James Dempsey

 About Software Training Music

  • Where I’ll be at WWDC 2025

    June 9, 2025

    I’ll be doing a few things this week at WWDC25 and wanted to pass along my schedule. Hope to see you at one or more of these happenings!

  • From Concept To Finished Poster With Iconfactory

    June 6, 2025

    Show poster for 'James Dempsey and the Breakpoints, LIVE near WWDC 2023, a benefit concert for Techtonica'. A view of Santa Clara valley, mountains in the background with Apple Park off in the distance. In the foreground a Tiki outpost with a ukulele.

  • LIVE near WWDC 2025 Livestream

    June 4, 2025

    I am very happy to report that we’ve worked out the details and will be livestreaming the LIVE near WWDC show once again this year.

  • LIVE near WWDC 2025

    May 30, 2025

    Show poster for 'James Dempsey and the Breakpoints, LIVE near WWDC 2023, a benefit concert for Techtonica'. A view of Santa Clara valley, mountains in the background with Apple Park off in the distance. In the foreground a Tiki outpost with a ukulele.

  • Ten Years of BuildSettingExtractor

    January 31, 2025

    BuildSettingExtractor icon

  • Where I’ll be at WWDC 2024

    June 10, 2024

    I’ll be doing a few things this week at WWDC24 and wanted to pass along my schedule. Hope to see you at one or more of these happenings!

  • LIVE near WWDC 2023 Update: Livestream and More!

    June 1, 2023

    Show poster for 'James Dempsey and the Breakpoints, LIVE near WWDC 2023, a benefit concert for Women Who Code'. The graphic shows the silhouette of a hand-drawn white bird perched on the top of five wires running horizontally across the center of the poster.
    With less than a week until LIVE near WWDC 2023, we’ve been gearing up for an evening of music, laughter and fun that we think folks are going to really enjoy.

  • Swift.org Blog Post: ‘Using Upcoming Feature Flags’

    May 30, 2023

    This will likely be my only post this week not somehow related to next week’s LIVE near WWDC 2023 show.

  • LIVE near WWDC Returns For 2023!

    May 16, 2023

    SOLD OUT!

    Tickets for LIVE near WWDC 2023 are now sold out. Thank you to everyone who purchased a ticket—we're looking forward to seeing you.

    But everyone is welcome to join in our livestream event! Details below.

    There are still two ways you can join us LIVE near WWDC 2023:

    Join the Waitlist

    After talking with the venue, we will be able to accommodate a few more attendees!
    Click through to join the waitlist and you will be notified of ticket availability in order of joining.

  • No LIVE near WWDC show for 2022

    June 5, 2022

    Before WWDC22 gets started tomorrow, I wanted to announce that there will be no LIVE near WWDC show for 2022.

  • Apple Home Page Tabs History—August 2021 Edition

    August 31, 2021

    The tabs at the top of apple.com have been around for over two decades now.

  • Where I’ll be at WWDC 2021

    June 7, 2021

    I’ll be doing a few things this week at WWDC 2021 and wanted to pass along my schedule. Hope to see you at one or more of these happenings!

  • A Tale of Facebook Tracking

    December 17, 2020

    A short exchange on Twitter with a bit of snark led to a friend discovering just how pervasive Facebook tracking is on the web.

  • Twelve Weeks Of Dance Party!

    December 14, 2020

    Tomorrow will mark twelve weeks that I have done a daily Dance Party! as described in my earlier post.

  • Introducing swiftversion.net

    December 2, 2020

    Do you ever mix up the different dot releases of Swift?

  • Siri is my workout partner

    November 16, 2020

    I’ve used Siri sporadically since the intelligent assistant was introduced on the iPhone 4S back in 2011, but never as part of a regular workflow.

  • Dance Party!

    November 9, 2020

  • Abstraction Distraction

    November 2, 2020

    After posting about renovating the site and designing my own HTML and CSS, I was asked why I didn’t use something like Squarespace.

  • Renovations

    October 31, 2020

    I just finished something that has been on my to do list for a long while.

