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A short editorial plus the week's best Swift and SwiftUI articles, tools and news.

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Fatbobman’s Swift WeeklyIssue
No.161
2026 · 11 · 09weekly.fatbobman.com
Latest issue

Reflections on Judging a Student Mobile App Competition

Over the past three days, I had the privilege of serving as a judge at the 2026 China Collegiate Computing Competition — Mobile Application Innovation Contest, an event that Apple has supported for many years. Now in its 11th year, the competition has grown considerably, attracting participants from more than 1,000 universities and tens of thousands of students.

Issue #161Read this issue →

202644 issues

  1. #160The Case of the Rapidly Disappearing Disk SpaceMy MacBook contains almost nothing but development tools and related data, and I’ve long maintained at least 500–600 GB of free space. For quite some time, I assumed its internal storage was more than sufficient. But coding agents have changed that. Last week, I found myself in the rather embarrassing situation of having my disk space rapidly exhausted—not once, but twice.
  2. #159When Apps Are No Longer Tied to a Specific Operating SystemThis week’s issue features three intriguing projects: Cutefish, SimRun, and Mac Android Subsystem. They take different technical approaches. One provides a runtime environment by implementing compatible APIs and frameworks, another runs apps built for a simulator directly, and the third hides an entire virtualized operating system in the background.
  3. #158Who Is the Real Threat to AI-Relay Apps?Last week, I was invited to Beijing to attend the inaugural Apple App Incubator event, where Tim Cook attended in person to present awards to the winners.
  4. #157When Build in Public Goes Back UndergroundOver the past few months, the community has seen a growing number of cases where AI is used to quickly reverse-engineer commercial products or create pixel-perfect replicas of popular apps. With enough tokens to burn, building a free “shadow version” no longer seems particularly difficult.
  5. #156Swift Server Has Another GoogleLast week, Google Cloud introduced a Swift SDK for server-side development. It covers more than a hundred Google Cloud services, including Cloud Storage, IAM, Secret Manager, and AI, while providing essential cloud capabilities such as authentication, retries, and pagination. Google is very clear about its positioning: this is a Swift SDK built for servers, containers, and DevOps, not a client-side tool for iOS apps to access cloud services directly.
  6. #155The Month iPhone Duo Gives DevelopersXcode 27.1 beta, which includes the iPhone Duo simulator, was released on September 18—just five weeks before the device officially goes on sale on October 23. Curiously, Xcode 27.2 beta, which does not include Duo support, had already arrived by then.
  7. #154A “Native” Debate Over SwiftUI AnimationLast week, a post by React Native core developer Krzysztof Magiera sparked a lively discussion across the Apple developer community. He argued that the issue lies in SwiftUI not using Core Animation’s render-server animation model, but instead advancing animations within the app process, leading him to question whether SwiftUI is truly “native.”
  8. #153The Opportunities and Challenges of iPhone DuoAlthough some details of the iPhone Duo’s design had already leaked months ago, and Apple is a latecomer to the foldable phone market, its ability to tightly integrate hardware and software—and the interaction changes that integration enables—still managed to surprise quite a few consumers.
  9. #152When the Mac mini’s Price Is No Longer MiniLate last month, Apple released the new Mac mini and Mac Studio. Alongside the impressive performance upgrades, the noticeably higher prices were just as striking. Rising memory and storage costs are undoubtedly a major factor, but in the AI era, developers’ hardware needs are also quietly changing. More memory and more storage keep raising our idea of what counts as a “good enough” configuration—and pushing the price we actually pay even higher.
  10. #151Just a Few KeystrokesLast weekend, I attended an App Accelerator event hosted by Apple in Beijing. The event focused primarily on app development, operations, and business models in the age of AI. Most of the attendees were managers at tech companies or app developers. Throughout the event, enthusiasm for AI was high, with people exchanging their own perspectives on AI and sharing how they were putting it to use. I learned a great deal from those conversations.
  11. #150AI Wanted to Give Up. The Human Didn’t.Recently, while debugging an issue in the Intel Xe GPU driver, Linus Torvalds went through what he himself called a “⁠debug session from hell.” The eventual fix was almost absurdly simple: changing a `round_up()` to a `round_down()`. But finding that single line took 24 debugging patches and 18 kernel boots. Much of the tedious work along the way was done with the help of AI.
  12. #149Who Is the Slower App Review Process Actually Stopping?Slower App Store reviews have become something more and more developers can clearly feel. In the age of vibe coding, the cost of building and iterating on apps has dropped dramatically, so it is not hard to understand why the review system is under greater pressure. The problem is that longer review times seem to be little more than a system overwhelmed by a growing volume of submissions, without a corresponding increase in the barriers that keep scam apps out of the store.
  13. #148Apple Intelligence Has Passed Chinese Government Review and Is Coming to ChinaIn July, Apple Intelligence appeared on the latest list of generative AI services registered with China’s Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC). Then, just two days ago, Apple confirmed that Alibaba’s Qwen would be involved in the Chinese version of Apple Intelligence, and the integration briefly appeared in Apple’s official documentation.
  14. #147Hot Tea or Iced CoffeeRecently, the temperatures in my city have been breaking historical records. Since the end of July, we've been stuck in a stretch of scorching weather lasting more than ten days, with temperatures consistently above 30°C. While that may not sound particularly extreme on its own, paired with humidity exceeding 80%, it leaves behind a lingering sense of heat that never quite goes away—even after spending the entire day in an air-conditioned room set to 25°C.
  15. #146It's Not That the Models Are Slower—The Tasks Have Become BiggerLately, even tasks that I consider relatively simple often take AI several minutes—or sometimes even tens of minutes—to complete. It gave me the impression that as models become more capable, they somehow have to become slower.
  16. #145When Inspiration Outruns the ResultsOver the past few months, I've been refining my own AI-assisted workflow. Real progress has been made, but for long-running tasks, I've consistently lacked any quantifiable benchmark data.
  17. #144When Every Data Write Comes at a New PriceRecently, OpenAI’s Codex was found to have a logging issue: the program kept writing large volumes of logs to a local database, causing the files to grow continuously and generating far more disk writes than normal. Bugs like this are hardly new. A few years ago, most people would probably have deleted the files, restarted the app, and waited for the next release to fix it.
  18. #143When Linux Becomes "Air": Containers, Agents, and a "Desktop War" That No Longer MattersA week ago, Microsoft released the public preview of native Windows 11 container support that requires no Docker. Combined with Apple's recent 1.0 release of its container manager (Apple Container), both major desktop operating systems have now deeply integrated Linux containers as first-class citizens of the system.
  19. #142SPI Joins Apple, and Swift Moves Toward Self-HostingA few days ago, Swift Package Index (SPI) announced that it had joined Apple. The two sides will work together to build a comprehensive package registry for Swift developers. At the same time, SPI’s existing capabilities, including package discovery, compatibility checking, and documentation hosting, will continue to be provided, and package authors will not need to adjust their current publishing workflows in the short term.
  20. #141Is Anyone Else Excited by Swift’s Progress as a Language?Last week, a Reddit post titled 'Is anyone else excited by Swift progress as the language?⁠' sparked a lively discussion. At WWDC 2026, Apple made it clear that Swift is now being used in key WebKit components, the QUIC networking stack, font rendering, drivers, and firmware—and, as the original poster claimed, it has started making its way into the core operating system kernel beginning with the 27 releases.
  21. #140WWDC 26: AI Watched It for You — Now What?With the rise of AI Agent workflows, many developers this year have started letting AI handle the summarizing and highlight-picking, absorbing WWDC announcements at a much faster pace. Apple has been accommodating too — releasing all Sessions, transcripts, and sample code at once, making it even easier for AI to process everything.
