Visualistan: App Store -->

    Social Items



As a result of the agreement between Apple and the EU Digital Markets Act (DMA), the third-party iOS app store marketplace AltStore PAL is now live in the EU. The store has been developed by Riley Testut and Shane Gill to accommodate apps that can be self-hosted by developers on their own servers.

 

To install the app store, an annual subscription fee of €1.50 (plus tax) must be paid, which covers Apple’s Core Technology Fee (CTF). During the installation process, Apple confirms with the user multiple times if they wish to proceed with installing a third-party app, before it finally lets them get through.

 

AltStore PAL is bringing with it two apps, both developed by Testut himself: the Delta game emulator and a clipboard manager app ‘Clip’. The Delta app is simultaneously also making way to the App Store outside of the EU. According to Testut, AltStore PAL is also open to submissions from third-party developers.

 

Third-Party App Store for iPhone ‘AltStore PAL’ Goes Live in the EU along with Two Apps



The Delta game emulator is the first game emulator that is available for free on the App Store for the first time. It'll enable iOS users to enjoy the gaming experience on their iPhones almost like a pseudo Nintendo DS or GBA.



The app can be accessed on the App Store in several countries outside the EU, and in the EU, it is making debut with the newly launched third-party AltStore PAL app marketplace. According to Riley Testut, developer of the Delta emulator, both the app versions work the same. Other Nintendo emulators, including a wide range from the original Nintendo Entertainment System and Nintendo 64, are also expected to arrive to the App Store. 

 

On-screen buttons in the app change their layout and appearance to match the emulated system. Users can also put up extra buttons for different functions such as quick save states and fast-forward, as well as customize their layout.

 

The Delta app supports Bluetooth controllers like Xbox One Series S or PS5 controllers; and multiplayer for the NES, SNES, N64, and AirPlay streaming too. It also works with some of Nintendo’s non-typical input methods, like the gyroscope and microphone controls.

 

Delta offers some additional touches as well, like automatic grabbing of the box art for the games and the ability to customize the art using its built-in database or even custom images. Users can also import controller skins and customize them.

 

Delta was first released as a 1.0 version in 2019, which means that it has been updated and improved multiple times through the years. This will likely make the app one of the most enhanced emulation experiences on the iPhone.

Nintendo’s Delta Game Emulator becomes the First Emulator to Go Live on the App Store



Game emulators that have long been banned from iOS can finally bring their titles to the App Store, thanks to a latest update by Apple. According to Apple, the company is making its App Store restrictions more flexible and letting in retro game emulators.

 

Game emulators can now join the App Store globally where they can offer downloadable games. Apple, however, made it clear that the games must comply with all of its applicable laws, which means that games providing pirated titles will eventually be banned. This new update will also reduce the hassle for iPhone users for the search of alternate ways to access the games, like relying on third-party app stores.

Apple Announces New Rules for Retro Game Emulators and Music Streaming Apps



Gaming and streaming services like Xbox Cloud Streaming and GeForce Now, that were previously only available on iOS web, can now be accessed as apps on iOS devices. This is because Apple is allowing developers to submit apps that contain all the games offered in their catalogue in one place on the App Store.

 

Although earlier in 2020, Apple had opened the gates for these cloud gaming services in the App Store, it required all games offered via each service to be submitted and reviewed as standalone apps. The proposal couldn’t turn into a reality and therefore the present change is a significant one.

Apple Enables Access of Gaming and Streaming Services as Apps in the App Store

Few Indians Privileged to Buy Apple Products and Services

 

Apple inaugurated its first two stores in India this week, in New Delhi and Mumbai. CEO Tim Cook personally attended both openings in the country that has long eluded Apple's business. Most of the Indians in the past have chosen mostly for cheaper electronics, for example smartphones from Chinese brands.

Few Indians Privileged to Buy Apple Products and Services #Infographic



Amidst the political talks regarding banning TikTok in the US, ByteDance’s other content sharing app ‘Lemon8,’ that was launched three years ago, is rising to popularity. The app was developed for the purpose of sharing diverse content, mainly products from categories like fashion, makeup, food, and travel – making it look like a mix of Instagram and Pinterest.

