Tag: App Store

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Tech

Best iOS Apps Of The Year On iPhone and iPad Devices

Just a few hours after Google released the top of the best applications and video games of the year under its personal criteria, Apple has done the same and published the list of the most successful applications of the last twelve months.

As Google revealed the most appreciated apps, games, movies, and book, Apple has done the same thing recently, explaining which of its apps have been top-of-the-range in 2018. The Cupertino-based tech giant showed the most downloaded apps, games, movies, and books on its App Store.

Apple Revealed The Best App Store Application for iOS

Accordingly, here are the best App Store applications for iOS. But not only that, as on this occasion, the Cupertino-based company also wanted to reveal the best movies of the year, TV shows, podcasts, and books.

First, the company has revealed the best apps and games from the different platforms integrated under the iOS operating system, from iPhone to iPad to other company products such as Mac or Apple TV.

Best iOS Apps Of The Yeat On iPhone and iPad Devices

In the case of the iPhone, Apple has considered that the best app has been Procreate Pocket, while the most prominent game for this platform would be Donut County. As for the music, Apple recognizes Drake as the artist of the year. Meanwhile, the company directed by Tim Cook has considered Juice WRLD as the revelation artist.

Regarding movies, the Cupertino-based tech giant, led by Tim Cook, highlights titles such as “Incredibles 2,” “Coconut,” “Champions,” “Avengers: Infinity War,” “Blade Runner 2049,” “The shape of water,” “Call me by your name,” “Lady Bird,” “The best summer of my life,” and “Isle of dogs.”

Finally, regarding the App Store books, Apple considers Joel Dicker’s “The Disappearance of Stephanie Mailer” as the book of the year.

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Tech

App Store Revenue Was By 93% Higher Than Google Play Store In Q3 2018

Consumer spending on both Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play Store summed up about $18.2 billion in the third quarter of 2018, as reported by the mobile analytics firm Sensor Tower. According to the research firm, that figure represents a 22.7 percent increase over the $14.8 billion spent across both mobile apps stores during Q3 2017.

App Store Revenue Was By 93% Higher Than Google Play Store In Q3 2018

Also, Sensor Tower reported that App Store revenue was by 93 percent higher than Google Play Store in the third quarter of this year. More specifically, about 66 percent of overall mobile app revenue recorded in Q3 2018 came from apps sold on App Store, the iOS-based applications library. That percentage means that App Store sold by about 23.3 percent more than in the same period of the last year.

On the other hand, Google Play Store scored only $6.2 billion in Q3 2018, globally (excluding China), meaning that the Android’s app store sold by 21.5 percent more than during Q3 2017 when it marked revenue of approximately $5.1 billion.

App Store Vs. Google Play Store – Which Apps Generated Most Revenues?

According to Sensor Tower, Netflix was the top-earning non-game mobile application for both Android and iOS app stores, scoring revenues of about $243.7 million across, globally. Next, comes Facebook with its WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger apps, but only regarding the number of downloads.

As for mobile games, Sensor Tower reported that, globally, mobile game spending increased by 14.9 percent during Q3 2018 reaching $13.8 billion. That means the mobile games totaled for 76 percent of all the app revenue generated across both the App Store and Google Play. Also, as reported by the researchers from Sensor Tower, top-three mobile games regarding the profits they made are Honor of Kings (a.k.a Arena of Valor, outside of China), Monster Strike and Fate/Grand Order, respectively.

On this aspect, Google Play Store outperformed App Store by about $5 billion.

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Tech

Apple Will Demand All App Store Apps To Link To Privacy Policies

Apple notified App Store apps developers to place links to their privacy policies, as shown by 9to5Mac. Until now Apple required that only for those subscription-based apps, but with this new decision, Apple extended this guideline to all App Store apps.

However, it’s not explicitly stated if the already-launched apps’ devs have to add links to privacy policy, but they should do it as soon as they release new updates. On the other hand, according to 9to5Mac, the developers must tell users how and what data the apps gather, as well as how the data is going to be used. The devs also have to detail how users unsubscribe and/or delete their private data.

The new guidelines will come in place on October 3rd, and Apple stated that the already-existing apps on the App Store that don’t show a privacy policy link are not obliged to add one until they roll out an update after October 3rd. Otherwise, apps that won’t comply with the new rules would be removed.

