Big Nerd Ranch:
It is with a mix of emotions that we announce the upcoming sunsetting of some key aspects of Big Nerd Ranch and the transition of others. For over 23 years, we’ve had the privilege of empowering aspiring programmers through our immersive bootcamps and books. From the iconic ranch in south Georgia to the late-night coding sessions, Big Nerd Ranch has fostered a unique and beloved community for anyone looking to grow and learn new technology.This decision hasn’t been an easy one. The landscape of tech education has evolved significantly since our inception. While Big Nerd Ranch has always strived to adapt, the current environment necessitates a more substantial shift.
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We are not planning on releasing any new editions of our books. Current editions will be available for the foreseeable future but will go out of print over time.
Via Tim Schmitz:
I got into developing for Apple platforms by reading Big Nerd Ranch books in the 2000s. Sad to see them go.
Same.
Previously:
Update (2024-06-13): David Kopec:
That’s too bad. Some of the best macOS, iOS, and Android books. I used them in my classes.
Rob Jonson:
what a shame, Big Nerd Ranch Bootcamp was how I transitioned from PalmOS to MacOS (they didn’t yet have a course for iOS!)
Book Business Cocoa Mac Programming Sunset
Allison Johnson (Hacker News):
The long-awaited day is here: Apple has announced that its Messages app will support RCS in iOS 18. The new standard will replace SMS as the default communication protocol between Android and iOS devices. The move comes after years of taunting, cajoling, and finally, some regulatory scrutiny from the EU.
Unfortunately, we don’t know much else other than the fact that it’s coming in iOS 18. Apple’s website on the upcoming release does at least include one example of how RCS will look on iPhones. “RCS” appears in the text field to indicate a connection, but otherwise, it’s all pretty standard.
Green bubbles, of course.
Andrew Orr:
Apple said in its WWDC 2024 announcement on Monday that RCS support will be introduced in a software update later in the year.
However, it may not coincide with the initial release of iOS 18. Users might see RCS features become available in subsequent updates.
Last November, Apple had said that RCS would be added to iOS 17 in early 2024, so it’s disappointing to hear that it probably won’t even be in iOS 18.0.
The keynote announcement had the same energy as announcing the iPhone 15 switch from Lightning to USB-C. But I thought that was great, and I have high hopes for RCS if it can indeed improve the photo quality over MMS.
Previously:
Update (2024-06-18): Emma Roth:
Instead of showing how RCS will make things better, Apple softly announced support for the standard and focused on all the great features coming to iMessage users — not RCS ones.
Apple didn’t go over how RCS adoption will finally let iPhone and Android users send each other high-resolution pictures and videos. It didn’t even say how RCS will enable support for cross-platform read receipts and typing indicators.
Antitrust Digital Markets Act (DMA) iOS iOS 18 Messages.app Rich Communication Services (RCS)
