Sidecar speeds up ride-sharing app, but could hit speedbump

One of the hot new areas in app development is creating apps for users that bypass the traditional tax and transportation methods people use to get around cities (think Uber). One of the most interesting of that breed is Sidecar, whose peer-to-peer ride-sharing platform instantly matches passengers with nearby drivers going in the same direction via a mobile app--all drivers are pre-screened by Sidecar, and passengers cough up whatever fare they feel is fair, with all payments billed to their credit card. (Sidecar claims 20 percent of each passenger "donation," with drivers keeping the rest.) The app is growing both in terms of geographic reach and investments, but some lawmakers and cab companies are opposed to its business model. In the latest Developer Workshop, Sidecar co-founder and CTO Jahan Khanna spoke to FierceDeveloper contributor Jason Ankeny about the retooled app, building for iOS and Android and the pressures of designing an app while grappling with legislative interference. Developer Workshop