Articles by Nate Swanner

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  Gender Pay Gap Closing With Help From These Tech Hubs: Study

  Equal pay for men and women is improving, but it’s not level. While studies show the gender pay gap narrows at various points, tech still has issues with it... unless you’re in Washington, D.C. o…
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  'Alto's Odyssey': How a Winning Mobile Game Is Made

  When an iOS or Android game is done right, it resonates. Gamers applaud, developers earn, and the press takes notice. By those metrics, the new "Alto’s Odyssey" may end up threading the mobile ga…
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  Broken IT Departments Force Employees to 'Google It' or Quit: Study

  Just about every midsize or large company has an IT department, but it’s often seen as broken or unhelpful. Sometimes, this lack of support (or perception thereof) forces employees to quit or see…
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  These Are the Most Secure Jobs for Tech Pros

  There’s always a lot of chatter about which types of jobs to avoid, the languages and skills with great earning potential, and which benefits you should be asking for. Some jobs aren't as flashy…
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  Is It Time to Rethink the Hackathon?

  A hackathon can be a thing of beauty: A bunch of developers anxiously trying to solve a problem, typically against a clock, competing with other devs or teams – it’s electric. But the whole thing…
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  Google Makes Strong Push to Challenge Amazon in IoT

  Via a new acquisition and a bit of re-organization, Google is positioning itself as an Internet of Things (IoT) platform to be reckoned with. Consumers might care, but should developers? Nest, Go…
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  Google Leads Charge Into A.I. Chipset Battle

  Much as in the 1990s, we’re entering a new era of "silicon warfare," with big tech firms pushing their own chipsets. This time around, artificial intelligence (A.I.) is the battleground. At I/O 2…
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  First Take: Is HomePod Worth Your Time and Money?

  Of all Apple’s products, none are as fresh or controversial as HomePod. It’s expensive, its benefits subjective, and it's become a dividing line for Apple’s users. It’s also a bet on the future.…
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  You're Probably Not Getting a Raise

  Dice’s Salary Survey shows that tech pro salary levels in the United States are plateauing. Another new study suggests that's not an anomaly; that huge raise you wanted might not be on the way. P…
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  Learn Skills and Platforms, Not Languages for a Better Salary

  When we think of learning new things in tech, a lot of the focus ends up on programming languages. The most recent Dice Salary Survey shows why it may be time to diversify and consider adding non…