  22. #139First Impressions of WWDC 2026: In Line with Expectations, but More PragmaticLike many developers, I cared more this year about improvements in stability and efficiency, and I also deliberately lowered my expectations for surprising new features. With that mindset, after quickly going through several topics from the first day of WWDC 2026 that I personally care about, my initial impression of this year’s event is: it was in line with expectations, and quite pragmatic.
  23. #138Stability > New FeaturesRumor has it that in the upcoming operating systems to be released this year (including iOS 27 and macOS 27), Apple will adopt a refinement strategy similar to the Mac OS X Snow Leopard era. This means prioritizing system stability, performance optimization, clearing legacy code, and squashing bugs over introducing disruptive visual redesigns or a flurry of new low-level features. If this indeed turns out to be the case, it would be deeply reassuring.
  24. #137From Community Guidepost to Ecosystem Cornerstone: Dave Verwer’s New ChapterIn issue 751 of iOS Dev Weekly, Dave Verwer announced that the newsletter, which has been running for nearly 15 years, will be handed over to a new team, while he will dedicate himself full-time to Swift Package Index. My own blog gained early attention thanks in part to recommendations from iOS Dev Weekly, and my commitment to writing a commentary for each issue of my newsletter was also greatly inspired by Dave Verwer. For many Apple platform developers, iOS Dev Weekly has long been more than a collection of links. It has been both a guidepost for the community and a long-term companion.
  25. #136The Vanishing WWDC WishlistsWWDC 2026 is just 20 days away. Every year around this time, I usually see many developers sharing their WWDC wishlists, jotting down their predictions and expectations. Yet this year, at least as of compiling this week's newsletter, there seemed to be noticeably fewer such posts than around the same time last year. Has developers' anticipation for WWDC waned, or are more of us simply adopting the mindset of 'keeping expectations low to be pleasantly surprised'?
  26. #135CocoaPods Is on Its Way Out, but SwiftPM’s Story Is Just Entering Chapter TwoGoogle recently announced that, starting with the next Flutter stable release, version 3.44, Swift Package Manager will replace CocoaPods in the default workflow and become the default dependency manager for iOS and macOS apps. Still, when Flutter truly began replacing CocoaPods with SPM in its default path, it sparked widespread discussion across the community.
  27. #134Getting AI from Handy to HeartfeltIt's been three years since I started using AI tools in earnest. Over these three years, I've witnessed AI's remarkable leaps in capability — and grown increasingly aware of its limits. By now, AI has firmly established itself as an excellent productivity tool. Yet getting it to produce code that truly feels 'heartfelt' — code that aligns with my personal style, ideas, and design philosophy — remains a considerable challenge.
  28. #133Swift Concurrency is Gaining Broader AdoptionIt has been almost 5 years since Swift 5.5 introduced a new concurrency model aligned with modern programming paradigms. From 5.5 to the current 6.3, the Swift community has been actively advancing the evolution of concurrency APIs through small, iterative steps. However, this process hasn't exactly been smooth sailing for developers, who had to grapple with a plethora of new keywords, complex isolation concepts, and some confusing anti-patterns.
  29. #132From OpenSwiftUI to DanceUI: Another Way to Dive into SwiftUIFrom its debut in 2019, SwiftUI is approaching its seventh year. It has long shed its initial growing pains and gradually become one of the foundational skills for developers in the Apple ecosystem. However, SwiftUI's closed-source nature also means that many of its underlying mechanisms remain opaque. While developers can certainly feel its expressive advantages when using it, it's often difficult to trace the root cause once a problem occurs. This characteristic also puts SwiftUI at a bit of a disadvantage in the era of AI-assisted programming—compared to technologies that have long been exposed in community discussions, source codes, and documentation, the high-quality materials available for large models to reference are ultimately limited.
  30. #131Copyright Walls Demolished by Vibe Coding, and the Developer's New MoatAnthropic recently announced that because its latest model, Mythos, has become 'too powerful' at cybersecurity work and software vulnerability discovery—reaching a level the company finds unsettling—it has taken the unusually restrained step of not releasing the model publicly. Access is limited to a handful of critical infrastructure companies within Project Glasswing, and ordinary developers cannot reach it through the API either.
  31. #130Apple's Rare Concession: When Critical Vulnerabilities Meet the 'Update Refusal' WaveFor iOS users, recent news about the Coruna and DarkSword vulnerabilities has become unavoidable. Both exploit chains use watering hole attacks, requiring no user interaction — simply visiting a legitimate website with a malicious iframe or loading a compromised ad in Safari is enough to trigger the full attack chain, after which the malware cleans its traces. Since the exploited vulnerabilities span most versions of iOS from 13 to 18.7, hundreds of millions of devices have been affected to date.
  32. #129A Wall Away, Worlds ApartThe annual Let's Vision conference was held in Shanghai as scheduled, with this year’s theme being: Born to Create, Powered by AI. Therefore, alongside the regular sessions on Swift and spatial computing, the conference invited many developers to share their applications and insights regarding AI in their daily workflows. I benefited immensely from the speakers' introductions to their AI workflows. The AI-themed venue, originally designed to hold only 300 people, was packed inside and out with an enthusiastic crowd.
  33. #128Is My App Stuck in Review?Last Thursday, a user in my Discord community complained that their app had been submitted to App Store Connect for four or five days but still hadn't entered the review process. While I was enthusiastically analyzing the possible reasons with everyone, my heart suddenly skipped a beat: it seemed that the app I submitted on Monday hadn't received any review updates either.
  34. #127Apple at 50 and Me at 51In less than half a month, Apple will celebrate its 50th birthday. However, because of Apple's image as a constant trendsetter, many people don't realize that it is now a veritable elder statesman in the IT industry. Among the tech giants of its age, very few remain at the top-tier table today.
  35. #126MacBook Neo: The Starting Point of Apple's Return to CampusLast week, Apple launched several new hardware products. Unlike previous launch events, this release was unusually low-key. Initially, I was only interested in the newly announced monitor, but after seeing numerous tech media outlets criticizing the MacBook Neo's specs, I couldn't help but pay closer attention to it. Looking past the superficial downgrades, I saw Apple's clear determination to return to the education market through its precise pricing strategy.
  36. #125OpenClaw Is Impressive — I Just Don’t Really Need It (Yet)On the morning of March 1st, I received a message from OpenClaw. It was part of a scheduled task I had set up after installing it: on the first day of every month, it sends me a summary of the main tasks it executed on my behalf over the past month.
  37. #124The Spring Festival Gala, Robots, AI, and LLMsAs a television program with over a billion viewers, the China Central Television's Spring Festival Gala is undoubtedly an exceptional showcase platform. In this year's Gala, multiple Chinese robotics manufacturers presented their products in various performances, among which Unitree’s humanoid robots caught the most attention.
  38. #123Wishing Everyone a Happy Year of the Horse!At this once-in-60-years auspicious moment, I wish all my readers: good health (CPU at full power), a soaring career (performance optimised), smooth sailing in everything (bug-free runtime), and immediate success (compilation passed)! 🎉
  39. #122Xcode Enters the Agent EraThe arrival of Xcode 26.3, with almost no advance notice, responded to these doubts with concrete action. By integrating Claude Code/Codex, Apple's answer was direct: with the right strategy, Xcode remains a highly promising development environment within the Apple ecosystem. This time, Xcode didn't simply add a CLI tool panel; instead, it introduced a native set of Xcode Tools (MCP), coordinated with official technical documentation for Swift 6, SwiftUI, SwiftData, and more, creating a highly consistent experience aligned with the latest practices.
