Daniel asks Manton for the latest on his Micro.blog Kickstarter plans, discuss the merits of waiting to ship until after the holidays, and the discipline that waiting requires. They go on to talk about macOS 10.12.2 and the challenges that even minor OS updates can bring when maintaining existing apps.

Many thanks to our sponsors this week:

• Linode: Cloud Hosting for You.
• Fabric, Twitter’s mobile SDK: Leverage the power of Crashlytics, Twitter and MoPub to help you build the best mobile apps.

Links:

• Micro.blog – Manton’s forthcoming micro-blogging service.
• Bare Bones Software – Makers of BBEdit and other Mac software.
• Rich Siegel – Co-founder of Bare Bones and wise sage of postponed release dates.
• macOS 10.12.2 – Release notes from Apple.
• Custom Scheme – Daniel’s tweet about new limitations on bookmarklets in Safari.
• MarsEdit – Daniel’s blog editing app for the Mac.
• Safari App Extension – New technology in macOS 10.12 for native-app-delivered extensions.
• Interesting Response – Michael Tsai of C-Command software reacts to an Apple News apology.
• MacStories – Mac and iOS blog founded by Federico Viticci

Daniel and Manton talk about coping with disappointment of failing to achieve goals in an expected length of time, recognize the differing demands of building software for different markets, and talk about tricks for managing lack of enthusiasm for finishing projects. Finally, they answer a listener question about how to get started with consulting, and planning for maintaining a suitable income when you “quit your day job.”

Many thanks to our sponsors this week:

• Smile: Give the gift of time.
• Tuparev Technologies: Lifting your expectations.

Links:

• FlexTime – Daniel’s productivity timer for macOS.
• Micro.blog – Manton’s nascent microblogging service.

Manton and Daniel discuss whether it’s really possible to make millions on Mac software, examine the pros and cons of package managers, and talk about Manton’s registration of Micro.blog and his renewed enthusiasm to “bet everything” on this pursuit.

Many thanks to our sponsors this week:

• Fabric: Twitter’s mobile SDK: Leverage the power of Crashlytics, Twitter and MoPub to help you build the best mobile apps.
• Bugsee: Crash and bug reporting for iOS, with synchronized video, network and logs.

Links:

• Still Make Millions – Denys Zhadanov of Readdle talks about his company’s success on the Mac App Store.
• PDF Expert – Mac based PDF management app from Readdle
• Spark – Mac and iOS Mail app from Readdle.
• CocoaPods – Popular Mac-based package manager.
• Carthage – Another popular Mac-based package manager.
• AFNetworking – Open source networking library for Mac and iOS.
• Sparkle – Open source software update framework for Mac.
• Micro.blog – Manton’s delightfully focused new domain name.
• Today’s Social Networks are Broken – Current redirect from Micro.blog to Manton’s blog.
• How I Built This – NPR podcast featuring interviews with successful entrepreneurs.

Daniel and Manton discuss Sal Soghoian’s sudden departure from Apple, and what it may mean for Apple’s future ambitions with automation. Then they react to Apple’s alleged decision to abandon their line of AirPort branded routers, and bemoan the loss of yet another “just buy the Apple one” peripheral option.

Many thanks to our sponsor this week:

• buddybuild: mobile continuous integration & delivery made easy!

Links:

• Terrible News from Sal Soghoian – Andy Ihnatko breaks the news from MacTech about Sal Soghoian’s departure from Apple.
• Mac OS X Automation – Sal Soghoian’s long-time automation reference site for the Mac.
• Frequently Asked Questions – Straight from Soghoian: answers to questions about his departure.
• AppleScript, the Perfect Adjunct to iTunes – An open letter from Kirk McElhearn to Apple CEO Tim Cook.
• FastScripts – Daniel’s Mac-based AppleScript launcher and menu utility.
• MacScripter.net – Long-time resource for AppleScript and other Mac automation technologies.
• Hypercard – Ancient Apple technology featuring the AppleScript-ish HyperTalk programming language.
• Workflow – iOS-based automation app.
• Automator – Higher-level scripting technology introduced by Apple with Mac OS X 10.4.
• JavaScript for Automation – JavaScript-based interface to the Open Scripting Architecture, introduced in Mac OS X 10.10.
• Open Scripting Architecture – Underlying technology providing infrastructure for both AppleScript and JavaScript for Automation.
• Cocoa Scripting – Cocoa infrastructure for app-makers to support AppleScript and other OSA languages.
• SwiftAutomation – Swift-based automation solution from Hamish Sanderson.
• Abandoning Airport – Bloomberg report on Apple’s reported departure from the WiFi router market.
• Eero – A popular mesh-networking WiFi router provider.
• Success Hides Problems – Stanford Business School article about Ed Catmull’s business philosophy.

Daniel releases Touché for Mac, and he and Manton discuss the value of making your own stuff to combat feelings of hopelessness with the world. They revisit Dash in light of its recent open-sourcing, and consider the timing and apparent quality of Apple’s self-appreciating, coffee-table art book.

Many thanks to our sponsors this week:

• Linode: Cloud Hosting for You.
• Zendesk: Bring native, in-app support to your app.

Links:

• Touché – Daniel’s standalone Touch Bar utility for Mac.
• Dash-iOS – GitHub repository for iOS version of popular API reference browser.
• Kapeli – Developers of Dash.
• GPL FAQ – Answers to questions about GPL, the license Kapeli used for Dash-iOS.
• Designed by Apple… – Apple’s book, chronicling 20 years of design.
• Something Was Missing – Manton reacts to Apple’s design book announcement on his Timetable podcast.
• Forward Together – Tim Cook’s letter to Apple employees in wake of Election 2016.

