Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Apple To Launch First European Development Center (thestack.com)

Posted by samzenpus on from the if-you-build-it-they-will-develop dept.

An anonymous reader writes: Apple has announced plans to launch its first iOS app development center in Europe. The location will be in Naples, Italy, with the center aiming to teach youngsters how to code. The announcement was made 21 January and explained how the center would provide students (children and young adults) the practical skills and training required for developing iOS apps for "the world's most innovative and vibrant app ecosystem". The center will support teachers and provide a specialized curriculum that will prepare the youths to be a part of Apple's developer community.

20 of 43 comments (clear)

  1. Correction by invictusvoyd · · Score: 2

    for "the world's most innovative and vibrant app ecosystem"

    for "the world's most innovative and vibrant and proprietary app ecosystem"

    1. Re:Correction by LordHighExecutioner · · Score: 1

      Naples area is at risk for earthquakes. Maybe that "vibrant" is going to have a completely different meaning...

  2. Re: iOS apps for Android? by ArmoredDragon · · Score: 1

    I know, right? I figure that if it's so vibrant, their market share (and thus app development) in that region might actually be competitive with Android, but it's not even close. Instead it's only competitive with the running gag of the smartphone industry, windows phone.

  3. New Apple products by havana9 · · Score: 2
    The first product that will be developed in Naples, especially for the USA market will be the iPizza. Based of the long experience of Pizzeria Da Michele" a minimalist design will be sold.

    Only the models "Margherita" having toppings tomato sauce, olive oil, basil and buffalo mozzarella and "Marinara" with tomato sauce, olive oil, oregano and garlic will be available.

    After the iPizza an Annurca Apple will be available to ent the dinner and an optional glass of Greco di Tufo or Fiano di Avellino.

    1. Re:New Apple products by Whiney+Mac+Fanboy · · Score: 1

      Only the models "Margherita" having toppings tomato sauce, olive oil, basil and buffalo mozzarella and "Marinara" with tomato sauce, olive oil, oregano and garlic

      Nononononono, initially sell the Margherita with mozzarella olive oil and basil, then when demand dies down a bit, sell a Margherita extra (rebrand as Margherita plus), where the mozzarella is substituted for buffalo mozzarella.

      --
      There are shills on slashdot. Apparently, I'm one of them.
    2. Re:New Apple products by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      Obviously it will also be square, with rounded corners, and protected by a design patent. Cooking will require an iOven, which allows the pizza to be inserted either way up, but costs 3x as much as a conventional oven.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    3. Re:New Apple products by PolygamousRanchKid+ · · Score: 1

      However, most customers will break their teeth on the shiny metal crust.

      I like to put my own Jalapenos on a pizza. But with the iPizza, you need to buy any toppings from Apple.

      --
      Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!
  4. Europe a low cost center yet? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Europe has been turning into shit for a long time. Has it finally arrived now that we can offshore there?

    1. Re:Europe a low cost center yet? by GuB-42 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      It's Naples, saying that Naples is Europe is like saying the Bronx is the USA. Maybe a poor analogy but the idea is that Naples is full of shit or at least it was a few years ago.
      And by full of shit I mean it literally : it had a major waste problem with piles of garbage littering the streets. As for the economy, it was all governed by the mafia. Businesses had to pay money to them for "protection". Maybe it has improved but when I went there it didn't look at all like what one could expect from an European city (excluding tourist places I suppose).

    2. Re:Europe a low cost center yet? by Hognoxious · · Score: 2

      As for the economy, it was all governed by the mafia.

      Camorra. They're similar but without the code of honour.

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
    3. Re:Europe a low cost center yet? by peppepz · · Score: 1

      Oh, mafia has no code of honour either; it's just bullshit that fiction writers made up in order to make the Godfather movies more interesting.

  5. Italy? Naples? Good luck by SirJorgelOfBorgel · · Score: 1

    Nothing against Italy or Italians, but my sister worked in science in that area and it was absolutely dreadful. Impossible to get things done as many people have that typical 'Southern European work ethic' - appointments and deadlines are more like suggestions. Which is of course an awful generalisation, but it is definitely a real thing.

    Naples is also quite literally mainland mob central.

    1. Re:Italy? Naples? Good luck by SirJorgelOfBorgel · · Score: 1

      Your point being? All the cities I frequent in Europe are well below the 250th spot, far lower again than Naples.

      As for informed statistics, on that same site, selecting Europe only, puts Naples in second place. So in fact, the situation is even worse than my anecdotal evidence.

      Fact remains Naples would be one of the very last cities one would expect to be selected for this.

      But hey, naysayers will continue to say nay!

  6. Re:Located In Naples by PolygamousRanchKid+ · · Score: 1

    Last month Italy claimed that Apple owed them $960 million in back taxes. Then settles to accept only $350 million from Apple.

    This month Apples announces an App Center in Naples.

    Is all this just a coincidence . . . ? Or was there some backroom hanky-panky dealing going on . . . ?

    --
    Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!
  7. Re:Located In Naples by javipas · · Score: 1

    Exactly. There seems to be more than a coincidence here http://www.wsj.com/articles/it... The choice of Naples is what strikes me.

  8. Re:Located In Naples by AHuxley · · Score: 1

    Italy offers design, secure luxury prototyping and setting up of production lines for a much cheaper locations.
    The US is now making tax, hiring and crypto demands to a level that to be seen looking at other locations is a positive.
    A brand cannot thrive if it is forced to hire from a pool of US staff that will never have the skills.
    Italy offers all the skills should the US gov keep pushing for staffing changes based on considerations other than merit.

    --
    Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
  9. Re: iOS apps for Android? by Hognoxious · · Score: 1

    Any investment down there that generates skills and jobs, that does not end up in a mafia / Union quagmire is a good thing

    It's in Naples. The Mafia would be an improvement.

    --
    Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
  10. Re:iMafia by tepples · · Score: 1

    Which I assume doesn't stand for "Italian music and film industry associations".

  11. Designated shitting streets by tepples · · Score: 1

    Maybe a poor analogy but the idea is that Naples is full of shit or at least it was a few years ago.
    And by full of shit I mean it literally : it had a major waste problem with piles of garbage littering the streets.

    Does it have anything like the "designated shitting streets" in India?

    As for the economy, it was all governed by the mafia. Businesses had to pay money to them for "protection".

    Not so different from the U.S., where businesses have to pay money to the Music And Film Industry Associations for "license" to stay in business.

  12. Minors by tepples · · Score: 1

    I thought an iOS app developer had to be at least 18. Yet the photo at the top of the featured article clearly shows children under 13. How would that work? Would minor children develop and publish apps through their parents' developer account, and then Apple provide some way to hand responsibility for the app down to the child once the child comes of age?