The Microsoft Store loses the option to disable automatic updates
If you’re the sort of person who likes to be in control of what happens on your computer – as much as such a thing is possible – you may have disabled automatic updates for Microsoft Store apps.
Microsoft has, without warning or any sort of announcement, removed this option. If you have installed an app from the Microsoft Store, you are now essentially forced to keep the very latest versions of that app installed.
Spotify breaks out of Apple’s payment system stranglehold following court ruling
Moving incredibly quickly after a court ruled that Apple was in “willful violation” of an injunction that ordered it to allow out-of-app purchases, Spotify has updated its app with new payment options. Developers have long been frustrated by Apple’s requirement for purchases and subscriptions to be paid for via the App Store, and Spotify is the first to take advantage of the latest ruling.
The music streaming service submitted an app update to Apple which allows users to start a Spotify subscription or change plans within the app, change plans easily, and avoid Apple’s payment system. Apple has accepted the update, so users in the US now have more flexibility.
Would AI super agents mean goodbye to apps as we know them?
In the Western world, we now have an app for everything. Shopping, banking, gaming, and even controlling the temperature in your home - you name it, there’s an app for it. The iOS app store began in 2008 with 500 apps, yet, now there are over four million apps available across iOS and Android platforms. Each of these apps serve individual needs and consumers have learnt to ignore the digital clutter in favor of app loyalty.
Asia went the opposite way. Instead of narrow-purpose-built apps, they built the 'everything app' long before Elon started dreaming about it with platforms like Paytm, Grab and WeChat. But what would it take for the West to catch up? AI super agents might be the answer to that one.
Google makes it easier to find apps with widgets
A well-designed widget can really enhance an app, helping to make it even more useful; equally, a crappy widget (or a lack of widgets) can completely ruin an otherwise perfect app. Widgets are important, and Google is finally recognizing that fact.
The company is making it easier to find Android apps that include widgets. As well as introducing a new badge to highlight widget-wielding apps in Google Play, Google is also adding the option to search specifically for apps with widgets. But it doesn't end there.
Apple announces new features to help protect children, including a revamped age rating system for the App Store
Apple has just announced a series of new tools, features and improvements that it says will “help parents protect their kids in a way that is designed around privacy”.
One of the biggest changes is an overhaul of the age rating system that is used in the App Store, with the number of categories expanding to five. But this is far from being the only changes Apple is unleashing.
Apps, analytics and AI: 4 common mistakes
The app economy is big business. Apple’s App Store ecosystem alone generated a staggering $1.1 trillion in total billings and sales for developers in 2022. But as users demand more relevant and immediate experiences, often driven by AI, developers increasingly need competitive advantages to stand out.
Real-time analytics, supercharged by generative AI, can provide a critical edge by allowing developers to extract key insights and quickly adapt their apps to reflect changing user expectations. But only 17 percent of enterprises today have the ability to perform real-time analysis on large volumes of data, and adoption remains slow. Meanwhile, even when companies are able to perform real-time analytics, there are several common mistakes that can prevent them from reaping its full benefits:
Apps under attack as cybercriminals target changing use patterns
The frequency of application attacks is rising as cybercriminals continue to prey on the increasing reliance on web, mobile and desktop apps, according to a new report.
Digital.ai's 2024 Application Security Threat Report looks at data about threats identified from monitoring applications under active protection. The likelihood of an app being attacked rose eight percent year-on-year, with gaming apps and financial services apps facing the highest risk of attack at 76 percent and 67 percent respectively.
Organizations plan to invest in 'human-centered' software
A new survey shows that 76 percent of respondents consider building human-centric applications more important than it was two years ago, driven by a combination of business considerations and cultural shifts.
The survey, of over 700 application developers and IT decision-makers, from infrastructure software company Progress shows a gap between intentions and actions, however. 98 percent of respondents say human-centric app development is important, but only 34 percent are currently addressing the issue through tools, training and policy.
How education IT departments need to learn from their students -- It's all in the apps
In the wake of the digital boom that echoed out from the pandemic era, schools have steadily been coming to grips with how to operate in a reality where devices are far more ubiquitous in classrooms than before, and classes are forced to make accommodations for a split between remote and in-person learning. Breakthroughs in classroom management and content filtering solutions have helped keep students away from outside threats, such as harmful online content. Still, one of the greatest threats to any school’s digital safety net comes from within -- the students themselves.
Even before the widespread proliferation of digital tools in classrooms, students have been rapidly becoming more tech-savvy and outpacing expectations and the capabilities of many less adept districts to stop them from getting into trouble. In a study run by Impero Software, 27 percent of students reported they had successfully circumnavigated their school’s internet filtering system.
What is pay per head software and how does it work?
If you've ever been curious about the bustling world of sports betting, you might have come across the term Pay Per Head. Simply put, it's an outsourcing model that allows bookies to offer top-of-the-line sports betting services without the need to invest in designing their own software or betting platform.
Instead, they pay a fee for every active user that they have, hence the name "Pay Per Head."
Unauthorized apps put businesses at risk
The risks from shadow and unauthorized apps have been known for years, but new research from Armis finds employees of 67 percent of UK organizations are introducing risk to the business by downloading applications and software onto assets without the knowledge or management of IT or security teams.
In addition the study, carried out by Vanson Bourne, finds 39 percent of enterprises admit to feeling challenged by increasingly complicated regulations and governance requirements.
Greedy apps collect more information than they should
Nearly 87 percent of Android and 60 percent of iOS apps request access to device functions unrelated to their performance, according to new research by NordVPN.
Researchers analyzed the most popular mobile apps globally in 18 categories. They found that up to 14 percent of apps collect more unnecessary than necessary data for the apps' performance and only eight percent collect no unnecessary data. On average, every fifth requested permission was not actually needed for the app’s functionality.
Is banning the right solution to dealing with problem apps? [Q&A]
Lots of apps are potentially transmitting and saving user data without express permission and this has led some administrations to consider bans.
In May, Montana passed the first bill to ban TikTok statewide due to data concerns, and India has banned 60 apps, including TikTok, claiming they were transmitting user data back to China.
Why enterprises must modernize their apps [Q&A]
Most organizations have some level of legacy apps. These can be hard to maintain and inhibit initiatives like data sharing. But the modernization process is challenging due to staffing, tools, training, and other issues.
We spoke to EvolveWare CEO Miten Marfatia to find out how enterprise IT can ease this complex process and ensure they get it right.
60 percent of consumers prefer a fintech app to an accountant
Fintech apps have simplified financial management to the point where 60 percent of people will now seek advice from personal finance tools before reaching out to financial professionals.
A new survey from Capterra makes gloomy reading for accountants as it finds 64 percent of fintech users feel that these tools have significantly reduced their reliance on financial advisors.
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