Episodes
Episode 360: That’s Not Really The Business
Feb 17 2019
Manton and Daniel react to MacRumors’s discovery that WWDC will likely be held on June 3. They talk about the increasing price of hotels in San Jose, some options for more affordable accommodations, and the impact of high cost on the diversity of attendance. Manton prepares for IndieWebCamp Austin, while Daniel comes to term with the possibility of dropping support for Blogger, and thinking about ways to expand the appeal of MarsEdit. http://traffic.libsyn.com/coreint/CoreInt_360.mp3 D...more
Episode 359: Quote-unquote Free
Feb 10 2019
Daniel returns from Paris and Manton shares his plans for WWDC 2019 accommodations. They talk about Spotify’s acquisition of Gimlet and Anchor, and the possible implications for the diversity of podcasting ecosystem. Finally, they react to Angela Ahrendt’s departure from Apple, and what it means for the future of Apple Stores. http://traffic.libsyn.com/coreint/CoreInt_359.mp3 Download Audio (MP3, 58 minutes) Many thanks to our sponsors this week: PDFpen: Edit PDFs with ease! Lin...more
Episode 358: Accidental Dark Mode
Jan 26 2019
Manton finishes Dark Mode support for the Mac Micro.blog app. He and Daniel discuss the merits of supporting bleeding edge features, and the difficulty in gauging demand for features that people want but are not complaining about. They speculate about when Dark Mode will come to iOS, talk about the Release Notes conference coming to Mexico, and Daniel’s last-minute preparation for dotSwift in Paris. http://traffic.libsyn.com/coreint/CoreInt_358.mp3 Download Audio (MP3, 39 minutes) Many...more
Episode 357: It Was Actually Kinda Fun
Jan 20 2019
Manton’s premature release of Micro.blog for Mac with Dark Mode enabled release spurs him to work on an official update that supports it. DuckDuckGo announces they are now using MapKit JS for their maps, reminding us that Apple offers a web-based mapping service. Finally, Daniel and Manton start to look forward to WWDC 2019 and the greatness that may await. http://traffic.libsyn.com/coreint/CoreInt_357.mp3 Download Audio (MP3, 31 minutes) Many thanks to our sponsor this week: Linode: ...more
Episode 356: Reach For The Stars
Jan 10 2019
Manton and Daniel talk briefly about Apple’s revenue shortfall, and then more extensively about Apple’s announced deals with Samsung and other television makers to bundle iTunes and AirPlay 2 functionality. They talk about the company’s shift towards being a media conglomerate and how their so-called core values will be reflected in that area. Finally, Daniel catches Manton up with his progress on the iOS version of Black Ink, and reacts to a listener tweet criticizing his alle...more
Episode 354: Undeveloped Piece Of Land
Dec 22 2018
Manton and Daniel discuss the expansion plans of Amazon, Apple, and Google, as they add office space in cities around the United States. Following up on last week’s rundown of Riverfold Software’s product lineup, Manton takes Daniel on a talk-through of his current lineup of apps. http://traffic.libsyn.com/coreint/CoreInt_354.mp3 Download Audio (MP3, 59 minutes) Many thanks to our sponsor this week: Linode: Cloud Hosting for You. Links: New Campus in Austin – Apple press...more
Episode 353: It Had A Lot Of Potential
Dec 14 2018
Daniel regales Manton with tales of his latest “waste of time,” as he spends days trying to put the finishing touches on a FastScripts feature 12 years in the making. They talk about the balance of time invested in actual development vs. fighting to get code working in the context of a closed system. Manton explains his decision to shut down his Tweet Marker service, and Daniel asks Manton to reflect on the many indie software products that Manton has developed in the past. http://...more
Episode 352: It Could Be Useful For People
Dec 09 2018
Manton and Daniel respond to listener feedback about focusing more on marketing and self-promotion of our apps rather than ourselves, and compare the virtues of the two types of promotion. Daniel talks about his decision to do more public speaking, and promotional benefits of that. They talk about whether the lack of journalistic coverage of Mac software is contributing to marketing challenges. Finally, they talk about WordPress 5.0, Gutenberg, and their hope that the dramatic changes might send...more
Episode 351: Here’s The Downside
Nov 23 2018
