Under the Radar

How we think about what to tackle each year between WWDC and the fall OS releases.

Links and Show Notes:

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In this special episode from Apple's podcast studio at WWDC 2024, we interview Serenity Caldwell, Design Evangelist at Apple, and Kristin Oro, Product Marketing for Developer Technology on visionOS.

Links and Show Notes:

• Design great visionOS apps
• visionOS Pathway
• WWDC24 visionOS guide

• 2024 ADA Winners

• Transcript

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How we hope to spend next week at WWDC 2024.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Porkbun: Get your .app, .dev, or .foo domain for just $1 for the first year.

Links and Show Notes:

• WWDC 2024

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The challenge of managing ourselves.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Indeed: Join more than 3.5 million businesses worldwide using Indeed to hire great talent fast.

Links and Show Notes:

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It's sometimes fine to ship incomplete features, or technically non-ideal implementations, because you can improve them later if the need arises.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Indeed: Join more than 3.5 million businesses worldwide using Indeed to hire great talent fast.

Links and Show Notes:

• David's Design Process for Offline Maps

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Designing our apps to be comfortably usable by as many people as possible.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Indeed: Join more than 3.5 million businesses worldwide using Indeed to hire great talent fast.

Links and Show Notes:

This episode is an extension of a YouTube video David recorded discussing the top of Inclusive Design.

The video can be found here: An Inclusive Mindset

This includes visual examples of the design elements we discuss.

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We conclude a three-part series with the third pillar of a successful app: customer-retention methods and techniques.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Indeed: Join more than 3.5 million businesses worldwide using Indeed to hire great talent fast.

Links and Show Notes:

• Pillar 2: Monetization
• Pillar I: Acquisition

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How the Apple Vision Pro is fitting into our lives so far, the usage of our apps on visionOS, and considering how to allocate our attention and resources to the platform.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Indeed: Join more than 3.5 million businesses worldwide using Indeed to hire great talent fast.

Links and Show Notes:

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Thoughts on the new app-distribution options from the EU DMA and the implications for app developers.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Sentry: Mobile crash reporting and app monitoring. Get 6 months of the Team plan free with code radar.

Links and Show Notes:

"All was well, until one day they met a thunderstorm—more than a thunderstorm, a thunder-battle. You know how terrific a really big thunderstorm can be down in the land and in a river-valley; especially at times when two great thunderstorms meet and clash. More terrible still are thunder and lightning in the mountains at night, when storms come up from East and West and make war."
...
"There they were sheltering under a hanging rock for the night, and he lay beneath a blanket and shook from head to toe. When he peeped out in the lightning-flashes, he saw that across the valley the stone-giants were out, and were hurling rocks at one another for a game, and catching them, and tossing them down into the darkness where they smashed among the trees far below, or splintered into little bits with a bang."
...
"This won't do at all!" said Thorin. "If we don't get blown off, or drowned, or struck by lightning, we shall be picked up by some giant and kicked sky-high for a football!"

The Hobbit, Over Hill and Under Hill

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In the second of a three-part series, we look at the second pillar of a successful app: choosing a monetization model that fits the app's target market.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Factor: Healthy, fully-prepared food delivered to your door.

Links and Show Notes:

• Pillar #1, Acquisition
• The Tyranny of the Churn Equation

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Thoughts and motivations behind David's hiring of an employee and what it means to be an indie developer.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Sentry: Mobile crash reporting and app monitoring. Get 6 months of the Team plan free with code radar.

Links and Show Notes:

• Independent as in Freedom, not Independent as in Alone
• Some Personal News

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Final considerations for the imminent Apple Vision Pro launch, and our expectations for visionOS apps.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Factor: Healthy, fully-prepared food delivered to your door.

Links and Show Notes:

• Dave's 8 Watch Apps

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In the first of a three-part series, we look at the first pillar of a successful app: customer acquisition, including paid advertising, word-of-mouth marketing, and editorial promotion.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Sentry: Mobile crash reporting and app monitoring. Get 6 months of the Team plan free with code radar.

Links and Show Notes:

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The many roles we need to juggle as independent developers, and considering which roles we can take off our plates.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Indeed: Join more than 3.5 million businesses worldwide using Indeed to hire great talent fast.

Links and Show Notes:

• Development
  • Programming
  • Integration
  • Accessibility
  • Localization
  • Backend development
  • Research and Development
• Product
  • Roadmap planning
  • Feature planning
  • Market analysis
  • Profitability/Business Case analysis
• Design
  • Product UI design
  • User Experience
  • Marketing Assets
  • Customer Experience
  • Market Research
  • In-app copy and communication
• Quality Assurance
  • Software Testing for new features
  • Regression testing of old features
  • Platform Testing with new updates
  • Recreating of user issues
  • Field Testing
• Operations
  • Bookkeeping
  • Payroll
  • Tax compliance
  • Local compliance
  • State Compliance
  • Federal Compliance
  • Banking
  • Cash Flow
  • Facilities
• Human Resources
  • Health Benefits
  • Business Insurance
  • Workers Comp or similar policies
  • Training
• IT
  • Email/storage/documents
  • Hardware
  • Testing device management
  • Backend servers
• Marketing
  • Paid Advertising
  • Platform Relationships management
  • Customer relationship management
  • Social Media
  • Partnership management
  • Content Marketing
  • Podcast/Video
  • Screenshots and Descriptions
  • Website design and management

• Customer Support

  • Email Helpdesk
  • Help video
  • FAQs

• List as a Numbers Spreadsheet

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When to ignore or revert our custom-design instincts and follow the system defaults instead.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Tailscale: Secure remote access to shared resources. Sign up today.