Daniel and Manton react to US election news, coping with questions of the significance of our work, and how to motivate ourselves to move forward. They discuss a new subscription service, Setapp, which offers a subscription priced suite of 40+ apps. Finally, Daniel catches up with his progress on Touché, an app for simulating and taking screenshots of the Touch Bar.

Many thanks to our sponsors this week:

• Fabric, Twitter’s mobile SDK: Leverage the power of Crashlytics, Twitter and MoPub to help you build the best mobile apps.
• Linode: Cloud Hosting for You.

Links:

• Netflix of Mac Apps – Article from TheNextWeb about Setapp subscription service.
• Setapp – Invitation request page for the new subscription service.
• MacPaw – Developers behind the Setapp service.
• Blogo – Competing app to Daniel’s MarsEdit, and part of the Setapp suite.
• Bodega – Twitter app of a defunct Mac software store.
• TouchBarDemoApp – Open source project providing a Touch Bar experience on Mac and iOS.
• Big Red Button – Daniel’s blog post about specifying custom sandbox entitlements.

Manton and Daniel check in with outrage over the MacBook Pro, dongle mania, and the viability of the Touch Bar as a Pro or ubiquitous UI interface. They catch up on their struggles to balance time commitments and to make progress on indie projects. Finally, they weigh the pros and cons of using consulting income to sustain indie pursuits, and talk about the diverse definitions of success for indie developers.

Many thanks to our sponsors this week:

• PDFpenPro 8: Pro Tools for PDF.
• Zendesk: Bring native, in-app support to your app.

Links:

• The Escape Zone – Accidental Tech Podcast response to Apple’s special event.
• Design for the Present – Marco Arment argues that the new MacBooks should have an old USB port.
• Touch Bar Everywhere – Daniel interprets a great enthusiasm for the Touch Bar from Apple’s actions.

Daniel and Manton talk about the new MacBook Pros and Touch Bar, compare Apple’s approach to Microsoft’s, and appreciate the potential for Microsoft’s competition to inspire Apple. They talk about Touch Bar integration with Mac apps, and react to Apple TV enhancements.

Many thanks to our sponsors this week:

• buddybuild: mobile continuous integration & delivery made easy!
• Fabric, Twitter’s mobile SDK: Leverage the power of Crashlytics, Twitter and MoPub to help you build the best mobile apps.

Links:

• Apple Special Event – Full video of the October 2016 Apple event.
• MacBook Pro – Product page for the new lineup of MacBook Pros.
• So Customizable – Neven Mrgan anticipates highly customizable Touch Bar support for Photoshop.
• Better on iPad Pro – Kirk Burgess reacts to DJ demo on MacBook Pro.
• Windows 10 Event – Video from the Microsoft Surface Studio event.
• Touch Bar Developer – Resource page for developers adding Touch Bar support to Mac apps.
• TV TV TV – Marco Arment’s quip about Apple TV’s TV app.
• Future of TV – Daniel’s quip about the TV app.
• Conspicuously Absent – John Gruber notices Netflix is not part of the TV app.

Manton and Daniel answer listener Q&A about the advantages of being an indie or small team. They react to news that Apple has scaled back its car plans, and speculate about CarPlay getting renewed focus for the company’s automotive ambitions. Finally, they look forward to new MacBooks being announced later this month, and imagine whether they will justify buying one or not.

Many thanks to our sponsors this week:

• Zendesk: Bring native, in-app support to your app.
• Linode: Cloud Hosting for You.

Links:

• Democracy is Messy – Story about President Obama’s excoriation of tech CEOs.
• MarsEdit – Daniel’s blog editing app for the Mac.
• Kicking Dirt – Ben Thompson joins John Gruber on The Talk Show.
• Revenue Per Employee – Business Insider story ranking some of the highest revenue tech companies.
• Buffer – Web app for automatically posting updates to social networks.
• Titanic Scale Back – Bloomberg story reporting on Apple’s diminished automotive ambitions.
• Tesla – Fancy electric car company.
• Automatic – Fancy dingus-for-your-car company.
• New Macs – Recode reports on allegedly imminent MacBook announcements.
• Pong – Classic video game that Daniel anticipates seeing on the MacBook keyboard display.

Daniel and Manton dive into Apple’s controversial suspension of Dash developer Kapeli’s App Store account, and respond to listener Q&A about whether non-sandboxed apps are at risk of removal from the Mac App Store.

Many thanks to our sponsors this week:

• Linode: Cloud Hosting for You.
• Fabric, Twitter’s mobile SDK: Leverage the power of Crashlytics, Twitter and MoPub to help you build the best mobile apps.

Links:

• Dash – Documentation viewing app from Kapeli.
• Removed From the App Store – Kapeli’s post about Dash’s removal from the App Store.
• Kapeli’s Reputation – Manton’s post decrying Apple’s tarnishing of Kapeli’s reputation.
• Apple Responds – Jim Dalrymple with a prepared statement from Apple about the Dash situation.
• Daring Fireball – John Gruber follows up on Jim Dalrymple’s post.
• You Don’t Know Everything – Matt Drance implores people to take stock of their ignorance before condemning Kapeli.
• Solving for Dash – iMore’s Rene Ritchie implores Apple to take the high road and reinstate Kapeli’s account.
• A Test for Apple – Manton writes about how Apple and the community should move forward with respect to Dash.
• Bogdan’s Side of the Story – Kapeli’s Bogdan Popescu gives a few details and shares audio from Apple’s phone call to him.
• Bogdan’s Draft – The blog post that Bogdan proposed to Apple he would publish, at their request.
• Dear Dash Users – Kapeli seems to accept that Dash will not be reinstated to the App Stores.
• Clipstart – Manton’s video-management app for Mac.