Matt Craig

Senior Engineer, Luxology

Home: San Mateo, CA, USA

Years programming for the Mac: 16

Number of WWDCs attended: 7

Favorite Mac OS X technologies: Quartz, Core Graphics, OpenGL.

Favorite things to do in San Francisco: Eat at all the cool restaurants.

Other: Father of 18-month old twins. Has a golden retriever named Indy. Lives on Diet Coke.

Fisherman's Wharf

This picturesque northern waterfront area from Ghiradelli Square to Pier 35 is known for its delicious seafood and spectacular sights. Try the fresh Dungeness crab or a bowl of cioppino at Fisherman’s Wharf—Alioto’s, Scoma’s and Pompei’s are just some of the family-owned and legendary restaurants. For after hours fun, take a short trek to the Buena Vista Cafe, famous for their Irish coffee and Gin Fizz.

Smith Kennedy

Software Design Engineer, Hewlett-Packard

Home: Boise, ID, USA

Years programming for the Mac: 6

Number of WWDCs attended: 4

Favorite Mac OS X technologies: Bonjour, Keychain, CUPS, System Configuration Framework, ASR, Xcode, BSD UNIX, iChat AV, Shark.

Favorite things to do in San Francisco: Explore different communities and architecture, check out the restaurants and bars.

Other: Enjoys climbing, snowboarding, mountain biking, and of course, messing around with Macs and networking.

Palace of Fine Arts

Built for the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition, the Palace of FIne Arts sits in a beautiful park with a spectacular view of the city and the bay. Close by is the Exploratorium, a hands-on museum with hundreds of science exhibits. The Palace is located near the spacious Presidio grounds, and the quiet Marina district that was so heavily damaged during the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake.

Mike O’Leary

Digital Production System Designer, Hallmark Cards

Home: Kansas City, MO, USA

Years programming for the Mac: 8

Number of WWDCs attended: 3

Favorite Mac OS X technologies: AppleScript is our bread and butter. Xcode and Interface Builder are indispensable.

Favorite things to do in San Francisco: Walk and see Chinatown, Japantown, and visit the Museum of Modern Art.

Other: An uncaffeinated vegetarian who thinks sleep is for babies. “Bring on the insoluble problems.”

Haight-Ashbury

A famous focal point for the 1967 Summer of Love, the Haight-Ashbury district still harkens to its psychedelic past with colorful storefronts and grungy street life. You can sort through every imaginable type of music, both used and new, at the enormous Amoeba Music store located on Haight between Shrader and Stanyan. And if you’re thirsty, try Toronado in Lower Haight, a no-fuss tavern that offers an ever-changing selection of more than 50 beers on tap.

Wil Shipley

Chief Monster, Delicious Monster

Home: Seattle, WA, USA

Years programming for the Mac: 10 (Mac), 17 (Cocoa), 25 (Apple)

Number of WWDCs attended: 5

Favorite Mac OS X technologies: NSXML, Cocoa Bindings, Core Data, Quartz, Accelerate Framework.

Favorite things to do in San Francisco: Exploratorium!

Other: Entire company works out of a cafe. Drives an “Ardent Red” Lotus Elise. Enjoys extreme gardening and pimping code.

Chinatown

Authentic and eclectic, some of the best things in San Francisco’s Chinatown are found by exploring its many side streets and alleyways. Head north from the Chinatown Gate located on Grant at Bush Street and you’ll find sweet Chinese cakes at the Eastern Bakery, the oldest bakery in Chinatown. Keep going and you’ll eventually find the Ten Ren Tea Company which sells 40 different teas along with Chinese, Korean and American Ginseng.

Dean Dauger, Ph. D.

President, Dauger Research

Home: Huntington Beach, CA, USA

Years programming for the Mac: 16

Number of WWDCs attended: 9

Favorite Mac OS X technologies: Bonjour, Quartz, AppleScript/Automator, QuickTime.

Favorite things to do in San Francisco: Visiting the Exploratorium and Fisherman’s Wharf.

Other: Juggles, sails, scuba dives, and plays both piano and violin. With his wife, climbed Mount Kilimanjaro; planning on scaling Half Dome this summer.

