Tag: app

Waze adds cats and dogs voices and moods, car icons to its app
More voices are coming to one of the most popular navigation app, Waze. This time we have something special to talk about, as Waze is adding cats and dogs voices to its mobile apps. So, regardless of whether you’re a cat or dog person, Waze now has you covered.

From today for a limited time, Waze users can choose between two navigation voices that personify a dog or a cat. But we’re getting a lot more than just two voices, as each is themed toward a different mood.

The dog voice is upbeat, positive, encouraging, and excited (distracted too!), while the cat voice is c, but also funny and irreverent. So it’s up to each user to choose the theme they like.

In addition to the new voices, Waze introduces new car icons that can be used on the live map, such as the Meow Mobile and the Woof Wagon. There are also meant to show the user’s pet preference as they’ll have to change their mood to Cat or Dog.

Keep in mind that the Cat & Dog theme will be available in English, French, and Spanish for a limited time, so make sure to download them before they’re gone.
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July 2, 2021
SoftBank-backed Dingdong raises US$95.7 million in downsized US IPO
Chinese grocery app Dingdong, backed by SoftBank Vision Fund 2, raised about $95.69 million in its US initial public offering (IPO) on Tuesday after slashing the size of the IPO to almost a fourth of its earlier target.

Dingdong sold more than 4 million American depositary shares (ADSs) priced at $23.5 apiece, the lower end of its indicative price range.

The company had earlier planned to raise up to $357 million in its IPO by selling 14 million ADSs priced between $23.5 and $25.5.

Established in 2017 and also backed by Tiger Global Management and Sequoia Capital, Dingdong operates mainly in China’s first-tier cities such as Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, and Hangzhou.

Rival online grocery company Missfresh Ltd, which is backed by Tencent Holdings Ltd, slumped in its Nasdaq debut last week. It was trading almost 17 percent below its IPO price until Monday’s close.

Morgan Stanley, BofA Securities, and Credit Suisse were the IPO’s lead underwriters.

Dingdong’s ADSs are set to begin trading on the New York Stock Exchange later in the day under the ticker symbol “DDL”.
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July 1, 2021
Snapchat’s latest update fixes major crash bug on the iPhone app
Yesterday, Snap released an update for its iOS app which introduced a nasty bug that would prevent those who updated it to continue to use Snapchat. Basically, the app would crash at launch or just after the camera feed would pop up on the iPhone’s display.

Although it was unclear how widespread the issue was, Snap acknowledged the problem and promised to fix it as soon as possible. That came after a wave of tweets that pointed out the bug, including one of The Verge’s writers who posted an article about the issue and tweeted it.

True to its promise, the social company confirmed at the end of the day that the crash bug has been addressed. Snap also recommends those who are still having problems with the Snapchat app on their iPhones, to manually update to version 11.34.1.35 in the App Store.

These things happen sometimes, but it rarely happens that they are fixed so soon. Kudos to Snap’s engineers for nailing this one so fast and props to users who patiently waited for the fix.
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June 29, 2021
Apple scores big Health Records app win by partnering with the Mayo Clinic
While the Wall Street Journal was waxing poetic how Apple’s health industry push has stalled, we wouldn’t be underestimating its transformative potential in the field. Apple, after all, has proven numerous times that it may start slow and tread carefully, but the sheer scale of its market size eventually overcomes the pushback from new industries it is trying to break into.

The latest case in point are its Health Records app that now has access to your patient portal in the renowned Mayo Clinic network, adding to the list of the already announced Apple Health partners in the HMO intermediary realm.

The Mayo Clinic access would undoubtedly add plenty to the street cred of the Health Records app, and we don’t need to extoll the institution’s numerous virtues to back up this claim. This partnership is what resulted in the still-unsurpassed ECG function of the Apple Watch that took years to master with the help of Mayo Clinic physicians and databases that spearheaded the algorithm’s creation.

What can a Mayo network patient can expect from the integration of their data in the Apple Health Records app when the service becomes live this fall? Well, those with an online patient portal account at the Mayo Clinic now have the alternative of the Health Records app to view their health data from multiple providers.

Android users have the option of a similar app called CommonHealth but Apple has the advantage of sharing the health data derived from its Apple Watch like heart rate and detected falls directly with their physicians.

While Google hasn’t given up on digitizing your personal health data with a new hospital chain partnership, Apple may eat its lunch in the field by simply leveraging the abundance of information collected in its Health app.

