Android apps will soon be able to offer cheaper, introductory subscription prices

At its Playtime event for Android developers today, Google announced that apps on the Play Store will soon gain a new option that could have huge implications for subscriptions: temporary promotional pricing. "Coming soon, you'll be able to create an introductory price for new subscribers for a set period of time," Google's Larissa Fontaine wrote in a blog post. "For example, you can offer a subscription for $1 per month for the first three months before the normal subscription price kicks in."There are many app categories where this could make a big difference. Music and video are certainly on that list; maybe cheaper introductory pricing could boost Google's own struggling YouTube Red service, or help Spotify maintain its lead over Apple Music and other rivals. Other apps like internet TV offerings (Sling TV, PlayStation Vue) and productivity tools (Evernote) also stand to benefit if developers are willing to temporarily cut their prices in hopes that customers will stay subscribed once the normal rate kicks in — either because they forgot or, more ideally, actually find the app or service to be worth the monthly charge."Subscriptions are the fastest growing business model on Play, with consumer spending in subscription apps increasing 10x over the last 3 years," wrote Fontaine. And with that in mind, this year both Apple and Google have adjusted the revenue-sharing terms around subscriptions to give app makers a bigger cut than before. For iOS developers, apps must maintain a customer's subscription for at least 12 months before the more favorable 85/15 split takes effect; Google Play doesn't have the same long-term subscriber requirement.

Google will soon let app developers offer incentivized pricing

                             Here's how it works: Developers can set a temporary rate that will last for a predetermined period of time. Say you have a cloud storage app that typically costs $2.99 a month. You can now opt to allow new users to get the first three months for a cheaper rate.The thinking is that users will be more likely to pay full price for a service once they have had some time to try it out at a lower price. Google says it expects this change will help increase app subscriptions overall. (In a blog post, Google notes that app subscriptions have increased tenfold over the last three years.)Apple also recently changed its policies around app subscriptions, with any developer now able to make their app a subscription. (Apple is further incentivizing subscriptions with a more favorable revenue split for developers that can keep subscribers for a year or more.) Google's update may seem like a small change, but it stands to have a big impact on developers who may want to offer things like promotional pricing but have difficulty implementing such strategies within Google's developer tools. And that's good news because Android still has a lot of catching up to do when it comes to app revenue. As a whole, Android users spend way less money in apps than their iOS counterparts, despite having a larger marketshare overall.

HTC Vive's virtual reality headset is opening stores in Australia

Aussies eager to try virtual reality will soon be able to head to their local Harvey Norman or JB Hi-Fi store.

From November 18, the HTC Vive headset will be sold at the two national retailers for the (not insignificant) price of A$1,399 ($1,073). While already available online, it will be the VR headset's first foray into retail locally.Jimmy Feng, chief of staff to the CEO of HTC, told reporters Friday that people often need to experience VR to be convinced. That's where bricks-and-mortar stores can help."We can talk and talk," he said while attending Melbourne's gaming event, Pax Australia. "Once we've brought people though the VR experience, then they don't need convincing anymore. They're sold.

Raymond Pao, vice president at HTC, also announced there would be demonstration locations in the stores, as well as an online booking system to obtain a walk-through. 

"We need some education processes to tell people what VR is, I think," he said.

"We're very lucky to be partnering with two of the largest retailers in Australia to bring these demo experiences all across the country," Feng added.

Online preorders for the HTC Vive began in Australian on Feb. 29. While Feng couldn't share sale numbers for the headset locally, he said the company was happy with the uptake. "We do see a very enthusiastic use base in Australia, and this is why we want to accelerate adoption," he said.

HTC would also consider expanding its retail footprint to less technology-focused stores, depending on the enthusiasm they see from Aussie consumers.
"Obviously, we'd like to see more people go through the retail store," Feng said. "It's beyond just gaming — virtual reality is also a lifestyle."

How To Track Any Object, Vehicle Or Person Anywhere, Anytime How To Track Any Object, Vehicle Or Person Anywhere, Anytime

This Simple New Tracking Method Can Find Your Luggage Even When The Airlines Can’t

If you’ve ever flown on an airplane you know the anxiety of waiting for your bags at the luggage carousel. It’s happened to all of us and if you’re the last one standing there while everyone else has retrieved their luggage and yours is still missing, you know how frustrating it can be.

Anyone who’s ever had their luggage “mishandled” or lost by an airline knows exactly what we’re talking about. Lost luggage is often met with little concern by airline employees that don’t do anything to make you feel comfortable that your luggage will ever be found. If it hasn’t happened yet, rest assured that it will.

But today there is an innovative & inexpensive technology that is changing the way we travel and keep our luggage safe. And it doesn’t require an expensive GPS tracking unit or monthly monitoring service to work.

Now, you can track your luggage without breaking the bank and it’s easier than you ever thought it could be!

As you know, most GPS tracking units are expensive and require a monthly subscription monitoring service to be effective. But why would you pay for a monthly monitoring service to track your luggage if you don’t travel every month?

