Archive | Technology RSS feed for this section

New ultra beginners books for iOS development

By on March 14, 2013 in Technology

I recently stumbled across a series of beginner books targeted at complete new starters looking to get into iOS app development. The series goes under the name of iOS App Development for Non-Programmers by Kevin McNeish. There are 3 books in the series so far, with more promised. Available on iBooks store, and Amazon Kindle has Book 1. Get the iBooks versions if you have an iPad to read them on. They have embedded videos and tap-through diagrams.

These really are for beginners. Book 1 doesn’t have any coding in it at all. It builds an app in Xcode using standard controls. Even with a map control. The 2nd book is a beginners guide to Objective-C. I like it a lot. The 3rd book is a deeper dive into Xcode. I haven’t read the 3rd book yet. I will soon. 

If you are looking to start iOS app development you could do a lot worse than get these 3 books (and the forthcoming ones when available) as a self-teaching course.

When you have read the McNeish books I’d recommend reading the iOS Apprentice. This is another beginners tutorial series. If you tackle it with the McNeish books under your belt you’ll get more from it.

After you have done both the McNeish and the iOS Apprentice tutorials there are lots of more advanced learning resources that will be accessible to you. 

Comments are closed

Simplified my computer choices

By on March 14, 2013 in Technology

I sold two Apple devices this week. And bought one.

I sold my 4th generation retina iPad. A few weeks ago I decided to use an iPad mini, that I bought as a mobile device management testing device, for a week. Just to get a feel of how the smaller device handled real use. I had voiced the opinion that the lack of a retina screen would mean I wouldn’t like it as much as the larger iPad model. I was wrong. Ever since that week I have hardly used the retina iPad at all. The smaller form factor of the iPad mini gives the full iPad experience in a more portable, and easier to hold, package. The iPad mini may not be a replacement for a laptop, whereas the larger iPad could, and has, for many people. This doesn’t matter to me as I have a 15 inch retina Macbook Pro as my main computing device. If a retina iPad mini ships, and it doesn’t add a lot of weight due to a bigger battery, I’ll get one of those. Or even a 9.7 inch iPad that has the same case style and smaller bezels, like the iPad mini.

I also sold my 16GB iPhone 5. A few times recently I’ve come very close to running out of storage space on my iPhone. I’ve had to choose which podcasts to keep on the phone and also had to delete some multimedia rich apps. I want interesting content, and not storage availability, to be the arbiter of what’s on my iPhone. So I bought a 64Gb iPhone 5 to replace the 16GB one.

So my day to day computing arsenal is now:

I also have the following devices for use in testing mobile OSes and apps outside of iOS, and for mobile device management testing. I don’t use these day to day:

Comments are closed

My current podcast subscription list

By on February 10, 2013 in General, Science, Technology, Writing

I recently pruned the number of podcasts I subscribe to in Downcast. I was deleting too many episodes without ever listing to them. Here is a list of what podcasts survived the cull, with links to the feeds to subscribe to them.

Comments are closed

Innovation as entertainment

By on January 26, 2013 in Technology

Apple has changed the way I use technology for the better in 3 major ways. In the late 1980′s I first used a Macintosh. It was a revelation that changed the way I thought about and interacted with computers. There was no going back. I’ve been a Macintosh user, and evangelist, ever since. That was the first major change they delivered to me.

The 2nd was the introduction of the iPod. Coupled with iTunes it completely changed the way I listened to music. No need to go get a CD if I wanted to hear a song. Think of a track and boom, it’s playing in seconds. Apple devices are still the way I listen to music. I can’t foresee that changing any time soon.

The 3rd major change in technology they provided was the iPhone. This put a powerful computer in my pocket that I actually wanted to use. As a side benefit it was also a phone. iPhone is also my iPod now. I see iPad as an evolution of the iPhone technology. This does not mean I see the iPad as a big iPhone!

Those 3 major technology introductions were spread over the last few decades. Sure they have been tweaked and refined over the years, but the core ideas for the technologies were separated in time. There has been a lot of talk on the technology blogs of late about Apple having to come up with something new and groundbreaking in technology. It seems to me that most of the people talking about this see innovation as entertainment. They often don’t articulate what part of modern life they think Apple could innovate in. They just want something new to talk about.  The technology sector as soap opera.

If they do mention something it’s television that usually comes up. I’m not an avid watcher of television. My limited needs are met by current BBC iPlayer services and AppleTV, iTunes in the Cloud and iTunes Match. 

I can’t think of any need I have where Apple could make a major difference with a hardware/software solution that would sell the numbers required to make it worth their while. Something in the kitchen? Not really. Household appliances like cleaning robots? Cars? No. 

