The start of VR coming to the Apple Mac world has begun with the support of external high-end graphics card!

The new Mac OS 10.13.4 has support for eGPU (External graphics cards using Thunderbolt 3), a requirement for Virtual Reality.

https://9to5mac.com/2018/03/29/state-of-egpu-apple-introduces-official-egpu-support-in-macos-10-13-4-internal-display-acceleration-opt-in/

Additional article: https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2018/3/30/17180042/macos-external-gpu-support-graphics-card

If you don't know KPIs (and a host of other Metric abbreviations), let's explain it to you.

Key Performance Indicator (ARPU, CPA, LTV, MAU, Retention, Attrition, Churn) are a key part of Mobile Apps Metrics.

https://www.braze.com/blog/essential-mobile-app-metrics-formulas/

Another article on the subject: https://mobair.com/blog/15-key-mobile-app-metrics-need-know-2018/

RayWenderlich comes through with a detailed explanation of Swift 4.1 differences.

Conditional Conformance, Case Conversion, default Equatable and Hashable Conformance, Hashable Index Types, Recursive Constraints, and more Swift 4.1, all explained to you.

https://www.raywenderlich.com/187826/whats-new-in-swift-4-1

Artopia allows you to create virtual graffiti with AR.

An Augmented Reality 3D Painting app for iOS & Android, saves the artwork at the location you drew it, so others can view it. Watch the teaser video!

https://paintwithartopia.com

Mark Moeykens YouTube channel has 100s of video explaining iOS UI and Swift design concepts.

If I were to make videos on iOS/Swift, there are some of the topics I would want to explain. The list includes Swift Memory, Reusable Popups, Storyboard Tips and more.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChH6WbyYeX0INJjrK2-6WSg

An explanation from Microsoft of Visual Studio App Center

Build, test and distribute native or cross-platform mobile & desktop apps using Microsofts new App Center. You can even compile an iOS app without using a Mac!

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/resources/videos/connect-2017-introduction-to-visual-studio-app-center/

Microsoft Research is experimenting with controllers that provide tactile feedback to the player.

This article, including video links, demonstrate 4 different haptic controllers (Claw, wheel-like Revolver, 2 handed Links, Cane) that has the user feel the virtual reality objects.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/blog/touching-virtual-microsoft-research-making-virtual-reality-tangible/

Rare Photos from Apple // Forever Event (introducing the Apple //c)

This media event (3 months after the release of the Mac) become the standard for Apple.

https://forums.appleinsider.com/discussion/199303/rare-photos-of-apple-ii-forever-media-event-surface-reveal-apple-keynote-progenitor

Apple // Forever event has a personal place in my memories. Though having worked on the //c project, since I was not part of the department, I was not invited. So another non-invited co-worked and I crashed the event. We were rewarded with a minor, but scary earthquake during the event, at the new underground Moscone center.

The Secret History of Mac Gaming by Richard Moss

Learn about the creative little community of game developers and players who made the Macintosh a special, forward-thinking place for games in the 1980s and '90s

https://secrethistoryofmacgaming.com

Joint Apple & IBM announcement for Watson to work with OpenML

Apple's Machine Learning API was released last year, with open-ended support for models like TensorFlow. Now IBM's Watson model can be used with OpenML using new cloud-based tools. 

https://techcrunch.com/2018/03/19/apple-ibm-extend-partnership-with-watson-core-ml-coupling/

Apple's page regarding this technology: https://developer.apple.com/ibm/

What every Fitness App must have.

While the article is specific to health & fitness, the feature checklist could be used for almost any mobile app. I liked the detailed thinking behind this.

https://www.mindinventory.com/blog/health-fitness-app-development-must-have-features-and-cost-estimation/

Unity Keynote at GDC!

Unity executive explains the future, with latest innovations covering graphics, performance, artist tools and more.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGBBl7q3YmY

LinkedIn iPhone Developer Group is a great way to stay current in the industry.

I have been asked where I find my iPhone related postings. This group is always active with interesting tidbits. You must be LinkedIn user, but then we all are, right?

https://www.linkedin.com/groups/72283

The Lost Worlds of Monument Valley 2

You will need to launch iTunes on iOS device to view this but learn about alternative characters and artwork for the award-winning game.

 https://itunes.apple.com/us/story/id1350414675

Apple Education Event scheduled for March 27th

Besides possible low-end MacBook & iPads, they may be announcing the ClassRoomKit SDK for education apps.

https://www.theverge.com/2018/3/16/17129108/apple-event-education-students-teachers-ipads

A handy little web tool to identify Apple Error number meaning.

You can search by value, name, framework, or header file, to find exactly the meaning of the OS error message you received.

https://www.osstatus.com

To Celebrate Pi Day, the new Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ was released yesterday.

