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Swift Around the Web
Swift: Who says the playground can’t be interactive?
Ok, not exactly sure how @ericasadun did this, but I'm impressed.
Code
CocoaPods 0.36 - Framework and Swift Support
It's official!!!!! "CocoaPods 0.36 adds support for dynamic frameworks, and with that it also brings enhanced support for dependencies using Apple's new programming language, Swift."
ResearchKit Technical Overview
I talked to a researcher at Wearables TechCon earlier last week, and she couldn't be more excited about ResearchKit. Apparently she is not the only one: "After six hours we have 7406 people enrolled in our Parkinson's study. Largest one ever before was 1700 people." - @wilbanks on Twitter.
Apple News
Xcode 6.3 beta 3 with Swift 1.2 Now Available
A new Swift Beta is available. Changes include the addition of flatMap, even funner Playgrounds, Force Touch support, and more! Check out Xcode 6.3: Wheeeee! Beta threeeeee! from @ericasadun and Changes to the Swift standard library in 1.2 betas 2 and 3 from @airspeedVelocity.
Nullability and Objective-C
You can now write your Objective-C code to be very compatible with Swift optionals (no more force unwraps!). Yes, you have to add an additional nonnull or nullable flag, but your Swift code will thank you. And to make life easier, you can now use the NS_ASSUME_NONNULL_BEGIN / END macros to cluster non-optional properties.
WatchKit Development Tips and Best Practices
Must-read tips about Images, Performance, Dictation, Communication with iPhone, and more.
Design
Apple Watch - App Store Apps
A showcase of the first apps that will appear on the Apple Watch. Great for understanding the expected Watch UI.
Random Cool Stuff
Current Status
Lol. I love all the shortcuts we have to take to imagine what the Apple Watch will actually feel like. Almost makes the wait worth it...
In Case You Missed It
WatchKit: The Text Input and Dictation API is Available!
I somehow missed this, but you can now trigger a text input interface on the Apple Watch! And yes, there is an emoji and even an animated emoji option! The only issue is that the text input and emoji buttons do not work in the simulator, so there isn't really a great way to test this until we get the hardware...
Videos
Swift in Production
"Is Swift ready for use in production codebases? Ash takes you through his recent adventures writing a complete, 100% Swift app. From the benefits of using this new language to the problems you'll likely face, this talk should give you the know-how to make your own informed decision."
WATCH
WatchSim
"WatchSim allows you interactively evaluate your Apple Watch UX at actual size on your iPhone or iPad." It's $9.99 but definitely worth it if you're building an Apple Watch App and need more real-life testing before the actual watch comes out. Check out WatchSim in action in this video (thanks @_DavidSmith for the tip).
Building  Watch Apps
A very in-depth post covering nearly every aspect of WatchKit development. Lots of great tips throughout. One that stood out to me was using Handoff to show what is currently displayed on the Apple Watch in your main iOS app.
Swift Code
AAFaceDetection - Approachable implementation of iOS FaceDetection with CIDetector for prototyping based on NSNotification.
JSQDataSourcesKit - Type-safe, value-oriented data source objects that keep your view controllers light
Versions - Helping you find inner peace when comparing version numbers in Swift.
WatchKit-Apps - Tutorials app for WatchKit
KFWatchKitAnimations - KFWatchKitAnimations creates beautiful 60 FPS animations on  Watch by recording animations from the iOS Simulator.
Swift Thoughts
Swift inspiration of the week: "Most perplexing feedback on Swift: folks who see it (and judge it) as the end of a trek - but don't realize it is the start of a new world." - Chris Lattner.
And now onto a PSA: I'll be out on an off-the-grid vacation for the next few weeks - the robot needs to recharge. Don't worry though, the Swift newsletter will return bigger and better than ever on April 13th. Until then, get mesmerized by this beautiful gold video!