apps | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net KitGuru.net - Tech News | Hardware News | Hardware Reviews | IOS | Mobile | Gaming | Graphics Cards Tue, 13 Feb 2024 11:04:05 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://www.kitguru.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/cropped-KITGURU-Light-Background-SQUARE2-32x32.png apps | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net 32 32 Apple Vision Pro shifts to Premium Apps over iOS ‘freemium’ model https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/featured-tech-news/matthew-wilson/apple-vision-pro-shifts-to-premium-apps-over-ios-freemium-model/ https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/featured-tech-news/matthew-wilson/apple-vision-pro-shifts-to-premium-apps-over-ios-freemium-model/#respond Mon, 12 Feb 2024 17:30:09 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=648017 When the iPhone launched with its App Store all those years ago, the software industry shifted from a buy-once business model towards ‘free to play', offering up apps for free, with monetisation coming through microtransactions and advertising. Nowadays, the popularity of free apps on mobile vastly outweighs paid-for apps. With the launch of the Apple …

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When the iPhone launched with its App Store all those years ago, the software industry shifted from a buy-once business model towards ‘free to play', offering up apps for free, with monetisation coming through microtransactions and advertising. Nowadays, the popularity of free apps on mobile vastly outweighs paid-for apps. With the launch of the Apple Vision Pro though, developers are swinging back in the other direction. 

The Apple Vision Pro headset is now available, offering a virtual or mixed reality experience, powered by a modified version of iOS known as ‘VisionOS'. There are thousands of apps supported on the Vision Pro at launch, a chunk of which are pre-existing apps that have been updated for virtual reality, while the remaining apps are all newly built for the Vision Pro headset.

According to a study conducted by Appfigures (via Techcrunch), the majority of Vision Pro-only apps do carry a price tag and the average selling price currently sits at around $5.67 per app. Around 35 percent of Vision Pro apps don't monetise through the App Store, and 13 percent of those apps offer a subscription payment option.

There was talk of Vision Pro apps carrying more premium price tags compared to iOS apps ahead of the headset's launch. Currently, while the Vision Pro is sold and marketed as a consumer product, with its $3,500 price tag, its customer base is limited to businesses, developers and of course, wealthy enthusiasts with money to burn. With a much smaller customer base to sell to compared to the iOS App Store, it makes sense for companies to sell their apps right now, rather than banking on the freemium model, as microtransaction sales are not guaranteed.

We would expect the Vision Pro store to evolve over time, and eventually, freemium apps may reign supreme once again if the user base grows in a similar fashion to the iPhone.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: I've been surprised by the amount of Vision Pro coverage I've seen in recent weeks. This is a highly expensive product that very few can afford, but Apple's tech appears to have seriously impressed. 

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Over 35 games and apps already support DLSS 3 https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/matthew-wilson/over-35-games-and-apps-already-support-dlss-3/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/matthew-wilson/over-35-games-and-apps-already-support-dlss-3/#respond Wed, 21 Sep 2022 08:30:12 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=575260 Last night alongside the new RTX 4090 and RTX 4080 graphics cards, Nvidia also announced DLSS 3, the next big evolution of its AI-driven, performance-enhancing technology. Continuing on from the success of DLSS 2.0, it seems that DLSS 3 already has quite a bit of industry support, with over 35 games and apps already announced.  …

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Last night alongside the new RTX 4090 and RTX 4080 graphics cards, Nvidia also announced DLSS 3, the next big evolution of its AI-driven, performance-enhancing technology. Continuing on from the success of DLSS 2.0, it seems that DLSS 3 already has quite a bit of industry support, with over 35 games and apps already announced. 

During the presentation, we saw DLSS 3 in action in Cyberpunk 2077, which is also getting a new graphics mode that enables even more ray-tracing effects. Unlike DLSS 2.0, DLSS 3 can create new frames and insert them into your game, speeding up performance even more than before. With DLSS 3 and ‘Ray Tracing Overdrive' mode on Cyberpunk 2077, the RTX 4090 leaps from around 22 FPS to almost 100 FPS.

DLSS 3 is already announced for a lot of games, some new and some old. You can see the list of games with planned support for the feature below:

  • A Plague Tale: Requiem
  • Atomic Heart
  • Black Myth: Wukong
  • Bright Memory: Infinite
  • Chernobylite
  • Conqueror's Blade
  • Cyberpunk 2077
  • Dakar Rally
  • Deliver Us Mars
  • Destroy All Humans! 2 – Reprobed
  • Dying Light 2 Stay Human
  • F1 22
  • F.I.S.T.: Forged In Shadow Torch
  • Frostbite Engine
  • HITMAN 3
  • Hogwarts Legacy
  • ICARUS
  • Jurassic World Evolution 2
  • Justice
  • Loopmancer
  • Marauders
  • Microsoft Flight Simulator
  • Midnight Ghost Hunt
  • Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord
  • Naraka: Bladepoint
  • NVIDIA Omniverse
  • NVIDIA Racer RTX
  • PERISH
  • Portal with RTX
  • Ripout
  • S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl
  • Scathe
  • Sword and Fairy 7
  • SYNCED
  • The Lord of the Rings: Gollum
  • The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
  • THRONE AND LIBERTY
  • Tower of Fantasy
  • Unity
  • Unreal Engine 4 & 5
  • Warhammer 40,000: Darktide

We'll see games and apps starting to introduce DLSS 3 in October, but as we saw with DLSS 1 and DLSS 2.0, it can take a while for games to update to the latest version.

It is also worth noting that very few people are going to be able to take advantage of DLSS 3. The RTX 4090 and RTX 4080 graphics cards are incredibly expensive, and DLSS 3 is exclusive to newer RTX 40 GPUs, limiting the potential userbase quite a bit.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: DLSS 3 seems highly impressive and if it works as well as advertised, it will no doubt be a huge selling point for RTX 40. We look forward to putting it to the test ourselves in the months to come. 

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4 New Apps Freelancers Are Jumping On https://www.kitguru.net/professional/larry-alton/4-new-apps-freelancers-are-jumping-on/ Thu, 28 Mar 2019 07:00:50 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=408795 Freelancers are always on the lookout for new tech tools to make their lives easier. Unlike traditional employees, freelancers aren’t provided with everything they need to do their job. When a freelancer wants to improve their efficiency and organisation, they need to figure out how to make it happen. There are infinite tools available for …

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Freelancers are always on the lookout for new tech tools to make their lives easier. Unlike traditional employees, freelancers aren’t provided with everything they need to do their job. When a freelancer wants to improve their efficiency and organisation, they need to figure out how to make it happen.

There are infinite tools available for every profession, but in a freelancer’s world, only the best will do. Here’s what successful freelancers are using to keep up in their industries:

1. Airtable

Airtable is a genius application that blends spreadsheets and databases, allowing users to create custom applications without any coding knowledge. The company has received $52 million in new funding, and their mission to become the next Microsoft in the business app world is attainable.

Move over Excel – Airtable presents an aesthetically pleasing, user-friendly spreadsheet powered by a database that does things Excel junkies can only imagine. In fact, Airtable is so powerful that it can be used as a CRM tool, task management, project planning, and precise inventory tracking that updates for all users in real time.

Tesla uses Airtable to track their inventory. Startup company WeWork uses Airtable to sort and filter customer feedback. Media publications including Time, Money, and Fortune all use Airtable as an editorial calendar for managing production schedules.

Freelancers use Airtable to keep track of client requests, project timelines, and project development phases.

You can use Airtable for free. The free option gives you the ability to create unlimited projects with up to 1,200 records per project, 2 GB of space per record, and access to a two-week revision history.