Market Street

No visitor to San Francisco can forget Market Street, the broad three-mile thoroughfare that starts out bordering the Financial District and cuts a diagonal path across the city to the hills of Twin Peaks. On Market between 1st and 2nd Streets, you’ll find Stacey’s, the city’s oldest independent bookstore. Founded in 1923, Stacey’s carries 150,000 titles and offers comfy reading chairs on second floor overlooking the busy street below.

Aaron Tuller

Developer, Endicia

Home: Olympia, WA, USA

Years programming for the Mac: 15

Number of WWDCs attended: 3

Favorite Mac OS X technologies: Cocoa, Quartz Composer, Core Data.

Favorite things to do in San Francisco: Coffee at Philz on 24th Street, LaserDisc shopping at Amoeba on Haight, and meatball sandwiches at Mario’s in North Beach.

Other: Drives a “Velvet Red” Mini Cooper. Last vacation was a trip to Sweden to see the band Comet Gain play. Prefers to drink Guarana Antarctica while programming.

Ferry Building

After a four-year renovation effort, the San Francisco Ferry Building with its iconic 240-foot tall clock tower reopened in 2003. With a variety of specialty groceries and restaurants, plus the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market four days a week, the Ferry Building is now a culinary paradise for hungry visitors. During warm weather, take your selections and dine al fresco next to the lapping waters of San Francisco Bay.

Ken Case

CEO, The Omni Group

Home: Seattle, WA, USA

Years programming for the Mac: Learned the Mac APIs in 1984, detoured through UNIX and the NeXT platform, then returned to the Mac in 1997.

Number of WWDCs attended: 10

Favorite Mac OS X technologies: Cocoa Bindings, Core Data, Core Image, OpenGL, Quartz, WebKit.

Favorite things to do in San Francisco: Going out to lunch and dinner with people, making new friendships and renewing old ones.

Other: Sings bass in a choir; enjoys roller skating, computer games from M.U.L.E to Oblivion, and life with his creative wife and two exuberant daughters.

Alamo Square

Alamo Square is an excellent park for basking in the afternoon sun alongside the famous, postcard-perfect Victorian houses referred to as the “Painted Ladies.” Afterwards, head east down the hill to Hayes Valley with its myriad sidewalk cafes, boutique stores and galleries. Be sure to stop at Fritz Fries to snack on tasty Belgian french fries and crepes or try a delicious dessert at Citizen Cake.

Jayson Adams

VP of Technology, Circus Ponies Software

Home: Santa Monica, CA, USA

Years programming for the Mac: 10

Number of WWDCs attended: 4

Favorite Mac OS X technologies: AppKit, Quartz, Cocoa Foundation classes, Security Framework.

Favorite things to do in San Francisco: Hang out at the Lone Palm, a bar at 22nd and Guerrero.

Other: Drives a metallic gray Porsche Boxster, hangs out with the movie stars at Peet’s Coffee Santa Monica. Believes TV rots your brain (and who has time for it anyway).

Telegraph Hill

A stone’s throw from bustling North Beach, this quieter neighborhood is home to the flock made famous in the film “The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill.” Climb up the hill via Lombard Street and Telegraph Hill Boulevard, emerging at the top to marvel at the view from Coit Tower and sweep your eyes over the scenic San Francisco Bay panorama.

Glenda Adams

Director of Development, Aspyr Media

Home: Austin, TX, USA

Years programming for the Mac: 20

Number of WWDCs attended: 9

Favorite Mac OS X technologies: OpenGL, Spotlight.

Favorite things to do in San Francisco: Go for a run along the Embarcadero down to Fisherman’s Wharf.

Other: Has had “MCNTSH” license plates on her car since 1986.

Embarcadero

The demolition of the Embarcadero Freeway after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake re-connected San Francisco to one of its loveliest waterfronts, the Embarcadero. In 2003, a large sculpture resembling cupid’s bow and arrow was installed on the Embarcadero Plaza to symbolize where singer Tony Bennett “left his heart.” From the Plaza, a leisurely stroll in either direction delivers picturesque views of islands, freighters and sailboats on the Bay.

Steve Kalkwarf

Software Engineer, Bare Bones Software

Home: Tewksbury, MA, USA

Years programming for the Mac: 11? 12?

