Happy New Year! Normally I like to start off the new year with a lofty goal. This year, nothing significant is planned yet. The main reason for the uncertainty is because of the “Widgets app”. Each update requires a substantial amount of work — and the app is not considered to be done. Therefore, January 2021 is kicking off with another update to the “Widgets” and “Apparatuses” apps. If you’re into Chemistry, the new “Elements” widgets were made to help you.
Category: Development
Widgets 2.7 — The Merry Christmas Update
This is the time of the year where people decorate for the holidays. It’s not just Christmas lights on trees, or Hanukkah lights in the windows, the seasonal festivities permeate throughout society. You can hear it on the radio, you can see it on TV shows, and even websites join in on the fun. This year, I wanted to do something Christmasy on the Mac App Store. With the version 2.7 update of Widgets, that goal was accomplished.
Thanks Apple — A Response To The Small Business Program
Ever play SimCity? It’s a fantastic city-building simulation. It teaches an incredible lesson about taxes. The experience is almost counterintuitive. By lowering taxes, you can actually make more money — and make the citizens much happier. You can’t drop it to zero, as the city still needs money for maintenance and future growth, so the trick is to hit the sweet spot. I believe that’s what Apple has announced today. Starting next year, Apple’s App Store commission rate (for small businesses) will drop from 30% to 15%. That’s huge!
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The Future of Widgets (Part II)
Ever see the Jetsons? George made sprockets. His competitor made cogs. Me, I make widgets. Fantasy has become reality, as my job is futuristic — but what is the future of the Widgets app? With the release of macOS 11… whew …it’s going to take a lot of work to figure that out. After playing with Apple’s WidgetKit and the default widgets, there are significant challenges to overcome.
The “Reminder” Widget Has Launched
That was brutal. The “Reminder” widget was supposed to be finished in a month. Unforeseen issues doubled the development time. But the result, I like it! A lot of work went into the little details. The challenge was plugging into Apple’s environment. It was worth the effort though, as the widget is quite powerful. It even works with Siri.