News Analysis India

Tag: Developers

  • Gujarat unveils new Solar Power policy, move to trigger growth of small scale projects

    Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani on Tuesday announced a new Solar Power Policy, which is aimed at providing additional benefits to residential, individual and commercial developers for next 5 years.The policy announced by CM Rupani allows the consumers to lease out their roofs or premises to third party for generation and consumption of power in the same premises.

    CM Rupani said, “The State Government had implemented Solar Policy in 2015 to increase the growth of solar energy sector and provide affordable electricity to the people. Considering the overwhelming response to this policy, the Government of Gujarat is now going to implement the new “Gujarat Solar Power Policy 2021” to ensure clean, environmentally friendly and sustainable energy in the state.”

    He further added that Gujarat has taken various proactive measures and made rapid strides to take the development of Renewable Energy in the state to a new height. This has resulted into overall growth of renewable energy sector and made Gujarat a leader in the country.

    Increase in consumption & production of solar energy in the state will bring down production cost for industries and accelerate the ‘Made in Gujarat’ brand and increase its presence in global market.

  • Apple Has Reportedly Started Cutting The App Store Commission for Small Businesses Already

    Apple, earlier this week, started notifying eligible developers about the App Store Small Business Program going live imminently. Now, according to some developers, the Cupertino-based giant is already charging lower commission on App Store sales. Apple had last month announced that it will reduce the App Store commissions from 30 percent to 15 percent for small businesses on the Apple App Store.

    According to Apple’s App Store Small Business Program, developers who earn up to $1 million (roughly Rs 7,35,65,000) a year from the App Store are eligible for a 15 percent commission instead of a 30 percent commission for major developers. In terms of the latest development, a report in 9to5Mac says that developers told the website that they are already seeing the changes in revenue report on App Store Connect. This is ahead of schedule as the company was supposed to roll out the new changes starting January 1, 2021.

    A developer named Aditya Rajveer of Marvis App even took to Twitter to note how he’s being paid $5.09 for an app that costs $5.99. The 9to5Mac report also quotes another developer named David Hodge, who shared a similar report with the website, saying that it seems Apple has decided to roll out the lower App Store commission a few days ahead of schedule.

  • Samsung on Apple’s path, charger will not be available with this smartphone

    Apple had decided not to provide chargers and earphones with the iPhone 12 and at that time big companies like Xiaomi, OnePlus and Samsung made fun of Apple. Now it is news that Samsung is also following the path of Apple. According to the report, Samsung Galaxy S21 is now going to sell without charger in many countries. According to the report of xda developers, the sale of Galaxy S21 in Brazil will now be without charger, although this has not been confirmed by Samsung yet. If this happens, Samsung will be the second company after Apple to not provide a charger in the box with the phone.

    Let me tell you that Samsung had made fun of iPhone without charger on its Facebook page, but this post was later deleted. Now the Galaxy S21 has been seen in Brazil with no charger, but it has not yet been clear that in other countries also Samsung will sell the Galaxy S21 without charger or provide the charger together.

  • Apple announces 15 best apps on its App Store in 2020

    Apple has announced the App Store Best of 2020 winners, recognising 15 apps and games that users should download.

    An exercise app by independent developer Andres Canella called WakeOut! Won the iPhone app of the year, while Zoom took the iPad app for the year award.

    “This year, more than ever before, some of our most creative and connected moments happened in apps. This was thanks to the amazing work of developers who introduced fresh, helpful app experiences throughout the year,” said Phil Schiller, Apple Fellow. “Around the world, we saw remarkable efforts from so many developers, and these Best of 2020 winners are 15 outstanding examples of that innovation.”

  • There are 400 games in development for Google Stadia

    There are currently 200 developers building 400 games for Google Stadia, according to an interview in MobileSyrup with the service’s director of games, Jack Buser. These new games are slated to launch over the next few years, not necessarily all in 2021, Buser said.

    “Frankly speaking, my team is almost done with 2021,” he told MobileSyrup. “We’re thinking about 2022 right now — that’s our focus. 2023 is really kind of where we’re aiming our sights.”Buser said Google will share more information about new-game release windows “in the future.”

