This latest drone flyover of Apple’s under construction Campus 2 project is perhaps our best look yet at the site that will soon become Apple’s main headquarters and home to around 13,000 of its employees. The footage comes courtesy of Duncan Sinfield (via MR).

Since last checking in, you can see that Apple has now completed erecting most of the four stories that make up the main, circular structure. And if you’ve been keeping track (we have in our continually updated construction progress timeline), you’ll also notice that much of the surrounding campus taking shape with the underground auditorium, parking structure, R&D facilities and more all starting to look real.

If all goes to plan and Apple sticks to its general construction schedule posted on the City of Cupertino’s website (below), it will wrap up construction by the end of 2016 and begin moving its employees onto the campus from its current HQ down the road and elsewhere.

If you want to check out how the project has progressed so far, you can head over to our construction progress timeline that includes drone videos, official aerial shots from Apple and City of Cupertino, and news surrounding the project since before construction began.

Filed under: AAPL Company Tagged: 2016, auditorium, campus 2, City of Cupertino, Cupertino, December, duncan sinfield, flyover, footage, video

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At the start of the week we saw Apple officially pull the plug on Beats Music after using it as the foundation for Apple Music which includes a streaming radio station dubbed Beats 1 as a salute. On the hardware front, Apple is totally marching forward with the headphone and speaker business it acquired after buying Beats for $3 billion a year and a half ago. The first totally new product to come from Apple under the Beats brand is the recently announced Beats Pill+ ($195, reg. $229), a portable Bluetooth speaker that recharges over Lightning like iPhones and iPads.

The Pill+ marks Apple’s first real step back into the speaker business since briefly entering it in with the iPod Hi-Fi from 2006 to 2007; aside from color variations and wireless models, all other Beats hardware has been designed before the Apple move. Still, Apple’s new portable speaker resembles previous versions of Beats hardware more than you might expect from the iPhone maker in 2015. There’s even a companion Pill+ app for both iOS and Android. And even though this is clearly a Beats-branded product and not purely Apple, there’s something for fans of both to like, but is it the best speaker in its class?

The short story is that Pill+ ($195, reg. $229) shares a lot more DNA with the Beats Pill 2.0 ($179, reg. $199) that it replaces than either the recalled Pill XL (was $299) or discontinued iPod Hi-Fi (was $349) speakers. Pill+ is bump up in size and sound from the similarly priced Pill 2.0.

The design has changed from an upward-facing capsule one to a forward-facing body that’s more symmetrical but still clearly pill-shaped. The shape change from Benadryl to Tylenol means those Beats Dude Stands won’t work anymore, and that’s probably okay.

Pill+ is still a pretty small speaker at 8″ x 2.5″ x 2.25″ and 1.65 pounds. Compare that to the old Pill 2.0 at 7.6″ x 2″ x 2″ and 0.7 pounds. Although it’s a bit heavier, the new shape fits well in the hand with the plastic grill on either side of the grippy top and bottom.

The top of Pill+ features an illuminating Beats logo’d button that lets you play and pause tracks. Hold it down to add a second connected device without disconnecting from the first device. Dedicated volume up and volume down toggles are placed on the top right, while a power button/battery status plus LED indicator light are placed on the left.

Out of the back under a flap you’ll find a traditional USB port for the Pill+ charge out feature to power iPhones and iPads, a line-in port for wired playback over a stereo cable, and a standard Lightning port for recharging the built-in battery.

Also included in the packaging, which resembles that of the Apple Watch Sport and feels very much like Apple’s, you’ll find a color matched cloth carrying case and three colored Beats logo stickers. The cloth bag is big enough to carry Pill+ and the included black 12.5W power supply and black Beats-branded 1.5m Lightning cable.

