Apps

If you're anything like us, you've shaken your head in disbelief looking at all the pre-installed apps on Windows 10. Microsoft seem to have realized this, too, and is reportedly doing away with pre-installed apps on Windows 11 ... for the most part. Reported by Windows Latest , pre-installed apps on Windows 11, which launches on October 5, 2021, won't exist in the same intrusive capacity as they did on the prior operating system. Instead, apps that used to be pre-installed on Windows 10 will now, initially, only show up as shortcuts. Clicking these shortcuts will then prompt the user to install the app. Microsoft could fix one of Windows 11's biggest problems Windows 11 gets major game boost Windows 11: What does it mean for your business? A Microsoft spokesperson confirmed to MSPoweruser that this design decision "reduces size on disk, and you'll also see less background update activity and download traffic." In addition to changing how pre-installed apps … [Read more...] about Windows 11 says goodbye to pre-installed apps… almost

Facebook has suspended plans to launch Instagram Kids, a version of its photo-sharing app for children under the age of 13, as criticism of the project gathered momentum in Washington. Adam Mosseri, who runs the Facebook-owned app, denied that the decision to “pause” development work on Instagram Kids was an admission that the concept was a “bad idea” and added that it was still the “right thing to do” to build a standalone app that offers parents more control and supervision. Still, Mosseri said in a statement on Monday: “I hear the concerns with this project, and we’re announcing these steps today so we can get it right.” The move comes after an investigation by the Wall Street Journal found that Facebook’s own internal research previously found that using Instagram could be detrimental to aspects of many teenagers’ wellbeing, such as body image. Facebook has disputed the WSJ’s presentation of its research but said delaying the launch of Instagram Kids would give it more time … [Read more...] about Facebook suspends plan to launch Instagram Kids app as critics circle

We may earn a commission for purchases using our links. Learn more . Home / News / Wearables Helpful changes Google is already making important Wear OS changes ahead of the big update. Derrek Lee 19 Jul 2021 0 Source: Google What you need to know Wear OS smartwatches are getting a redesigned Play Store experience. The Android Play Store will soon allow cross-device app installs for Wear OS devices. These new Play Store features will be available "in the coming weeks" for current Wear OS smartwatches. Google is officially announcing the rollout of an updated Play Store experience that will bring the best Android phones closer together with Wear OS. The first is the new cross-device app install feature that the company talked about at its annual Google I/O developer conference. Compatible apps with a Wear OS counterpart will include the ability to directly install the app straight from the phone. … [Read more...] about Google Play on Wear OS rolls out with new design, cross-device app installs coming soon

Solving the data silo challenge with a new type of architecture Watch Now Google will soon reduce the share of revenue it takes when enterprise apps are sold through its online marketplace. Google only has a minor share of the cloud infrastructure market, but it is gaining pace alongside Microsoft Azure to catch up with the dominant Amazon Web Services (AWS). According to CNBC , Google Cloud Platform will reduce the commission it takes from Google Cloud Marketplace app store sales from 20% to 3%. Google's Marketplace is used to distribute software-as-a-service apps to enterprise customers. SEE: Remote working jobs row shows how much tech has changed Google hasn't announced the change but confirmed to CNBC that it is changing its Marketplace fee structure and will have details soon. It didn't confirm the amount of the reduction. That business is not as big as its for example the Play Store for Android apps and digital content, but Google Cloud … [Read more...] about Google is trying to make its cloud more attractive to app developers

Apple and Google have reportedly pulled a vote-assisting smartphone app from Russian app stores ahead of the country’s parliamentary election, according to Reuters . The ‘Smart Voting’ app was created by supporters of Alexei Navalny, imprisoned critic of the Russian government and President Vladimir Putin. Those supporters intended to use the mobile app to coordinate a tactical voting campaign to oppose the United Russia party, which is favored to win. Earlier in the month, the Russian government demanded Google and Apple remove the app from their respective app stores – failure to do so would be considered meddling in the election. Analysis: politics draw Apple and Google out of neutrality Apple and Google each have complex histories dealing with the demands of governments while offering services in their countries. In 2020, Apple complied with Chinese authorities in suspending updates to apps that hadn’t been officially approved, while earlier in 2021, the … [Read more...] about Apple and Google reportedly remove opposition election app from Russian app stores

