The Need for an iMessage API

So like everyone else with an iPhone I'm a pretty heavy iMessage user.  I love having the ability to use it on both my iPhone AND my Macs.  I like that it's encrypted so that random people can't snoop over an open wifi spot.  I also like that just about everyone I know is on the service.  The only thing I think it's missing?  An API.

I would love it if Apple provided an API or protocol for access to iMessage.  I really like the Messages app on the phones, but I wish I could use a different app on my Mac.  I use the Mac app because it's my only choice.  I would LOVE to be able to hook iMessage into Adium or a similar app.  I think this could really open up a lot of possibilities for apps.

Other possibilities are that a fully open API would open up would be other layers of encryption if you wanted them. Services like Adium provided encryption across services like AOL (RIP) and Yahoo (RIP), so it could stack that on top of Apple’s built in encryption. I don’t think it’s really needed, but having that option would be great.

Remember how when Twitter started it had a completely open API? There were TONS of clients and a ton of innovation. I would love to see that same sort of environment around Apple’s Messages. It would even be a really easy way for them to expand onto Android. Someone else would end up making a client for it. Of course let’s all hope that if Apple went this way that they don’t go down the Twitter route and then lock everyone out.

Moving from Objective C to Swift

So I think I’m finally going to attempt to make the transition from Objective C to Swift. I’ve been putting it off for a long time, and I finally have a new project I’m going to piddle with, so it seemed like a good time. I’m a bit sad because I’ve finally become pretty proficient in Objective C and leaving it for Swift will be tough. I don’t write Objective C for work or anything, so everything I have done with it has been at home. This means it takes me longer to get up to speed on everything because I play with it in my free time. I have VERY little free time right now so it means it will be a slow learning experience.

So far I have been able to do everything I want with the Apple APIs but I think its just a matter of time until that isn’t the case. If this really slows down my project or myself (aka I move at like CS101 type pace) than I am definitely going to be switching back to Objective C until I’m forced to give it up.

Hopefully this is a smooth process… wish me luck!

TripMode for macOS

I recently had to go on a trip where my wifi was super limited.  We were allocated 2gb of data a week over wifi.  Now I don’t know if you’ve ever really paid attention to your data usage on your laptop/desktop, but you’ll eat through that FAST.  It feels like everything on your laptop is calling home, trying to update, etc.  I was trying to find a way to really limit my data usage.  I did some googlefu and stubbled across an app for macOS called TripMode.

TripMode allows you to limit network access to only the apps/processes that you want.  I limited mine to pretty much only the services I needed. If I needed something I turned it on and then immediately turned it off.  It worked wonderfully.  It will even alert you when an unauthorized app has tried to connect to something. TripMode recognized that the network I was on the one that needed to be metered, and auto turned itself on. 

While you have the app turned on you can tell how much data I have used for the session, day, week, or month.  When the app is metering data, you can have it alert you after you’ve used a certain amount.  I had an alert set up when I passed 1gb, so I knew to be extra careful.

TripMode was well worth the money if you are ever in a situation where you need to really limit your data usage.  It would be great when using a wifi hotspot, travel where data is limited, or if you just are really a stickler about your data usage.  It was well worth my $7.99.