  • AirPods Pro: The First Fifteen Minutes

    October 31, 2019

    Just opened the box and set up a pair of AirPods Pro about fifteen minutes ago.

  • The Xcode 11 and Swift Package Combo Platter

    September 12, 2019

    Since the Swift Package Manager (Swift PM or SPM) was introduced in late 2015 it has seemed like a natural fit for Xcode and SPM packages to work well together at some point in the future. At WWDC 2019, Apple announced that future was arriving in Xcode 11.

  • Drive Time with the Swift Standard Library

    July 19, 2019

    The last week and a half or so, I’ve been driving up and down the East Coast. (Hello I-95, my old friend. I’m paying tolls on you again.)

  • A Kid in the June 2019 Candy Store

    June 21, 2019

    June 2019 has me feeling like a kid in a candy store.

  • A Generic Swift Blog Post

    June 14, 2019

    I began investigating SwiftUI to see if it is indeed the shortest path to a great app. Since then, I committed an update to the MemeMaker project that makes the initial interface a list of examples. I was experimenting with passing a different View into each row as the destination of the row’s NavigationButton, rather than hard-coding the destination.

  • SwiftUI: Almost Too Much Fun

    June 12, 2019

    In my previous post, I described the JDBP band app I want to build and the technologies introduced at WWDC 2019 that I think might make it much easier to create.

  • The Shortest Path To A Great App

    June 10, 2019

    “The Shortest Path To A Great App” That is the phrase Apple used in a number of the SwiftUI sessions at WWDC last week. But beyond SwiftUI, there were a number of other announcements at WWDC 2019 that also could lead to a shorter path to a great app.

  • Where I’ll be at WWDC 2019

    May 31, 2019

    I’ll be doing a few things next week at WWDC 2019 and wanted to pass along my schedule. Hope to see you at one or more of these happenings!

  • Disney California Adventure—A Visual History

    June 25, 2018

    Pixar Pier opened at Disney California Adventure this past Saturday, giving Paradise Pier a new theme and a new name.

  • Where I’ll be at WWDC 2018

    June 2, 2018

    I’ll be doing a few things next week at WWDC and wanted to pass along my schedule. Hope to see you at one or more of these happenings!

  • My father, Wilbur Dempsey, passed away

    March 29, 2018

    I have a sad update. Wilbur Dempsey, my father, passed away yesterday afternoon.

  • Xcode: Who’s to Blame?

    October 17, 2017

    A recent tweet from Dave DeLong reminded me of something that’s been on my mind for a long while.

  • New Xcode Build System and BuildSettingExtractor

    June 13, 2017

    Last week at WWDC 2017, Apple announced a new build system for Xcode, with an opt-in preview in Xcode 9. The new system is written in Swift and promises to be a significant advance in a number of areas including performance and dependency management. The new system is built on top of the open source llbuild project and lays the foundation for integrating the Xcode build system with the Swift Package Manager.

  • WWDC in San Jose: Full Circle

    June 2, 2017

    Next week’s James Dempsey and the Breakpoints concert is especially meaningful to me. It circles back to the literal spot where it all began.

  • LIVE near WWDC 2017 Info

    May 4, 2017

    Join us for the 6th Annual LIVE near WWDC show by James Dempsey and the Breakpoints! It is shaping up to be our biggest show ever!

  • iOS Device Summary: September 2016 Updates

    November 30, 2016

    I’ve updated my iOS Device Summary with hardware announced at the Apple event on September 7, 2016.

  • Five Years LIVE near WWDC

    May 24, 2016

    As WWDC season rolls around once again, I did the math in my head, on paper, and finally counted on my fingers to convince myself that this year is the Fifth Annual James Dempsey and the Breakpoints LIVE near WWDC show.

  • tvOS and watchOS Device Summary: April Edition

    April 1, 2016

    After updating the popular iOS Device Summary in March, it seemed the beginning of April would be a good time to introduce summaries for devices running the most recently introduced Apple operating systems: tvOS and watchOS.

  • iOS Device Summary: March 2016 Updates

    March 23, 2016

    I’ve updated my iOS Device Summary with hardware announced at the Apple event on March 21, 2016.