The next option is $10 per month – a price every freelancer can afford (and write off on their taxes). Freelancers, don’t worry, the elimination of the miscellaneous expense deduction doesn’t apply to the self-employed. You can still deduct miscellaneous expenses on your Schedule C form.

2. Freshbooks

Every freelancer has struggled with creating a professional invoice at some point. It’s not acceptable to send an invoice in the body of an email or in a simple Word document. Clients expect invoices to be aesthetically pleasing, professional, and even branded.

Freshbooks provides professional invoice templates for freelancers that removes the frustration from creating and sending invoices. This application allows you to save clients in the system so you don’t need to create their basic profiles each time you send an invoice. You can save profile data like the client name, the rate they’re paying, and any applicable taxes that need to be factored into their invoice total. All these items can be adjusted at any time.

Freshbooks makes it simple to send a one-time invoice, a recurring invoice on a regular schedule, a prepayment invoice, and even a credit invoice that informs a client when they’ve got a positive balance. A credit invoice is useful when a client has overpaid, or you want to reward them with a discount to be used toward their next project.

The best feature is that clients can pay what they owe directly from the invoice by clicking a link. You’ll also be notified when a client receives your invoice, which eliminates the “I didn’t get your invoice” excuse.

Professional invoices are more likely to be paid on time and in full. Other factors that get invoices paid faster include good design, the ability to automate recurring invoices, and making it easy for the client to adjust the payment terms.

3. Proposify

New freelancers without corporate experience often struggle to create the framework for proposals. You really need design skills to create a good proposal from scratch. If it’s not aesthetically pleasing, the best copy in the world can’t save you.

Proposify makes it easy for anyone to create a stunning proposal. They’ve got a wide variety of proposal templates to choose from in different categories like design, software, marketing, events, real estate, and professional services.

Freelancers in every industry benefit from Proposify’s customizable proposal templates.

4. Harvest

Tedious time and expense tracking seems like overkill at first, but it’s critical to discovering the true cost of your projects. Harvest makes it easy to track both time and business expenses.

Freelancers often outsource pieces of their projects to other contractors and just pay the bill when it arrives. When the contractor provides a flat rate fee, it makes sense. However, keeping track of your contractors’ work hours lets you know if they’re charging you $500 per hour or $50 per hour. If you’re being charged a $500 flat fee for an hour of work, unless that work is being performed by a top specialist, you can find someone with a cheaper rate.

Research, research, research

Before investing in a tool, try it out to see that it fits your needs. Research the founders to make sure the company will stick around for a while, especially if your data isn’t exportable to a familiar format.

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Facebook closing three apps including one acquired just eight months ago https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/ryan-burgess/facebook-closing-three-apps-including-one-acquired-just-eight-months-ago/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/ryan-burgess/facebook-closing-three-apps-including-one-acquired-just-eight-months-ago/#respond Tue, 03 Jul 2018 15:36:40 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=378497 With Facebook being the giant power house that it is, the company has acquired its fair share of competing social media platforms in its time. From Instagram to WhatsApp, and to a lesser extent, Oculus. Now, Facebook has announced that it will actually be trimming some fat, with plans to close three different social media …

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With Facebook being the giant power house that it is, the company has acquired its fair share of competing social media platforms in its time. From Instagram to WhatsApp, and to a lesser extent, Oculus. Now, Facebook has announced that it will actually be trimming some fat, with plans to close three different social media apps is currently owns, including one that was acquired just eight months ago.

In an official press release, Facebook announced that the first app to be going would be ‘Hello', an app that allows people to combine information from Facebook with contact information. This app will be closing in the next few weeks.

The second to bite the dust is ‘Moves', a fitness app that Facebook launched way back in 2014 and then didn't really promote. Both the app and its API will be closed on the 31st of July. Finally, one of Facebook's most recent acquisitions, ‘tbh', was an anonymous social media network aimed at students in the US. The app was bought just eight months ago and is now being closed completely.

Facebook says that all withheld user data from these apps will also be deleted within a 90 day window.

KitGuru Says: I didn’t even know these apps existed, so it makes sense that Facebook is closing them down. Were you an avid user of any of these closing apps?

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Google adds anti-tamper DRM to Android apps for easy verification with the Play Store https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/android/ryan-burgess/google-adds-anti-tamper-drm-to-android-apps-for-easy-verification-with-the-play-store/ https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/android/ryan-burgess/google-adds-anti-tamper-drm-to-android-apps-for-easy-verification-with-the-play-store/#respond Mon, 25 Jun 2018 11:39:59 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=377709 Android malware has been making the headlines lately, particularly with the swathe of fake Fortnite apps that were available for download. Google is looking to combat these fake apps by introducing anti-tamper DRM to apps downloaded from places other than the Play Store. Google announced this change via their Android Developers Blog. The blog states …

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Android malware has been making the headlines lately, particularly with the swathe of fake Fortnite apps that were available for download. Google is looking to combat these fake apps by introducing anti-tamper DRM to apps downloaded from places other than the Play Store.

Google announced this change via their Android Developers Blog. The blog states that Google will now start adding a small amount of security metadata to APKs. This metadata allows for verification of whether the app came from the Play Store or was tampered with.

Google says the biggest reason for this change is the ability to check for authenticity, even when offline, citing countries where peer-to-peer app sharing is a common practice. When online, the app will automatically be added to the user’s library and work as though it was installed directly from the Play Store.

This is a boon for developers because they can now distribute their own app through other channels than the Play Store, and still easily allow users to confirm the legitimacy of the app.

KitGuru Says: This is a good move by Google to help keep Android users safe. APK sharing is a big thing, and easy verification makes it a lot easier to stamp down on malware-ridden apps. What do you make of these changes?

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Google is dropping Google+ from the Play Store https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/google-is-dropping-google-from-the-play-store/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/google-is-dropping-google-from-the-play-store/#comments Fri, 12 Aug 2016 10:52:34 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=302724 Google has begun ditching its Google+ social networking integration from the Play Store, as it continues to make the service far less ubiquitous. While there was once a section about people you knew and what they thought of various apps, and you needed a G+ account to leave reviews, none of that is present any …

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Google has begun ditching its Google+ social networking integration from the Play Store, as it continues to make the service far less ubiquitous. While there was once a section about people you knew and what they thought of various apps, and you needed a G+ account to leave reviews, none of that is present any more.

Google's Plus social network has been a bit of a strange experiment for the company. It's never quite generated the interest or user base of the other major social networks and doesn't appear to have offered enough to really stand out. While nixing its features even more might seem counter intuitive, perhaps Google is looking to make it more streamlined.

gplusbye2

Source: Wikimedia

It's certainly not as all encompassing as it once was. There are no more Google+ votes in the app store and you can not leave reviews simply by being logged in to your standard Google account. You will still need that to access and use the Play Store as before, but there is no longer a need for a Google+ account too (thanks Ars).

It's not clear if this is the last service that Google+ support will be stripped from, but Google appears to be trying to make the network stand on its own two feet, rather than have it stick its toes into every pie it can.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: It will be interesting to see moving forward, if the anonymity of not being tied to your real name when leaving reviews, will give people the confidence to leave more reviews in future, perhaps making the whole system more honest. 

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Microsoft is killing off its Android to Windows 10 App porting tool https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/apps-software/matthew-wilson/microsoft-is-killing-off-its-android-to-windows-10-app-porting-tool/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/apps-software/matthew-wilson/microsoft-is-killing-off-its-android-to-windows-10-app-porting-tool/#comments Fri, 26 Feb 2016 19:52:16 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=285488 Early last year, Microsoft announced Project Astoria, a tool designed to allow developers to easily port their Android apps over to Windows 10, a similar tool known as Project Islandwood was also announced for porting iOS apps to Windows 10. Now almost a year later, Microsoft has announced that it will not be going forward …

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Early last year, Microsoft announced Project Astoria, a tool designed to allow developers to easily port their Android apps over to Windows 10, a similar tool known as Project Islandwood was also announced for porting iOS apps to Windows 10. Now almost a year later, Microsoft has announced that it will not be going forward with Project Astoria.