Unlike Apple’s new Magic Keyboard, Mouse 2, and Trackpad 2 for Mac, there’s no magical instant pairing process between iPhones and Pill+. Open Settings, look for Pill+ under Bluetooth, and connect to it like similar Bluetooth speakers. There’s no Wi-Fi or NFC radios that enable AirPlay connectivity or instant pairing here; the Apple hardware influence aside from design is limited to the Lightning port.

There’s also the companion Beats Pill+ app for iPhones and Android phones, but curiously not iPads. The app does fully function on iPads, just scaled up especially large on iPad Pros which still benefit from dedicated portable speakers. So what exactly does the app do?

Beats Pill+ for iPhone and Android has three main functions: DJ, Stereo, and Amplify. The first feature will likely be the most popular as the next two require having a second Pill+ around. Install the app on one of two connected phones, then enter DJ mode to let Pill+ change between which paired phone is actively playing music. UE recently added a similar ‘Block Party’ feature to their speaker, so this seems to be the thing to do with Bluetooth speakers with apps although I’m not sure how useful it is in practice.

The other two features require a second Pill+ and let you pair them together. Stereo creates left and right channels for playback while Amplify boosts the sound on both speakers together. Pretty cool if you and a friend both have the Pill+ speaker, but I wouldn’t recommend spending $460 to try it out on your own.

The companion app also has a few unadvertised features. You can register the Pill+ to your email address for warranty information, check (and presumably update) the firmware version and serial number of the Pill+, disable the cue sounds that Pill+ makes when powered on and off, and check the battery level of the speaker.

Curiously, the iOS version shows battery level both in the app and with the Notification Center widget in increments of 10, while the Android Pill+ app shows the exact level. Unlike with Apple Music where each app has a dedicated design, the Pill+ app is nearly identical on both platforms.

Battery life on Pill+ is easy to live with and delivers around the promised 12 hours of continuous playback on a single 3 hour charge using the included 12.5W power supply. Pill+ also features the popular charge out feature found on many Bluetooth speakers which lets you connect any USB cable to refuel iPhones, Android phones, and even iPads including the Pro as a backup portable power source. The included Lightning port will not recharge the Apple Pencil, however, although it does fit.

You can check Pill+ battery life by pressing its power button to activate the 5 LED indicator or through a paired device. iPhones and iPads can use iOS 9’s new battery widget to check battery life in Notification Center; this also works with other Apple and Beats products like Pencil, Watch, and wireless headphones. Android phones can get a more specific battery level using the companion for whatever reason as mentioned before.

Beats Pill+ & iPod Hi-Fi

Everything else aside, Beats Pill+ is a solid portable speaker and a better product than the Beats Pill 2.0 that it replaces. Pill+ is louder, fuller, and has a few more bells and whistles than the Pill 2.0, but I wouldn’t rush out to upgrade from one to the other unless the new design and Lightning connection really appeal to you. The charging port will obviously appeal more to iPhone owners than Android owners which likely have the same connector as the Pill 2.0 with micro-USB.

While volume is no issue for Pill+, I was especially surprised by the (wait for it) lack of bass (yes, I know, unheard of for Beats). Pill XL was priced $70 higher but had a much larger body; Pill 2.0 was $30 less and similarly sized. Sound-wise, Pill+ is an upgraded Pill 2.0 and not at all a replacement for the recalled Pill XL.

Pill+ doesn’t strike out though. Place Pill+ along a wall and the bass is amplified naturally by the output coming from the rear side for a much better sound. Treble tones are sharp, mids are clear, and deep sounds are distinctive for a speaker its size. It’s also super portable even though it’s a bump up in size from Pill 2.0, but you can find more impressive sounds from similarly or lesser priced Bluetooth speakers.

Pill+ is much easier to recommend at sales prices between $150-$200 than at $230. Apple’s $60 iTunes gift card bundle for the next few weeks effectively brings the price to $170 when you factor the credit, but Amazon’s $195 deal is the best 9to5Toys has spotted yet.

