This Week In Apps: Google I/O 2023 Recap; Android, Apps And AI; Twitters New CEO

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This Week In Apps: Google I/O 2023 Recap; Android, Apps And AI; Twitters New CEO

Welcome to This Week in Apps, TechCrunch's weekly series on the latest mobile operating system news, mobile apps, and the general app economy.

In 2023, the app economy faces a number of headwinds, according to a State of Mobile data.ai report, as consumer spending fell 2% for the first time to $167 billion last year. However, downloads continue to grow until they reach 255 billion in 2022, 11 percent more than last year. Consumers are also spending more time on mobile apps than ever before. The number of hours spent on Android devices alone will grow by 9% to 4.1 trillion by 2022.

App of the Week covers news, updates, seed funding, M&A and more. offers an opportunity to keep up with this fast-growing industry with the latest innovations in the world of software, including:

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Google is holding its annual developer conference this week, showing off new Google products: the mid-range Pixel 7a smartphone, the Pixel tablet (with its nifty magnet and speaker combo), and the Pixel Fold ($1,800). his first rotary phone. . .

But the real star of the event is undoubtedly AI and how Google is integrating it into products and services, from the workplace to coding and translation, and yes, even Google Play and app development tools.

If you missed the big event, TechCrunch hosted the Google I/O meeting where you'll find all the news, including AI announcements like the next-generation broadband model PaLM 2 and other developer updates like the Vertex update HE. and AI, new search capabilities, new GitHub competitor Copilot, and more. Learn ML Hub.

Android developers still have a lot to see in terms of exciting news, including Android Wear OS 4 previews, new app marketing tools, the Android 14 update, and more.

To start with , we're looking at the first "foldable" app. While the Pixel Fold may not have gained much market share in terms of price, a number of software developers have optimized Google's first foldable phone. According to Google, Microsoft (Office, Minecraft), Zoom, Netflix, Disney (Disney+, Hulu), Roblox, eBay, Spotify, Amazon (Shopping, Kindle), Canva and other apps will be optimized for the Pixel Fold at launch. The new device has a 5.8-inch (folded) external display with a 17.4:9 aspect ratio and a 7.6-inch (unfolded) internal display with a 6:5 aspect ratio.

Google's own apps, such as Gmail and YouTube, are of course ready to be added as well.

Along with I/O , Google released the second beta version of Android 14 . This includes improvements to camera and media, privacy and security, system user interface and developer productivity, as well as improvements for large-screen devices.

The company also teased Wear OS 4 , promising that the update will bring better battery life and accessibility, an easier way to change phones or watches without rebooting the device, and a new watchmaking tool in collaboration with Samsung .

Also in non-Wear OS 4 news specifically, Android smartwatches are getting access to Spotify AI DJ and updated Google apps like Gmail and Calendar. And Google boasts that it has the first version of its messaging app WhatsApp for smartwatches.

Google introduced a new way to build watch faces for Wear OS . Developers will have access to a new declarative format to design and build their watch faces using the Jetpack Watch Face library. The format is essentially an XML file, so there is currently no executable code.

The company also noted that Android Auto is about to hit a major milestone as it will be available in nearly 200 million vehicles by the end of this year. Meanwhile, with the Android Automotive operating system, Google gets native integration with YouTube, GameSnacks and other helpers. Android Auto will add support for web conferencing from Cisco, Teams, and Zoom . And developers can now use Internet of Things (IoT) and weather apps in their cars with Android Auto.

Image credit: Google

The biggest news at this week's show isn't cumulative updates, but Google's AI program. The company wants to demonstrate that AI will become part of the tools and products people already use, such as the Google Workplace and Search apps, including Google Shopping, Android and others.

The company has been rolling out AI updates for some time now, already announcing plans to roll out features that use AI for text input in Gmail, Docs, Sheets, and Slides. At I/O, it expanded to include automatic table creation in Sheets and image creation in Slides, and extended the already announced AI features for Gmail and Docs to support mobile devices. And it introduced Sidekick for Documents, which provides suggestions based on the document's context, as well as a description or summary.

ALSO READ:How Malicious Android Apps Slip Into Disguise

With Android, Google uses generative artificial intelligence to allow users to customize their phones with wallpapers created through instructions. The wallpapers use Google's text-to-image layout model, and your Android system's color palette will automatically match the new wallpaper, the company says. Additionally, new movie backgrounds will use on-device learning to turn photos into 3D images, as well as new emoji backgrounds. Suddenly, the 3D wallpaper effect of the iOS lock screen looks old-fashioned.