This decision follows on from Microsoft's acquisition of Zamarin, a development platform that is designed to work across iOS, Windows and Android.

Windows-10

Writing in a blog post on the matter, Microsoft said: “We received a lot of feedback that having two Bridge technologies to bring code from mobile operating systems to Windows was unnecessary, and the choice between them could be confusing. We have carefully considered this feedback and decided that we would focus our efforts on the Windows Bridge for iOS and make it the single Bridge option for bringing mobile code to all Windows 10 devices, including Xbox and PCs. For those developers who spent time investigating the Android Bridge, we strongly encourage you to take a look at the iOS Bridge and Xamarin as great solutions.”

So now rather than porting older apps across, Microsoft is hoping that Xamarin will catch on and allow developers to easily create cross-platform applications, which will have a positive effect on the Windows app store.

KitGuru Says: Windows on mobile has always had a bit of an issue with developer support but Microsoft has been working to fix that over the years. Do any of you own a Windows Phone? Is it running Windows 10 yet?

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Sony’s consoles are finally going to get proper Twitch apps https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/apps-software/matthew-wilson/sonys-consoles-are-finally-going-to-get-proper-twitch-apps/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/apps-software/matthew-wilson/sonys-consoles-are-finally-going-to-get-proper-twitch-apps/#respond Sat, 26 Sep 2015 15:33:15 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=269630 Twitch Con is under way this weekend, we have already seen support for VOD uploads announced, along with the switch over to HTML 5 in 2016. Now we have new, fully-featured apps heading to Sony's consoles, which have been missing out so far. While you can stream to Twitch on the PlayStation 4, there hasn't …

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Twitch Con is under way this weekend, we have already seen support for VOD uploads announced, along with the switch over to HTML 5 in 2016. Now we have new, fully-featured apps heading to Sony's consoles, which have been missing out so far.

While you can stream to Twitch on the PlayStation 4, there hasn't been an app to let you watch Twitch streams present on the console. On the other hand, the Xbox 360 and Xbox One have both had pretty decent apps for both streaming and viewing for some time now.

Twitch

Twitch apps will be heading to the PlayStation 4, the PlayStation 3, the PS Vita and the PlayStation TV mini-console later on in the year. The PS4 itself has share features built in that allow you to stream to Twitch, so these apps won't change much for broadcasters but those that like to watch a lot of streams will find it easier and have more devices to do it on.

The app itself will follow the same design as the ones found on the Xbox consoles as well as mobile devices. There is no exact release date just yet, but they are supposed to launch during ‘Fall 2015'.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Twitch spreading to more platforms is good news for everyone. The service has been growing rapidly over the last few years so having it be more readily available should help with that. Do any of you use Twitch often? 

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Nintendo’s first iOS/Android game is Pokemon Shuffle https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/apps-software/matthew-wilson/nintendos-first-iosandroid-game-is-pokemon-shuffle/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/apps-software/matthew-wilson/nintendos-first-iosandroid-game-is-pokemon-shuffle/#comments Thu, 03 Sep 2015 19:48:16 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=266204 Back at the start of the year, Nintendo finally announced its intention to start making games for mobile devices, after years of losing out on the market to emulators and ROMs. The company hired outside firm, DeNa to handle its mobile titles and now we know what game is set to hit mobile devices first. …

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Back at the start of the year, Nintendo finally announced its intention to start making games for mobile devices, after years of losing out on the market to emulators and ROMs. The company hired outside firm, DeNa to handle its mobile titles and now we know what game is set to hit mobile devices first.

It's Pokemon Shuffle, which many will already know from the 3DS. It's essentially a match three game so Nintendo is going to have plenty of competition on Android and iOS.

Pokemon-Shuffle

In Pokemon Shuffle, you will do damage to other Pokemon by playing the match three game. You will be able to level up your own team and catch new Pokemon as you go along. Speaking of which, there are around 150 Pokemon in the game already.

This will mark the first mobile release for Nintendo on Android and iOS, with plenty more to come as Nintendo plans to capitalise on the mobile gaming market. However, in the future, we will be seeing brand new games only, rather than ports of older ones for other systems.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Nintendo has been missing out for years when it comes to games on Android and iOS. A free running Mario game would fit well and most mobile devices these days are capable of playing some fairly intensive titles. It will be interesting to see what Nintendo releases following Pokemon Shuffle later this year. 

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Microsoft is open-sourcing its iOS to Windows porting tools https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/apps-software/matthew-wilson/microsoft-is-open-sourcing-its-ios-to-windows-porting-tools/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/apps-software/matthew-wilson/microsoft-is-open-sourcing-its-ios-to-windows-porting-tools/#respond Thu, 06 Aug 2015 19:13:37 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=262721 Back in April this year at Microsoft's annual Build conference, the company revealed that Windows 10 would be able to run Android and iOS apps with a little bit of tweaking. Now that Windows 10 is out, Microsoft is releasing its porting tools to the public and making them open-source for anyone to use and …

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Back in April this year at Microsoft's annual Build conference, the company revealed that Windows 10 would be able to run Android and iOS apps with a little bit of tweaking. Now that Windows 10 is out, Microsoft is releasing its porting tools to the public and making them open-source for anyone to use and have access to.

Previously codenamed ‘Project IslandWood', the Windows Bridge for iOS is opening up today with all of the source code freely available on GitHub. The iOS Bridge will let developers bring iOS apps over to both Windows 10 and Windows 8.1 with mobile support heading to us in the future.

Windows-10

This could be just what Microsoft needs to get more app support on the Windows Store, which is currently pretty empty compared to the Google Play Store or Apple App Store. Right now the tool is in preview mode, meaning it is still being tested and worked on, Microsoft is hoping that the wider community will contribute due to the project's open-source nature.

The tool is currently heading for a proper release in the Fall. Soon there will also be a public beta for the Windows Bridge for Android, which will allow developers to bring over Android apps to Microsoft's differing versions of Windows. However, the Android tool will be restricted to mobile devices, rather than bringing apps to desktop systems as well.

You can find Microsoft's full announcement, HERE. 

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: One of the biggest things holding Windows Phone back is the lack of app support, something that these porting tools could end up helping out with. Though only time will tell for sure. 

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Microsoft is pulling the plug on some of its MSN apps https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/apps-software/matthew-wilson/microsoft-is-pulling-the-plug-on-some-of-its-msn-apps/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/apps-software/matthew-wilson/microsoft-is-pulling-the-plug-on-some-of-its-msn-apps/#respond Mon, 13 Jul 2015 12:30:25 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=258735 Microsoft is continuing to go through some big changes in the lead up to Windows 10. Last week it was revealed that the company would be cutting around 7,800 jobs from its hardware division, shedding a significant portion of the former-Nokia employees that remained following the acquisition and now Microsoft is moving on to killing off under-performing …

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Microsoft is continuing to go through some big changes in the lead up to Windows 10. Last week it was revealed that the company would be cutting around 7,800 jobs from its hardware division, shedding a significant portion of the former-Nokia employees that remained following the acquisition and now Microsoft is moving on to killing off under-performing apps and removing development support for them.

To kick things off, Microsoft will be pulling the plug on some MSN apps towards the end of September this year, this includes MSN Travel and MSN Food & Drink for iOS, Windows Phone and Android. These weren't particularly popular apps,  so it isn't a huge loss, although it is a little sad to see how far MSN has fallen, given that it used to be the go-to messenger app for many.

