Part of having a successful user group is having great content to present at meetings. Some groups are able to get guest speakers, products demonstrations, and even remote presentations. But for some groups that is not always logistically possible. Over the last few months we have featured Apple podcasts, Today at Apple, Apple Teacher, Keynotes, and Apple Sales Web, five incredible resources to help groups create enjoyable meetings and educate members. This month we will look at a sixth great resource, Swift Playgrounds.
Swift Playgrounds is a revolutionary app for iPad that offers an incredibly engaging way to learn to code, even for those who have no previous experience with coding. You group can easily learn how to write code to control popular drones, robots, handheld devices and games, including Lego Mindstorms EV, Parrot Drones and Sphero robots, all while having fun and learning.
Swift Playgrounds takes full advantage of the power, Multi-Touch capabilities, and simplicity of iPad. Just tap, drag, or type text and numbers and then interact with what you’ve created. With QuickType for code, the Shortcut Bar intelligently displays commands as you go, so you can write a line of code with a tap or two. And for those moments when typing is the best option, there’s an innovative keyboard designed just for coding. Touch a key to access multiple characters, then drag to choose the one you want. And, help is always available: If you come across a command that’s hard to understand, simply touch and hold it. A menu of options will appear. Choose the most relevant one and get the answer you need.
You can make robots do incredible things with code you write yourself.
https://www.apple.com/swift/playgrounds/#subsection-robots
Even if you have never tried to code before, you can code.
https://www.apple.com/everyone-can-code/
Resources are available, including an eBook: App Development with Swift.
Learn more.
https://www.apple.com/swift/playgrounds/
Download Swift Playgrounds, give it a try, and use it for your group’s next meeting.
https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=908519492&mt=8&ls=1
