So as many have noticed, 10.5.2 broke Schoolhouse in a way. Some actions cause beachballing (the spinning color cursor) on Intel Macs running the Leopard update. I’m trying to figure out exactly what is causing it, but in the meantime, one user pointed out that if you Get Info on the Schoolhouse app in the Applications Folder in the Finder, and Select the Rosetta option (to force the app to run in PowerPC compatible mode), it works fine. This is a temporary solution for everyone who can’t access there stuff anymore. In the meantime, I wanted to point out that I am trying my best to work on Schoolhouse. As you hopefully understand, schoolwork takes priority every time, and the past couple weeks I have been swamped with work. So Schoolhouse is coming along (including hopefully a fix for 2.1), but I can only work on it when I have the time. I love it, it’s my wonderful own project, but I have to focus on homework and studying when I need to.-L
Schoolhouse 3
Yes, it’s true. I have been working on the next generation of Schoolhouse. Now that the semester is over, I have a lot more time to devote to it, too. While I won’t go into a whole lot of detail right now, since it’s still in development, I do want to talk about a couple things. Number One: I am planning for it to be Leopard-only. This is mainly because there is so much in Leopard (developer-wise) that I would love to take advantage of. This includes Core Animation and the Calendar Store framework. Yes, you heard that right. The Calendar Store. (That’s iCal’s database for those who don’t know.) I’ll leave it at that. Number Two: As I was talking to a developer friend of mine, we realized that Schoolhouse will need a new icon to go along with the update, and to be 512×512 for Leopard’s new resolution independence. While I was comfortable with what I came up with for 2.0, I feel that the icon design would be better fit to someone else for such a big (and let’s face it, important) icon. So…I thought I’d throw it out there to see if anyone reading my blog wanted to take a whack at making a new icon for Schoolhouse. For a new icon, I was thinking maybe a literal schoolhouse, viewed perspectively from above like Pages and Keynote’s icons. I just like that look on the Leopard dock rather than the tilted Mail style. But it doesn’t have to be a literal Schoolhouse, any idea that an interested party can come up with I would be interested in. If you want to try, just make a mockup, whatever you think, and shoot me an email with it. If I like the design, I will be glad to honor you in the about box. Yeah, the financial situation forbids me from hiring an actual graphic artist for this.Well, that’s it for now. I will continue to give hints about Schoolhouse 3 as I continue development, and it’s progressing fast. As always, ideas and suggestions are welcome.
It’s been a while. I’ve been busy with class and work lately, but things are starting to slow down. Where shall I begin? Apple was incredible. Absolutely incredible. I cannot stress how much I loved being out there. It was sad to leave, but I came back with the knowledge that I was going back next summer. So happy. And as a plus, I get to work a little big on some projects for my team during the year if I have time.Class is going alright. The year seems like it’ll be good. Fall break is fast approaching already, which I can’t believe. Before you know it, it’ll be Christmas break again!I’m working this year at our campus newspaper, the University Daily Kansan. (The best college newspaper in the country, IMHO). I am their “Web Coordinator/Online Manager”, which basically means I run the software that in turn runs the website, and the web apps that we have. Right now I’m working hard at upgrading the online classifieds application, Hawkchalk. It’s going fairly smoothly. Another major project is updates to the UDK Facebook Application. There’s been a huge userbase grow out of just two months of usage. I think we’re at about 1,000 users so far. All of the UDK’s great webapps were originally written by my predecessor, a great guy named Ryan Berg. I just hope I can live up to his reputation.The Kansan is great. It’s amazing (and a little unnerving) to me how good everyone is at their jobs… The ads staff (which I am a part of) is a well oiled machine.As for the remaining part of my time, I’m cooking dinner on Wednesdays again this year at the hall, which is great. Gives me yet another creative outlet. Walking around on campus, I wonder how people ever leave here. (I know the answer…tiredness from class…) It’s so beautiful here in the fall. The weather right now is just right. 60-70 degrees, partly cloudy every day.Hmm…kind of a sparatic blog post, I know. But that’s how I am. This just in! and such.