These two MSN apps will be discontinued on the 28th of September, while MSN Health and Fitness will remain a little longer, lasting until the 1st of November. Microsoft also revealed that it would be continuing to support its more popular MSN apps, including MSN Sports, News and Weather.

2567-new-msn-_article

On the other side, Microsoft is also discontinuing support for Photosynth on iOS and Windows Phone, though this change is ‘effective immediately'. If you already have the app installed then it won't go anywhere but there will be no more updates for it from this point on and the app will be pulled from the App Store and Windows Store.

Those who have panoramas saved with Photosynth are being directed to Photosynth.net in order to upload and save them there, since the website itself won't be going away, just the app.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Microsoft has been in the process of reshuffling its resources over the last year in order to put focus in areas with more potential for growth. The apps being removed weren't all that popular so it makes sense for Microsoft to put its efforts elsewhere. 

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We now know when Fallout Shelter should arrive on Android https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/apps-software/matthew-wilson/we-now-know-when-fallout-shelter-should-arrive-on-android/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/apps-software/matthew-wilson/we-now-know-when-fallout-shelter-should-arrive-on-android/#comments Sat, 04 Jul 2015 13:19:34 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=257473 A couple of weeks back at E3, Bethesda announced its new little mobile game, Fallout Shelter, whilst also showing off tons of new Fallout 4 footage. While Fallout Shelter is a neat little mobile time killer and has been received very well, it is currently limited to iOS users, leaving the Android crowd out. Fortunately, …

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A couple of weeks back at E3, Bethesda announced its new little mobile game, Fallout Shelter, whilst also showing off tons of new Fallout 4 footage. While Fallout Shelter is a neat little mobile time killer and has been received very well, it is currently limited to iOS users, leaving the Android crowd out.

Fortunately, Bethesda is working on that and now we have a general timetable for when to expect Fallout Shelter to hit Android. According to Bethesda's Pete Hines, the Android version of Fallout Shelter is “coming along nice” and while a date hasn't been officially announced, “it should be out next month”.

Fallout-Shelter-Featured-600x337

So later on in August, Android users may finally be able to play the Fallout Shelter app, ahead of Fallout 4's launch in November. The game has gone on to be one of the highest grossing apps in the iOS store in just a matter of weeks, even though the game isn't really built around making money. This is similar to how android real money casino sites android casino apps works as mentioned from here.

It will be interesting to see if the app can hit the same level of success once Android users can finally get their hands on it.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: I've sunk some time in to perfecting my own vault in Fallout Shelter since it launched. Its a fun little time waster if you just want something you can check in on every once in a while, although Android users aren't missing out on much. Have any of you tried Fallout Shelter? Are you waiting for it to hit Android? 

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Microsoft is officially acquiring the Wunderlist app https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/apps-software/matthew-wilson/microsoft-is-officially-acquiring-the-wunderlist-app/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/apps-software/matthew-wilson/microsoft-is-officially-acquiring-the-wunderlist-app/#comments Wed, 03 Jun 2015 12:00:23 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=252558 Earlier this week, we reported on Microsoft's next potential acquisition, the popular app, Wunderlist. Now it seems that the move is official, with Wunderlist joining the ranks alongside Microsoft's growing selection of other apps and services on multiple platforms. Wunderlist is one of the more successful ‘to-do' apps on smartphones, created by German app maker, …

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Earlier this week, we reported on Microsoft's next potential acquisition, the popular app, Wunderlist. Now it seems that the move is official, with Wunderlist joining the ranks alongside Microsoft's growing selection of other apps and services on multiple platforms.

Wunderlist is one of the more successful ‘to-do' apps on smartphones, created by German app maker, 6Wunderkinder GmbH. This move isn't entirely unprecedented, Microsoft has been acquiring apps recently in an effort to expand its presence on all platforms.

Screen Shot 2015-06-03 at 13.30.37

The acquisition price has not been disclosed and likely never will be but rumours are pointing towards a price of between $100 million and $200 million, which is a huge chunk of cash for a little checklist app.

Microsoft will likely have some deep integration planned for Wunderlist with its other apps and services later down the line but for now, it looks like the app will operate as normal. The Wunderlist CEO and creator seems to have high hopes for the future thanks to the Microsoft acquisition: “Joining Microsoft gives us access to a massive wealth of expertise, technology and people that a small company like us could only dream of amassing on its own.”

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Microsoft is trying to get people on all platforms using its apps. It also wants those apps to sync back with Windows 10 PCs. We don’t yet know if Microsoft’s change in approach will pay off but it seems likely.

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Microsoft apps to come installed on LG and Sony tablets https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/apps-software/matthew-wilson/microsoft-apps-to-come-installed-on-lg-and-sony-tablets/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/apps-software/matthew-wilson/microsoft-apps-to-come-installed-on-lg-and-sony-tablets/#respond Wed, 27 May 2015 20:09:40 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=251409 Microsoft is continuing to make deals with smart device manufacturers in order to get its own applications pre-installed on devices. The company recently signed up with Samsung, meaning that Galaxy S6 devices sold in certain territories will come with Microsoft apps like Skype or Office  pre-installed. Now Microsoft has expanded its reach even further having …

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Microsoft is continuing to make deals with smart device manufacturers in order to get its own applications pre-installed on devices. The company recently signed up with Samsung, meaning that Galaxy S6 devices sold in certain territories will come with Microsoft apps like Skype or Office  pre-installed.

Now Microsoft has expanded its reach even further having signed a deal with LG and Sony. Now tablets coming from the two device makers will come pre-installed with Skype and Microsoft's Office suite, including Word, Power Point, Excel, One Drive and One Note.

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Nick Parker, corporate vice president of Microsoft's Original Equipment Manufacturer division, said: “Our strategic agreements with these partners demonstrate how Microsoft is leveraging the scale of the hardware ecosystem, and working with partners in new ways to deliver rich experiences to our customers. This is a cornerstone of our cross-platform services strategy, to bring an array of Microsoft services to every person on every device.”

“By pre-installing Microsoft software and services solutions on Android tablets, our partners are able to increase the value of those devices by delivering the rich productivity experiences customers want. In addition, partners will be able to take advantage of opportunities to realize new revenue streams.”

This comes following rumors that LG is working on a Nexus device for Google, which we may even see at Google I/O this week.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Microsoft is making a big push to get users on all platforms using its own apps and services. It even recently announced that it would be bringing its digital assistant, Cortana, to iOS and Android. While a lot of users tend to ignore pre-installed apps entirely, this may end up bringing Microsoft more users. 

Via: The Inquirer

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Nintendo will launch five mobile games by Q1 2017 https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/matthew-wilson/nintendo-will-launch-five-mobile-games-by-q1-2017/ https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/matthew-wilson/nintendo-will-launch-five-mobile-games-by-q1-2017/#comments Fri, 08 May 2015 17:24:57 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=248704 Nintendo has discussed more details on its plans for mobile gaming. Last year, the company announced that it would be teaming up with DeNA to create specific games for mobile devices, now we know that we can expect at least one game to launch this year, with another four arriving before March 2017. Nintendo is …

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Nintendo has discussed more details on its plans for mobile gaming. Last year, the company announced that it would be teaming up with DeNA to create specific games for mobile devices, now we know that we can expect at least one game to launch this year, with another four arriving before March 2017.

Nintendo is surprisingly open to ideas as well, putting none of the company's IPs off-limits. During a presentation this morning, Satoru Iwata said: “Since the game business on smart devices is already severely competitive, even with highly popular IP, the odds of success are quite low if consumers cannot appreciate the quality of a game. Also, if we were simply to port software that already has a track record on a dedicated game system, it would not match the play styles of smart devices, and the appropriate business models are different between the two, so we would not anticipate a great result.”

mario-kart

Nintendo has already made a few personnel changes for its assault on mobile gaming. According to Silconera, the producer of the Mario Kart series is in charge of smartphone games. Iwata has said that each game Nintendo launches on mobile will be worked on for a significant amount of time following release.