  40. #121Shifting Light, Unchanging HaystacksTwo weeks ago, taking the opportunity of attending iOS Conf SG 2026, I visited the National Gallery Singapore and had the pleasure of viewing the special exhibition "Into the Modern: Impressionism from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston". Although I have seen many excellent exhibitions in the past, this experience resonated with me in a distinct and unexpected way.
  41. #120Skip Goes Open Source: A High-Stakes Bet from “Selling Tools” to “Selling Trust”Skip Tools recently announced that it is now completely free and open-sourcing its core engine, skipstone. This means Skip has fundamentally changed its business model: from selling a product to relying on services and community sponsorships. This change reflects both the pressure of an underperforming commercial strategy and the team’s willingness to take risks. In an era dominated by AI and a largely entrenched developer tooling landscape, Skip chose to actively pivot rather than stand still.
  42. #119Building AI Moats: Anthropic’s Crackdown and the Apple-Google Alliance2026 kicked off with two major AI headlines: Anthropic banned third-party CLIs and wrappers from using personal subscriptions, and Apple officially confirmed a deep partnership with Google.
  43. #118An AT Life Isn't Necessarily Better Than an MT OneWhen I learned to drive, I used a manual transmission (MT). At first, my lack of skill often left me flustered, so for my first car, I went straight for an automatic (AT). However, after driving for a few years, I began to crave that sense of total control, so I added a manual car to my collection. Regrettably, as traffic congestion grew worse, the joy of shifting gears was gradually canceled out by exhaustion, and that car eventually sat neglected. It has been nearly twenty years since I seriously drove a manual, but deep down, I still occasionally miss that time when "man and car were one."
  44. #1172026: When AI Fades into the Workflow, Are You Ready?Happy New Year, everyone! Over the past few years, AI has consistently occupied the center stage of the tech world. But looking back from the start of 2026, I’ve noticed a significant shift: since late 2025, the obsession with trillion-parameter models and leaderboard benchmarks has gradually cooled. In its place is a sober, hands-on focus on the meticulous cultivation of AI Workflows

202552 issues

  1. #116Swift, SwiftUI & SwiftData: A Mature 2025Over the past few days, I’ve been reflecting on the evolution of Swift, SwiftUI, and SwiftData throughout this year. My overall impression is that while there weren't many "flashy" surprises, a palpable sense of maturity has quietly emerged.
  2. #115A Sunday IncidentSunday afternoon, I was preparing Monday's weekly newsletter as usual. The moment I stood up, my right pinky finger seemed to bump into something, and then it wouldn't straighten.
  3. #114Unearthing "Silent Experts"Regular readers of my blog may have noticed that I haven’t published many personal pieces lately. Instead, over the past few weeks, I’ve shared a series of guest posts from developers across different domains. This is part of a special initiative I recently launched—inviting practitioners who have deep experience and meaningful accomplishments in their respective fields to share their hands-on insights, hard-won lessons, unique perspectives, and personal journeys.
  4. #113When Android Phones “Force-Compat” with AirDropAirDrop has long enabled fast, lossless, cable-free transfers across Apple devices, forming a signature and tightly guarded advantage within the Apple ecosystem. But this long-standing situation has taken an unexpected turn. A few days ago, Google announced that the Pixel 10 can now interoperate with AirDrop without Apple’s involvement, bringing AirDrop-compatible wireless sharing to Android through Quick Share.
  5. #112When AI Makes "Seeing Is Believing" ImpossibleNearly thirty years have passed since I graduated from college. Most of my classmates are now fully absorbed in their careers and families, so our alumni chat stays quiet for long stretches of time. But last Thursday night, an unexpected burst of activity suddenly broke the silence.
  6. #111Homebrew 5.0: Parallel Downloads, MCP Integration, and Intel's Final CountdownA few days ago, I routinely ran `brew upgrade` after typing `brew update`. To my surprise, the terminal displayed something I'd never seen before—numerous packages downloading in parallel, neatly arranged and progressing simultaneously. After a moment of astonishment, I learned from the news: Homebrew had released version 5.0
  7. #110Skip Fuse Now Free for Indie Devs!Skip announced that the Skip Fuse version is now free for indie developers, supporting cross-compilation based on the official Swift Android SDK. This issue also features articles on SwiftData architecture refinement, Tuist project management migration, and the new personalization mechanism of Language Discovery.
  8. #109Dangerous but Fortunate — Twice!My parents-in-law have always been in good health, especially my father-in-law, who had never been hospitalized in his more than eighty years. Yet within a short span of time, they both went through life-threatening moments — fortunately, both ended well.
  9. #108Swift Officially Releases Android SDKOn October 24, the Swift Android Workgroup released the nightly preview version of the Swift SDK for Android. This marks the SDK's transition from early internal testing to official support, representing a significant step forward in Swift's cross-platform journey.
  10. #107A Trip to the Apple Store for RepairsMy father's iPhone 16 suddenly stopped charging. After making an appointment, I took it to the Apple Store for repair. Once the staff confirmed the issue, they provided me with an iPhone 14 as a loaner and helped transfer the data. Twelve days later (which included a long holiday), the device was ready—the Type-C port had been replaced, along with a complimentary new battery. The experience was, as always, satisfying.
  11. #106Qualcomm Acquires Arduino: The Wheel of History TurnsLast week, Qualcomm announced its acquisition of the renowned open-source hardware platform Arduino, simultaneously unveiling the first Arduino to feature Qualcomm silicon—the Arduino UNO Q. Unlike its classic predecessors, the UNO Q employs a "dual-brain" architecture: a Linux-running Qualcomm Dragonwing processor handles high-performance computing, while an STM32 microcontroller manages real-time control tasks.
  12. #105Sora 2: A Great Model, but Not Necessarily a Great BusinessA week ago, OpenAI released the Sora 2 model along with a new Sora app that carries distinct social-platform features. For now, users can generate videos with Sora 2 only through its iOS app. In terms of visual detail, character rendering, environmental texture, and audio-visual synchronization, Sora 2 represents a substantial improvement over earlier versions.
  13. #104Apple is Preparing for System-Level MCP SupportAccording to 9TO5Mac's report, Apple is adding MCP (Model Context Protocol) support to its ecosystem to enable agentic AI capabilities. The implementation path closely aligns with our speculation in Weekly #077
  14. #103 Swift 6.2 Is HereOne year after the release of Swift 6.0, Swift 6 welcomes its second major version update. Beyond the much-anticipated Default Actor Isolation, Swift 6.2 brings numerous practical new features.
  15. #102Have You Completed Your Liquid Glass Adaptation?Tomorrow marks the official release of iOS 26, and a large number of users are likely to upgrade immediately to experience the brand-new Liquid Glass design language. Compared to previous years, this year’s adaptation workload is significantly heavier—especially for apps with complex interactions, which may face many unexpected issues.
  16. #101From Open Platform to Controlled Ecosystem: Google Announces Android Developer Verification PolicyGoogle has announced that starting September 2026, it will extend Play Store developer verification requirements to all Android app installation methods, fundamentally altering the platform's open distribution model. This policy requires all developers distributing apps outside Google Play to register with Google, provide government-issued identification, and pay fees. The policy will first be implemented in Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand, before expanding globally in 2027. This represents Android's most significant departure from its founding principles of an open ecosystem.
  17. #100For This Journey, and for My Future SelfIn the blink of an eye, this newsletter has reached its 100th issue. Looking back to the first issue in October 2023, I wasn't sure I could keep this going for so long. Yet over these two years, through consistent creation, I've gained so much.