Number of WWDCs attended: 10

Favorite Mac OS X technologies: This week? Sync Services.

Favorite things to do in San Francisco: Explore the great ethnic restaurants.

Other: Enjoys Okinawan karate and listening to music. Fan of the coffee from Zocalo Coffeehouse, has the beans shipped in from their San Leandro, CA location.

Twin Peaks

It’s easy to spot your favorite landmarks from Twin Peaks, two famous San Francisco hills that loom more than 900 feet above the city. Sunset is a particularly nice time to enjoy the view, watching lights come on in the urban sprawl below, while the sky above fades to dark. For dinner, head down to Firefly on 24th Street in Noe Valley for unique food described as home cooking from around the world.

Ryan Dionne

Systems Analyst, GeoCenter

Home: Houston, TX, USA

Number of WWDCs attended: 4

Favorite Mac OS X technologies: UNIX foundation, Dashboard, .Mac, Spotlight.

Favorite things to do in San Francisco: Riding the cable cars and hunting Sasquatch in Muir Woods National Monument.

Other: Red Sox baseball and Longhorn football fan. Enjoys competitive cycling and sailing.

Baker Beach

A wonderful place to get away from the bustle of the city, Baker Beach features incredible views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the Marin headlands. The original site of Burning Man art festival, Baker Beach is also known to the locals as the nearest nudist beach. Come here to walk, run, or just sit and enjoy the great views, but don’t even think about swimming in these cold and notoriously dangerous currents.

Jakob S. Jakobsen

Senior Software Engineer, Lego System A/S

Home: Billund, Denmark

Years programming for the Mac: 16

Number of WWDCs attended: 5

Favorite Mac OS X technologies: Spotlight, Automator.

Favorite things to do in San Francisco: Relax with a cup of coffee at Union Square.

Other: Enjoys running, cycling, swimming, and vacationing in France. Drinks too much coffee.

Caffe Trieste, North Beach

The beat poets of the 1950’s fueled their creativity with Italian espresso in North Beach, and you can still sense the mood at Caffe Trieste. Hike up Grant from Columbus, find a table at the Cafe, and sip cappuccino while imagining Ginsberg, Ferlinghetti, and Kerouac sitting next to you, arguing, laughing and crafting the literature that defined a generation. The famous City Lights Bookstore, another Beat landmark, is a few blocks away on Columbus.

Robert Grant

Lead Developer, plasq

Home: Charleston, SC, USA

Years programming for the Mac: 5

Number of WWDCs attended: 2

Favorite Mac OS X technologies: Cocoa, Quartz, Core Image, Core Audio, Xcode.

Favorite things to do in San Francisco: Eating amazing vegetarian food at Greens Restaurant in Fort Mason, while watching the sun set behind the Golden Gate Bridge.

Other: Plays tennis, enjoys visiting the great cities of the world and watching Star Trek reruns with his 10-year-old daughter.

Potrero Hill

Known to locals as probably the sunniest in San Francisco, this neighborhood of artists and designers has wide, steep streets and an industrial feel. With downtown skyscrapers shimmering in the distance, a walk to the top of the hill can—literally—be breathtaking. For a less strenuous workout, stop by Farley’s coffeehouse to see work from local artists, or contact the Anchor Brewing Company to reserve a private afternoon tour for you and nine of your closest friends.

Osamu Igarashi

Developer, Fuji Xerox Printing Systems Co., Ltd.

Home: Saitama, Japan

Years programming for the Mac: 15

Number of WWDCs attended: 6

Favorite Mac OS X technologies: Bonjour, Quartz, CUPS, Web Kit, Spotlight, Dashboard, Automator.

Favorite things to do in San Francisco: Visiting the Museum of Modern Art’s store. Hanging on to the pole of a cable car on its way to Fisherman’s Wharf.

Other: Lives next to a bonsai farm. Enjoys skiing, sailing, and climbing. Got his start in Mac development by modifying programs using ResEdit, then writing his own using MPW.

