H-1B Visa Policy Remains Unclear for Tech Companies
While the Trump administration has made no bones about their policy plans for illegal and unskilled immigrants, immediate plans for overhauling highly-skilled immigration via H–1B visas remains unclear. This is bad news for app developers, since it’s actually an area that needs serious attention — between the lottery-style assignment system and the ease of abuse […]
Brexit Fears Prompt UK to Issue More Tech Visas
If Brexit made ripples in the economy, it made waves in the tech industry. App developers in London’s thriving mobile development community fear that the separation from the EU could damage their status as the top mobile tech center in Europe — or at least, make it much harder to do business there. The government […]
SNAP, Spectacles, and the Social Media App Clone Wars
SNAP, the IPO from social media platform SnapChat, is set to arrive sometime in the next few weeks. SnapChat, for their part, has been pulling some odd moves around the launch, setting the valuation lower than most Bay Area app developers expected. The company also seems keen to prove to investors that they can and […]
SpaceX is Proof that Tech can Change the World
If there’s one thing app developers love, it’s seeing tech products shape humanity in a positive way. Oh yeah — and outer space. We really like outer space. Who doesn’t? This was a big week for SpaceX and Elon Musk watchers, as the ground-breaking tech company landed the first stage of the Falcon 9 rocket […]
What Does Betsy DeVos Mean For EdTech and STEM Education?
Betsy DeVos, Trump’s controversial pick for Secretary of Education recently appointed by the skin of her teeth, has a shaky relationship with tech — to put it lightly. After making comments during a committee hearing that suggested guns should be in schools to defend from grizzly bear attacks, the Internet lit up like a Christmas […]
Mobile App Developer Salaries Across the Globe: 2017 Edition
When you look at industry stats, you want them to come from a source that lives and breaths the industry. For tech salaries, Hired is a good choice, with a huge wealth of data driven by their go-to international career connection platform. Their 2017 study was released this week, and it shows some intriguing data […]
Immigration Ban is a Disaster for the Tech Economy
On January 27, Trump issued an executive order banning immigrants from select Muslim-majority countries. The shock waves are still rolling through the app development community, creating massive political backlash even from actively non-political tech giants. Critics are quick to suggest that tech companies are simply trying to protect H–1B visa programs. Fair point — H-B1 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Lyft vs Uber Debate is More Than Business Politics
Personal politics and business deals aren’t the only issues on the line anymore when it comes to the fabled fight between Uber and Lyft, the two biggest ride-sharing apps in the US (among other countries worldwide). Bay Area app developers have been following the conflict for years, but the issue just took a sharp turn […]