Macworld August ‘07
So I’m sitting at work today, and I get an email from one of the users of Schoolhouse. They are like…”Great software, and congrats on getting into the new issue of Macworld!”
…WHA? I don’t take Macworld anymore, needless to say. So after work I lead my roommates on a voyage to find a copy. Borders. They have to have it, right? Not a single copy. I don’t know if they just don’t take it or what. Finally I find it at Safeway. Sure enough, I’m in there. One of the 63 Great Mac Downloads reviewed this month. I get four out of five mice. Pretty awesome!
So thanks to the people at Macworld for the mention. I’ve never been in a magazine before…
So, I have avoided saying anything about the infamous iPhone until I actually had a chance to play with one. Well, now I have. A few people I know own them…and let me touch them.
First off…it’s smaller (thickness-wise) than I would have thought. It’s tiny! Thinner than an iPod, I think. Gorgeous screen, that doesn’t seem to have problems with the glass reflection from the sun and stuff that you would think it’d have.
The interface is fast…smooth. The animations aren’t choppy or skippy. They flow smoothly and there are subtle touches everywhere. For example, when deleting something, you push the trash button on the bottom of the screen…which in turn causes the trash icon to pop up a bit, open, the thing to be deleted genie-effects into it (See Mac OS X Dock), and the trash closes, falls, hits the “ground”, and bounced from side to side. IS THAT NOT INSANE?! Am I the only person who thinks that the interface guys have a bit too much time on their hands? But that’s a good thing, my friends. A good thing.
The software included is awesome. It’s not that “eh, it’s fun for the first five minutes, then it’s useless and just gets in the way” software that is in most smartphones. Everything is useful. From the incredible Google Maps app, to Safari, to the stunning iPod functionality. Everything is implemented great.
There are a few things I noticed, however, that could use some touching up. The calculator isn’t that pretty. It’s just round buttons, spaced quite a bit apart. I know, not a big deal, but it looks a little plain. Maybe a little design update or something. I dunno.
All-in-all, a knockdown, unbelievable piece of engineering marvel. I am seriously debating getting one now. Yeah. My plan is up in November, maybe I will. Who knows. Oh, and BTW, interns do NOT get iPhones. (no big deal, I don’t need everything to be free.)
Donations
So Donations are back up on the Schoolhouse site. I know what you’re thinking. OOOH, Now he asks for money. But honestly, it’s there to use if you want to. Schoolhouse is donationware. If you like it, and would like to support me a little, you can donate. I write Schoolhouse for two reasons. One, I wanted to learn to program, and Schoolhouse was my first big project. Second, I feel that college students spend enough money as it is on books, tuition, alcohol…wait, that’s not supposed to be in there…who wrote that?! Anyway. So there you go. Use as directed, if a rash occurs, stop taking immediately and consult your physician.
Awesomeness
So I am working hard on my intern project. As well as some other stuff. For those of you who have been emailing me about Schoolhouse, yes I am still working on it. Stop asking. When I have something worth telling you about, I will. 
Got to go to WWDC on Tuesday. It was incredible. Sat through the Core Audio and Core Animation sessions. They were awesome. Core Animation is a treat to everyone who has ever wanted to make anything on screen move without writing oodles of code. What a fun word. Oodles. Does a pastamaker say they have Oodles of Noodles? Whoa. Major A.D.D. Anyway.
I’m learning Ruby on Rails to do my project. I like it so far, it’s a good solid environment and I am having fun using it. I am also psyched about the Leopard situation. It’s so awesome.
I feel like everything is so great right now. I have an office. It’s awesome. I just wanted to share that. I know. Tooting my own horn now and then isn’t that bad, is it? Besides, you don’t have to read this blog. You could read Wil Shipley’s. I’m sure he has something interesting to say.
So I sit at work all day, writing code, enjoying Apple. The members of my team so fun to be around. Especially my manager. She’s amazingly cool. One of the first things she asked me when I got to meet here was “Do you like Battlestar Galactica?” Evidently the majority of our team loves it as much as I do. Yeah. Her ringtone is the Number Six theme. Awesomeness beyond words.