Links and Show Notes:

• Preview of the Redesign 1
• Preview of the Redesign 2
• Typography HIG

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What happens when you break 50 million home screens?

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Indeed: Join more than three million businesses worldwide using Indeed to hire great talent fast.

Links and Show Notes:

Correction: Since recording this episode I've discovered that the bug actually only occurred on the iOS 17.2 Beta and not the 17.1 GM build as I had originally thought. A testing device I was using was actually on the Public Beta program when I thought it was only running the GM builds. Either way the panic was real and the urgency was still just as palpable. The bug was affecting every user on the Beta Program which isn't insignificant. That makes me feel a bit better about my process for catching bugs like this, since I didn't miss it in an entire beta cycle, just a few days since the beta 1 was released.

• Sidekick Notepad

Widget archival failed due to image being too large [37] - (1,284, 1,284), totalArea: 1,648,656 > max[951,390.0000].

• Cosmic Power of the Infinite Shred Machine 🤘🏻

• Image I/O

• FB13335408, My request for the WidgetKit limits to be documented (Thank you!)

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Early decisions and implementation choices that have large impacts down the road — good and bad.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Indeed: Join more than three million businesses worldwide using Indeed to hire great talent fast.

Links and Show Notes:

• Upstream Decisions, companion blog post

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Taking time off when you realize — or don't yet — that you really need it.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Indeed: Join more than three million businesses worldwide using Indeed to hire great talent fast.

Links and Show Notes:

• David's Post about Resting
• Ep 272: Feeling Behind

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Encountering bugs and feedback that our development and beta testing didn't or couldn't uncover.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Things: Now updated for Apple’s new operating systems. Try it today.

Links and Show Notes:

The bug David filed for the Core Image bug discussed in this episode is FB13201736, should that be helpful to anyone listening to this ;)

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The rush to submit our iOS 17 apps for its general release, and the last window of opportunity to prepare our test devices for last year's OSes.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Electric: Unbury yourself from IT tasks. Get a free pair of Beats Solo3 Wireless Headphones when you schedule a meeting.

Links and Show Notes:

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Our final plans and preparation for iOS 17's launch, now that we can confidently predict its timing.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Indeed: Join more than three million businesses worldwide using Indeed to hire great talent fast.

Links and Show Notes:

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How to communicate new features to new and existing customers — and which features are worth communicating.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Electric: Unbury yourself from IT tasks. Get a free pair of Beats Solo3 Wireless Headphones when you schedule a meeting.

Links and Show Notes:

• Contact Form for App Store Editorial
• HTTP Live Streaming in Final Cut Pro
• Automatic Podcast Transcript

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Splitting your time between iOS 17 and visionOS development, and tips for attending a visionOS lab.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Electric: Unbury yourself from IT tasks. Get a free pair of Beats Solo3 Wireless Headphones when you schedule a meeting.

Links and Show Notes:

• Work with Apple
• Tips for Vision Pro Labs

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The value of exploration and experimentation.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Indeed: Join more than three million businesses worldwide using Indeed to hire great talent fast.

Links and Show Notes:

• Automated Transcript

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Examining the constant anxiety of feeling like you're falling "behind" in your app's development.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Indeed: Join more than three million businesses worldwide using Indeed to hire great talent fast.

Links and Show Notes:

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Our expectations for the visionOS app market when Apple Vision Pro launches next year.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Indeed: Join more than three million businesses worldwide using Indeed to hire great talent fast.

Links and Show Notes:

• A Developer's View of Vision Pro
• Apple Vision Pro: A Watershed Moment for Personal Computing
• Chris Lawley

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An interview with Josh Shaffer and Chris Thielen about Swift macros, SwiftData, interactive widgets, and more, recorded at Apple Park during WWDC 2023.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Indeed: Join more than three million businesses worldwide using Indeed to hire great talent fast.

Links and Show Notes:

(Photo Credit: Apple)

• Full Text Transcript

• WWDC 2023

• What's New

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Our annual pre-WWDC episode: practical advice for those attending the event, and how everyone — virtual or in-person — can make the most of the week.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Indeed: Join more than three million businesses worldwide using Indeed to hire great talent fast.

Links and Show Notes:

• Beyond WWDC
• Activities (Slack Groups)
• Labs

• Sessions

• Automated Keyword Transcript

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Controlling the urge to over-invest in details that won't proportionally benefit our customers.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Indeed: Join more than three million businesses worldwide using Indeed to hire great talent fast.

Links and Show Notes:

• David's Article about exploring Corners
• Automatic Keyword Transcript

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Modern Apple devices offer incredible power — use it!

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Indeed: Join more than three million businesses worldwide using Indeed to hire great talent fast.

Links and Show Notes:

Automated Keyword Transcript

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We talk ourselves into, and then back out of, hiring more people.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Indeed: Join more than three million businesses worldwide using Indeed to hire great talent fast.

Links and Show Notes:

• Thoroughly Considered Episode

Automated Keyword Transcript

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Updating a decade-old app to a new subscription business model, and how the change has performed so far and been received by the existing users.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Indeed: Join more than three million businesses worldwide using Indeed to hire great talent fast.

Links and Show Notes:

• Pedometer++

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Strategies for self-help channels in your app to minimize support email.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Indeed: Join more than three million businesses worldwide using Indeed to hire great talent fast.