  • iOS Device Summary: Fall 2015 Updates

    November 13, 2015

    I’ve updated my iOS Device Summary with hardware announced at the Apple event on September 9, 2015. This edition drops iOS 5 and A4-based devices to make way for iOS 9 and the A9 and A9X.

  • Apple Home Page Tabs History—September 2015 Edition

    September 29, 2015

    The year 2015 has been a busy one in Apple Home Page Tab history.

  • iOS Device Summary: A8 iPod Touch Update

    July 16, 2015

    I’ve updated my iOS Device Summary with the newly announced iPod touch.

  • iOS Device Summary: iOS 9 Update

    June 29, 2015

    I’ve updated my iOS Device Summary with the iOS 9 info Apple has publicly posted.

  • Apple Home Page Tabs History — June 2015 Edition

    June 19, 2015

    Last fall, I posted A Brief History of Apple Home Page Tabs which showed a visual history of each change in the tabs on the apple.com home page since they were introduced in January 2000. That post also called out some of the major changes and common themes in both interface style and products over the years.

  • Where I’ll be at WWDC 2015

    June 3, 2015

    I’ll be doing a few things next week at WWDC and wanted to pass along my schedule. Hope to see you at one or more of these happenings!

  • NSConference 7: A Look Back

    March 24, 2015

    Last fall, I received an email that read, “I would like to invite you to be a speaker at NSConference 7”.

  • Going Upthere

    February 24, 2015

    I’m very happy to announce that I have joined the team at Upthere.

  • Learning More About Xcode Build Settings with BuildSettingExtractor

    February 8, 2015

    Last week I posted about BuildSettingExtractor, a utility that makes it easy to pull the build settings out of an Xcode project file and into xcconfig build configuration files. (The post also mentions some xcconfig file benefits with links to ‘how to’ information. Read the earlier post here.)

  • Generating Xcode Build Configuration Files with BuildSettingExtractor (xcodeproj → xcconfig)

    January 31, 2015

    The most recent NSScreencast covered using build configuration files to specify build settings in Xcode. (Episode #154)

  • Lyrical November

    November 10, 2014

    The response to Backtrace has been fantastic, and I wanted to thank everyone who has shown their support by purchasing the album and helping to spread the word. You made Backtrace the #1 comedy album on iTunes in the US, UK, and Canada.  You also made it debut at #5 on the Billboard Comedy Album Chart. I cannot thank you all enough!

  • iOS Device Summary: iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3 Update

    October 28, 2014

    It’s been a busy few weeks with Apple announcements and Backtrace, our new album of iOS and Mac development songs, hitting the Billboard charts. I’ve updated my iOS Device Summary to include the recently announced iPads.

  • Introducing Backtrace

    October 14, 2014

    We are beyond thrilled to announce the release of Backtrace, the debut album from James Dempsey and the Breakpoints.

  • Breakpoints in Vegas — Album Preview Jam

    September 23, 2014

    Last Friday night, just a stone’s throw away from where Frank Sinatra and The Rat Pack performed their legendary shows, James Dempsey and the Breakpoints made their Las Vegas debut. The jam featured songs from the upcoming album Backtrace.

  • A Brief Visual History of Apple Home Page Tabs

    September 10, 2014

    This week brought announcements of new iPhones, Apple Pay, and Apple Watch, as well as the quiet departure of the iPod classic, the last remaining click-wheel product in the iPod lineup.  It also brought something that happens much less often than new product announcements—changes to the look and lineup of tabs at the top of the page at apple.com.

  • iOS Device Summary: iPhone 6 Update

    September 10, 2014

    I’ve updated my iOS Device Summary to include the new iPhone 6 models.

  • An Eclectic Breakpoint Jam in Columbus

    August 14, 2014

    The 2014 Fall Tour kicked off at CocoaConf Columbus with the most eclectic collection of instruments ever assembled for a Breakpoint Jam.

  • iOS Device Summary: iOS 8 Update

    June 13, 2014

    I’ve updated my iOS Device Summary for iOS 8 with the info Apple has publicly posted.

