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TAB Welcomes: Andy Boothe

Andy Boothe — Tue, 04 May 2010 11:48:11 +0000

I’m a programmer who decided somewhere along the way that he could write words as well as code. After much study, I’ve determined that English isn’t so different from C or Java. The punctuation’s a little different — code has more semicolons — but it’s all just storytelling. English uses words; code uses bits. There’s more of each in the other than you think.

Well…that’s true of most writing. But the topic of my first article for TheAppleBlog is myself, which is unfortunate because myself is my least favorite topic. Seriously, what do you say when you have 500 words to impress the world? I’m tempted just to post my resume and have done with it, but I won’t. I’m not sure what I’d do with the other 493 words, anyway. (“I’m awesome and you should hire me.” has turned out to be a surprisingly effective Curriculum Vitae.)

Instead, I’ll just let you know that I’m a software developer, with experience developing software for Fortune 10 companies, startups, nonprofits, and many things in between. At some point during all that software development, I also found time to go back to school for a graduate business degree from the University of Texas at Austin, which was an experience that I am still recovering from. I used that degree as an excuse to go on sabbatical from software to manage investments for a large seed-stage Venture Capital fund in Austin, Texas, where I live, and I very much enjoyed looking at startups from both sides of all kinds of tables while I was there. But now I’m back in software, so no, I can’t help your company get funding. Sorry. But I’m sure your company’s really cool, though.

It’s also worth mentioning that I’m a big-time Apple nerd. I’m typing this on my 17″ MBP, which is currently backing up to my Time Capsule, which is in turn busy keeping its friend, my iMac, nice and warm. And without my precious iPhone, what would I compulsively check my pockets for every time I stand up? And that iPad-shaped hole on my bookshelf needs filling badly.

Since I’m a developer, one of my favorite things to write about is software. (Yes, I’m incredibly fun at parties, thanks.) So, I’ll be writing a lot of how-tos about things like iPhone apps and how to make your iPhone do things it is and isn’t generally supposed to do. (As a rule, I’ll also post source code for my how-tos, which will hopefully be useful to TAB readers.) Since I’m a geek, I’ll also be writing about how to integrate the iPhone SDK with other things you use on a daily basis, like Twitter and Facebook. And since I’m an opinionated geek who likes to play businessman, I’ll also be speculating about what on earth Apple and friends are doing and why it’s smart or stupid.

Anyway, I am thrilled to be joining the incredible TAB team and getting to meet and greet with other Apple fans. If you just can’t get enough of my writing (heh), then you can find more on my blog, or just follow my stream of consciousness. Please do say “hello” if you stop in!

TAB Welcomes: Wayne Bishop

Wayne Bishop — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 13:20:40 +0000

Well, where do I begin? First of all, it’s great to become a contributing member of TheAppleBlog. I’ve been a TAB fan for quite some time so it feels pretty surreal to be part of the team. I look forward to hearing about your projects and ideas!

I’ll start off by letting you know that I hail from The Emerald City (yeah that’s Seattle). Most folks think we are an unassuming bunch who drink too much coffee while working on our Windows PC’s. While I do like a good a mocha, I’m also part of Seattle’s growing Mac community that’s building some pretty cool stuff for the iPhone and iPod touch.

As a self-described geek and software engineer I’ll be writing articles to help unravel the mystery of developing apps for iPhone OS. In addition to writing code, I’ll examine various aspects of the software development process including planning, testing and design. If you’re planning the next great app hopefully I can provide the “secret sauce” to help move your concept from idea to the App Store.

Don’t think coding is for you? Even if you are a project manager, sales person or business type, learning about the technology that has captured world attention may prove useful to your company or career.

My Background

I’ve spent my entire career in software development, with a primary focus on building web-based applications. Over the years I’ve worked in project management, coding, database development and quality assurance. I also ran my own software consulting company for 5 years.

In 2009 I took notice of iPhone OS as a legitimate development platform when Apple announced they had 50,000 apps in its app store. Like many iPhone developers I’d spent most of my career immersed in other technologies so I spent many months learning a new set of tools, processes and programming language.

