subscription Archives

AppWizard

May 22, 2025

Wear OS 6 will bring Facer back onto Android smartwatches; we asked Facer what to expect

Wear OS 6 will support third-party watch face stores like Facer, which were restricted on Wear OS 5. Facer collaborated with Google to ensure watch faces feature "instant syncing" with Pixel Watches. Third-party faces must utilize the Watch Face Format (WFF), but many older animated and 3D watch faces will not sync. The rollout of Wear OS 6 is anticipated to begin in late summer or early fall 2025. Developers are encouraged to create watch face marketplaces using WFF, addressing previous challenges in promoting watch faces through the Play Store. Facer, TIMEFLIK, WatchMaker, Pujie, and Recreative will be among the first to offer their watch faces on Wear OS 6 devices. The WFF format uses cached sensor data to minimize battery consumption. Facer is preparing to unveil thousands of watch faces for Wear OS 6, available for free or through a premium subscription model. Some legacy faces will be adapted to the WFF standard, but not all previous favorites will be available. Facer aims to equip developers with tools for creating WFF-compliant watch faces and plans to introduce new features and partnerships this summer.

AppWizard

May 21, 2025

Doom: The Dark Ages has hit three million players

Doom: The Dark Ages has attracted over three million players since its release, making it the largest launch in Id Software's history, according to Bethesda. The game reached this milestone seven times faster than its predecessor, Doom Eternal. More than two million players engaged with the game on Xbox, likely through Xbox Game Pass. It ranked as the second highest-grossing title on Steam during its launch week, behind Counter-Strike 2. Doom: The Dark Ages peaked at 31,470 concurrent players, while Doom Eternal had 104.9k concurrent players during its opening weekend. The launch of Doom Eternal coincided with COVID-19 lockdowns, which may have influenced player engagement.

Winsage

May 21, 2025

Microsoft adds new AI Actions entry to the Windows 11 context menu

Microsoft is rolling out a new feature called AI Actions in Windows 11's File Explorer, allowing users to interact more deeply with their files through a context menu. Users can right-click on a file to access options like editing images or summarizing documents without opening them. Currently, four sub-entries are available under the AI actions menu: Bing Visual Search, Blur Background, Erase Objects, and Remove Background, supporting .jpg, .jpeg, and .png file formats. Additional features for Microsoft 365 subscribers include generating summaries of documents and creating FAQs from OneDrive files, with support for various file formats.

AppWizard

May 21, 2025

Google Play adds topic pages, audio previews, and new subscription tools for developers

Google is enhancing its Play Store with upgrades for Android app developers, including a robust toolset for managing subscription-based applications, allowing developers to pause live app releases. New "topic browse" pages will help users discover apps related to over 100,000 media and entertainment titles, and the "Where to Watch" feature will expand to the U.K., Korea, Indonesia, and Mexico. Developers can integrate new visual content options, such as a hero content carousel and audio samples, which have increased app installs for Health & Wellness developers. Curated spaces for user interests will expand, particularly in Japan. The Play Console will feature a new asset library for organizing visual assets and provide new metrics for app listing performance. Subscription management tools will allow multi-product checkout and enhanced reminders about subscription benefits, reducing voluntary churn by 3%. Developers can offer a grace period of up to 30 days or a 60-day account hold for declined payments. The Engage SDK will support additional categories and markets, while the Play Integrity API will improve security with enhanced abuse detection and device security update checks.

AppWizard

May 21, 2025

Major Google Play Store update grabs your attention with ‘browse pages’ and more

Google I/O 2025 announced new features for the Play Store aimed at enhancing user engagement. The "topic browse pages" will allow users to explore apps in a more interactive way, debuting in May in the U.S. with a focus on Media & Entertainment content. The "Where to Watch" feature will expand to users in Korea, Indonesia, the U.K., and Mexico, while developers will gain access to a hero content carousel for showcasing YouTube videos. "Audio samples" will be introduced on the Apps Home, starting with Health & Wellness content. Developers will receive new overview pages for Grow and Monetize statistics and can halt app rollouts if necessary. The Asset Library will be updated for easier management of app assets. Google is also streamlining the subscription process with "multi-product checkout for subscriptions," allowing users to bundle subscriptions with related add-ons. Enhanced controls for developers regarding subscription management and improved payment setup during device initialization are also part of the updates.

