Daniel returns from Amsterdam with cookies and Dutch Pokemon magazines, and talks a bit about the work-sponsored trip. Manton helps Daniel take stock of his challenges with Red Sweater, and prioritizing the right work to do given his limited time. Finally, Daniel shares his plans for a strategy to be a more effective self-manager.

Many thanks to our sponsor this week

• Linode: Cloud Hosting for You. Use promo code coreint2019 for $20 credit when you sign up.

Links:

• Stroopkoeken – A recipe for making them at home.
• Mixed in Key – The company Daniel is working for.
• Buffer – Company blog with many stories about running a remote company.
• Automattic – The company behind WordPress.com, also famous for managing a large, remote workforce.

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Daniel and Manton talk about the public release of macOS 10.15 Catalina, question the wisdom of Apple doing it without any warning, and wonder about why they might have done so. They talk about Manton’s experience notarizing Micro.blog for Mac, and the importance of notarizing for all Mac developers. Finally, they react to the first crop of Catalyst apps on the Mac, and guess at whether the future of the Mac will be more like iOS, or something of a compromise.

Many thanks to our sponsor this week

• Linode: Cloud Hosting for You. Use promo code coreint2019 for $20 credit when you sign up.

Links:

• Catalina is Available Today – News announcement from Apple.
• macOS Catalina – Feature marketing page from Apple.
• Apps You Love, Now on the Mac – App Store feature highlighting many Catalyst apps.
• Jira Cloud – Catalyst Mac app from Atlassian.
• Dice by PCalc – Catalyst-based dice-rolling app from James Thomson.
• Catalytic Converter – James Thomson writes about the process of developing Dice by PCalc.

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Daniel and Manton talk about Microsoft’s special hardware event, and the new Surface tablets they announced. They compare Microsoft and Apple’s modern approach to multi-platform support. Manton considers adding Search Ads for Micro.blog in the App Store, in an attempt to overcome shortcomings of App Store search results. Finally, they talk about Daniel’s efforts to fix very long-standing bugs in FastScripts, and strategize a plan for getting Manton out of customer-support debt.

Many thanks to our sponsors this week

• TextExpander: Communicate Smarter.
• Linode: Cloud Hosting for You. Use promo code coreint2019 for $20 credit when you sign up.

Links:

• Surface Neo & Duo – The Verge’s take on Microsoft’s newly announced hardware devices.
• SwiftUI – Apple’s long-term strategy for multi-platform developer support.
• Microsoft Edge – Microsoft’s latest web browser, based on the Chromium open-source project.
• Apple Search Ads – Apple’s solution for getting aps to the top of search results lists.
• Getting Real – Free PDF book from 37signals/Basecamp including advice about ignoring some bug reports.

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Manton finds a workaround to his Sign in with Apple email problems! Daniel argues first that DTS should support pre-release software, and they discuss possible compromise approaches. Finally, they remark on Apple’s vigorous marketing push, and the thrill of promoting products we are proud of.

Many thanks to our sponsor this week:

• Linode: Cloud Hosting for You. Use promo code coreint2019 for $20 credit when you sign up.

Links:

• Sign in with Apple – Developer documentation for the new authorization service.
• Sending Email for Sign in with Apple – Manton’s blog post detailing how to successful send email via Apple’s relay server.
• Sean Harding – Core Intuition listener who pointed Manton in the right direction for the email solution.
• Developer Tech Support – Apple’s last resort for solving developer issues … as long it’s not with pre-release software.
• Apple Developer Forums – Another option for answering technical questions.
• Navigating Sign in with Apple – SendGrid’s extensive blog post about supporting Apple’s relay server.
• Pinball Wizard – An Apple Arcade game that both Manton and Daniel have enjoyed.
• Mini Motorways – Another Apple Arcade game that may threaten to consume all your time.

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Daniel orders an iPhone 11, while Manton decides to wait for the dust to settle. They touch on strategies for handing down, recycling or selling old phones. Manton prepares to ship an update for iOS 13 to support Dark Mode and Sign in with Apple. Finally, they talk about Apple Arcade’s apparently successful launch, and the subsequent risk to our personal productivity.

Many thanks to our sponsor this week:

• Linode: Cloud Hosting for You. Use promo code coreint2019 for $20 credit when you sign up.

Links:

• iPhone 11 Pro – Details on Apple’s newest phone.
• The Battery Life is Real – The Verge reviews the new iPhone 11 phones.
• A Real Camera – John Gruber reviews the iPhone 11 series.
• Sign in With Apple – Apple’s new sign-in framework for third parties.
• Apple Arcade – Apple’s new subscription video game service.
• Mini Motorways – Apple Arcade game that Manton has been playing.
• Pocket-Run Pool – An addictive but slightly buggy, in Daniel’s opinion, pool game for iOS.
• Alto’s Adventure – An addictive snowboarding endless-runner for iOS.
• Threes – An addictive puzzle game for iOS.
• Frosty Pop – Twitter account for the developers of Pinball Wizard on Apple Arcade.
• Micro reviews – All of Manton’s microblog-length reviews of Apple Arcade so far.

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Manton and Daniel talk about Apple’s September event, and weigh the allure of new iPhones and Watches. They examine the impact of Apple Arcade on game developers, and whether it foretells a future where Apple creates subscription bundles for other types of apps. Manton shares his experience of adding Dark Mode and Sign in with Apple support to Micro.blog, while Daniel prepares for macOS 10.15 Catalina.