Obviously, Nintendo does not want to simply port old Gameboy titles over to mobile, it wants to create decent games that will keep players interested, which will take time.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Nintendo finally launching on mobile seems like a good option for the company. It is starting off small as well, with a batch of just five games over the next two years. What would you guys like to see Nintendo release on mobile?

Sources: Nintendo

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Microsoft is teaming up with Cyanogen https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/microsoft-is-teaming-up-with-cyanogen/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/microsoft-is-teaming-up-with-cyanogen/#comments Thu, 16 Apr 2015 18:48:53 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=245463 If you are an Android user, then chances are you have probably heard of the Cyanogenmod ROM. Over the last couple of years, Cyanogen has branched out and become a legitimate company, launching its own operating system and now it is even signing deals with Microsoft. Rumours of a partnership between the two companies has …

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If you are an Android user, then chances are you have probably heard of the Cyanogenmod ROM. Over the last couple of years, Cyanogen has branched out and become a legitimate company, launching its own operating system and now it is even signing deals with Microsoft.

Rumours of a partnership between the two companies has been hinted at in the past but it is now confirmed. It has been suggested in the past that Microsoft has invested as much as $70 million in the startup, in order to help it free Android from Google's clutches a little bit.

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While the deal is confirmed, no exact figures have been officially revealed. The deal does mean that Cyanogen OS will start packing in some Microsoft apps, including Bing, Skype, OneDrive, OneNote, Outlook, and Microsoft Office.

Microsoft will also be working on “native integrations” for Cyanogen OS.Kirt McMaster, CEO of Cyanogen said: “This exciting partnership with Microsoft will enable us to bring new kinds of integrated services to mobile users in markets around the world.”

Microsoft had some words of its own: “We aspire to have our tools within arm's reach of everyone, to empower them in all aspects of their lives.”

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Cyanogen has quickly grown from a group of Android modders in to a full company with the capacity to make big deals with the likes of Microsoft. What do you guys think of this? Right now it doesn't look like this deal pertains to the Cyanogenmod ROM but rather the full OS found on the OnePlus One.

Via: The Inquirer

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Google may have made it possible for Chrome users to run Android apps https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/apps-software/matthew-wilson/google-may-have-made-it-possible-for-chrome-users-to-run-android-apps/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/apps-software/matthew-wilson/google-may-have-made-it-possible-for-chrome-users-to-run-android-apps/#comments Fri, 03 Apr 2015 09:44:02 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=243512 Google may have just made it possible for Google Chrome browser users to now run Android applications on a range of devices thanks to the new developer preview of its ARC project. The new feature makes it so that App Runtime for Chrome can run on any desktop operating system. Well, ARC can run on …

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Google may have just made it possible for Google Chrome browser users to now run Android applications on a range of devices thanks to the new developer preview of its ARC project. The new feature makes it so that App Runtime for Chrome can run on any desktop operating system.

Well, ARC can run on any desktop OS as long as Chrome is installed. According to Ars Technica, this opens up the door to run Android applications on Windows, Linux and OS X. The updated ARC project also lets developers run their app via a Chrome packager, although the iOS platform is excluded, as you would expect.

Google Chrome 19.0.1084.41 Beta free download

Google originally intended for the ARC project to bring Android apps to the Chrome OS but soon after its launch, developers managed to unlock the full potential and managed to get apps up and running on any machine. Google has now turned this into a full feature of the project.

ARC is able to run across all desktop operating systems through a native client, this allows Chrome apps to take advantage of differing CPUs and GPUs. The leg work still needs to be done by the developers though, each developer would need to implement ARC in to their apps and resubmit it to the Chrome web store before you could run it within Chrome.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Bringing Android apps to other platforms could really spread their reach, it would also get more people invested in Google's eco-system. What do you guys think? Should developers start allowing their apps to run from within the Chrome browser? 

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Apple Watch could support 100,000 apps at launch https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/apple/matthew-wilson/apple-watch-could-support-100000-apps-at-launch/ https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/apple/matthew-wilson/apple-watch-could-support-100000-apps-at-launch/#respond Wed, 25 Feb 2015 19:42:26 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=237553 The Apple Watch could launch with a huge amount of software support, as 100,000 apps could end up being available for the wearable when it launches in April, according to new reports. While Apple has yet to publicly speak on the range of software set to be available for its first wearable, analysts are predicting …

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The Apple Watch could launch with a huge amount of software support, as 100,000 apps could end up being available for the wearable when it launches in April, according to new reports. While Apple has yet to publicly speak on the range of software set to be available for its first wearable, analysts are predicting a strong software lineup on day one.

According to Trip Chowdhry, who works for Global Equities Research, the Apple Watch app ecosystem will instantly outstrip that of Android Wear. This isn't a totally random number either, the figure has been deduced from attending six Apple Watch-kit events over the last few months.

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It is also estimated that the $349 price tag won't put too many off from buying the Apple Watch due to wide-spread development support. In a note to clients, the analyst wrote “By April 10th 2015, we are expecting 100,000 Apple Watch Apps on AppStore”.

“Currently, on an average there are 65 Apps per iPhone. We are estimating that an average Apple Watch will have 100 Apps per Apple Watch. There will be no single killer app for Apple Watch – each user will have their own set of Killer Apps…one way to think is that the consumer is getting 100 different devices in one Apple Watch.”

He then goes on to praise the Apple Watch and its framework. Apple has supposedly thought things through very well, making the Apple Watch a seamless integration in to the iOS ecosystem.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: The Apple Watch is still over a month away so it is going to take a while to arrive. It will be interesting to see how the public responds when it does as so far, adoption of wearable technology has been very slow even with Google on board.

Via: Barron's

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Microsoft thinks calendar app Sunrise is worth $100 million https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/iphone/brendan-morgan/microsoft-thinks-calendar-app-sunrise-is-worth-100-million/ https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/iphone/brendan-morgan/microsoft-thinks-calendar-app-sunrise-is-worth-100-million/#respond Thu, 05 Feb 2015 02:52:23 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=234101 Microsoft is well known for its costly acquisitions, with Nokia, Mojang and Skype all being snapped up by them for substantial amounts in the last few years. Now it seems that it is willing to pay over $100 million for a calendar app on iOS and Android, certainly not pocket change for an app that …

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Microsoft is well known for its costly acquisitions, with Nokia, Mojang and Skype all being snapped up by them for substantial amounts in the last few years. Now it seems that it is willing to pay over $100 million for a calendar app on iOS and Android, certainly not pocket change for an app that doesn't even run on Windows. This might have you scratching your head as to why they are buying these kind of apps for mobile platforms they don't even own.

In this case it seems that this acquisition is probably going to be used for the tech behind the app, with features from the Sunrise app used in future Office apps for Android, iOS and maybe even Windows versions. As well as this, Microsoft will be keeping the current Sunrise app alive for both mobile operating systems, but rebranding it, similar to what it has done with another recent app, Acompli which is acquired for $200 million.
Sunrise
These recent purchases really do show that Microsoft is fully invested in making itself into a platform agnostic services company, where you can access all of their services no matter what devices you are running, be it for business or consumer use, Android, iOS or Windows. At the end of the day this is great news for anyone who uses Microsoft software and services.

