The Mexican Government, desperately and clumsily coming to terms with social media.
Posted by: andy in Things That Interest on February 15th, 2010
So, check this. Mexico is creating a “cybernetic police force” (poorly named - I’m picturing a bunch of guys that look like they stepped off the set of Tron) to combat crime on social networks. Good luck getting in front of that one guys.
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MEXICO CITY, Mexico — Mexico has racked up its fair share of menacingly named outlaws in a three-year drug war: the Zetas, Aztecas and even a band of female assassins called the Panthers.
Now, if the government gets its way, another name will also make the wanted list: los Twitteros.
Tastebud application takes over the world - drops price to nearly free.
Dollar bill, y'all.
So we’re about as happy as we can be! We released our new iPhone app into the abyss that is the App Store with very low expectations. There are tons of recipe apps already there and we didn’t know if our twist on the idea would interest anyone (you can pick ingredients and then Tastebud recommends recipes). We’ve been pleasantly surprised (shocked is maybe a better word) to see it really take off.
We’re so excited we’ve decided to DROP THE PRICE to almost free ($.99). So any of you that were on the fence - go, now, buy (here), cook, and enjoy. If you’ve already bought - PLEASE GIVE US A REVIEW in the app store. It really helps.
Here is what the world is saying about Tastebud:
AppCast, where we were App of the Week.
AppScout, where we got a great review.
eCom technology solutions - Got a nice review here (the site’s tag line is “Website Management Solutions and High Risk Credit Card Processing” Not sure how our recipe app ties in but, I’m not complaining.
AppStore HQ featured us.
So did MacWorld.
So, I’m not sure how to interpret this but it seems like we’re getting good coverage. Again, I want to thank everyone who has been forwarding, Digging, retweeting, etc. It’s really helped a lot. If you’re in the mood, please visit the sites above and comment, Digg, retweet, etc. Agave Lab loves you for it.
Tastebud iPhone application launches!
AT LONG LAST… Our application made it through the iTunes App Store approval process and is available for PURCHASE.
So what is it? A new iPhone app that works like a an upside-down recipe book!
First, OPEN your refrigerator…
Then, select ingredients that you have on hand,
And ADD them to your virtual basket.
As you fill your basket, Tastebud matches your ingredients against our database of thousands of tasty recipes to build a list of dishes that you can cook.
You can buy it (oh please, oh please, oh please) here or by clicking on the logo.
Still resisting? You can learn more about and see a tutorial here: www.tastebudapp.com
The iTunes app store contemplates the infinite.
So, we’ve submitted an iPhone app to the iTunes app store over a month ago. Since then they mistakenly deleted our our account and can’t seem to figure out how to right it. I’ve sent dozens of emails, made the same amount of calls, and it’s always the same message - “We’re right on this. Should be fixed any time now.” Then nothing. I’m not sure if the most recent email (check signature line at bottom) is an attempt at a cruel joke or withering irony.
Indian outsourcing losing ground to nearshore vendors
Posted by: andy in Nearsourcing on January 5th, 2010
Just caught this article from SiliconIndia. Looks like major Indian IT outsourcers are losing contracts to emerging rivals. They make special mention of Mexico’s Softek. This bodes well for us!
Happy New Year!
Hi All:
So after 2 weeks of R&R, we all arrived back at the office this morning. It took an hour or two to rev up again (and remember where we left off), but we’re back in full swing. The full team here hopes that you had a great holiday season and we look forward to hearing from you in 2010!
Mexican Nearsourcing a bright spot in an otherwise dismal year.
Posted by: andy in About Us, Nearsourcing on December 11th, 2009
Check out this well-written article about Mexico’s rocky 2009. The flu, recession, drug wars, rogue neutrinos - it’s been a hell of year. Thankfully, one happy little corner of the economy happens to be where we’re camped.
Another industry that has thrived in Mexico despite the recession is software development. Anchored in the city of Guadalajara and surrounding state of Jalisco, Mexican software engineers both develop their own software and provide “nearshoring” code writing services to software companies in California and elsewhere. Jalisco boasts over 200 information technology companies, and national IT organizations are projecting 11% growth for the sector in 2009 at a time when most other industries are facing contraction for the year.
Come work with us!!!
Posted by: andy in About Us, Agile and SCRUM on December 6th, 2009
We are in search of a developer to join the team here in Guadalajara. The skills that we’re looking for include: CSS, javascript, PHP, and Flex/Flash. Attitude is key in that we’ve built a really fun team and we all get along well. The candidate will have to be flexible as our development methodology (which is based on Agile) is very different from a traditional waterfall approach. We’re very picky about the projects that we do - we only do web or iphone apps that are fun, interesting, and that are pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. We’re not too hung up on university degrees or professional background. We’re looking for people who really enjoy coding and are genuinely interested in current web programming trends. If you know anyone that fits that description, please send me an email: andy@agavelab.com.
Agave Lab Office Gets Tagged
So we were getting bored with our white walls and decided to call in some professionals. Two guys from HardIf productions came in with a backpack full of spray cans and whupped ass on our wall. The office seems a lot more lively now!
Check out the vid. I wrote the music.
Agave Lab Gets Tagged from Andy Kieffer on Vimeo.