The App Store's New Rules and Page's Flying Cars

June 9, 2016

This Thursday morning, Apple’s new App Store options are making the news. Here’s a look at what else is happening in tech.

Big News/30 Seconds

On Wednesday, Apple announced key changes were coming to the App Store this year, including how revenue is split with developers. The changes come just days before the start of next week’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC).

The changes …

Starting this fall, developers can add auto-renewing subscriptions to any app. In other words, apps could simply stop working after a certain point in time. Under the current model, an app’s main functionality continues to work from the time of purchase, assuming it remains active. Developers can price subscriptions at any of 200 different fixed price points.

Subscription prices can change; developers can decide to grandfather your existing price or inform you of an increase.

Developers can offer different subscription levels, such as standard, extra, and premium.

At launch, Apple continues to receive 30 percent of all subscription revenue. When a user re-ups the subscription for another year, that number drops to 15 percent.

Also launching soon are Search Ads on the U.S. App Store, which Apple describes as “an efficient and easy way for you to promote your app within the U.S. App Store search results, helping people discover or reengage with your app at the very moment they are searching for apps like yours.”

It remains to be seen whether these changes will help improve App Store sales. The early reviews are decidedly mixed, at best:

Apple’s Big App Store Revamp May Be Too Little Too Late, Fortune
App Store subscriptions don’t solve problems for most developers, Macworld
Apple revamps App Store, may not win over developers, Business Insider

We’ll certainly hear more about the App Store changes during next Monday’s WWDC keynote address.

Trending/15 Seconds

Forget the “Apple Car.” Google co-founder Larry Page is apparently funding two startups (Zee.Aero and Kitty Hawk). devoted to producing flying cars. Naturally, this is big news on Twitter.

Today/15 Seconds

Today, June 8 is Donald Duck Day. On this day in 1934, the Disney character had his debut in “The Wise Little Hen.” (See below)

The Future of FinTech continues in New York.

Looking backward: On June 11, 1982, the movie “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial” was released.

Extra Minutes

Have a few more minutes? Check out these other stories making news:

Tinder Bans Most Teens, Gizmodo
People are keeping their old iPhones longer, CNN
Apple just put Amazon’s Jeff Bezos in a tricky position, Business Insider

Want even more? Check out Tech Media Extra.

The Tech Media Minute is published Monday through Friday on AppAdvice.