Apple App Retailer’s new pricing, Twitter app makers shift to Mastodon, debate over Lensa AI • robotechcompany.com

Welcome again to This Week in Apps, the weekly robotechcompany.com collection that recaps the newest in cellular OS information, cellular purposes and the general app economic system.

World app spending reached $65 billion within the first half of 2022, up solely barely from the $64.4 billion throughout the identical interval in 2021, as hypergrowth fueled by the pandemic has slowed down. However general, the app economic system is constant to develop, having produced a file variety of downloads and shopper spending throughout each the iOS and Google Play shops mixed in 2021, in response to a number of year-end reviews. World spending throughout iOS and Google Play final yr was $133 billion, and shoppers downloaded 143.6 billion apps.

This Week in Apps affords a strategy to sustain with this fast-moving trade in a single place with the newest from the world of apps, together with information, updates, startup fundings, mergers and acquisitions, and far more.

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App Retailer considerably expands pricing choices

Apple this week loosened its necessities round how builders have to cost their apps as authorized and regulatory strain over its tight management of the App Retailer intensifies. The corporate introduced an enlargement of its App Retailer pricing system to supply builders entry to 700 further value factors, bringing the brand new complete variety of value factors obtainable to 900. It’s going to additionally enable U.S. builders to set costs for apps, in-app purchases or subscriptions as little as $0.29 or as excessive as $10,000, and in rounded endings (like $1.00) as a substitute of simply $0.99. Related new insurance policies to cut back restrictions round value factors will roll out in world markets, alongside new instruments aimed toward serving to builders higher handle pricing exterior their native market.

The modifications initially grew to become obtainable beginning on December 6, 2022, for auto-renewable subscriptions. They’ll develop into obtainable to paid apps and in-app purchases in spring 2023.

Builders can even be capable of now publish costs that finish in $.00 as a substitute of $.99 or €X.99 or people who start with two repeating digits, like ₩110,000.

Plus, new pricing instruments are being made obtainable that enable builders to set their subscription costs of their native foreign money as the idea for mechanically producing pricing throughout the opposite 174 storefronts and 44 currencies. When the pricing is ready mechanically, pricing exterior a developer’s dwelling market will replace as international trade and tax charges change. Builders also can nonetheless select to set costs manually if they like. And so they’ll be capable of make in-app purchases obtainable by storefront.

The modifications rolled out after Apple final yr settled a category motion lawsuit with U.S. app builders, which included quite a lot of concessions, certainly one of which was an settlement to develop the variety of value factors obtainable from fewer than 100 to greater than 500.

Debate over prime app Lensa AI

Picture Credit: Lensa AI on Instagram (opens in a brand new window)

The picture enhancing app Lensa AI has been going viral over a brand new function that provides to create “magic avatars” from a collection of uploaded selfie photographs. The avatars are created utilizing the open supply Steady Diffusion mannequin to remodel your photographs into people who seem like they had been created by a digital artist. However there’s controversy surrounding how these photos are made.

The function isn’t fast or low-cost — the processing time can take half an hour and even a number of hours to finish. Lensa’s pricing mannequin can be pretty artful. It’s both $3.99 for 50 distinctive avatars (5 variations of 10 totally different types) in case you’re a subscriber, or $7.99 if not. If you’d like extra avatars, it prices $11.99 for 100 distinctive avatars (10 variations of 10 types) or $15.99 for 200 avatars (20 variations of 10 types) — which once more, may be discounted by 50% in case you subscribe. This form of hybrid pricing was hailed as each intelligent and opportunistic. It’s additionally a kind of apps that makes use of darkish patterns to attempt to get customers to subscribe instantly upon first launch, with a pop-up splash display screen it’s a must to bypass to make use of the app totally free.

