New Service From Apple

According to Bloomberg Agency, software developers creating mobile games for Apple iPhone operating systems will be able to sell to users subscriptions to their games for the certain period.

In April 2011 Apple presented the service that allows iPhone app developers to introduce a paid subscription for regular updates into their apps.  At this Apple charges 30% from the profit. Some publishers of e-magazines and newspapers have already offered their readers the similar periodic subscription for updating the content.

The Big Fish Games Company became the first game development company that obtained from Apple the right to offer the access to all its releases for $6.99 per month. So far users have paid gaming apps only once when they download it to their devices.

However, the service has got one clear drawback – if the downloaded game requires the Internet connection only for downloading updates, the subscribed gaming service presupposes the wi-fi network availability at least. Moreover, most popular games at the App Store are available either for free or for some small price (for example, the price for the application Angry Birds is $ 0.99), so that’s still a question whether user are ready to pay for the gaming service.

Windows 8 Opens Its Own Application Store

In the MSDN blog Steven Sinofsky, President of Microsoft Windows Department, announced the list of software development companies employed for  developing the Windows 8 platform.

Apart from the teams, Steven Sinofsky mentions the App Store. The users have made a conclusion that Windows 8 will have the integrated tools for accessing the online application store.

Unfortunately, no details about the App Store service have been informed. But it is likely to be similar to the Apple Mac App Store service that offers a wide choice of various free and paid applications for Mac OS-based computers.

The preliminary version of Windows 8 will be released for software developers and testers in the nearest future. According to Mr. Sinofsky, the given software platform will let rethought Windows for the new generation of computing devices. Using this OS will be possible on x86-compatible computers and gadgets based on the processors with ARM architecture, in particular on tablets.

The final version of Windows 8 will be released in 2012.

European Commission joined the antimonopoly trial against Apple

The European Commission joined the antimonopoly trial against Apple which the US Federal Trade Commission initiated at the beginning of July. It means that the verdict can be taken in 4-6 months, announced the New York Post.

It should be noted that officially FTC hasn’t announced about the trial. According to the American press, it concerns the rules of publishing applications in the App Store which Apple introduced in April. In particular, the vendor banned the usage of tools for application porting. It deprived mobile apps developers of the possibility of the official sales of Flash applications. The company Adobe which possesses this technology declared about its intention to struggle against this decision.

Moreover, in July Apple introduced the new rules of using the statistical information which is formed by applications on iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. In particular, the new rules deprive the company AdMob of earning money on mobile advertising. In May Google announced about the close of the deal on acquiring this company at $750,000. Last month the executive director of AdMob said that the given ban hadn’t come into force. If the ban becomes effective, iphone apps developers will have problems with their applications.

Nokia wants to launch own “App Store” for mobile apps developers

Graig Williams, Managing Director of Nokia in South-eastern Europe, has admitted in his recent interview to Die Presse (the Internet edition) that his company developed a new product, which main task is to press Apple on mobile market. So, Williams has promised that Nokia will introduce a direct competitor for iPhone this year. This device is supposed to focus on network services. According to experts’ opinions, the very App Store, connecting iPhone apps developers and users, has greatly contributed to success of iPhone on mobile market. According to Greig Williams’s words, Nokia is going to create a similar, but more open service (without total control, as in Apple’s project).

By the way, the last Nokia’s multitasking OS Meego is meant not only for smartphones but for Tablet PCs also. In addition, Nokia plans to produce some new devices, based on this OS. However, Williams refuses to tell anything about future competitors of iPad.