  18. #99The Future is Coming: Humanoid Robot GamesAt the first World Humanoid Robot Games recently held in Beijing, many amusing scenes unfolded: robots punching at thin air, swaying from side to side while running, and collectively tumbling after colliding during soccer matches.
  19. #98I Almost Lost Patton (My Dog)Patton is 13 years old now. While he usually displays far more energy and vitality than other dogs his age, various health issues have inevitably emerged as he's gotten older. Recently, Patton was diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension, and the vet prescribed a targeted treatment plan. Just as I was feeling relieved that the treatment seemed to be working, last Monday afternoon, Patton suddenly couldn't stand, was drooling excessively, and showed clear signs of cardiac distress.
  20. #97Apple Permanently Closes Its First Store in ChinaLast Saturday, Apple officially and permanently closed an Apple Store in Dalian, China, marking the first time the company has closed a directly-operated store in the country. The store opened in 2015, exactly ten years ago. Following the announcement, numerous online reports emerged, with some interpreting this as a signal about Apple's business conditions in China. Since this store happens to be located in my city, I have some firsthand knowledge of the situation and would like to share a different perspective.
  21. #96Xcode 26 beta 4: If We're Going Down, We're Going Down TogetherDespite some minor issues, I had a pretty good impression of the previous beta versions of Xcode 26. Both the refreshing visual experience and the clearer annotations for AI-generated code were quite impressive. However, after recently updating to beta 4, these positive feelings quickly dissipated due to frequent Preview crashes.
  22. #95Blender is Developing an iPad VersionA few days ago, the Blender Foundation announced that it is developing a native version for iPad Pro with specialized optimizations for Apple Pencil. The initial version will focus on basic object manipulation and sculpting features, with later versions adding Grease Pencil and storyboarding capabilities. It's particularly worth noting that this is not a feature-limited iPadOS version like some professional software, but a fully-featured Blender iPadOS native application.
  23. #94F1: A Great Movie, An Even Greater BusinessLast week I went to the theater to watch *F1*, Apple’s latest original movie—and the experience far exceeded my expectations. While the storyline was admittedly a bit thin, the sheer sense of immersion and racing excitement it delivered easily justified the ticket price. When Brad Pitt’s APXGP car thundered down Silverstone Circuit, the roar of the engine shaking the IMAX sound system transported me back to those days, over 20 years ago, when I’d sit glued to the TV cheering on the fierce duels between Schumacher and Alonso.
  24. #93A Dimmer Liquid Glass and the Disappearance of Apple IntelligenceAfter installing iOS 26 beta 3, users quickly noticed that the Liquid Glass effect is no longer as translucent as in the previous two beta releases. This change has sparked two opposing perspectives: some see it as a sign that Apple’s flagship design concept from WWDC 2025 is facing challenges, while others view it as evidence of Apple’s responsiveness to user experience data and its ability to iterate quickly. Either way, such a significant UI adjustment within a short time underscores the importance of developer betas—allowing technically savvy users with higher tolerance for change to provide feedback is essential for a company serving billions of people.
  25. #92High Temperatures and Strange Atmospheric PhenomenaSince mid-June, my city has also experienced unusually high temperatures. Although 30-31°C may not seem dramatic compared to other regions that routinely see 35-40+°C, for me, accustomed to temperatures in the 20s, this heat has become quite unbearable.
  26. #91Swift’s Multi-Platform Strategy Requires Collective EffortSeveral months after the Swift forums first announced the formation of an Android Community Workgroup in February 2025, Swift.org has now officially launched an Android Workgroup. This marks the beginning of officially led efforts to support Swift on Android. With this, Swift developers may soon benefit from improved toolchains and a better development experience on Android.
  27. #90You Only Realize Its Value Once It’s GoneAt WWDC 2025’s “Bring Your SceneKit Project to RealityKit” session, Apple officially announced that SceneKit will receive “critical-bug only” maintenance going forward, with no new features planned. The framework is now marked as deprecated in the official documentation, and developers are encouraged to migrate to RealityKit. Although many of us anticipated this day, the formal announcement still evokes a pang of nostalgia.
  28. #89WWDC 2025: A Return to PragmatismWWDC 2025 has drawn to a close. Over the past week, Apple introduced a host of brand-new frameworks and APIs, and unveiled the Liquid Glass visual style that is set to leave a lasting impact in the years ahead. It’s only natural that many developers, upon discovering that some long-awaited features or APIs are available only on the latest OS versions, felt the urge to bump their minimum deployment target straight to OS 26. Yet, after taking a moment to cool down, most will have to accept the reality that these new capabilities won’t be accessible for several years.
  29. #88WWDC 2025 Developer Special EditionWWDC 2025 introduced a host of eye-catching new features and APIs. In this special issue, we’ve handpicked high-value analysis articles, practical tools, and key takeaways from the developer community to help you quickly master the essentials of these new capabilities. Content will continue to be updated through the end of the week.
  30. #87Swift: New Design, New Case Study, New ExperienceAhead of WWDC 2025, the Swift official website has undergone a comprehensive redesign. The new design aims to enhance user-friendliness, highlight Swift’s technical strengths, and make it easier for beginners to get started. As a programming language deeply connected to the Apple ecosystem, the website naturally incorporates strong Apple-style visual elements.
  31. #86Arc, Dia, TCA and SwiftUIA few days ago, Josh Miller, CEO of The Browser Company, published an open letter to Arc users, sharing content that the community has been widely interested in, including why the team is transitioning from Arc to Dia, the lessons learned from the Arc project, Dia's design philosophy, why Dia's features weren't integrated into Arc, and Arc's future development plans.
  32. #85Have You Registered for WWDC 2025 Group Labs Yet?Three months ago, during my communication with a certain Apple department, I reiterated my expectation for Apple to continue hosting group Q&A activities like Lounges or Ask Apple. I'm delighted to see that WWDC 2025 brings back this new group interaction initiative in the form of Group Labs.
  33. #84Awaiting WWDC 2025 with SerenityTime flies, and there are only 20 days left until WWDC 2025 begins. In the past few years, I would always write several articles around this time imagining the new features WWDC might bring and the changes I was looking forward to.
  34. #83Don't Let Vibe Coding Hinder Your Technical GrowthA few days ago, a friend who had previously highly praised and fully embraced Vibe Coding posted a tweet expressing his recent frustration with AI-based programming: Recently, Vibe Coding hasn't brought me any joy in writing code. On the contrary, I've felt frustrated by AI's inability to get things right the first time. I've started reading official documentation and quality videos again, building knowledge from the ground up, and that sense of control over my projects has returned.
  35. #82Apple Pays the Price for Its ArroganceA few days ago, the Epic Games v. Apple case reached a critical milestone. The court ruled that Apple had willfully violated the permanent antitrust injunction issued in 2021. The court not only approved Epic's motion to enforce the injunction but also took the rare step of referring Apple's behavior to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of California, to investigate potential criminal contempt of court charges.
  36. #81The Chrome Paradox: Could DOJ’s Antitrust Remedy Create OpenAI’s Next Monopoly?The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and Google have recently made significant progress in their antitrust litigation. The court found that Google had disadvantaged competitors and harmed publishers and consumers by tying its ad server to its ad exchange platform and manipulating the auction process. As one potential remedy, the DOJ is considering requiring Google to divest its Chrome browser and terminate its default search-engine agreements with device manufacturers. Following rumors of OpenAI’s $3 billion bid for WindSurf, OpenAI immediately expressed interest in acquiring Chrome once the ruling was announced.