Links and Show Notes:

• Widgetsmith += 100,000,000
• Scaling Customer Support

• Core Intuition on Email Support

• Automated Keyword Transcript

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A huge update to Pedometer++ including a complete UI rewrite and significant new features.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Issuu: Get started with Issuu today for FREE or sign up for an annual premium account and get 50% off

Links and Show Notes:

• Pedometer++
• Version Five Overview
• Implementing Step Counting
• Automated Keyword Transcript

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Taking risks to move an old app forward.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Indeed: Join more than three million businesses worldwide using Indeed to hire great talent fast.

Links and Show Notes:

• Automated Transcript

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The benefits of a work-"vacation" and the discipline of shipping.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Issuu: Get started with Issuu today for FREE or sign up for an annual premium account and get 50% off

Links and Show Notes:

• Corresponding Blog Post & Video
• xScope

• Greycation introduced on Cortex here

• Automated Keyword Transcript

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Understanding subscription metrics and the inherent limits they impose.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• CleanMyMac X: Your Mac. As good as new. Get 5% off today.

Links and Show Notes:

• The Tyranny of the Churn Equation
• My Tool
• Story behind the Tool's Icon
• 🏴‍☠️ Metrics
• _DavidSmith on Mastodon

• marcoarment on Mastodon

• Automated Keyword Transcript

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Our plans for the first half of this year, which may include the launch of a new platform from Apple.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Issuu: Get started with Issuu today for FREE or sign up for an annual premium account and get 50% off

Links and Show Notes:

• Blackbird

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Abandoning the CloudKit plan for Overcast in light of new information.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Pow, from Moving Parts: Beautiful Transitions for your iOS App. Get 10% off with code RADAR.

Links and Show Notes:

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How publishing our processes and open-sourcing our code help us build our skills, clarify our thoughts, and produce better outcomes.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Setapp: Over 240+ apps. Get a month free trial with code UNDERRADAR

Links and Show Notes:

• Blackbird
• Design Notes Diary #1
• Design Notes Diary #2
• Design Notes Diary #3
• Design Notes Diary #4
• Design Notes Diary #5

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Refining and improving the most boring and rudimentary experiences in our apps, and testing variations on Widgetsmith's paywall.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Setapp: Over 240+ apps. Get a month free trial with code UNDERRADAR

Links and Show Notes:

• Images of the Paywall Progress
• Superwall

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Considerations for feature removals in the context of the Overcast website player.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Indeed: Join more than three million businesses worldwide using Indeed to hire great talent fast.

Links and Show Notes:

• Marco's Announcement Post

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Reflections on launching a new app that's extremely different from our usual work.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Volley Games: Apply now for the position of Lead iOS Developer.

Links and Show Notes:

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Feeling unmotivated, inspiration vs. motivation, and techniques to get moving again.

Be kind to yourself.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Indeed: Join more than three million businesses worldwide using Indeed to hire great talent fast.

Links and Show Notes:

• Scriptnotes Timestamp Link
• Scriptnotes Episode Page
• David's Watch Face Work #1
• David's Watch Face Work #2
• David's Watch Face Work #3

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David's experience taking the Apple Watch Ultra into its natural habitat.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Rogue Amoeba: Save 20% in celebration of the 20th anniversary.

Links and Show Notes:

• Trip Report Video
• Trip Report Article
• Photos taken on the trip

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How our iOS 16 launches went, and what we're focusing on next.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Indeed: Start hiring right now with a free $75 sponsored job credit to upgrade your job post.

Links and Show Notes:

• Donate to St Jude
• David's First Attempt at TikTok

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Last-minute preparations for the imminent launch of iOS 16 and the iPhone 14 series.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Sourcegraph: Universal Code Search. Move fast, even in big codebases. Try it now.

Links and Show Notes:

• Performance Graph

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Balancing the needs of your customers with your needs as a business.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Sourcegraph: Universal Code Search. Move fast, even in big codebases. Try it now.

Links and Show Notes:

• Mark Gurman's Article

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We don't have the capabilities of larger staffs, and we can't do everything, so we must keep our scope and expectations within the capacity of what one person can do.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Sourcegraph: Universal Code Search. Move fast, even in big codebases. Try it now.

Links and Show Notes:

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Are SwiftUI apps destined to be mediocre, or can we still make great apps? Introducing the famous App Development Pentagon.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Sourcegraph: Universal Code Search. Move fast, even in big codebases. Try it now.

Links and Show Notes:

• Ben Packard's Tweet

The App Development Pentagon:

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Rewriting major parts of your app with aggressive new targets while keeping the old code around for compatibility.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Sourcegraph: Universal Code Search. Move fast, even in big codebases. Try it now.

Links and Show Notes:

• Ship of Theseus

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With the dust settling from WWDC, we have more realistic expectations of the new APIs and can make achievable plans for the summer.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Sourcegraph: Universal Code Search. Move fast, even in big codebases. Try it now.

Links and Show Notes:

• Gartner Hype Cycle

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In this special extended episode, we interview Serenity Caldwell and Andreas Wendker from Apple in the new Developer Center from WWDC 2022.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Sourcegraph: Universal Code Search. Move fast, even in big codebases. Try it now.