This past year I released my first iPhone app called Jingle! that integrates music and social media. I also have an interest in education, mapping and GPS systems and plan to develop new titles for the iPad.

TAB Welcomes: Adam Jackson

Adam Jackson — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 13:40:37 +0000

I was a PC for the longest time. In the late 90s Apple caught my attention as Macs were all we had in grade school. Then, in 2001, the iBook G3 was released, then iTunes and then the iPod. After spending an hour on Mac OS X 10.1, I was hooked and decided it was time to switch to Mac. Soon after switching, I started blogging about Apple but given that I was only 13 years old, the content was less than readable. That didn’t stop me from writing about Apple nearly every day.

In 2003, I attended my first Macworld and attended every expo from NYC, Boston and San Francisco until the most recent MWSF in January. I became a total conference junkie and even found myself at CES and Photoshop World finally earning the grand invitation and attending Apple Town Hall events and WWDC as press. All the while, I was a lone blogger with a passion for spreading the word about Apple and its products.

Today, at the ripe old age of 23 I’ve seen Steve Jobs speak nearly 30 times, have written over 5,000 articles and reviews about Apple and was even interviewed in the movie MacHeads which premiered last year. It’s safe to say that I am a Mac head and I’m happy to be joining the TAB team as a contributor among the ranks great writers like Darrell Etherington, Charles Jade and Nick Santilli.

I enjoy writing editorials that excite readers and inspire others to give their thoughts. When I’m not writing, I enjoy taking photographs, tweeting and blogging about food & life.

photo by Scott Beale / Laughing Squid

TAB Welcomes: Geoffrey L. Goetz

Geoffrey Goetz — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 21:21:39 +0000

Geoffrey L. Goetz

An overwhelming feeling of “Jamais Vu” is how I would best describe the experience of re-entering both the mobile as well as the development scenes since the advent of Apple’s iPhone SDK. Ground breaking new technology, ever-expanding features and capabilities in each new SDK. Innovative and hip company in Silicon Valley calling all the shots. And like a moth to a flame I just have to be there no matter what. Writing about it, speaking about it, teaching, mentoring, and building solutions with it.

That was me in a nutshell back in 1997 when Java took off and Borland was the hip company in Silicon Valley (actually Scott’s Valley, on the other side of the mountain, but close enough) that I could not help but fall in love with. Everything then feels like everything now, and is best described in Geoffrey Moore’s Crossing the Chasm.

I may have cut my teeth on a Commodore in grade school, but Apple has been the dominate computing platform throughout my education. Upon entering the corporate world, it was all Mainframe, Unix, Microsoft and even OS/2. Then with Java and the JBuilder IDE from Borland, I slowly started to re-enter the Apple platform professionally. I now live in a completely Mac household, work day in and day out solely on Macs, developing applications for the iPhone and other mobile platforms.

At home, I fancy myself an amateur photographer with a decent array of prosumer Canon products. I take on average 25K photos annually and spend a good amount of time organizing, printing and getting creative with the image library I have managed to create. The subjects in the majority of the photos I take are my two children, who are also growing up Mac. My now six-year-old received her first iMac at the age of three, and my two-year old is perfectly at home watching his favorite YouTube videos of trains and race cars on either the iPhone or iPad.

So what has changed? Why are things different now compared to then? I wish I knew exactly, it just feels very different somehow. Hopefully blogging about it will help me figure it out.

TAB Welcomes: Alex Layne

Alex Layne — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 13:04:52 +0000

My first Apple device was an iPod Nano, second-gen, and using it was a revelation; the simplicity of the click-wheel and the solid industrial design wowed me.

My second Apple device was an iPod touch, also a second-gen and also a revelation; interacting with a touchscreen was completely new to me, and iPhone OS was a dream to use.