  37. #80Shorter Validity, Longer Shelf LifeLast Monday, my blog experienced a brief outage due to an expired HTTPS certificate. Thankfully, within five minutes of the issue, an attentive reader notified me about the problem. After contacting my cloud service provider, we discovered the outage was caused by a bug in their automated SSL certificate renewal system. Following two hours of troubleshooting, the issue was resolved, and my website returned to normal operation.
  38. #79Microsoft Tightens Plugin Restrictions, Google Pushes for the Cloud and What's Next for Xcode?Not long ago, Microsoft significantly enhanced GitHub Copilot’s functionality. In addition to adding support for MCP, it also introduced an Agent mode for AI interaction similar to that of Cursor. As a result, GitHub Copilot has significantly closed the gap with the leading AI code tools. Given its lower pricing strategy (only $10 per month), it is clear that Microsoft is poised to fully enter the commercial AI assistance market and services.
  39. #78Do Not Market Driver-Assistance as Autonomous DrivingRecently, a fatal accident involving a new electric vehicle brand, resulting in three deaths, has once again sparked concerns about so-called "autonomous driving" capabilities. According to currently available information, the vehicle's "autonomous driving" system failed to recognize a construction zone despite clear warning signs posted along the route, providing an alert only 2–3 seconds before impact. This left the driver with an extremely short window to react.
  40. #77The Rise of MCP and Apple's AI Framework VisionRecently, across social networks, an increasing number of Model Context Protocol (MCP) users have been showcasing a diverse range of applications – from controlling Blender to create beautiful scenes to using the latest GPT-4o images to build complete comic stories. MCP has cleverly opened a gateway between large language models that primarily interact through text and the real world.
  41. #76Photographing My Fur BabiesI have a 13-year-old dog and a cat who's just over six. Over the years, I've taken my dog to a pet photography studio almost annually, but my cat's severe social anxiety has kept him from joining these photo sessions. In the past year, though, we've noticed some improvement in our cat's demeanor. While he still resists going outside, he now recovers in just minutes after returning from baths or vet visits, rather than the hours it used to take. Seeing this progress, my wife and I decided to take a chance this year by bringing both furry brothers to the studio, hoping to capture a wonderful photo of them together.
  42. #75OpenAI Appeals to the US Government: Competitive Concerns Over DeepSeekA few days ago, OpenAI submitted a fifteen-page memorandum to the U.S. government, elevating competitive threats from DeepSeek to the level of national security concerns and attempting to frame it as ideological competition. Frankly speaking, upon reading this news, I couldn't help but chuckle.
  43. #74The Cycle of Expectation and Disappointment: Apple's AI Dilemma and ResilienceA few days ago, Apple announced that its "More Personalized Siri" feature would be delayed until next year. Combined with the continued absence of Swift Assist, it's clear Apple has not fulfilled the AI vision it presented at WWDC 2024. At least in the realm of large language models, Apple has not exhibited its characteristic agility in keeping pace with industry trends.
  44. #73Experiencing the Passion of Apple Developers at the CarnivalThe two-day Let's Vision 2025 concluded successfully in a joyful atmosphere, marking my second participation as a speaker in this grand event. Compared to last year, this year's event not only comprehensively covered the Apple development ecosystem but also integrated the hottest AI-related content.
  45. #72Beyond X: The Swift Community Embraces Mastodon and BlueskyOn February 21, the Swift community officially launched its official account on Bluesky, while also posting its first message on its Mastodon account, which had been created back in 2022. On the surface, this may seem like just another typical social media update, but in reality, this decision has been under discussion and consideration within the Swift community for some time, and a series of recent events have accelerated this process.
  46. #71Building Android Apps with SwiftRecently, the Swift community established the Swift on Android Community Workgroup, aiming to promote the use of Swift in the Android ecosystem. This initiative follows a similar path to how the Arc browser advanced Swift's development on the Windows platform. Notably, members of the Skip team, which specializes in cross-platform development, have also joined the working group. Although still in its early stages, this undoubtedly marks an important step for the Swift community in breaking down platform barriers.
  47. #70Feedback and CommunicationRecently, I received an email from Apple informing me that an issue I reported last April has been fixed. What’s even more delightful is that this fix applies not only to the latest system but is also backward compatible with iOS 17.5, macOS 14.5, tvOS 17.5, watchOS 10.5, and visionOS 1.3.
  48. #69Fireworks and DronesThis year, I experienced a quieter Spring Festival than usual. For Chinese people, the New Year has always been inseparable from the brilliance of fireworks and the lingering scent of sulfur in the air. In recent years, however, many cities have restricted firework displays for environmental and safety concerns. Even in my city, where fireworks were traditionally unrestricted, core urban areas faced new regulations this year. While the city has indeed grown quieter, something of the festive spirit seems to have dimmed with the silence.
  49. #68DeepSeek: Achieving More with LessDeepSeek’s new model is undoubtedly one of the brightest stars in the tech world recently. With incredibly low training costs, they have developed an AI system that rivals the performance of leading large models. Based on personal experience, DeepSeek’s V3 and R1 are more than sufficient to meet the needs of most scenarios.
  50. #67Weekly Newsletter Progress and Blog UpdatesOn the evening of the latest weekly newsletter's release, the email subscription count surpassed 3,000. Combined with other distribution channels, each weekly newsletter now reaches at least 6,000 readers in the week following its publication. While this may not be an extraordinary achievement, it has far exceeded my initial expectations when I started this journey.
  51. #66Integrating AI into the Daily WorkflowLarge language models have become indispensable assistants in my day-to-day work and personal life. Currently, my primary means of interacting with them is conversational. While this style of communication has grown increasingly smooth and intuitive with the improvement of model capabilities, when various needs are interwoven into a single conversation, the resulting efficiency often falls short of what I’d like. To address this, I’ve recently begun exploring how to tailor prompts for dedicated sessions focused on specific tasks.
  52. #65Perspective Shift: Viewing the Developer's Dual Identity Through the Airport DebateMy city has a unique setup—the existing airport sits in the heart of the urban area, no more than 10 kilometers from any of the main districts. This ideal location has long made travel remarkably convenient for residents. However, this very location has become a constraint on the airport's growth: for the past decade, the airport has been running at full capacity, with little room to open new routes. Meanwhile, dense residential zones surrounding the airport limit its runway classification and potential expansions.

202452 issues

  1. #64Happy New Year 2025Despite the unrest in the world, 2024 has been a fulfilling and wonderful year for me. Throughout the year, I wrote 47 articles and published 51 weekly newsletters, and I can feel my understanding of Swift and SwiftUI continuously deepening. What brings me the most joy is that my entire family has stayed healthy and well.
  2. #63Breakthroughs in Xenotransplantation of Kidneys2024 marks the sixth year since I received a kidney transplant. Reflecting on this year, my personal health has been stable and smooth. As the year drew to a close, I received two exciting pieces of news—two groundbreaking advancements in xenotransplantation of kidneys, which fill me with hope for the future
  3. #62Making Swift Stronger, Keeping It SimpleTwo years ago, a friend asked me for a programming language recommendation for his six-year-old who was showing interest in coding. Considering he already had an iPad and MacBook, I didn't hesitate to recommend Swift Playgrounds. A few days ago, another friend asked me a similar question, and while I still recommended Playgrounds, I wasn’t as certain as I was two years ago. I’m just not so sure about whether Swift is still suitable for beginners these days.
  4. #61Two Hours Without a SmartphoneLast week, one of my belongings needed repair. The shop informed me it would take about two hours, so I set off by car to a shopping mall with only my laptop in tow. It wasn’t until I handed over my item that I realized a glaring oversight: I had forgotten to bring my smartphone. What might seem like a minor slip-up turned out to be the start of a series of unexpected inconveniences over the next two hours.