Lombard Street

Known as the “the crookedest street” in San Francisco, Lombard Street is a must-see for visitors. Every day there is an endless stream of drivers slowly winding around the bends, and the street is so twisty and strange that it’s worth the wait to be a part of the show. Your best vantage point for this incredible sight is from the bottom, but another good way to enjoy it is at night: rent a cab and let the driver give you a thrill, without the hordes of tourists.

John Penn II

Senior/Lead Computer Scientist: Photoshop, Adobe Systems, Inc.

Home: San Jose, CA, USA

Years programming for the Mac: 22

Number of WWDCs attended: 16

Favorite Mac OS X technologies: QuickTime. Xgrid, UNIX foundation.

Favorite things to do in San Francisco: Taking photographs of the people, architecture, and city life.

Other: Loves mentoring, learning everything he can, and his incredible wife and daughter. Enjoys woodworking and driving his Viper very, very fast. Has been writing code for 3/4 of his life and still loves every day of it.

Japanese Tea Garden

In the heart of Golden Gate Park, the Japanese Tea Garden, the oldest in the US, is an oasis of serenity. Relax and enjoy a meditative cup of tea at the teahouse then stroll the garden’s five acres of lovely gardens, paths, ponds, sculptures, and bridges. From here, it’s a short walk over to the brand-new de Young Museum with its controversial ultramodern design and outstanding collections of Asian, African, and American art.

Joris Heuberger

Software Engineer, OsiriX

Home: Geneva, Switzerland

Years programming for the Mac: 2

Number of WWDCs attended: 1

Favorite Mac OS X technologies: Cocoa, vImage, OpenGL, UNIX foundation. And iChat!

Favorite things to do in San Francisco: Have a Guinness at the Irish House on O’Farrell. Check out new stuff at the Paul Frank Store. Visit the SFMOMA. Walk around.

Other: Enjoys music (iTunes/iPod/DJs never sleep…), television (24, Six Feet Under, The Shield), and chilling out with friends on the lakeside. Rides a bike, so there's one less car in the world.

Ocean Beach

Drive to Ocean Beach in the summertime and you’re greeted with an arresting view: four miles of gorgeous, sparsely populated beach running alongside the Great Highway, stretching from the Cliff House to the western end of Golden Gate Park. You have to leave the car to understand why only wetsuit-clad surfers consistently brave the cold fog that typically envelops the beach in late spring and summer. Be sure to bring a jacket.

Scott Thompson

Lead Cross-Platform Architect, Mindjet Corporation

Home: Plano, TX, USA

Years programming for the Mac: 13

Number of WWDCs attended: 6

Favorite Mac OS X technologies: Quartz 2D (wrote a book about it), Core Image, Xcode, AppleScript Studio.

Favorite things to do in San Francisco: Eat at “The Stinking Rose” restaurant in North Beach.

Other: Likes chasing after his two wonderful kids and reading fantasy adventure novels. An avid artisan bread baker and home brewer. Knows enough Danish to get himself into trouble, but not enough to get himself back out.

Washington Square

Located in North Beach, Washington Square is a green oasis in one of the most densely populated parts of San Francisco. Stop by a local favorite, Mario’s Bohemian Cigar Store, and try the baked focaccia sandwiches and homemade Tiramisu. Take your lunch out to Washington Square Park and sit beneath the trees and the spires of Saints Peter and Paul Church. The park is a natural gathering place for a variety of community events, including early morning Tai Chi.

Wenjun Zhou

Director, Tongji-Apple Joint Lab

Home: Shanghai, China

Years programming for the Mac: 3

Number of WWDCs attended: 1

Favorite Mac OS X technologies: Spotlight, Core Data, Dashboard.

Favorite things to do in San Francisco: Ride the cable cars.

Other: Loves to play computer soccer games. Finds it difficult to code without plenty of fresh watermelon on hand. Enjoys visiting interesting places with his iPod and backpack.

Nob Hill

Nob Hill, blessed with spectacular hillside views day or night, is where many of the rich and famous of 19th century San Francisco chose to reside, and retains its reputation as one of the ritziest neighborhoods in the city. Nearby, you’ll find some of the most elegant hotels in San Francisco. Hop off a cable car at the Mark Hopkins Hotel and take an elevator to the “Top of the Mark” Skybar for an elegant Martini and an incredible view.