Guest Starring:

Serenity Caldwell and Andreas Wendker

Links and Show Notes:

• What's New in WWDC 2022
• WWDC 2022
• Photograph of the recording setup

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Mentally preparing ourselves for WWDC 2022.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Sourcegraph: Universal Code Search. Move fast, even in big codebases. Try it now.

Links and Show Notes:

• WWDC

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An update on our hardware and software setups for development, considering Apple's current lineup.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Sourcegraph: Universal Code Search. Move fast, even in big codebases. Try it now.

Links and Show Notes:

• Roost Laptop Stand
• Frosted Window Film

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The decision to shut down a service, and how to best take care of its customers.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Sourcegraph: Universal Code Search. Move fast, even in big codebases. Try it now.

Links and Show Notes:

• Feed Wrangler
• Feedbin

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A collection of mini-topics: the WWDC announcement, Phased Release for Automatic Updates, and the value of in-app Help documentation.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Sourcegraph: Universal Code Search. Move fast, even in big codebases. Try it now.

Links and Show Notes:

• WWDC Announcement
• WWDC Announcement History
• Phased Release Documentation

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Considerations that went into the Overcast redesign, and its initial reception.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Microsoft Lists – MSA Preview: Sign up, sign in and track what matters most.

Links and Show Notes:

• The Overcast Redesign: Part One
• Alternate SF Font Options

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The benefits and pitfalls of data-driven choices.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Supporter: Add a complete support section to your app in only 3 minutes. Get 20% off with code undertheradar.

Links and Show Notes:

• Example A/B Test Calculator

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A big update to Widgetsmith, and two developers giving fashion advice.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Hover: Make a name for yourself. Get 10% off any domain name.

Links and Show Notes:

• Widgetsmith 3.0 Overview
• Color Episode

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Our perceived ideals of quality don't always win.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Ahrefs: Improve your website’s SEO performance and get more traffic from search. Free for website owners.

Links and Show Notes:

• ATP 470
• Dithering, January 21, 2022

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How we choose and manipulate colors as non-designers.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Hover: Make a name for yourself. Get 10% off any domain name.

Links and Show Notes:

• Complementary Colors
• System Colors
• Louie Mantia's Tweet
• HSL Colors

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So you have an idea to make an app. Is it available, is it worthwhile, and will you feel good about doing it? What happens if it works?

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Doppler: Sync environment variables at scale

Links and Show Notes:

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How our expectations for 2021 panned out, and the kind of work we're planning to do in 2022.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Hover: Make a name for yourself. Get 10% off any domain name.

Links and Show Notes:

• FC Model
• Ian's Awesome Counter

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Our icon-design journeys over time have led us to lean heavily into SF Symbols today.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Best-in-Class iOS App: Get 50% off early access to the book series.

Links and Show Notes:

• Creating Custom SF Symbols, WWDC 2021

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Managing customer support, customer expectations, and frequently asked questions.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• The Intrazone, by Microsoft SharePoint: Your bi-weekly conversation and interview podcast about SharePoint, OneDrive and related tech within Microsoft 365.

Links and Show Notes:

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Finally starting the Overcast redesign, and pragmatic considerations when tackling modernization of older codebases.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Best-in-Class iOS App: Get 50% off early access to the book series.

Links and Show Notes:

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A healthy balance for subscription-expiry grace periods, and how the new MacBook Pro helps our development workflows.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Things: Things – the award-winning to-do app, now with Markdown support! Try it free.

Links and Show Notes:

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Getting over shyness to ask your app's users for money in more prominent and direct ways.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Things: Things – the award-winning to-do app, now with Markdown support! Try it free.

Links and Show Notes:

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How we decide whether, when, and to what degree we should adopt the headlining features of each iOS release.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Best-in-Class iOS App: Get 50% off early access to the book series.

Links and Show Notes:

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We were given a reprieve with a lack of new developer-facing features in the iPhone 13 line and Apple Watch Series 7, but with the continuation of the Series 3, we all lose.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Tower: Tower - the powerful Git client for your Mac. Use code RADAR50 to get 50% off your first year.

Links and Show Notes:

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The effects of legal settlements and regulations on independent iOS developers, and how we can ensure that we still have a place in the scary potential futures that may come.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Instabug: Ship Quality Apps with Real-Time Contextual Insights

Links and Show Notes:

• Details of the Settlement

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Needing to offer different features and experiences to different parts of your userbase due to hardware limitations and OS differences.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Instabug: Ship Quality Apps with Real-Time Contextual Insights

Links and Show Notes:

If you happen to work at Apple and can give some love to my Extra Large widget issue, it is FB9523978. Thanks!

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The power of default settings and choices, and the impact of changing your app's default behavior.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• 1Blocker: The Fastest & Most Powerful Blocker for Safari. Get 1 month premium free.

Links and Show Notes:

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When fixing a simple visual bug unexpectedly becomes a much larger problem.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Best-in-Class iOS App: Get 50% off early access to the book series.

Links and Show Notes:

• Best in Class App Post

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A Best-in-Class iOS App

How we're spending our summers so far.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Instabug: Ship Quality Apps with Real-Time Contextual Insights

Links and Show Notes:

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Approaching a change with very, very high stakes.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Pingdom: Start monitoring your website performance and availability today, and get instant alerts when an outage occurs or a site transaction fails. Use offer code RADAR to get 30% off. Offer expires on January 31, 2022, and can be used only once.

Links and Show Notes:

If you'd like to help me beta test the new photo chooser, I'd very much appreciate it! Thank you.

