WWDC 2013 - Inside View

Getting to the WWDC was not easy. I understood that there would be many people willing to participate in the conference. Therefore, by the time the ticket sale opened, I was prepared: I checked the Internet connection, laid out both my credit cards in front of me (in case one did not work) and waited for the cherished Buy Tickets button on the Apple website. And here she is! I click, enter my username and password and ... see a message about a technical problem. Several times convulsively refresh the page, but nothing happens. Finally, the page has loaded, and a laconic inscription “Sold out” appears on the screen ... 2 minutes, and the tickets have been sold, this is hype! I was in a slight confusion all the next day - the plans did not come true. However, in the evening I received a call from Apple and reported that they had tracked my attempt to purchase a ticket. They say that something didn’t work there, but they reserved a ticket for me and send me a link for purchase by mail if I, of course, did not change my mind. The ticket was purchased, a visa was obtained, and I went to San Francisco.

I flew to San Francisco the day before the conference began and immediately went to the Moscone Center, where Apple has been holding events for several years. I wanted to register in advance, and in general explore the area. The atmosphere of the big event was felt - huge colorful posters and apples everywhere, many developers in jackets with the number “13” on the back (they were given out at registration).


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As for San Francisco, I immediately liked the city. It seemed to me cozy and friendly, despite the fairly large number of vagrants on the streets. I got the impression that I had already been here - apparently, films and video games left their mark. Trams, streets going up, plenty of greenery - everything was pleasing to the eye and set up in a positive way.



The conference itself began with a queue for KeyNote - an event where new Apple products are presented. All participants wanted to be as close to the stage as possible, to witness Tim Cook and the company's leading engineers. Some began to be on duty in front of Moscone on Sunday morning! I am not such a fan, so I slept and took a turn only an hour and a half before the start. Despite this, I managed to occupy a fairly 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 on 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 Apple Design Awards winners award. The application Aviasales , unfortunately, did not award, 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 ipad laid out in a row:


The next four days of the conference were held in the mode of sessions and the so-called lab. At the sessions, Apple engineers talk in detail about the innovations and subtleties of development and design. At the labs, they talk to the participants if they have questions or problems that they cannot solve on their own. Several times I consulted with the guys from Apple about the various chips in our applications and I should note that this was a positive experience. They were polite and sincerely eager to help.

For participants DabDab (informal name WWDC) 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 organize parties right in their offices. This is an integral part of the conference. In the evenings, the participants get to know each other, share their opinions about what they heard during the day, and exchange business contacts. This is where you realize that the conference is truly worldwide. During the week I met with developers from different parts of the world: from the USA, Europe, Japan and even Colombia. Well, Russia, of course. The guys from Yandex, Parallels, WarGaming, Readdle, MacPaw, BuyBaton and What'sApp - it was a pleasure to talk with you all on the other side of the Earth!

WWDC Bash is an event that Apple organizes for conference participants. We were treated to drinks and food, while the Vampire Weekend performed:


I can say with confidence that WWDC was a success for me, like the whole trip as a whole. 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!