Microsoft has also just announced the release of the tech preview of Office for Windows 10, which is available to anyone running Windows 10, from the windows app store, for free from today. This is a touch friendly version of Office in a similar design style to the iPad and Android tablet versions. While the tech preview will probably not be free for desktops running Windows 10 forever, smaller Windows 10 tablets will come with this version of office preloaded, so this is your chance to give it a try.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: While $100 million does seem a bit much for a calendar app, buying up a few basic apps on competing operations systems to get a foothold could turn out to be a good idea at the end of the day. Have you ever tried Sunrise?

Source: TechCrunch

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Google Now gains 3rd party app integration https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/android/brendan-morgan/google-now-gains-3rd-party-app-integration/ https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/android/brendan-morgan/google-now-gains-3rd-party-app-integration/#respond Sat, 31 Jan 2015 00:37:59 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=233319 Shouting at your Android phone is pretty fun with Google now, but Google is about to enhance this functionality and it will soon announce that it’s allowing third-party apps to deliver information to Google Now. This will allow over 30 selected third-party developers to integrate their services into the voice service, in the form of new information that …

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Shouting at your Android phone is pretty fun with Google now, but Google is about to enhance this functionality and it will soon announce that it’s allowing third-party apps to deliver information to Google Now. This will allow over 30 selected third-party developers to integrate their services into the voice service, in the form of new information that can be added to the Now card when users have the 3rd party app on their phone.

Google Now, the intelligent voice service, first launched in 2012 on the Galaxy Nexus with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and it is now available on Android phones, Android smart-watches, iOS and the Chrome browser. It has been noted that Google now is very good at linking together lots of user information and shows exactly how much information Google actually has on its users.GoogleNow

Three of the new partners are Airbnb, eBay and Lyft and Google have confirmed that no user data will actually be shared with any of these new these partners until their apps have been opened. One example given of the new cards would be, when a Lyft user lands at an airport, Lyft will be able to show a card to arrange a ride home or to their next destination. Likewise, Ebay will be able to push items that you are watching to your Now card when they are about to be sold, or when items you are selling have been sold.

The purpose of Google Now is to answer questions before you have even asked them, “Maybe you don't want to ask a question; maybe you want to just have it answered for you before you ask it,” said Google’s CEO Larry Page. With the integration of these third-parties this is becoming less of a mission statement and more of a reality.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Between Google Now, Siri and Cortana, 2015 is going to be a fun year for voice activated intelligent assistants. I can't wait to see what this year will bring.

Source: Wall Street Journal

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MEGA launches new smartphone apps, beta testing MegaChat https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/security-software/jon-martindale/mega-launches-new-smartphone-apps-beta-testing-megachat/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/security-software/jon-martindale/mega-launches-new-smartphone-apps-beta-testing-megachat/#comments Tue, 20 Jan 2015 09:28:48 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=231367 The MEGA encrypted file locker service is now looking to expand into more mobile marketplaces, by launching its new swathe of updated smartphone applications for iOS, Android and Windows Phone. On top of that though, the company founder Kim Dotcom has also announced an ongoing beta to use MegaChat, the encrypted IM and VOIP service …

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The MEGA encrypted file locker service is now looking to expand into more mobile marketplaces, by launching its new swathe of updated smartphone applications for iOS, Android and Windows Phone. On top of that though, the company founder Kim Dotcom has also announced an ongoing beta to use MegaChat, the encrypted IM and VOIP service that he brands, the “Skype Killer.”

megachat2

Those downloading the new smartphone apps for any of the supported operating systems, will find themselves given 50GB of free cloud storage space, whether they sign up for a subscription or not. The new 2.04 version of the app(s) includes new features like the ability to reconnect after losing your network connection without having to re-download (or upload) everything. Several bugs have also been fixed and camera uploads are still compatible with previous versions of the software.

Specifically on the iOS version also, users can use TouchID to make their MEGA account more secure.

Exciting news was also dropped by Mr Dotcom however, when he announced that the MegaChat service that he's been working on with developers to allow for encrypted and therefore private chat services, was currently entering beta. Since it was announced that Skype had been in collusion with the NSA and other intelligence agencies, providing the content and meta data from calls, many people believe that a successor to the service with better privacy could steal a lot of business from it. That's what Dotcom hopes MegaChat can be.

All of this is designed to coincide with the three year anniversary of the MegaUpload seizure, which saw Kim Dotcom's mansion raided and servers containing the files and data of his millions of customers seized.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Do you guys think that MegaChat has the potential to be the Skype Killer? I'm not sure if enough people care about privacy for it to matter, but personally I'll probably give the service a try. I much prefer the idea of my data being mine rather than the government's. 

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Eight days into 2015 and Apple’s App store is breaking records https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/apple/brendan-morgan/8-days-into-2015-and-apples-app-store-is-breaking-records/ https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/apple/brendan-morgan/8-days-into-2015-and-apples-app-store-is-breaking-records/#comments Thu, 08 Jan 2015 23:58:19 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=229659 Apparently the new year is a good time to be an app developer for the Apple ecosystem. Apple annoucned today, that the first week of 2015 has set new records in the App Store, with customers around the world spending nearly half a billion dollars on apps and in-app purchases. New years day itself was …

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Apparently the new year is a good time to be an app developer for the Apple ecosystem. Apple annoucned today, that the first week of 2015 has set new records in the App Store, with customers around the world spending nearly half a billion dollars on apps and in-app purchases. New years day itself was the biggest single day ever in App Store sales history.

In a press release today, Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services said: “This year is off to a tremendous start after a record-breaking year for the App Store and our developer community, we're so proud of the creativity and innovation developers bring to the apps they create for iOS users and that the developer community has now earned over $25 billion.” Of this $25 billion at least $10 billion was earned in just the last year, indicating that developer revenue is growing massively as well.

App Store

The App Store now contains 1.4 million apps for iPhone, iPad and iPod and with iOS 8 and more payment methods, including Apple Pay, recently being rolled out in several different countries, the reasons for the record breaking success become clear. Apple Pay in particular, seems to be doing very well as an App Store payment method with over 90% of of credit card purchases in the US now using Apple Pay. Apple also disclosed that with the help of it's customers, it has now donated $20 million this quarter, and over $100 million in total to the (RED) Global Fund to fight AIDS.

App store price

Apple has also sent out the email above to App Store developers to inform them of pricing changes, that will soon be applied across large parts of the world, something that it left out of their press release. The price rises in the EU are expected, with the new VAT laws that have already come into effect from the 1st of January, all providers of electronic services (software downloads, cloud business, online gaming, certain e-learning, online payment services, etc.) must charge VAT based on the customer country of residence, rather than a flat rate across the whole of the EU. Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: The Apple App store shows no signs of slowing down but until we get some number from Google to compare these to we really lack any kind of context. Either way this is a lot of money for both Apple and App Store developers worldwide.

Source: Apple Image Source: Neowin, Wikimedia

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Papers Please launches on iPad, without nudity https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/jon-martindale/papers-please-launches-on-ipad-without-nudity/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/jon-martindale/papers-please-launches-on-ipad-without-nudity/#comments Thu, 11 Dec 2014 09:21:55 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=225841 Papers Please is one of the more thought provoking titles to be released in recent years, giving the player a chance to not only feel the power behind even a minor position of importance, but also the moral quandaries placed at the feet of someone in such a role. All with pixel graphics that would …

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Papers Please is one of the more thought provoking titles to be released in recent years, giving the player a chance to not only feel the power behind even a minor position of importance, but also the moral quandaries placed at the feet of someone in such a role. All with pixel graphics that would have been at home in the late 80s. And yet despite that pixellation of everything on Screen, Apple rejected the ‘nude' images of potential terrorists for the iPad version.