Apple adopts new privacy policy guidelines for App Store apps due to the recent issues regarding private data leaks

With all that Cambridge Analytica and Facebook scandal that emerged in March and the adoption of the GDPR across the European Union, protecting users’ private data has become crucial for developers and tech companies.

In order to avoid any possible issues, Apple adopted this new regulation regarding privacy and is now forcing App Store apps to add links to their devs privacy policies that explain to users what data the apps collect and how the information is used. However, Apple is not demanding this from already-existing apps if they don’t add new updates.

As mentioned, the new guidelines regarding privacy policies for the new App Store apps will come into effect on October 3rd.

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Tech

Facebook VPN, Onavo Project, To Be Removed From App Store On Apple’s Demand

In a few days, Facebook will remove its mobile Facebook VPN application, called the Onavo Project, from the App Store after Apple allegedly accused the app of violating the privacy guidelines of the official iOS store, according to a new report published by The Wall Street Journal.

Onavo Project VPN collects data on users’ behavior while online

Onavo Project was an Israeli startup that was founded with the objective of assisting users to track applications that use more data or more battery power on mobile phones, as well as to provide secure browsing across their VPN network. In 2013, Facebook took over the company, embedded the tool in its application ecosystem and transformed it into a medium for collecting information about user behavior beyond its core apps.

The social network and the Onavo project team do not deny that the so-called Facebook VPN is collecting information from users. “To provide this layer of protection, Onavo uses a VPN to establish a secure connection to route all its network communications through Onavo’s servers. As part of this process, Onavo collects data traffic from your mobile phone,” reads the Onavo Project’s privacy policy.

Facebook VPN to be removed from App Store

The Wall Street Journal reported that Apple has recently informed Facebook that Onavo Project VPN app is not in line with the new App Store privacy policy that was introduced last June, restricting developers’ capacity to build user databases and distribute or sell them to third parties.

Complying with the Apple’s demands, Facebook is withdrawing Onavo Project VPN from the App Store, even though the social network argues that the so-called Facebook VPN has not infringed any rules.

“We have always been clear with users who download Onavo about what information is collected and how it is used. As a developer on the Apple platform, we follow the rules they have implemented,” a Facebook spokesperson stated for The Verge.

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Crypto Tech

Cryptocurrency Mining Apps Banned From App Store, Announced Apple

Cryptocurrencies have been a real revolution in digital assets market at the end of last year. In spite of their great volatility, a large number of users decided to bet on them as a means of investment because, due to speculation, their value did not stop growing and analysts assured that in 2018 they could even triple their value. As a result of their popularity, many began to use cryptocurrency for malicious purposes, forcing large corporations and governments to establish a set of rules and regulations regarding its use and how to deal with it. Now, Apple banned cryptocurrency mining apps on its App Store.

Accordingly, there are many malicious developers hiding cryptocurrency mining scripts in their apps

After the chaos generated by the cryptocurrencies in the second half of 2017, the main software developers and governments are increasingly applying restrictive rules against these decentralized monetary units.

While Microsoft and Google are already quite clear on their position, it is now Apple’s turn to control the use that can be made of crypto coins in its systems.

Apple severely restricts the use of crypto-related apps on its systems, while cryptocurrency mining apps are strictly prohibited on App Store

Apple has just released an update to its Standards Guide for Application Development and Publishing, specifically in section 2.4.2 of the Hardware Compatibility section, which makes it clear that all types of applications that use the hardware of an iPhone, iPad, and even Mac computers are completely prohibited, and therefore cannot be published on the App Store under any circumstances.

The new standard indicates that no application can quickly drain the battery of the company’s devices, and this also includes background processing and advertising, ending applications that display banner ads that undermine cryptocurrencies at the expense of users’ computers’ processing power.

ICO apps have also undergone a major adjustment and to avoid new speculation and scams, Apple will only allow registered applications such as trading companies, banks, security firms, and FCM (Futures Commission Merchants) to publish these types of ICO apps on App Store.

In short, Apple has banned any kind of cryptocurrency mining app from App Store, in a movement to protect its users from scams and speculations.

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