Jawbone Big Jambox & Beats Pill+

If you like the Apple-inspired white aesthetic but want upgraded sound, Jawbone’s Big Jambox ($209, reg. $299) is an easy recommendation. Both do speakerphone with built-in mics and have Bluetooth range that exceeds the promised 30-60 feet, while Big Jambox is only a step up in size with a noticeable step up in sound. There’s also 3 more hours of battery life, but you trade Lightning for micro-USB and drop the charge out feature.

You can also find Pill 2.0 new from $179 and open-box from $129 if you’re targeting a Beats speaker without the higher price tag. You lose Lighting and the DJ feature through the app, but you can still pair two Pill 2’s for stereo or louder sound and more colors are offered.

On its own, Pill+ is a solid little speaker and Lightning makes charging it very convenient for iPhone and iPad owners. The look is also a fair balance between Apple and Beats, still edgy but a bit cleaner than past products from the lineup.

My own needs are quite limited but likely common: I just want something reliable that looks good and plays louder than my iPhone or iPad during showers and washing dishes. Pill+ does that for me albeit at a premium price.

I could take or leave the app features, some sort of AirPlay special connection to iPhones would be desired, and dropping NFC that instantly paired past models with Android phones is curious now that iPhones have the radios, but that all leaves room for a more ambitious sequel that could warrant an even higher asking price.

While you can get a better sound for a similar or even lower cost, the convenience of Lightning charging and the fresh look of the Beats Pill+ overall is very appealing to me, especially at lower street prices than Apple’s asking price.

Filed under: Reviews Tagged: Apple, Beats, Beats Pill, Bluetooth, bluetooth speakers, Lightning, portable speakers, speakers

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TODAY’S CAN’T MISS DEALS:

Brother compact Laser printer: small enough to hide, ink lasts forever: $40 shipped

Grab Nomad’s gorgeous aluminum Apple Watch Stand at its best price ever: $41 shipped (Reg. $60)

4K Smart UHDTVs: Samsung 48-inch 60Hz $500 (Reg. $700+), LG 55-inch 120Hz $698 (Reg. $800+), more

MFi Apple-Certified Accessories: Spigen 3-ft. Lightning Cable $4 (Reg. $10), Inateck Dual-USB Car Charger $14, more

Mounts for the new Apple TV (4th gen) keep your HDTV setup looking super clean

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

GoPro HERO4 Session Action Camera w/ free mount + 32GB microSD card: $200 shipped (~$325 value)

• Daily Deals: Seagate 4TB USB 3.0 HDD $105, Ultimate James Bond Collection $90, more
• Amazon is giving away a year of unlimited cloud storage to anyone who downloads a free app
• Games/Apps: Skylanders SuperChargers Starter Pack for iPad $34, iOS freebies, more
• Watches at lowest prices of the season: Diesel Men’s Watch $116 (Orig. $240), more

MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

Host a Christmas party that doesn’t suck with these rowdy adult board games

App Store Free App of the Week: Monument Valley goes free (Reg. $4)

TextExpander 5 for Mac, award-winning productivity app now $22 (Orig. $45)

Apple 12″ 256GB MacBook $1,100 (Reg. $1,299)

