Developers

450 'Developers' stories August 2011 - February 2016

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Apple releases fourth OS X 10.11.4 beta with Live Photos in Messages, secure Notes, more

Zac Hall Feb 22 2016 - 10:02 am PT

Apple has released the fourth OS X 10.11.4 preview for registered developers to test ahead of its expected release next month. The software update to the Mac will likely be released around next month’s March 15th event and is expected to coincide with a new version of iTunes. For Mac users, the latest version of OS X El Capitan adds enhancements like being able to view and share Live Photos originally taken on the iPhone 6s or 6s Plus as well as the ability to lock notes behind a secure password. We’re check out the latest beta and update with any changes.

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tvOS 9.2 beta 4 w/ Dictation in text fields, iCloud Photo Library & much more hits Apple TV

Zac Hall Feb 22 2016 - 9:57 am PT

tvOS 9.2 beta 4 for the fourth-generation Apple TV is now available as an over-the-air software update for registered developers testing the pre-release version. Apple TV gains several new abilities with the upcoming release including iOS-style app folders, a redesigned app switcher user interface, voice dictation input for search and username/password entry, complete iCloud Photo Library support, and much more. We’ll check out the latest beta version of the upcoming release and highlight any changes below.

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watchOS 2.2 beta 4 for Apple Watch w/ new Maps app is now available

Zac Hall Feb 22 2016 - 9:56 am PT

Apple today has released the fourth watchOS 2.2 beta for Apple Watch developers. In terms of new features, the watchOS 2.2 so far has added a totally revamped Apple Maps app and glance, and it’s required to use iOS 9.3 beta’s new multi-watch feature. We’ll check out the latest beta version of the upcoming release and highlight any changes below.

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IBM brings Swift to the cloud, releases web framework Kitura written in Apple’s programming language

Greg Barbosa Feb 22 2016 - 9:32 am PT

Only months after Apple officially open-sourced Swift, IBM today is announcing that they are bringing Apple’s Swift programming language to the cloud. This makes IBM the first cloud provider enabling Swift application development server-side. IBM has also introduced a preview to a Swift runtime and a Swift Package Catalog to help with code sharing, and distribution.

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iOS 9.3 allows apps to add content from Apple Music directly to your library

Greg Barbosa Feb 22 2016 - 8:57 am PT

In his security and privacy post regarding iOS’s current music library, Ben Dodson adds a small addendum explaining that with iOS 9.3 apps can now add music that currently exists in the Apple Music catalog directly to a user’s music library. While a small and under-discussed feature, it opens up further possibilities for many different kinds of apps and application developers.

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Google releases open-source iOS UI testing framework, EarlGrey

Greg Barbosa Feb 18 2016 - 2:44 pm PT

On Wednesday, Google released their aptly named UI testing framework, EarlGrey. Having been using the framework in a few of their current iOS apps already for functional testing, it’s good to hear that the product has been validated before an initial public release.

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Tasting Table launches Apple TV app in 24 hours thanks to JW Player’s new tvOS framework

Greg Barbosa Feb 18 2016 - 9:35 am PT

Thanks to JW Player’s new tvOS app framework, Tasting Table was able to successfully build and submit an Apple TV app for review in less than 24 hours. JW Player’s new beta open-source product allows content makers on its platform to utilize what they already have created to build a fully branded Apple TV app.

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Panic releases Prompt 2.5 with support for Split View on iPad, 3D Touch on iPhone 6s

Greg Barbosa Feb 17 2016 - 12:09 pm PT

Panic has released their new 2.5 update for Prompt, the popular SSH application for iOS. Introducing split-screen views on the iPad and 3D Touch on the latest iPhones, this brings Prompt to the forefront with the latest features available in iOS 9.

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Apple TV App Store gains app previews videos on tvOS

Zac Hall Feb 17 2016 - 9:29 am PT

Apple has been steadily improving the tvOS App Store experience for customers and developers on the new Apple TV, and today it’s continuing by turning on support for app previews. Developers can create app previews, which are videos showing the app in action beyond just screenshots, to show customers how their apps work before they download or purchase the app.

