Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference is back in its all-online format(apple.com)
apple.com
Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference is back in its all-online format
https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2021/03/apples-worldwide-developers-conference-is-back-in-its-all-online-format/
132 comments
And to flesh that out, as I typed that quickly before a meeting…
I have worked on design and events for user conferences for several medium-size-ish software firms. Last year, our long-standing annual conference went online-only. And I tell ya: night and day differences in terms of stress levels.
There is still that crunch to get things to MVP state to show off, and people still need to record talks and hold Zoom meetings, but something about not having to deal with physically preparing a space just made it all so much easier. (And our event space was literally across the street.) No machine/projector drama, no conference wifi falling apart, nobody with late flights…
I have worked on design and events for user conferences for several medium-size-ish software firms. Last year, our long-standing annual conference went online-only. And I tell ya: night and day differences in terms of stress levels.
There is still that crunch to get things to MVP state to show off, and people still need to record talks and hold Zoom meetings, but something about not having to deal with physically preparing a space just made it all so much easier. (And our event space was literally across the street.) No machine/projector drama, no conference wifi falling apart, nobody with late flights…
Everything but the last problem is something money solves. A good production company would ensure that, while issues like that would happen, you’d never be aware of them.
> Apple is not rate-limited by money.
One of my favourite live SJ scenes, at the QA of a new-hire meeting:
Person thinking they're clever: What would you do differently if you had unlimited resources?
SJ, after short pause: I do.
One of my favourite live SJ scenes, at the QA of a new-hire meeting:
Person thinking they're clever: What would you do differently if you had unlimited resources?
SJ, after short pause: I do.
It is a distraction but also serves as a forcing function: if you can't demo or commit to polishing by September something in June, it probably needs to be cut.
Eh. The weeks leading up to WWDC are hell due to trying to stabilize the beta releases. The weeks following it are hell due to all the new issues that get found that you have to fix quickly. WWDC itself I found just very tiring (I did a presentation + a help session) but other than that it was kind of fun.
Lots of speculation about AR glasses, given the header image ...
That is a reflection from the MacBook screen
I'm sure they put these things in to bait the rumour mill as it feels a bit early for glasses. But they do seem to have at least two variants of that image with different characters, both with glasses 'reflecting' the screen.
They have to expect to figure out how to make non-terrible AR glasses in the nearish future. There's no other explanation for why they (and several other companies) keep dumping money into AR tech that's cute to use for a couple minutes, but otherwise terrible outside some very niche applications, on current devices. They want to be ready to take advantage of the new tech on day one, when they finally figure out how to package the hardware.
Maybe it won't be this year, but I 100% expect to see widespread AR glasses becoming the next smartphone revolution before 2030, if only because so many big tech companies seem to be betting big bucks on it. Certainly seems more attainable than self-driving cars.
Maybe it won't be this year, but I 100% expect to see widespread AR glasses becoming the next smartphone revolution before 2030, if only because so many big tech companies seem to be betting big bucks on it. Certainly seems more attainable than self-driving cars.
Yeah feels to me like it’s going to be the next big thing. Does seem a little early days though, but this is a developer conference I suppose.
Yes, but it's highlighted that way on purpose.
The reflection off the screen reads "Calendar", "June 7", "21", and the Xcode and Terminal.app logos. Don't read too much into it - those are just the usual "parameters" of the event.
It’s amusing to see Apple embrace a meme that arose from last year's M1 event. The header is a clear reference to this: https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/macbook-craig
I think in future more companies will adapt a complete all-online format specially after the pandemic.
One my friends have attended Apple Developer Conference in past and he loved the whole process. But there is lot of money spent traveling to California, hotel stay, food .... But now with events being online it should save small companies lot of money too and hopefully Apple gets more participation with online format.
One my friends have attended Apple Developer Conference in past and he loved the whole process. But there is lot of money spent traveling to California, hotel stay, food .... But now with events being online it should save small companies lot of money too and hopefully Apple gets more participation with online format.
There's value in in-person meetings that online classes aren't good at or simply can't provide so it becomes a trade off.
Cost isn't much of an issue. iOS developers tend to be paid well and even then it's often a reimbursed expense. I'm obviously not speaking for everyone here.
Most notably it's a means to network with other developers. One can recruit, find out more about other companies, meet the people working on their favorite open-source project, etc. Hands on technical support is significantly easier than doing it remotely, especially when external devices are involved.
Lastly, for many it's a chance to unwind and take a pseudo-vacation. The San Jose area has lots to do, there's plenty of evening events, and there's plenty of people who you'd have something in common with to socialize with.
Cost isn't much of an issue. iOS developers tend to be paid well and even then it's often a reimbursed expense. I'm obviously not speaking for everyone here.
Most notably it's a means to network with other developers. One can recruit, find out more about other companies, meet the people working on their favorite open-source project, etc. Hands on technical support is significantly easier than doing it remotely, especially when external devices are involved.
Lastly, for many it's a chance to unwind and take a pseudo-vacation. The San Jose area has lots to do, there's plenty of evening events, and there's plenty of people who you'd have something in common with to socialize with.
> Cost isn't much of an issue. iOS developers tend to be paid well and even then it's often a reimbursed expense. I'm obviously not speaking for everyone here.
Conference attendance not being encouraged is a red flag when looking at companies, in my opinion.
Conference attendance not being encouraged is a red flag when looking at companies, in my opinion.
Is there much difference between "attending" the online conference and just watching the sessions afterwards?
"Attending" means that you will lock time in your schedule to actually watch the sessions.
For most people "watching afterwards" is just another way to say "I'll watch it when I have time".
For most people "watching afterwards" is just another way to say "I'll watch it when I have time".
There's a huge difference between attending an online conference and attending an in-person - you don't have a large number of similarly minded people in a small space for a given time when it's online.
