe I am posting this: when interests collide, an article on using SwiftUI to write a Wordle game.

It is a pretty good article on using SwiftUI for a specific user interface.

https://quickbirdstudios.com/blog/wordle-game-swiftui/

Yes, I have been playing this game addictively.