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Mobile apps to become a $50B industry this year, $100B by 2020 – App Annie

Ben Lovejoy Feb 11 2016 - 5:17 am PT

Data from App Annie suggests that global mobile app revenue will hit $50B this year, and $101B by 2020. Total annual downloads will rise from 111B last year to 284B by 2020.

Apple’s iOS is set to retain its store leadership by gross revenue over the five-year period, while Google Play and third-party Android stores will expand their lead measured in downloads due to wider proliferation of devices.

The forecast was made a month after Apple announced a new record for App Store sales, hitting over $1.1B revenue in just two weeks of the holiday season.

App Annie suggests that China will overtake the U.S. in app revenue in the first half of this year, and cites good evidence for this …

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Developers

Apple highlights certificate change deadline affecting certain developers

Zac Hall Feb 9 2016 - 1:56 pm PT

Apple has shared an update on its developer news and updates site to highlight an upcoming change to Apple Worldwide Developer Relations Intermediate certificates from Sunday, February 14th.

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Apple open sources benchmarking suite for Swift

Chance Miller Feb 8 2016 - 2:45 pm PT

Apple today announced in a post on its Swift blog that it is open sourcing the Swift benchmark suite. This announcement comes two months after the company made the Swift programming language open source, allowing the developer community to have direct access to the platform. Much like the rest of Swift, the benchmarking suite is available now on GitHub with an open source Apache license.

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Apple releases third OS X 10.11.4 beta with Live Photos in Messages, secure Notes, more

Zac Hall Feb 8 2016 - 10:04 am PT

Apple has released the third OS X 10.11.4 beta today to testers. The latest developer preview can be found in the Updates section of the Mac App Store. Previous versions have added new features to the Mac including the ability to view and share Live Photos shot on the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus using Messages, and the ability to password protect Notes. We’ll check out the latest beta version of the upcoming release and highlight any changes below.

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watchOS 2.2 beta 3 for Apple Watch w/ new Maps app is now available

Zac Hall Feb 8 2016 - 9:55 am PT

Apple today has released the third watchOS 2.2 beta for Apple Watch developers. In terms of new features, the watchOS 2.2 so far has added a totally revamps Apple Maps app and glance and is required to use iOS 9.3 beta’s new multi-watch feature. We’ll check out the latest beta version of the upcoming release and highlight any changes below.

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tvOS 9.2 beta 3 w/ Dictation in text fields, iCloud Photo Library & much more hits Apple TV

Zac Hall Feb 8 2016 - 9:51 am PT

Apple has released the third tvOS 9.2 beta software update to registered developers for testing. Previous versions of the pre-release Apple TV software update have added major changes to the new device including app folders similar to iOS and OS X, Bluetooth keyboard support, a redesigned app switcher, and even full iCloud Photo Library support. We’ll check out the latest beta version of the upcoming release and highlight any changes below.

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Apple releases iOS 9.3 beta 3 with Night Shift, Touch ID Notes, & Verizon Wi-Fi Calling

Zac Hall Feb 8 2016 - 9:48 am PT

Apple today has released the third iOS 9.3 beta to registered developers for testing. The first iOS 9.3 beta introduced at the start of the year introduced new 3D Touch shortcuts on new iPhones, Touch ID-secured Notes, a new Night Shift mode for blue light reduction, and much more. iOS 9.3 beta 2 added a Night Shift toggle in Control Center and other tweaks. We’ll check out the latest beta version of the upcoming release and highlight any changes below.

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Apple adds server API to CloudKit, unlocking new developer possibilities for the iCloud service

Benjamin Mayo Feb 5 2016 - 11:12 am PT

Apple has quietly added a server-side API to CloudKit, following an announcement on the developer news blog. This will enable developers to add a lot of functionality to apps powered by CloudKit, enabling developers to interact with the iCloud CloudKit database outside of user interaction with iOS, Mac or web apps. The web service API enables developers to run independent code on servers that can add, delete and modify records in the CloudKit stack.

Until now, interaction with CloudKit has been limited to the APIs Apple provided in apps. Although this was useful, it lacked the options for more advanced use — most modern apps rely on servers to perform tasks whilst users are away. With the addition of the web API, developers can create many more types of applications using CloudKit as the backend. For instance, an RSS reader app can now add new feed items to the CloudKit stack from the server. Before, this action could only occur when a user opened a CloudKit-powered app, which was essentially impractical and meant developers had to use other tools.

