A niche-market iPad app I first released a year ago has unexpectedly gained a larger audience than nearly any product I’ve built before. I added a Feedback button to the home screen of the app, and it has been pouring in. As a result, I’ve ended up making so many changes to the app that it has almost become a different product! Along with a few things I’ve read in the last year, this experience has changed the way I view the process of building software, and the process of building a business. Read the rest of this entry »

After spending yesterday afternoon focused on developing my latest iPad app, I was stunned when my wife got home and said, “I’m sorry to hear about Steve Jobs.” Everyone knew he has been sick, but his passing was still a surprise. Read the rest of this entry »

I got an iPad for development projects as soon as they came out, but it’s also nice to have one around for personal use. And this month I finally gave the iPad a serious test as an eBook reader … using no less daunting a book than Moby Dick. Read the rest of this entry »

While talking with clients, family and friends over the years, I’ve seen lots of cases where people are unduly concerned about privacy issues on the web. I remember even being alarmed myself when the concept of user tracking via cookies became popular, and disabled cookie support in my browser until they became too important to do without. Read the rest of this entry »

The difference between a web designer and a web developer like myself is like the difference between a fashion designer and a tailor or seamstress. The former conceptualizes what a product will look like, and the latter will actually create the product.

I’ve worked with over a dozen designers and created over 100 websites, and I routinely encounter confusion about how this process works. Read the rest of this entry »