| Cult of Mac

New ‘Meet with Apple Experts’ opens labs and more to developers

By

Devs can easily find programming tailored to their time zone and language.
Devs can easily find programming tailored to their time zone and language.
Photo: Apple

The new Meet with Apple Experts program helps Apple developers easily find and join workshops, labs and one-on-one consultations to help them build great apps, Apple said Tuesday.

The new dedicated resource builds on other programs for developers, incorporating their programming.

App Store developers rake in astonishing $1.1 trillion in 2022

By

Apple said Wednesday that the App Store makes a lot of money for developers.
Apple said Wednesday that the App Store makes a lot of money for developers. And they keep almost all of it.
Photo: Apple

An independent study found App Store developers generated $1.1 trillion in total billings and sales last year as part of the system’s robust year-over-year growth of 29%, Apple said Wednesday.

More than 90% of the money went to developers, without any commission paid to Apple, the company said.

App Store prices now range from 29 cents to … $10,000?!?

By

Developers are getting a lot more options for app pricing.
Developers are getting a lot more options for app pricing.
Photo: Apple

Apple said Tuesday the App Store is undergoing “the most comprehensive upgrade to pricing capabilities” since its launch, allowing prices to be set as low as 29 cents and as high as $10,000.

It will start offering developers 700 new price points to apply to the apps they sell, plus new tools to make international selling easier to manage.

Meet 3 Swift Student Challenge winners whose coding makes a difference

By

This year’s Swift Student Challenge winners include (left to right) Josh Tint, Jones Mays II and Angelina Tsuboi. Their coding helps their communities.
This year’s Swift Student Challenge winners include (left to right) Josh Tint, Jones Mays II and Angelina Tsuboi. Their coding helps their communities.
Photo: Apple
WWDC22 - Brought to you by CleanMyMac X

Apple showcased three Swift Student Challenge winners Friday — out of 350 total — who solve problems in their communities with their coding skills.

The three teens were all first-time participants in the annual app-coding competition for young developers using Swift Playgrounds. The challenge takes place at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference.

Ready to play WWDC22 bingo? See developers’ predictions.

By

Time to play WWDC22 bingo!
Time to play WWDC22 bingo!
Photo: Peter Rimar/Wikimedia Commons CC
WWDC22 - Brought to you by CleanMyMac X

WWDC Bingo is back ahead of next week’s Apple Worldwide Developers Conference. The crew behind the Flighty flight-tracking app put together the contest, which doubles as a survey about what participants expect during Monday’s WWDC22 keynote.

Unlike your granddad’s bingo, where something like five correct numbers in a row constitutes a win, WWDC Bingo serves up 74 possible outcomes to vote on. Contestants strive to achieve the highest percentage of correct answers.

And both the biggest winner and the biggest loser get prizes, sort of.

Apple Design Awards finalists unveiled ahead of WWDC22

By

The Apple Design Awards recognize apps in six categories.
The Apple Design Awards recognize apps in six categories.
Photo: Apple
WWDC22 - Brought to you by CleanMyMac X

With its Worldwide Developers Conference coming up, Apple revealed the finalists Tuesday for this year’s Apple Design Awards.

The Apple Design Awards, to be bestowed at WWDC22 next week, showcase apps with outstanding design, innovation, ingenuity and technical achievement, the company said.

All-virtual WWDC 2021 will kick off June 7

By

WWDC 2021
WWDC goes virtual again this year. Does that mean no April product launch event?
Photo: Apple

Apple will kick off this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference on June 7. And, for the second year running, this will be an all-virtual event, the company said Tuesday.

The WWDC festivities will run through that week, offering what Apple calls “unique insight into the future of iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS.”

Transporter app simplifies submitting software, music, video to Apple

By

Transporter app in the Mac App Store
Apple’s Transporter app is designed to make uploading apps to Apple Store Connect a breeze.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

Apple posted a Transporter application to the Mac App Store to make it easier for creators to send content to the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Books or the iTunes Store.

Previously, this was a Java-based command-line tool, so an app should be much more user friendly.

Apple hires more designers and developers, fewer suits

By

Jony Ive pays for thousands of orchards to be planted at schools
It’s going to take dozens of people to replace Jony Ive. Fortunately, Apple is hiring them.
Photo: Apple

Jony Ive told the world in June he’s ready to stop being Apple’s Chief Design Officer but it seems likely he told his employers months before that. New research shows Apple went on a hiring spree in its design department early this year.

At the same time, the company has apparently been following a general “fewer suits, more hoodies” hiring strategy.