Daniel and Manton talk about Panic’s release of Transmit for the Mac App Store, and the gradual evolution of Apple’s stance on sandboxing. Daniel talks about his dubious prioritization of quieting deprecation warnings. They both take stock of progress on MarsEdit 4 and Micro.blog around one year after their release. Finally, they muse about the relative profitability of certain software products and whether some apps are inherently bad ideas from a business point of view. http://tr...more
Episode 350: Inspired To Look At This
Nov 15 2018
Manton reports back to Daniel about the first week after adding Mastodon integration to Micro.blog. They talk about the merit and necessity of spending time marketing after all the coding work we do. Daniel talks about his recent struggle implementing support for Google’s OAuth2, and finally they talk about Apple’s new Hardened Runtime and the associated app notarization service Mac apps that are distributed outside the Mac App Store. http://traffic.libsyn.com/coreint/CoreInt_350.m...more
Episode 349: Too Ambitious And Crazy
Nov 09 2018
Daniel catches Manton up on his experience at Swift by Northwest, and about his positive outlook on public speaking after participating in the show. They talk about accepting their role as the increasingly “old guard” in a community that is always gaining new developers. Manton announces Mastodon integration for Micro.blog and describes his unique approach to integrating Micro.blog without literally being a Mastodon instance. Finally, they react to the October 2018 Apple Special Even...more
Episode 348: A Surprising Amount Of Success
Oct 19 2018
Manton and Daniel check in on the eve of Daniel’s Swift by Northwest speaking engagement. They talk about the challenge of biting off topics for speaking, articles, books, etc., that sound good but turn out to be harder to pull off than expected. Manton catches us up on the challenges of finding time to finish his newest features for Micro.blog, and the two talk each other down from stressing out too much about the relatively low-severity things they’re worrying about. http://traff...more
Episode 347: One Of Those Time Warps
Oct 12 2018
Daniel and Manton talk about Daniel’s recent blogging series on Dark Mode. They encourage each other not to get too bogged down worrying about the impact of doing the work we want, whether that’s blogging, developing software, or whatever. Daniel frets lightly about his upcoming talk, and they compare notes about coming up with a better strategy for both being prepared to give talks and ensuring you’re giving them to the right audience. Finally, Manton announces his decision to help ...more
Episode 346: Doing The Best I Can
Oct 06 2018
Manton and Daniel talk about coming to terms with the challenge of juggling too many things, making our indie businesses more efficient, and the tough question of how to cut projects and commitments that are stealing time from the main focus. They also touch on the challenge of taking criticism for focusing on what you do well, while others wish you did something else. Finally, they talk about Apple’s new requirement that all App Store submissions link to a Privacy Policy, and how that has...more
Episode 345: I Can Haz Blog?
Sep 29 2018
macOS Mojave is out! Daniel and Manton talk about the ephemeral nature of App Store features, and the wisdom of not investing too much stock in being featured, or any other external recognition. They catch up on the state of the Mac App Store and wonder about the expected App Store versions of BBEdit and Transmit. Finally, they talk about their own continuing plans for supporting Mojave, particular with respect to Dark Mode. http://traffic.libsyn.com/coreint/CoreInt_345.mp3 Download Audio (MP...more
Episode 344: No Time For Betas
Sep 21 2018
Manton and Daniel follow-up on their scrutiny of Apple’s new Watch-based EKG feature, and try to evaluate whether the hype surrounding it is warranted or not. Manton reports back after finally installing iOS 12, and Daniel talks about putting the finishing touches on MarsEdit 4.2 in time for macOS Mojave’s public release. http://audio.coreint.org/CoreInt_344.mp3 Download Audio (MP3, 44 minutes) Many thanks to our sponsor this week: Linode: Cloud Hosting for You. Links: De Novo...more
Episode 343: I Am Now An Expert
Sep 13 2018
Daniel and Manton react to Apple’s September 2018 event, announcing the Apple Watch Series 4 and new iPhones. They compare notes about appreciating the new products but feeling relatively unpressured to upgrade. Finally, they talk about the incentives for developers to adopt new OS features and aim to release updates to coincide with OS updates. http://audio.coreint.org/CoreInt_343.mp3 Download Audio (MP3, 51 minutes) Many thanks to our sponsor this week: Linode: Cloud Hosting for You...more