However the huge backlash isn’t over the associated fee, it’s about Steady Diffusion, the AI generator powering the service. The AI was initially skilled on 2.3 billion captioned photos from the web, a few of that are watermarked and copyrighted works, in addition to quite a lot of photos from websites like Pinterest, Smugmug, Flickr, DeviantArt, ArtStation, Getty and Shutterstock. The difficulty at hand is that artists didn’t choose in to have their work included within the coaching information, nor can they now choose out.

Artists, understandably, are involved. Now their distinctive types are being duped by an AI mannequin, that means their authentic artwork will develop into misplaced among the many now quite a few auto-generated copycats. Some see this not solely as an existential risk, but in addition as a type of unregulated stealing. Customers, in the meantime, had been merely having fun with the photographs that they had paid for with out an understanding of how the tech labored, then grew to become topic to backlash or shaming from those that did. Extra conscientious objectors quickly realized that they had simply thrown away their cash on profile photos they now didn’t really feel ethically comfy in utilizing. These are complicated issues that want extra dialogue. Not less than when Instagram first launched its filters, they had been donated by an artist, Cole Rise. (Whereas he could have later regretted giving up his artwork to the corporate, the filters weren’t stolen.)

As well as, the app maker confronted one other critical subject, when folks found it was simple to make use of to make non-consensual nude photos within the app. If customers uploaded Photoshopped photos of topless fashions with another person’s face, for instance, the AI disables its NSFW filter and can create higher-quality AI avatars of the individual whose face was uploaded on the topless picture. The corporate stated it was working to stop this from occurring and famous trying to make NSFW content material was in violation of its phrases of use.

Picture Credit: Lensa AI

Third-party Twitter app builders at the moment are constructing for Mastodon

There’s a refined stirring within the Twitter app ecosystem as third-party builders are starting to rethink their dependence on Twitter’s API.

Now having grown to three.3 million+ energetic customers, the open supply Twitter various Mastodon has been gaining curiosity from third-party Twitter app builders in current days. The makers of standard Twitter purchasers, together with Aviary and Tweetbot, have set their sights on constructing comparable apps for the rising Mastodon consumer base.

Picture Credit: Tapbots

App developer Tapbots, recognized for its standard Twitter app Tweetbot for iOS and Mac, is constructing an app for the Mastodon group. The app is much like Tweetbot, which is hailed as one of many third-party Twitter purchasers that retains bettering with age. This yr’s launch of Tweetbot 7, for instance, added options like picture-in-picture, a stats tab and widgets. Now, Tapbots is engaged on Ivory, a subscription-based app for Mastodon that features entry to key options like your own home timeline, @ mentions, favorites, search and traits, and your individual consumer profile. Tweetbots’ developer Paul Haddad stated the aim is to first ship a secure 1.0, then begin including extra Mastodon-specific options, in addition to some options that he had needed so as to add to Tweetbot however couldn’t due to technical limitations.

Aviary’s developer, Shihab Mehboob, in the meantime, is constructing a Mastodon consumer, known as Mammoth. The brand new app might be a paid obtain with a yet-to-be-determined value, and can embody the newest Mastodon API options once they’re launched, in addition to 4.0 options like enhancing posts and edit historical past.

App makers aren’t the one builders impacted by the chaos at Twitter. As robotechcompany.com reported, Typefully, a Twitter thread-making app backed by Ev Williams, is now planning to shift focus to LinkedIn. Scheduler Chirr App can be engaged on a Mastodon integration, and Tweepsmap simply launched a publish scheduler for Mastodon, too.