I hope to go up to San Francisco tomorrow or Sunday to explore with a group of interns. It will be cool. I can’t wait to see it. I only got to see a small bit during WWDC. So this should be fun.
Peace out.
Live from California
So, it’s been awhile. I’ve been in Cali for over 2 weeks now, and I have to say I am having the time of my life. Apple is the most wonderful company to work for. How do I describe it? The atmosphere, the people, the FOOD.
I’m living in an apartment in Sunnyvale, California with three other interns. It’s a nice apartment. Close to things, short hop from Apple, and everyone is super-nice.
Apple is pretty cool. The entire feel when I’m at work makes me think to myself…I would love to work here. This is a place where I could see myself actually enjoying what I do for a living. Think about it. Getting paid to sit in my office, thinking of new ways to do this or that, writing code. That’s what I do in my spare time, anyway.
As many know, yesterday was the WWDC Keynote in San Francisco. While I didn’t get to see it in person, I got to watch a live feed at Apple’s campus in the Apple cafeteria, Café Macs. It was really cool. There was a ton of engineers and employees and we all were there to see Steve Jobs do his thing. I do have to say the best part was the Steve Ballmer reference (See WWDC Keynote webcast for reference).
So, as for Leopard, yes I had seen it. Could I tell you? NO. NDA. Non-Disclosure Agreement. Yep. Sorry. Yeah, I know. It hurts. But now you’ve seen it and we can be friends again. But yeah, I know some people were a little “eh” about it, being mostly comprised of features that were either expected or already talked about. But I mean think about it…those features are still really awesome. Really intuitive. Really revolutionary for the Mac platform.
On the developer side of Leopard, I think everyone will be happy. Everything has been given a serious tune-up. Core Animation and Objective-C 2.0 are two things I am loving as I tinker with them in my off time.
On a personal note, this past weekend a group of us interns went to Monterey to the Aquarium. It was really fun. We got to see sea otters, penguins, jellies, and a bunch of things I can’t really describe. We saw Cannery Row, which the aquarium is situated on. I got this weird vibe from the Aquarium, and couldn’t figure it out, as if I’d seen or been there before. Then it hit me…ever seen Star Trek IV? You know, the one with the whales? Well, the scenes of the Aquarium there take place in Saucalito, but is filmed in the Monterey Bay Aquarium! Yeah. I realized it when I got home. It looks a little different now, as 20 years have passed, but it’s still cool.
Well, that’s the past 2 weeks in a nutshell. Or perhaps a seashell. Whatever.
Cali, here I come
Wow. Double wow. Wow with a shot of hot damn. I just got confirmation that I have been accepted into the Apple Internship program this summer! The past couple weeks I’ve been having interviews over the phone with various members of the Mac OS X Product Release team, and I have to say I am incredibly excited.
While I realize most of my summer will be taken up by the internship, I am blown away that I have such an incredible opportunity. I am not sure of the exact dates yet, but I guess it will start a week or two after the end of the semester, and then end around the same distance from the beginning of next semester. So I will get to enjoy the glorious Summer California weather.
This also brings up another fact…the WWDC is this June. In San Francisco. A short distance from Cupertino, where I will be. I am not sure yet if it’s on the internship agenda, but I can’t wrap my head around that fact. Rubbing elbows with Steve Jobs. Okay, maybe not that far.
This is the most amazing thing I could have imagined for my summer.
I was pleased to hear recently from one of the web developers from Apple’s website. He said that he recommended Schoolhouse to the guy who manages the Featured Downloads area, and low and behold, the next day it was the Featured Download! This is an awesome thing. It shows off Schoolhouse to anyone who visits the page. Also, I couldn’t help but notice that after I updated Schoolhouse to 2.1 it showed up in the Top 20 list…as number 4! Just behind iTunes, QuickTime, and WMP. Who could have guessed?