  5. #60Older or Outer? Reminiscing About the Pre-Smart EraLast Saturday, a two-way switch in our living room suddenly stopped working. This would have been a mundane electrical fault, but for me, it carried a deeper significance. It was the last of the many smart switches I installed 18 years ago that still functioned, and its "retirement" marked the complete sunset of traditional smart devices in my life.
  6. #59"Recommended for You" or "Recommended for Traffic"Why are these annoying articles or short videos always being recommended? How can I block them? This is a question my father has been asking frequently lately. Even though I've taught him some technical methods (like choosing to reduce similar recommendations or blocking specific accounts), the reality is that once a user's 'profile' is formed, it often takes a considerable amount of time to see any changes in the recommended content. This highlights a brutal truth: in the world of algorithmic recommendations, the weight of user choices is far less than imagined; the platform's pursuit of traffic is the fundamental driving force. Under this logic, even traffic generated by negative emotions is still traffic, and 'haters' are also an important part of big data algorithms.
  7. #58Luck Rewards PatienceThe shower in my home developed a minor leak. Although the leakage was minimal, the issue had been bothering me for some time. I hired an experienced repair technician who arrived equipped with ultrasonic and thermal imaging leak detection tools. However, due to the small volume of leakage, he was unable to pinpoint the source. Amusingly, much like how symptoms often disappear when patients visit a hospital, the leakage stopped entirely after I scheduled the repair.
  8. #57Ultra-Wide Virtual Display is Great, But We Expect MoreThe release of visionOS 2.2 beta finally brings the long-awaited "wide" and "ultra-wide" virtual display modes to Apple Vision Pro. In ultra-wide mode, users are presented with an expansive display space that transcends physical field of view limitations. Although Apple Vision Pro has its hardware resolution constraints, thanks to Foveated Rendering technology, the virtual display is not only clearer than before but also delivers a visual experience comparable to an 8K display.
  9. #56Reflections on the Pixelmator AcquisitionRecently, Pixelmator officially announced its upcoming integration with Apple, pending final regulatory approval. They assured that their flagship products—Pixelmator Pro, Pixelmator for iOS, and Photomator—will remain largely unchanged in the near term.
  10. #55Master Technology, Don't Let It Master YouIt's been over 20 years since `Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone` first hit theaters. With recent theatrical re-releases, I've started revisiting this classic series, having just watched the third installment, `Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban` yesterday.
  11. #54Security, Convenience, and PrivacyIn the digital age, security, convenience, and privacy remain perpetual challenges. According to a recent report from The Register, Apple has proposed a significant change to SSL/TLS certificate lifespans, planning to reduce them from the current 398 days to 200 days in 2025, 100 days in 2026, and ultimately to just 45 days by 2027.
  12. #53Breaking the Annual Release Cycle: A New Dawn for Tech Innovation?Remember when smart devices were durable goods and luxury items? Today, they've quietly taken on more characteristics of fast-moving consumer goods and decorative items. Somewhere along the line, annual updates and constant innovation became the norm for tech products. Big companies' annual release events have essentially become the tech world's fashion shows, captivating audiences worldwide.
  13. #52Reflecting on the Original Aspiration: On the First Anniversary of the Weekly's InceptionAlthough there are already many excellent Apple development ecosystem weeklies and newsletters online, I still founded this one. The initial intention was simple: to filter out content that interests me from daily readings and share it with readers from my own perspective. From the first issue published in early October last year until now, it's been a year in the blink of an eye, totaling 51 issues.
  14. #51Xcode Is Not AloneAfter JetBrains announced the discontinuation of updates for AppCode, many developers worried that Xcode would lack competition, lose the motivation to grow, and that there would be fewer alternatives for developing Swift projects. However, with the continuous improvement of the plugin provided by the Swift Server Work Group for VSCode, and the emergence of AI editors like Cursor the ecosystem of Swift development tools is quietly changing. Now, developing Swift projects on VSCode or Cursor is becoming not only increasingly easy but also a better experience.
  15. #50Has Your App Been Defeated by the New System?Since beta 7, I’ve upgraded all my Apple devices to this year’s new system. After using it for a while, I felt this year's update seemed much more stable than the past two years. However, it turns out this was just my personal illusion.
  16. #49Innovation Comes in Many FormsJust hours after Apple released the iPhone 16, Huawei introduced the Mate XT at its own product launch, marking the world's first mass-produced triple-folding smartphone. The device instantly captivated attention with its unique design and intricate mechanical structure.
  17. #48Apple Watch, The Sturdy Linchpin of the Apple EcosystemHalf an hour ago, Apple's 2024 annual hardware product launch event just concluded. Due to numerous product leaks prior to the event, I've gradually lost interest in Apple's September keynotes, especially considering the need to stay up late (the event starts at 1 AM local time due to time zone differences). In fact, I've rarely watched Apple's live events in recent years.
  18. #47Societal Progress Through the Lens of Driver's License Medical ExaminationsA week ago, I received a notification from the Traffic Police App informing me that it was time to renew my driver's license. A decade has passed since my last renewal, during which both the regulations governing licenses and the methods for conducting medical examinations have undergone significant changes.
  19. #46Warning-Free Compilation is Not the Ultimate Goal of Swift 6Recently, I began refactoring one of my apps, with full Swift 6 support being a key consideration. During this process, I first attempted to achieve perfect compilation for my self-built third-party libraries in Swift 6 mode.
  20. #45We Need More "Wukong"Black Myth: Wukong is an action role-playing game developed over several years by the Chinese game studio Game Science, inspired by the classic Chinese novel "Journey to the West". It was officially released on multiple platforms on August 20th (the same day this weekly newsletter is published).
  21. #44It's Time for a Summer BreakSince creating this blog in 2020, I have accumulated nearly 200 articles over the years. Every year, I choose to take a break for a while (1-2 months). This not only gives me an opportunity to enrich myself deeply but also allows me to relax thoroughly, gathering strength for future challenges.
  22. #43Archiving and Awakening MemoriesLast weekend, I attended a high school reunion. While I've maintained close contact with many classmates, there were a few I hadn't seen in decades since graduation. During the gathering, many classmates were immersed in reminiscing about our school days, with a projector on the wall displaying a meticulously crafted slideshow of old school photos.
  23. #42Experience is a Double-Edged SwordA few months ago, I was invited to write a SwiftUI tutorial, which included a section on SwiftData. Recently, when I started preparing this content, I found the difficulty far exceeded my expectations. On one hand, I needed to find a way to express concepts suitable for beginners; on the other hand, I needed to break free from the confusion caused by my Core Data experience in understanding and explaining SwiftData.
  24. #41My "Adventure" Journey to HangzhouLast week, I embarked on an "adventure" journey to Hangzhou. During the Let's VisionOS event in Beijing this April, I noticed a tall boy, Ryan Zhu, helping out with various tasks alongside the event organizers. To my surprise, I learned that he was only 17 years old and still in his second year of high school.
  25. #40Ensure "Driverless Cars" Don't Lead to "Jobless Masses"Recently, Baidu (China's largest search engine company)'s stock price has risen significantly, which is not unrelated to a widely circulated news story. Reportedly, Baidu's autonomous ride-hailing platform "Apollo Go" deployed 1,000 self-driving taxis in Wuhan, achieving impressive market performance and triggering deep concern among some traditional taxi drivers.