Episode 342: Complaining For Ten Years
Sep 07 2018
Manton and Daniel catch up after a couple weeks off. They talk about Manton’s release of Sunlit 2.2, and return to inevitable complaints about App Store Review uncertainties. They compare notes on their mutual lack of interest in developing for Android, and the extent to which an unliked programming language can affect interest in platforms. Finally, they talk about the leaked details of the forthcoming iPhone and Apple Watch. Does it hurt Apple, and should we care if it does? http://aud...more
Episode 341: This Went Pretty Viral
Aug 20 2018
Daniel and Manton follow up on RapidWeaver 8 shipping without Mac App Store support. Daniel talks about his recent work on FastScripts, and they talk about the sometimes surprising value of “less successful” apps. They react to Marco Arment’s announcement that Overcast will support podcasts embedding a “payment” tag in show notes, and indulge in a little analysis of Twitter’s handling of the fiasco around Alex Jones. http://audio.coreint.org/CoreInt_341.mp3 ...more
Episode 340: Going Back To Blogging
Aug 12 2018
Manton and Daniel react to sandboxes woes for RapidWeaver 8 on the Mac, and speculate about changes coming in Mojave that might have enticed Panic and Bare Bones to return to the Mac App Store. They talk about Twitter’s continued support for Alex Jones, and the resulting backlash that is driving some users to Micro.blog and to MarsEdit. Finally, they make a philosophical analysis of the state of social networks, and evaluate their feelings about Twitter’s struggle to maintain community sta...more
Episode 339: Now’s The Time To Do It
Aug 03 2018
Daniel and Manton react to Apple’s latest earnings announcement, on the eve of the company reaching a $1 trillion valuation. They assess the company’s rising services revenues, and how it relates to Apple’s 30% App Store cut, and stingy pricing for consumer-facing cloud services. Daniel reports on his resumption of iOS development and the feelings of being a relative newbie on the platform. Finally, they talk about the importance of focusing on a smaller number of features that...more
Episode 338: I’ll Try Not To Do That
Jul 28 2018
Manton and Daniel talk about the new MacBook Pro, and how it affects Manton’s purchasing plans for his daughters’ college computers. Daniel talks about his experience with macOS Mojave, the increasing stability of the OS, and the improvements to dragging from Photos.app. http://audio.coreint.org/CoreInt_338.mp3 Download Audio (MP3, 41 minutes) Many thanks to our sponsors this week: Linode: Cloud Hosting for You. Links: Apple Updates MacBook Pro – Official PR from Apple a...more
Episode 337: A Quote Unquote Blog
Jul 19 2018
Daniel and Manton react to rumors that Apple has site-licensed 1Password to its entire workforce, and what such a move might mean for the future of Apple’s own Keychain features. They talk about the recent uptick in Lime and Bird-style scooter and bike sharing, and how bigger players like Lyft and Uber are starting to get involved. Finally they brainstorms ideas for Manton to market upcoming changes to Sunlit … on a budget. http://audio.coreint.org/CoreInt_337.mp3 Download Audio (...more
Episode 336: Bringing Webrings Back
Jul 13 2018
Manton and Daniel talk about migrating Manton.org to run on Micro.blog. They reflect on the nostalgia and inspiration of old web conventions like webrings and blogrolls. Finally, they talk about macOS Mojave’s forthcoming AppleEvent sandboxing and the effect it has on a wide variety of apps. http://audio.coreint.org/CoreInt_336.mp3 Download Audio (MP3, 47 minutes) Many thanks to our sponsors this week: Jamf Now: Set up, manage and protect Apple devices in minutes. Linode: Cloud Hostin...more
Episode 335: Kind Of A Challenge For Newcomers
Jul 06 2018
Daniel and Manton catch up after traveling to Chicago and Portland, respectively. Manton reflects on the IndieWeb Summit and the inspiration he took away from that event. They talk about learning to balance “business emergencies” with other obligations, and other indie business skills. Finally, they respond to Apple’s new Maps announcements, and whether Apple’s stance on privacy is an excuse for poor user experiences. http://audio.coreint.org/CoreInt_335.mp3 Download Audio (MP3, 67 minu...more