• Bluetooth Headphones: Jabra MOVE On-ears $60 (Reg. $90), more
• Home Recording: Mackie LE CR3 speakers $80 (Reg. $100), more
• A year of BJ’s for $18? You aren’t dreaming, just being a perv
• Fashion 50% off sales: The North Face, PUMA, Patagonia, more
• Lenovo IdeaPad Touchscreen Chromebook $170 shipped (Orig. $330)
• Free PS Plus Games for December: Far Cry 3, Gaunlet Slayer Edition, more
• Free Xbox Live Gold Games for December: Thief, Adventures of Van Helsing, Sacred 3, more
• MoKo Apple Watch charging stand $5 or dual iPhone/Watch stand $12
• Free MP3 Christmas albums from Mariah Carey, Blake Shelton, Josh Groban
• Anker USB Power Deals: 4-port 36W Wall Charger $14 (Reg. $20), more
• Networking: HooToo 802.11n Travel Router $15 (Reg. $20), more
• Kindle First Books for December: Out of Sorts, A Death in Sweden, more
• Apple’s Amazing Apps & Games sale 50% off: Threes!, Transistor, PAC-MAN, more
• OtterBox Commuter Series iPhone 6/6s Case for $19 shipped (Reg. $28+)
• Kindle tablets 25% off for Amazon cardholders: Paperwhite $90, more
• Monoprice MHD Sport 2.0 Action Camera w/ Live View Remote $150 (Reg. $180)
• Anker iPad Accessories: Bluetooth Folio Keyboards for iPad Air 2, mini 4, more from $20
• eBay Gift Card Sales Roundup
• These men’s luxury watches are on sale for Black Friday & Cyber Monday
• Apple AirPort Extreme 802.11ac Wireless Router (refurbished): $100 shipped (Orig. $199)
• Herman Miller takes rare 15% off world’s best office chairs + desks

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

Anova Culinary updates its sous vide Precision Cooker w/ Wi-Fi  for cooking away from home

• Sugr Cube enters the fray of Wi-Fi speakers with touch-based controls & a myriad of sources
• MiTagg slims down its NuDock Mini for iPhone & Apple Watch plus adds USB-C
• Review: Star Wars Battlefront limited edition PS4 is out of this galaxy [Video]
• Mohu launches a “high-end” speaker with built-in Android display, save 10%
• Leica introduces a new low-cost M series camera, but don’t expect bargain pricing

Filed under: Tips and Tricks Tagged: 4K Smart UHDTV, 9to5Toys, Amazon, app deals, Best Buy, Brother compact Laser printer, Daily Deals, free apps, Gold Box, Lightning Cable, MFi Apple-Certified, Nomad, video games, Watch stand

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For many people on your gift list, you probably knew right away the sort of thing you wanted to get them, and at best needed a little help narrowing it down to a specific model. Hopefully one of our gift guides focusing on specific areas like entertainment, photography or audio will have helped.

But there may be others on your list who are trickier. You know they love technology, but there’s so much to choose from. That’s why we’ve also put together some more varied guides – all the way down to stocking stuffers.

But if you’re still looking now, you probably need more inspiration, so in this guide I’m rounding up what both 9to5Toys and Amazon have identified as some of the most popular tech products of the moment … 

You can’t really have a tech gift guide these days without a drone or two. The DJI Phantom 3 Professional (above) is the no-expense-spared model at a wallet-busting $1300, which gets you 4K recording on a fully-stabilised 3-axis gimbal and much more. But there are fun options all the way down to the stocking-filler level.

The Parrot AR Drone 2.0 is a well-regarded midrange option at $420, with the Airborne Cargo MiniDrone at $99 a more affordable fun version, and if you want to bring it down to a little over $50, you can’t argue with 2700 4-star reviews.

Amazon’s Echo – a $150 speaker that can also answer questions Siri-style and control home automation systems that include WeMo, Philips Hue, SmartThings and more – was first announced a year ago but has proven an amazing hit this year. The new Apple TV is probably a better bet for a dedicated Apple fan, but for everyone else, the Echo is a very cool piece of kit.

Speaking of streaming TV boxes, the Roku 4 hasn’t seemed to inspire much enthusiasm, but it does seem to have prompted people to note that the Roku 3 is a bargain now at just $90 – or even $72 for a certified refurbished model.

And if their TV itself is looking a little old-fashioned now, perhaps a shiny new 4K model would put a smile on their face. You probably aren’t going to be laying out $40,000 on LG’s 98-inch 3D model (above), but there are 4K TVs out there now from just $300.

TV soundbars with Bluetooth capabilities are another popular choice, allowing them to be used for both room-filling movie sound as well as streaming music from an iDevice.