  • Breakpoints Recap WWDC 2014

    June 11, 2014

    There was no WWDC ticket for me this year, but it was still a very enjoyable and busy week for James Dempsey and the Breakpoints. Here are some of the highlights from last week in San Francisco.

  • Close Enough To Taste It

    May 23, 2014

    This week I reached a milestone that means a great deal to me.

  • WWDC After Dark

    May 13, 2014

    When James Dempsey and the Breakpoints play live near WWDC, sometimes things progress beyond the sweet sounds of nerdy, nerdy music.

  • James Dempsey and the Breakpoints, LIVE near WWDC 2014, Wed 6/4!

    April 29, 2014

    James Dempsey and the Breakpoints will be performing Live Near WWDC 2014 on Wednesday, June 4th at 7:00 PM.

  • Life Without WWDC

    April 18, 2014

    [Update: This post was written in 2014 — but holds true for WWDC 2015. As for me, I didn’t try to get a ticket this year.

  • March of the Breakpoints — ‘Goto Fail’, Chicago, DC

    April 9, 2014

    March was a busy month for James Dempsey and the Breakpoints, with a brand new song and video (ripped from the headlines!) and Breakpoint Jams at CocoaConf Chicago and Washington DC.

  • Breakpoint Jam Atlanta—Virtual Fireworks and iPhone Slide Guitar

    December 18, 2013

    The fall tour of the Breakpoint Jam wrapped up at CocoaConf Atlanta with some memorable moments including some iPhone slide guitar and a newly-minted Breakpoint.

  • Breakpoint Jam Boston — Fall Tour Continues

    November 13, 2013

    On an October evening conveniently situated between World Series games, the fall _Breakpoint Jam _tour continued at CocoaConf Boston.

  • Important Points for Developers from Fall Apple Events

    October 29, 2013

    Some of the most important points for developers to consider from the recent iPhone and iPad launch events are circled on these charts.

  • Updated iOS Device Summary with iPad Air and new iPad mini

    October 24, 2013

    I’ve updated my iOS Device Summary to include the newly-announced iPad Air and iPad mini with Retina Display.

  • Breakpoint Jam Columbus — Fall Tour Begins

    October 4, 2013

    The fall Breakpoint Jam tour kicked off last week at CocoaConf Columbus.

  • Updated iOS Device Summary with iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C

    September 10, 2013

    I’ve updated my iOS Device Summary to include the newly-announced iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C.

  • iOS Device Summary: iOS 7 Update

    June 21, 2013

    I’ve updated my iOS Device Summary for iOS 7 with the info Apple has publicly posted.

  • Breakpoints Live Near WWDC 2013, Wed 6/12! Save the date!

    May 28, 2013

    Update Jun 9, 2013: Daniel Pasco will be joining the Breakpoints on trumpet and guitar!

  • Almost Dropped My iPhone Available on iTunes

    April 17, 2013

    Almost Dropped My iPhone, the second single by James Dempsey and the Breakpoints, is now available in worldwide release on iTunes. Inspired by actual events, Almost Dropped My iPhone captures the full emotional range of this modern tale of momentary loss and redemption.

  • Breakpoint Jam Dallas

    April 10, 2013

    The spring tour continued in Dallas with our second Breakpoint Jam. There was a mix of ‘conditional breakpoints’ old and new joining in to play a set of James Dempsey and the Breakpoints songs for the crowd.

  • Chicago Breakpoint Jam Recap

    March 14, 2013

    Last Friday night at CocoaConf Chicago, we had a lot of fun at the first Breakpoint Jam. Thank you to those who stepped up as ‘conditional breakpoints’ for the evening to play a set of James Dempsey and the Breakpoints songs for the crowd.

  • Introducing the Breakpoint Jam at CocoaConf Chicago

    March 2, 2013

    Next week at CocoaConf Chicago, we are doing something new that we’re calling a Breakpoint Jam.

  • Pixar Post Interview and WALT Review

    January 18, 2013

    The Pixar Post just ran an interview with me along with their review of WALT.

  • New Breakpoints Song at Renaissance!

    January 7, 2013

    James Dempsey and the Breakpoints will be debuting a new song at the Renaissance conference later this month. The song will be part of a noon performance on Wednesday, January 23rd, which will include old favorites along with the new single.