It's been the hardest thing to recreate, the hallway and lunch meetings (basically because it's hard to politely tell everyone to bug off in person but really easy to just log off online).
It's been the hardest thing to recreate, the hallway and lunch meetings (basically because it's hard to politely tell everyone to bug off in person but really easy to just log off online).
I think they meant if there is a difference between attending the online conference while it is happening vs. watching the videos afterwards.
I don't like the online conferences.
When I go to the in person conferences, it is easy to say I'm out of the office those days, and focus on the conference.
With the online ones, I always end up getting pulled into stuff, but it's ok because I can just listen in the background.
When I go to the in person conferences, it is easy to say I'm out of the office those days, and focus on the conference.
With the online ones, I always end up getting pulled into stuff, but it's ok because I can just listen in the background.
I don't necessarily do a huge number of breakouts when I'm at a conference anyway. It's mostly meetings, social, and serendipitous interactions.
With virtual conferences, I definitely have a limit both because of distractions and just fatigue. It's one reason I've pretty much refused to pay for any of the conferences that were still trying to charge relatively big bucks last year. I just wouldn't have gotten the same value out of them.
With virtual conferences, I definitely have a limit both because of distractions and just fatigue. It's one reason I've pretty much refused to pay for any of the conferences that were still trying to charge relatively big bucks last year. I just wouldn't have gotten the same value out of them.
It was rather dissapointing that Google cancelled the I/O 2020 altogether. I really hope they could put something together for 2021.
Product releases yes.
Conferences in general? I hope not. Remote conferences just defeat the point. There's no food. No hotels. Nobody to chat with. Defeats the entire purpose if you ask me.
Conferences in general? I hope not. Remote conferences just defeat the point. There's no food. No hotels. Nobody to chat with. Defeats the entire purpose if you ask me.
For me one of the most important things about attending conferences is meeting people. Just for networking or some ad hoc problem solving. As well as being somewhat "away" from work.
I'm curious because so far I haven't attended any online conference: What has been done /experiment with during the last year especially to foster interaction between the people attending instead of just having someone talking into a camera?
I'm curious because so far I haven't attended any online conference: What has been done /experiment with during the last year especially to foster interaction between the people attending instead of just having someone talking into a camera?
I kinda like the online format, but it feels very strange, to see these videos being recorded in an empty office building.
I suspect that a $1M contribution will barely twitch the needle, compared to what the WWDC brings in.
Hotels in the Union Square district generally hit the “Gouge The Attendees” button, on WWDC week.
I suspect that a $1M contribution will barely twitch the needle, compared to what the WWDC brings in.
Hotels in the Union Square district generally hit the “Gouge The Attendees” button, on WWDC week.
>Hotels in the Union Square district generally hit the “Gouge The Attendees” button, on WWDC week.
But how much of that directly impacts the local economy vs going into corporate coffers which are not necessarily anywhere near the convention site?
Giving $100 to each of ten employees at a chain restaurant would probably have a bigger impact on the local economy (or at least the micro-economy of the employees) than spending $5,000 on food at the same restaurant.
But how much of that directly impacts the local economy vs going into corporate coffers which are not necessarily anywhere near the convention site?
Giving $100 to each of ten employees at a chain restaurant would probably have a bigger impact on the local economy (or at least the micro-economy of the employees) than spending $5,000 on food at the same restaurant.
Even with the conference moved back to San Jose? The last few WWDC it didn’t seem like anyone was staying all the way up in SF, and why would they?
Good point. Shows how long it's been since I attended.
For the record, the first few I attended were at the San Jose convention center.
For the record, the first few I attended were at the San Jose convention center.
It does seem weird, and I hate how curated and perfect it is.
But I do find it fascinating how much of an example of pandemic-conscious they had been trying to be.
"ah, nothing can go wrong because it is pre-recorded" part of the thrill of performance theatre is the suspense of perfection and error.
But I do find it fascinating how much of an example of pandemic-conscious they had been trying to be.
"ah, nothing can go wrong because it is pre-recorded" part of the thrill of performance theatre is the suspense of perfection and error.
Most likely going to release a more performant Apple Silicon iMac/Macbook Air/Pro, etc running M1X in this year's Macs with thinner bezels. Obviously not in a rush to getting last year's model.
We'll see how far the developer ecosystem has to catch up and mature with Apple Silicon support rather than hitting 'unsupported' footguns and workarounds for months. I'm avoiding them until then.
We'll see how far the developer ecosystem has to catch up and mature with Apple Silicon support rather than hitting 'unsupported' footguns and workarounds for months. I'm avoiding them until then.
Does Apple usually make hardware announcements at WWDC?
Plenty, for example every iPhone before iPhone 4S with the exception of the original iPhone was announced at WWDC.
They haven't in over 10 years.
The Retina MacBook and Mac Pro (trash can and new grater) were announced at WWDC within the last 10 years.
Totally wrong. The current Mac Pro was announced at WWDC two years ago. Lots of other stuff was announced in 2017. The last Mac Pro was announced at WWDC in 2013.
The retina macbook pro was announced at WWDC in 2012.
OK, so there was no new iPad in March and there is not announcement for an event in April yet.
I like that it's online but I will miss in-person events.
It is a great opportunity to ask about ssd lifespan in the M1. At the moment it's top secret and nobody knows what will happen in a year of normal usage with Big Sur.
Maybe they could change your entire motherboard if it fails after guarantee for a small fee?
Maybe they could change your entire motherboard if it fails after guarantee for a small fee?
Why would be different to older models with ssd?
There were reports of higher than normal writes on M1 based macs not long ago.
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26244093
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26244093
They cannot truly boot externally- even when you do boot external there is an initial dependency on the SSD, so if it fails you have an expensive brick.