That’s where all the Apple Watch sensor readings go, for instance, and Apple is now offering you the option to share your health data not only with your doctor, but with friends and family as well, so that users have “a trusted partner on their health journey.”

New Apple Health app data features in iOS 15:
- Walking Steadiness – new Mobility algorithms assess balance, stability, and coordination via the iPhone/Watch sensors.
- Trends – long-term changes in various health and fitness metrics that the Apple Health app integrates.
- Better Labs – bloodwork lab data tracking and analysis.
All of these new and old data points can now be securely shared with either your doctor, or your loved ones, so you can have both a specialist and a person that is closer to you, be up to date with your health and fitness points at the same time, for an increased scope of coverage in case something unforeseen happens.

By the fall, when iOS 15 and watchOS 8 hit your palm and your wrist, respectively, Apple will have likely scooped up many more partners for its Health Records sharing initiative, so we wouldn’t count them out in the health industry realm just yet.
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June 17, 2021
Google’s Android app returns blank search results thanks to bug
Over the last few weeks a bug has affected the Google app on Android. When conducting a search, the user gets a blank response. The bug work its magic on several devices including handsets made by Samsung, Google, and OnePlus.

If this happens to you, you could get annoyed, jump up and down on your phone and start cursing out the Google app. Or, you can handle this like the calm, cool and collected person that you are and request the search for a second time. You might also consider force closing the Google app since that appears to solve the issue, at least temporarily.

Additionally, it appears that using the Chrome URL bar to run a search doesn’t result in a blank response, so you might want to use the search feature on Chrome if getting a blank response is not what you’re looking for from your search request. We should point out that receiving blank search results has nothing to do with the strength of your network or Wi-Fi connection.

Dare we assume that Google is aware of this bug and hopefully is working on an update to exterminate this rather strange issue? Yes we do because Search is Google’s most important business unit and was responsible for $104 billion in revenue for the company last year. That made up 71% of Google’s advertising gross and 57% of parent firm Alphabet’s total 2020 revenue.
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June 14, 2021
StanChart Partners Templeton for Retirement Planning App
Available on Google Play and Apple’s App Store, «Autumn» integrates wellness with wealth management on an independent and bank agnostic platform.

SC Ventures, the innovation and ventures unit of Standard Chartered, has launched «Autumn», a digital wealth, health, and lifestyle solution that provides users with tools, products, and services to plan and manage their financial and physical wellbeing.

As a strategic partner, Franklin Templeton will provide users with access to financial literacy content and investment insights, which can be customized based on risk profile and financial data. Autumn will also be bringing lifestyle partners on board, including travel services and volunteering opportunities.

Standard Chartered highlighted that 15 percent of Asia’s population will be over the age of 65 by 2040, citing UN data, and the need for a bundled offering to address all their needs in a holistic and personalized manner.

By combining digital wealth technology with health, lifestyle, and financial wellness, we’ll help users adopt healthier habits and create a retirement that is personalized for them, Mike Kruger, Autumn CEO, said in the announcement.

Banks have been quick to capitalize on Asia’s greying population and heightened interest in wealth planning. Launches of similar platforms this year have included Julius Baer, which launched its digital wealth advisory platform in Asia in April, while DBS also rolled out a personal digital advisory to its financial planner.

Standard Chartered itself debuted a free, do-it-yourself online financial planning app this year.

Autumn is now available in Singapore, with plans underway to roll out the platform progressively in Hong Kong and other markets in Asia, Standard Chartered said.
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June 10, 2021
App Store billings and sales hit a whopping $643 billion last year

Based on an independent study of the App Store, the iOS app storefront generated $643 billion in sales and billings last year (which includes Apple’s cut of in-app purchases and ad sales), up 24% from the $519 billion that the App Store brought in during 2019. The study, titled “A Global Perspective on the Apple App Store Ecosystem,” reveals that not only did iOS app developers expand their business in 2020, they also expanded their customer base.

It also turns out that since 2015, the number of small developers on the App Store has grown by 40%. The definition of a small developer is one with fewer than 1 million downloads and less than $1 million in earnings and 90% of App Store developers fit this definition. And of those small developers, 25% of them have managed to increase their earnings by 25% a year over the last five years.

The report also shows that close to 80% of small developers have apps in App Stores across different countries. On average, App Store developers get paid from customers located in more than 40 countries. Overall, the App Store is available in more than 175 countries and regions, supports more than 40 different languages, 45 different currencies, and over 200 different payment methods.