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Apple releases Xcode 7.2.1 with bug fixes and performance improvements

Chance Miller Feb 2 2016 - 4:56 pm PT

Apple this evening has pushed a small update to its developer software Xcode. The update bumps the app to version 7.2.1, following the initial release of version 7.2 late last year. Xcode 7.2.1 carries the build number 7C1002 and includes a handful of under-the-hood fixes and improvements.

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How a teenage app developer helped support his family using the App Store

Greg Barbosa Feb 1 2016 - 8:12 am PT

Michael Sayman, known for creating the iOS game 4 Snaps, shared a story today on what it was like growing up in the world of iOS development at such a young age. After his first app’s major success at the age of 13, an app based on his Club Penguin blog, Sayman soon gained to media attention and began to travel the world sharing his story. In the profile, he delves into the irony of being paid to travel and tell this personal story on success, all the while his parents were struggling financially at home.

Sayamn also explains how he became the primary bill-payer for the household and what that was like for a teen in school.

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Strange Guardian article finds a few people who don’t want to work at Apple, presents it as news

Ben Lovejoy Jan 29 2016 - 3:53 am PT

I’m a fan of the British newspaper The Guardian, whose news coverage and features are often excellent (disclaimer: I’ve written a few articles for it myself), but a piece it ran last night is just plain bizarre. It attempted to explain the company’s slowing sales – temporary or not – by suggesting that software engineers no longer want to work there.

Tellingly, Apple is no longer seen as the best place for engineers to work, according to several Silicon Valley talent recruiters. It’s a trend that has been happening slowly for years – and now, in this latest tech boom, has become more acute.

The evidence presented for this? One freelance developer, one unnamed “startup executive,” one software designer and two recruiters. Among the reasons given are the culture of secrecy (doh!) and the fact that “Apple notoriously doesn’t serve free food, which was unusual in 2012 and, in 2016 Silicon Valley, shocking for highly prized and pampered engineers accustomed to perk.”

The one sensible reason given was that some engineers want to work on new stuff, rather than the latest iteration of an already successful product. This is true, but it’s hardly news that one employer isn’t for everyone …

Photo: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images via the Guardian

Tesla is moving away from an SDK and instead planning to allow app mirroring from iPhones to center consoles

Fred Lambert Jan 28 2016 - 12:14 pm PT

Since Tesla launched the Model S in 2012, the automaker has been talking about releasing a software development kit (SDK) to create a full third-party app ecosystem for its 17-inch touchscreen, which acts as a center console for the Model S and X, but despite several inquiries from eager app developers, there has been little communication about the project until now.
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Apple announces lower App Store price tiers for developers in New Zealand & Canada

Chance Miller Jan 27 2016 - 3:38 pm PT

Apple today announced on its Developer Portal that its making two new lower price tiers available for developers in Canada and New Zealand. Developers in those countries can now offer paid apps and in-app purchases at $0.99 CAD and $0.99 NZD. These new options will allow for developers to offer more affordable apps and in-app purchases to users in these countries.

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tvOS 9.2 beta 2 w/ Podcasts app, folders, Bluetooth keyboard support & more hits Apple TV

Zac Hall Jan 25 2016 - 1:35 pm PT

The second tvOS 9.2 beta is now available on the fourth-generation Apple TV. This update brings Apple TV 3 features including a Podcasts app and Bluetooth keyboard support to the latest streaming set-top box. The beta software also brings iOS-like features including app folders to the Apple TV. We’ll check out the latest beta version of the upcoming release and highlight any changes below.

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watchOS 2.2 beta 2 for Apple Watch w/ new Maps app is now available

Zac Hall Jan 25 2016 - 1:21 pm PT

Apple has released the second watchOS 2.2 beta for Apple Watch testers today. Pairing multiple Apple Watches to a single iPhone is a feature of the iOS 9.3 beta and requires the watchOS 2.2 beta on each Apple Watch. The latest software update in testing also includes a revamped Maps app with the Nearby feature first introduced in iOS 9.0. We’ll check out the latest beta version of the upcoming release and highlight any changes below.

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