AppWizard

May 21, 2025

New Google AI Pro and $249/month Ultra subscription announced at I/O

On May 20, Google launched two new artificial intelligence subscription plans: AI Pro and AI Ultra. The AI Ultra plan is currently only available in the United States but will expand to other regions soon. The AI Pro plan enhances the existing Gemini Advanced plan with features like Flow, a new AI filmmaking tool, and Notebook LM, offering higher rate limits and integrated capabilities across Google applications such as Gmail, Docs, and Vids. It provides up to 2 TB of storage for .99 per month, with a 50% discount for the first three months. The AI Ultra plan includes advanced models like Veo 3 and 2.5 Pro Deep Think, early access to experimental features, and a YouTube Premium subscription, along with 30 TB of storage. The Ultra plan also features Project Mariner and Agent Mode for streamlined task management.

AppWizard

May 20, 2025

Skylum Teams Up with Google to Bring Luminar to Android and ChromeOS

Google has announced a collaboration with Skylum to bring Luminar, a photo editing software, to Android and ChromeOS devices. Luminar is designed to provide an optimal user experience across various devices, adapting to different screen sizes and aspect ratios. The software includes AI-powered editing tools such as Enhance AI, Relight AI, and Sky AI, along with traditional manual editing functions. Luminar is available for download from the Google Play store, with monthly subscription plans starting at a specified amount, annual plans offered at a discounted rate, and a lifetime license available.

Winsage

May 20, 2025

Microsoft’s new AI tool lets you edit images and summarize docs right in File Explorer

Microsoft has introduced a new feature called AI actions in File Explorer, available in the latest Windows 11 Insider Preview Build. This feature provides AI-driven commands for various file types, currently focusing on JPG and PNG images. Users can access AI actions by right-clicking on files, which offers commands such as Bing Visual Search, Blur Background, Erase Objects, and Remove Background. Future enhancements will include two commands for Microsoft 365 files: Summarize, which generates AI-based summaries of files in OneDrive and SharePoint, and Create an FAQ, which converts OneDrive files into Q&A lists. The image-related commands are available to all Windows insiders, while the Microsoft 365 features require specific subscriptions.

Tech Optimizer

May 20, 2025

The ol’ antivirus virus scam | Scam of the Week

A reader received a fraudulent email that appeared to be from Norton, claiming they had a subscription for a service they never signed up for. The email included a reminder about an automatic renewal for a Norton Ultimate Plus plan and provided a phone number that could lead to scams. EECU, a local credit union, warned its members about this scam and advised them to verify the authenticity of such invoices with their bank to prevent identity theft.

Winsage

May 20, 2025

Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.4151 (Beta Channel)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.4151 (KB5058486) has been released to the Beta Channel for users on Windows 11, version 24H2. This marks the transition from Build 22635.5305, the last update for version 23H2. All Beta Channel Insiders will be automatically upgraded to the latest version. New features include AI actions in File Explorer, allowing users to perform tasks like editing images or summarizing documents directly from the context menu. Currently supported image actions are Bing Visual Search, Blur Background, Erase Objects, and Remove Background, with support for .jpg, .jpeg, and .png file types. New AI actions for Microsoft 365 files, such as Summarize and Create an FAQ, will be introduced soon, requiring a Microsoft 365 subscription and enrollment in the Microsoft 365 Insider Program. Advanced settings have been redesigned and are now accessible via Settings > System > Advanced, including options for enabling long paths, managing virtual workspaces, and displaying Git information in File Explorer. Changes and improvements include added text descriptions for assistive technologies in the Accessibility flyout, notifications for incomplete search results in the Windows search box, and a new visual experience for the widgets board. User Interaction-Aware CPU Power Management has been introduced to reduce power consumption during inactivity. Fixes include resolving issues with core Windows surfaces in safe mode, maximizing File Explorer, and loading Bluetooth information in Settings. Known issues involve incorrect build version display post-PC reset, bugcheck issues with Xbox Controllers, and ongoing investigations into various features. Updates for Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel will be based on Windows 11, version 24H2, and features may not be widely released as they are subject to testing and feedback.