Older models where not soldered on the motherboard.
They've been soldering them on since the 2016 MBP[0]. I thought you were referring to the reports of unusually high writes on M1 macs, thus shortening the life of SSDs[1].
[0] https://www.macworld.com/article/3144532/revealed-the-macboo...
[1]https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26244093
[0] https://www.macworld.com/article/3144532/revealed-the-macboo...
[1]https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26244093
Yes they were, just look at the teardown for a model from the year before: https://9to5mac.com/2019/07/12/2019-13-macbook-pro-teardown/
Unless by older you mean over 5 years old that is incorrect.
I think I'm the minority that really values in-person events. The best experiences for me didn't happened by watching the talks and sessions, but in casual conversations in the corridors and common areas. This is very hard to replicate with online events.
The knowledge and initial introductions in online events can lead to hugely positive outcomes in the future, so in terms of ROI I think online events are probably far superior, but when I think to my top 100 memorable experiences I've had at events, not a single one of them took place online. Sure, I've met plenty of people that I later became friends/collaborators with in person, but all the memorable stuff happens later in person.
Just a few recent off the top of my head:
- Paddleboard breakouts at East Meets West
- Asking Vinod a question about next-gen registers at Program Synthesis Conference
- Animated discussion about cpu design over beers post conference in SF
- Talking to a startup about IOT management on the roof of an Accel event
And some ones from 10+ years ago:
- When I was a college student sitting on a folding chair and chatting with a nice woman about the startups pitching at TechCrunch40 (turned out to be M Mayer)
- Drew pitching me on Dropbox before launch in Cambridge (boring, I thought)
- Nate pitching me AirBedAndBreakfast in Mountain View (loved the idea from the get go)
The only things that have come close to being memorable online were some recent Teamflow ice breaker type events we did at Our World in Data around the virtual campfire.
Just a few recent off the top of my head:
- Paddleboard breakouts at East Meets West
- Asking Vinod a question about next-gen registers at Program Synthesis Conference
- Animated discussion about cpu design over beers post conference in SF
- Talking to a startup about IOT management on the roof of an Accel event
And some ones from 10+ years ago:
- When I was a college student sitting on a folding chair and chatting with a nice woman about the startups pitching at TechCrunch40 (turned out to be M Mayer)
- Drew pitching me on Dropbox before launch in Cambridge (boring, I thought)
- Nate pitching me AirBedAndBreakfast in Mountain View (loved the idea from the get go)
The only things that have come close to being memorable online were some recent Teamflow ice breaker type events we did at Our World in Data around the virtual campfire.
> - Paddleboard breakouts at East Meets West
Can be done as online gaming events
> - Asking Vinod a question about next-gen registers at Program Synthesis Conference
Can be done using a microphone and camera attached to your device
> - Animated discussion about cpu design over beers post conference in SF
Animated conversations can be done via microphone and video
> - Talking to a startup about IOT management on the roof of an Accel event
Can be done as a vendor breakout with a virtual background of a roof
> - When I was a college student sitting on a folding chair and chatting with a nice woman about the startups pitching at TechCrunch40 (turned out to be M Mayer)
You can always sit in a folding chair and chat with M Mayer in a slack room for the breakout
> - Drew pitching me on Dropbox before launch in Cambridge (boring, I thought)
Drew also has a microphone and camera I bet, but it probably won’t make him less boring
> - Nate pitching me AirBedAndBreakfast in Mountain View (loved the idea from the get go)
Who would ever want to actually go to Mountain View? (N.b., I lived there for many years)
Can be done as online gaming events
> - Asking Vinod a question about next-gen registers at Program Synthesis Conference
Can be done using a microphone and camera attached to your device
> - Animated discussion about cpu design over beers post conference in SF
Animated conversations can be done via microphone and video
> - Talking to a startup about IOT management on the roof of an Accel event
Can be done as a vendor breakout with a virtual background of a roof
> - When I was a college student sitting on a folding chair and chatting with a nice woman about the startups pitching at TechCrunch40 (turned out to be M Mayer)
You can always sit in a folding chair and chat with M Mayer in a slack room for the breakout
> - Drew pitching me on Dropbox before launch in Cambridge (boring, I thought)
Drew also has a microphone and camera I bet, but it probably won’t make him less boring
> - Nate pitching me AirBedAndBreakfast in Mountain View (loved the idea from the get go)
Who would ever want to actually go to Mountain View? (N.b., I lived there for many years)
You are missing the point, none of those chance meetings would have happened if they had to be scheduled online.
You’re missing the point that that doesn’t mean they can’t, it just means you didn’t get exposed to the opportunities to have them. I certainly have had similar online experiences and probably more - my entire early career was built off of irc relationships, and my most substantial network that has been the most stable over time is built in Usenet and irc relationships. Just because your experiences in life differ doesn’t mean it’s the only path.
These are all extremely good points and I've completely changed my mind, except for the last one. I highly recommend an in person trip to Mountain View if you haven't experienced the joy of visiting a place where even the student drivers are in Teslas.
As a presenter I prefer in-person events by far. Virtual events are so much speaking into the void with no feedback. Sometimes not even certainty whether connection or such might have been broken. Audience helps to see if jokes work and if audience keeps up or is getting bored as i go too slow. Also in a virtual event there is the risk of preproduction a talk, with artificial perfection.
As an participant for me the "hallway track" often is the most interesting, where I get into random discussions and run into people In otherwise rarely meet.
As an participant for me the "hallway track" often is the most interesting, where I get into random discussions and run into people In otherwise rarely meet.
How about pre-prepared video talks that are available online and then a dedicated "hallway track" in person meetup straight after for Q&A, labs, impromptu discussions, tiny quiches and all that stuff.