    Google has been playing catch-up since the debut of Stadia one year ago. Before launch, executives promised Stadia would have a handful of unique and ambitious features, including native 4K play, social and streamer-specific capabilities, and a large library of games. However, many of these didn’t go live until months later, and some are still missing entirely.

    While Google has added more than 100 games to Stadia over the past year, its selection of high-profile titles is slim, especially when compared with Microsoft’s xCloud platform. That said, Google is working on securing sought-after games, and it’s added notable titles including Doom Eternal, Borderlands 3 and Hotline Miami to its library, while Cyberpunk 2077 is incoming.

    Additionally, Google has two first-party studios in Montreal and Los Angeles, an exclusive deal with Harmonix, and a roster of veteran game developers and producers overseeing everything, including Stadia head Phil Harrison, Stadia Games and Entertainment leader Jade Raymond, and Playa Vista studio head Shannon Studstill. In late 2019, Google also purchased Typhoon Studios, developer of the charming sci-fi exploration game Journey to the Savage Planet.

  • Apple will no longer charge 30 percent commission from App Store developers, here is why

    Apple on Wednesday announced that it will no longer charge a 30 percent commission from developers who sell their apps and services on App Store. The company will slash the App Store developer fee by half to 15 percent starting from January 1, 2021. However, Apple has only reduced the fee for developers who generate as much as $1 million in annual revenue from their apps. The offer is also valid for developers who are new to the app store.

    Apple has made changes in revenue to help small businesses flourish. The change will be applicable from January 1, 2021.

    “We believe that small businesses are the backbone of our global economy and the beating heart of innovation and opportunity in communities around the world. Launching January 1, 2021, the industry-leading new App Store Small Business Program is designed to accelerate innovation and help propel your small business forward. The program has a reduced commission rate of 15% on paid apps and in-app purchases, so you can invest more resources into your business and continue building the kind of quality apps your customers love,” Apple said in a statement.

    Apple has said that vast majority of developers on the App Store who sell digital goods and services will qualify for the Small Business Program. Developers who have made “$1 million in proceeds in 2020 for all their apps, as well as developers new to the App Store, can qualify for the program and the reduced commission.”

    Developers whose businesses had fallen below the $1 million thresholds in a future calendar year can also requalify for the 15 percent commission program.

  • Apple will reduce App Store cut to 15 percent for most developers starting January 1st

    On Wednesday, Apple announced a reduction to its longstanding App Store commission rate, one of the most substantial changes to how iOS developers earn money in the history of the iPhone maker’s digital app marketplace, as part of a new program for small businesses. The new App Store Small Business Program, as it’s called, will allow any developer who earns less than $1 million in annual sales per year from all of their apps to qualify for a reduced App Store cut of 15 percent, half of Apple’s standard 30 percent fee, on all paid app revenue and in-app purchases.

    The company says the “vast majority” of iOS app developers should be able to access the program, but Apple declined to say what percentage of its more than 28 million registered app makers would qualify. Apple also declined to specify how much of its App Store revenue would be affected by the reduced commission. But the App Store, which generated an estimated $50 billion in revenue in 2019 according to CNBC, is one of Apple’s most pivotal businesses beyond the iPhone and represents a pillar of the digital services strategy CEO Tim Cook has touted as the future of the company’s business.

    APPLE WILL LET DEVELOPERS WHO EARN LESS THAN $1 MILLION KEEP 15 PERCENT MORE REVENUE
    The new small business program goes into effect starting January 1st, 2021. Developers will be asked to apply for the program, and Apple says it will be releasing more information about that process and other eligibility requirements and deadlines in December. Apple did not elaborate on why it’s choosing not to automatically enroll developers into the program, but it’s possible requiring that developers enroll may reduce the potential for fraud or other abuses that could arise if Apple simply auto-enrolled everyone below the threshold.

    Apple did spell out some of the program’s rules today. The company says it will look at developer proceeds for the year of 2020 to determine eligibility starting in January. New developers can also qualify right away. For those app makers that exceed the $1 million threshold at any point in 2021, they will automatically be removed from the program and subject to the standard 30 percent cut. If a developer falls back below the $1 million threshold in a future calendar year, Apple says they can re-qualify for the program and its reduced commission rate.