  26. #39New Challenges for Creators' Rights in the AI EraRecently, the head of Microsoft's AI department made a controversial statement in an interview, suggesting that any content published on the open web could be considered "free software" and could be copied and used by anyone. Unsurprisingly, this view has been widely criticized, but people remain deeply concerned that these highly influential tech giants might attempt to legalize their behavior from a legal standpoint, thereby eroding the rights of original creators.
  27. #38Better or Cheaper?Recently, Apple officially expanded the Apple Vision Pro (AVP) to markets in more countries. Given the uniqueness of AVP, especially the need for custom lenses for eyeglass wearers, allowing consumers to experience the product firsthand will undoubtedly improve their understanding and potentially drive sales. However, without significant improvements in price, wearing comfort, and ecosystem, merely expanding the sales territory may not lead to exciting market performance.
  28. #37Entering the Era of FuturesThe recent launch of Claude 3.5 Sonnet has been a pleasant surprise. In use, it not only better meets my needs compared to ChatGPT 4, but also seems to have higher response efficiency. The only disappointment is that even with a Pro account, the available token count still feels insufficient.
  29. #36Impressions on WWDC 2024WWDC 2024 has successfully concluded. Throughout this week, Apple showcased a series of new features and functionalities that will significantly impact the future. I will share my thoughts and feelings about several aspects that particularly resonated with me, reflecting on the highlights of this WWDC.
  30. #35A Spectacular Keynote, Yet Practical Implementation Requires TimeYesterday, WWDC 2024 unfolded as scheduled. In the first keynote, artificial intelligence shone as the brightest star. Apple integrated AI technology into various system areas in a rather natural way, maintaining existing user habits unaltered and fully utilizing the contextual information provided by devices. To enhance user privacy, cloud-based AI capabilities are not relied upon unless the device's local AI is insufficient. Even when accessing the internet, Apple pledged to strictly protect user privacy. In embracing AI, Apple has not loosened its longstanding focus on privacy.
  31. #34WWDC 2024, AI is Not EverythingApple has always been a pragmatic participant in the AI field, providing excellent on-device AI capabilities. However, since the rise of generative AI last year, investors, consumers, and developers alike have been eager for Apple to offer more intuitive and perceptively rich AI technologies. Given the current market demands, it is foreseeable that AI-related content will occupy a very important position at this year's WWDC 2024.
  32. #33Boosting Engagement: Forum Updates Alone Fall ShortApple recently made a significant design update to the Developer Forum. The new version not only offers a more elegant visual design but also has rationalized the categorization of the forum. Each category and tag now includes an RSS link, enabling developers to receive information in their areas of interest more promptly.
  33. #32Recognize the Importance of Accessibility Before It's NeededMay 16th (the third Thursday of May every year) marks this year's Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD). This annual event aims to remind developers, designers, and related professionals to focus on the accessibility of their digital products and services. The event emphasizes that accessibility in technology is crucial for people with disabilities, as it enables them to use websites, applications, and various digital devices more conveniently.
  34. #31Apple Uses M4 to Showcase Commitment to Embracing AIOn May 7, Apple finally updated the iPad series after a year and a half, with the highlight being the new iPad Pro equipped with the latest M4 chip. According to leaked benchmark data online, the M4 significantly outperforms the M2 and even M3 chips.
  35. #30Arc Lands on Windows and Google LayoffsLast week, The Browser Company officially released the Windows version of the Arc browser. Known for its excellent tab management, diverse themes, and outstanding performance, Arc has made a significant impression on macOS and iOS platforms over the past few years.
  36. #29Blog Speed Enhancement and Apple's New AI ModelRecently, I have been receiving intermittent feedback from blog readers indicating that the access speed is slow, with some readers even needing more than 10 minutes to load
  37. #28Experience the joy of pixel games on your iPhone!Apple recently updated its App Store Review Guidelines, now allowing emulator apps into the App Store. Just a few days ago, an emulator app named Delta was launched on the store. Delta is an all-in-one emulator designed for iOS, supporting a variety of Nintendo handheld games. This app was actually developed a long time ago but was previously only available to users in non-App Store formats due to policy restrictions.
  38. #27Apple Makes You a One-Day "Millionaire"On April 11, 1976, Apple took a significant step with the debut of the Apple I computer, designed by Steve Wozniak. Although it was just a circuit board that required users to provide their own keyboard and monitor, its historical significance is profound as this product cemented Apple's position in the market.
  39. #26Swift, Beyond the Apple Ecosystem!Since its official debut in 2014, Swift has entered its tenth year of development. Although Swift began supporting Linux at the end of 2015, its promotion and application on non-Apple platforms have been slow over the years, and many still regard Swift as a language exclusive to the Apple ecosystem.
  40. #25Let's VisionOS, Let's rock and roll!On March 30th to 31st, 2024, I was fortunate to attend the Let's VisionOS 2024 conference in Beijing. This grand event, being the world's first large forum dedicated to VisionOS development, attracted distinguished guests and developers from all corners of the globe. Throughout the conference, speakers generously shared their professional techniques, valuable experiences, design philosophies, and insightful analyses of future trends in the VisionOS development field.
  41. #24Show Off Your WWDC 24 WishlistTime flies, and before we know it, it's already the end of March, with just over two months left until WWDC 2024. Recently, some developers have started listing the new features and functionalities they hope to see at WWDC 2024. Every developer within the Apple ecosystem has their own hopes and expectations, what are you looking forward to?
  42. #23Equip Your App with Privacy ManifestsApple recently notified developers submitting apps for review to include privacy manifest files in their apps if they use specific APIs. This requirement stems from the new policy introduced at WWDC 2023, aimed at compelling app developers and SDK producers to explicitly declare their app's privacy practices. By May 1, 2024, apps that fail to provide a complete privacy manifest will not pass the App Store's review process. Developers are required to provide clear privacy statements for the APIs or third-party libraries used, ensuring transparency and the protection of user privacy.
  43. #22A Busy WeekLast week was a busy one for Apple. They released the MacBook Air equipped with the M3 chip, launched iOS 17.4 allowing European Union users to access third-party app stores, expressed dissatisfaction with Spotify and the EU on their official website, and temporarily suspended Epic's developer account (which is reportedly soon to be restored). Additionally, Apple launched Xcode 15.3, bringing with it the update to Swift 5.10.
  44. #21Embrace AI, Say Goodbye to Apple CarRecently, Apple Inc. announced at an internal meeting the termination of its ambitious car project "Titan," marking the official end of this decade-long, costly secret project. With the project's termination, some employees will be shifted to AI research and development positions to accelerate Apple's growth in this area. It is reported that Apple plans to integrate more AI features into products such as Siri, Spotlight, and Xcode, hoping that this personnel adjustment will help close the gap with other AI industry leaders.
  45. #20Time to Prepare for Swift 6Recently, the Swift community announced the release process for Swift 6. Starting March 15, 2024, the release/6.0 branch will be branched off from the main branch, marking a significant acceleration in the Swift 6 project. It is anticipated to be released alongside the new version of Xcode in the second half of this year.
  46. #19Beyond Code: Embrace the Shift in MindsetAfter several months of studying SwiftData, I only recently adopted it in my project. However, I found that coding efficiency has decreased compared to using Core Data. This is not because SwiftData is difficult to use; in fact, even though SwiftData is developed based on Core Data, to use and understand it correctly, I had to abandon many of the Core Data experiences I previously mastered and try to adopt programming logic more aligned with the design philosophy of SwiftData, leading me to start over several times.