Google also introduced a new feature that combines Android's guided personalization with advances in generative artificial intelligence to help people write more personal messages. A feature called Magic Compose can be used in a Google Messages conversation to rewrite text in a different style. For example, you can make your text more positive or professional, or you can make Shakespeare write it for fun.

Image credit: Google

One of the nicest additions is the development of artificial intelligence for Google Photos; The Magic Editor feature will be launched soon. This demo caught the attention of people at the event as it demonstrated a practical, everyday use case for artificial intelligence.

With the Magic Editor, users will be able to correct certain parts of the photo, such as foreground or background, as well as fill in the gaps in the photo or change the subject to make a better photo . For example, you can fill the sky to turn a gray cloudy day into a bright blue sky with fluffy clouds, or you can "crop" the subject of a photo to move it to a better location. The latter is similar to Apple's cropping feature in iOS 16, but has actually been launched.

Image credit: Google

The coolest trick is using artificial intelligence to fill in the gaps in the photo as everything moves. In one example, an image of a child sitting on a bench with balloons was moved closer to the center of the photo, and the AI generated more benches and balloons to fill in the gaps. How well it performs in actual photos remains to be seen, of course.

However, the ease of creating AI-assisted images will come with a number of challenges, which is why Google has introduced a new tool for identifying and tagging AI-assisted photos in search and elsewhere .

Photo: Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP/Getty Images

As for the Android app ecosystem, the company has announced several ways developers can use artificial intelligence to build and optimize their Google Play apps, among other new tools. Specifically, developers can now use the Generative AI assistant to create new Play Store listings using the Google PalM 2 model . It will initially be available in English and as a pilot tool. Developers can use this tool to create lists or customize lists for different types of users, among others.

AI will also be used to collect app reviews from Play Store users . The new machine translation tool will use artificial intelligence to translate apps and lists into other languages.

They come alongside other updates to the Play Store to help developers grow their business, such as greater access to advertising content, including tools to re-engage canceled users, improved subscription features and other ways to sell in-app events. In addition, developers can now ask users to update their apps to multiple app versions, according to Google.

Even more...

Also at I/O, the company announced a number of updates to existing apps like Home and Maps, some of which use artificial intelligence. It also announced the creation of an artificial intelligence chatbot by Bard, announced plans to create images using artificial intelligence (through a partnership with Adobe) and integrated with third-party applications such as Instacart and OpenTable. And it launched a new AI-powered music-making feature in the AI test kitchen.

Google Maps

Google introduces Immersive View for directions on Maps . The new feature, announced last year, is based on the AI-powered Immersive View plugin that combines street view and aerial photography to create a digital model of the world. With Immersive Street View, you can preview your route before you set off instead of clicking on the street view. Google says you'll be able to see bike paths, sidewalks and parking lots as you drive, and get weather and traffic forecasts based on historical data. In the coming months, this feature will be rolled out to 15 cities (Amsterdam, Berlin, Dublin, Florence, Las Vegas, London, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Paris, San Francisco, San Jose, Seattle, Tokyo and Venice). .

Image credit: Google

House

Google Home, Google's app for managing smart home devices, has also been updated this week with an updated interface. This interface includes a new Favorites tab, an easier way to view cameras, including original Nest cameras, support for more Matter devices, and Matter add-ons. Support for iOS and the ability to do more with Home than Wear OS, like previewing the camera in notifications and making changes. Android devices also have a new home bar that gives you faster access to Google Home directly from the lock screen or quick settings.

Image credit: Google Apps/Google Home

MusicLM:

Additionally, the company has launched a test tool called MusicLM to convert text sentences to music using the AI Test Kitchen app for web, Android and iOS. Users can search for instruments such as "electronic" or "classical" as well as "vibe, mood or feel" when perfecting their creations.

find my device

ALSO READ:Galaxy S23 Could Get A Taste Of Android 14 As Soon As Next Week

Google has introduced a number of improvements to its Find My Device network, as well as early warning of unknown trackers traveling with you, support for Apple AirTags and more. The news follows recently announced plans by Apple and Google to lead an industry initiative to develop specifications that will warn users about unwanted tracking from Bluetooth devices.

