20 of the fastest growing developer tools Venture capitalists and angel investors are clamoring to fund developer tools. According to a recent estimate, they poured a massive $646 million into this space in 2012, making it one of the hottest market opportunities for entrepreneurs. So of course, companies are rushing to create new tools for developers. Some of these new products provide real value, and are selling fast. Others inspire initial interest from customers, and then fall flat. Mattermark is helping investors pinpoint startups with potential. Editor’s note: Our upcoming CloudBeat conference, Sept. 9-10 in San Francisco, will be tackling revolutionary cases of enterprise cloud usage. Mattermark compiles data from a variety of sources, including news articles, AngelList, app store rankings, Alexa.com rankings, and anonymous tips. “Hacker News spikes do help the company, but only if they can sustain meaningful traffic beyond the initial bump,” chief executive Danielle Morrill told me. 10 back-end developer tools
16 Perfectly Composed Leading Lines Photos #MashPics This week, we wanted to see the most captivating shots you took using the compositional tool of leading lines. We received more than 500 submissions, ranging from photos of underground subway platforms and rusty bridges to busy streets and beautiful cathedrals. Our guest curator, commercial photographer and videographer Timmy McGurr, selected his 16 favorite shots. "I had a great time looking through the many submissions and seeing the variation in style among different individuals," McGurr said. "People got very creative with the theme and made great use of the leading lines technique." Check out the rest of the amazing submissions here. If your photo wasn't selected this time around, don't sweat it. BONUS: Photo Tips for the Digital Age Homepage image: Gitte Stark