Microsoft sets out to woo regulators with ‘Open App Store Principles’

Microsoft is getting ahead of potential new laws governing app stores by announcing its Open App Store Principles.

Last week, Developer reported on Apple’s latest fight against such legislation after the company sent a letter to US lawmakers urging them to reject S. 2710—a bill that would force Apple to open its notorious “walled garden” and enable the sideloading of apps.

Microsoft has managed to avoid being the focus of high-profile antitrust investigations in...

10 February 2022 | App Stores

App Annie: Users downloaded 230B apps in 2021, spent 3.8T hours using them

A report from App Annie highlights the staggering growth the mobile app ecosystem witnessed last year.

According to the analytics firm’s State of Mobile 2022 report, users downloaded around 230 billion apps in 2021.

Theodore Krantz, Chief Executive Officer of App Annie, said:

“The big screen is slowly dying as mobile continues to break records in virtually every category - time spent, downloads and revenue.”

Chinese users downloaded the most...

12 January 2022 | Android

Kuo: Apple’s AR headset to have ‘significantly higher’ computing power than iPhone

Renowned analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says the expected Apple AR headset will have “significantly higher” computing power than iPhone.

In a research note for investors, Kuo wrote: “Our latest survey indicates that each Apple AR/MR headset will adopt two CPUs made of 4nm and 5nm... which is higher than our previous estimation and market consensus of one."

The computing power of the device will mean that it will use the same 96W charger used for the 14-inch MacBook Pro. The...

11 January 2022 | Gaming

App Store Connect now shows analytics for in-app events

Developers can now access analytics for in-app events through App Store Connect.

In-app events such as game competitions, movie premieres, and livestreamed experiences can be great ways of driving user engagement. Events can also be showcased in the App Store to help gain new users:

(Credit: Apple)

Measuring the effectiveness of an in-app event has been more difficult than it should be. Apple wants to fix that.

This week, Apple announced that developers can...

7 January 2022 | Analytics

Ethereum still has the most Web 3.0 developers, but rivals are growing faster

Decentralised app platform Ethereum still has the most Web 3.0 developers, but it’s all to play for with rivals growing faster.

The data comes from research firm Electric Capital which released a report this week into the Web 3.0 development ecosystem.

Electric Capital found that more than 4,000 developers actively work on Ethereum per month. 

For comparison, just 680 developers actively work on Bitcoin per month. It’s a huge disparity, but it’s...

6 January 2022 | Blockchain

Kuo: Apple will launch its AR/VR headset next year with ‘Mac-level’ power

Renowned analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims Apple’s long-rumoured AR/VR headset will debut next year with “Mac-level” power.

A research note from Kuo seen by MacRumours suggests the device will feature two processors to support its capabilities.

One processor is said to be similar to Apple’s debut in-house silicon, the M1. This chip will handle the device’s more demanding tasks.

A second, lower-end processor will be used to handle sensor...

26 November 2021 | Gaming

Niantic gets additional support for building the metaverse as valuation hits $9B

Niantic is emerging as a key player in building the metaverse and investors are keen to get in on the action.

Tech-focused investment firm Coatue has invested $300 million in Niantic, bringing the company’s valuation to $9 billion.

Matt Mazzeo, a General Partner at Coatue, said:

“Niantic is building a platform for AR based on a 3D map of the world that we believe will play a critical role in the next transition in computing.

We are excited to partner...

23 November 2021 | Gaming

Unity is buying Peter Jackson’s visual effects company for $1.6B

Unity has announced that it’s entered a definitive agreement to acquire Peter Jackson’s visual effects company Weta Digital for $1.6 billion.

Weta Digital has worked on hit films including Lord of the Rings, Avatar, Wonder Woman, and Black Widow. Unity says its acquisition will “democratise” Weta’s powerful tools to make them available for more creators.

“Weta Digital’s pipeline represents the most complete toolchain for 3D creation, simulation, and...

10 November 2021 | Development Tools

Lightship: Niantic empowers developers to start building the real-world metaverse

Niantic is opening its Lightship platform to empower developers to start building their visions for the real-world metaverse.

Metaverses have become an increasingly hot topic, especially since Facebook announced it was changing its company name to Meta to show its new focus.

As the creator of the world’s most popular AR game, Pokemon Go, it’s unsurprising that Niantic also wants to play its part in bringing metaverses to reality.

John Hanke, Founder and...

8 November 2021 | API

Huawei Developer Conference 2021: Building a thriving ecosystem ‘Together’

This year’s Huawei Developer Conference (HDC) has the theme of “Together” as the company calls on developers and its industry partners to help build a smart, safe, and flourishing ecosystem.

Huawei’s application store, AppGallery, is already one of the largest in the world. Earlier this year, Developer reported the store had enjoyed a 33 percent growth in monthly active users (MAUs) and distributed 83 percent more apps than over the previous 12 months.

AppGallery...

21 October 2021 | App Stores