NSA chief agrees: multiple encryption keys weaken data security
The United States is home to the world’s most vibrant app economy—an industry that is now worth more than $120 billion. Providing data security is a crucial product differentiator for U.S. app companies competing in the global economy. As the Office of Personnel Management breach recently demonstrated, good security depends on multiple elements, but most reliably through strong encryption. Today, NSA Director Michael Rogers agreed. In response to Senator Ron Wyden at a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing, Director Rogers confirmed [...]
Apps that could have made pirate life easier (but thankfully didn’t)
Hey you guys!!! Pirates are some of the most notorious figures in history. They talked in broken sentences, carried parrots on their shoulders, and were known for unabashedly plundering across the globe looking for treasure. Life as a pirate was difficult. They had to navigate the open seas, avoid scurvy, and figure out what to do when all the rum was gone. While we don’t support how pirates acted – especially modern day pirates that illegally copy or counterfeit apps [...]
We Wore It: 99 days, 23 wearables, and 50 health & fitness apps
Millions of steps taken, calories counted, workouts tracked, and stairs conquered with 23 devices, 50 apps, 14 staff challenges… and one trip to a trampoline park. What did we learn? There is diversity in devices—find the one that works for you. Each wearable is different, meaning there's a device that works for each individual's needs and lifestyle. Just about all of the activity trackers count steps (if you’re interested in HOW, check out Dan’s post on accelerometry), but deals with [...]
DOJ trades Americans’ privacy for violating law overseas
ACT | The App Association executive director Morgan Reed released the following statement in response to today’s ECPA testimony by the Department of Justice before the Senate Judiciary Committee: The Department of Justice claims it possesses the authority to access data stored abroad — and belonging to a foreign citizen — as long as it is held by an American company. Furthermore, DOJ has claimed in court that it is reasonable to sacrifice our citizens’ private information to any country [...]
App Association’s AirStrip takes the stage at Apple event
The first company on stage after Tim Cook at Apple’s iPhone event last week was App Association member AirStrip Technologies. The San Antonio-based company creates products that use Department of Defense-level encryption allowing doctors to remotely view live patient data to make urgent care decisions. On Wednesday, co-founder Cameron Powell, MD demonstrated how AirStrip One and the Sense4Baby system utilize the powerful sensors packed inside the Apple Watch allowing physicians to compare real-time patient waveform data with historical data on a [...]
Eugene Startup Community Draws Widespread Praise
In August, the App Association hosted a Developer Education Series event with Silicon Shire in Eugene, Oregon. A number of our members hail from this region and have launched companies thriving in the mobile economy. In July, Fast Company took note of Eugene's startup culture and named it a Top Ten Tech City. The App Association decided to visit to see for ourselves what makes this area such a hotbed for startups and innovation. What we found was an amazing [...]