I decided that rather than make people do that for no clear benefit, I may as well set up something much better. It’s something I’d been meaning to do anyway.

The new discussion forums (based on Vanilla) have some great features, including signing in with your Twitter or Facebook account (or create one just for the forum, as before), pretty URLs, drafts, bookmarking and the ability to manage the discussions you’re interested in. Also, hopefully, it will be less plagued by spam.

The old forums were a few years old and there is a lot of stuff on there, some of it still useful and relevant, so all the posts are archived at the exact same URL as before but it’s no longer possible to register, respond or create new topics.

I hope you will enjoy using the new discussions forums.

“Stay hungry, stay foolish.”

I take nothing for granted. You can have all the ideas and talent and work as hard as you like, but success in any area of life always comes down to some measure of luck and timing. When you set out on the long road to make something happen, you have no idea if it will work or what people will think, but when you know your intentions are good, how could it ever be wrong?

I love what I do. Every day is potentially amazing. I owe that to him.

It’s somewhat interesting as developers need to create custom versions of their applications for Apple, mostly to exclude things such as built-in software updates, to use Apple’s secuity and copy protection and any other changes required to conform to the store’s submission guidelines.

With those two versions of the apps also comes two licensing schemes. A license bought through the App Store will not be transferrable to one bought directly from Reinvented Software or vice versa and, as things stand, the App Store will lack free trials, education, bulk and upgrade discounts and refunds, while new releases may be delayed by the review process (but available immediately for those who purchased directly).

Free trials and (assuming the Mac App Store is 10.6 only) versions to run on Mac OS X 10.5 and PowerPC Macs will continue to be available through this site and the trial limitations removed by purchasing a license directly from Reinvented Software.

Even with its compromises, I’m confident the Mac App Store will benefit Mac users through its ease of use and Mac developers by providing increased exposure for their apps. It’s also good that everyone will be able to choose whether to buy through Apple or directly from a developer.

Today, the promotion is back for another fortnight. While the recipe is the same, you can now choose from around 70 apps from independent developers across the globe. Together is included in this promotion. Discounts start at 20% when you buy three or more apps and rise to 50% for five or more apps. The promotion runs from Nov 17th to Nov 30th.

So, to create your own bargain bundle, head over to the Give Good Food to your Mac store.

• January: Released Feeder 1.4.
• February: Released KIT 1.3.
• March: Started Together 2.0 in earnest, while Feeder and KIT were getting great reviews.
• April: Announced the Übercaster+Feeder Bundle with Pleasant Software.
• May: KIT on MacUpdate Promo.
• June: Attended WWDC 2007 (photos).
• July – October: Continued on Together, reworking things to use the new Leopard UI. Also worked on Leopard compatibility for Feeder and KIT.
• November: Released Together 2.0.
• December: Give Good Food to Your Mac and MacSanta Promotions.

The year ended insanely busy for me as Together’s launch was more successful than I’d anticipated, but that’s no bad thing. Thankfully though, things quietened down over the holidays, so I could take some time out, work on Together 2.0.4 (released earlier today) and, since I got so many requests for this, set up a support forum, which I’m launching today. There hadn’t been any call for this until Together 2.0, so I’m hoping it’ll be useful.

There are three sections: the “Frequently Asked Questions” section has links to the existing FAQs, “Support” is for support questions or reporting problems, and “Feedback” covers things like feature requests and other general discussion concerning the two applications.

Support is still available via email on the Support pages along with the form to automatically send out lost codes, and of course I will continue to write about the apps on this blog.

Thanks to everyone who helped make 2007 such a great year for me. The year ahead also looks to be a busy one too and who knows what’s around the corner with Macworld Expo in a couple of weeks’ time.

This is the first WWDC I’ve attended since 2003, when Apple showed us Panther, launched the original iSights (we all got a free one) and the PowerMac G5s, which would get faster and faster and, er, yes. So, this time it will be Leopard and who knows what else. Probably lots of talk about some phone, too.

Since about half the cost of the trip is actually getting to the US, I’ll be spending another week or so there travelling around, visiting friends and generally making a nuisance of myself. I’m really looking forward to it.

So, if you’re going, see you there and if not, I’m sure there’ll be plenty WWDC stuff on the internets to keep you occupied.

I don’t normally announce dates publicly on this blog or elsewhere, but I often give an indication in support emails that I expect to release something within the next month, the month after, etc. Well, a quick glance at my news page will show that not much has been happening lately (apart from a small KIT update today) but I have lots of development work coming together, I’m just a couple of months behind.

I expect if I even so much as hint at any sort of timescale for updates to both my apps here, something new and unexpected will happen and I’ll be made to look a liar again. So, that’s all for now!

… of me, not my apps.

I’ve been travelling a lot the last week and, while I’m home for a few days, will soon be off again until early next week. I should have internet access in the hotel this time but last weekend it was difficult for me to check and respond to emails as quickly as I would like.

This time I’m going to Italy and they’re threatening a general transport strike, so I could just be stuck in an airport or on a train somewhere, going nowhere.

Thanks for your patience!

During the interview I talk about how I got into Mac development, what I did before Reinvented Software, tell a little of the story behind my apps and all sorts of other things besides.

So, if you want to all hear that plus me laughing nervously, check it out at cocoaradio.com. If you need me, I’ll be hiding behind the sofa.