I don’t plan on being Evil, but I found this list of Design Patterns from Hell to be useful.

I don’t plan on being Evil, but I found this list of Design Patterns from Hell to be useful.

Yes, there is such a thing as Unethical UX Design.  Here are things to avoid.

https://uxdesign.cc/10-evil-types-of-dark-ux-patterns-f5a408c43c62

Tania Vieira provides an explanation of Hick’s Law in regards to UI/UX.

Tania Vieira provides an explanation of Hick’s Law in regards to UI/UX.

Named after psychologist William Hick, the rule state that the more choices you provide a user, the longer it takes, by a factor of Log2().

https://uxdesign.cc/how-to-create-simple-and-clear-user-experiences-with-hicks-law-b1ccc8627536

This has been argued since the CompuServe days (late 80s), now a Peanut maker is getting into the argument on how you pronounce GIF (gif or jif).

This has been argued since the CompuServe days (late 80s), now a Peanut maker is getting into the argument on how you pronounce GIF (gif or jif).

How do you pronounce the abbreviation for Graphics Interchange Format? Hard G or soft g?

https://www.businessinsider.com/jif-campaign-settle-debate-pronunciation-of-gif-2020-2

ps. If anyone finds the link to buy it on Amazon, please send it to me.

A dozen talks from dotSwift 2020, a recent Swift conference in Paris.

A dozen talks from dotSwift 2020, a recent Swift conference in Paris.

It is always great when a conference puts up their videos to share.  Thank you!

https://www.dotconferences.com/conference/dotswift-2020

The YouTube channel with all the videos, including past dotSwift conferences: https://www.youtube.com/user/dotconferences/featured

UXDetails examines Tempo, and the innovative ideas that this Mail Client uses.

UXDetails examines Tempo, and the innovative ideas that this Mail Client uses.

Using animation and interactions, Tempo takes the novel approach that mail comes in batches, not individual emails.

https://www.uxdetails.com/tempo/

Christina Koehn leads us through the evolution of various Microsoft’s Icons.

Christina Koehn leads us through the evolution of various Microsoft’s Icons.

I especially like the montage of Mail icons, over the years.

https://medium.com/microsoft-design/iconic-icons-designing-the-world-of-windows-5e70e25e5416

Even if you are not using Java, the language ability to Annotate the source and compiled code is worth knowing.

Even if you are not using Java, the language ability to Annotate the source and compiled code is worth knowing.

Ben Weidig article is a good introduction for those of us who are unfamiliar with the Java feature.

https://medium.com/better-programming/java-annotations-explained-f1c26580b839

Kate Shokurova gives us 13 patterns for Mobile App Design.

Kate Shokurova gives us 13 patterns for Mobile App Design.

I would not call these patterns as much as checklist items for requirement, but either way, it is a useful list.

https://uxdesign.cc/mobile-ui-13-basic-patterns-of-app-ui-design-to-know-about-d3f7c6176f13

Sadly, a computer pioneer has passed away. Thank you, Larry Tesler for all your great work and ideas.

Sadly, a computer pioneer has passed away.  Thank you, Larry Tesler for all your great work and ideas.

https://people.com/human-interest/larry-tesler-computer-scientist-dies/

Yes, Apple’s new Functional Reactive Programming APIs, SwiftUI & Combine, can work together.

Yes, Apple’s new Functional Reactive Programming APIs, SwiftUI & Combine, can work together.

Peter Friese explains how to make these two different frameworks compatible with each other.

https://medium.com/flawless-app-stories/swiftui-plus-combine-equals-love-791ad444a082

This is an example of “unintended consequences”, Anti-vaping regulation will also effect Feelreal scent mask for VR.

This is an example of “unintended consequences”, Anti-vaping regulation will also effect Feelreal scent mask for VR.

The Ban on Nicotine E-Cigarette is shutting down VR company working on smell-o-vision add-on for VR headsets.

https://www.roadtovr.com/feelreal-vr-scent-mask-vaping-fda-ban/

Ivano Di Gese article shows three of the top-level frameworks for animation with Swift.

Ivano Di Gese article shows three of the top-level frameworks for animation with Swift.

Vector based animation with Lottie, view controller transitions with Hero, or View animation with Spring. Give them a try. 

https://medium.com/better-programming/top-3-swift-animations-libraries-for-your-ios-app-4fab9503d056

Join us for DCVR in VA at NovaLabs in Reston VA!

Join us for DCVR in VA at NovaLabs in Reston VA!

Prof. Craig Yu of GMU’s DCXR Group will talk about using AI/ML with VR.

https://www.meetup.com/DCimmersive/events/267589624/

Ivano Di Gese provides some solid points on how to improve your Swift Coding.

Ivano Di Gese provides some solid points on how to improve your Swift Coding.

Beyond the language, here are habits that will make your Swift Code better.

https://medium.com/better-programming/10-tips-to-be-a-good-swift-developer-7860c1e67337

Apple’s PencilKit was introduced with iOS 13, and provides fine control of Pencil for iPad Pros.

Apple’s PencilKit was introduced with iOS 13, and provides fine control of Pencil for iPad Pros.

