Google settles Play Store antitrust lawsuit

Google has reached a settlement in the antitrust lawsuit filed by 36 US states and the District of Columbia, including announcing changes that will impact users and developers.

As part of the settlement, Google will cough up $700 million. The breakdown includes $630 million earmarked for a settlement fund benefiting consumers and an additional $70 million directed towards a fund for the states, with distribution details yet to be disclosed.

Developers can also expect...

19 December 2023 | Android

Gemini Pro: Google empowers developers with advanced AI capabilities

Google has announced the availability of its AI model Gemini Pro for developers and enterprises to craft solutions for their specific needs. This move is accompanied by a commitment to ongoing refinement based on user feedback.

Gemini comes in three distinctive sizes: Ultra, Pro, and Nano. The Nano version has already been integrated into Android – starting with the Pixel 8 Pro – while a specially tuned iteration of Gemini Pro is embedded in Bard.

Empowering...

15 December 2023 | API

EU to rule against Apple in App Store battle with Spotify

EU regulators have reportedly sided against tech giant Apple in its prolonged battle with Spotify over App Store policies.

The crux of the matter revolves around Apple's alleged "anti-steering" rules, accused of inhibiting platforms like Spotify from effectively promoting alternative payment methods.

This ruling – set to impact not only the music-streaming industry but also any software requiring a monthly subscription – is currently awaiting finalisation with a...

14 December 2023 | App Stores

Efficiency vs Control – The Pros and Cons of Automating Digital Certificates

Organizations always seek methods to increase security, improve efficiency, and relieve over-burdened IT resources. With escalating cyber threats and a new year, businesses will benefit from reviewing their digital infrastructure and certificate management practices for potential enhancements to bolster security, time management, and cost efficiencies. 

In preparation, it’s an excellent time to consider the pros and cons of digital certificate automation. Evaluating...

14 December 2023 | Developer

David DeSanto, GitLab: AI’s impact on software development in 2024

David DeSanto, Chief Product Officer at GitLab, foresees a paradigm shift in the realm of software development in 2024—with AI taking centre stage.

GitLab's 2023 Global DevSecOps Report serves as the foundation for these predictions, offering a glimpse into the future landscape of organisations' software development toolchains.

AI bias: A hurdle on the path to progress

In the short term, the accelerated integration of AI tools may present a formidable challenge: an...

7 December 2023 | Approaches

PHP 8.0 reaches EOL leaving some websites vulnerable

PHP 8.0 reached its end of life (EOL) on 26 November 2023 and will no longer receive any updates or patches.

PHP 8.0 was released on 26 November 2020 and brought many new features and improvements such as named arguments, attributes, constructor property promotion, match expression, nullsafe operator, JIT, and more.

The EOL of PHP 8.0 means that any websites still using it will be exposed to potential security risks and compatibility issues if they do not upgrade to a...

27 November 2023 | Developer

Mobile game ‘mortality rate’ hits 83% within three years

A new whitepaper titled "Good Games Don't Die" reveals that 83 percent of launched mobile games fail within three years.

The study, conducted by revenue growth engine SuperScale, polled 500 developers across the US and UK to uncover issues plaguing the $96.2 billion mobile gaming industry.

The report unveils a catch-22 where 78 percent of developers prefer building new games despite a critical 43 percent failure rate during development alone.

This trend...

22 November 2023 | Android

Unity unveils AI innovations and platform updates at Unite 2023

Unity has introduced a range of AI innovations and platform updates aimed at enhancing support for game developers in realising their creative visions and achieving success in the competitive gaming industry.

One of the highlights is the early access availability of Unity Muse, an AI-powered suite designed to simplify content creation for game developers.

Muse offers features such as Muse Chat, enabling developers to source answers and resources across Unity and obtain...

17 November 2023 | Artificial Intelligence

Checkmarx uncovers persistent Python package threat

Checkmarx has uncovered a threat actor that has been quietly infiltrating the open-source ecosystem for nearly six months, planting malicious Python packages with a focus on deception and financial gain.

The malicious actor employed a systematic approach, disguising their packages with names closely resembling popular legitimate Python packages. These decoy packages, camouflaged to blend in, successfully garnered thousands of downloads. The malicious payload, embedded within the...

16 November 2023 | Developer

AI coding assistants: A double-edged sword for DevOps in 2024

A growing reliance on AI-powered coding assistants is reshaping how DevOps teams operate, for better or worse.

According to Forrester's 2024 cybersecurity, risk, and privacy predictions, AI coding assistants are becoming integral to boosting productivity. However, a cautionary note accompanies this technological shift, as Forrester warns of potential pitfalls that could lead to cybersecurity breaches.

Forrester predicts that the combination of inconsistent compliance and...

10 November 2023 | API