If they spend more time staring at their computer than their TV, then perhaps a 4K monitor would be more to their liking? There’s a lot of choice out there now in the sub-$500 range, including major brands like Dell from $421 and Philips from $450.

You don’t need us to tell you that the Apple Watch is going to be one of the hottest gifts of the season. If that’s a little pricy, we learned this morning that Fitbit is still the most popular wearable. These start from under $50.

If you’re buying for someone who already owns an Apple Watch, third-party bands are one option to consider – especially for someone who just wants to vary their look rather than splash out big bucks on one main Apple band. Quality can vary a lot, so it’s a good plan to filter by reviews.

With Star Wars all the rage at present, the Sphero BB-8 app-enabled droid ($150) has been a hit, and is likely to be popular with children of all ages – including ones with grey hair.

BB-8 has something unlike any other robot – an adaptive personality that changes as you play. Based on your interactions, BB-8 will show a range of expressions and even perk up when you give voice commands. Set it to patrol and watch your Droid explore autonomously, make up your own adventure and guide BB-8 yourself, or create and view holographic recordings.

Amazon has put together its own selection of other popular toys. And strange as it may seem in a digital age, the Fujifilm Instax Mini 8 camera – which produces instant, credit-card sized prints – is one of them, priced at $80. There’s also a $138 version for smartphones.

I personally decided that carrying both an iPad and Kindle around was too much trouble, but the Kindle Paperwhite at $120 remains incredibly popular and I have several friends who are big fans.

But if you do want to splash out on an iPad, I’m still a massive fan of the iPad Air 2 – and there are some discounts available, even from Apple.

Action cameras are perennial favorites, and the GoPro range is the undisputed leader. The HERO4 at $400 is the latest & greatest, but the original HERO is now a bargain at $130. There’s also a huge range of accessories from around ten bucks.

Finally, if you’re doing fine with tech-lovers but are stumped when it comes to non-gadget lovers, Amazon’s bestsellers are a great place to start for inspiration.

Do you have other suggestions? Let us know in the comments.

Many thanks to Dan DeSilva for his assistance with this guide.

Filed under: Buying Guides Tagged: gift guide, Holiday Gift Guide, Holiday Gift Guide 2015, Hottest tech 2015, Technology gift guide

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IBM has today unveiled their first public effort towards Swift, with the introduction of the IBM Swift Sandbox website. You can type lines of Swift code into the text editor on the left and then run the code on a Linux server, posting the output in the right column. This is all made possible by the fact that Swift is now open source, supporting Linux alongside iOS and OS X.

You can use the core Swift language as well as the standard library functions, so writing a formulaic mathematical problem (like the Fibonacci example above) is well within the scope of the web application. The concept is similar to the CodeRunner app from the Mac App Store, except it runs entirely off a cloud infrastructure.

This shows the potential path for future application development. More a cool tech demo than anything else, it’s rudimentary and impractical for any serious work but gives a glimpse into the sort of stuff that taking Swift into open-source realm enables. It’s also interesting that IBM is supporting Swift from the outset (the blog post openly states “we love Swift here”), showing potential for future enterprise opportunities. Apple and IBM already have a tight enterprise collaboration for bringing iOS and iPads into the corporate business world.

Filed under: Developers, iOS, iOS Devices Tagged: Apple, code, developers, IBM, Programming, Sandbox, Swift

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The new Apple TV launched in October after a three year chasm of silence stagnating with outdated hardware. According to Digitimes, Apple is upping the pace of its Apple TV hardware iterations. The Chinese report indicates that Apple is preparing to start test production of a new fifth-generation Apple TV in early 2016. The new device would apparently feature significantly faster internals to ‘drastically improve the hardware performance’ and ‘add new functions’.