After owning those two, I got interested in OS X. I learned everything I could about Macs, watched every video I could find, and played with the Macs at the local Haddock store (Wichita doesn’t have an Apple store yet). I wanted to use OS X, so much so that I couldn’t wait to scrounge up the money to buy a Mac; I had to use it now. And so I hackintosh’d my crappy Dell Inspiron 1525 using a guide I found on DailyBlogged.com. Later, I’d end up writing for DailyBlogged, posting how-tos and opinion pieces.

Using a hackintosh was OK, but I still wanted a real Mac. Eventually, I made enough money to buy the unibody MacBook Pro I’m typing this on. Fast-forward a few months and here I am.

When I’m not using OS X, I’m using its cousin, Linux. There was a time when I used Windows, but those days are long gone. The only time I see Windows now is in VMWare.

If you’re interested, you can keep up with me through Twitter or my personal blog.

(PS: Yes, I’ve trimmed my beard since that picture was taken.)

TAB Welcomes: Josh Sunshine

Josh Asch — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 14:30:43 +0000

I’d like to begin by telling you that there isn’t a single thing I haven’t heard said about my name. So, that said, here’s what you’d find written if I had a Wikipedia page:

Yes, I do look small in that photo. That’s because I’m only 16 (and the photo has been resized).
In regard to #1, I know more than you might expect about computing*.
I write from my house which is tucked away in the South-East corner of England, so expect posts which seem to have been written in the middle of the night.
This is my first proper move into the world of tech writing, so I dare say you’ve never heard of me before.
I first switched in 2007 with the receipt of my 20″ iMac, which I still have today.
If you visited me, you’d find the iMac, a late-2008 MacBook, two iPhone 3GSs and two iPod touches (2nd generation).

I’m joining TheAppleBlog as the newest How-To and tutorial writer. Look out for my series of ‘Quick Tips’ which will hopefully teach you something useful in a short amount of time. I’m open to feedback, argument, insult etc. in the comments area of my posts, so chatter away.

If you have trouble sleeping at night, try reading my stream of dullness that is @jobbogamer on Twitter.

* Contrary to popular belief, not all teenagers sit on MSN and Facebook all day long.

TAB Welcomes: Patrick Hunt

Patrick Hunt — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 16:20:30 +0000

Urban Dictionary defines “red-headed step-child” as one who, unlike a stepchild who looks like their step parent, is likely to be singled out for abuse. Which may very well define my stint here at TheAppleBlog. Will you, dear readers, treat me with the respect of someone with a true birthright, or use and abuse me for being the one of us who doesn’t look like the others? Time will tell.

I do know this: I actually have red hair, and I’m excited to join the excellent team of bloggers at TheAppleBlog. My name is Patrick Hunt, and this is my story (well, not the whole story, just enough to give you an idea of who is writing this bile!).

I bought my first mac in 1986, and I haven’t looked back. I stuck with the company and its products as customers left in droves during the Great Jobless Era, buying my own Macs even when my jobs provided me with Windows machines. I bought the first and each subsequent Newton when they were launched, did the same for the earliest iPods, and am now on my third of three iPhones, purchasing each on day one. I still have the Rev A Apple TV and Time Machine on my home network, and at total count, my family of three (me, my wife, and our 3-year old daughter) has five Macs, four iPods, three iPhones, two Airports, and an Apple TV in a pear tree. As I told Josh, I eat Apple for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

I’m likely to write a few posts that you really like and a few that get you riled up. Hopefully, I won’t write too many that you’re not interested in, so please use the comments feature to let me know! Look primarily for longer-form essays (which is why I’ve never really become an active blogger) on company and product strategy, design, and user experience. Because in my other life, I’m a strategy, design and user experience consultant, in which I use Macs and the iPhone everyday to get my work done. I won’t likely break any news, but when someone else breaks it, I’ll try cleaning up the mess. Also look for the occasional hardware or software review, and analysis of new product announcements, company/product strategy, and the competitive digital landscape. As a former business partner and friend once said about me, “often wrong but never in doubt.” Hopefully, this approach will inform and entertain.

You can also catch me elsewhere on the web as jpatrickhunt: twitter, facebook, and .com, to name a few. Thanks in advance for the read and support!

