Subscription model for apps and mobile gaming

That’s the question on every mobile developer’s lips, and it’s set to play out in the broader app and mobile gaming space over the next year. It’s on the back of a massive change Apple announced in the lead-up to its Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC). Within the next month, developers who create a subscription service and hold consumers on it for more than a year will keep 85 per cent of the revenue earned, instead of the usual 70 per cent.

It’s not just Apple, either.

Google immediately returned fire by matching the amount of revenue it takes from subscription services for apps sold through the Google Play store. However, it comes without the caveat imposed by Apple that customers must be subscribed for more than a year before the new pricing takes effect. That’s a huge incentive for developers to pivot their product towards a subscription service.

How Technology Has Caused Us to Procrastinate More Than Ever

The technology industry is focused on making our lives better through convenience and automation. Why else would there be an endlessly line of created products with the goal of increasing efficiency and user ease? Other products are ridiculously expensive when they’re launched but their prices hugely dip when a better version gets released yet people still clamor to buy such products even if they know the price difference later on. Technology has indeed become one of us.

Due to technological advancement, we all end up procrastinating more than ever because tasks and activities that we used to do manually are now being automated or at least done in a shorter amount of time with less effort. Even though part of the goal of technology advancement is to give us more time in order to allow us to do more during the day, some of us are getting the wrong notion of it. They end up wasting time instead of taking advantage of it. Technology’s over-stimulation has led us to underutilize our cognitive abilities.

Technological advancement is a gift to humanity but if we tend to use it the wrong way then it may take a toll on our lives in a negative way as well. This is why we should be weary about these interactions. We shouldn’t let technology dominate our lives but rather see them as tools that can make our lives more convenient. If we have activities and tasks that require immediate attention, then we should recognize that and not be distracted by any form of technological interventions.Focus on the task at hand by turning off notifications, put the mobile phone on silent mode or shut off gadgets if necessary.

U.S. to help fund technology to eliminate Zika in blood supply

The U.S. government said on Monday it has agreed to help fund two pathogen reduction technologies to help reduce the risk of Zika virus and other infections from being transmitted through the blood supply.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said the funding will flow through its Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) unit, which will provide initial funding of $30.8 million to Cerus Corp and $17.5 million to the U.S. division of Japan's Terumo Corp.

Cerus's Intercept technology has already been approved by the Food and Drug Administration to reduce pathogens in platelets and plasma. It is conducting a trial to show it can also reduce pathogens in red blood cells.

BARDA's agreement with Cerus includes $10.7 million to help evaluate the safety of the blood system in Puerto Rico, which is hard hit by the current Zika epidemic. The initial three-year contract could be extended for up to five years and include an additional $149 million to cover more studies, manufacturing and new products, including additional testing in regions where Zika is prevalent.