App Store Sees 106% Growth as iPhone 7 Launches
This has been a huge week for iPhone app developers. First, thanks to an unintended (but much appreciated) social media gaffe, Apple users all over the world got a first look at promotional materials for the new iPhone 7 — and the first look doesn’t disappoint. Second, in a press event to support the iPhone […]
Lack of Regulation Makes Drones a Danger and an Opportunity
Drones are undeniably on the rise. Consumers are already getting used to the idea of drone package delivery, and San Diego mobile app developers are working with hardware developers to create ever-more user-friendly autopilot experiences. The big problem: drones are largely unregulated. The big opportunity: drones are largely unregulated. Every new technology goes through a […]
Mobile App Developers Gamify Biology, Discover New Species
There are over 8 million animal species in the world — finding, identifying, and cataloguing them all is one of biology’s biggest challenges. What if professional scientists could access the experience of casual ecologists and curious kids all over the world? That’s the vision of iNaturalist, a brilliant project from San Francisco iPhone app developer […]
What the Last.Fm Security Breach Says about Mobile Privacy
“We are currently investigating the leak of some Last.fm user passwords. This follows recent password leaks on other sites, as well as information posted online. As a precautionary measure, we’re asking all our users to change their passwords immediately.” This statement was released way back in 2012, but it’s just this week that the full […]
FAA Forecasts 600,000 Commercial Drones Airborne Within 2016
According to a statement released by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), commercial drones are skyrocketing into the mainstream. Some 600,000 are expected to be registered within a year period. (For context, about 20,000 are registered as of this post. That’s steep growth even by iPhone app developer standards.) But don’t call in the eagles or […]
MedTech and Diversity Themes at Y Combinator S16 Demo Day 1
Y Combinator is lifting the curtain on this year’s batch of disruptive mobile startups. While the products are diverse and often unexpected, a few themes shine through: MedTech and diversity. Seeing health-focussed startups in significant numbers is encouraging, as mobile app developers have been trying to break into the medical industry for years with limited […]
What Is the Role of a Non-Technical Startup Founder?
Non-technical startup founders often get a bad rap in the tech world. This is partly because there’s simply a scarcity of quality technical talent — and partly because many non-technical founders try to jump to the top of the ladder without proving their value. Take a look at Hacker News, Quora, Reddit, Medium, or anywhere […]
Startup Blockai Tackles a Big Problem: Copyright Control
If you’re a photographer, artist, or writer, there’s only one way to stop people from ripping off your copyrighted material online: don’t share it with anyone… ever. This is a big problem for startup founders and iPhone app developers, because content is one of the most expensive — and hard to replicate — parts of […]
How to Make an App Your Users (and the App Store) Will Love
Submitting apps to the Apple App Store is the scariest part of mobile app development. Apple is notoriously selective about the apps they allow into the iTunes ecosystem, meaning that only carefully-vetted iPhone and iPad app developers ever see their products reach end users. When it’s all said and done, around 30% of apps are […]
Social Networking App Developers: Go Niche, or Go Home
Instagram for photos. Snapchat for goofing off. Facebook for letting Mom know you’re still alive. Social network startups have changed a lot since the days of MySpace, and the trend for app developers is clear: niche services win out over all-purpose networks. The “social network-ization” of popular music video sharing apps like Thriller and Music.ly […]