iOS Newsletter
Hi folks!
Weeks are getting busy as expected. Apple seeded beta 2 of 26.3 on January 12, bringing new builds for you to test. And don’t overlook the App Store Connect Upcoming Requirements notice — the updated age rating system takes effect January 31, 2026, so make sure you’ve reviewed the changes and submitted your responses to avoid any delays.
This week’s articles explore EventKit reminders, Swift string interpolation mastery, LLM tokenization fundamentals, MusicKit implementation challenges, compiler contribution insights, AI’s impact on team dynamics, Vision framework text detection, and creative Metal toolchain workarounds. Let’s dive in!
AI/ML
How To Train Your Own Language Model - Part 1: Tokenization
Why do LLMs struggle with arithmetic and spelling? Manthan Gupta reveals how tokenization shapes model capabilities and API costs.
Swift
Defining custom string interpolation behavior in Swift
Want to format dates or values directly in string literals? Natalia Panferova shows how to extend Swift’s string interpolation with custom behavior.
Swift Compiler Changes the Easy Way
How do you fix a compiler bug when you don’t actually fix the code? Matt Massicotte shares his unexpected journey contributing to Swift.
Framework
Creating reminder lists with EventKit from your app
Want to integrate reminders into your app? Gabriel Fernandes Thomaz and Tiago Pereira demonstrate using EventKit to create custom reminder lists and manage due dates.
MusicKit in SwiftUI - Building a Real Apple Music Player (Without Losing Your Mind)
Building an Apple Music player with MusicKit isn’t straightforward. Wesley Matlock navigates subscription checks, playback state, and the gotchas that trip developers up.
Detecting text in images with the Vision framework
Need to extract text from images on-device? Daniel Saidi explores Apple’s Vision framework and its evolution from completion handlers to async/await.
Development
The Anatomy of Strong Teams in the Age of AI
Does AI make everyone equally productive? Artem Mirzabekian argues that AI amplifies existing team conditions—strengthening solid teams while accelerating problems in weaker ones.
Tools
Manually Mount the Metal Toolchain When Xcode Cannot
Xcode can’t compile Metal shaders due to missing toolchain access? Christian Tietze reveals a manual mounting workaround for this permissions problem.