Coupled with the usual disclaimers about Digitimes’ spotty track record, the report is very vague on exactly what ‘new functions’ a new Apple TV could offer. The Digitimes report implies a launch within six months of the current generation’s debut. This may upset buyers of the 4th generation product but Apple has done stuff like this before (remember the iPad 3 -> iPad 4 six month gap).

It is also unlikely that the product will ship so soon anyway; in general, take the report as an indicator that there will be new hardware of some kind in 2016. The long-rumored streaming Apple TV channel service is expected in 2016, so perhaps Apple will have new hardware ready to be released alongside it. This would allow the company to drop the price of the 4th generation box slightly, once again hitting the magic $99 price point in combination with a ~$20-30 streaming cable service offering.

It is also worth remembering that the 4th gen Apple TV was delayed multiple times with many accounts suggesting it was intended to be launched at WWDC in June. This would explain why Apple is already preparing new hardware for circa June 2016, matching Apple’s usual yearly refresh cycle. Whether the device will be released then or held until the fall will obviously be up to the company’s own plans.

Digitimes says the new hardware will go into trial production runs before the end of the month with ‘volume’ manufacturing planned for first quarter 2016. Although it seems unlikely, if the report is to be believed, Apple could launch new hardware at a spring media event in the March/April timeframe.

Filed under: AAPL Company, Apple TV, iOS Devices Tagged: Apple TV, apple tv 5th gen, new Apple TV, rumors

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The latest IDC data on the wearables market suggests that Apple Watch sales are enjoying modest growth, up from an estimated 3.6M units in Q2 to 3.9M in Q3. This growth is mainly due to Apple taking the Watch into new markets, it says, though September’s introduction of modest discounts along with  gold and rose gold Sport models is also likely to have helped.

However, while Apple has emerged as the undisputed market leader in smartwatches, Fitbit has retained the top slot in the overall wearables sector.

While there has been clear growth in the wearable market, there has been little sign of product cannibalization. Smart watches have drawn increased attention to the market from the likes of Apple, Motorola, Pebble, and Samsung, but this has not dampened interest in fitness trackers.

IDC reports that Apple holds an 18.6% market share in the wearables market as a whole, while Fitbit leads at 22.2% – and says that both fitness bands and smartwatches are enjoying sales growth.

There was less happy news for Samsung, however … 

Chinese vendor XTC, a subsidiary of BBK, beat Samsung for the number five position by 100,000 units in its worldwide debut. Like other Chinese vendors before it, XTC maintained its focus exclusively within China, and with just one device: the Y01, a children’s phone watch.

The Apple Watch’s sales growth will almost certainly accelerate in the holiday quarter, with the device likely to be a popular gift.

Filed under: Apple Watch Tagged: Apple watch, Apple Watch IDC, Apple Watch sales, IDC, Wearables

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Almost five years after Samsung was found guilty of infringing Apple patents, and some four trials later, the two companies have agreed to settle out of court for $548M. Samsung says that if Apple submits an invoice for this amount by the weekend, it will be paid within ten days, reports FOSS Patents.

As you may recall, Apple was initially awarded $1B in damages, then $450M of it was overturned and replaced with $290M, for a new total of $930M. The U.S. appeals court later decided that was still too high, and a new trial was set to take place next year unless the parties could reach a settlement in the meantime. That settlement has now been reached, but there’s a catch … 

While the two companies are mostly in agreement, Samsung says that it reserves the right to claim reimbursement should any subsequent legal finding affect the validity of the award.

Samsung further reserves all rights to reclaim or obtain reimbursement of any judgment amounts paid by Samsung to any entity in the event the partial judgment is reversed, modified, vacated or set aside on appeal or otherwise, including as a result of any proceedings before the USPTO addressing the patents at issue.

Apple notes in the case management statement that it disputes Samsung’s claimed right to do this.

Samsung had initially indicated that it intended to appeal the matter to the U.S. Supreme Court, something which now seems to have been ruled out by the settlement, but there remains another possible way for a large chunk of the damages to be set aside.