Out of necessity, I've gotten better at recording videos over the past year. Certain things are easier with video; I basically have a teleprompter in some form. But, yeah, I'd much rather talk to a live audience.
I feel like these issues are caused by a lack of sophistication on the part of the conference organizer. Everyone has cameras and microphones bristling on their spyware sensor packs in their pocket let alone their computers. If you can’t see and interact with your audience, that’s just a failure of integrating all those devices in a way you can benefit from. It feels like as an engineer we should be leaning into the challenges the situation presents and finding clever solutions. Maybe emitting earth ending emissions to move your sack of mostly water to physically collocate so you can see the actual photons reflecting off someone’s face rather than a high fidelity reproduction just feels wasteful, no? These are legit gripes but they also don’t feel like a P=NP problem
Do you have any idea what an audience of 50 people "giving feedback" on Zoom look like? You cannot play with the audience because half of them are mute, there is a constant lag between the moment you say anything and the moment you get their response, there's always the arsehole with a microphone too loud, or the idiot with an echo.
Presenting remotely in real-time is a pain in the arse, and sucks everything that's enjoyable out of making presentations.
Presenting remotely in real-time is a pain in the arse, and sucks everything that's enjoyable out of making presentations.
Maybe zoom isn’t the best tool for the job? Just because it was the tool laying around when a global natural disaster forces us into isolation for a year and a half doesn’t mean it was a tool purpose built for these situations based on extensive global experiences.
Sounds like a case of “I don’t like the tools so therefore the domain must be insurmountable,” which tells me it’s ripe for some very clever people with some strong experience and opinions on how to organize online conferences and workshops to make a fortune.
Sounds like a case of “I don’t like the tools so therefore the domain must be insurmountable,” which tells me it’s ripe for some very clever people with some strong experience and opinions on how to organize online conferences and workshops to make a fortune.
There are great tool trying to do virtual gatherings.
However there will always be a difference between a crowd in a room and a digital representation. There's lots of subtle stuff in a room (are they all looking forward or are the talking to their neighbor?) Which are hard to translate. Especially if people switch of camera&mic etc. while watching without any interest in sharing.
The Chaos Computer Club did a quite good "hallway track" for the rC3 event https://links.rc3.world/
Companies like https://mingle.cloud try to do virtual event platforms as a business.
Things improve, but it's always gonna be different.
And yes, for.some events it's good enough, for others it's even a better replacement. But some things work better human to human
However there will always be a difference between a crowd in a room and a digital representation. There's lots of subtle stuff in a room (are they all looking forward or are the talking to their neighbor?) Which are hard to translate. Especially if people switch of camera&mic etc. while watching without any interest in sharing.
The Chaos Computer Club did a quite good "hallway track" for the rC3 event https://links.rc3.world/
Companies like https://mingle.cloud try to do virtual event platforms as a business.
Things improve, but it's always gonna be different.
And yes, for.some events it's good enough, for others it's even a better replacement. But some things work better human to human
Further some companies like https://www.freeman.com have leaned heavily into making hybrid events a real thing that works well.
I think the point is some people find one vs the other better, not that there’s one true way for all. The world will be better if we can figure out how to be inclusive of all styles, not just the style extroverts prefer.
I think in a hybrid event you would both have a crowd in a room and a crowd remote. This seems fine.
I think the point is some people find one vs the other better, not that there’s one true way for all. The world will be better if we can figure out how to be inclusive of all styles, not just the style extroverts prefer.
I think in a hybrid event you would both have a crowd in a room and a crowd remote. This seems fine.
A lot of the issues issues (like latency, the fact that every microphone has different characteristics, that bad networks are a thing, that people get disturbed all the time when they are at home or in their office) are independent on the exact software you use.
From my point of view it has some obvious advantages, like no need to travel. But it is not a satisfying replacement by a long shot.
From my point of view it has some obvious advantages, like no need to travel. But it is not a satisfying replacement by a long shot.
I've just been pre-recording videos for external events. This has some advantages relative to doing it live.
- I can do some different things when I record and edit such as inserting clips that aren't just a slide and me as a talking head. (Though having a thumbnail of the speaker is a practice I hope we keep versus just talking to a full screen slide.)
- Reduce the likelihood of network-related or other issues at my end.
- Can interact with an audience in real-time in chat.
- Can redo sections that don't come out well.
- I can do some different things when I record and edit such as inserting clips that aren't just a slide and me as a talking head. (Though having a thumbnail of the speaker is a practice I hope we keep versus just talking to a full screen slide.)
- Reduce the likelihood of network-related or other issues at my end.
- Can interact with an audience in real-time in chat.
- Can redo sections that don't come out well.
Having done that a couple of times during the last year, I don't really like it. The fact that it is recored makes obvious any flaw in delivery or hesitation. This leads to a long cycle of re-recording and re-editing that is very time consuming. Particularly grating is the occasional helicopter or lorry that goes by, resulting in yet another pass of recording and editing.
I also have to control everything about the environment (lightning, background, microphone and camera quality, etc), which is a pain compared to a conference organiser providing technical support.
So it is much more time-consuming to record the presentation compared to preparing it for live delivery.
I agree that pre-recording is better than live over video, for the reasons you mention (otherwise, there is nothing you can do regarding any stray helicopter or your router having a bad day).
I hate interacting in chat. Everything feels fake and wrong. People always need to pay attention to everything, lest they interrupt someone starting a sentence or trying to intervene (any latency is really bad in a vocal discussion). This is a bad imitation of chatting with other people over a beer.
The ability to re-record is a mixed blessing: it is a time sink and it is very difficult to be satisfied with the result if you are even mildly perfectionist. It would be better if we had access to professionals to record and edit talks, but we haven't.
I also have to control everything about the environment (lightning, background, microphone and camera quality, etc), which is a pain compared to a conference organiser providing technical support.