Apple CEO Tim Cook says, “Developers on the App Store proves every day that there is no more innovative, resilient or dynamic marketplace on earth than the app economy.” Cook adds that “The apps we’ve relied on through the pandemic have been life-changing in so many ways — from groceries delivered to our homes, to teaching tools for parents and educators, to an imaginative and ever-expanding universe of games and entertainment. The result isn’t just incredible apps for users: it’s jobs, it’s an opportunity, and it’s untold innovation that will power global economies for many years to come.”

We should point out that the App Store has also generated conflict between Apple and developers because of the company’s in-app payment system under which Apple snags as much as a 30% cut of in-app transactions. And any developer that offers its own platform to compete with Apple and get around the 30% Apple Tax will find its app removed from the App Store. This is what happened with Epic Games and its popular Fortnite title.

Last month Epic and Apple wrapped up a two-week trial and we expect the judge to announce her decision sometime during the third quarter. Apple and the App Store have been called anticompetitive since Apple doesn’t allow iOS and iPadOS users to install apps from any other app storefront outside of the App Store. This is one area where there is a big difference between iOS and Android since Android users are allowed to sideload apps from third-party app stores.

Apple’s in-payment platform did get a thumbs up from the CEO of Snapchat parent Snap, Evan Spiegel. The executive said that Snap is “happy” to pay Apple’s 30% cut noting that Snapchat would not be around if it weren’t for Apple and the App Store. This is the minority view, but another developer has praised Apple’s app ecosystem.

Wakeout! is an app that offers 1,500 exercises to keep users active and its founder, Andres Canella, called Apple’s in-app payment system “essential” for a small business. He states that “It’s enabled us to expand globally without having to worry about calculating things like local taxes or currency conversion. And using it is so transparent for our customers — we’re able to reach everywhere, China, France, you name it. We get all the benefits of selling globally without ever having to think about it, which is priceless.”

Still, for every Snapchat and Wakeout! there is a Fortnite, a Netflix, or a Spotify that publicly attacks the App Store and Apple calling the setup a monopoly and anticompetitive.

June 3, 2021

Clubhouse to end invitation system this summer; over 2 million install the Android app

Roughly a couple of weeks ago, popular group audio chat app Clubhouse finally made its debut on the Google Play Store although invites are still required to become a Clubhouse subscriber. This past Sunday, Clubhouse held a Town Hall meeting on the app and discussed what it has experienced since allowing the vast majority of smartphone users to install the app.

In a tweet sent out following the Town Hall, Clubhouse noted that it now has over 2 million Android subscribers which double the 1 million Android users it had after the previous week. Since Clubhouse launched in March 2020 in the App Store and was available only on iOS until now, the number of subscribers on Apple’s mobile platform, over 10 million, currently swamps the number of Android users. And while the Android version of the Clubhouse app has yet to reach feature parity to the iOS variant, it is getting closer every day.

More exciting though, is the statement that Clubhouse is “heading for general release sometime this summer!” That would mean the end of invites and should greatly expand the usage of the app. As a result, Clubhouse says that its next few updates will be about “discovery, notifications, and less visible but very crucial improvements” as it gears up for a massive surge in usage.

Clubhouse does have its competition with many big names in social media having started something similar or announcing that a similar feature is on the way. And several Clubhouse users have been complaining about how glitchy the app has been with some users getting kicked out of a room in mid-sentence. So the company does face some hard work ahead.

June 2, 2021

Spotify promises to completely overhaul its Wear app

Google announced this week it has teamed up with Samsung to revamp Wear OS. Along with the complete redesign of its wearable platform, Google promised to bring even more of its apps to Wear and update those that are already available.

Due to the radical changes that Wear will be going through in the coming weeks, third-party apps like Spotify will be updated too. The good news is the Spotify app for Wear will also get a handful of new features, not just some much-needed visual changes.

During Google I/O’s keynote, Spotify confirmed that it’s working on the option to download music and podcasts directly to your Wear smartwatch, which will allow users to leave their phones home they’re going for a run.

Up until now, the Spotify app for Wear only allows users to control music played on other devices. The upcoming update will allow users to control playback from their Wear smartwatches if Spotify is playing on other devices, such as PC, smartphone, or smart speaker.

Although we don’t know when exactly the new Spotify app will roll out to Wear smartwatch users, we doubt that will happen before Google releases the new version of its wearable platform later this year.