Separately from the trial, Samsung called on the United States Patent and Trademark Office to declare one of Apple’s patents – for pinch-to-zoom – invalid. So far, the USPTO has sided with Samsung in doing so, though Apple has an appeal in progress. The USPTO has also declared one of Apple’s design patents invalid. All of which leaves the possibility that Samsung could argue that Apple should repay part of the settlement.

So, settlement agreement or not, this one appears likely to run into a sixth year at least.

Photo credit: REUTERS/Dado Ruvic

Filed under: AAPL Company, iOS Devices Tagged: Apple v Samsung patent trial, Apple vs Samsung patent trial, Patent trial, Samsung patent trial

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Apple’s new Beats Pill+ Bluetooth speaker

Apple may have outsourced Black Friday discounts on its products to other retailers this year, but it’s not staying completely out of the promotion game during the Christmas shopping season. Starting today Apple is bundling $60 gift cards that can be used toward Apple Music memberships with almost all Beats headphones and speakers purchased from Apple for a limited time. The promotion specifically pushes Apple Music memberships as it can pay for almost 6 months of access, but the $60 credit can be used toward iTunes, iBooks, and App Store, and Mac App Store purchases and subscriptions as well.

The offer applies to Beats headphones and speakers purchased from Apple Stores, Apple.com, and 1 (800) MY-APPLE from today, December 3rd, through Monday, December 28th. These are the eligible Beats headphones and speakers that will include $60 Apple Music/iTunes gift cards:

Filed under: AAPL Company, Apple Music Tagged: Apple Music, Apple Store, Beats, headphones, speakers

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Earlier today Apple made good on its promise and released source code for its Swift programming language to the public. To go along with making Swift open source, Apple’s senior vice president of software Craig Federighi has sat down for a pair of interviews to discuss the benefits of open souring Swift and what’s in store for the future…

In an interview with The Next Web, Federighi touted that Apple believes Swift is the next major programming language and the one developers will program in for the “coming several decades.” That’s a bold statement on the Apple executive’s part, but he believes that the combination of the langauge’s ease of use and versatility will lend itself nicely to developers.

We think Swift is the next major programming language; the one people are going to be programming in for the coming several decades. We think it’s a combination of it being a great systems and apps programming language that’s fast and safe, but also being really expressive and easy to learn.

Regarding the future of Objective C, Federighi said that Apple will continue to support the language for both itself and the developer community. “I don’t think anyone should have to fear for the future of Objective C,” Federighi said. For new developers, however, he encourages everyone to start with Swift.

Federighi went on to note that the main goal of an open source Swift is letting everyone adopt it and know everything about it. If a university wants to revise their core curriculum and start teaching programming in Swift, it being open source really makes that an easy decision for them to make,” he explained. Federighi says that Apple has no concerns about where it doesn’t want developers to adopt Swift. “The more Swift the merrier,” Federighi said.

In an interview with Ars Technica, Federighi elaborated more on the idea of Swift being taught to up and coming developers, both those learning in a university and own their own.

“We’re working with educators, and many professors are very interested in teaching Swift because it’s such an expressive language that’s such a great way to introduce all sorts of programming concepts. And enabling it as open source makes it possible for them to incorporate Swift really as part of the core curriculum.”

Federighi also elaborated that another reason Apple open sourced Swift is to increase interaction with developers. The Apple executive noted that many of the changes made in Swift 2.0 were things that the company learned in interacting with early adopters of the platform. Now that Swift is completely open source, Apple hopes that interaction will deepen.

“When you look at many of the language features that we announced in Swift 2.0 that are now out in terms of error handling and the guard statements, availability, controls, and so forth, these were all based on that dialogue that’s been ongoing with developers who’ve been adopting Swift in their real applications. With Swift being developed out in the open in open source, we think it’s going to deepen that interaction considerably.”

Filed under: Developers Tagged: Apple, craig federighi, interview, Swift

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