Wouldn’t it be easier if you could attach something small to your luggage that always works, you only pay for once, it only needs a tiny battery to work and you could track it on your phone?

Now you can because technology is solving many of life’s most annoying problems: Like airlines losing your luggage after a long flight!

One company has created a tiny device with a free advanced tracking app that works with iPhones and Android phones and it could be exactly what you’re looking for.

What is it?

It’s called TrackR. It’s about the size of a quarter and it’s revolutionizing the way we keep track our important things.

How Does It Work?

Simple! You only need to install the tiny battery in the TrackR, download the free app on your iPhone or Android, link the device to the app and attach TrackR to whatever you want to keep tabs on. In less than 5 minutes you are ready to go!Once it’s all set up, you can attach it to your luggage when you travel, your keys, a wallet, your purse, your laptop or iPad and anything else you can think of.

The Possibilities Are Endless!

 And yes, tracking your stuff really is that easy. There are no monthly subscriptions or annoying bills to pay.Traveling is already stressful enough – now you can let TrackR keep tabs on your valuable luggage while you relax on your flight.You can even slip the TrackR inside a pocket of your suitcase so nobody even knows it’s there. It’s discreet and still tracking!

You can also hide a TrackR in your car when you travel and navigate the confusing airport parking lot with ease!Airport parking lots can be very confusing and everybody has forgotten where they parked their car after a long trip. The last thing you want to do is look at a parking lot map to find your car.Now you can quickly find your car using TrackR and the free tracking app on your smartphone. All you need to do is open the app on your phone, and click on the 'lost item' icon.

Check out the video below if you want to see it in action:

This smart clock is kind of like putting a giant Apple Watch on your wall

SINGAPORE — Plenty of personal gadgets these days, from smartwatches to fitness bands, are aimed at relieving you of having to fish your phone out of your pocket so often.

If you spend a lot of time sitting at your desk or lying on the couch, why not mount a giant Apple Watch on the wall instead?Glance Clock is kind of like that, but it's just the start of a connected life, says its founder and CEO, Anton Zriashchev.

Like a smartwatch, the clock connects to your phone to sync its time, and is able to display a host of notifications, including upcoming meetings, weather alerts and incoming calls. It'll also hurry you out the door if your Uber's arrived.
The idea is for the clock to be the showpiece for a bigger connected platform. The current model, which just raised $416,867 on Indiegogo, to hit 827 percent of its goal, will connect to your phone via Bluetooth.

Eventually, the clock and other screens like TVs are expected to sync via Wi-Fi to an online platform that Glance is making, so they can all talk to each other. That's promised to allow users to have the clock's information flash on a TV screen in another room, if the user has walked away from the clock.

And with machine learning, Glance's platform may be able to make some clever suggestions to users in future. For instance, it could prompt the user if they want an Uber on a rainy day, then be able to book a cab for them, Zriashchev told Mashable. 

Zriashchev, who's from Russia, set up Glance in Singapore in 2015. An early version of the clock looked more like a regular LED plate with acrylic over it, he said.

About a year later, after several redesigns, the company settled on the current look. It's a minimalist fabric face, with LEDs that shine out from behind itIt has a battery that is supposed to last between three and six months on a charge, but you can also leave the clock plugged in if there's an outlet nearby.

Glance says the clock syncs with up to five phones, but I imagine that'll get really noisy quickly in a communal space with everyone's notifications going off.

While clocks are communal, push notifications often aren't, so it could get tricky trying to share a smart clock with four other people.

Amazon’s private label brands are taking over market share

Amazon’s investment in its own private label products has been paying off, according to a new report out today. The retailer now competes with vendors via its own products in over a dozen categories, including computer accessories, home goods, pet supplies, grocery items, and more. In some categories, Amazon has even established itself as the online category leader, the report indicates.

The findings come from data analytics platform 1010data, whose Market Insights team looked at sales trends from September 2015 to August 2016, specifically focusing on three key categories: batteries, speakers, and baby wipes.

The Amazon Echo data was most interesting in terms of Amazon’s entry into the emerging voice-based computing market, given how little the retailer shares about its sales figures. The report indicated that the Amazon Echo brand now holds a 45 percent market share among the top 10 brands, based on dollars sold, and the Echo speaker itself is the most popular of all those sold online. Its sales have also grown by 67 percent year-over-year.

Amazon as a destination, too, is best poised to take advantage of consumers’ interest in the space, given that its site accounts for 89 percent of total online speaker sales – an estimated $1 billion market, says 1010data’s report.

Watch hackers control smart light bulbs remotely inside a building

Lenovo's recently unveiled 2-in-1, the Yoga Book, is available in Android Marshmallow and Windows 10 Home versions.

Reviews have been mixed, with some praising its look and feel, but some considering its capabilities not up to scratch. Its Intel Atom processor doesn't provide enough power for a workhorse device, they have argued.

The Android version costs US$500 and the Windows version goes for $550.

The Atom processor "was a cost-saving measure, because Lenovo hasn't yet shown that its customers will shell out top dollar for a device with a sixth- or seventh-generation Intel processor," said Eric Smith.