Apple’s App Store is currently the only place to download apps for an iPhone and it lets the tech giant enforce any profit sharing cut they want. That looks set to change.
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With Apple’s Vision Pro VR/AR headset set to go on sale on February 2, we’re starting to see more details about the app requirements. For example, the company has released guidelines for visionOS developers planning to release apps and there’s one strange caveat. It would rather developers don’t use the terms AR and VR when referring to Vision Pro apps, but rather call them “spatial computing apps,” according to the developer page spotted by 9to5Mac.
“Spatial computing: Refer to your app as a spatial computing app. Don’t describe your app experience as augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), extended reality (XR), or mixed reality (MR),” the company states. The headset itself should be called “Apple Vision Pro” with three uppercase words, while “visionOS begins with a lowercase v, even when it’s the first word in a sentence.” The terms should never be translated or transliterated, Apple added.
Given that they’re definitely going to be AR and VR apps built for an AR/VR headset, Apple may want to differentiate its own offerings so that consumers don’t confound apps for other VR/AR headsets, particularly Meta’s Quest 3, with its own. At the same time, Apple has used those terms extensively to describe the headset, with CEO Tim Cook calling Vision Pro an “entirely new AR platform” when it launched at WWDC 2023.
In the same document, Apple asked developers to indicate if their AR/VR, er, spatial computing apps contain movements like quick turns or sudden changes in camera perspective. That way, the product page will show a badge to warn users. It also described the use of privacy labels and game controllers. As mentioned, the Apple Vision Pro headset arrives on February 2 for $ 3,495 — a price likely to attract only highly motivated buyers.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-tells-developers-not-to-call-their-ar-and-vr-apps-ar-or-vr-apps-085136127.html?src=rss
Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics
What makes iPhone and iPad apps special in 2023? We chatted with award-winning developer teams to learn exactly that.
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Threads was missing a lot of features users would expect from a service similar to Twitter’s (now X’s) when it launched. Over the past few months, however, it has been been rolling out more and more new features to give users a more robust experience, including polls, an easy way to post GIFs and the ability to quote posts on the web. Still, since it doesn’t have an API, third-party developers can’t conjure features specific to their services that would make the social network a more integral part of people’s everyday lives. An example of that is local transportation agencies being able to automatically post service alerts when a train is delayed. According to Instagram chief Adam Mosseri, though, Threads is working on an API for developers — he just has concerns about how it’s going to be used.
As first reported by TechCrunch, Mosseri responded to a conversation on the platform about having a TweetDeck-like experience for Threads. In a response to a user saying that Threads has no API yet, the executive said: “We’re working on it.” He added that he’s concerned that the API’s launch could mean “a lot more publisher content and not much more creator content,” but he’s aware that it “seems like something [the company needs] to get done.”
Mosseri previously said that Threads won’t amplify news, which may have been disappointing to hear for publishers and readers looking to leave X. Instead, he said, Threads wants to “empower creators in general.” More recently, in an AMA he posted on the platform, Mosseri said that that his team’s long-term aspiration is for Threads to become “the de facto platform for public conversations online,” which means being both culturally relevant and big in terms of user size. He said he believes Threads has a chance of surpassing X, but he knows that his service has a long way to go. For now, he keeps his team focused on making people’s experience better week by week.
Mark Zuckerberg recently announced that Threads has “just under” 100 million monthly active users. Like Mosseri, he is optimistic about its future and said that there’s a “good chance” it could reach 1 billion users over the next couple of years.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/instagram-head-says-threads-is-working-on-an-api-for-developers-140049094.html?src=rss
Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics
As Black History Month comes to a close, here are five of some of the most thought-provoking apps made by Black developers in the U.S.
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Apple has revealed how much it’s paid out to App Store developers since its launch in 2008, and it’s probably a lot more than you think.
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A group of former CD Projekt Red developers is working on a new online action that will take players to feudal Japan. This week, Dark Passenger co-founders Jakub Ben and Marcin Michalski announced the formation of their studio and put out a call for talent in a series of tweets spotted by PC Gamer. Ben and Michalski were part of the art team that worked on The Witcher 3 and later went on to do contract work on Cyberpunk 2077.
Dark Passenger’s first game doesn’t have a name yet, but the studio’s website provides some details on the project. Ben and Michalski say they want to create an online multiplayer game with support for both competitive and cooperative play. They describe a title that sounds like it will borrow elements from games like Titanfall and Absolver. “Our locomotion system will allow players to perform incredible [feats] such as running on arrows that were fired by other players, fast climbing on vertical surfaces with the use of shuko claws or using [a] yari spear like a pole to jump over obstacles,” the studio said. “Engaging [in] close-ranged combat will demand as much dexterity as tactics and close cooperation with teammates.”
The news of the founding comes after former CDPR executive Konrad Tomaszkiewicz announced at the start of the year he was creating a studio named Rebel Wolves. He said his team would release its first project, a dark fantasy role-playing game built in Unreal Engine 5, sometime in 2025. After directing the critically acclaimed The Witcher 3 and contributing to Cyberpunk 2077, Tomaszkiewicz left CDPR in May 2021 amid allegations he bullied coworkers. Before his departure, it came out that work on Cyberpunk involved a lengthy and brutal crunch period for many of its developers.