 

Lemon8 has been more widely used in Asian countries since its launch, but has recently begun to get attention in the US as well. The app made it to the top 10 downloaded apps list last week, which is huge, considering that it had never even been part of the Top 200 Overall Charts in the US.

 

ByteDance is Pushing its Content Sharing App 'Lemon8' into the US Market



Apple is ready to release its new musical app specifically designed to deliver classical music to subscribers of Apple Music. The app stands out among other mainstream music streaming platforms by offering insightful biographies of composers and guides for key works in addition to curated playlists, thousands of exclusive albums, browsing tools, and more.


 

Apple is Releasing a Classical-Music-Focused Standalone App

TikTok once again crowned as the most downloaded app

Despite all the security concerns, data safety issues, and content concerns, TikTok is once again crowned as the most downloaded app. Surprisingly, the application has the highest number of downloads on both the App Store and the Play Store hence, ranks at the top in overall downloads as well.

Sensor Tower shared the most downloaded app list in June 2021 which shows TikTok at number one. This means that TikTok had been on the top rank for the past 18 months except for January 2021 when Telegram saw a sudden boost in its downloads after WhatsApp’s new data privacy update. However, the second exception was in November 2020 when WhatsApp occupied the first position.

TikTok once again crowned as the most downloaded app

  


Germany's Federal Cartel Office is carrying out proceedings against Apple over anti-competitive behavior related to its App Store, and other services and products. It will be decided in the proceedings if Apple’s ecosystem holds enough power to make it difficult for other companies to challenge it.

 

President of Germany's Federal Cartel Office, Andreas Mundt, explained that the focus of the investigations will be on examining Apple’s “extensive integration across several market levels, the magnitude of its technological and financial resources and its access to data.” He continued to say that the operation of the ‌App Store‌ will also be assessed, since it “enables Apple in many ways to influence the business activities of third parties.”

 

The main goal of the investigation is to prohibit the company from "engaging in anti-competitive practices" in case it is found to be of significance across markets.

Germany's Federal Cartel Office to Investigate Apple’s “Anti-Competitive Practices”

Apple Store leaks the news of Apple “Mind” App release

Less than 2 days prior to the start of the Apple World Wide Developer Conference (WWDC), App Store leaks revealed that Apple is rolling out its Mind app soon. Moreover, the standalone Tips and Contacts app for Apple Watch is also suggested through the leaks. These new additions are expected to be a part of watchOS 8.


Though the identifiers have highlighted and predicted new apps for the upcoming watchOS version, Apple itself has posted that the company is not offered any such app currently. But, since a specific codename, for example, Nano is missing, it reveals that the app will soon be released for iOS and watchOS.

Apple Store leaks the news of Apple “Mind” App release

 


It seems like Twitter has accidentally revealed its plan to launch its new subscription tier ‘Twitter Blue’. The new purchase option can be seen in the iOS App Store under ‘in-app purchases’, alongside its price, which is $2.99. However, the feature can not be seen anywhere in Twitter’s iOS app.

 


App researcher Jane Manchun Wong noticed the new in-app purchase option in App Store. She had previously discovered the option in Twitter’s iOS code and shared details about it, including an Undo Tweet option and a Reader Mode.

Twitter ‘Mistakenly’ Confirms Launch of New Subscription Feature Twitter Blue

Facebook rating drops drastically on App Store and Play Store

After the social media giant started supporting Israeli airstrikes in Gaza, netizens decided to stab back the platform by giving Facebook a one-star rating. The Facebook application on the App Store and Play Store had a 4+ rating which dropped down significantly in less than a week to 2.0 on App Store and 2.4 on Google Play Store.

