My name is Sohail. I’m an iOS developer-consultant and entrepreneur. I’ve also worked on several Ruby on Rails projects since 2007. I began my professional software development journey with Objective-C on black hardware from NeXT in the early 1990’s. I tend to follow a lot of the tech sector, especially Apple. I’m currently half of the designer-developer duo Appstronomy, creating REPS Pro for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Bootstrapping that effort, I can often be found providing iOS and Rails consultancy services from my home base in Toronto, Canada. Building apps and business around them is exciting, but I do find a sprinkle of consulting keeps things fresh, exciting and recharging. As such, you’ll often see me on projects in the Northeastern US.
Education
I graduated from the University of Waterloo (about an hour west of Toronto, in Canada), completing Systems Design Engineering, specializing in software engineering and management sciences. After that, I completed an Honours in Economics, specializing in Finance. University is where I first was exposed to the NeXT lab and Objective-C.
This Blog
This is my professional blog. Most of my posts will revolve around iOS software development and broaden based on whatever I happen to be working with at the time. My personal blog is available at idStar.org. There, you’ll find content I’ve written with tech tips, product reviews and occasionally, social commentary.
My Setup
When I wrote this blog intro in 2013, I was still using my trusty Mac Pro from 2008. I love the expandability. Everything is in one box. My primary screen is a 27″ Apple Cinema Display, flanked by two 24″-ish monitors. Keeping me away from RSI, I use the cheap, but effective Microsoft Natural Ergonomic keyboard 4000. And I love my GeekDesk Max. I alternate between sitting and standing, doing the later more than half of the time. On the road, a 13″ Macbook Air serves me well, along with me dropping a 24″ monitor and aforementioned Microsoft keyboard wherever I go.
Favourite Podcasts
Some of my favourite tech podcasts include the Accidental Tech Podcast, Developing Perspective, iDeveloper, Edge Cases, NSBrief, Core Intuition, Identical Cousins and Debug. On the health and fitness side, I’m a fan of Latest in Paleo and the Paleo Solution. Finally, for business and startups, Startups for the Rest of Us is hard to beat. There are many more that I often listen to; these are but a few.
Conferences
I enjoy attending Apple’s WWDC conference almost every year, and try to make it out to at least one CocoaConf each year. I do plan to attend more of the iOS related conferences in the near future.
Early Years
As a little boy of seven, I enjoyed spending countless hours in wonder with my Commodore VIC-20 and later, Commodore 64. Learning to develop software (and some hardware) on my own was at times frustrating, but then with success, so rewarding. It was a fascinating time, and I now enjoy participating in creating the future building software and businesses that matter.
Beyond Tech
Outside of software, I have a passion for health, fitness, nutrition, mentoring and just doing my part to create a better world. Don’t we all have a little idealism in us?
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