Episode 334: Manton Reece Misses You
Jun 29 2018
Manton and Daniel talk about the upcoming Dark Mode in macOS Mojave, and the challenges and joys of accommodating it as a developer. They bemoan Skype’s emotionally intrusive notifications, and reflect on other overly-touchy-feely interface designs. And Manton shares his experience booting up an older 2008 Mac Pro and taking it for a spin. http://audio.coreint.org/CoreInt_334.mp3 Download Audio (MP3, 40 minutes) Many thanks to our sponsors this week: Udacity: Become an iOS Developer Linode:...more
Episode 333: I Will Be Speaking Briefly
Jun 22 2018
Daniel and Manton talk about upcoming travel plans, and the challenge of carving out time for work during the summer. Daniel shares his experience hacking on macOS Mojave’s new “Marzipan” support for iOS apps. They both talk about the deprecation of WebView and their respective plans for migrating code to WebKit2’s WKWebView. http://audio.coreint.org/CoreInt_333.mp3 Download Audio (MP3, 49 minutes) Many thanks to our sponsors this week: OmniFocus 3 for iOS: Accomplis...more
Episode 332: We Should Be Slapping Our Foreheads
Jun 15 2018
Manton and Daniel talk about Daniel’s latest MarsEdit updates and the speed record of one’s App Store review. Daniel talks about a quick fix he made to a crashing bug, and whether using Swift would have prevented it. They reflect on Dominik Wagner’s criticism of Swift, but carefully avoid a full-on Swift debate. They follow up about the shortcuts of Siri Shortcuts and hope for similar, but slightly different long-term improvements. Finally, they talk about a new open source IAPKit from Bla...more
Episode 331: No Complaints Really
Jun 07 2018
Daniel and Manton catch up on WWDC announcements. They weigh the likely impact of UIKit on macOS, try to get a handle on the extent of SiriKit improvements, and appreciate Apple’s renewed emphasis on iOS automation. Next they talk about Apple’s purportedly new support for App Store trials. Finally, they wrap up with reflections on WWDC week so far, and Manton appreciates the enthusiastic attendance at his Micro.blog meet-up. http://audio.coreint.org/CoreInt_331.mp3 Download Audio ...more
Episode 330: It’s A Big Fun Surprise
Jun 01 2018
Manton and Daniel check in just before WWDC to talk about expectations from the conference, and strategies for saving money on the trip. They indulge in a bit more Siri criticism, hope that Apple will announce new MacBook Pros, and question whether Apple will dare to poke fun at Google’s Duplex technology during the keynote. http://audio.coreint.org/CoreInt_330.mp3 Download Audio (MP3, 55 minutes) Links: WWDC – Apple’s official site. Budgeting for WWDC – Manton docum...more
Episode 329: Have All The Things Be Better
May 24 2018
Daniel and Manton talk about Twitter’s latest API updates and the impact on 3rd party developers. They follow-up on Ghost’s lack of an API, and Samuel Goodwin’s offer to build one for them. Daniel shares news of MarsEdit 4.1’s support for direct drags from Photos.app and why that is such a hassle. Finally, they talk about the newly formed Developer’s Union for organizing Apple developers around common causes. http://audio.coreint.org/CoreInt_329.mp3 Download Audio (MP3...more
Episode 328: It Wasn’t My Job
May 17 2018
Manton and Daniel talk about the upcoming GDPR regulations from the EU and what the implications may be for indie software companies. They react to the Pocket Casts acquisition by NPR and partners, assess the financial incentives that may be involved, and appreciate how it contrasts with Marco Arment’s open prioritization of privacy and openness with Overcast. Finally, they talk about Ghost’s 5 year review, evaluate their success, and maybe gripe a teensy bit about their lack of an API. http:/...more
Episode 327: Only The Rich Can Have Robots
May 10 2018
Daniel and Manton talk about Google’s recently announced Duplex AI for telephone conversations, and Microsoft’s announcement that it will share a larger percentage of revenues with its app store developers. They consider the merits of each announcement and whether they might spark a competitive response in Apple. Daniel talks about how a small bug request turned into a major overhaul of image handling in MarsEdit, and how the investment may pay off if he ever ports to iOS. http://a...more
Episode 326: Ready To Drop Some Nerd Wisdom
May 04 2018