As PC Gamer points out, Dark Passenger’s careers page alludes to some of the criticisms of CDPR. “We create a prejudice-free environment based on tolerance, support and understanding. We treat individual needs as seriously as the group’s expectations,” the page states. “We provide all amenities, private medical care and paid overtime. With an emphasis on work-life balance, we offer flexible working hours and holidays.” As for when you can expect to play the studio’s first game, Dark Passenger has not shared a release date.
Apple’s App Store continues to pay out tens of billions of dollars annually to developers, though the store’s success hasn’t come without controversy.
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A Bloomberg report claims that Nintendo provided at least 11 developers with a toolkit to create games for the Switch that support 4K graphics. Shortly after it was published, though, the gaming giant has issued a statement firmly denying that it's supplying tools to drive the development of titles for a 4K console. "[T]his report is not true," the company tweeted. Further, it reiterated that it has no plans for a new Switch model other than the OLED variant that's coming out on October 8th.
We also want to restate that, as we announced in July, we have no plans for any new model other than Nintendo Switch – OLED Model, which will launch on October 8, 2021. (2/2)
— 任天堂株式会社(企業広報・IR) (@NintendoCoLtd) September 30, 2021
Bloomberg said Nintendo had already handed out 4K toolkits and had already asked developers to create games with 4K resolution by the time it announced the OLED model. The publication also said that the 11 companies it talked to are made up of large publishers and small studios, including Zynga.
Nintendo's upcoming OLED Switch doesn't support 4K graphics, though its screen does offer better colors and contrast than its predecessors. In the past, Bloomberg reported that the company was working on a Switch with OLED screen and an NVIDIA chip that would enable it to generate 4K graphics when connected to a TV. A source told the publication, however, that Nintendo struggled with component shortages due to the COVID-19 pandemic and had to drop its 4K plans.
Releasing a 4K Switch seems like the logical next step for Nintendo to take, seeing as its competitors already have consoles that support the resolution. Based on the company's statement, though, that won't be happening anytime soon.
With the PlayStation 5 launch getting closer, we’re beginning to learn how the console will change gameplay. Today, developers explained how they’re using the new PS5 DualSense wireless controller’s adaptive triggers and haptic feedback.In games like…
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Huawei has had a very obvious problem since the 2019 trade ban took effect, preventing them from using Google’s apps and services. Yes, losing Gmail and YouTube hurts, but it completely blocks access to millions of other Android apps on Huawei devices. To counter that, Huawei has been pushing their own AppGallery store where Huawei […]
Come comment on this article: Huawei is offering generous revenue splits to bring developers onto its AppGallery store
At WWDC Apple continued to position itself as separate from tech rivals like Google and Facebook on the issue of privacy, unveiling a new "Sign-in with Apple" feature that hides your identity even from developers. So, given the value of collecting in…
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Steam has put its new Creator Homepages into open beta, letting developers and publishers customize their homepages to better show off their game catalogs. There's a lot of flexibility — publishers can divide their portfolios up however they wish, s…
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Google’s annual global Playtime series started yesterday with back-to-back events in Berlin and San Francisco. The series is designed to help developers find success with Android’s growing portfolio of hardware, including phones, tablets, Wear devices, TV’s, Chromebooks and Daydream. Every month around the globe, there are over 8 billion new Android app installs per month. […]
Come comment on this article: Google kicks off Playtime 2017 for app developers
Lenovo is running a competition with developers for creating a new generation of Moto Mods and there are some interesting finalists. For example, one Mod will give your Moto Z solar-charging capabilities.
The post Lenovo challenged developers to create new Moto Mods — here is what they built appeared first on Digital Trends.
The opposition to the Trump administration's immigration ban has spread far and wide. Video game developers are joining the chorus against what some see as an unconstitutional policy put forth with no thought or consideration of the outcome. For a nu…
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On the same day that Apple revealed it’s improving its revenue deal for app developers, a report suggested Google is planning a similar change, though with one important difference.
The post Google takes on Apple with better revenue deal for app developers, report says appeared first on Digital Trends.
The LG G5’s modular design is exciting, but it’s going to need more than the two modules already announced if it’s going to succeed. LG’s preparing to release development kits to help other companies produce them, and outlined plans on how they’ll eventually be sold.
The post LG’s telling developers how to make Friends, because more modular phones may be coming appeared first on Digital Trends.
Apple today announced it will hold its 26th annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) June 8 through June 12 at San Francisco’s Moscone West, with more sessions than ever before streamed live to developers worldwide. WWDC will feature more than 100 technical sessions, over 1,000 Apple engineers, hands-on labs, and the Apple Design Awards. “The App Store ignited an app ecosystem that is simply amazing, forever changing the lives of customers and creating millions of jobs worldwide,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “We’ve got incredible new technologies for iOS and OS X to share with developers at WWDC and around the world, and can’t wait to see the next generation of apps they create.”
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