  • Hope to see you at Renaissance

    December 30, 2012

    Renaissance, the iOS app makers’ conference, is happening in San Francisco from  January 21-23. It looks to be an excellent event and I am excited to be a part of it.

  • Updated iOS Device Summary

    October 24, 2012

    Here’s an updated version of the iOS Device Summary that includes the newly announced iPad mini and 4th Generation iPad.  Read more about the summary in the original article. Downloadable PDFs are at the bottom of the post. •

  • iOS Device Summary

    October 9, 2012

    One challenge as a small independent iOS developer is keeping up with evolving hardware. Some testing can be done in the iOS Simulator, but to see how an app truly behaves, it is important to develop and test on actual devices.

  • Getting an app ready for iPhone 5

    October 2, 2012

    I was traveling the week between the iPhone 5 announcement and release. I returned from my trip champing at the bit to update my app WALT to use the entire 4-inch display, instead of being stuck in the letterbox ghetto. Updating turned out to be simple and straightforward.  Here’s how it went.

  • Shipping a first iOS app

    August 27, 2012

    My first iOS app, WALT, went live recently, and I wanted to share some of my thoughts on the development experience.  Overall, there were two big differences from past projects I have worked on.

  • Moving to new Objective-C literals

    July 30, 2012

    Last week, I moved one of my projects over to use the new Objective-C literals for NSNumber, NSArray and NSDictionary as well as the new syntax for boxing expressions into NSNumber and NSString objects.  Here are a few comments on how it went.

  • The Liki Song on iTunes!

    June 8, 2012

    Our new single, The Liki Song, is now available on iTunes. Like a tropical breeze arriving on the shores of a faraway isle, the new single from James Dempsey and the Breakpoints is here—gliding onto the scene just in time for WWDC 2012.

  • New Breakpoints Single for WWDC 2012

    May 31, 2012

    Over the past few months, a number of people have asked if there would be a new song for WWDC this year, and I found myself wondering the same thing. Then, driving into the studio one afternoon, a song started to take shape somewhere between Mountain View and Palo Alto.  So, I’m very happy to announce that there will be a new song this year.

  • Breakpoints Live Show 6/13 in SF! Save the date!

    May 14, 2012

    Will you be in San Francisco the week of WWDC?

  • Studio Update: Gonna Needa Pasteboard

    April 27, 2012

    We recorded Gonna Needa Pasteboard, a rockabilly romp through the world of NSPasteboard. Joining me in the studio was John Scalo on guitar—who also played live on the original—and Raleigh Ledet from the AppKit team who sat in on drums.

  • The Cisco ad with the robots

    April 20, 2012

    During a presidential election year, I tend to watch the news much more often than usual.  This doesn’t seem to make me any better informed, the news outlets seldom provide more useful detail than I can glean scanning headlines and blurbs in Google News.  I watch as a guilty pleasure.  It’s like professional wrestling dressed up in a suit and tie with hyped-up rivalries and dramatic outrage over trivial matters.  It is entertaining theater, even if it doesn’t seem to lead to particularly effective government.

  • Scenes from the studio

    April 19, 2012

    Recording the album is underway. We kicked things off by laying down the bit-flippin’, head-trippin’ tracks for the song Endian Reservations. Here are a few photos from our first session.

  • Is the end near for System Preferences?

    April 18, 2012

    One of these things seems out of place. Can you spot it?

  • Recording at The Annex

    April 3, 2012

    In the coming weeks, James Dempsey and the Breakpoints will be recording our first album at The Annex in Menlo Park, a Silicon Valley studio with a long and storied 35-year history.  As we get ready to do so, I wanted to describe the setting and share a little bit about why I find this place particularly special for the project ahead.

  • Into The Studio

    March 29, 2012

    It is amazing how exciting it feels to finally start working on a project after thinking about it for a long, long time.  Back in 2001, I had the thought that it might be amusing, in the middle of a technical presentation, to pull out a guitar and sing a little song about the topic at hand.

Copyright © 2012-2025 James Dempsey