This $799 Dell XPS deal is offering excellent value this week - plus more savings hit the UK
The latest Dell XPS deals are offering some stunning prices on powerful configurations, starting at just $699.
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PhonePe to acquire Indian app store IndusOS - Should Google Play Store feel threatened?
The Walmart-owned digital payments platform PhonePe is all set to acquire homegrown mobile platform Indus OS in a cash deal worth $600 million. And it is seen as a development that has long-term portents for Google Play Store, which as of now enjoys huge dominance in the Android market.
The reported deal, first reported by the site Entrackr, is expected to help strengthen Switch, which is PhonePe’s integrated platform for food, grocery, shopping, and travel. The Indus OS team will also lead the operations of Switch and help PhonePe build an ecosystem of apps.
For the record, Indus OS is said to have 100 million users on its Android app store called Indus App Bazaar. The app has over 1.1 billion downloads and 400K apps across categories are listed on the platform.
- PayTM has returned to Play Store - but, the battle is far from over
- More than 6.1 billion people will use digital payments by 2023
PhonePe likely to integrate Switch and App Bazaar
PhonePe is one of the leading Unified Payments Interface (UPI) payments platforms in the country. In April, it processed 1.19 billion UPI transactions worth Rs 2.34 lakh crore, capturing nearly 45% of the market.
This is PhonePe's second acquisition after it took over Zopper Retail in July 2018. PhonePe was valued at $5.5 billion last year, after a $700 million fund infusion led by US retailer Walmart.
PhonePe launched Switch in June 2018. The company charges a commission on the revenues from the business generated through the ‘Switch’ platform from app partners.
App Bazaar by Indus OS is one of the biggest alternate app stores in India. It has a selection of over 4,00,000 apps in regional languages and is also the fastest-growing content marketplace. It also offers options such as custom targetting and monetization to developers. The platform had earlier raised around $20 million from Samsung Venture, Omidyar Network, JSW Ventures, VentureEast and Affle. It has raised over $25 million from a bunch of investors since its inception.
Post the new development, the existing investors will exit the company, while its team, along with its founders, will join PhonePe.
PhonePe will aim for a 'sync' between its in-app store ‘Switch’ and IndusOS’s App Bazaar.
App Bazaar platform also has integration with original equipment manufacturer (OEM) Samsung, and this may increase PhonePe’s reach to a wider audience.
What will be the impact on Google Play Store?
But what do these developments mean for Google App store? It is quite clear that many Indian companies are quite miffed by its attitude. Last year Paytm set in motion a desi alternative to Play Store with its own mini app store.
Indian companies are cut up by Google Play Store rules, which they claim are arbitrary. Many companies are up against Google's plans to charge companies 15-30% for using its app store and processing payments on other apps.
Google's actions have been questioned by legal experts who question its right to play both the gatekeeper and policy maker due to the obvious conflict of interest. Android holds more than 90% share in India's mobile market and amounts to Google playing judge, jury and executioner, is the general belief.
Analysts opine that though Google Play Store is too dominant player as of now, but efforts such as PhonePe's and Paytm's will in the longer run curtail Google's hegemony.
It is also pertinent to point out that Google's Google Pay, Paytm and PhonePe are all major rivals in India’s Rs 2 trillion digital payments market.
Date
20 May 2021Sources
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Apple forgot about its own Studio Display in latest iOS update
Read MoreIt seems that Apple forgot about the A13 Bionic processor that powers its own Studio Display, as a recent firmware update caused the monitor to malfunction.
On April 8, Apple stopped signing iOS update 15.4 after it pushed down update 15.4.1 on March 30. Normally when an update stops signing, it’s not available anymore and can no longer be installed. But since Studio Display uses 15.4 and cannot install 15.4.1, this meant that over the weekend users were out of luck.
According to MacWorld, anyone with issues using the monitor was met with a message stating: “Apple Studio Display firmware update could not be completed. Try again in an hour. If the problem persists, contact an authorized Apple service provider.”
As of April 10, Apple has fixed the issue and users have reported that the firmware update was installed without a hitch. However, the tech giant will most likely need to overhaul the signing and un-signing of iOS updates since multiple products require various versions to operate.
This isn’t the first time the Apple Studio Display needed a fix. Soon after its launch, the monitor received an update in order to fix the low quality of its webcam, as reported by multiple outlets such as TechCrunch and The Wall Street Journal.
Analysis: the perils of an ecosystem
When you have a whole lot of products that are supposed to work with each other seamlessly, but they aren't running on the same system, problems are bound to pop up.
While Apple is known for a very tight product catalog that keeps the number of models currently being sold to a fairly lean lineup, Apple has been expanding its offerings in recent years.
Whether it's the Apple HomePod, the recent Apple AirPods 3, or any number of its MacBook and Mac products, Apple is having to juggle a lot more discrete systems that are supposed to work without the user even really thinking about it. It's kind of Apple's thing, so while it's kind of funny to think that Apple accidentally nerfed its own high-end workstation monitor by mistake, it's also symptomatic of a growing number of interlocking products where it becomes harder to predict what any single change to the system will have.
While Apple typically runs a tight ship, we wouldn't be surprised if we saw more of this kind of thing in the future.
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Surface Pro 7 Plus with Type Cover gets huge $230 price cut at Best Buy
Read MoreYou'll find the Microsoft Surface Pro 7 with a Black Type cover cover for just $799.99 (was $1,029) today at Best Buy - a fantastic post-Black Friday deal if you're looking for a powerful tablet in time for Christmas.
This particular deal is on the Core i5 model, which also has 8GB of RAM and a fully upgradable 128GB SSD. As stated, you'll also get a Type Cover included in the price here, which is an essential accessory in our books and an addition that really sweetens the deal.
Even though the newer Microsoft Surface Pro 8 is on the way now, the Surface Pro 7 Plus is a great option at this price if you're looking for a really powerful 2-in-1 solution. It's essentially the mid-cycle refresh of the Pro 7 and comes with the massive benefit of having an upgradable SSD and the latest 11th gen Intel Core i5 processor under the hood. The former feature here makes swapping out that 128GB SSD a real walk in the park, while the latter ensures you've got more than enough power for both casual and business applications.
Having the inclusion of a Black Type Cover helps make sure your device is kept and safe and sound while you're out and about, but also enable you to use it as a laptop whenever you want. It's an excellent keyboard too, despite the fact it folds away flat whenever you're not using it.
Outside the US? Check out more of today's best Microsoft Surface Pro deals in your region just below.
Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Plus deals at Best Buy
Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Plus with Black Type Cover:
$1,029$799.99 at Best Buy
Save $230 - Pick up the Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Plus with a really nice post-Black Friday price cut today at Best Buy. Featuring an 11th gen Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB SSD, this fantastic 12.3-inch tablet is a fine choice if you're looking for something with heaps of power under the hood. Included in the price is that handy type cover too, allowing you to keep your device safe and convert it to a laptop whenever you want.
Looking for another device in the range? Check out our main Surface Pro deals page. We're also rounding up this week's best iPad deals if you're looking for some great alternatives from Apple.
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HP's Winter Sale brings savings of up to 25% on flagship laptops and 2-in-1s
With discounts on the convertible 14-inch Spectre x360, Pavilion 15-inch laptop and more, don't miss out on HP's Winter Sale.
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