Testflight Link for Beta Testing

I investigated the App Data container system I mentioned. It exists (it wasn't just a dream) but doesn't seem to work in practice in modern versions of Xcode. 😞

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The second digital-only WWDC, how iOS 15 and watchOS 8 impact our apps, and what we'll be tackling first this summer.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

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What to expect from WWDC, how to prepare for the virtual event, and how to follow the material.

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Links and Show Notes:

• WWDC App

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Dealing with features we wish we'd never added.

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When big-company maneuvers hit the little fish like us.

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• RevenueCat: In-app subscriptions made easy. Get started now for free.

Links and Show Notes:

• Apple's Podcast Announcement
• App Tracking Transparency

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Forgiving ourselves for a year of greatly reduced productivity.

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• Spox: The best story wins. Get 25% off when you mention this show.

Links and Show Notes:

• _'s feelings recently

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WWDC 2021's announcement, and whether Overcast should adopt a terminology change along with Apple and Spotify.

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• Spox: The best story wins. Get 25% off when you mention this show.

Links and Show Notes:

• WWDC Announcement
• Subscribe to Follow

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You should totally run your own servers. It'll be fine! Well, most of the time.

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A _DavidSmith Story Half-Hour on the surprising journey to build a simple photo complication for Apple Watch. How hard could it be?

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• Watchsmith

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Deforestation, timber production, and wood preparation. [taps earpiece] What?… Oh, sorry. Scratch that. Writing lines of text to files for diagnostic purposes.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

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Trying to remove emotion and assumptions from indie business decision-making.

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Links and Show Notes:

• Release Notes
• Joe's Tweet

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Copying someone else's work as a learning exercise, and the tricky balance between copying and inspiration.

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• Hotjar: Website Heatmaps & Behavior Analytics Tools. Get 3 months free.

Links and Show Notes:

• Marco's well established love of Solar
• Screenshot of Marco's copy

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The kind of year we expect 2021 to be for Apple-platform developers, and an update on Overcast's SwiftUI progress.

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Apple's new privacy labels in the App Store, and how we've designed our custom analytics frameworks for minimal data collection.

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• Privacy Documentation

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The tricky balance of making big changes to your app to better serve your current market without upsetting your initial customers.

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How the M1 Macs are game-changers for developers, and our thoughts on the lower fees from the App Store Small Business Program.

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• App Store Small Business Program

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The continued challenges of modernizing Overcast with Swift and SwiftUI, and deciding whether to rewrite Objective-C components in Swift.

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Refactoring and rewriting the foundations of a 6-year-old Objective-C codebase using Swift and modern APIs.

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Settling into a baseline, leaving no room to be undercut, and where Widgetsmith goes from here.

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Links and Show Notes:

• Scriptable
• The Talk Show Episode

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Dave's app is number one in the App Store! We explore the mind-bending scale and perspective of such a defining moment in an indie developer's career.

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Links and Show Notes:

• Widgetsmith

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What Apple's event and iOS 14's timing means for us.

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Our second-annual wishlist for how we hope this fall's Apple hardware spends the efficiency gains from another year of technological progress.

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How Epic vs. Apple might affect developers like us.

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The new App Store privacy disclosures and tracking-permission prompt in iOS 14.

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Links and Show Notes:

• Developer Overview of Changes

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What we're working on so far this summer, and why we're not keeping it secret.

Links and Show Notes:

• Check the Weather

Launched on Oct 17, 2012

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Adapting to the continued consolidation of Apple's platforms and frameworks.

Links and Show Notes:

• ATP 385: Temporal Smear

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How the online-only format of WWDC 2020 is working out in practice, and how quickly we plan to adopt the new APIs.

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Putting mental health above productivity during challenging times.

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Using compatibility shims and abstractions to gain some of the newest APIs' benefits on previous OS versions.

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Imposing arbitrary limits on yourself to produce better projects.

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Links and Show Notes:

• Dithering
• App Stories Interview

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The risks and rewards of using custom fonts, and how to implement them in a modern app.

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Links and Show Notes:

• Netflix Abstract Series
• Guardian's Font
• Concourse, Overcast's Font
• Decimal, Watchsmith's Font

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The launch of David's new app that pushes the boundaries of watchOS and finally makes our smartwatch faces actually smart.

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Links and Show Notes:

• Watchsmith (App Store)
• Introducing Watchsmith

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The business side of Apple Watch app development in 2020.

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Business decisions for app developers during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.

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Considering how Apple could replace and expand the roles filled by WWDC if it's canceled due to COVID-19 concerns.

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How we tackle the occasional need for more advanced math skills than what we actually have.

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Links and Show Notes:

• Superellipse Maths
• Hourglass Maths
• Audio Maths

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Looking back at the launch of the iPad, and what its present and future hold, from an app-development and business perspective.

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Links and Show Notes:

• Original Instapaper for iPad
• Redesigned Instapaper for iPad

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As Marco discovers the value of staying with the old, David plows headfirst into the new.

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Making plans, setting goals, and setting guidelines for decision-making — and, taking a page from our friends at Cortex, our chosen themes for 2020.

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Links and Show Notes:

• Cortex #95: 2020 Yearly Themes
• Back to Work

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Revisiting the decision to go iOS 13-only with Overcast, and the pros and cons of potentially re-adding support for iOS 12.

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Time-saving tips and tricks, and the value of test-harness mini-apps during development.

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If you ship a major update, but don't announce it anywhere, does it make a sound?