What I would like is more incremental improvements in the areas they currently play. Faster devices with better battery capacity certainly. Retina displays everywhere. Apps from 3rd parties on AppleTV would be good. Better software tools and services linking the devices. More push services based on location to tell me about things happening where I currently located. Better interaction with 3rd party household appliances and cars would be great. Dock my iPhone in my car dashboard and it sets the car up the way I like it if someone else has adjusted any settings. Plus logging my journeys and adding to my daily journal.

So the innovation that I think we need over the next 5 years is in software. Software on the devices, software in the backend systems linking various information sources together, and analytics software so that relevant information is pushed to me. 

 

Comments are closed

Missing both targets at once…

By on October 26, 2012 in Technology

David Pogue article on Windows 8 from The New York Times. I agree with this so much. They should have split the OS into a Desktop/Tablet variant like Windows 7, for mice and keyboard use, and had a ‘metro’ new UI version for tablets and phones. The hybrid model is too much of a compromise.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/25/technology/personaltech/microsofts-windows-revamped-and-split-in-2.html

Comments are closed

Windows 8 Launch day is here

By on October 25, 2012 in Technology

Just watched the New York Windows 8 launch event video. It does look like a great stride forward for Microsoft. I think iOS is better choice for consumers, but it’d be hard to be really annoyed about using Windows 8 if forced via work or for other reasons. With the new UI of course. The Windows 7 style desktop is a daft idea for mobile devices. They should have split the OS UI across devices, with core technology on both and had the ability to run new UI apps on desktops/laptops in another Windows 7 style window.

Who’s planning on going all in on Windows 8? Let me know on Twitter or App.Net I’m happy in the Apple ecosystem myself. Will use Windows 8 VM when in office (cant ditch Windows 7 until remote access VPN and Anti-virus supports Windows 8) with Office 2013 apps.

Typed and posted from my iPad :)

Comments are closed

Going to be busy few weeks in Mobile Computing

By on August 24, 2012 in Technology

Amazon holding press event on September 6th: new Kindles on the way? http://j.mp/R4joE1

Going to be busy week. Nokia & Microsoft event on 5th September. Motorola (now owned by Google) event on 5th as well. Motorola marketing their event as the main one of the day. They announced after Nokia & Microsoft.

Apple set to announce event for early September as well. New iPhone, iOS 6 and maybe new iPad mini. iPod touch needs a refresh to.

Comments { 0 }

Apple now most valuable company ever

By on August 24, 2012 in Technology

Who would have predicted this in 1996? Another story here is how much Microsoft has gone down in value since 1999. Same thing will happen to Apple of course. Wonder who will be top of hill in 2025?

Apple overtakes Microsoft as most valuable company ever

http://www.theverge.com/2012/8/20/3255593/apple-now-most-valuable-company-ever-overtaking-1990s-microsoft

Apple hit a market capitalization of over $620 billion this morning, breaking the record of $618.9 billion set by Microsoft back in 1999. The company is now worth over $200 billion more than the second largest company in the world, Exxon Mobil, and almost $400 billion more than the $256.7 billion Microsoft is today.

Apple’s valuation is a factor of its share price, currently just over $660 per share, and the number of outstanding shares available to investors. The company’s share price has been steadily increasing as of late, as rumors of a new iPhone and a smaller version of the iPad have gained steam.

 

Comments { 0 }

AppDotNet is ticking over well

By on August 19, 2012 in Technology

I wrote previously about winding down my usage of Twitter. It turned out more drastic than that. I stopped dead in my tracks on Saturday morning with this Tweet. 

I did post a followup Tweet telling anyone looking at my Twitter timeline where they can find me now. One of the pointers was to my account page on the new Alpha.app.net site. AppdDotNet, or ADN as it’s also being called, is a proof of concept for the open social API envisioned by Dalton Caldwell and others. I’d recommend listening to Dalton Caldwell on This Week In Google Episode 159. It’s a great interview that provides insight into what the AppDotNet API work hopes to provide. 

AppDotNet is off to a good start. There have been 120,000 messages posted so far. You can watch realtime stats here. There is loads of development activity around it. With several very nice apps in early release testing. Other services beyond AppDotNet will also be built on the API that provide social interaction services. There is already a rudimentary weblog comment system that uses it.

My activity on AppDot Net so far is as follows. Posts: 88. Followers: 49. Following: 76. I was user 530 to be granted access. 