Find My Device makes it easy to find them by calling or seeing their location on a map, even if they're offline.

WWDC is annoying

Google's flurry of AI updates comes at a troubling time for Apple, whose development of its own AI assistant is in decline, as are Apple's other AI efforts. A recent report from The Information details an organizational dysfunction regarding Siri, where the voice assistant has not improved over time. It's so bad, according to the report, that Siri is being mocked within Apple. The company is also offloading its AI expertise to Google, where there are more jobs for things like LLMs.

With WWDC just a few weeks away, we've only heard about the update coming to Apple's platforms, with the big news being the much-anticipated AR/VR gaming headset. With sales of VR headsets declining in 2022, it is unclear whether there will be significant consumer demand for such devices.

Apple iOS 17 is a quieter update that focuses on small quality of life improvements rather than a groundbreaking artificial intelligence update, with Apple seeing Siri as its best AI assistant or AI enhancement for apps and a way to integrate into the OS. For example

No Apple product has hurt the company in the past, but if AI is what the industry claims, it could be a soft spot for competitors.

Twitter's new CEO Linda Iaccarino and Elon Musk

Image credit: Collage by TechCrunch/Getty Images

Now that Elon Musk has launched an advertising business on Twitter, the owners of Twitter are bringing in new leadership, and not anytime soon. Following the hiring news, Musk confirmed in a tweet on Friday that he had tapped Linda Iaccarino, president of NBCU's advertising and partnerships group, as Twitter's new CEO. Musk said he will continue to focus on product design and new technologies.

While Musk says Yaccarino will help turn Twitter into an "everyone" app, the reality is that the hire is meant to let advertisers know that adults are back in the room as the company looks to recoup lost revenue. from advertisements. your customer base.

It's a daunting task for a new CEO who must contend with Musk's ongoing efforts to undermine Twitter by changing the company's policies and functions with little or no warning. This is what happened, for example, with some changes to the API and labeling of reputable American news organizations in line with the government's intelligence and propaganda efforts in Communist China. Twitter's mass layoffs also mean fewer engineers can fix problems when Twitter goes down, leading to outages and security incidents such as the release of private tweets.

Under Musk, Twitter lost its top 500 advertisers, including big brands like Mondelez International, Coca-Cola, Merck, Hilton and AT&T. According to Sensor Tower, mobile app ad revenue fell 89% from September-October 2022 to January-February 2023. Despite Musk's recent claims that advertisers are coming back and Twitter is on the decline, in April, several former top advertisers were not featured in Twitter's top 10 or top 50 ad clients.

Meanwhile, the Telsa boss's plan to monetize subscription service Blue Twitter backfired badly, with about $11 million spent on mobile devices in the first three months, not enough to make up for lost ad revenue, which Twitter estimates they will fall to $2 billion. dollar. . YEAR

Appointing an advertising executive as CEO won't solve Twitter's woes, as Musk himself has stoked advertisers' fears that the platform is no longer "brand-safe" by posting tweets, fueling conspiracy theories and downplaying media attention. firing reporters. Hate speech also increased during his reign.

Apple

Apple has also released RC versions of macOS Ventura 13.4, iOS 16.5 and iPadOS 16.5.
Starting next week, iOS 16.5 will bring minor changes and improvements to the Workout tab, Apple News timeline and results, the Pride banner and Spotlight bug fixes, CarPlay podcasts, Screen Time, and more. will make minor changes and corrections . There are also references to the new Beats Studio Pro headphones.
Amid a flurry of Google I/O updates, Apple released new small business statistics on the App Store, noting that App Store revenue for small developers has grown 71% over the past two years.
Apple has announced the winners of the Swift WWDC 2023 Student Challenge if they win a prize package that includes WWDC tickets .