The main reasons that triggered the netizens who are constantly sharing posts in the support of Palestine include,

  • Facebook deleted their post regarding the Palestine issue
  • Some users reported their accounts being suspended by the company for sharing Palestine-related posts
  • The company created a page named “Jerusalem Prayer Team” and provided fake likes to it in order to suppress the Palestine narrative
  • Likes from various profiles who were totally unaware of the existence of such page were also given to the Jerusalem Prayer Team
  • Facebook-owned Instagram also censored posts that were related to Israeli attacks in Gaza

Facebook rating drops drastically on App Store and Play Store

 


Apple's System Status page informed users about an outage that both the App Store and Mac App Store recently went through. The problem, according to the company, initiated around 10:05 a.m. Pacific Time, resulting in the ‌App Store‌ services getting slowed down or becoming unavailable for some users.

 

Some other Apple services including iCloud Drive, iCloud Mail, and iMessage had also been affected by the same issue.

Apple has Fixed the App Store and iCloud Services Outage

 


After feeling “surprised” over Australian developers’ concerns over its App Store policies, Apple recently told the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) that developers in Australia have several ways to reach iOS users. The company further claimed that developers are "far from limited" to simply using the ‌App Store‌.

 

Apple has challenged the concerns presented in the recent ACCC report over the tech giant’s alleged exploitation due to its market power as an app distributor. Apple argued that there are multiple avenues that developers can take to reach customers.

 

Apple insisted that the entire web can be used as a means of distribution. It supported its claim by adding that iOS devices have "unrestricted and uncontrolled" access to the web, so users can download web apps. “One common approach is for users to purchase and consume digital content or services on a website,” said Apple.

Apple Insists that iOS App Developers are Free to Use Other Platforms for App Distribution

 


Apple has expressed its surprise over some Australian developers having issues with the App Store and the way it reviews, rejects or approves apps. The tech giant has responded to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC)’s to-be-released investigation report that is based on data collected about consumer, supplier, and developer experience in Australia. The commission plans to release its report on March 31 and in an attempt to defend its App Store and App Review processes, Apple has provided some information in the form of a submission to ACCC.

 

Apple argued that it "invests significant time and resources in engaging with developers directly" to ensure the quality of apps on the platform. It added that its app review system is a "human-led process" and that all human reviewers ensure that apps "are reliable, perform as expected, respect user privacy, and are free of objectionable content."

Apple has a Few Things to Say about Australian Developers’ Concerns over its App Store and App Review

 


Apple released interactive demos of characters from Apple Arcade games in Apple Stores around the world last week. The new Apple Arcade Avenue shows a backdrop where all the acrylic app icons are displayed in a grid. Each icon is driven by an iPad playing a vivid animation and is powered by a QR code-based experience. The titles include Skate City, Crossy Road Castle, WHAT THE GOLF?, and other popular ones.

 


Demo iPhones and iPads are also displayed in the avenue, playing the featured titles. Pressing any of the icons will take you to the App Store with a QR code leading to Apple Arcade. Countries where Apple Arcade is unavailable have the new display themed around the App Store.

Apple Stores Show off New Interactive Icons of Apple Arcade Titles

Apple Store drops Commission rate to 15%

Apple store community has recently changed its policies to help developers benefit from the situation by dropping its commission rate to 15%. Before cutting down their commission, Apple used to receive a 30 percent commission of in-app purchases and subscriptions. This policy is referred to by the company as a small-scale business program mainly to give an edge to the developers whose annual incomes are less than $1 Million. The company decided to take this huge step to preserve its assets, especially after coming across Anti allegations made by some of the application developers.

Apple Store drops Commission rate to 15% #infographic

Apple Celebrate its biggest day: App Store bags $540 Million on New Year Eve alone

Despite the heavy engagement rate all year, New Year Eve turned out to be the biggest day for Apple. In its latest news, the popular company shared the gigantic news with the world that on the day of New Year, the App store observed whopping spending of $540 million alone. Considering this a huge success as well as a record-breaker, the company further listed down a number of services that made a huge impact. For instance, in the last week of December, the company bagged $1.8 billion as people used this perfect opportunity to move digital goods into their homes and obtain interesting services like games or movies for their celebrations.

Apple Celebrate its biggest day: App Store bags $540 Million on New Year Eve alone

Subscribe to: Comments (Atom)

Subscribe Our Newsletter