Comments { 0 }

Why The Media’s Got App.net Wrong

By on August 19, 2012 in Technology

Every one of the stories that followed that path missed the whole idea. So, rather than try to explain it over and over again (on App.net, which is probably not the best soapbox to get the message to the media quite yet), I’m going to give a very simple example in very concrete terms.

Worth reading if you think App.net is just a Twitter clone. http://www.quickapplabs.com/_xyx_pau/

Comments { 0 }

Giving up on Twitter

By on August 17, 2012 in Technology

The web is full of articles about the tightening up of the guidelines and rules that Twitter will have for use of their API. I won’t rehash them here. Twitter have the right to do what they want. It’s their service. They have to make money to pay the VC’s and other investors they have. They have chosen the follow the sponsored tweets and advertisement model.

Most of the changes they are requiring from applications that display tweets (if said applications are allowed access the tweet stream at all), is that they don’t filter out the new Twitter Cards, promoted tweets and any other advertorial content that will be inserted into the main feed. Most people won’t care. Most people may not even notice. I will.

I hate ads. I don’t use any apps on iOS that are ad supported. If I can’t pay for the app to get an ad free version than I don’t use the app. The same applies for Twitter and other social network sites. I deleted my Facebook account partly for this reason (that and the fact that the content on FaceBook is mostly awful).

Whilst it’s true that the rules that will probably require 3rd party apps like TweetBot to display the advertorial content haven’t kicked in yet, it’s only a matter of time. So I’ve started to wind down my use of Twitter. I’m still debating with myself whether to just freeze it as is, or delete my account.

It’s all very disappointing. I loved Twitter. It was by far and away the best social feed on the Internet. But I refuse to be fodder to be advertised at. If that’s their plan I wish them well. I’m not staying to be part of it.

They won’t notice.

Comments { 2 }

Matt Gemmell’s iPad productivity apps

By on July 1, 2012 in Technology

Some good iPad choices of productivity apps by Matt Gemmell. I use most of these as well. Recommended.

 

Comments { 0 }

Seven is the new black

By on June 29, 2012 in Technology

So Google have announced the Nexus 7 Android tablet. Available to pre-order now from the Google play store and shipping in a few weeks. It’s priced very aggressively at £159 in UK ($199 US) and will be running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. It actually looks pretty good. No carrier stuff stuck on top of the base Android. Consensus seems to be that the main competitor to this is the Amazon Kindle Fire.

I think that this new Nexus 7 will also have an impact on the iPad tablet market. The cheapest iPad in the UK is £329. That’s for the iPad 2 that is still for sale. The 3rd Generation iPad, with its simply stunning screen, starts at £399. That means that the Nexus is well under half the price of the cheapest iPad. It’s true that the iPad, with its higher resolution screen, can be used for different types of tablet apps than are possible on a 7 inch screen. But I think that the low entry price of the Nexus will cause people to stop and think about what to buy. Especially in schools. Getting two Nexus tablets for each iPad will help schools deliver on a 1:1 device programme.

So what should Apple do? I think that they should do a 7 inch tablet device. But I don’t think it should be an iPad 7. They should use the iPod brand to fill this space. It’s clear that over the last few years that the iPhone has cannibalised some of the iPod sales. The iPod touch with the 3.5 retina display still sells well. It’s like an iPhone without the mobile radio, which is useful in a lot of situations. I think that Apple should target the 7-inch touch device market with an iPod touch 7. It would give people the option of using the iOS platform, at a lower price point than the £329 and higher cost for iPad. This would leave the iPad name for the premium tablet space (which Apple owns). An iPod touch 7 could run current iPhone and iPod touch apps doubled up. On a 7 inch retina screen this would be okay. Developers would need design new apps targeted at the 7 inch screen as well.

I wonder if we’ll see an iPod touch 7 at this years September iPod event.

Comments { 0 }

National App Development Month – NaAppDevMo

By on November 13, 2011 in Technology

I’m deep into NaNoWriMo for the 2nd year at present. It’s designed to get you to forget about reasons why you can’t write a novel length piece of fiction (well 50,000 words anyway, a short novel!) and just get you writing with abandon for the month of November. It’s great fun, and it works. Seeing that relentless slope add 1667 words to where you should be every day is a great motivator. No one expects the 50,000, or more, words that you will have in Scrivener on the 1st December will be something that can be published. No, what you will have will be a chunk of a story that you can add to, edit like blazes, and maybe at some point in the future, have something good. NaNoWriMo is a kick-starter.