Broadcasting and entertainment

Disney+ and Hulu-no cabinet in an app in , it has been declared for Disney its income in time: Lurja comes from that time after, when in 2023 Disney+ will bring 4 million members, and Hulu- n, 200,000:
TikTok added the "NewMusic" called the device, which is allowed to find new music and artists for themselves to reach the end: Twitch is a new tool, which is possible that allows you to create and create another. Shorts-um YouTube : TikTok and Reels are not yet supported, but you can't keep up with this device:
Shazam updates Apple Music Classical Apple's new music streaming service support utyamb :
Recent jobs are released Thaker Karlsonn says, which means that my Twitter has been created: Mask can be given, which Twitter is not related to the default Fox News on the other hand.
Spotify sent about 7% of songs that are uploaded to their Boomy tiers, which are in turn interconnected. Universal Music is marked as a kind of craft on the downstream side, which means, that means for people what the Terms of Use are:
The new MAX app, which will change the HBO Max available to its customers, means it's right of entry for the App Store : The new app reveals Discovery+ content TechCrunch talks to your society with that circle ???

Fintech

Robinhood is declared for 24 hours money selected from ETFs received from 43 valid papers : will be all users in the following month: As well as others, which are other, income received of annual revenues were reduced to 30% to be achieved. 38 Terms of use:
Banking and management Revolut app korsumi is the account of Miko's account, Marten chief executive James Redford leave Terms of use:
Charlie of the bank's new applications is used for its services: Running 62+ municipalities: The promised deal is faster to use them Social Security, 3% of income from income on and for both months paid or less paid: $1 million supplemental: Better Tomorrow Ventures Principal:
PayPal down 10% TPV up $354.5 billion, and revenue up 9% at $7.04 billion : However, their numbers are up, due to fundraising :

Hasarakal

Pinterest - a merger of Pins creation tools and Idea Pin-i summary and for providing more opportunities for design, as well as tools and use of creative tools to include:
Ivory-: Mastodon the Tweetbot application of creators from (Twitteri clients have been killed by Ilon Maski), has received renewal (tarberak 1.4), which brings a cultured media for observers, other news Safari, which allows you to give . : directly open Mastodon links : Gjoskri on.
Bluesky more attention has been made, because of new data showing that they are free, this application alone in 2023 in the last year was 628,00000, and this is 606% more than marriage : Mastodon- at that time there were 90,000 years :
The new social app Artifact is now admissible giving Twitter writers' favorite data and a challenge :
LinkedIn halts its shared app InCareer to compete and more economic concerns due to : The current company will be 716 jobs.
Meta-n and May 31 on Messenger app Apple Watch for: Society, as well as with Watch-i does not require to take an additional exam, there is Watch-um Watch-um without any other app: Octaters are not such as to complain Twitter-um. Messenger , Uber, Target, Hulu, Evernote, Slack, Trello, etc.: the last of the long-running programs that release Jam, such .

Meta account factory

Notifications

WhatsApp develops and notes phonic problems, solving unwanted problems, which are related to these problems, which are safe to take care of attention : Rules of use are AI ML problem accumulation:
Stripe and WhatsApp collaborate, make it easy Singapore, those who pay several apps for businesses, in India and in Brazil WePay i tools next :

Knowledge

Tinder removes social abuse from bio users: marked, which differ from their companies, which people use their app programs about ads, their vendors, their ads, ads for tinder don't was:
The popular new app, called Teaser AI (நான்கு பாரி), or created by Dispo and the same team in turn, their promises are related to AI users , which can be followed by start » talks :

Shipping and handling

Uber partners with Hopper with the addition of increasing affirmation of its British application, due to its movement in the direction of exceeded :
Airbnb stated that the first income of the income from the annual income is 20% and it is 1.8 billion dollars. after 10%+:

Game

and etc.

The Brite event integrates into the GPT's opportunities to arrange, opening spaces for planning planning : Operations will be this month, can help plan steps planning the right steps, all are the activities of site installation, mail carrier and social services Terms of use:
ByteDance dustr Lemon Inc. PRESS RELEASE for : PRESS RELEASE for : company and former Instagram user Pinterest competitor Lemon8 in A MN and paid influencer for TikTok advertising:
App Store Amount :

Management and Policy

Floridan can ban on TikTok administers its devices: Held now banned from special university devices:
Apple's App Tracking Transparency (ATT) function, which has some of the users needed for such an agreement, in advance applications can continue to advertise their targets, now Italy is the opposite of monitoring monitoring: mark personalized advertising , which are not allowed to allow window flights:

MANY

Credit registration: HiNOTE

The new app, allowed called HiNOTE, is given to users a reduced message of all colors, requests, goodies and more, which can be shared as images of your text: more than 1 million notes: Prepare a full TechCrunch-um archive:

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