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Links and Show Notes:

• Sleep++
• Overcast

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A huge update to the computer that most of you are probably using.

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Links and Show Notes:

• Marco's Blog Post
• ATP 352: No One Else Had Calipers
• Apple Page

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Energy logs, API-misuse terminations, and other unexpected ways our apps crash due to system policy enforcement.

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Links and Show Notes:

• NSHipster on MetricKit

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Gather around the campfire as Uncle Dave tells the tale of how the conditions formed for today's App Store subscription scams.

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Links and Show Notes:

• Becky Hansmeyer - How to Flip an App for Profit
• Intentional Subscriptions

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David's new app, Moon++, and experiences working with SwiftUI and the standalone App Store on the Apple Watch.

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Links and Show Notes:

• Moon++ App Store
• Moon++ Backstory
• Parallactic angle

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New possibilities for users and developers opened up by the always-on screen of the Apple Watch Series 5.

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Links and Show Notes:

• Support St Jude
• #170: Spending Dan Riccio's Battery Surplus
• Rene Ritchie's Apple Watch Review
• Apple Watch Series 5

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Our summers turned out very differently than we had planned.

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• Support Under the Radar with a Membership
• Learn more about Relay FM Membership
• Inevitable Sherlocking

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We didn't think we had anything to talk about, but then we discovered unit testing and version control.

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Recognizing three groups that only partially overlap, and how to prioritize the feedback we get from them.

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How we'd improve the Apple Watch by "spending" the power-efficiency gains likely to come in the next hardware update.

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• Whoop

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Facing the tough decisions when you know, in your heart, that it's time.

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• Instabug: The Most Comprehensive Feedback Platform for Mobile Apps

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Our makeshift travel-work setups, and managing expectations about how much and what types of work you'll get done while traveling.

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Links and Show Notes:

• Luna Display
• Microsoft Sculpt Ergonomic Keyboard
• Razer Deathadder Mouse

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As the dust settles on an overwhelming WWDC 2019, we figure out what we should tackle first.

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Links and Show Notes:

• Marco's Mac Thoughts
• David's Summary Post

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What we hope to see at WWDC 2019 in Apple's APIs and developer tools.

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As WWDC 2019 approaches, we review the major changes announced in WWDC 2018 and how they've actually played out over the past year.

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Links and Show Notes:

• What's New in tvOS
• What's New in macOS
• What's New in watchOS
• What's New in iOS

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The advantages of switching from semantic versioning to a sequential calendar-based system with no semantic implications, and the different marketing mindset it brings.

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Links and Show Notes:

• Overcast
• Marco's Clip Sharing overview
• Curtis Herbert talking about Version numbers

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Launch day for David's new app, CalZones!

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Links and Show Notes:

• CalZones in the App Store

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Using David's upcoming app as an example, we take a journey through curiosity, excitement, productivity, despair, polishing, and shipping.

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Links and Show Notes:

• Original Tweet

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The design challenge of a podcast app's now-playing screen, how Overcast's design has progressed over the years, and the unexpected usability failures along the way.

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Links and Show Notes:

• Overcast v1
• Overcast v3
• Overcast v4
• Overcast v5

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Taking vacations or staycations to get a lot of work done in a short time and take full advantage of being in the zone.

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• Cortex

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Creating a new app as a fun exercise, and making choices that minimize its ongoing maintenance needs.

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Including large or small databases and other data files with your app.

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Links and Show Notes

• ATP where Marco discussed Instant Search
• FMDB
• UTR where we discussed implementing Search

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Producing and embedding content in your app that changes continuously, such as monthly challenges, directories, and user-generated content.

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Running servers is easy the vast majority of the time. But sometimes, something goes wrong at the worst possible time.

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Links and Show Notes

• Xdebug
• webgrind
• Linode NodeBalancers
• Cloudflare

Tracking down hard-to-find, hard-to-reproduce bugs that don't show up in your own usage.

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Links and Show Notes

• Episode Transcript

When, why, and how it's OK to ship updates to your app with known bugs.

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• Episode Transcript

Good and bad fears of embarking on major code changes to our apps.

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• Episode Transcript
• UTR #143: Implementing Step-Counting
• Core Motion Bug Report: Radar #46606259
• Pedometer++

Exercising atrophied programming muscles by experimenting with languages, technologies, and environments that lack the safety and convenience of our usual work.

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• Squarespace: Make your next move. Enter offer code RADAR at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.

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• Episode Transcript

Small design features, flourishes, and other indulgences to satisfy ourselves and make our apps feel more delightful.

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• Instabug: In-App Feedback and Bug Reporting for Mobile Apps

Links and Show Notes

• Episode Transcript
• Overcast
• Pedometer++

Budgeting our time for ongoing commitments vs. exploratory and hobby projects, and an update on iOS device statistics.

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• Episode Transcript
• ATP Episode 300!

The challenge of writing complex algorithms, and the joy of finding a simpler way.

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• Episode Transcript
• Always Visible Date
• Fast Inverse Square Root

Accepting that our motivation and productivity are cyclical, with periods of very little work getting done.

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• Episode Transcript
• Marco's Mac mini Review
• Build and Analyze #6, Cycles of Motivation

Developer-relevant analysis of this week's Apple releases and how we can use them in our work.

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App Store subscription scams, and considering the ethics of how our apps make money.

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• Episode Transcript
• Sneaky subscriptions are plaguing the App Store

Why the Apple Watch needs third-party faces, tools to make them for yourself today, and overcoming the reasons why Apple may not want to offer them.

