News

Tate’s IP Utility – Version 3.0.0

April 3, 2025

Another big step forward for Tate’s IP Utility, now at version 3.0.0!
This is a free update for all existing users, and you can grab it on the Mac App Store.

What’s New?

The headliner for this release: IP address changes now update almost instantly.
This is especially helpful for users on dynamic networks or VPNs—your menu bar will stay accurate in real-time with less delay.

Beyond that:

  • Minor interface improvements
  • Performance gains
  • Smaller app footprint

Under the Hood

This update also includes two major behind-the-scenes upgrades that developers and the technically curious might appreciate.

✅ Replacing Reachability with Network Path Monitor

In previous versions, I used the popular Reachability library– originally a paste-in sample from Apple that later evolved into a community-maintained GitHub repo. It served me well and is a go-to for many iOS/macOS devs (I’ve personally used it across tons of client projects).

But while revisiting the codebase, I decided to look for something more modern. That’s when I discovered Apple’s Network Path Monitor, introduced in 2018– a year before I released v1.0.0. 🙃

After diving in, I rewrote the IP monitoring logic using this official API. The results were immediate:

  • Faster, more accurate detection of network changes
  • Simpler, more native integration
  • Less code

Honestly, it felt like a huge win. If you’re still relying on Reachability, I’d encourage you to take a look at Apple’s Network Framework– it’s clean, fast, and built-in.

🧠 Embracing a Reactive Architecture (Inspired by SwiftUI)

Although I rewrote the app in Swift for 2.0.0, I’ve since spent time learning SwiftUI. While it didn’t turn out to be the right fit for this app (more on that in a sec), some of its underlying ideas inspired architectural improvements in this release.

Here’s what I took from SwiftUI:

  • Reactive Design: When data changes, the UI updates automatically– no manual sync needed. Using property observers (like Swift’s didSet) and data bindings, the app now responds to changes much more fluidly.
  • Model-View Simplicity: Not quite MVVM, and not quite MVC– just a clean separation between data and UI. Apple’s own sample code often takes this “MV” approach: expose a shared model, and let views observe it. No duplication or glue code. Just state flowing one way, with minimal ceremony.

This shift eliminated a lot of the glue logic I previously had to manually manage– like syncing the menu bar with the settings window. Now they just stay in sync by design. Make a change in one, and it shows up in the other, instantly.

Why Not SwiftUI?

I did consider rewriting the interface in SwiftUI… but it didn’t quite fit the app’s structure. SwiftUI assumes your app is centered around a windowed interface, but Tate’s IP Utility lives in the menu bar, with an optional settings window.

Until SwiftUI becomes more flexible for non-standard macOS apps like this one, I’m sticking with AppKit, which continues to be the best choice here.

That’s it for this release! I’m excited about the direction things are heading, and hope the update improves your day-to-day experience with the app.

Thanks for using Tate’s IP Utility!

Tate’s IP Utility – New version available!

Jan 3, 2021

An update to Tate’s IP Utility has been released! (Version 2.0.0)

The is a free update for existing users, but does require macOS Monterey. You can download the update via the macOS App Store.

If you’re unfamiliar with the app, it allows you to display your IP address in the macOS menubar in realtime, and can show either local interfaces (local network address, virtual machines, connected devices), or your public address with country information (good for folks with VPNs, or client / server development, or things like that.)

In terms of what’s new, the binary size is smaller, and overall the app should be more performant than before. There are also a few more descriptive errors based on why an IP address can’t be displayed, like having “No network interface” if say your computer is completely disconnected from a network.

Behind the scenes, the app was completely rewritten from scratch in Swift, whereas the original app was written in C++ and Objective-C. If you had asked me three years ago (when I first published this app) if I would have ever fully embraced Swift, I probably would have rolled my eyes. In my mind, C++ had everything and could do anything, as long as you put in the hard work to do so.

But what can I say, Swift is a little language I’ve grown quite fond of over the last few years. There’s a certain expressiveness and modern-ness that the language has to it. The automation tools developed by the community are just amazing to have as time savers and just make the experience in writing apps that much easier, and with less “hard work” to do.

Shows what getting out of your comfort zone and overcoming your own stubbornness can get you.

Independence Day Sale!

July 4, 2019

Happy Independence Day, everyone!

We’ll be running a sale from July 4th until end-of-day July 7th for our current titles:

Sleepy Puppies is a totally adorable game where you wake all the puppies in three rounds– a fantastic and frantic fast paced puzzle game!

Tate’s IP Utility is a macOS menubar app which tells you what your current IP address is at all times, which is great for web developers and those who use VPNs!

Both of these titles are on sale from now until the end of day July 7th, 2019. If you haven’t had a chance to pick them up, now is the perfect time to do so!

Sleepy Puppies for iOS, tvOS, and macOS released!

May 17, 2019

Happy Friday, everyone!

I’m proud to announce that I’ve published a new game called “Sleepy Puppies” for iOS, tvOS, and macOS simultaneously!

Wake the puppies! This super cute puzzler challenges you to try to wake up the puppies in each round, starting out simple and getting more challenging over the course of three rounds.

A great pick up and play game, or just a fun game to pass time while still challenging your brain. Hints are even available if you really get stuck.

The more you play, the more puppies you can unlock! You might even meet a kitty… and who knows what else?

You can play the game via touch on iOS, Apple Remote on tvOS, and mouse via macOS… or you can also use a compatible Apple MFi Certified game controller on any platform.

Please help me get the word out and share this post if you’d like to help support an indie developer– and I’d love for you to try the game and let me know what you think!

Thanks!
–Terence

Tate’s IP Utility for macOS released!

February 13, 2019

Today I’m proud to release a new piece of utility software for macOS, called “Tate’s IP Utility.”

Tate’s IP Utility shows your IP Address from either your local network, public networks, or VPN in your macOS menubar.

Also useful for those developing server or client software, for those testing VPNs, and just anyone wanting to know their IP Address at a glance at any time.

It’s available now on the Mac App Store, and a full feature list with screenshots can be seen on it’s dedicated website.

Happy 4th of July!

July 4th, 2014

In celebration of July 4th, and for a limited time, all of our current games are now free!

Head over to the Games page and download our titles!

Website relaunch

June 16th, 2014

Relaunched the Tate Mode website with a fresh new design!

Check out the Games page to get started.