Category: Tech & Software (Page 1 of 5)

What are the moral and ethical dilemmas we face as artificial intelligence becomes increasingly more powerful?

The development of super-intelligent AI systems that vastly surpass human cognitive capabilities in virtually every domain holds immense potential benefits for solving humanity’s greatest challenges, from curing diseases to reversing climate change to unlocking new frontiers of scientific understanding. However, the creation of superintelligence also poses existential risks if such systems are not imbued with the right goals and values aligned with the wellbeing of humanity.

AI is transforming the gaming and entertainment industry, ushering in a new era of interactive, personalized experiences. From AI-generated content to virtual worlds that adapt to player behavior, the possibilities are vast and exciting. As engineers and startups in Silicon Valley pioneer these advancements, it's clear that AI will play a central role in shaping the future of how we play and consume media.

AI-Generated Content: Revolutionizing Game Development

One of the most promising applications of AI in gaming is the creation of AI-powered game development platforms. Companies like Javalin and Roblox are at the forefront of this movement, enabling users to create games with minimal coding knowledge. Google's Genie takes this a step further, generating entire games from text prompts and images. Read More...

There are many technologies that startup founders may want to consider focusing on, depending on the nature of their business and their goals. Here are a few technologies that may be particularly relevant for startup founders:

Cloud computing: Cloud computing allows companies to store and access data and applications over the internet, rather than on a local server. This can be a cost-effective and scalable solution for startups that need to store and access large amounts of data. Read More...

by Charles Neill

You don’t have to be Neo to start programming…

When I was in kindergarten, my mother found out that there was no full-time computer lab teacher at my school. This was Austin in the early ‘90s, and we had a lot of parents who worked at tech firms like IBM and Dell, but kids were only learning how to touch-type. My mother and another woman got together and ultimately ran the computer lab full-time. Read More...

Ruben Corbo, Freelance Writer

In this modern age of the web, designing a website doesn’t have to rely on trial and error. Once the initial concept, building, and launching phase is done, there are tools you can use to tweak the design here are there to make sure your web shop is getting those much needed conversions. You may not have to spring for that expensive re-design afterall, if you discover small adjustments to the elements on your pages lead to conversions. Read More...

Here are some tips for bringing home the bacon when you launch your iPhone or Android game.

1) If a player attempts to make a purchase a virtual item but lacks the currency required, always ask them if they would like to purchase more virtual currency. This has been proven to greatly increase monetization.

2) It’s smart to price IAP bundles of virtual currency between $2.99 and $49.99. That will maximize revenue. Read More...

So much has happened in the App Store. Tons of new apps, a new iTunes Store design on iOS6 and the Mac. We thought now would be a good time to get some perspective and look back at this very healthy and very busy app economy.

Before you dive into our insanely amazing and priceless infographic, here are some of the observations:

• The App Store is a very healthy ecosystem with well over 1 million apps ever created and approved by Apple
• There is a slowdown in year-on-year growth of new apps published. It does not mean that there is less activity, but rather that growth is decelerating. This is likely the sign of a maturing market.
• Free is clearly prevailing over Paid. 74% of apps published in 2008 were Paid, in contrast to 34% this year. This can be explained by the growing popularity of in-app purchase as a way to efficiently monetize an app.
• A red flag: Over 25% of the apps submitted and approved have been pulled out of the store.
• A low number of apps (a little above 1000) reached the top ranks of the App Store in the US in 2012. This stresses how difficult discovery is if you’re not part of the elite group.
• We estimate that a very large number of apps (over 600,000) never got substantial traction, which is a very bad news for the app economy.
• Although games represent only a fraction of the total number of apps ( <17%) in the App Store, they comprise a majority of apps which appeared in the top 10.
• Let’s note the presence of Google Maps as a new entrant in the top-quality ranked apps next to the already much beloved Angry Birds franchise.

Ruben Corbo, Freelance Writer

Multivariate testing does sound a bit too technical and daunting especially to those who don’t know a thing or two about algorithms, traffic, web design and software operations. But rest assured that once you understood the core of the process, going through the complexities of the test would come across as a breeze.

Everything becomes easier when you get the right kind of help. Read More...

Igor Royzis

by Igor Royzis, Hands-on CTO

Not having a well defined methodology. Would you attempt to build a house without following a specific set of rules, best practices and sequence of tasks? Then why so many development shops think they can just through 5 or 20 developers into a room and let them decide how to approach the project without any clear direction and methodology? Introducing methodology from day one is the most important success factor for medium to large projects. So please, don’t accept “we’ll get to it later” or “we don’t have time to introduce a methodology right now”. Stick to your guns and insist on clearly defined methodology if you want to improve chances of success. Read More...