So it is much more time-consuming to record the presentation compared to preparing it for live delivery.
I agree that pre-recording is better than live over video, for the reasons you mention (otherwise, there is nothing you can do regarding any stray helicopter or your router having a bad day).
I hate interacting in chat. Everything feels fake and wrong. People always need to pay attention to everything, lest they interrupt someone starting a sentence or trying to intervene (any latency is really bad in a vocal discussion). This is a bad imitation of chatting with other people over a beer.
The ability to re-record is a mixed blessing: it is a time sink and it is very difficult to be satisfied with the result if you are even mildly perfectionist. It would be better if we had access to professionals to record and edit talks, but we haven't.
I was really comparing live over video to pre-recorded over video. I agree it's easier in many ways in person and that's my preference. (That said, my videos on YouTube are watched by far more people than in-person unless I'm giving a keynote.)
That said, it's gotten easier over the past year. My office is pretty much set up as a studio now with lighting, mikes, camera and so forth. And I've learned things like better eye discipline. I've also learned that, sure, I should do a retake if I really flub something (or, umm, forgot to hit the record button). But for anything longer than a very short clip, it doesn't need to be perfect.
But, then, this is one of the things I do for a living so it's been worth the time and money to get things right.
That said, it's gotten easier over the past year. My office is pretty much set up as a studio now with lighting, mikes, camera and so forth. And I've learned things like better eye discipline. I've also learned that, sure, I should do a retake if I really flub something (or, umm, forgot to hit the record button). But for anything longer than a very short clip, it doesn't need to be perfect.
But, then, this is one of the things I do for a living so it's been worth the time and money to get things right.
The problem is that the “lack of tools” is just too big to overcome. If all your sound comes off a pair of speakers, there is no realistic chance to reproduce the depth and complexity of a real room, where you can perceive immediately which sounds to prioritise. You’d need a full surround system, then you’d need a webconf instrument that can interact with it properly, then you’d need the equivalent for vision - a single screen is just too small and depth perception is nil. And you can’t really get there incrementally - it will continue to suck hard until you have every element sorted out. And of course there will always be “i can’t hear you now, can you hear me? Oh, she’s disconnec— ‘I’m here everybody, sorry Jerry, what were you saying?’ - I was saying that — ‘I can’t hear you Jerry!’ “ etc etc
WWDC is different from a typical conference. The vast majority of viewers for them will be online regardless, so it would make total sense for Apple to optimise for the online audience (and after all, the keynote is basically a piece of marketing), but I don't think that indicates anything for a standard conference.
Personally, as someone who now happily works remote 100% of the time, I would be more inclined to attend a local in-person conference than ever before.
Personally, as someone who now happily works remote 100% of the time, I would be more inclined to attend a local in-person conference than ever before.
I get that, provided you can actually get a ticket. For the vast majority of developers who can't get there, the online format provided much better talks than the on-stage versions that remote devs usually see.
I enjoyed that part the year I got to go to WWDC, but the reality of the event is that's the most exclusive part given how few people are able to attend, and I'd gladly trade that for the ability to go without fear of the ticket lottery, and saving the money on travel, lodging and food isn't bad either. For local meetups, I definitely want to get back to in-person, but equally welcome an online WWDC for the foreseeable future.
For those who cannot spend 5k and a work week on a conference, the fully online format is way superior though.
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The casual talks and connections made when lining up can be great, but it feels oddly inefficient. However is hard to make that connection virtually even if apple did something online to help this
>even if apple did something online to help this
I've been pretty involved with online events over the past year. The formal part of the conferences have gone pretty well. (TBH, even when I'm attending a big event physically I'll often watch the keynotes streaming rather than cram into a conference center with thousands of my closest friends.) But chat, virtual booths, and any sort of attempt at serendipity have mostly been big fat failures.
I've been pretty involved with online events over the past year. The formal part of the conferences have gone pretty well. (TBH, even when I'm attending a big event physically I'll often watch the keynotes streaming rather than cram into a conference center with thousands of my closest friends.) But chat, virtual booths, and any sort of attempt at serendipity have mostly been big fat failures.
I haven't been to an in-person event that didn't record all sessions in more than a decade, so from my perspective you get the huge value of hallway interaction and face-to-face components, plus end up watching the good and most impactful videos online anyways. Online social events are neither social or eventful, so I can't wait to get back to in-person.
I don't think you're in the minority. But I do think a lot of companies are recognizing the value of hybrid events. I at least dipped into 2 or 3 events last year that I couldn't have justified normally (this one and Adobe MAX). And that's coming from someone who normally attends/speaks at a lot of events.
I love them but let me be honest, West coast US events don't work for me or many others and focusing on an online event opens it up to far more people.
However I see the benefit for having a local audience for those who can make it there but we are still a year off before travel resumes to normal levels if not 2023. However being such world wide company perhaps they will in the future have similar events or simultaneous events across the world.
However I see the benefit for having a local audience for those who can make it there but we are still a year off before travel resumes to normal levels if not 2023. However being such world wide company perhaps they will in the future have similar events or simultaneous events across the world.
It would be cool to have satellite mini-conferences around the world for the purpose of getting devs access to Apple engineers. It could be an adjunct to the formal online presentations that we all see.
> for the purpose of getting devs access to Apple engineers.
How about just getting engineers to occasionally participate on their own developer forums, and settle some of the edge questions that have been waiting for answers for years.
How about just getting engineers to occasionally participate on their own developer forums, and settle some of the edge questions that have been waiting for answers for years.
Minority?!
I don't think it's a minority but you will see variations on several themes whenever the subject of conferences comes up:
- It's a boondoggle and I'd never approve the expense (OK they are but not just a boondoggle :-))
- It's inefficient
- I'm an introvert
I don't agree but those are opinions.
