How and Why to Create User Personas for your App
User personas are one of the most mysterious parts of the app user experience (UX) design process for non-designers. They’re also one of the most important parts of app development, and apps that reference user personas throughout all stages from idea to launch are much more likely to succeed. Stereotypes are never a good thing. […]
How to Perform a Competitive Analysis for Your App Idea
Would you go spelunking without a headlamp? What about mountaineering without a map? Well, pursuing your great app idea without performing a competitive analysis would be just as foolish. Finding and analyzing your competitors will shine a light on the “roadmap” for your business. Without it, you miss out on the chance to fill actual […]
MACRA Medicare Update Fails Patients, Doctors, and Startups
The Los Angeles app development community has been cautiously optimistic the past few weeks about the outcome of this year’s long-awaited updates to MACRA (the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act). In partnership with ACT The App Association and dozens of other leading tech companies across the country, we submitted detailed comments and research to […]
Anki’s Cozmo Shows the Humanistic Potential of AI Products
When most people think of robots, they think of the tropes played out in popular culture: Terminator war machines, job-guzzling automation devices, and other mostly negative, faceless stereotypes. Even the AI assistants trotted out by Android and Apple app developers have been met with a sense of distrust, especially when it comes to “always-listening” products […]
MedTech IoT Products Prove the Critics Wrong
A popular criticism of the Internet of things (IoT) is that it’s “just not necessary.” (Neither are running water or air travel, but I digress.) Given the poor execution and poorly thought-out market targeting of early IoT devices, it’s no surprise that consumers and critics feel this way. Yes, a cloud-connected toaster is silly and […]
Apple Backpedals on Self-Driving Car Operations
According to a report from Bloomberg, Apple is scaling back their plan to manufacture smart cars top-to-bottom similar to Tesla. Instead, the market-leading tech company and mobile app platform will focus on the software business they’re more known for, potentially building out software systems to be incorporated into vehicles from other manufacturers. The main source […]
Samsung Note 7, GoPro Hero 4: The Risk of Hardware Startups
Hardware startups are in a unique position. On the one hand, hardware products are difficult for other small-to-medium competitors to imitate quickly due to the high overhead and engineering considerations, leading to big growth spurts for innovative companies like GoPro, Fitbit, and Pebble. On the other hand, as any iOS app developer will tell you, […]
Mobile Forecast: Where Will FinTech Be in Five Years?
FinTech is an exciting place for Los Angeles app developers to be right now. Startups have been disrupting everything from stock trading to credit card payments, translating to big wins for smartphone users and financial institutions alike. Perhaps the best part of the FinTech revolution has been watching how it’s opened up opportunities for lower-income […]
Siri Needs an Upgrade for the Google vs Apple Mobile Battle
Google has been making serious advances into the premium-class smartphone market that Apple’s iPhone has dominated since the invention of smartphones. The Pixel phone could be a major chink in Apple’s armor, although reports that it levels the playing field are somewhat exaggerated considering Apple’s lead in upscale brand identity. Ultimately, the Apple vs Google […]
Google Continues to Push the Boundaries of Mobile Platforms
Google’s Android Experiments series has been fun to watch, and the latest app to come out of the company’s obsession with playful innovation is no disappointment to Android app developers. The app, Sprayscape, is essentially a twist on a VR app, allowing users to create bizarre 3D collages out of the things around them. It’s […]