Many thanks to our sponsors this week:

• MacStadium: Private clouds on Mac hardware. Use promo code coreint for 50% off your first two months.
• Linode: Cloud Hosting for You. Use promo code coreint2019 for $20 credit when you sign up.

Links:

• September 10, 2019 – Apple’s special event.
• Worth $400 to Me? – Michael Tsai’s post in which he questions the value of Apple Watch.
• Apple Arcade – Apple’s forthcoming subscription video game service.
• Apple TV+
  – Apple’s forthcoming subscription streaming service.
• Micro.blog on App Store – Manton’s iOS client for his microblogging service.
• Sign in with Apple – Apple’s user authentication service.

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Daniel talks to Manton about his decision to open source some Mac software, and making a conscious choice to publish it under the Red Sweater name. They talk about the balance of promoting oneself vs. promoting one’s company brand. Manton talks about two new features he’s added to Micro.blog, and they discuss the fact that the size and impact of features are often unrelated to the amount of time and effort that goes into them.

Many thanks to our sponsors this week:

• TextExpander: Communicate Smarter.
• Linode: Cloud Hosting for You. Use promo code coreint2019 for $20 credit when you sign up.

Links:

• App Movement Monitoring – Daniel’s blog post announcing a new open source solution for Mac developers.
• RSAppMovementMonitor – GitHub repository under the Red Sweater account.
• Punk it Up! – Daniel’s rarely-updated personal blog.
• Manton.org – Manton’s all-encompassing personal and business blog.
• Micro.blog News – Manton’s microblog just for links to Micro.blog news.
• CocoaPods – A fairly complicated method for distributing open-source packages.
• Micro.blog Test Blogs – Manton’s blog post announcing a new feature for testing changes to Micro.blog.
• Growl – A formerly very popular notifications framework for Mac.
• Frank & Ollie – Website in memory of Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston.

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Manton and Daniel review Apple’s updated policies on Siri “grading”, how they reflect Apple’s values, and the extent to which Tim Cook’s personal reputation is on the line. They compare the policies to other companies including Amazon and Facebook. Daniel catches us up on his further impressions of Amazon’s Echo and laments the absence in Apple’s product lineup of a “just throw it in your bag” sized HomePod-style speaker.

Many thanks to our sponsor this week:

• Linode: Cloud Hosting for You. Use promo code coreint2019 for $20 credit when you sign up.

Links:

• Confidential Details – Original report from The Guardian’s Alex Hern about Apple’s privacy-invading Siri recording review.
• Improving Siri’s Privacy Protections – Apple responds to the criticism, announcing a new opt-in policy for sharing audio recordings.
• Hypocrisy is Hard to Shake – Manton’s microblog post responding to Apple’s Siri debacle.
• Facebook Clear History – The Verge reports on the launch of the long-promised feature
• ATP #337 – Episode in which John Siracusa identifies the “Morgan Freeman problem” with Siri grading.
• By Innovation Only – Macworld speculates on the expected announcements at Apple’s September 10 event.

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Daniel talks to Manton about his reflections on the merit of seeking to “revolutionize” something with a software product, vs. simply trying to “make a nice thing.” They discuss the relatively revolutionary ambition of Micro.blog, and the sometimes non-revolutionary game of catch-up that Daniel plays with MarsEdit. Manton catches us up on his analysis of Tumblr in the wake of the Automattic acquisition, talks about some new features he’s building in the wake of that, and takes Daniel mildly to task for comments he made about Micro.blog’s viability as an Instagram alternative.

Many thanks to our sponsor this week:

• Linode: Cloud Hosting for You. Use promo code coreint2019 for $20 credit when you sign up.

Links:

• MarsEdit — Daniel’s blog-editing app for the Mac.
• Micro.blog — Manton’s microblogging service.
• DaisyDisk – Mac app for calculating free disk space.
• GrandPerspective – An open-source disk space app…
• OmniDiskSweeper – …and a free one from The Omni Group.
• Fantastical – Mac and iOS 3rd-party calendar app.
• @macguitar – Michael Simmons, co-founder of Flexibits, maker of Fantastical.
• Arq – Mac-based backup app.
• Tumblr – Blogging service that was previously acquired by Automattic.
• Automattic – Owners of WordPress.com and several other web-service companies.
• Ketchup Momentum – Episode 339 of ATP, in which Marco opines about Tumlbr as an alternative to Instagram.
• Snapchat – Example of a photo-sharing services that distinguishes itself from Instagram.
• Micro.blog Photo Grid – New Micro.blog feature inspired by Manton’s consideration of Tumblr and Instagram.

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Manton and Daniel react to news that Automattic is acquiring Tumblr. They talk about the potential pros and cons for Tumblr and Automattic, as well as for Micro.blog and MarsEdit. They talk about Matt Mullenweg’s optimism about the future of the open web, and the turning tide back towards blogging. Finally, they wonder whether Tumblr will have as much of an impact on Automattic as Automattic has on it.

Many thanks to our sponsor this week:

• Linode: Cloud Hosting for You. Use promo code coreint2019 for $20 credit when you sign up.

Links:

• Automattic + Tumblr – Matt Mullenweg announces the acquisition on his Tumblr blog.
• Vergecast: Matt Mullenweg – Interview with Matt about his plans for Tumblr after the acquisition.
• Extremely Interested – In the wake of leaks that Verizon was seeking a buyer for Tumblr, PornHub was apparently one of the interested parties.
• Tumblr and… App.net – Manton’s initial response to the Tumblr acquisition.
• Distributed – A podcast about the “future of work” by Matt Mullenweg.
• Webmention – A web standard for mentions and conversations across the web.

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