- It's a boondoggle and I'd never approve the expense (OK they are but not just a boondoggle :-))
- It's inefficient
- I'm an introvert
I don't agree but those are opinions.
An online conference for me is as good as a lack of a conference. This "like real thing except you stay home" doesn't work. At an IRL conference, you're able to focus on a talk much easier than when it's an online stream. And as others said, the networking and the overall atmosphere are of extreme importance.
I love in person events.
Online events give me loads of fatigue. In-person events energize me. The backroom conversations are why they’re great.
At the beginning I was always into the speakers. Later I realized they were really a gimmick to bring us together.
Clubhouse captures some of this in person magic. There was also a book club that was pretty good. Slate I think it’s called.
Let’s hope Apple can capture this. :)
Online events give me loads of fatigue. In-person events energize me. The backroom conversations are why they’re great.
At the beginning I was always into the speakers. Later I realized they were really a gimmick to bring us together.
Clubhouse captures some of this in person magic. There was also a book club that was pretty good. Slate I think it’s called.
Let’s hope Apple can capture this. :)
This is the one thing technology can’t solve in the discussion - humans are different. I find conferences intensely draining. I love people but I don’t like crowds - I grew up in the remote mountains. But I realize I’m not everyone and I recognize that hybrid events and work places are probably the best way to ensure everyone gets to work and participate in the way they feel most effective. I am glad that the extrovert hegemony has been cracked this year, but I also realize as humans we should figure out how to assemble and collaborate in a way that is most comfortable for everyone, then everyone will get so much more out of the interaction.
> Online events give me loads of fatigue. In-person events energize me.
Completely opposite for me, and I bet other introverts or people with social anxiety/low social mana.
Completely opposite for me, and I bet other introverts or people with social anxiety/low social mana.
Another socially anxious introvert here. I miss in person events so much, digital conventions don’t compare even remotely (please don’t talk to me though).
Small talk and the like is tiring, but getting to talk about your pet project with others who grasp it's depth is a rare and exciting thing, and there is no denying that in person communication flows the best.
Speak for yourself. I'm not so much an introvert as a near-total loner. I find in-person conferences incredibly interesting and valuable for the ability to spend a week nerding out on technical topics with new people. Online conferences do absolutely nothing for me.
I've described them as a geek spa or fantasy nerd camp. It doesn't have much to do with the act of delivering talks in-person on online; that's the the mechanism for a very special type of social interaction that is hard (or impossible) to replicate online.
I like the idea of in-person events, but I was never able to get a pass and so missed out on all of the actual value outside of the short windows I was able to borrow someone else's. The online-only format has been a significant improvement for me as a result as some of that valuable side-chatter has moved to places I'm not excluded from.
Any chance that image is a hint at an AR glasses announcement?
One thing I really like about Online WWDC is how the material are prepared with no timing restriction. Engineers can talk as much as they want to make everything clear without being told trying to fit all within one hour. Or features that only really need 20 min and not try to waste everyone's time to fit in a 45 min slot.
I do wish the future continue to be online video, with a Hybrid in person gathering offline for all sort of questions and interactions.
Looking forward to Safari [1], if we look at their Developer Release Note there has an unusually large amount of work in the past year post Safari 14. I think they hired some of the Firefox developers to Webkit. Hopefully that will speed up certain features implementation.
MacBook Pro M1X, iPad Pro, iMac M1XX?, and Mac Pro
Edit: And you know what? How about bringing back WiFi 6E AirPort Extreme.
And hopefully some App Store policy update.
[1] https://developer.apple.com/safari/technology-preview/releas...
I do wish the future continue to be online video, with a Hybrid in person gathering offline for all sort of questions and interactions.
Looking forward to Safari [1], if we look at their Developer Release Note there has an unusually large amount of work in the past year post Safari 14. I think they hired some of the Firefox developers to Webkit. Hopefully that will speed up certain features implementation.
MacBook Pro M1X, iPad Pro, iMac M1XX?, and Mac Pro
Edit: And you know what? How about bringing back WiFi 6E AirPort Extreme.
And hopefully some App Store policy update.
[1] https://developer.apple.com/safari/technology-preview/releas...
> Looking forward to Safari [1], if we look at their Developer Release Note there has an unusually large amount of work in the past year post Safari 14. I think they hired some of the Firefox developers to Webkit. Hopefully that will speed up certain features implementation.
While certainly some people have been hired from Mozilla, I don't think it's particularly significant.
The areas which have seen increased activity are mostly down to earlier architectural work being completed, both speeding up new feature development and accounting for lack of new features previously.
While certainly some people have been hired from Mozilla, I don't think it's particularly significant.
The areas which have seen increased activity are mostly down to earlier architectural work being completed, both speeding up new feature development and accounting for lack of new features previously.
> Hybrid in person gathering offline
This is basically the "flipped classroom model", which I like a lot.
I think a dedicated in-person conference where it was assumed you had already watched pre-prepared videos and then presenters did either "office hours" for semi-formal group Q&A or "labs" for hands-on working through examples together would be pretty awesome.
This is basically the "flipped classroom model", which I like a lot.
I think a dedicated in-person conference where it was assumed you had already watched pre-prepared videos and then presenters did either "office hours" for semi-formal group Q&A or "labs" for hands-on working through examples together would be pretty awesome.
> Edit: And you know what? How about bringing back WiFi 6E AirPort Extreme.
I’m lucky to have bought an AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule just before they were discontinued. I have no idea who I’d turn to now for plug and play home networking. I hope they come out with some updates, because I don’t feel like doing research into that space again.
I’m lucky to have bought an AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule just before they were discontinued. I have no idea who I’d turn to now for plug and play home networking. I hope they come out with some updates, because I don’t feel like doing research into that space again.