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TAB Welcomes: Andrew Flocchini

Andrew Flocchini — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 17:04:21 +0000

From the frozen tundra of Minnesota I hail, not by choice but by birth. I bring with me a head full of useless knowledge and trivia. I know, “Is this guy some sort of Superhero?” No, just an ordinary man, or am I?

I’ve always been a tinkerer and owned many PC’s throughout my life. One day I grew tired of always troubleshooting and wanted to just enjoy the computer. From that point on, I was a Mac user. Using my machines to edit movies and other multimedia content.

I work in Higher Education as an Apple Admin at a college in Minnesota. Since I came onboard, we have been making the switch to becoming a 100 percent Apple campus. Before I was here, there was a big fear of Macs. Now there is a love affair. I created the site ADaMac to journal my troubleshooting experiences and hopefully help other Admins out who had nowhere to turn. A large-scale mixed Apple/Microsoft environment , can be tricky at times. Aside from Apple, I have a wife and two kids that keep me pretty busy. I love music, film & of course video games. I’m also a volunteer Firefighter in my city. My feeling is that I want to have a lot of experiences to look back on.

So how did I become a writer for TheAppleBlog? I guess I sent the right email at the right time because here I am. I’m very excited to have a little part of the site and I will do my best to contribute the best articles I can.

You can follow me (because I’m so interesting) on Twitter @flocchini.

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TAB Welcomes: Alfredo Padilla

Alfredo Padilla — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 22:34:03 +0000

Where to begin? I didn’t always aspire to write about technology, but my complete lack of interest in a real social life got me noticed on a discussion forum about three years ago and led to a job offer. I’ve been slaving over a keyboard ever since.

I became a Mac user just before that, purchasing the first generation Intel Macbook. I’ve never looked back, and just recently upgraded to the new 13-inch Macbook Pro (which I love). I also picked up an iPhone when it was first released and have upgraded every year, although I have to admit that I’m not happy with Apple’s app store policies and have strongly considered switching to an Android or S60 device.

My favorite Mac programs include 1Password, Fluid and iBank. On the iPhone side I’m partial to Kindle, Fieldrunners and Byline (iTunes links). I have an absolute obsession about to-do applications and have tried them all on both the Mac and the iPhone.

Aside from Technology and Apple, I love hiking, reading and spending time with my family (which consists of a beagle, cat and wife). I also love baseball, Go Mariners! I just moved to South America and am improving my Spanish skills and exploring my new home.

I’m very excited to be writing for TheAppleBlog. When it was time to look for a new gig I started by asking those sites that I loved reading the most, and imagine my surprise when my number one choice was willing to take on silly old me? I’ve always been impressed by the high quality of writing on this site and I hope I can continue that tradition.

If you want to learn more about me (lord help you) find me on Twitter @AlfredoJPadilla.

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TAB Welcomes: Peter Venero

Peter Venero — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 04:47:52 +0000

G’day fellow Apple Enthusiasts! I’m Peter Venero writing from the land down under! Just to be clear, I’m not actually Australian — but rather an “American Transplant” (as they call me) living in gorgeous Sydney, Australia.

I’ll be the first to admit; I don’t boast the chops of my fellow contributors here at TheAppleBlog. I didn’t grow up on a Mac (my first Mac was the Titanium Powerbook G4, which was when OS X made it’s debut); and I’ve definitely never worked for Apple so therefore, I’ve never had any random run-ins with Steve.

What I can say however, is that I’m a true Apple enthusiast. In fact, although I love my career as a business owner and design professional, I’ve actually contemplated applying for a casual weekend job at my local Apple Store as a Personal Shopper just so I could help others find the Apple product that would make them glow. There’s just something serendipitous that I find quite therapeutic about tailoring a solution for someone’s home or business so they too can live in a sophisticated and simplified world.

So I figure, that’s my goal here at TheAppleBlog — to show that through the Mac, we can all live and work harmoniously. I look forward to engaging with you by bringing you “How-To” articles as well as Application reviews for both Mac and iPhone. It will be my pleasure to usher you the sweetness of Apple and to show the others that the grass really is greener!

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