Manton and Daniel catch up after Manton’s speaking experience at Peers Conference. They talk about preparation techniques for public speaking, and how to adapt your talk to the audience at hand. Next they discuss the latest rumors about Apple’s forthcoming declarative UI framework, and ponder how Apple would put such a framework through its paces internally without revealing it in shipping apps. They talk about whether Apple’s leadership can be trusted to drive the company to t...more
Episode 325: If I Acquired Tumblr
Apr 27 2018
Daniel and Manton talk about Manton’s surprise speaking gig at Peers Conf in Austin. They discuss the challenge and allure of finding niche markets for indie software, and wrap up with reflections on SmugMug’s acquisition of Flickr and what it might mean for the future of Tumblr. http://audio.coreint.org/CoreInt_325.mp3 Download Audio (MP3, 58 minutes) Many thanks to our sponsor this week: Inside OmniFocus: Find out what’s coming in OmniFocus 3. Links: PeersConf Austin –...more
Episode 324: Definitely A Business Mistake
Apr 18 2018
Manton and Daniel talk about the public reaction to the Wavelength launch, and about Micro.blog’s new user onboarding experience, and the challenge in general of making product pages more inviting. They react to reports that HomePod sales have been disappointing, and about the ways in which it fails to exceed user expectations. Finally, they revisit their aesthetic preferences with semantic versioning, and talk about using the limited number of bug-fix version numbers as motivation to deve...more
Episode 323: That’s What The Web Is About
Apr 13 2018
Daniel and Manton talk about Daniel’s somewhat-impulsive Black Ink beta release, and the merits of maintaining a diverse lineup of apps to provide varying technical challenges. They talk about the increasing challenge of attracting attention to indie software and other pursuits. Manton introduces Wavelength, a new Micro.blog app for creating micro-podcasts on iOS. Finally, Daniel talks about his recent rant about not being featured in the blogging section of the Mac App Store, and where th...more
Episode 322: I Think You’re Wrong, For The Record
Apr 05 2018
Manton and Daniel react to Apple’s news release about expectations for the Mac Pro coming in 2019. They speculate about what could explain such a long delay, and Daniel devises a theory, or pipe dream, that the Mac Pro may be ARM-based. They also discuss Apple’s disclosure of a Pro Workflow Team comprised of creative professionals, and compare it to Apple’s apparent study of the needs of education professionals. Finally, an update from Daniel about MacBook Pro keyboard repairs,...more
Episode 321: Those Cheeseburger Moments
Mar 30 2018
Daniel and Manton talk about Apple’s Chicago education event, and Apple’s challenge in breaking into the education market so dominated by Google. They scrutinize whether the special event was “event-worthy” or not. Daniel talks about his motivation problems with shipping MarsEdit updates, and complains again about App Store Review uncertainty. Finally, they talk about the challenge of knowing whether a product with lackluster success is on the brink of something great, or should be moved o...more
Episode 320: Go Past The Cows
Mar 23 2018
Manton and Daniel talk about Daniel’s plans to speak at Swift by Northwest in October, and weighing the appropriateness of speaking at one type of conference or other. They explore the idea of buying ads or sponsorships for their own apps, and consider the relatively lower risk of sponsoring smaller podcasts/blogs/conferences. They stumble on some clarity of inspiration in appreciating two aspects of marketing a product: making the product great, and getting the attention of pertinent cust...more
Episode 319: I’m Going, Always
Mar 15 2018
Daniel and Manton talk about Apple’s announcement that WWDC is officially happening in San Jose again. Daniel struggles to make a financial case for attending, while Manton continues to believe it’s essential to at least be in town for a few days. They talk about the possibility that other conferences would be a better use of time and money. Finally, they indulge a little speculation about WWDC and whether the promo art ever hints at any of the actual news to be announced. http://a...more
Episode 318: Kind Of A Litmus Test
Mar 08 2018
Manton and Daniel celebrate Sunlit 2.0’s release, and talk about the decision to make it a free app that supports the Micro.blog platform. Daniel admires Manton’s proclivity for shipping new things, and they both despair the difficulty of canceling existing projects. Daniel rants modestly about the difficulty of getting his MacBook Pro keyboard repaired, and finally, they discuss the App Stores and the ongoing disparities between Mac and iOS versions of them. http://audio.coreint.org/Cor...more