I would have said splurge for a Ubiquiti Dream Machine, but it's not quite the automatic recommend it was before they started taking a "go fast break things" attitude toward their software. Still better than any consumer-level gear though.
“Not quite”? We’re talking about the Ubiquiti discussed in https://krebsonsecurity.com/2021/03/whistleblower-ubiquiti-b..., are we?
If so, and if that whistleblower is right, “attacker(s) had access to privileged credentials that were previously stored in the LastPass account of a Ubiquiti IT employee, and gained root administrator access to all Ubiquiti AWS accounts, including all S3 data buckets, all application logs, all databases, all user database credentials, and secrets required to forge single sign-on (SSO) cookies.”
If so, and if that whistleblower is right, “attacker(s) had access to privileged credentials that were previously stored in the LastPass account of a Ubiquiti IT employee, and gained root administrator access to all Ubiquiti AWS accounts, including all S3 data buckets, all application logs, all databases, all user database credentials, and secrets required to forge single sign-on (SSO) cookies.”
They recently started putting ads in the management console.
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26628198
I was on the Ubiquiti train, but then I found out the owner started cutting costs and outsourced development and now there's headlines about ads in the dashboard. I assume it's only a matter of time before they start cutting corners in manufacturing and quality of components.
The ads complaints are a little overblown IMO. It's not like they're selling your data and ad space on your dashboard to other companies. They're just showing you their newer product lines from their older product lines, it seems more like a deprecation warning than advertising to me.
Edit: Ok I immediately regret defending Ubiquiti after the new top story about the covered up data breach. I agree it seems like there is some crazy mismanagement going there based on this and other leaks/rumors over the past year or two.
Edit: Ok I immediately regret defending Ubiquiti after the new top story about the covered up data breach. I agree it seems like there is some crazy mismanagement going there based on this and other leaks/rumors over the past year or two.
Which is fine if there is an option for me to turn it off. But from the settings I couldn't fine one (I might have missed it as I don't login that often and it doesn't bother me too much).
I spent some really frustrated hours with the non-Pro Dream Machine before I sent it back. Instead, I‘m using a Unifi USG and two APs, and am really happy with this setup.
Not sure exactly when you had the UDM, but the earlier firmware for both the UDM and UDMP was awful and filled with bugs. It has since gotten a lot better. I haven't had any issues with my UDMP since the newer firmware and my home internet experience is much smoother than with my consumer routers (which would randomly drop connections or refuse new connections until a reboot... full NAT table maybe?)
I've heard good things about Aruba Instant-On:
https://www.arubainstanton.com/
I've heard nothing but good things about their enterprise gear. They've obviously got to do some market segmentation but they appear to be doing that by having APs with lower density than the enterprise gear which shouldn't be a big issue for most homeowners.
I've heard nothing but good things about their enterprise gear. They've obviously got to do some market segmentation but they appear to be doing that by having APs with lower density than the enterprise gear which shouldn't be a big issue for most homeowners.
>I have no idea who I’d turn to now for plug and play home networking.
Not as simple as Apple's was, but Ruckus' gear is good.
Not as simple as Apple's was, but Ruckus' gear is good.
I actually recently bought that last ever Airport Extreme with Time Capsule and wow, I'm pleased with it for the price I paid on ebay. Plus now I have backups of my personal and work computers! The only issue I've noticed is that you can't set discrete DHCP settings for your personal vs. guest networks, so my guests have to manually set their DNS since they can't reach my pi-hole that's on my personal wifi. But that's pretty acceptable since I don't want people to get too comfy on my guest network.
I would really love to see Airport come back with a 1-3 year old A-series chip, kind of like what they did with the HomePod. Except without all the AI/always-on microphone crap.
I would really love to see Airport come back with a 1-3 year old A-series chip, kind of like what they did with the HomePod. Except without all the AI/always-on microphone crap.
Apple likes flashy presentations but they are far, FAR behind on proper support for developers. Addressing problems would go a lot further with developers than a bunch of videos.
It’s not even difficult to come up with a starting list:
- Add COMPLETE documentation (but we’d all settle for “any” in most cases)
- Fix all the NEW bugs being added in each update (and obviously get to the old ones too); also, it would be nice if an embarrassing number of problems weren’t in the developer tools themselves...
- After 10+ years provide support for sane income options on the App Store (free trials, paid upgrades, no need to create complex IAP patterns)
- Abolish 80-90% of App Review, since it clearly fails to prevent any scams but does steal endless energy from developers dealing with pointless rejections or delays
- Put some restraints on the UI “designers” that keep ruining functional UI and making it work worse than ever; development is actually becoming harder because things I use everyday are being fiddled with
It’s not even difficult to come up with a starting list:
- Add COMPLETE documentation (but we’d all settle for “any” in most cases)
- Fix all the NEW bugs being added in each update (and obviously get to the old ones too); also, it would be nice if an embarrassing number of problems weren’t in the developer tools themselves...
- After 10+ years provide support for sane income options on the App Store (free trials, paid upgrades, no need to create complex IAP patterns)
- Abolish 80-90% of App Review, since it clearly fails to prevent any scams but does steal endless energy from developers dealing with pointless rejections or delays
- Put some restraints on the UI “designers” that keep ruining functional UI and making it work worse than ever; development is actually becoming harder because things I use everyday are being fiddled with
Any sources/examples for these references? They seem just angry venting.
The apple dev experience is far from perfect, but it's not like the competition is much better. I find myself frustrated when working on Android projects much more frequently.
Based on the reflections in the glasses in the header image, I wonder if Apple is going to show off ray tracing support on their new M chips
> To support the local economy, even while WWDC21 is hosted online and as part of its $100 million Racial Equity and Justice Initiative, Apple is also committing $1 million to SJ Aspires, an education and equity initiative launched by the City of San José.
