Technology
iOS 18 Could ‘Sherlock’ $400 Million in App Revenue
Apple’s practice of using ideas from its third-party developer community to create latest iOS and Mac features and apps comes at a high price, a brand new report suggests. You can download the iOS 18 public beta now ahead of its fall launch to see first-hand the changes Apple is making that might impact apps that currently have an estimated $393 million in revenue and have been downloaded about 58 million times over the past yr, in accordance with an evaluation by app analytics firm application figures.
Every June at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference, the iPhone maker teases upcoming releases of its software and operating systems, which frequently include features previously available only through third-party apps. The practice is now so common that it’s even been given a reputation: “sherlocking”—a nod to the Nineties Mac search engine that borrowed features from a third-party app generally known as Watson. Now, when Apple introduces a brand new feature that was previously the domain of a third-party app, it’s said to have “sherlocked” the app.
Previously, app sherlocking made some sense. After all, did the iPhone flashlight really should be a third-party offering, or wouldn’t it be higher if it was a built-in feature? Plus, Apple was capable of launch features that made its software more tailored to consumer needs and desires by what was popular with the third-party developer community.
Of course, this practice also raises questions on whether Apple is using proprietary data to make decisions about what to construct next, and whether the apps it competes with are being given a level playing field. For example, before Apple launched its own parental controls system, it shut down many third-party apps that had built businesses in that space, saying their solutions now violated its rules and policies. The apps weren’t given access to the developer API to administer Apple’s built-in parental controls for years, which prompted an antitrust investigation.
In recent years, Apple has been “sherlocking” third parties with features like Continuity Camera, medication tracking, sleep tracking, and mood tracking, in addition to apps like Freeform and Journal. This yr, the corporate has turned its attention to password managers, call recording and transcription apps, apps for creating custom emojis, AI-powered writing tools and math aids, tracking apps, and more.
By analyzing third-party apps that generated greater than 1,000 downloads in a yr, Appfigures discovered several genres which are in Apple’s crosshairs in 2024.
In terms of worldwide gross revenue, these categories generated significant revenue over the past 12 months, with the trail app category earning essentially the most at $307 million annually, led by market leader and Apple 2023 “App of the Year” AllTrails. Grammar apps like Grammarly and others also generated $35.7 million, while math apps and password managers earned $23.4 million and $20.3 million, respectively. Custom emoji apps also generated $7 million.
Of those, trail apps accounted for the overwhelming majority of “potentially sherlocked” revenue, at 78%, in accordance with Appfigures, in addition to 40% of sherlocked app downloads. In May 2024, they accounted for an estimated $28.8 million in gross consumer spending and a pair of.5 million downloads, giving some idea of the size.
Many of those app categories grew rapidly, with math problem-solving apps seeing revenue growth of 43% year-over-year, followed by grammar help apps (+40%), password managers (+38%), and tracking apps (+28%). However, emoji creator apps saw declines of -17% year-over-year.
In terms of downloads, grammar apps saw 9.4 million installs in the last 12 months, followed by emoji creators (10.6 million), math problem solvers (9.5 million), and password managers (457,000 installs).
While these apps definitely have dedicated user bases that won’t immediately determine to modify to a first-party offering, Apple’s ability to supply similar built-in functionality might be detrimental to their potential growth. Average users could also be satisfied with Apple’s “good enough” solutions and never hunt down alternatives.
But apps that consistently roll out latest features and enhancements beyond what Apple has introduced, while also exploring latest ways to achieve users, akin to through Apple’s improved Siri app, can have a greater probability than others.
Technology
US medical device giant Artivion says hackers stole files during a cybersecurity incident
Artivion, a medical device company that produces implantable tissue for heart and vascular transplants, says its services have been “disrupted” resulting from a cybersecurity incident.
In 8-K filing In an interview with the SEC on Monday, Georgia-based Artivion, formerly CryoLife, said it became aware of a “cybersecurity incident” that involved the “compromise and encryption” of information on November 21. This suggests that the corporate was attacked by ransomware, but Artivion has not yet confirmed the character of the incident and didn’t immediately reply to TechCrunch’s questions. No major ransomware group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.
Artivion said it took some systems offline in response to the cyberattack, which the corporate said caused “disruptions to certain ordering and shipping processes.”
Artivion, which reported third-quarter revenue of $95.8 million, said it didn’t expect the incident to have a material impact on the corporate’s funds.
Technology
It’s a Raspberry Pi 5 in a keyboard and it’s called Raspberry Pi 500
Manufacturer of single-board computers Raspberry Pi is updating its cute little computer keyboard device with higher specs. Named Raspberry Pi500This successor to the Raspberry Pi 400 is just as powerful as the present Raspberry Pi flagship, the Raspberry Pi 5. It is on the market for purchase now from Raspberry Pi resellers.
The Raspberry Pi 500 is the simplest method to start with the Raspberry Pi because it’s not as intimidating because the Raspberry Pi 5. When you take a look at the Raspberry Pi 500, you do not see any chipsets or PCBs (printed circuit boards). The Raspberry Pi is totally hidden in the familiar housing, the keyboard.
The idea with the Raspberry Pi 500 is you could connect a mouse and a display and you are able to go. If, for instance, you’ve got a relative who uses a very outdated computer with an outdated version of Windows, the Raspberry Pi 500 can easily replace the old PC tower for many computing tasks.
More importantly, this device brings us back to the roots of the Raspberry Pi. Raspberry Pi computers were originally intended for educational applications. Over time, technology enthusiasts and industrial customers began using single-board computers all over the place. (For example, when you’ve ever been to London Heathrow Airport, all of the departures and arrivals boards are there powered by Raspberry Pi.)
Raspberry Pi 500 draws inspiration from the roots of the Raspberry Pi Foundation, a non-profit organization. It’s the right first computer for college. In some ways, it’s a lot better than a Chromebook or iPad because it’s low cost and highly customizable, which inspires creative pondering.
The Raspberry Pi 500 comes with a 32GB SD card that comes pre-installed with Raspberry Pi OS, a Debian-based Linux distribution. It costs $90, which is a slight ($20) price increase over the Raspberry Pi 400.
Only UK and US keyboard variants will probably be available at launch. But versions with French, German, Italian, Japanese, Nordic and Spanish keyboard layouts will probably be available soon. And when you’re in search of a bundle that features all the things you would like, Raspberry Pi also offers a $120 desktop kit that features the Raspberry Pi 500, a mouse, a 27W USB-C power adapter, and a micro-HDMI to HDMI cable.
In other news, Raspberry Pi has announced one other recent thing: the Raspberry Pi monitor. It is a 15.6-inch 1080p monitor that’s priced at $100. Since there are quite a few 1080p portable monitors available on the market, this launch is not as noteworthy because the Pi 500. However, for die-hard Pi fans, there’s now also a Raspberry Pi-branded monitor option available.
Technology
Apple Vision Pro may add support for PlayStation VR controllers
According to Apple, Apple desires to make its Vision Pro mixed reality device more attractive for gamers and game developers latest report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman.
The Vision Pro was presented more as a productivity and media consumption device than a tool geared toward gamers, due partly to its reliance on visual and hand controls moderately than a separate controller.
However, Apple may need gamers if it desires to expand the Vision Pro’s audience, especially since Gurman reports that lower than half one million units have been sold to this point. As such, the corporate has reportedly been in talks with Sony about adding support for PlayStation VR2 handheld controllers, and has also talked to developers about whether they may support the controllers of their games.
Offering more precise control, Apple may also make other forms of software available in Vision Pro, reminiscent of Final Cut Pro or Adobe Photoshop.
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