  47. #18Happy Spring Festival!Apple Vision Pro started shipping to customers a few days ago, with the first batch of deliveries exceeding expectations impressively. Feedback from various quarters indicates that aside from its weight and price, the Apple Vision Pro surpasses its competitors in most aspects of the experience. Numerous users have already showcased videos on social media of using the device in various scenarios such as driving, exercising, walking, and working, hinting at the emergence of a new cyberculture. We look forward to this trend continuing and hope to see breakthrough applications soon that fully leverage the potential of the Apple Vision Pro.
  48. #17Inventory of Data from the New Blog's First MonthOn December 25th last year, my blog was officially launched after a redesign. A significant change in this revision was the provision of articles in both Chinese and English versions, and I also stopped updating articles on other technical platforms in China. A month later, from December 25th to January 23rd, the blog's traffic data showed significant changes
  49. #16Apple Vision Pro and Third-Party PaymentsOn January 19th, the Apple Vision Pro finally went on sale. Judging from the response speed of the Apple Store and the estimated delivery time of the product, the initial batch showed signs of being in high demand. Despite its high price, consumers (with developers and self-media expected to make up a significant portion of the first batch) still showed keen interest. However, how long this situation will last and what the public opinion will be after the product is delivered remains to be seen.
  50. #15New Frameworks, New MindsetsI recently began redeveloping my "Health Notes" application. With the new version only supporting devices running iOS 17 and above, I've found greater freedom in choosing the technical direction. This week, I restructured the state management code in my project using the Observation framework, and the results were surprisingly good. Beyond performance improvements, this class-based approach to state management has brought me many new insights, making it more aligned with SwiftUI practices. It has freed state splitting and combination from being confined to purely state management code.
  51. #14Progress Built on a Foundation of StabilityRecently, the iOS 17.3 Beta 2 version released by Apple encountered an unexpected issue, causing a boot loop problem in several devices, including the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Currently, it seems the only solution is to download and install the IPSW firmware. Although the Beta version is primarily aimed at developers, the emergence of such a serious issue is still surprising.
  52. #13Happy New YearWelcome readers to the brand new year of 2024! First of all, I sincerely wish each and every one of you a happy new year, filled with happiness and success. Looking back at 2023, I have briefly summarized my achievements in writing. In that year, I wrote a total of 34 blog posts, covering a diverse range of topics.Among the articles I published in 2023, the top five most popular ones among English readers were (according to Medium's statistics)

202312 issues

  1. #12Saying goodbye to 2023 with a new blogAfter more than a month of hard work, I am pleased to announce that the new version of "Fatbobman's Blog" has been launched as scheduled before the end of 2023. I am looking forward to your visits and welcome everyone to provide valuable opinions and suggestions. This update not only achieved my preset goals but also gave me a deeper understanding of the latest front-end development technologies. I will write an article to record the insights and experiences during this update process.
  2. #11Documenting My Life, Your WayLast week, Apple released the latest update version 17.2 for iOS. In this version, Apple finally introduced the "Journaling" app that was previewed at WWDC 2023. Due to its simplistic design and seemingly limited functionality, "Journaling" did not leave a deep impression on most users at first. I started using "Journaling" since version 17.2 beta 1, and like many other users, I also had doubts about why Apple took such a long time to develop such a "simple" app. But as I delved deeper into using it, I gradually realized the ambition behind it an information collection and aggregation tool based on local devices and AI algorithms.
  3. #10Balancing Regulation with Technological ProgressIn the past week, I have frequently encountered cookie consent pop-ups while browsing popular websites. Despite the implementation of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) by the European Union for many years, it seems that more websites have only recently started to strictly comply. As someone with a legal background, I deeply understand the efforts made by the European Union to protect individuals' privacy. However, achieving a perfect balance between safeguarding privacy and not hindering technological advancements undoubtedly poses a challenge.
  4. #9Competition Leads to More OpportunitiesRecently, I have been busy with refactoring my blog website. This is not only an update project, but also an opportunity to learn new programming languages and modern web development frameworks. As a bilingual blog, I plan to add a simple logic on the homepage to automatically redirect visitors to the corresponding language page based on their browser language settings. During the testing process, I found that different browsers handle the system language list differently, which is a common challenge in frontend development. Although in most cases, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript standards behave consistently across different browsers, there are still slight differences.
  5. #8Happiness is sometimes simpleOn November 22nd, the CEO turmoil at OpenAI finally came to an end with Sam Altman's return. Along with his return, the company's board of directors underwent restructuring.In the past two weeks, I have been using ChatGPT intensively to help me create new projects (see the article in this issue of the blog for details). I'm not sure if it's related to the recent events, but the stability of ChatGPT has been quite unsatisfactory lately. I hope that with the re-stabilization of the company's management team, the quality of the service will also improve.
  6. #7Let a thousand programming publications bloomLast week, Tony Stubblebine, the CEO of Medium, published an article titled Let a thousand programming publications bloom on Medium. In the article, he announced the temporary suspension of the highly acclaimed publication, Better Programming, in order to make room for other programming publications, as the title suggests.Better Programming is popular on Medium and is one of the most subscribed technology publications. Some of the articles I have published on Medium have been accepted and recommended to more readers through Better Programming. However, as the IT field continues to specialize, Better Programming's readers are receiving many excellent articles that are not directly relevant to their interests. This not only disperses the readers' attention but also hinders the formation of closer connections between readers and authors.
  7. #6Pausing for ProgressAccording to a report by MacRumors, Apple engineers have been instructed to pause ongoing development of new versions and focus on fixing existing bugs and improving software performance. This pause is expected to last for one week.We won't discuss whether one week is enough time to fix the numerous issues in the current system, frameworks, and development tools. But at least Apple is showing the intention and determination to address the bugs, something that many developers and users have been expecting for a long time.
  8. #5New Chip, New MacBookOn October 31, Apple held the shortest product launch in history. As expected, Apple released the MacBook Pro and iMac based on the M3 chip.Based on the data, the M3 chip shows moderate improvement in the CPU aspect, but its GPU performance is outstanding, especially with hardware-level ray tracing support.
  9. #4Local or Cloud? Which is the better choice?Yuque is a well-known cloud note service provider in China, positioned as a knowledge base tool, highly favored by IT companies and developers. However, last week Yuque encountered a severe online outage that lasted for a whole 7 hours. Coupled with the founder's departure a few months ago, various speculations circulated on the internet. Eventually, the problem was resolved, and in order to appease public opinion, Yuque offered six months of free membership as compensation to its users.
  10. #3Effective communication is a dialogue, not a monologueLast week, Alexandre Colucci released his annual report analyzing the usage of Swift and SwiftUI in the latest version of iOS. The report's findings were consistent with expectations, showing an increase in usage of both Swift and SwiftUI in iOS 17. Particularly exciting is the significant growth in the adoption of SwiftUI in Apple's own applications.
  11. #2Embracing a Bright Future, Yet Bound by RealityFrom the launch of the first beta version at WWDC 2023, SwiftData has been around for four months in the blink of an eye. In the past month, I have devoted considerable effort to researching and learning it, and have written several articles about it.SwiftData largely addresses several major criticisms of Core Data. This is mainly reflected in the following
  12. #1New Beginning, New Weekly, Two LanguagesA few months ago, the "摸鱼周报" officially came to an end after completing 100 issues. As an editor for the content recommendation section, I felt very relaxed and happy during the period that just ended, no longer needing to prepare articles every week. However, after some time, I realized that those articles I carefully selected, read, and recommended left a deep impression on me when I searched for technical clues from memory. Although I still read many articles and blogs every day after the publication ceased, the impression is not as profound as when I was an editor. Therefore, I have decided to create a new electronic newsletter where I can share excellent works and information while also gaining something from the process of collecting and organizing.