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The After-Brexit Edition Tuesday, January 17, 2017

App Store App Prices To Rise In The UK By More Than 25% Following Brexit Exchange Rate Fluctuations, by Benjamin Mayo, 9to5Mac

Apple is rising the prices for apps and in-app purchases in a few countries following changes to exchange rates and taxation policy, with customers in India, Turkey and the United Kingdom to see price increases.

In the United Kingdom, one of Apple’s largest markets, app prices are rising up more than 25% following the weak pound exchange rate after the Brexit vote. An app sold for $0.99 in the US will now cost £0.99 in the UK, up from £0.79.

Google Fit: Can It Catch Up With Apple HealthKit?, by Jo Best, ZDNet

With IBM Watson already using artificial intelligence to help doctors diagnose rare conditions or help select the most appropriate treatment for a particular patient, it's easy to see how Google could do similarly, turning Fit from consumer nice-to-have to a first-line tool for healthcare workers.

However, for now, Apple seems to be outpacing Mountain View in the segment -- it has more apps using HealthKit, has several hospitals signed on to use the system for patients, and has both the UK's main health records software companies offering integration with the platform.

Why Amazon's Echo Is Totally Dominating — And What Google, Microsoft, And Apple Have To Do To Catch Up, by Matt Weinberger, Business Insider

Here's a look at how Amazon propelled itself into this leading position in the first place, where its biggest rivals still have room to overtake it, and why Apple needs to move in on this sooner rather than later.