gingerbeardman's recent activity

  1. Comment on Fits on a floppy - a manifesto for small software in ~tech

    gingerbeardman
    Link Parent
    Right, it's a hard constraint to push for if people don't care one way or the other.

    Right, it's a hard constraint to push for if people don't care one way or the other.

    1 vote

  2. Comment on Today I shipped twenty apps and a screensaver in ~tech

    gingerbeardman
    Link Parent
    Thank you! The first icon was Dottie (which kind of contains the letters of its name) and then I went with the lines and pastels. Some were really tricky to do, and I'm still not sure about...

    Thank you! The first icon was Dottie (which kind of contains the letters of its name) and then I went with the lines and pastels. Some were really tricky to do, and I'm still not sure about Stapler. But I had to get these shipped!

    1 vote

  3. Comment on Fits on a floppy - a manifesto for small software in ~tech

  4. Comment on Today I shipped twenty apps and a screensaver in ~tech

    gingerbeardman
    Link Parent
    You can do it! There's an Xcode template that will get you a blank screen saver. The hardest part is iteration and testing. Back in 2009 when I made my first screensaver I put together a test...

    You can do it! There's an Xcode template that will get you a blank screen saver. The hardest part is iteration and testing. Back in 2009 when I made my first screensaver I put together a test harness to be able to run the animation in a regular windowed app for easier development. Then when I'm happy I build the saver target once. I modernised this approach for the Floppy screensaver.

    2 votes

  5. Comment on Today I shipped twenty apps and a screensaver in ~tech

    gingerbeardman
    Link Parent
    It's not native for Apple silicon, and Intel will be phased out in the next version of macOS. So, ImageOptim's days of usefulness are numbered. Plus, ImageOptim is not a 100% native app, so...

    It's not native for Apple silicon, and Intel will be phased out in the next version of macOS. So, ImageOptim's days of usefulness are numbered. Plus, ImageOptim is not a 100% native app, so performance is better in my app.

    5 votes

  6. Comment on Fits on a floppy - a manifesto for small software in ~tech

    gingerbeardman
    Link Parent
    It's called specialism. I picked Apple 25 years ago and have developing for their technology ever since. I have made the odd Android and Linux thing, but they never made any money. Given that this...

    It's called specialism. I picked Apple 25 years ago and have developing for their technology ever since. I have made the odd Android and Linux thing, but they never made any money. Given that this is my job, that's a pretty important thing.

    8 votes

  7. Comment on Today I shipped twenty apps and a screensaver in ~tech

    gingerbeardman
    Link Parent
    Thank you. I like to set myself additional constraints and size is such a fun one. I had to optimise at the byte level to get the screensaver to come in at just under 1.44 MB (it's 99.X% of that)....

    Thank you. I like to set myself additional constraints and size is such a fun one. I had to optimise at the byte level to get the screensaver to come in at just under 1.44 MB (it's 99.X% of that). They all start small, the key is to keep an eye on everything to prevent them from running away.

    5 votes

  8. Comment on Fits on a floppy - a manifesto for small software in ~tech

    gingerbeardman
    Link Parent
    Fun idea! I'll put it on my list. Back in the day (~1996/7) I created some of those for the burgeoning emulation scene using, if memory serves, Microsoft GIF Animator....

    Fun idea! I'll put it on my list. Back in the day (~1996/7) I created some of those for the burgeoning emulation scene using, if memory serves, Microsoft GIF Animator. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_GIF_Animator

    4 votes

  9. Comment on Today I shipped twenty apps and a screensaver in ~tech

    gingerbeardman
    Link Parent
    Thank you. It's been an exhausting few months and I'm looking forward to doing something else entirely. Hahaha! App Store Review over the last few weeks really tested my mettle. The apps...

    Thank you. It's been an exhausting few months and I'm looking forward to doing something else entirely. Hahaha! App Store Review over the last few weeks really tested my mettle. The apps themselves were written over many years, but there was still a lot of work to get them from "good enough for me" to "good enough for everybody".

