What Happens When App Growth Hacking Backfires
If, like the vast majority of Americans, you have a phone and a few friends, you probably heard of “ChitChat” last week when a “friend” invited you via SMS. You might be thinking the mobile app developers behind the app are celebrating a growth hacking victory. On the contrary, they’re probably in the process of […]
Are Users Ready to See Ads in their Personal Chats?
Are users ready for ads to enter the personal chat space? Facebook seems to think so, as they recently announced they’ll be integrating ads with their messaging platform in small tests in Australia and Thailand. The move has sparked both approval and outrage from different corners of the app development industry. Predictably, many iOS app […]
Brands Are Creating Their Own Branded Voice Assistants
Move over, Siri — there’s a new cheery-voiced assistant vying for user attention. Starbucks is the latest national brand to launch into the voice app space, and they’re doing it in a novel way with the creation of a Starbucks-specific voice assistant. Similar to ordering from a business via Google or Siri, the Starbucks voice […]
Net Neutrality on the Chopping Block at New FCC
Ajit Pai, Trump’s pick to head the FCC as Tom Wheeler steps down, has made no bones about his attitude toward Net Neutrality. “[It’s] days are numbered,” Pai said in previous press statements, adding that he plans to “take a weed whacker” to regulations that allegedly make life difficult for small business owners. However, in […]
App Store Reviews Will Let Developers Respond in iOS 10.3
If you’ve ever combed through reviews in the Apple App Store deciding which app to choose, you’ve probably noticed something weird. Unlike Google Play, Yelp, TripAdvisor, and most other review-based digital ecosystems, Apple doesn’t let developers respond to reviews. This is too bad for iOS app developers, because it leaves them completely at the mercy […]
Paris Takes on London as FinTech Capital in Wake of Brexit
This time last year, few developers would think of the Parisian tech scene when they thought of FinTech and mobile banking app development. In the wake of Brexit, the tech community is starting to see that change. Just this week, Paris held it’s first FinTech Forum event, highlighting exciting work going on in the French […]
Amazon and Tesla Pledge to Train Veterans for Tech Jobs
The US Department of Labor has joined forces with Amazon, Tesla, and a handful of other leading tech companies to promote an apprenticeship program for veterans and military families. Amazon alone plans to create over 25,000 positions using the program, playing an important role in creating a job market that doesn’t punish veterans for dedicating […]
Obama to Pardon Manning but not Snowden in Final Hour
App developers across the country have been watching whistleblower cases with particular interest after Edward Snowden’s world-changing disclosure on the true scope of the NSA’s surveillance power. The tech community has overwhelmingly been in favor of a softer approach to Snowden and whistleblowers in general, circulating petitions for years to help pressure the Obama administration […]
Study Shows Half of App Store Growth From Chinese Users
2016 was a stellar year for app sales—especially on Google Play. Bay Area app developers saw record-breaking statistics quarter after quarter, leading into the strongest holiday sales season of all time. (Or at least, the ten years of the iPhone era.) According to a new study from analytics group App Annie, we might have a […]
London Startups Show the Bright Side of Mobile AI Technology
London has a problem. It’s a problem that is probably familiar to anybody who’s rented an apartment in a major city: rising rents, obscure housing laws, and difficult landlord-tenant relations. London app developers at RentersUnion might have a solution to this problem. And that solution comes in the for of a small, inconspicuous chatbot, with […]