Consumer spending in apps to reach $156B across iOS and Google Play by 2023

Consumer spending in mobile apps across both Apple’s App Store and Google Play will grow by 120 percent to reach $156 billion worldwide by 2023, according to a new report out today from app store intelligence firm, Sensor Tower. The forecast estimates that both stores will more than double their revenues during the next five […]

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March Mindfulness 2019: Gamers take their turn

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March Mindfulness is our new series that examines the explosive growth in mindfulness and meditation technology — culminating in Mashable’s groundbreaking competitive meditation bracket contest. Because March shouldn’t be all madness.


Previously on March Mindfulness: We took the sport of Competitive Meditation to what you might call professional meditators at a local meditation center and Silicon Valley’s top meditation app. This week’s round brings the tournament to two groups of people more concerned with video games than mindfulness. 

Will the competitive aspect, the drive to win, work in a meditation game — or does the knack of calming your mind and not really caring about the result matter more? Let’s find out. Read more…

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In a challenge to Twitch and YouTube, Facebook adds ‘Gaming’ to its main navigation

Facebook’s gaming efforts and challenge to Twitch are taking another big leap today, as the social network begins the initial rollout of a dedicated Facebook Gaming tab in the main navigation of Facebook’s app. The goal with the new addition is to help people more easily find games, streamers and gaming groups they follow, as […]

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Drivetime trivia app turns your daily commute into a gameshow

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Drivetime commuter trivia app
$Free download on App Store or Google Play
The Good

Interactive without being distracting • Designed knowing you are at the wheel • You might actually learn something • Available to play anytime

The Bad

Limited content with a focus on current events • For heavy drivers • only 30 minutes of trivia per day • Meant for solo • adult drivers • so doesn’t work well for carpooling • passengers • or young kids • Can be hard for app to pick up your answers in noisy car situations

The Bottom Line

For commuters looking for something to do while driving, this makes the time go by much faster. For hardcore trivia fans, this is another way to get your fix. It’s tailored to a driving experience, so it’s a slower pace with a bit more banter and background info than usual. Once you’ve opened the app and pressed play, you don’t have to look at or touch the screen again.

Read more…More about Games, Reviews, Review, Commuting, and Trivia

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WeRateDogs is releasing a new card game where you can rate all the good pups

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Have you every spotted a dog in the wild and thought, “Wow, that is a certified Good Boy, 13/10, would recommend?” Then this is the perfect card game for you. 

The viral Twitter account WeRateDogs , or, “Your Only Source For Professional Dog Ratings,” according to their Twitter bio, has teamed up with Chronicle Books to release a new competitive dog-ranking game.

WE MADE A GAME! 🎲

It’s like a dog show but each of the 45 dogs has 6 characteristics (floof, boopability, etc.) plus an overall goodness score that fluctuate with event & reaction cards but it’s ok they’re all good dogs just buy it thanks

Pre-Order Now: https://t.co/cdcrJwflNQ pic.twitter.com/mZ1bV3xMTK

— WeRateDogs™ (@dog_rates) February 6, 2019 Read more…

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In-car infotainment and driving blur with Honda’s ‘Dream Drive’

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Honda wants to turn time spent in the car into an opportunity to shop, play, and get things done —even if you’re in the driver’s seat. Honda calls this in-car experience the “Dream Drive.”

In a Honda Odyssey minivan, John Moon, managing director of strategic partnerships at Honda Innovations, showed off the new concept platform in the car’s infotainment system for drivers and passengers. 

First on the driver side is a custom-made Honda app for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Moon said 2 million Honda cars already have the phone-connected infotainment systems in them. So this is a way to offer a customized “Honda” experience on those screens. Read more…

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In defense of cheating at crossword puzzles

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Essentials Week spotlights unexpected items that make our daily lives just a little bit better.


My name is Rachel, and I am a cheater.

No, not that kind of cheater. I cheat at gamesUno, mostly, on family vacations. There was a very sticky incident with a game of Mille Bornes once. And getting caught in the act during a round of Hi-Ho Cherry-O when I was a young kid still shamefully burns in my memory.

Lately, I’ve been engaging in a different sort of cheating. And while I know that my typical illicit game play is wrong, I feel — mostly — no shame about this new kind. Because, for now, it’s justified. Read more…

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App downloads across iOS & Google Play up 10% to 113B in 2018, consumer spend tops $76B

The app economy is continuing to grow, both in terms of app downloads and consumer spending. According to preliminary year-end data shared by App Annie, it’s predicting the number of global app downloads in 2018 will surpass 113 billion, up 10 percent from last year. Consumer spending in apps has grown even quicker — it’s […]

View More App downloads across iOS & Google Play up 10% to 113B in 2018, consumer spend tops $76B

App stores to pass $122B in 2019, with gaming and subscriptions driving growth

Mobile intelligence and data firm App Annie is today releasing its 2019 predictions for the worldwide app economy, including its forecast around consumer spending, gaming, the subscription market and other highlights. Most notably, it expects the worldwide gross consumer spend in apps — meaning before the app stores take their own cut — to surpass […]

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Apple announces its ‘Best of 2018’ lists across apps, games, music, podcasts and more

Apple today announced its Best of 2018 selections – its annual, editorial list of what it considers the best content across its App Store and iTunes, along with its top charts of the most downloaded apps and games fo the year. As in other years, Apple selected a “best” app and game for each platform, […]

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