How Apps Hunt Our Data with Mobicia Founder & Developer, Jason Kapadia - Episode 2
To truly understand how the world of applications has evolved over the years - for better and for worse - it’s vital to observe how the development tools, app store platforms and whole tech landscape has evolved from inception to current day.
With app development pedigree spanning back to Microsoft’s Pocket PC, and a service used by around 20% of Londoners every month, Jason Kapadia’s credentials, experience and success place him perfectly to project the potentials and the pitfalls in the application space.
From resisting data harvesting advertising platforms to anticipating neural links as a high bandwidth interface of the future, we dive into the secrets behind the programs in your pocket on this riveting episode of Disconnected.
This episode of Disconnected covers:
Jason’s early career in app development
Key differences between iOS and Android’s platforms
Resisting the industry norm of excessively storing our data
How iOS 14.5 has changed advertising for large and small businesses
Facebook’s battle with Apple for internet supremacy
The future of high-bandwidth input sources and neural tech
Episode Highlights:
“It seems like Microsoft tried to shoehorn the desktop Windows OS into this small form factor. I sometimes wonder where the world would have been if Microsoft didn't squander their early lead in the mobile ecosystem...” - 5:15 - Jason Kapadia
“When I first started developing for Android it seemed like they were in a rush to catch up with Apple, and their whole developer ecosystem wasn't well formed. You had very fragmented app development, because you are designing for all different types of screen sizes.” - 11:35 - Jason Kapadia
“The changes that have already occurred in iOS recently are really trying to push developers into using subscriptions as a more relevant model to monetize.” - 15:40 - Jason Kapadia
“With this app, do I really need user registration? Do I need to know exactly who you are to use this app? I don't think so. But some say, ‘Well, your app isn't as valuable if you don't have as much data’, but then I say valuable to who, right? It's the advertisers. It's the data harvesters.” - 23:28 - Jason Kapadia
“In a way, when a user installs your app, there’s a kind of implicit level of trust that they give you, and I didn't want to take advantage of that.” - 29:35 - Jason Kapadia
“It seems like all businesses that are advertising on Facebook, or using Facebook's platforms, are suffering in terms of a higher cost to advertise. Since iOS 14.5, for app install campaigns it's increased by 20%. So smaller businesses with smaller budgets are definitely going to be suffering.” - 37:25 - Jason Kapadia
“With all of this data, you are able to do such amazing things, like targeting. But the thing is, with so much data comes so much responsibility, I guess to change up the Spider Man quote! Using data in a responsible way isn't always guaranteed.” - 46:40 - Jason Kapadia
“I think the next form factor will have to be some kind of direct integration via, say, a neural link device like Elon Musk has been developing, where we're connected to the internet, essentially via our brains. It might not be 10 years away, but I don't think it will be long after that.” - 55:25 - Jason Kapadia
“I could see one of my friends squirm in his chair at the thought of having something the size of a coin implanted flush to the top of your scalp, and just this idea that he's gonna be tracked and monitored to levels that haven't been done before. He’s saying this whilst wearing a smartwatch and carrying a smartphone around with him!” - 1:03:46 - Jag Sharma
Links & references:
Jag Sharma:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jagsharma
https://www.instagram.com/jagsharma/
Jason Kapadia:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonkapadia/
https://www.instagram.com/jasonkapadia/
London Live Bus Countdown by Mobicia
https://www.linkedin.com/company/mobicia-ltd/about/