    8 votes

  10. Comment on Fits on a floppy - a manifesto for small software in ~tech

    gingerbeardman
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    I hope people and/or machines start doing it. It's not that difficult once you decide you want to do it. What I would say is that it should be a relatively easy transfer of knowledge from "which...

    I hope people and/or machines start doing it. It's not that difficult once you decide you want to do it. What I would say is that it should be a relatively easy transfer of knowledge from "which package can do that" to "which system frameworks can do that". Anybody or anything can glean that easily from the docs.

    The single biggest win with me creating apps to replace some old cruft in my login items was that my computer boots to desktop in about half the time.

    6 votes

  11. Comment on Today I shipped twenty apps and a screensaver in ~tech

    gingerbeardman
    Link Parent
    Thank you so much. Glad it resonates! Doing things this small on macOS and iOS requires a deep understanding of what the system and SDKs offer. Many years of hard work paying off.

    Thank you so much. Glad it resonates! Doing things this small on macOS and iOS requires a deep understanding of what the system and SDKs offer. Many years of hard work paying off.

    6 votes

  12. Comment on Today I shipped twenty apps and a screensaver in ~tech

    gingerbeardman
    Link Parent
    Thank you. I need a holiday :)

    Thank you. I need a holiday :)

    4 votes

  13. Comment on Today I shipped twenty apps and a screensaver in ~tech

    gingerbeardman
    Link
    I was laid off in January and had the crazy idea to polish up a bunch of apps I'd created for myself over the years and release them all on the same day. Today is the day! ps: I don't recommend...

    I was laid off in January and had the crazy idea to polish up a bunch of apps I'd created for myself over the years and release them all on the same day. Today is the day!

    ps: I don't recommend anybody do this, it was a pretty silly idea. But I managed it, with 2 months of work and 1 month of shepherding them through the App Review process.

    32 votes

  15. Comment on Fits on a floppy - a manifesto for small software in ~tech

    gingerbeardman
    Link
    Today I shipped 20 apps and a screensaver, and 18 of the 21 items are small enough to fit on a floppy disk. So I thought it would be fun to make this approach to software development into a manifesto!

    Today I shipped 20 apps and a screensaver, and 18 of the 21 items are small enough to fit on a floppy disk.

    So I thought it would be fun to make this approach to software development into a manifesto!

    16 votes

  17. Comment on Arcade Game Flyer perfect catalogue 懐かしのアーケードゲームカタログ(仮) (G-MOOK) in ~games

    gingerbeardman
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    I'd describe them as compendiums. Detailed information on the selected topic. They have done one per platform for most vintage computer and consoles.

    I'd describe them as compendiums. Detailed information on the selected topic. They have done one per platform for most vintage computer and consoles.

    2 votes

  18. Comment on Arcade Game Flyer perfect catalogue 懐かしのアーケードゲームカタログ(仮) (G-MOOK) in ~games

    gingerbeardman
    Link Parent
    I don't have all the other volumes but I have a handful. They are very well done.

    I don't have all the other volumes but I have a handful. They are very well done.

    2 votes

  19. Comment on What might be going on with this indie game "fansite"? in ~games

    gingerbeardman
    Link
    There we go. I think it's not worth jumping to AI conclusions, or starting a witch-hunt; just let the fan have fun with their site.

    About This Site
    A fan-made guide site for Idols of Ash, run by one person who spent way too many hours falling into the dark.

    There we go.

    I think it's not worth jumping to AI conclusions, or starting a witch-hunt; just let the fan have fun with their site.

    5 votes

  20. Comment on Arcade Game Flyer perfect catalogue 懐かしのアーケードゲームカタログ(仮) (G-MOOK) in ~games

    gingerbeardman
    Link
    Releases 27th April 2026. This is the latest in a long line of similar books by the same publisher. Gotta catch 'em all.

    Releases 27th April 2026.

    This is the latest in a long line of similar books by the same publisher. Gotta catch 'em all.

    2 votes