Category: iOS

iTunes for Windows prior to 12.12.9 had a critical security vulnerability. Issue is now resolved and all users are encouraged to update as soon as possible.

Microsoft Windows Apps: iTunes

Reference: PSA: Serious Windows iTunes vulnerability discovered, immediate update advised

Okay, I get it, it's weekend before the show. But why would you drop your routine? Let's go through some great technical and one fun article.

• Let's follow the hype with some ChatGPT related topics from Michal Tynior – Pitfalls of the ChatGPT and Fine-tuning OpenAI models;
  
  
• Natascha Fadeeva provides review of CI/CD concept – Continuous integration and delivery for iOS;
  
  
• Network Path Monitoring by Keith Harrison provides modern way to monitor network availability;
  
  
• Marco Eidinger shares interesting hints on debugger usage – Skip code during debugging in Xcode;
  
  
• Mastering Swift Foundation Formatter API. Basics by Majid Jabrayilov refreshes knowledge on data formatting in Swift;
  
  
• Point-Free Pointers provide guidance on navigation in Composable Architecture – Navigation tools come to the Composable Architecture;
  
  
• Antoine van der Lee explores code sharing between server and client code in Swift – Share Swift Code between Swift On Server Vapor and Client App;
  
  
• SwiftUI: Trailing label TextField by Magnus Jensen is great example of making nice task-focused UI control;
  
  
• Natalia Panferova gives hints using compositing groups in SwiftUI – Using compositing group for unifying shapes within buttons in SwiftUI;
  
  
• Tiago Gomes Pereira gives great overview of accessibility in SwiftUI – Preparing your App for Voice Over: Labels, Values and Hints;
  
  
• Amazing post on sophisticated debugging techniques by Bruno Rocha – Performance Trace Profiles in iOS: Debugging performance issues you can't reproduce.

And, as promised, fun one – refresh your Apple history knowledge with WWDC 2023: The Pregame Quiz by Jordan Morgan.

Get ready for WWDC23 – next week will be definitely packed with new stuff we'll be learning the whole summer!

With less than a week before new major iOS is going to be presented Apple provides iOS 16 adoption statistics.

90% of all devices introduced in the last four years use iOS 16.

81% of all devices use iOS 16.

76% of all devices introduced in the last four years use iPadOS 16.

71% of all devices use iPadOS 16.

Apple Developer

Adoption grew quite significantly since beginning of the year.

Apple Developer: App Store

Reference: Apple Shares Latest iOS 16 Usage Statistics for iPhone Ahead of WWDC

Apple publishes bug fix release for Xcode. No additional specifics is provided.

The SDKs it contains are:

• iOS 16.4 (Build 20E238)
• macOS 13.3 (Build 22E245)
• tvOS 16.4 (Build 20L489)
• watchOS 9.4 (Build 20T248)

The compilers it contains are:

• clang 14.0.3 (Build 1403.0.22.14.1)
• swift 5.8.1 (Build 5.8.0.124.5)

Release Notes: Xcode 14.3.1 Release Notes

Apple publishes another round of beta versions. No significant changes reported for these releases. No new beta for Xcode yet.

Beta download: Operating Systems

Release notes:

• iOS & iPadOS 16.6 Beta 2 Release Notes
• macOS Ventura 13.5 Beta 2 Release Notes
• watchOS 9.6 Beta 2 Release Notes
• tvOS 16.6 Beta 2 Release Notes

Apple publishes report on developers' success in App Store.

Some key findings:

• Developers generated $1.1 trillion in sales.
• Over 90% of that was paid directly to developers without Apple's commissions.
• 29% year-over-year growth.
• Travel, ride-sharing, grocery, food delivery apps see significant growth.

Report contains more details on 15 years of App Store history.

Apple Newsroom: Developers generated $1.1 trillion in the App Store ecosystem in 2022

References:

• Apple-Funded Study Suggests App Store Ecosystem Facilitated $1.1 Trillion in Sales in 2022
• Apple says App Store ‘ecosystem’ crossed $1 trillion in 2022, here’s what that means
• Economist Group Concludes Apple’s App Store Ecosystem Is Responsible for Facilitating $1.1 Billion in Commerce

On May 31st Apple will update proceedings for several territories:

• Ghana: Increase of the VAT rate from 12.5% to 15%.
• Lithuania: Reduction of the VAT rate from 21% to 9% for eligible e‑books and audiobooks.
• Moldova: Reduction of the VAT rate from 20% to 0% for eligible e‑books and periodicals.
• Spain: Digital services tax of 3%.

Apple Developer

Also Apple will now withhold taxes for App Store sales in Brazil. This will affect developers outside Brazil.

Apple Developer: Upcoming tax changes for apps, in-app purchases, and subscriptions

With new Swift version is soon to be announced and released developers will gradually adopt new language features which could break source code compatibility. In order to simplify migration process and accommodate new features, developers could use upcoming feature flags starting with Swift 5.8.

Article in Swift Blog goes through use of feature flags with compiler and Swift Package Manager and some examples of these upcoming features.

Swift Blog: Using Upcoming Feature Flags

With less than a week before WWDC23 starts Apple now announces Swift Student Challenge winners and opens registration for Slack channel for all conference activities.

Apple's website now provides regular AR easter egg reminding to watch keynote on June 5 at 10am PT.

Apple Events: WWDC23

Apple Developer: Code new worlds

Apple Newsroom: Meet 3 winners of the WWDC23 Swift Student Challenge

References:

• Apple teases WWDC23 with morphing AR Easter egg, here’s how to see it
• Apple promoting WWDC23 Swift Student Challenge winners, award includes AirPods Pro and special pin pack
• Watch the WWDC23 keynote with these 4 options, set a reminder, more

Apple notifies developers on upcoming changes in purchase receipt signing certificate. Developers who use custom receipt validation should update their software accordingly.

If your app validates App Store receipts on device, make sure your app will support the SHA-256 version of this certificate. New apps and app updates that don’t support the SHA-256 version of this certificate will no longer be accepted by the App Store starting August 14, 2023.

Apple Developer

Apple also notifies developers that they should migrate to Xcode 14 or notarytool utility by November 1, 2023. Submissions from Xcode 13 and altool utilities will be no longer accepted then.

Important dates:

• June 20, 2023. Receipts in the sandbox environment will be signed with the SHA‑256 version of this certificate for devices running a minimum of iOS 16.6, iPadOS 16.6, tvOS 16.6, watchOS 9.6, or macOS Ventura 13.5.
• August 14, 2023. Receipts in new apps and app updates submitted to the App Store, as well as all apps in sandbox, will be signed with the SHA‑256 intermediate certificate.
• November 1, 2023. Notarization requests will be only accepted by Xcode 14 and newer or notarytool.

Apple Developer:

• Upcoming changes to the App Store receipt signing intermediate certificate
• Handling App Store receipt signing certificate change
• Apple notary service update