May 21, 2021

Amanda Woo appointed as CEO of airasia super app

AirAsia Group Bhd’s website, airasia super app, previously known as airasia.com, has appointed Amanda Woo as chief executive officer effective May 19, 2021.

Woo will replace Karen Chan who will be assuming a board position with the super app business.

With over 15 years of experience in e-commerce, lifestyle brand and retail marketing with prominent global brands, Woo’s leadership has been instrumental to the expansion of AirAsia’s business in key Asean markets.

Her notable achievements include AirAsia’s entry into new markets in Indochina and turnaround of the Indonesian market.

She was promoted in early 2019 to chief commercial officer whereby she was part of the founding team of the airasia super app.

As chief executive officer. Woo will continue to accelerate the growth of airasia super app, the company said in a statement.

Woo looks forward in working closely with the management team and dedicated Allstars across the region to achieve the goals that have been set out for airasia super app.

“The combination of an incredibly talented pool of Allstars, strong leadership team and a global footprint forms an unparalleled opportunity for a consumer-centric super app that will be an important part of the airasia group ecosystem, and a key revenue stream,” she said.

May 20, 2021

Pandora launches new home screen widget for iPhones and iPads

Pandora is making some interesting changes to its iOS app. If you’re using the streaming service’s app on an iPhone or iPad, you should soon notice a new home screen widget that features many customization options.

With the latest version of the iOS app, you’ll now be able to choose from 3 sizes of the new Pandora widget, which will allow you to view and play up to 7 of your most recently played songs, albums, stations, playlists, and podcasts directly from the home screen.

To start customizing your Pandora experience make sure to update the iOS app via the App Store. Then, long-press the home screen and hold until you get the “+” icon displayed. Simply search for Pandora and select one of the three sizes available. When you’re done, tap “Add Widget” and your home widget should be accessible on the fly.

The new home screen widget for iPhones and iPads requires iOS 14 or newer, but that shouldn’t be a concern for most users.

April 30, 2021

Uber App In U.S. To Enable Users To Book COVID-19 Vaccines And Rental cars

Uber Technologies Inc said on Wednesday it was launching new features in its app to allow U.S. customers to book COVID-19 vaccine appointments and reserve rental cars. Customers would be able book an appointment at a Walgreens pharmacy to receive a vaccine and an Uber ride to travel there, the company said in a product presentation.

The feature, which expands an Uber and Walgreens partnership announced in February, reflects the wider availability of COVID-19 vaccines in the United States, where every state has opened up vaccinations to all adults.

For Uber, more vaccinations mean a quicker return to pre-pandemic travel and higher revenue, which has tumbled during the health crisis. Business has already begun to improve with March the best month since the pandemic’s full force was felt.

Sundeep Jain, Uber’s chief product officer, said the company was “evaluating opportunities” to expand the vaccine program to other countries.

The company also announced partnerships with Avis Budget Group Inc, Hertz and other vehicle rental agencies.

From Wednesday, U.S. customers can book rental cars through the Uber app, with Uber offering up to 10% of the rental cost as a credit to the user to spend on other Uber services.

In May, users in Washington D.C. can have their rental car delivered to and collected from their home, after paying a fee to Uber, which will rollout the service nationwide this year.

Jain said users will be able to handle most rental car paperwork digitally, but declined to comment on the financial details of the partnerships.

Uber’s smaller rival Lyft Inc already offers car rentals in partnership with Sixt SE.

Uber also said it would expand an option to reserve rides in advance to more U.S. and European cities and allow customers to book and collect food delivery orders during a ride-hail trip.

April 29, 2021

Snapchat’s improved Android app has paid off big time

Starting back in 2018, messaging app Snapchat started revising its Android app and the results have been amazing. For the first time, during the first quarter of 2021, the number of the app’s Android users exceeded the number of its iOS users. Snapchat’s Android app was slow and the update made it run faster while improving key features like Lenses.<

Also helping the Android version of Snapchat gain traction, parent company Snap added more content geared toward certain countries and started to support more languages outside the U.S. where Android users handily exceed those using an iPhone. Snap CEO Evan Spiegel called the swap between Android and iOS users "a critical milestone that reflects the long-term value of the investment we made to rebuild our Android application."

Additionally, for the first time since going public, Snap recorded a quarter with positive cash flow ($126 million versus negative cash flow of $95 million during the same quarter last year).

