WWDC 2013 - Inside View
Getting to WWDC was not easy. I understood that there would be a lot of people wishing to participate in the conference. Therefore, by the time the ticket sale started, I was prepared: I checked the Internet connection, laid out both of my credit cards in front of me (in case one does not work) and waited for the treasured Buy Tickets button to appear on the Apple website. And here she is! I click, enter my username and password and ... I see a message about a technical problem. I frantically refresh the page several times, but nothing happens. Finally, the page loaded, and a concise inscription “Sold out” appears on the screen ... 2 minutes, and the tickets are sold, this is a stir! I was in a slight confusion the next day - the plans were not destined to come true. However, in the evening, they called me from Apple and informed me that they had tracked my attempt to purchase a ticket. Like, something there didn’t work for them, but they reserved a ticket for me and send a purchase link to my mail, unless of course I change my mind. A ticket was purchased, a visa was obtained, and I went to San Francisco.
I flew to San Francisco the day before the conference and immediately went to the Moscone Center, where Apple has been holding events for several years. I wanted to register in advance, and indeed to inspect the area. The atmosphere of the big event was felt - huge colorful posters and apples everywhere, a lot of developers in jackets with the number "13" on their backs (these were issued at registration).
As for San Francisco, I immediately liked the city. He seemed to me cozy and friendly, despite a fairly large number of tramps on the streets. I got the impression that I was already here - apparently, films and video games left their mark. Trams, streets going up, the abundance of greenery - everything was pleasing to the eye and set in a positive way.
The conference itself began with a lineup at KeyNote, an event that introduced new Apple products. All participants wanted to be as close to the stage as possible, to personally see Tim Cook and the company's leading engineers. Some started to stand on duty in front of Moscone on Sunday morning! I’m not such a fan, so I got enough sleep and took the queue only an hour and a half before the start. Despite this, I managed to occupy a rather conveniently located place in the center of the hall.
The opening of the conference was impressive. And the event itself, and the company's products presented at it. After KeyNote, a presentation followed, in which they spoke in more detail about the innovations in iOS 7 and OS X Mavericks. And the first day ended with the award winners of the Apple Design Awards. The Aviasales application , unfortunately, was not awarded, but still ahead.
One of the winners is the Badland game:
Our application was found in the stream of the most downloaded applications, which was visualized using 120 ipads laid out in a row:
The next four days of the conference were held in session mode and the so-called lab. At the sessions, Apple engineers talk in detail about the innovations and subtleties of development and design. On the labs, they talk with participants if they have questions or problems that cannot be resolved on their own. Several times I consulted with the guys from Apple about the various chips in our applications and I should note that it was a positive experience. They were polite and sincerely sought to help.
For participants of the DubDab (informal WWDC name), the question of what to do in the evening does not arise. All week, various local IT companies hold parties: some rent bars or clubs, some arrange parties right at their offices. This is an integral part of the conference. In the evenings, participants get to know each other, share their opinions about what they heard during the day, and exchange business contacts. It is here that you realize that the conference is truly worldwide. In a week I met developers from different parts of the world: from the USA, Europe, Japan and even Colombia. Well, and Russia, of course. The guys from Yandex, Parallels, WarGaming, Readdle, MacPaw, BuyBaton and What'sApp - all of you were very pleased to chat on the other side of the Earth!
WWDC Bash is an event organized by Apple for conference participants. We were treated to drink and food, and Vampire Weekend spoke:
I can say with confidence that WWDC was a success for me, like the whole trip. However, due to the busy schedule of the conference and parties, I almost did not have time to see the city. So be sure to come back one day. San Francisco, wait!