• iOS 16.2 RC has arrived forward of subsequent week’s public launch. This is among the greater updates, as it would carry the brand new Freeform app, the just-announced karaoke expertise known as Apple Music Sing, the 10-minute AirDrop restrict that hit China first, new Sleep and Medicine widgets, new House app structure and, with iPadOS 16.2, the power to make use of Stage Supervisor on iPads with an exterior show, amongst different issues. It’s going to additionally carry 5G help to iPhones in India.
• A day after Apple revamped its App Retailer pricing, RevenueCat stated it might roll out A/B value testing options.
• Apple is launching Superior Information Safety, a function that provides end-to-end encryption on iCloud backups, Notes, Pictures and extra within the U.S. in 2022, then globally, together with China, in 2023. There might be 23 information classes protected, except for iCloud Mail, Contacts and Calendar, due to the necessity to interoperate with different methods. The FBI just isn’t joyful.
• Apple additionally introduced an iMessage function that may assist customers confirm they’re messaging solely the folks they meant, plus Apple ID help for {hardware} safety keys.
• Nonetheless, the corporate stated it’s pausing its efforts in launching a CSAM detection device for iCloud Pictures.
• The developer collection “Ask Apple” is returning December 12-16, for one more week of one-on-ones and group Q&As round app constructing.
• Google’s Pixel replace brings the Google One VPN and Clear Calling (name enhancement) function to Pixel 7/7 Professional and computerized speaker labels within the Recorder app to Pixel 6 and up. All Pixel units can even achieve a brand new privateness hub for settings.

Picture Credit: robotechcompany.com

• Reddit rolled out its enjoyable end-of-year Recap expertise to customers, which incorporates stats about your time on website, the communities you interact with essentially the most and extra. This yr, seemingly impressed by the favored Spotify Wrapped expertise, Reddit can be doling out customized, sharable playing cards that embody enjoyable stats, like your most upvoted remark or in case you’re group cat or canine, amongst different issues.
• Snap introduced at its annual Lens Fest it now has 300,000 builders constructing AR merchandise and can quickly enable creators to construct Lenses that function digital items that may be bought with Snap Tokens. Customers will be capable of unlock power-ups, AR gadgets and additional instruments inside choose Lenses as a part of this check. Snap additionally introduced a partnership ith Adidas for a Bitmoji Vogue Drop.

Picture Credit: Snap

• Twitter goes to launch twin pricing for its upcoming Twitter Blue subscription relaunch. App Retailer customers pays $11 per thirty days because of the “Apple tax,” whereas those that pay on the internet will solely be charged $7 per thirty days.
• Calm’s meditation app is catering to players with the addition of latest auditory environments from video games like “Halo Infinite” and “Sea of Thieves,” which will help some folks focus and enhance their temper.
• Instagram’s newest function will inform creators and types if their content material is ineligible for advice and why.

Picture Credit: Instagram

• Celeb greetings app Cameo debuted Cameo Children, providing customized video messages from standard children’ characters like Santa and Thomas the Tank Engine.

Picture Credit: Cameo

Picture Credit: WhatsApp

• TikTok launched its year-end traits record. Apparently, a chocolate giraffe was extremely popular, as was a set of dumb life hacks.
• Yelp takes on Angie’s Listing (now, simply known as Angi) with a brand new strategy to rent service professionals within the app.
• Amazon Luna now permits Prime members to play already bought Ubisoft video games on Luna with out having to subscribe.
• YouTube is rolling out its personal tackle Twitch emotes.
• Snapchat-owned social mapping app Zenly is shutting down. RIP.
• Fb Relationship is now going to check the identical age verification tech that Meta is at present testing on Instagram. ID uploads or selfie movies could also be required for customers suspected of being underage.
• Robinhood added a waitlist for a brand new Robinhood Retirement function, which can supply IRAs with a 1% match on each greenback contributed.
• Roblox goes to permit customers 13 and as much as import their contacts and can introduce good friend suggestions.

