subscription model Archives

AppWizard

August 15, 2025

Telkomsel, Nuon & Bango Bring Microsoft PC Game Pass to Indonesian Gamers

Telkomsel, Nuon, and Bango have partnered to provide affordable access to Microsoft PC Game Pass for Indonesian gamers, with subscriptions starting at IDR 63,063 per month. The service, available through the IndiHome Add-On, offers hundreds of high-quality PC games, including day-one releases from major developers and an EA Play membership. New titles such as Valorant, Minecraft, and Call of Duty will be included. Users can subscribe via the IndiHome Add-On landing page, with the fee added to their monthly bill. The first 500 users can access a promotion for a free first month starting August 14, 2025. Key executives from the companies emphasized the partnership's role in enhancing digital lifestyle services and broadening access to premium gaming content in Indonesia.

AppWizard

August 1, 2025

6 best reading apps for Android phones: Kindle, Readly, Libby, and more

The Kindle app is recognized as the best overall reading application in 2025, featuring a user-friendly interface, extensive library, and customization options. Libby connects with local library memberships, offering free access to e-books and audiobooks but has a challenging interface. Google Play Books provides a simple alternative for purchasing e-books and transitioning to audiobooks, though it has limited customization. Readly offers a subscription model for accessing a wide range of magazines and newspapers, including a one-month free trial. Google News delivers personalized news recommendations and allows users to follow specific outlets. Audible specializes in audiobooks with a vast library and a subscription model that includes one credit per month for purchases.

AppWizard

July 21, 2025

I wore an AI voice recorder on my wrist for a week, here’s how it went

Artificial intelligence has become integral to daily life, especially with the introduction of ChatGPT. Plaud has launched the Note and NotePin devices aimed at recording conversations, meetings, and notes, which can be transcribed via the Plaud app. The NotePin is a compact device that offers various wearing options, though only the pin and clip are included; additional accessories cost extra. It has a standby time of up to 40 days and 20 hours of continuous recording, with a two-hour recharge time. The NotePin retails at 9, with a subscription model for additional AI features costing 0 per year for the AI Pro plan and 0 annually for the AI Unlimited tier. The recording and transcription features are functional but not exceptional, with delays due to cloud processing. The Plaud app provides detailed transcriptions, speaker identification, and a mind map of dialogues. However, devices like the Google Recorder app on Pixel phones offer more efficient on-device processing, making them a more appealing choice for recording and transcription.

AppWizard

July 17, 2025

Beeper Updated With On-Device Accounts, Support for End-to-End Encryption

Beeper has merged with Texts.com under Automattic and now allows users to access chats from multiple services like WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, and Google Chat. The platform is shifting to support on-device accounts for enhanced privacy and will eventually discontinue support for Beeper Cloud accounts. On-device accounts provide end-to-end encryption without storing personal information on cloud servers. Users can set up on-device accounts for platforms including WhatsApp, Instagram, Telegram, Google Chat, Messenger, Signal, LinkedIn, and X (formerly Twitter), with support for Discord and Slack coming soon. Beeper has a subscription model with the Beeper Plus plan at .99 per month, offering features like support for multiple accounts, message scheduling, and voice message transcription. There is also a "Beeper Plus Plus" plan for .99 per month, providing unlimited account support. Existing users can access 12 accounts for free, and early backers receive free permanent access to Beeper Plus features.

AppWizard

July 17, 2025

Beeper’s all-in-one messenger updated with better encryption and paid perks

Beeper is enhancing user experience and security by rolling out new security features to improve chat encryption. The platform is transitioning from using Beeper Cloud for message relaying to direct connections with individual messaging applications, enabling end-to-end encryption across supported platforms. Previously, Beeper provided encryption for select services with a two-step process, but the update allows for more efficient delivery directly to app servers. Beeper is introducing a premium subscription model, Beeper Plus, at .99 per month, which includes features like support for up to three accounts from the same app, message scheduling, incognito mode, voice note transcriptions, custom app icons, and the ability to add up to ten accounts. A second tier, Beeper Plus Plus, is available for .99 per month, removing all account limits. Existing free tier users can now add up to 12 accounts at no extra cost, and early adopters of Beeper will receive lifetime free access to Beeper Plus. However, Beeper does not support iMessage due to unsuccessful integration attempts, and it has open-sourced its iMessage bridge in December 2023 following its acquisition by Automattic.

AppWizard

July 16, 2025

Microsoft Tests Streaming Xbox Games on PC

Microsoft's Xbox division is testing a new feature that allows users to stream their personally owned games through the Xbox PC app, eliminating lengthy installations. This feature is currently available to Xbox Insiders with a Game Pass Ultimate subscription and enables players to access their game libraries on Windows devices using cloud technology. The app manages processing on remote servers, conserving local storage and reducing download times. This initiative is part of Microsoft's strategy to unify its gaming ecosystem and respond to competition from services like Nvidia's GeForce Now and Amazon's Luna. The feature aims to democratize access to games without requiring a subscription for owned titles. Challenges include reliance on internet connectivity and privacy concerns regarding cloud data management. If successful, this could lead to broader integration across Xbox platforms, including smart TVs. Feedback from Insiders will influence the rollout pace.