Faster 1.4 quad-core Ghz CPU (15% improvement), Duel 2.4 Ghz & 5 Ghz Wifi, & Bluetooth 4.2/Low Energy, otherwise identical to older Pi3 Model B, all for $35 (or less).

https://www.raspberrypi.org/products/raspberry-pi-3-model-b-plus/

Additional link: http://www.zdnet.com/article/raspberry-pi-3-model-b-arrives-faster-cpu-wi-fi-300mbps-ethernet/

Special Announcement

I am looking for a server-side developer to help me with a commercial VR/AR application.  I need someone who can implement the backend of a RESTFUL protocol I have designed for the backend.  AWS or similar expertise would be useful since the service will have to be scalable.  Please forward this request on to anyone you think is qualified. Contact me by email at magesteve@mac.com.  Thanks, Steve Sheets

Author of "Take Control of Apple Home Automation" interviewed on MacVoices

Josh Centers provides tips on using Apple’s HomeKit.

http://www.macvoices.com/macvoices-18074-josh-centers-takes-control-of-apple-home-automation/

It has been announced. WWDC 2018 June 4-8.

Yes, I debate cost vs value since so much is online almost immediately, but nothing equals having face to face access to engineers for a week.

https://9to5mac.com/2018/03/13/wwdc-2018-dates/

Come and learn about Bot Development using Google's DialogFlow.

Create intelligent agents for Google Assistant/Home, Slack, Cortana, Alexa and Facebook Messenger.

https://www.meetup.com/modevdc/events/247995167/

Apple release SwiftNIO, a high-performance SDK for networked server and client applications.

Could Apple be finally entering the cloud computing space?

https://seekingalpha.com/article/4154113-apples-new-swiftnio-might-hint-bigger-cloud-ambitions-come

Swift is now one of the top 10 programming languages, replacing Objective-C.

What is amazing is how fast Swift has become mainstream, faster than any language before.  

https://www.wired.com/story/apples-swift-programming-language-is-now-top-tier/

Further reading: http://appleinsider.com/articles/18/03/09/apples-swift-rises-into-top-10-programming-languages-swapping-places-with-objective-c

ClassWork leak shows user interface for possible future Classroom App.

ClassKit is a framework designed for educational apps and will allow developers to create activities that teachers assign to their students. And I would love to program for it!

https://9to5mac.com/2018/03/01/preferences-for-apple-upcoming-classkit-framework/

Spotify has risen to become the dominant music streaming service, beating out others services including Apple.

With the IPO about to start, CNN gives some past history of the Spotify service, and how they winning. 

http://money.cnn.com/2018/03/05/technology/spotify-vs-apple-ipo/index.html

Finally, a TV that was designed not be noticed when it is not used.

Futurist have been expanding on this idea for years, but Samsung has the first well-designed TV that appears as a wall hanging when not in use.

http://money.cnn.com/2018/03/07/technology/samsung-tvs-2018-ambient-mode/index.html

Special Announcement

For those whom I have not spoken to directly, I am no longer employed with Capital One as a software developer. I still believe the company is a great organization to work for, and will miss the people whom I saw daily, and am sorry I have to leave. I have a few weeks to relax then I will be looking for full-time development work. If anyone has any suggestions, please feel free to contact me.

Using Machine Learning to Predict Bug before they happen.

Ubisoft created "Commit Assistant" to predict when developers would cause bugs based on previous mistakes.  I wonder how much past code it would need in order to predict future bugs.

https://futurism.com/ai-predicts-coding-mistakes-before-developers-make-them/

9 App Design Tips for the iPhone X.

Mehul Rajput does a good job explaining how to design apps for iPhone X.

http://blog.fluidui.com/9-app-design-tips-for-the-iphone-x/

What will be world's largest plane has its first runway test.

Stratolaunch hopes to launch satellites and other objects into space.

http://www.mlive.com/news/us-world/index.ssf/2018/03/largest_airplane.html

Highlights from the O'Reilly Software Architecture Conference.

Videos about event-driven distributed computing, the Kubernetes API, architectural principles of chaos engineering and more for those who could not make this NYC event.

https://www.oreilly.com/ideas/highlights-from-oreilly-software-architecture-ny-2018

Apple moves both data and security keys for China users to state-run servers.

China requires companies to keep all data in the country, with easy access by authorities, worrying privacy & human rights advocates.

http://money.cnn.com/2018/02/28/technology/apple-icloud-data-china/index.html

Sketch update included Official iOS Design Template.

Prototyping standard iOS UI has become a lot easier with this new update of Sketch.

https://www.macstories.net/news/sketch-adds-shared-libraries-including-the-official-apple-ios-11-design-template-and-prototyping/