Picture Credit: robotechcompany.com

Loads occurred on the chaotic hen app firm this week! In case you haven’t been maintaining with the drama, right here’s a fast assessment:

• Twitter is making an attempt to lure again advertisers with big incentives, like matching $500,000 to $1 million in spending, as much as $1 million cap. Twitter’s advert income is claimed to be 80% under expectations as of the World Cup’s November 20 begin.
• Elon Musk made a giant deal about publishing inside emails over Twitter’s Hunter Biden laptop computer drama. He’s calling these reveals “The Twitter Information.” However the hyped occasion fell slightly flat as they solely appeared to indicate an organization having conversations over troublesome content material moderation selections, in the end ensuing within the firm taking the weird step to restrict the attain of a information story on the time over considerations it got here from a hack and leak marketing campaign by a Russian group and would violate Twitter’s anti-doxing coverage. Twitter had already admitted, in hindsight (and with the help of additional info and reporting), the choice was mistaken.
• Twitter’s new VP of Belief and Security Ella Irwin stated the corporate will now deal with utilizing automation to average content material, not removals.
• Twitter later launched one other “Twitter File” that once more confirmed the corporate merely doing the troublesome enterprise of moderation, on this case conflating shadowbanning with de-amplification, as former Twitter exec Kayvon Beykpour identified, calling the characterization both “a lazy interpretation or intentionally deceptive.”
• Extra considerations had been raised as as to if or not the reporter tweeting the story (who just isn’t a Twitter worker) was given inside methods entry, as she included screenshots of Twitter’s inside methods within the posts.
• Musk additionally “exited” deputy common counsel Jim Baker, claiming there have been considerations over Baker’s “potential position in suppression of knowledge” associated to the so-called Twitter Information.
• Musk stated a later Twitter replace will present customers in the event that they’ve been shadowbanned and why.
• Twitter allowed Andrew Anglin, a neo-Nazi and founding father of the white supremacist web site The Each day Stormer, again on the app.
• Main manufacturers’ advertisements appeared on the pages of two white nationalists after their accounts had been restored by Musk. Advertisements from Amazon, Snap, Uber and others had been amongst these impacted. Twitter later emailed advertisers to say it would launch controls to stop advertisements from displaying up subsequent to sure key phrases.
• Twitter is going through a number of lawsuits over layoffs, which might value it tens of millions in arbitration charges. Some employees on H-1B visas additionally stated they didn’t get enough immigration help.
• Twitter’s iOS app has been going through points with quite a lot of key security measures, together with the power to guard tweets or toggle DM settings.
• Twitter will supply two totally different costs for Twitter Blue: a $7 per thirty days subscription in case you purchase from the web site, or $11 in case you purchase by way of in-app buy, to offset the “Apple tax.”
• Within the meantime, it began savagely altering legacy verified customers‘ checkmarks to tell customers who clicked that “it is a legacy verified account. It could or is probably not notable.”
• Twitter shut down varied developer-focused tasks like Twitter Toolbox and others.
• Musk is now promising to delete 1.5 billion inactive accounts to liberate usernames.

Picture Credit: Fb/Meta

A Fb Twitter clone?

The New York Occasions took a take a look at the brand new startups and social apps capitalizing on Twitter’s chaos after the Musk takeover, additionally dropping the bombshell reveal that Meta could also be cranking up its clone machine to dupe Twitter. The corporate had already been testing a brief message-sharing function in Instagram known as Instagram Notes, however was now questioning if that form of product needs to be its personal standalone app or one other feed inside Instagram. Whereas there’s a transparent alternative to achieve traction amid Twitter’s transition when some customers are in search of an out, we hope Meta doesn’t add much more muddle to the already overwhelmingly busy Instagram app and as a substitute chooses to take an actual threat right here.

Meta hasn’t efficiently launched a brand new app in years, so it’s simple to see why it wouldn’t need to attempt now. However it might be so, so fascinating if it made a text-heavy, simplified model of Fb — let’s name it FB Traditional, (Gen Z loves nostalgia!) — the place the Information Feed as a substitute turns into a real-time Twitter-like feed as a substitute. No sophisticated navigation, no non-public teams, no Reels, no market or recreation streams, or all the opposite detritus of at this time’s Fb. Have all of it run via Fb’s present methods for reporting and moderation. Let folks privately publish to mates or select to be extra public. Think about if Fb’s duped Twitter’s core function set round posts, replies and threads, favorites and the like, however didn’t tackle further options. Even perhaps supply the power to sync choose posts from Fb (and the forthcoming IG Notes) to the app’s Twitter-like feed for a minimalistic feed to get everybody began…I imply, I do know Meta is constructing the metaverse now, however…a Twitter 2.0 arms race between Meta and Twitter itself could be wild to look at.