AppWizard

July 14, 2025

The best Android apps available right now

1Weather is a weather app with a clean interface, customizable widgets, and severe weather alerts, available for free with optional in-app purchases. Bitwarden is a free password manager offering unlimited storage and two-factor authentication, with premium options for enhanced features. ChatGPT is an AI service from OpenAI that allows users to perform various tasks, available for free with optional in-app purchases. Focus Go is a simple gallery app that organizes images into folders and offers a fast search and filter system, available for free. Google Drive provides 15GB of free cloud storage and integrates with Google apps for productivity, with optional in-app purchases. Google Keep is a note-taking app that allows users to create and organize notes across devices, available for free. Google Maps and Waze are leading navigation apps, offering features like offline maps and real-time traffic data, both available for free. Google Gemini is an AI tool for managing tasks and accessing information, available for free. Google Voice offers a second phone number for personal and professional use in the US, available for free with optional purchases. Microsoft SwiftKey is a customizable keyboard app with predictive text features, available for free. Mozilla Firefox is a mobile browser with extensive add-on support, available for free. Nova Launcher is a customizable launcher app for Android, available for free with an optional premium version. Pocket Casts is a podcast management app with a user-friendly interface, available for free with optional in-app purchases. Poweramp is an offline music player with extensive features, available for a free trial and optional premium version. Solid Explorer is a file manager app with a clean design and powerful features, available for a free trial and optional premium version. Tasker and IFTTT are automation tools, with Tasker catering to power users and IFTTT offering a more accessible approach, with prices starting at .49. Textra is an SMS app with customizable themes and multi-device messaging sync, available for free with optional Pro unlock. TickTick is a task management app that combines tasks, reminders, and calendar events, available for free with an optional premium plan. YouTube and YouTube Music are content apps providing vast libraries of video and music, available for free with optional premium subscriptions. Zedge offers wallpapers, ringtones, and notification sounds for device customization, available for free with optional premium content. ExpressVPN is a secure VPN service with fast speeds, 256-bit encryption, and servers in 94 countries, offering unlimited bandwidth.

AppWizard

July 8, 2025

I Tried Signal, Telegram and WhatsApp, and This Is the One I’d Recommend

Telegram retains data necessary for its operations, including metadata like IP addresses. In 2024, the company updated its privacy policy to clarify that it can disclose IP addresses and phone numbers of rule violators to law enforcement upon valid legal requests. This resulted in Telegram fulfilling 900 information requests from U.S. authorities in 2024, affecting 2,253 individuals. Telegram has experienced data breaches, including a 2020 incident where 42 million Iranian users had their data compromised and a 2019 vulnerability exploited by Chinese agencies affecting protestor identities in Hong Kong. The platform allows users to create public channels for sharing content, but these channels are not end-to-end encrypted. Telegram offers secret chats that are end-to-end encrypted, but they are limited to the device of origin. The app allows for automatic message deletion, with a minimum interval of one day, and features a self-destruct option for accounts after a period of inactivity. Telegram's client applications are open-source, while its server-side code is closed-source. The company operates on a freemium model, offering a paid tier for enhanced features. Telegram is available for free download on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

Winsage

July 8, 2025

Firms on Windows 10 will get more time before support runs out

The end of support for Windows 10, originally set for October 14, 2025, has been postponed for certain users, particularly accounting firms, allowing them more time to upgrade. Microsoft has introduced an Extended Security Updates program for select Windows 10 users, which requires a fee per device for continued security updates, but does not include new features or general tech support. A December 2023 report indicates that 47% of accountants still rely on Windows 10, with approximately 25% of Windows 10 PCs actively used in accounting firms. Over half of all devices have migrated to Windows 11, which holds about 52% of the market. Experts recommend delaying upgrades to Windows 11 in favor of Windows 12, expected to be more optimized for AI, with potential hardware investments needed for the transition.

AppWizard

July 8, 2025

Xbox bet that Game Pass would be the future of gaming, and we’re all paying for it

Microsoft announced a reduction of 9,100 employees, significantly affecting the Xbox division, following a previous round of 6,000 layoffs, totaling 27,600 positions eliminated since the beginning of 2023. Promising titles have been canceled, raising concerns about the future of gaming projects and workforce stability. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella's compensation increased by 63% to million in 2024 amid these layoffs. Game Pass currently has around 35 million subscribers, falling short of the goal of over 100 million by 2030. The focus has shifted from hardware to services, with concerns about the sustainability of the Game Pass model and its impact on the gaming ecosystem. Rumors suggest the next generation of consoles may resemble PCs more than traditional gaming hardware.