The new iOS version, designed to work with Apple's tablets was announced via the game's creator, Lucas Pope's twitter in the early hours of this morning, showing the game running alongside a date of '12th December.' However shortly after, he clarified that this version would be slightly different.

lucaspope

For those that aren't aware, Paper's Please has you running a border check point for the fictional country of Arstotzka. It's your job to check everyone's passports and paperwork to make sure that they are legally allowed to enter the country. Sometimes they need to be searched for contraband or weapons however and the search can end up looking like this:

papersplease
Occasionally there's even a pair of pixel breasts showing

Not in the iPad version though. There will be no full body nude searches in that iteration of the game.

It doesn't seem likely that Pope's next game, Return of the Obra Dinn will have much nudity, but it is surprisingly violent for a game with a monochromatic palette and 1bit graphics.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Do you guys think this will spoil the Papers Please experience much?

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Twitter to collect data on all your phone apps https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/twitter-to-collect-data-on-all-your-phone-apps/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/twitter-to-collect-data-on-all-your-phone-apps/#respond Thu, 27 Nov 2014 09:05:17 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=223798 As the world's second most well known and talked about social network, you would think Twitteer would have had the same storied history of privacy concerns that Facebook has. Traditionally however, it's not monetised its service quite as much as others, so has left the personal lives of its users more or less alone. That could be …

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As the world's second most well known and talked about social network, you would think Twitteer would have had the same storied history of privacy concerns that Facebook has. Traditionally however, it's not monetised its service quite as much as others, so has left the personal lives of its users more or less alone. That could be starting to change however, as the Twitter app will now compile a list of all of the applications you have on your phone, so it can better target ads to you.

“To help build a more personal Twitter experience for you, we are collecting and occasionally updating the list of apps installed on your mobile device so we can deliver tailored content that you might be interested in,” Twitter posted on its support blog.

The system is known as “App Graph,” and will be used to improve suggestions for who you should follow, adding additional content to your timeline that Twitter deems interesting to you and of course, targeting you with more personalised adverts.

twitter

Is this feature enabled now on your device? Possibly, accessing it should let you know. However Twitter hasn't said when it will come into play for anyone, simply stating that: “We will notify you about this feature being turned on for your account by showing a prompt letting you know that to help tailor your experience, Twitter uses the apps on your device.”

It did say quite clearly that only the list of applications will be looked at and no content or data from those apps themselves.

If you don't like the idea of this however, you can go into your Twitter account settings on iOS or Android, choose the account you want to adjust and then change the setting for “Tailor Twitter based on my apps.”

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: How do you guys feel about this? Are there any applications you have installed that you wouldn't want Twitter knowing about? 

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Microsoft is shifting focus back to the MSN brand https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/microsoft-is-shifting-focus-back-the-msn-brand/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/microsoft-is-shifting-focus-back-the-msn-brand/#comments Mon, 08 Sep 2014 09:12:35 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=210653 Microsoft is set to shift focus back to the MSN brand, just one week after it announced that the messenger service would be shutting down for good later this year. Several Bing apps, including News, Sports, Travel, Weather, and Finance, are set to be re-branded under the MSN name. Additionally, each app will be coming to iOS and …

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Microsoft is set to shift focus back to the MSN brand, just one week after it announced that the messenger service would be shutting down for good later this year. Several Bing apps, including News, Sports, Travel, Weather, and Finance, are set to be re-branded under the MSN name.

Additionally, each app will be coming to iOS and Android, making this Microsoft's first step towards its new cross platform “mobile first, cloud first” vision. Microsoft largely abandoned the MSN brand shortly after the launch of Bing but it looks like the company is shifting its focus back once more.

MSN

Along with the impending re-brand of Bing apps, Microsoft has launched a preview of the new MSN home page, which will sync up with all Bing services currently available on Windows Phone devices along with the recently launched Cortana digital assistant.

The MSN home page still receives a fair bit of traffic thanks to it being the default home page on most versions of Internet Explorer. It's currently unclear what this app re-brand means for Bing overall, it is possible that we could see Microsoft phase it out and fully focus on MSN going forward- only time will tell.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: MSN Messenger isn't returning but Microsoft is aiming to bring the brand back to the forefront of Internet services. Do you guys think Microsoft will replace Bing entirely? It hasn't exactly taken off…

Source: Microsoft Blog via The Verge

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Apple and Google are battling over mobile exclusives https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/matthew-wilson/apple-and-google-battling-over-mobile-exclusives/ https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/matthew-wilson/apple-and-google-battling-over-mobile-exclusives/#respond Mon, 21 Apr 2014 11:35:06 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=188295 Gamers are pretty used to the idea of platform exclusives on consoles and PC but it isn't something we've really had to deal with on mobile devices until recently, as now Apple and Google are battling over exclusivity deals with App developers more aggressively than ever. With gaming apps being amongst the top grossing on …

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Gamers are pretty used to the idea of platform exclusives on consoles and PC but it isn't something we've really had to deal with on mobile devices until recently, as now Apple and Google are battling over exclusivity deals with App developers more aggressively than ever.

With gaming apps being amongst the top grossing on both Google's Play store and Apple's App Store, it makes sense that both companies want a bigger piece of the pie. Google and Apple have been offering increased advertisement across the store as well as highlight placement to App Developers in exchange for platform exclusivity or at the very least, a timed exclusive.

plants-vs-zombies-2-review-3

Two early examples of this include Plants VS Zombies 2 as well as Cut the Rope 2. Both titles signed a deal with Apple to release on IOS several months before hitting Android. We already know that exclusive games impact our choices when it comes to buying consoles but will it have the same effect on smartphones and tablets? Especially considering that most people don't buy a new phone or tablet with games specifically in mind.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: I don't think Apple and Google should start fighting for exclusive apps, especially since mobile devices aren't intended to be pure gaming platforms. It just seems a bit pointless, if I had an Android phone, I wouldn't rush out to get an IOS device just so I could play a casual game once in a while to kill some time. What do you guys think? Do you think exclusives on mobile makes sense?

Source: WSJ

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Angry Birds data used by GCHQ and NSA https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/security-software/jon-martindale/angry-birds-data-used-by-gchq-and-nsa/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/security-software/jon-martindale/angry-birds-data-used-by-gchq-and-nsa/#respond Tue, 28 Jan 2014 09:56:57 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=174768 In the wake of the Edward Snowden leaks from early 2013, the western world and specifically US and British citizens, have come to accept that the NSA and GCHQ have no doubt snooped in our conversations, metadata, Facebook posts and more, with the excuse that they're protecting us from terrorism. We also know that the …

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In the wake of the Edward Snowden leaks from early 2013, the western world and specifically US and British citizens, have come to accept that the NSA and GCHQ have no doubt snooped in our conversations, metadata, Facebook posts and more, with the excuse that they're protecting us from terrorism. We also know that the NSA sent agents ‘undercover' into games like World of Warcraft and Second Life, so it shouldn't really come to anyone's surprise that the most popular game series ever, Angry Birds, was also used by intelligence agencies to gather up data on average citizens.

Understandably, Rovio, the developer of Angry Birds has released a statement saying that it has no knowledge of any NSA backdoor within its software, or of any data being gathered from it – of course with the current US secrecy laws in place, it's very hard for any company to tell its customers if it is forced into bed with the NSA. Fortunately that's soon about to change, so we may have much more candid revelations about how in-depth the relationship between with US-intelligence and some companies have been.

While the NSA activities here are no doubt unsurprising to anyone that's been keeping up with revelations surrounding the PRISM scheme, the fact that the intelligence agency does and has been gathering smartphone and location information from apps is a new revelation, backed up by internal slides leaked by Mr Snowden in his continued skirt lifting of the US authorities. It explains that along with Angry Birds, the NSA and GCHQ targeted many applications that recorded information on the user, with the intelligence agencies particularly excited about apps that have users uploading images of themselves.

nsa
“Wanted: selfies, nudes” – NSA

However many apps also broadcast location data, something the NSA was particularly interested in as it believed these could help keep track of terrorists. Of course we know that throughout the past few years of NSA data hoovering, which has involved wholesale metadata collection from US phone calls, as well as much more invasive overseas strategies, has ultimately resulted in the stopping of one or perhaps two terrorist attacks.

