So this week saw a rather surprising acquisition from Apple and while I wouldn't usually cover acquisitions, this is one that could have implications for developers, so here goes.
Both the app, and the team have been acquired and while it remains on the store, admittedly without some of the existing integrations (the reason for which, I'm sure Marco Arment is correct about) we really don't know what's going to happen next.
My prediction (and hope!) is that the app sticks around in its current form, but I don't think we'll see updates with anywhere near the regularity that they've been maintaining until now. Instead, I hope that the team is already working on bringing better ways for apps to communicate into the core of iOS, and that what we see is better, public APIs that everyone can benefit from. I believe that would be a fantastic outcome and would show a commitment from Apple which might come as a surprise after last year's disappointing news about Sal Soghoian.
Given the timing of this, I'd be surprised if we saw anything appearing as a result of it in iOS 11, but maybe in 12? Oh and huge congratulations to the Workflow team! Amazing work both building an incredible app, but also having an opportunity to bring some of their thinking to iOS! 🎉
Senior iOS Engineer @ DuckDuckGo – You will work on the team responsible for an all-in-one privacy solution. You'll collaborate with Product Managers, Designers, and Engineers across Native Apps to craft a world-class browser with embedded privacy features that will revolutionise the way people search, surf, and exist online. – Remote (Anywhere)
Senior iOS Developer @ Storyteller – We're looking for an amazing Senior iOS Developer to join our growing team and help push this product on to the next 100 million users. You'll be working with the latest technologies across Swift using the latest equipment of your choice. – Remote (within European timezones)
iOS Developer @ Konrad – Konrad is an amazing community of the brightest minds in tech. We build bleeding-edge mobile applications for some of the largest, most exciting companies in the world. We have a team of 250+ developers that work with the latest technologies. – Remote (within US timezones) with some on-site work (Canada)
Senior iOS Engineer @ Sendwave – We currently have a 4.6-star rating on Trustpilot — people put their faith in us to deliver their money quickly, securely, and affordably. And we’re pretty darn proud of that. – Remote (within US or European timezones)
Even though some countries are making good progress with deploying vaccinations and reducing cases, there was little doubt that this year’s WWDC would be virtual again rather than in-person. So it was no surprise to see the announcement this week of another all-virtual WWDC starting on June 7th. 🚀
Apple is also bringing back the Swift Student Challenge for 2021. You have until April 18th to get your submissions in, so I’d get started now if you’d like to participate!
I already talked about my hopes for this year, so I’m excited to see what the Xcode team has achieved!
So, what should you do in the next few weeks before the event? I liked this advice from Simon Støvring, especially the part about auditing your dependencies. There’s nothing more frustrating than not being able to move forward with new features because you have a dead dependency at the core of your app.
Oh, and if you miss travelling to the conference, maybe you could also make that virtual this year? ✈️
I can’t wait to see what Apple have in store for us!
Even before the pandemic, our industry was always more remote-friendly than others. Mainly because given a laptop, phone, internet connection, and USB cable, we’re pretty much ready to go!
Of course, over the last 18 months, things have moved even further towards software development becoming an entirely remote industry. Even as lockdowns have eased and businesses where in-person collaboration is beneficial have returned to the office, most companies that rely on knowledge workers have stayed remote as new variants rise and fall.
In feedback and conversations about the re-launch of iOS Dev Jobs, I’ve noticed several people with a strong preference for remote work that includes zero travel or in-person contact. It set me wondering how far the definition of “remote work” has shifted. A couple of years ago, even the most remote job would still have one or two “all hands” meet-ups per year.
Of course, it’s completely natural that a pandemic would cause a swing in opinions on this topic and everyone has their own set of criteria for “remote”. However, it set me thinking it might be a good idea to see a broader view of the community’s thoughts than the few anecdotal conversations I’ve had.
So I put together a short survey. It will literally take you one minute to complete.
What does “remote” mean to you?
I’ll report on the results next week.
Are you involved enough with your local iOS developer community?
A tweet caught my eye this week and it made me remember all the good experiences with various developer groups I've been involved with over the years.
I also got a message from a friend that a new meet-up was starting close to where I live, which also reminded me that I haven't been to my regular local group in far too long as I have a long standing clash of events on the evening when it usually takes place. So, I changed my priorities and booked to attend both of those next meetings and I'll make them a priority in the future too!