I was thinking recently that it would be useful to have a month to focus on doing an app from start to finish. I’ve dabbled with development for ages, without knuckling down and getting something done. I’ve decided to do it in December. Take 31 days and use my spare time to do an iPhone app that I want for myself. I floated the idea on Twitter and a few people seemed interested in doing something themselves. Of course I’m doing an iPhone app, but there is no reason that any other sort of app couldn’t be done. A Macintosh app, a Windows Phone 7 app, an Android app, a web app, or an app for whatever platform you like.

I know what my App will be. I want it for when I’m travelling. None of the iPhone travel apps do this one task the way I want it to work. Or if they do, they link to web services where you need to have an account etc. And all the other features of the web service and app, that I just don’t want, get in the way. Keep it simple! So the goal of NaAppDevMo for me is to provide a rigid timeframe and a structure within which I can get this basic app done.

Like in NaNoWriMo you are not going to produce an app that will make you a fortune, or maybe even make it to the App Store. But what it might give you is the confidence that you can take a concept for an App from design, through to running on your device (or in a simulator). This will hopefully show you that it is possible for you to do App development. Even if it’s just as a hobby and for fun. And if your App is useful you can spend time over the next few months maybe refining it and releasing it for others to use.

To do NaNoWriMo successfully most people need to do some planning up front, so that they have scenes and ideas ready to write about at the start of November. The same would be true for NaAppDevMo. Some planning would be useful. Outlining what the App you are going to design and produce should do would be a good start. I’d say keep it simple and do an app that performs one task really well. I’d make it a real task though. One that you would find useful yourself.

There is a Twitter hashtag #NaAppDevMo that you can use to post status updates if you are going to participate, or just follow it to see how others are getting on. There won’t be a website like the one there is for NaNoWriMo. Post blog posts on your own site, updates on Twitter, or on FaceBook about your progress.

Here are some pointers to resources for iOS development that you may find useful if just starting out. These are just a small sample of the resources out on the web for new iOS programmers. Post others you think would be useful on Twitter using the #NaAppDevMo tag. Post any you think would be useful for other platforms as well if you are targeting them.

Beginner iOS Development Tutorials

There are some great looking new iOS 5 development tutorials on the iOS Apprentice site. These are epic length tutorials that take you from start to a finished app. So a great resource if you are just starting out with iOS development. The 1st tutorial in the series is free. It’d be well worth doing the 3 that are available now before doing your own app in December. The tutorials cover the new iOS 5 additions that you will want to use. Like ARC, so you don’t have to do manual memory management, and Storyboards to allow you to design the workflow of your app.

Stanford University have a complete series of lectures on iTunesU for their course CS 193P iPhone Application Development. The current series of lectures is being posted as they are available. They cover iOS 5.

App Design

For iPhone app design the book Tapworthy by Josh Clark is a very good resource. Apple have some great user interface design sessions available on iTunesU. You have to be a member of the Apple Developer Program to access these. I’m not sure if they are available to people with the free membership. If you are doing iOS dev then the paid option is useful if you want to run your apps on physical devices to test. It’s $99 (£69 in UK). You can run your apps in the Xcode simulator if you are not a paid member of the iOS developer program.

Some essential videos to watch:

WWDC 2009 Session 100 – iPhone Interface Design – Basic iPhone design. Might be a bit dated now, but good foundation.

WWDC 2010 Session 103 – iPad and iPhone User Interface Design – The 6 stage app design process outlined in this session is great.

WWDC 2011 Session 110 – Designing User Interfaces for iOS and Mac OS X Apps – The latest update on how to design apps. Based on last few years of actual use and experience of Apps out in the world.

Books

There are lots of good beginner level books out there for iOS development. For NaAppDevMo I’d go with the iOS Apprentice tutorials as a start. You might want a book on Objective-C so here are 2 very new ones. One is a new edition that covers ARC etc. and is due on 15th December.

Programming in Objective-C: Updated for iOS 5 and Automatic Reference Counting

Objective-C Programming: The Big Nerd Ranch Guide

 

 

Comments { 5 }

Thanks Steve

By on October 6, 2011 in Technology

Lots has been written today about the death of Steve Jobs. Too soon at the young age of 56. Stephen Wolfram’s thoughts are worth a read, as are Stephen Fry’s. I won’t add a long post to what’s been already written. I’ll just add my thanks to Steve, and all those who worked with him, for providing products that have made my life richer and easier since the 1980′s. Steve’s legacy will live on via the great team that he has left in charge at Apple. I’ve been lucky enough to have seen several of these Apple employees, and many, many others, at various Apple and Macworld conferences. They are all brilliant. Steve has left Apple in good hands. The road ahead has been signposted by Steve Jobs’ vision. I look forward to walking it.

 

Comments { 0 }