Research: One in four people learnt to code during COVID-19 lockdown

Some people who found themselves with extra time during the COVID-19 lockdown put it to good use.

Research from digital transformation firm BoxBoat suggests that around one in four people spent time learning coding languages during the lockdown.

The most commonly learned programming language was Python, followed by Java and C++.

The greatest motivations for people setting out to improve their skills were career development (55%), personal development (46%),...

14 September 2020 | Languages

GDC: Game developers are working longer, delaying releases due to COVID-19

The first State of the Industry report from the Game Developers Conference (GDC) has been released since COVID-19 turned all of our lives upside down.

GDC’s latest report is aptly called the ‘Work From Home Edition’ and highlights how game developers have been forced to adapt in these difficult circumstances.

As with many jobs, a lot of software development was already shifting to being done remotely – it just took a pandemic to speed up the transition. Of the...

17 July 2020 | Gaming

Tim Cook joins Ivanka Trump in suggesting unemployed Americans learn to code

Apple CEO Tim Cook has joined with Ivanka Trump in suggesting that learning to code may help the large number of Americans who’ve found themselves unemployed.

US jobless claims held steady around 1.3 million the week of July 11th, with increasing cases of COVID-19 in many states preventing the employment market rebounding quite as hoped. The US economy is down nearly 15 million jobs since February.

Ivanka Trump launched an initiative called ‘Find Something New’...

16 July 2020 | iOS

Opinion: Apple/Google API limits proposed UK contact-tracing app feature

The decentralised Google/Apple COVID-19 API would limit a proposed feature for the UK's illusive contact-tracing app.

According to Financial Times, NHSX is now developing a number of features for its anticipated contact-tracing app that it hopes will boost adoption.

One of the most potentially groundbreaking features will allow users to check the risk of an area they plan to visit, or warn them if they enter an area with a high infection rate. However, the feature will...

29 June 2020 | API

The UK is helping to solve a serious Google/Apple contact-tracing API issue

The UK is helping to solve a serious issue with Google and Apple’s contact-tracing API after failing to develop a centralised alternative.

Speaking at a press conference yesterday, British health secretary Matt Hancock provided an update on the lack of a coronavirus contact-tracing app in the UK.

Hancock claims that NHSX – the unit of the UK’s national health service responsible for driving digital transformation – was tasked with developing a homegrown...

19 June 2020 | API

Health and fitness app downloads jumped 47% in Q2 as COVID-19 spread

Now is a great time to be a health and fitness app developer with the category witnessing 47 percent growth in Q2 2020 over the previous year.

Research from Sensor Tower found downloads increased dramatically over the months when COVID-19 was spreading the fastest.

As a virus which predominantly affects the respiratory system, it's clear that people have been trying to get their health regimes in order.

Part of the reason for the increase in demand will also be...

5 June 2020 | Developer

Sonatype: COVID-19 causes 28% drop in UK software development

New research from Sonatype suggests COVID-19 has caused a 28 percent drop in UK software development.

COVID-19 has gripped countries around the world and grinded their economies to a halt. Britain’s furlough scheme – seeing the state pay 80% of people’s wages – has prevented the level of job losses seen in many countries, but that’s still over 7.5 million people currently sitting idle.

Sonatype measured open-source software download requests from The Central...

21 May 2020 | Developer

Google and Apple will block location access while using contact-tracing API

A contact-tracing API being developed by Google and Apple will block location access to prevent misuse.

The API, called ExposureNotification, is being provided to national health agencies to build contact-tracing functionality into their apps. It's hoped that contact-tracing apps will help societies to safely return to some degree of normality.

An initial version of the API was released last week. This week, new resources – including demo code and example UI assets –...

5 May 2020 | Android

Study: Half of Americans don’t trust contact-tracing apps

A new study has found that half of Americans wouldn't trust a COVID-19 contact-tracing app.

Contact-tracing apps are being hailed as key to returning to some degree of normality. The apps use Bluetooth to keep track of everyone an individual passes in order to notify that circle if a COVID-19 diagnosis is made so they can isolate and get tested before spreading the virus further.

Naturally, there are concerns about the amount of data such apps could take about their...

30 April 2020 | Android

Apple and Google improve contact-tracing solution following criticisms

Apple and Google have sought to improve their COVID-19 contact-tracing plans following criticisms from governments.

Contact-tracing apps are being hailed as key to returning to some degree of normality. The apps use Bluetooth to keep track of everyone an individual passes in order to notify that circle if a COVID-19 diagnosis is made so they can isolate and get tested before spreading the virus further.

Naturally, however, many governments are wary about putting the data...

27 April 2020 | Android