Home / News / Apps Privacy in style Google gives you creative ways to stay anonymous. Derrek Lee 27 Sep 2021 0 Source: Google What you need to know Google is launching a set of colorful avatars that can be used as profile pictures. The Illustrations feature a range of topics, from animals to space, technology, sports, and more. The new Illustrations editor will be available on select Google apps with more following soon. Google is giving users the option to use personalized images as profile avatars with the launch of Google Illustrations. The company announced the new collection on Monday as a way for users to set a profile photo that matches their own personal style while providing privacy for those that would rather not use an actual image of themselves. On Google, a single image acts as a reflection of you across a variety of products, like when you send an email, write a comment on a document or … [Read more...] about Google Illustrations gives you more personal and private profile photos

We may earn a commission for purchases using our links. Learn more . Home / News / Apps More immersive experience Google could soon make it easier to view your recent search results and current tab at the same time. Jay Bonggolto 27 Sep 2021 0 Source: Chris Wedel/Android Central What you need to know Google Chrome looks set to add a new feature to easily browse your search results in a side panel. The new capability will let you view your current tab and recent search results without having to open a new tab. Chrome's sidebar search has been spotted in the latest build of Chrome Canary. Google is reportedly developing a new Chrome feature that will allow you to open your recent search results in a sidebar. The experimental feature, dubbed "Side search," appears to be similar to Microsoft Edge's sidebar search feature. As per 9to5Google , the experimental feature opens a sidebar to the left of your … [Read more...] about Google Chrome looks set to improve on one of Microsoft Edge’s best features

Apple has announced a Group Workouts feature for Apple Fitness Plus . Fitness Plus will also be coming to 15 new countries, including Brazil, France, Mexico, and Russia, and workouts will be getting subtitles in six languages. There are new workouts, including guided meditation, Pilates, and programs to help you prepare for winter sports like skiing and snowboarding. Group Workouts will let Fitness Plus subscribers do a workout with a friend (or a group of up to 32 people), starting it through an iMessage or FaceTime call. On your screen, you’ll be able to see both the instructor and the people with whom you’re sharing the workout. (Hopefully Apple will include an option to turn your camera off if it gets too embarrassing.) You’ll also see your metrics and rings, and you’ll be able to see how your friends are doing on the “burn bar” competition feature and when they close their rings. Unfortunately, Apple hasn’t announced a way to let two people share a workout on the same … [Read more...] about Apple Fitness Plus is getting Group Workouts and Pilates

Apple’s big product event today was all about iPhones, iPads, and the latest generation of its smartwatch — but make no mistake, it also underscored Apple’s increasingly aggressive push to dominate streaming. Apple wasted no time on Tuesday showcasing its quickly expanding and award-winning roster of originals on Apple TV Plus, with Apple boss Tim Cook kicking off the “California Streaming” event with a highlight reel of fall premieres and soon-to-debut titles. Cook gave a nod to the more than 130 wins and 500-plus award nominations for the service’s original films and series since launching in 2019 , taking time to specifically herald the success of critical darling Ted Lasso , which recently swooped up a record-breaking 20 Emmy nominations . (Apple TV Plus had 35 total nominations for all of its titles, which is fairly impressive for a service that’s less than two years old.) For a hardware event that didn’t have too much to share beyond what’s coming to Apple TV Plus … [Read more...] about Apple’s big event today stressed its major focus on streaming

More than a week after their existence was leaked , fitness tracker maker Fitbit has officially announced three new wearable devices. The Fitbit Charge is an update to Fitbit's previous Force fitness tracker, but the other two devices — the Charge HR and the Surge — include some powerful new technology that should allow users to get a picture of their health at all hours of the day. The Charge HR tracks a user's heart rate at all times, while Fitbit describes the $249 Surge as a "fitness super watch," built with GPS and eight sensors to track performance in multiple workouts and various sports. All three of the new devices will send data to Fitbit's tracking app so wearers can see their stats in graph form and set specific goals. Grid View Of the three devices, … [Read more...] about Fitbit announces Surge fitness ‘superwatch’ and two new fitness bands