Episode 317: Everything Is A Tradeoff
Mar 02 2018
Daniel and Manton react to Apple’s open-sourcing of SwiftNIO at the trySwift! conference. They catch up on their respective enthusiasm and lack thereof for Swift. Manton prepares to ship Sunlit 2.0, supporting direct publishing to Micro.blog. The two compare their philosophies on treating code warnings as errors, to their tolerance for clutter in the workplace and overall organization in real-life. http://audio.coreint.org/CoreInt_317.mp3 Download Audio (MP3, 44 minutes) This week̵...more
Episode 316: They’ve Dialed In To Something
Feb 23 2018
Manton and Daniel talk about Daniel’s HomePod experiences so far, including the best and worst of Siri’s behaviors. They speculate about how important the audio quality of the device will be to “regular people,” and compare it to other qualitative advances in technology. Finally, they bemoan the continued shortcomings of Siri’s SDK, and wonder whether Apple will expand upon it at this year’s WWDC. http://audio.coreint.org/CoreInt_316.mp3 Download Audio (MP3, 73 m...more
Episode 315: Causes For Celebration
Feb 08 2018
Daniel talks to Manton about starting to use Micro.blog more in earnest, and fleshes out a rough strategy for what “weaning himself off Twitter” looks like. They talk about the struggles of Mac development, and working around bugs in an increasingly buggy AppKit. They reflect on the balancing act of focusing on bug fix releases vs. shifting focus to a more feature-heavy update. Finally, they catch up on Manton’s ongoing battle with his support queue, and look at how he’s managi...more
Episode 314: The World Does Need That
Jan 28 2018
Manton launches a new iOS beta for Sunlit, redesigned with support for Micro.blog. Following up on Manton’s support burden. Daniel talks about ambition to follow up with customers after fixing bugs they’ve reported. http://audio.coreint.org/CoreInt_314.mp3 Download Audio (MP3, 51 minutes) Many thanks to our sponsor this week: Easy Books: Bookkeeping Made Easy. Links: Sunlit 2 Beta – Manton announces a new Micro.blog oriented update to Sunlit. Boomerang – Instagram’s micr...more
Episode 313: While We’re Complaining
Jan 21 2018
Daniel and Manton talk about digging oneself out of customer support debt, and strategies for improving the efficiency of support mechanisms. They react to Apple’s disabling of free In-App-Purchases, and speculate about whether it was intentional or not. This leads them into a re-evaluation about the risks of selling on the App Stores, and the lure of selling directly to customers. http://audio.coreint.org/CoreInt_313.mp3 Download Audio (MP3, 60 minutes, 58 MB) Many thanks to our spons...more
Episode 312: Unlock That Mystery
Jan 12 2018
Manton talks to Daniel about just missing jury duty during a busy work week. They talk about the virtues of differentiating a product by both features and personality. Finally, they react to the Stellar cryptocurrency’s surprising value, and the potential for cryptocurrency and blockchain technology to change the world. http://audio.coreint.org/CoreInt_312.mp3 Download Audio (MP3, 53 minutes, 51 MB) Many thanks to our sponsor this week: Linode: Cloud Hosting for You. Links: Micro Mo...more
Episode 311: It’s Been A Year
Jan 05 2018
Daniel and Manton react to Intel’s “really bad bug.” They talk about Manton’s recent surges of PR, and balancing the desire to capitalize on that against the importance of preserving site stability. They talk about Apple’s acquisition of Buddybuild and the inherent risks of relying upon fully-hosted services. http://audio.coreint.org/CoreInt_311.mp3 Download Audio (MP3, 46 minutes, 45 MB) Many thanks to our sponsors this week: PDFpen: Edit PDFs with Ease. Linode: Clo...more
Episode 310: A Non-zero Amount Of Dollars
Dec 22 2017
Manton and Daniel talk about the major update to Micro.blog, and how to cope with demand as it either meets or doesn’t meet daily limits. They opine about the virtue of having a baseline product on which to build future updates. They react to Mark Gurman’s report that Apple has a plan to make it easier to bring iOS apps to the Mac, and finally, they catch up on Daniel’s post-release MarsEdit activity. http://audio.coreint.org/CoreInt_310.mp3 Download Audio (MP3, 75 minutes, ...more