This Week's Sponsor:

Kolide

Ensures that if a device isn’t secure it can’t access your apps.  It’s Device Trust for Okta.


Apple’s Exercise in Engineering

I’ve been curious as to why certain Apple projects aren’t updated immediately as new products hit. Let’s take Apple’s Remote application for example. It’s something so simple yet so useful you think Apple would have updated the little guy for the Retina Display right? And just think about the potential of navigating your iTunes library on the giant iPad screen! None of these things have happened, and a lot of us feel that Apple has forgotten about some of their App Store utilities.

Today, we have an explanation.

Apple’s Remote application was developed by one sole engineer, who has been tasked with working on a separate project. Quite simply, Apple’s workforce is kept to a minimum, and their handymen are often asked to provide assistance for mission critical projects. I can live without a remote app that hasn’t been updated for the Retina Display (it’s still useful), though I’m looking forward to additional enhancements that may be added to the utility as time is allotted to update the app.

One day you might be working on the Remote app, and the next day you might get pulled on to another project that needs your help.

The engineers on the Mac OS and iOS teams move back and forth between the two projects based on release cycles and what’s needs to ship next.

[Sachin’s Posterous via MacRumors]

Unlock More with Club MacStories

Founded in 2015, Club MacStories has delivered exclusive content every week for over six years.

In that time, members have enjoyed nearly 400 weekly and monthly newsletters packed with more of your favorite MacStories writing as well as Club-only podcasts, eBooks, discounts on apps, icons, and services. Join today, and you’ll get everything new that we publish every week, plus access to our entire archive of back issues and downloadable perks.

The Club expanded in 2021 with Club MacStories+ and Club Premier. Club MacStories+ members enjoy even more exclusive stories, a vibrant Discord community, a rotating roster of app discounts, and more. And, with Club Premier, you get everything we offer at every Club level plus an extended, ad-free version of our podcast AppStories that is delivered early each week in high-bitrate audio.

Choose the Club plan that’s right for you:

  • Club MacStories: Weekly and monthly newsletters via email and the web that are brimming with app collections, tips, automation workflows, longform writing, a Club-only podcast, periodic giveaways, and more;
  • Club MacStories+: Everything that Club MacStories offers, plus exclusive content like Federico’s Automation Academy and John’s Macintosh Desktop Experience, a powerful web app for searching and exploring over 6 years of content and creating custom RSS feeds of Club content, an active Discord community, and a rotating collection of discounts, and more;
  • Club Premier: Everything in from our other plans and AppStories+, an extended version of our flagship podcast that’s delivered early, ad-free, and in high-bitrate audio.