Mastodawn

This idea has stuck with me ever since reading @kepano’s “File over app” post.

Users have a right to own their files. An app where we as users invest time, energy, and our intimacy doesn’t get to own our content.

If lock-in there must be, it’s not good karma for it to exist at the file level.

I personally get turned off by apps with a proprietary db, and I don’t want @bloom to be one of those anymore.

#iosapps #indiedev #buildinpublic #iosdev

Alexandre Bantz 19h ago

One positive consequence of AI — there are some — is that it’s encouraging developers to expose their raw files.

I expect this is the end of closed databases for text-based apps.

The next major version of @bloom will be based on text files, exposed to the user.

Notes won’t be jailed in a walled garden of a database.

#ai #iosdev #iosapps

Alexandre Bantz 19h ago

Getting an inch closer every year to being able to fully program @bloom with SwiftUI 😇

#iosapps #indiedev #iosdev #apps

https://mastodon.social/@natpanferova/116821065293530549

Alexandre Bantz 1d ago

John Siracusa 1d ago

Amen! https://weblog.rogueamoeba.com/2026/06/26/free-the-icons/

Squircle Jail is the worst design-related thing Apple has ever done to Mac developers, and probably the worst icon-related thing it has ever done, period. Incredibly developer-hostile.

If squircled icons are actually better, then let that design win in the market. That's how we transitioned from the classic Mac OS icon style to the more photorealistic Mac OS X icon style. Developers adopted it because they wanted to, and because users desired it.

Free The Icons

Apple should end their prohibition on shapes in MacOS app icons

Alexandre Bantz 1d ago

Mario Guzmán 1d ago

I really want to understand something… what is it with mockups you see online of desktops? They have this insane obsession with widgets.

What if we have widgets on the desktop, but also widgets in the Notification Center, but also widgets in the menu bar when you click on menu items, and now Dock icons can be widgets too…

Just saw some mockup with Widgets in the Dock.

When you see MacRumors and their HomePod with a display, it is widgets galore there too.

Information overload.

Alexandre Bantz 1d ago

Joanna Stern 2d ago

So saddened to hear about @om. His writing was one of the reasons I went into tech journalism. Right out of college, I was working at a PR agency and started reading his site. It inspired me to start blogging.

Years later, he tried to recruit me. Even after I went elsewhere, he’d send me notes telling me how proud he was of my work. He’d often review my reviews, so here’s mine of him: Generous with his time. Honest with his feedback. Endlessly encouraging to those coming up behind him.

Alexandre Bantz 2d ago

Harry McCracken 2d ago

This is awful news. He was an extremely good human being, and had been doing the best writing of his life in recent months. What a loss. https://om.co/2026/06/24/1966-2026/

Om Malik, 1966-2026

Om Malik passed away on June 24, 2026, at Stanford Hospital after a long health journey with his heart. He was surrounded by family and friends. We invite you to share your remembrances of Om in th…

On my Om

Alexandre Bantz 2d ago

Everything blew up in price except the cash cow: the iPhone.

Apple is probably spreading the price hikes across every other device to spare the iPhone.

#apple #iphone #applestore

Alexandre Bantz 3d ago

Or, life at work since AI was introduced.

https://mas.to/@carnage4life/116805678805782983