Anupam Chugh explains the surprisingly simple API, and provides source examples.

https://medium.com/better-programming/an-introduction-to-pencilkit-in-ios-4d40aa62ba5b

Demo Repository: https://github.com/anupamchugh/iowncode/tree/master/iOSPencilKit

Joseph Heck is writing a book on Combine, and is posting it for free

Joseph Heck is writing a book on Combine, and is posting it for free

He has chosen crowdfunding as was to support his writing on Apple’s declarative Swift API. 

https://heckj.github.io/swiftui-notes/

The PDF version can be purchased: https://gumroad.com/l/usingcombine

Swift 5.2 is here, time to learn some new tricks.

Swift 5.2 is here, time to learn some new tricks.

Hacking With Swift explains 5.2’s Key Path Expressions as Functions, Callable values, Subscripts default arguments, and more!

https://www.hackingwithswift.com/articles/212/whats-new-in-swift-5-2

ReCombine is a Combine powered state management for Apple applications.

ReCombine is a Combine powered state management for Apple applications.

ReCombine is a Swift Redux Library utilizing Apple’s Combine Framework.

https://recombine.io

The Swift Organization has announced Swift Crypto, an open-source project implementation of Apple CryptoKit.

The Swift Organization has announced Swift Crypto, an open-source project implementation of Apple CryptoKit.

Providing public-key cryptography, secure digests & symmetric keys, these tools are now available to Swift developers regardless of the hardware platform.

https://swift.org/blog/crypto/

How would you create a utility to review data in VR?

How would you create a utility to review data in VR?

Ultraleap, the resulting merger of Leap Motion & UltaHaptics, maintains an interesting blog, where I found these design ideas.

https://www.ultraleap.com/company/news/blog/vr-ar-content-browser/

Google solution to cookie security, kill it within two years, without a replacement.

Google solution to cookie security, kill it within two years, without a replacement.

The issue is also mangled by Regulatory reviews of Google practices.

https://digiday.com/media/google-plans-kill-off-third-party-cookies-chrome-within-2-years/

Stackshare’s top 50, err, 100 Developer Tools for 2019

Stackshare’s top 50, err, 100 Developer Tools for 2019

There has been such an explosion of good, useful, available tools, that Stackshare’s usual list of the Best items had to be doubled in size.

https://stackshare.io/posts/top-developer-tools-2019

From Two Minute Papers, a paper showing a novel approach for more realistic Physics-Based movement of Characters

From Two Minute Papers, a paper showing a novel approach for more realistic Physics-Based movement of Characters 

Using Motion Capture as the data, use Machine Learning techniques to teach the figure to move, in any situation.

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

Sponsored by Fritz AI, Heartbeat website explores the intersection of mobile app development and machine learning.

Sponsored by Fritz AI, Heartbeat website explores the intersection of mobile app development and machine learning.

With a wide range of articles for iOS &Android, Heartbeat is worth exploring.

https://heartbeat.fritz.ai/

Another blast from my personal Apple past, and one of my prouder works: the original Apple Term //.

Another blast from my personal Apple past, and one of my prouder works: the original Apple Term //.

Along with an Apple /// version, this was a free Apple labeled terminal product for the Apple Modem.

One trivia fact: there was actually an unreleased Mac version. I wrote it, and it was in the process of being duplicated for distribution, when Steve Jobs killed the product. His logic was that MacTerminal was not yet out, and this smaller simpler terminal program would hurt MacTerminal says. My boss’s and my own opinion was that it would have increased sales for the Apple Modem for the Mac. We lost the argument.

https://macgui.com/downloads/?file_id=2042

SwiftUI is great at static symbol shapes, but needs better support for animation. Luckily Pavel Zak has come to the rescue.

SwiftUI is great at static symbol shapes, but needs better support for animation. Luckily Pavel Zak has come to the rescue.

Pavel explains the animatableData of SwiftUI, and provides the solution to easily work with it.

https://nerdyak.tech/development/2020/01/12/animating-complex-shapes-in-swiftui.html

John Sundell of Swift by Sundell comes through again with this great article on Swift Slicing

John Sundell of Swift by Sundell comes through again with this great article on Swift Slicing

Slicing is a method to work with a portion of a collection (usually an array) without making a copy of that section.  A very efficient way to do this!

https://www.swiftbysundell.com/articles/slicing-swift-collections/

Former colleague Jimmy Sambuo talk on Machine Learning & Android MLKit

Former colleague Jimmy Sambuo talk on Machine Learning & Android MLKit

Video from the recent Tyson’s Corner Android+ Meetup group.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMpw-E0mGlY&feature=youtu.be

36 training videos from Mobiconf 2019, one of the larger mobile development conferences.

36 training videos from Mobiconf 2019, one of the larger mobile development conferences.

Located in Poland, the presentations were aimed for OS and Android developers, UI/UX designers, software testers, Project Managers, Product Owners and CTOs.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLr5cF6ekyIDhnZ2ESdPshESfyAyxZ01TO

Conference site: https://2019.mobiconf.org

Jason Snell of Six Colors (referring to Apple's original colors logo) give his report card on Apple.

Jason Snell of Six Colors (referring to Apple's original colors logo) give his report card on Apple.

His various grades are not important, his reason of what improved and what didn’t is insightful.

https://sixcolors.com/post/2020/01/apple-in-2019-the-six-colors-report-card/