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• Episode Transcript
• Why it’s hard to read the time on Infograph
• Considering Low Contrast Complications
• SpriteKitWatchFace
• Exploring Custom watchOS Watch Faces

Long-term career planning, predicting where Apple is going, betting on the right technologies, and wondering whether we'll still be doing this in ten years.

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• Squarespace: Make your next move. Enter offer code RADAR at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.

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Answering the surprisingly difficult question of "How many steps did you take today?"

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• Episode Transcript
• Pedometer++
• Time Zones on Wikipedia

The value of making apps only for yourself that you never release.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Xojo: Create native cross-platform desktop, web, mobile & Raspberry Pi apps. Use code RADAR for 20% off any licence.

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• Episode Transcript

Concepts and considerations for implementing full-text search in your app, with examples from Overcast 5.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Xojo: Create native cross-platform desktop, web, mobile & Raspberry Pi apps. Use code RADAR for 20% off any licence.

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• Overcast

Finalizing our iOS 12 and watchOS 5 updates, and updating our apps for the new iPhones and Apple Watches before we can actually buy them.

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• Overcast
• Pedometer++
• Workouts++

Setting up your business for extended times away, and how to start working again when you get back.

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• Squarespace: Make your next move. Enter offer code RADAR at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.

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• Episode Transcript
• Cortex on Roombas

The huge gifts we were given in watchOS 5, and today's environment for building Apple Watch apps.

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• Instabug: In-App Feedback and Bug Reporting for Mobile Apps

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• Episode Transcript

How we're affected by the iOS 12 changes and revised App Store review guidelines.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• NSScreencast: Weekly bite-sized screencasts on iOS development.

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• Episode Transcript
• Old School API Diffs
• App Review Guideline Changes

The first things we do after WWDC every year, and why this year might be different.

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• Episode Transcript
• Piezo

Live interviews at Social Policy in San Jose, with first impressions from Curtis Hurbert, Joe Cieplinski, and Kaya Thomas.

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Guest Starring:

Kaya Thomas, Joe Cieplinski, and Curtis Herbert

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• Episode Transcript
• Curtis Herbert
• Joe Cieplinski
• Kaya Thomas

Packing, preparation, and logistical tips for a happy, healthy, and productive WWDC.

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• Episode Transcript
• Pedometer++ Stickers

The challenge of trying to form a union or other collective action group for developers.

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• The Developer's Union

Considering accessibility as part of usability, and testing with the most common iOS accessibility APIs.

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• Global Accessibility Awareness Day
• Apple's Accessibility Developer Page
• Marco's Article about App Review and Accessibility

Whether you need one of the new .app domains, and the ramifications of Microsoft's lower app-store commissions.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Linode: High performance SSD Linux servers for all of your infrastructure needs. Get a $20 credit with promo code ‘radar2018’

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• Google's .app Registry
• Microsoft's Revenue Split Announcement

Lessons from Android's success, hot new things from past WWDCs that didn't pan out, and trying to improve or avoid social problems with our apps.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Instabug: In-App Feedback and Bug Reporting for Mobile Apps

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Planning out our apps before writing any code, deciding which ideas NOT to pursue, a converged "Marzipan" world, and accessibility.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

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In our third Q&A episode, we address the many questions we received about running servers.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

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Our second-ever Q&A episode, including questions on React Native, reusable code vs. duplication, learning beyond Hello World, and the art of packing lightly for travel.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Linode: High performance SSD Linux servers for all of your infrastructure needs. Get a $20 credit with promo code ‘radar2018’

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• Ask a Question

The fast drop-off of typical usage over time, and how to improve our customer-retention rates.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Squarespace: Make your next move. Enter offer code RADAR at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.

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• iTunes Connect Analytics Guide

Minimizing the collection and storage of your users' personal data, and high-level strategies to think about in the dawn of the EU's new GDPR law.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Linode: High performance SSD Linux servers for all of your infrastructure needs. Get a $20 credit with promo code ‘radar2018’

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The development and release of Sleep++ 3.0, and best practices for prompting the user for permission to access iOS-protected data or features.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Xojo: Create native cross-platform desktop, web, mobile & Raspberry Pi apps. Use code RADAR2018 for 20% off any licence.

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• Sleep++ in the App Store
• Sleep++ 3.0 Launch Blog Post

Whether to sign up for a WWDC 2018 ticket and what to do if you don't get one, and the ramifications of David's latest Apple Watch usage stats.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Xojo: Create native cross-platform desktop, web, mobile & Raspberry Pi apps. Use code RADAR2018 for 20% off any licence.

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• Tickets to ATP or Relay Live at WWDC
• Apple's WWDC Page
• Layers Conference

Celebrating the ten-year anniversary of the first iPhone SDK release, imagining alternate timelines that could have been, and remembering what we were doing ten years ago.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Squarespace: Make your next move. Enter offer code RADAR at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.

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• Craig Hockenberry's Retrospective

Considering the temptation and pitfalls of developing features out of fear of missing an opportunity. Also, how best to communicate changes to customers.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Linode: High performance SSD Linux servers for all of your infrastructure needs. Get a $20 credit with promo code ‘radar2018’

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• Apple Ski/Snowboarding Article
• Slopes in the App Store
• Slopes Diary

Adopting inefficient hacks to save developer time, since hardware is so fast that it's often a worthwhile tradeoff.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Freshbooks: Online invoicing made easy.