Google Maps was a big source of data gathering too. Every time the service was used on a smartphone, the US an British intelligence agencies were able to suction up massive amounts of location data, to the point where (as the Guardian reports), one document from 2008, suggested that anyone using “Google Maps on a smartphone is working in support of a GCHQ system.” What's potentially worse about this, is GCHQ is happy to share data with its pals in the NSA, who have far less consideration (and laws binding them) when it comes to foreign nationals. Concern has already been raised over the tight nit relationship between the two agencies that could allow both to circumvent safeguards designed to protect their own citizens from being overwatched by the local spies.

nsaandroid
GCHQ has put a lot more time into targeting Android devices than Apple, but the latter aren't any more secure

While it doesn't make the revelation any worse, the fact that GCHQ chose to name its data gathering schemes after characters in The Smurfs TV series almost seems sociopathic. They're called things like Nosey Smurf, Tracker Smurf and Dreamy Smurf.

The NSA has so far refused all calls for it to reveal how much data is recorded from apps, how often, or how and where that data is stored.

KitGuru Says: This is just one more reason not to trust apps to have access to all your data, on social networks and/or your handset. It also highlights how important campaigns like the one being put to the EU Court of Human Rights are. Make sure to give them a few sheckles if you want to see the British government be judged on its privacy invasions.

All images most likely copyright NSA/GCHQ, but we'll give The Guardian a source credit there too.

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BBM to come pre-loaded on Android smartphones https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/apps-software/matthew-wilson/bbm-to-come-pre-loaded-on-android-smartphones/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/apps-software/matthew-wilson/bbm-to-come-pre-loaded-on-android-smartphones/#respond Wed, 15 Jan 2014 16:48:34 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=172144 As soon as the Blackberry Messenger app went cross platform it became a hit, garnering over ten million downloads in its first 24 hours on both the Play Store and the IOS App Store. Thanks to the massive surge in popularity, you may find BBM coming pre-installed on several Android devices from now on. Facebook …

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As soon as the Blackberry Messenger app went cross platform it became a hit, garnering over ten million downloads in its first 24 hours on both the Play Store and the IOS App Store. Thanks to the massive surge in popularity, you may find BBM coming pre-installed on several Android devices from now on.

Facebook and Twitter already have pre-install deals set up with OEM's and now BBM is set to join the ranks with over a dozen mobile companies having already signed up, according to David Proulx, BlackBerry’s Senior Director of BBM Business Development. So far the deals are deals are regional and low key but with huge companies like LG beginning to sign on, we could see more follow suit:

“LG is the first global name we have partnered with. You will see more such engagements in the future as that is a central tenant to make it simple for people to find their way into the BBM experience.”

bbm

The Blackberry executive did hint that more big names were due to sign up but no specifics were given. However, it's likely that the company will target big names like Samsung and HTC to boost the BBM userbase.

KitGuru Says: Most people find pre-loaded apps pretty annoying, with the amount of downloads the app already has, I'm sure everyone who wants BBM already has it and those that want it certainly know where to find it. 

Source: TR

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Mobile developer thinks Google Glass is the future https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/jon-martindale/mobile-developer-thinks-google-glass-is-the-future/ https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/jon-martindale/mobile-developer-thinks-google-glass-is-the-future/#comments Thu, 28 Nov 2013 10:16:32 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=164808 Just as much as the iPhone helped bring the smartphone into the hearts, minds and ultimately hands of the masses, Glu Mobile CEO, Niccolo de Masi believes that the next revolutionary hardware in the mobile market, especially when it comes to gaming, is Google Glass. “Every five or 10 years, something more revolutionary than evolutionary …

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Just as much as the iPhone helped bring the smartphone into the hearts, minds and ultimately hands of the masses, Glu Mobile CEO, Niccolo de Masi believes that the next revolutionary hardware in the mobile market, especially when it comes to gaming, is Google Glass.

“Every five or 10 years, something more revolutionary than evolutionary comes along,” de Masi said. “It's been six or seven years since the first iPhone. This could be one of those moments. The next seven years could well be a wearable wave. It could happen as fast or even faster than the smartphone, this PC in your pocket.”

To that end, his company has created its first game to take advantage of Google Glass, known as Spellista. A completely hands free game, it uses Glass' built in gyroscope, accelerometer, camera and voice recognition to control the action on screen, which boils down to a simple puzzling experience, but does allow for the simple creation and sending to other players, of custom levels you create.

De Masi goes on to discuss how the unique customisation of a game like Spellista, allows gamers to send content to one another, share levels with friends and family – which according to him, makes it all the more personal.

But that doesn't sound particularly unique to Glass. In-fact people have been making their own levels for games for a long time and the ease of distributing them can be very easy if the game in question is designed for it.

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“Headshot! Now to teabag him while I dice these onions.”

Of course Glu Mobile has been a bit of a Google fanboy for a while now. It was one of the earlier game developers for Android, starting way back in 2008 and it has a common board member with Google, so perhaps there is some reason for the cross promotion. It could really be that de Masi thinks Glass is the future and having learnt more about it through the shared connections, is more convinced than ever. Or it could simply be to his company's benefit to talk up the benefits of Glass.

While the Google technology has certainly drawn a lot of attention from the technology world, it's hardly set it on fire, compared to say, the Oculus Rift. Gamers that have tried the Rift, have hailed it as the next big revolution in gameplay, a thought that's mirrored by Valve and several other big technology developers. Glass on the other hand, seems more like a curiosity.

However, phones as we know them now, are quite a disruptive technology. Using them often removes you from the situation you're in, which can be a good thing, but in social settings it's also a little jarring. Something more nuanced like Glass could be the answer to that.

Kitguru Says: Gaming though? I don't really see it. Why would I want to game on Glass when I could do it on a nicer screen in my hand or on a Rift? When I'm gaming I don't tend to do something else at the same time – unless it's sip a fine mug of tea – so why would I want to do it on a piece of tech that is designed to make it easier to do something else while I game?

Augmented reality, apps, calls, sure. But not gaming. 

That's just me though. Do you guys think Glass could be how we all play in the future?

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ESRB to allow mobile developers to be privacy certified https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/esrb-to-allow-mobile-developers-to-be-privacy-certified/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/esrb-to-allow-mobile-developers-to-be-privacy-certified/#respond Wed, 26 Jun 2013 10:11:38 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=139994 The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) has announced that it will be extending the use of its privacy certification program to mobile developers, to allow their software to be given the thumbs up in terms of personal privacy and data retention. Some of this will mean ongoing cooperation with the ESRB, including an initial privacy …

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The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) has announced that it will be extending the use of its privacy certification program to mobile developers, to allow their software to be given the thumbs up in terms of personal privacy and data retention.

Some of this will mean ongoing cooperation with the ESRB, including an initial privacy risk assessment of the app being developed, regular ongoing checks to make sure that the app remains a secure environment for use and guidance for the developers on how to make their app comply with parental consent laws.

esrb

As MCV points out, the ESRB is taking an active role in creating this new certification procedure, which will become far more beneficial for developers once the new US Child Online Privacy Protection Act comes into effect on 1st July. After that date developers will be held to much higher standards of protecting customer data and personal information.

While the ESRB's scheme will be voluntary, any developers taking part in it will be able to promote themselves as being certified by the ratings board.

Kitguru Says: It will be interesting to see how many companies take the ESRB up on this. It would be nice to see at least some of the more popular apps out there taking a step to show it protects our information.

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