A Microsoft Tremendous App?

Microsoft has mentioned debuting a brilliant app with internet search, information and procuring to higher compete with Google, in response to The Info. It’s loopy to think about how costly and troublesome it might be to get customers to obtain one other search app at this cut-off date, when even Google is complaining it’s shedding search market share to TikTok and Instagram. Hey, perhaps Microsoft ought to index TikTok and launch a Gen Z advertising and marketing marketing campaign on the app, calling its new tremendous app a greater search engine for TikTok movies! Ha! In spite of everything, it did take into account shopping for TikTok. Okay, okay, I child. But when a Microsoft Tremendous App is to succeed, it’s positively going to wish greater than Bing (nonetheless can’t consider they named it that) to lure within the subsequent technology of customers.

• Meta failed in its try to annul a $267 million high-quality over WhatsApp’s breaching of GDPR transparency obligations.
• Indiana’s lawyer common sued TikTok for deceiving customers over China’s entry to consumer information and exposing children to mature content material.
• EU regulators dominated that Meta can’t use its Phrases of Service to require customers to see customized advertisements on Fb and Instagram.
• Texas banned TikTok on government-issued units. Different states have carried out the identical, together with South Dakota, South Carolina and Maryland.
• The SEC is investigating whether or not or not the social occasions app IRL misled buyers. The corporate raised $170 million from SoftBank at a $1.17 billion valuation final yr, however some staff advised The Info they didn’t consider the app had the 20 million customers it claimed to.
• Uber Eats settled a lawsuit with the Metropolis of Chicago for itemizing native eating places within the Uber Eats and Postmates apps with out the eating places’ consent and charging extra fee charges. Uber pays $10 million, $5 million of which can go towards paying damages to eating places.

Information.ai launched its annual report predicting the subsequent huge cellular traits for 2023 (under). The total report is right here. Of explicit curiosity is its guess that cellular advert spend will attain $362 billion subsequent yr.

Picture Credit: information.ai

💰 Norwegian grocery supply app Oda raised 1.5 billion Norwegian crowns in fairness (about $151 million) in funding at a lowered valuation of $353 million. The service operates in its dwelling market in addition to Finland and Germany.

💰 Singapore tremendous app Osome raised $25 million in Collection B funding. The app helps enterprise homeowners with administrative duties like payroll, accounting and tax reporting and serves over 11,000 companies.

🤝 Saudi Arabia-based meals supply service Jahez is buying The Chefz in a money and inventory deal for $173 million.

Lensa AI

Picture Credit: Lensa AI on Instagram (opens in a brand new window)

Properly, you in all probability nonetheless need to see it! The avatars Lensa AI makes with Steady Diffusion are spectacular, regardless of the controversy. It’s an ideal demo of a possible use case for AI, even when ethically fraught. Demand for AI avatars is clearly robust. Lensa’s reputation is having a knock-on impact throughout the App Retailer’s High Charts, as now apps like AI Artwork, Picture Generator; Meitu, Photograph Editor & AI Artwork; Surprise, AI Artwork Generator; Daybreak, AI Avatars; and Prequel, Aesthetic AI Editor have all entered the highest 30. The apps are benefitting as a result of they’ve “AI” of their names — and, in some circumstances, have purchased App Retailer Search advertisements.

Additionally:

• Proton: The E2EE cloud storage service launched iOS and Android apps providing 1GB of storage totally free, 200GB for $4 per thirty days, or 500GB for $10 per thirty days.
• Copilot: The favored budgeting and finance app launched a Mac counterpart.