Meetup is completely dominant in terms of community events like this, so if you've been lazy in engaging with (or even with discovering) your local developer community, take that tweet thread I linked above, and these few words as inspiration and get out there and meet some old friends, or make some new ones. I promise it'll be worth it.
iOS Engineer @ Karbon – Join our dedicated, all-remote agency and help us build amazing iOS apps for amazing clients. We've spent the past 10 years helping companies ship apps to millions of users—join us as we focus on the next 10 years. – Remote or Portland, OR
Senior iOS Developer @ Mindgrub – As a Senior iOS developer at Mindgrub, you will be given the opportunity to work with industry-leading professionals on a variety of native and cross-platform apps. The culture is collaborative, fast-paced, and fun. Apply today. – Baltimore, MD
iOS Developer @ Shape – If you are passionate about making state-of-the-art iOS apps, why not work together with some of the best designers and developers who share this passion? You will work together with other smart iOS developers in a fun and relaxed environment at our offices in Copenhagen. We also like to host social events, morning runs (and swims), Friday bars, board game nights, LEGO days and much more. – Copenhagen, Denmark
Swift Engineer @ WillowTree – At WillowTree, Swift Engineers have the freedom to create products people love. You’ll collaborate with a cross-disciplinary team to build large-scale products for well-known brands. We look for team members who advocate for software engineering best practices and inspire their team to continuously learn and improve. – Charlottesville, VA
iOS Developer Trainee Program @ The App Academy – Boost Your Career In Mobile Tech. Apply For The iOS Developer Trainee Program At The App Academy Now! – Amsterdam, NL
I read a very entertaining post yesterday from Dan Gauthier on imposter syndrome. If you didn't see it mentioned on Twitter, you should read it.
Maybe you're just starting out learning Swift, or perhaps you're on the road to releasing your first app? Or like Dan, you might be on your way to becoming independent. Whatever it is you're trying to achieve, remember that you're capable of doing astonishing things, no matter what other people are doing or saying.
It doesn't matter whether you're struggling with imposter syndrome, a technical issue, finding time and space to work on your projects, or anything else. Remember that every long journey is just a series of small steps. I guarantee that if you keep chipping away at your goals when you have time, you'll be blown away by how far you've come by this time next year.
Also, while I found the joke at the end of Dan's piece funny, 😂 don't worry too much about Twitter or Instagram. Social networks are rarely a great place to be when you're feeling imposter syndrome. Instead, focus on just putting one foot in front of another as often as you can.
Also, I should really listen to my own advice... 😬
Lead Application Engineer - SwiftUI, Combine, iOS/macOS @ LiveSurface – Build the next generation of LiveSurface products with a focus on SwiftUI, Combine and the newest Apple frameworks. LiveSurface is an industry leader in visualization and image creation tools for creatives. We blend clean UX, proprietary rendering technology and hand-curated content to provide realtime photorealistic visualization to our users. – Remote
iOS Developer (Swift / SwiftUI) @ Clay – SwiftUI + Thoughtful Design + Privacy + Complex Data Science = Clay, the better way to be thoughtful with the people in your life. Lead mobile development and work with a small, passionate team of product people building the most exciting new iOS 13+ product out of NYC. – Remote, or New York NY
Lead iOS Developer @ Atomic Robot – Atomic Robot has the best mobile development team in the City, and is constantly pushing the boundaries on what is possible with Mobile Technology – Cincinnati OH
Swift Engineer @ WillowTree – At WillowTree, Swift Engineers have the freedom to create products people love. You’ll collaborate with a cross-disciplinary team to build large-scale products for well-known brands. We look for team members who advocate for software engineering best practices and inspire their team to continuously learn and improve. – Charlottesville VA
Mobile Engineering Manager @ Betterment – You will have the ability to manage a team of bright mobile developers and stay hands-on with modern mobile technologies – New York NY
I wanted to write something about sponsoring open-source projects a couple of weeks ago when this post appeared, but WWDC dominates everything! But I didn't forget, and I'll talk about it now instead.
The post, if you read it, is about PSPDFKit sponsoring part of the CocoaPods project. I had no idea that some of the CocoaPods maintainers were paying for significant portions of this essential part of our ecosystem from their own pockets. 😨
I talked briefly about this in April, but I think it's worth saying again. We all rely on open-source libraries and tools, so wouldn't it be lovely if the people kindly maintaining them were earning money for doing it?
I feel that this support should come primarily from companies too. It's all too easy for businesses to ignore the issue, or maybe not even know how essential open-source software is to what they do. Also, the amounts of money needed from each company, if more did this, would be trivial. So that's where you come in, dear reader! A little advocacy can go a long way, and so I'd love it if you took a look at what open-source your company's apps rely on, and set some wheels in motion at your next 1:1 meeting.
It’s (presumably) Apple Silicon time! Of all the events that Apple have held since WWDC, this is the one I’ve been most looking forward to. That’s not to say that the new iPhones and other products aren’t exciting, but this is the one I’ll be glued to.
I won’t make any hardware predictions or comment on any of the rumours. I’m happy to be surprised by the specifics in that department. What I will say is that I expect that this event will continue the message from WWDC, that Apple care deeply about the Mac platform, and the things that make it special. The Mac and macOS were the stars of the conference, and the Big Sur betas have lived up to my expectations through the summer. I can’t wait to see their vision of what the next generation of hardware will make possible on the platform I use all day, every day.
Whatever they announce, I’m not planning on buying anything as I’m still delighted with my 16” MacBook Pro from last year. I’m hoping that I can stay strong and remain a happy owner after Tuesday’s event. Wish me luck! 😬