Apps
Google Play Store has adjusted its minimum app price

It’s a good thing that somebody, in this case Google, acknowledges that not every country has the same amount of average income, which makes it difficult for some people from various states to buy apps they need, but are sometimes too pricey. Now Google is lowering the minimum price per app in 17 countries in the Play Store App.
It only seems logical that not every country should have the same price for an app as their average income per person is significantly different, making it difficult for some individuals to afford apps and leading to a drop in income for app developers.
As an example Poland is going to get the smallest price drop from all 17 countries for whom Google lowered the minimum app price, they’ll have a minimum cost per app of 45 cents, while in Brazil and Colombian people will be able to buy apps for 26 cents each and in some other countries the fee is going to be dropped at 21 cents for instance.
India, the first country to have its minimum app wage lowered, has the cheapest apps starting from 15 cents. It was about time that a huge company like Google realized that by adjusting the prices by considering each countries income, they will gain more popularity and income.
App developers can start lowering their prices by adjusting their “Pricing & Distribution” settings. The 17 countries involved, based on their minimum app cost are: Turkey and Ukraine who can buy the cheapest apps for $0.21; Indonesia with a $0.22 price; Malaysia and Russia with $0.23; Brazil, Colombia and Saudi Arabia whose price per app was lowered to $0.26; Vietnam with $0.27; Chile, South Africa, Thailand with a minimum price of $0.28; Mexico and Peru will be able to purchase apps for $0.30; Philippines has its app price lowered at $0.32; Hungary has now a minimum price of $0.43; and Poland with its smallest price drop at $0.45.
Apps
Now WhatsApp users can log into two accounts simultaneously

WhatsApp launched dual-account support today. You can switch between accounts in WhatsApp.
Mark Zuckerberg announced the feature on Facebook and said it would soon be available.
People used to need two phones for two WhatsApp accounts. The company now allows two accounts on one phone. App cloning lets users use multiple WhatsApp instances on Xiaomi and Oppo phones.
“Helpful for switching between accounts – such as your work and personal – now you no longer need to log out each time, carry two phones or worry about messaging from the wrong place,” the company wrote in a blog post.
Users can add accounts under Settings > Add Account. Your second SIM or multi-SIM phone is needed for setup. Account-specific notifications and privacy settings are available, the company said.
WhatsApp discouraged fake apps to prevent fraud.
WhatsApp added Android passkey support this week, enabling access without SMS-based two-factor authentication.
Apps
X experiments with a $1-per-year new user fee

X, formerly Twitter, announced today that it will experiment with charging “new unverified” users $1 per year to interact with posts. The company said this test is live in New Zealand and the Philippines and won’t affect existing users.
Users can post, like, repost, reply, bookmark, and quote for that fee. Free users get a read-only account to view posts and follow accounts.
This “Not A bot” program is not a profit driver, according to the company’s support account, but reason is hard to trust. The Elon Musk-owned company claims this program will reduce spam.
We created this new test to improve our already successful efforts to reduce spam, platform manipulation, and bot activity while balancing platform accessibility with the small fee. It does not generate profits, the company said.
The company said it would share spam-fighting program results on its support page.
Musk announced that X will charge “a small monthly payment” to use its service. The test program pays annually, but ethos is the same.
X (then Twitter) started requiring logins to view posts in June. Days later, the platform allowed logged-out users to view posts.
One year after Musk’s $44 billion acquisition, Simialrweb reports X traffic has dropped. The company has taken drastic measures to cut costs and make money.
In an interview last month, CEO Linda Yaccarino predicted X’s 2024 profitability. The former NBCU executive avoided discussing X’s user fees in the interview.
As of now, X only offers a $8 monthly plan. According to recently discovered code, the company may introduce three premium tiers, one ad-free.
Android
Pixel 8 Pro runs Google’s generative AI models

Rick Osterloh, Google’s SVP of devices and services, says the Pixel 8 Pro will be the first hardware to run Google’s generative AI models.
At an event today, Osterloh said the Pixel 8 Pro’s custom-built Tensor G3 chip, which accelerates AI workloads, can run “distilled” versions of Google’s text- and image-generating models to power image editing and other apps.
Osterloh said, “We’ve worked closely with our research teams across Google to take advantage of their most advanced foundation models and distill them into a version efficient enough to run on our flagship Pixel.”
Google improved Magic Eraser, its photo-editing tool, to remove larger objects and people smudge-free using on-device models. Osterloh claims that this improved Magic Eraser creates new pixels to fill in shot gaps, producing a higher-quality image.
Osterloh says a new on-device model will “intelligently” sharpen and enhance photo details, improving zoom.
On-device processing benefits audio recording. The Pixel 8 Pro’s recording app will soon summarize meeting highlights.
Gboard will use a large language model on the Pixel 8 Pro to power smart replies. Osterloh claims that the upgraded Gboard will provide “higher-quality” reply suggestions and better conversational awareness.
Osterloh said an update in December will add on-device generative AI features except for Magic Eraser, which appears on the Pixel 8 Pro at launch.
- Gadgets9 years ago
Why the Nexus 7 is still a good tablet in 2015
- Mobile Devices9 years ago
Samsung Galaxy Note 4 vs Galaxy Note 5: is there room for improvement?
- Editorials9 years ago
Samsung Galaxy Note 4 – How bad updates prevent people from enjoying their phones
- Mobile Devices8 years ago
Nexus 5 2015 and Android M born to be together
- Gaming9 years ago
New Teaser For Five Nights At Freddy’s 4
- Mobile Devices8 years ago
Google not releasing Android M to Nexus 7
- Gadgets9 years ago
Moto G Android 5.0.2 Lollipop still has a memory leak bug
- Mobile Devices8 years ago
Nexus 7 2015: Huawei and Google changing the game