Daniel Bernal

đź‘‹ Howdy!

I write iOS apps while tinkering on the interwebs from beautiful Valencia. 
Currently leading a mobile team at Automattic

danielbernal.co
March 22, 2023

A different learning groove

Not all learning has to be confined within classroom walls or follow a rigid checklist. Often, the most valuable lessons emerge as we venture off the beaten path. As someone who embraces “Experiential learning” – learning by doing and making mistakes – my approach differs from the traditional method of lectures, readings, and exercises...
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February 23, 2023

@backDeployed: Could SwiftUI be backward compatible?

One of the most exciting (yet obscure) changes with iOS 16.4 is the @backDeployed attribute in Swift. @backDeployed will allow you to mark certain functions or properties as backward-compatible. When using it, the Swift compiler generates code that checks at runtime whether the feature is available on the target device. If not, it will...
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February 14, 2023

See you on the Duck side!

I joined Automattic in 2020 after more than five years in management roles at different consulting companies. Going back to coding full-time was a challenge on its own, but it was also the perfect opportunity to move back to product development and take on the exciting challenge of leading iOS Core at Tumblr. This has been the best job...
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February 13, 2023

AI: Convenience Vs. Curiosity

AI blowing us away with its superhuman abilities is cool, but that's the tip of the iceberg. The real magic of AI, especially in search, is its availability and affordability. With traditional search engines, you still have to dig and check a few sites before finding what you're looking for. This helps ensure the source is trustworthy ...
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January 27, 2023

I'm not rich enough to buy cheap things

While it might be tempting to go for the cheapest option, when it comes to your work tools, it's not worth it in the long run. Tools are an investment. Putting your money into something that will last, and help you do your work faster, will save you time, money, and frustration in the long run. Buying cheap things means you'll likely e...
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January 21, 2023

The multiple priorities conundrum

Let's assume you lead a development team and you're given the following list of priorities. Next year's priorities: • Improve app stability • Improve app performance • Improve app accessibility • Update the app's UI design • Remove low-usage features • Improve Quality Where would you start? — Does that mean you have to do all of that n...
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January 21, 2023

Empathy Saves

As I was walking around downtown the other day, this graffiti caught my eye. Roughly translated, it says: Empathy saves… Empathy saves lives, situations, whales, oceans, relationships, wishes, thoughts, homes, families, friends, ideas, bees, cyclists, pedestrians, poems, kisses, conversations, hugs, breakfasts, bakeries, companies, son...
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January 21, 2023

Looking for older stuff?

If you're looking for some old post, check out the original blog archive, or just go to danielbernal.co/blog
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