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• Marco's Color Library

Considerations for travel, coffeeshops, offices, vacations, and other secondary work setups.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Freshbooks: Online invoicing made easy.

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• Cortex
• Quitter

Tackling complex math, data analysis, or other challenging problems to give your app a competitive advantage.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Squarespace: Make your next move. Enter offer code RADAR at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.

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• Marco's Visualizer

Desktops vs. laptops, single vs. multiple monitors, and how we're enjoying our iMac Pros so far.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Linode: High performance SSD Linux servers for all of your infrastructure needs. Get a $20 credit with promo code ‘radar2018’

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• Casey's Checklist
• SizeUp

A two-part crash course in starting an indie business. In part 2, we cover health insurance, retirement planning, professional services, and other common expenses.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Freshbooks: Online invoicing made easy.

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A two-part crash course in starting an indie business. In part 1, we cover business entities, taxes, and income.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Freshbooks: Online invoicing made easy.

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• ATP Intervention with Casey
• Analog(ue) Intervention with Casey
• Supertop Doom Clock Spreadsheet

What we're hoping to see from Apple's APIs and developer platforms in 2018.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Squarespace: Make your next move. Enter offer code radar at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.

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How the App Store's 2017 changes have panned out so far, and our hopes for 2018.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Freshbooks: Online invoicing made easy.

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Being pressured by users or reality into features or choices we don't think we should need to do.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Linode: High performance SSD Linux servers for all of your infrastructure needs. Get a $20 credit with promo code ‘radar2017’

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Considering the potential benefits and ramifications of the rumored unified app framework between macOS and iOS.

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• Freshbooks: Online invoicing made easy.

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• Episode YouTube Mirror

Links:

• Under the Radar on YouTube
• Mark Gurman's Article
• Right versus Pragmatic

David keeps a diary of what the day was like while he launched Workouts++ 2.0. It didn't turn out exactly how he'd hoped.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

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• 59: Workous++ 1.0 Launch Diary
• 107: Free with Benefits

Our experiences and best practices we've found for App Store Search Ads after a year of use, and whether to use the new Search Ads Basic.

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• Eero: Never think about WiFi again. Use code RADAR for free overnight shipping.

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• Search Ads Basic

Getting from when you think it's 99% complete to being actually releasable.

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• Pingdom: Start monitoring your websites and servers today. Use offer code RADAR to get 30% off.

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• Forecast: Podcast MP3 encoder with chapters

Possibilities for value when apps don't bring in money directly.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

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Getting through long projects while maintaining motivation and perspective.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Eero: Never think about WiFi again. Use code RADAR for free overnight shipping.

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Rethinking designs now that we have the iPhone X in-hand.

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Lessons from Overcast's public beta, and using Slack as a feedback and bug-reporting channel.

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• Overcast Slack group

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Prioritizing usability over design trends — even Apple's.

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• Setapp, from Macpaw: Pay one monthly fee and get access to the best Mac software around

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Procrastinating by working on other productive tasks instead of the big one we really don't want to do.

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Real-world results of switching in-app purchases from multiple price tiers to a single option.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

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(Sent with Balloons)
How to view and start projects that have a good chance of making it to episode 100.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

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• XKCD
• First Build & Analyze
• First Developing Perspective

Trying to get Apple to change something, and knowing what you can and can’t change.

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• Blue Apron: A better way to cook. Get three meals free with your first purchase, and free shipping.

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An "off-the-air" discussion working through the challenges of standalone Apple Watch podcast playback.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

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New design challenges to tackle for the iPhone X, and new potential unlocked by the Apple Watch Series 3 with LTE.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

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• David's Article about the new LTE Apple Watch

Building apps for popular third-party services, or in opportune but high-risk areas.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Eero: Never think about WiFi again. Use code RADAR for free overnight shipping.

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The responsibilities we have to ensure that we're protecting and respecting our users' privacy when we embed third-party code in our apps.

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Effectively communicating changes and improvements to our apps via release notes.

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• Blue Apron: A better way to cook. Get three meals free with your first purchase, and free shipping.

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Supporting multiple screen sizes and device types, and strategies to make adoption of new sizes easier.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Xojo: Create native cross-platform desktop, web, mobile & Raspberry Pi apps. Use code RADAR for 20% off any licence.

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Using notifications to bring users back to your app without being spammy or annoying.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Xojo: Create native cross-platform desktop, web, mobile & Raspberry Pi apps. Use code RADAR for 20% off any licence.

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Deciding to remove a feature, or having that decision made for you.

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• Indeed Prime: Apply to 100 top tech companies with 1 application.

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What trademarks do, searching for conflicts before you name something, and whether indies should file for their own.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Indeed Prime: Apply to 100 top tech companies with 1 application.

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Which Mac models are usable for software development, and the benefits and drawbacks of using desktops, laptops, or both.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Blue Apron: A better way to cook. Get three meals free with your first purchase, and free shipping.

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Options, benefits, and challenges of working at home.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Indeed Prime: Apply to 100 top tech companies with 1 application.

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Deciding whether to adopt the newest iOS styles and APIs in existing apps that may not have needed them.

This episode of Under the Radar is sponsored by:

• Indeed Prime: Apply to 100 top tech companies with 1 application.

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Adopting the new fields and changes in our apps' product pages in the redesigned iOS 11 App Store.

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• Jamf Now: Manage your Apple devices from anywhere. Get your first three devices free!

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• Apple's description of the new fields