Slightly OT, but this is so important where most events are moving online in a post covid world. Hope other companies realize this and do the same.
Slightly OT, but this is so important where most events are moving online in a post covid world. Hope other companies realize this and do the same.
I feel like 99% of the issues here stem from the fact we are in the midst of a global natural disaster and folks are irritated they can’t share respiratory aerosols. That’s fair. However I think the future is undeniably hybrid conferences.
1) audience participation- this is the fault of the conference organizer and tooling. I have an amazing device attached to my computer that captures local photon statistics using an interesting effect Einstein discovered that can magically beam a simulation of my face to the presenter. If you aren’t seeing the audience, that’s not the fault of the format it’s the fault of the organizer for now allowing you to see and interact with your audience.
2) in person events and hallways incidentals - yes, this is fair. A lot of people really derive pleasure from travel and sharing air with tons of other people. Personally, I’m tired of air travel and the hassle of sleeping in a widely shared bed at a hotel and getting sick in the first 15 minutes of a conference. I’ve had as valuable or more valuable networking interactions through irc, Usenet, slack, even pull requests. I’ve never landed a job via a conference or even someone I met at a conference, but my career is built on my early use of irc. But it’s ok - if there weren’t a global natural disaster, I expect we would have dual format conferences. The successful ones will solve point 1 effectively, and point 2 can be solved through online networking events in the platform. The fact organizers aren’t successful yet is probably more to do with we slapped this stuff together in a hurry due to a global natural disaster. With time and experience I don’t see why the esports version of the live conference won’t be just as viable.
3) blocking time for the conference forces present me to attend sessions during the day and my employer is happy to save travel and entertainment expenses and let me attend. I will insist on that in the future as well - and I’m senior enough I can do that unilaterally and allow my people to do it too. I hope you do if you’re also a tech leader, and if you’re an IC advocate with your management. Otherwise I can create a playlist for future me, but present me will always be too busy to prioritize watching these things “in my spare time” (hahaha what’s that?)
1) audience participation- this is the fault of the conference organizer and tooling. I have an amazing device attached to my computer that captures local photon statistics using an interesting effect Einstein discovered that can magically beam a simulation of my face to the presenter. If you aren’t seeing the audience, that’s not the fault of the format it’s the fault of the organizer for now allowing you to see and interact with your audience.
2) in person events and hallways incidentals - yes, this is fair. A lot of people really derive pleasure from travel and sharing air with tons of other people. Personally, I’m tired of air travel and the hassle of sleeping in a widely shared bed at a hotel and getting sick in the first 15 minutes of a conference. I’ve had as valuable or more valuable networking interactions through irc, Usenet, slack, even pull requests. I’ve never landed a job via a conference or even someone I met at a conference, but my career is built on my early use of irc. But it’s ok - if there weren’t a global natural disaster, I expect we would have dual format conferences. The successful ones will solve point 1 effectively, and point 2 can be solved through online networking events in the platform. The fact organizers aren’t successful yet is probably more to do with we slapped this stuff together in a hurry due to a global natural disaster. With time and experience I don’t see why the esports version of the live conference won’t be just as viable.
3) blocking time for the conference forces present me to attend sessions during the day and my employer is happy to save travel and entertainment expenses and let me attend. I will insist on that in the future as well - and I’m senior enough I can do that unilaterally and allow my people to do it too. I hope you do if you’re also a tech leader, and if you’re an IC advocate with your management. Otherwise I can create a playlist for future me, but present me will always be too busy to prioritize watching these things “in my spare time” (hahaha what’s that?)
Find the Apple MeMoji things fascinating, they're so utterly charmless and ugly. Really sums up to me how Apple doesn't "human very well", they just don't know how to make something appealing and cute (Like LINE Inc.) or even just weirdly funny that it grows on you like Bitmoji.
They just come across as weird and gross to me, the art style and how they're used feels like an AI failing the Turing test.
They just come across as weird and gross to me, the art style and how they're used feels like an AI failing the Turing test.
I don’t feel quite as strongly, but I do agree they have a whiff of “Gen X attempts to appeal to Zoomers” about them
They're also a very good indicator of which Twitter accounts to stay away from. Those soulless eyes don't lie.
Ah they aren't so bad. Kind of look Pixar-y to me. And they're not horrifying like Samsung's equivalent thing[1].
[1]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUnTthHVMCI
[1]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUnTthHVMCI
>Kind of look Pixar-y to me
More like Dreamworks...
More like Dreamworks...
yeah i've never really cared for them
If we do eventually move back to in-person conferences, I hope they keep recording the keynote ahead of time. I have enjoyed the amount of depth they get into, the transitions and overall polish, and most importantly not having to pause every 2 minutes while the part of the audience that is Apple employees claps for more Animojis.
I go mostly to conferences as a networking opportunity, to connect with and learn from people who have similar interests. Most of the sessions cover nothing ehat can't be found online.
I’m very glad it’s online, and hope this continues. I’ve done decades of conference/workshop/meeting travel, and yeah - the in-person interactions are useful. Those interactions IMHO don’t outweigh the cost, disruption-to-life, and unfairness that physical travel has. I’ve been mentoring early career people for years, and this past 12 months has been wonderful for many of them. Not everyone has the $ or time to travel, and many people got left out of participating in in-person events as a result. Online events have flattened the playing field and are allowing people to participate who would have otherwise been excluded. I would 100% sacrifice chatting over beers or during coffee breaks to let a wider population participate - I’d much rather optimize how we do things for everyone, not focus on the desires of the subset lucky enough to have the ability, desire, and resources to travel.
Not in terms of money—Apple is not rate-limited by money. But in terms of attention. Getting everyone on site for this, namely the engineers, while they are also in final iPhone cycle prep must be a drag.