If Apple wanted to change this system, it could. But I expect Apple will only be dragged kicking and screaming into a world with a more functional App Store, because it seems incapable of taking the blindingly obvious steps that might better protect its users — again, despite being the most valuable and profitable company in the world.
Here are eight to start.
I have a friend who works at a company with a somewhat popular “reader” app that everyone has heard of, who says that internally, there’s a contingent that suspects Apple is going to require these apps to also offer Apple’s IAP to be allowed to include a link to their website.
That’s how much trust Apple has burned.
Pok Pok Playroom includes a collection of toys and activities that encourage cognitive and socio-emotional development, according to the team, with no winning or losing. In addition, the game -- meant for ages 2 to 6 -- can grow with the child as playtime changes. The app seeks to empower kids to take risks and feel accomplished when things come together for them, while rewarding them with play, not prizes.
Developer Daniel Jalkit explains that this tab previously included only files that are uploaded from MarsEdit itself. With WordPress updating its API to support downloading a complete list of the published media files, Red Sweater was able to give MarsEdit this big update.
At the heart of Documents X is a feature Readdle is calling “Smart Actions.” Smart Actions are contextual actions that are recommended to users depending on an action they just took. For example, if a user uploads a file to Dropbox or Google Drive, the app may suggest that the user shares the link. If a user downloads a music video, they may get presented with a Smart Action to extract the audio from the video.
The free version features a charge limiter that reduces battery wear and a discharge feature that allows the MacBook to run on battery even if it is on charge, allowing the battery to be discharged to an optimal level.
The folks at Rogue Amoeba have announced a new version of their popular Fission audio editor today, and with this update, they are also removing the app from the Mac App Store. In a blog post, Rogue Amoeba’s Paul Kafasis explained that the decision comes as the Mac App Store has seen “scant few changes” and “remains beset with issues.”
Here's my idea of just one thing Apple need to do about App Stores: work harder on all fronts. Make it worth the 30%.
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Thanks for reading.