In March, Snapchat launched "Phone Swap India" on its Discover section. That is where original programming and shows created by the app's media partners can be found. The number of Daily Active Users (DAU) rose to 280 million in Q1, a 22% annual hike, and 4.7 million users above analyst expectations of 275.3 million.

Revenue during the period from January through March 2021 rose a stunning 66% to $770 million topping Wall Street estimates of $743 million. Snap's net loss came to $286.9 million from $305.9 million during the same quarter last year. The first-quarter net loss was 19 cents a share improving slightly from the 21 cents a share of red ink Snap reported during last year's first quarter.

For the current quarter which ends in June, Snap Chief Financial Officer Derek Andersen says to expect a revenue gain of 80% to 85% with 290 million DAUs. CEO Spiegel said in a statement that "Augmented reality remains one of our biggest opportunities as we look to the future." Just last month the company purchased Fit Analytics, a company that uses AR to determine virtually if clothes will fit.

Snap's shares soared on Friday, the day after the report was released. The stock closed at $61.30 up 7.39% or $4.22. A year ago, Snap was trading under $17.

April 27, 2021

AirAsia launches airasia money, partners RinggitPlus to provide loan application services in app

AirAsia Bhd has expanded its airasia super app to provide financial products and services under the “airasia money” banner, beginning with a partnership with financial comparison platform RinggitPlus.

Through its partnership with the platform, airasia money currently provides credit card and loan application services. The financial marketplace will also allow users to obtain the best personal finance news, information, guidance and make the best choices for their immediate needs.

Today’s launch of airasia money, said AirAsia Group Bhd chief executive officer Tan Sri Tony Fernandes, marks the final piece of the puzzle for the airasia super app, a concept that was aggressively pushed since October 2020.

“airasia money is the third vertical after travel and e-commerce. It is the last piece of our app, and with this, the plan for our digital app is virtually complete and is set to grow from strength to strength moving forward,” Fernandes said at the launch today.

Targeting millennials, the platform will soon also include an array of other financial products for insurance, investments, top-ups, gaming credits, as well as other services including remittance and zakat payments, said head of airasia money Mohamad Hafidz Mohd Fadzil.

“Elsewhere, the expertise provided by other platforms have been very product-specific, be [it] loans, insurance and the like, as opposed to a channel that provides simplicity and bundled propositions.

“There must be something for everyone with airasia money,” said Mohamad Hafidz. “The goal is to provide bite-sized financial solutions that are curated through fintech assets as well as external strategic partners like RinggitPlus,” he said.

“While AirAsia was democratizing the airline industry, we at RinggitPlus have talked about democratizing the finance industry, to offer banking and insurance products that anyone could apply,” RinggitPlus co-founder and CEO Siew Yuen Tuck said.

“The opportunity to bring the two brands together with a shared vision to help Malaysians make better financial decisions and get easier access to financial products is really a dream come true, and we thank the AirAsia team for making this happen,” Siew said.

Following today’s launch in Malaysia, airasia money is also set to launch in Singapore in 2Q21, the Philippines in 3Q21, and Thailand in 4Q21 with localized offerings that cater to the different needs of the different markets, said Mohd Hafidz. AirAsia’s other financial services include e-wallet platform BigPay and Tune Insurance under sister company Tune Protect Group Bhd.

At the time of writing, AirAsia was down two sen or 2.2% to 89 sen, valuing the group at RM3.39 billion.

April 26, 2021

Updated Gmail for Android now includes animated swipe action

After reading your email on the Android Gmail app, users can use “Mail swipe actions” to delete, archive, mark as read/mark as unread, snooze, mark as, and move to messages. Each swipe is a different color. Each action is accompanied by a different color, but to make it even easier to tell the different gesture actions apart, Google has added some animation. For example, mark as read will show the fold of an envelope closing. Delete an email and the trash can lid rises, and snoozing an email will spin the clock.

You should soon have the latest version of Gmail for Android installed on your phone. Google has been adding little things here and there in order to improve the app. For example, in February Google added confirmatory vibration feedback so that users don’t make an accidental swipe on the wrong spot. To make sure that your Gmail app is completely up to date, your Android phone should be running version 2021.03.07 which was released just last week. It is important for you to understand that the animations are not available on the iOS version of the app.

Google is adding animation and other swipe action to its Gmail for Android app.

You can find the Gmail for Android app in the Google Play Store. These are small things that might not seem like a big deal but they are important to users.

April 8, 2021