Russia’s App Store has lost 6,982 mobile apps since the Ukraine invasion began, as many companies have now pulled their apps and games from Apple’s iPhone and iPad App Stores in the country, according to data shared with TechCrunch by app intelligence firm Sensor Tower. .
To date, these apps have been downloaded around 218 million times in Russia, which is just over 3% of their 6.6 billion lifetime installs worldwide. Amid the widespread releases, apps from several Big Tech companies continue to rank highly on the Russian App Store, although the Top Charts are currently filled with VPN apps.
While Apple regularly removes obsolete and discontinued apps from its App Store, app removals from the Russian App Store after the invasion (February 24 to March 14) represent a 105% increase in the number of apps removed from the store compared to the first two weeks. February 2022 (from February 1 to 14). During this prior period, the Russian App Store only saw 3,404 app removals, a figure matching the number of apps pulled from Apple’s App Stores in other markets, including the United States. United, where 3,422 apps were removed. These pre-invasion app removals were likely related to Apple’s ongoing cleanup efforts, Sensor Tower noted.
Russia is not the only country affected in this way. Many publishers have also removed their apps and games from the App Store in Belarus, Russia’s neighbor and ally. This country has now recorded a loss of 5,900 apps since the start of the invasion, a figure that has increased by 73% compared to the 3,418 apps deleted from February 1 to 14.
In comparison, other app markets have seen smaller increases in app removals, possibly also related to Apple’s App Store maintenance efforts.
Image credits: Detection tower
Following Russia’s decision to wage war on Ukraine, the country was cut off from the global economy as the United States and its allies coordinated to enact sweeping economic sanctions. Major companies have also stopped doing business in Russia, including some of the world’s best-known brands, such as McDonald’s, Apple, Microsoft, Disney, IKEA, H&M, Adidas and Starbucks, as well as payment giants Visa, Mastercard and Amex, among others. .
In some cases, removals from the Russian App Store are related to these big brand releases. For example, Coca-Cola pulled its loyalty and rewards-focused iOS app from the Russian App Store, as the company recently promised to suspend operations in Russia. Retailers like H&M and American Eagle Outfitters have also pulled apps, along with Ebates’ ShopStyle shopping platform.
In sports, NFL, NBA, WWE and Eurosport apps disappeared from the Russian App Store following the invasion. Health apps from MyFitnessPal, Kaiser Permanente, and many smaller fitness, meditation, and yoga apps are also gone. Of these, MyFitnessPal was quite popular in Russia, having seen some 4.2 million installs to date, including those on iOS and Android.
Mobile gaming giants leave Russia
Games are the biggest category to see moves in Russia and represent huge departures. The Russian App Store has lost a number of major games from publishers such as Zynga, Supercell, Take-Two (Rockstar Games) and others, many of which have publicly announced their release.
For example, Supercell tweeted on March 9 that in response to the ongoing war, “new downloads are being discontinued and access for existing players will be suspended“ with the next update. The company’s games that were pulled from the App Store in Russia included Brawl Stars, Clash of Clans, Clash Royale and Hay Day. These are significant releases – Clash of Clans alone has seen 36 million installs on iOS and Android so far in Russia, for example.
Rockstar Games has pulled over half a dozen titles from its Grand Theft Auto series, among others. Its parent company, Take-Two, announced its intention to leave Russia on March 7, noting that it had watched events unfold in Ukraine with “concern and sadness”. He said he would stop new sales, installations and marketing in Russia and Belarus.
Zynga, meanwhile, said on March 8 that it was following events in Ukraine with “great concern” and would leave Russia and Belarus and donate to humanitarian organizations. The publisher has now removed dozens of its casual games from these countries’ app stores, including many larger titles like Farmville 3, Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells, Empires & Puzzles, Solitaire, Zynga Poker and others from its acquisition in 2020, Rollic Games. .
Netflix also kept its promise to leave Russia with the removal of its streaming app in the country. Dating apps Bumble and Badoo are also gone. Bumble (Badoo’s parent company) said during its fourth quarter 2021 results on March 8 that it would exit the two app stores in Russia and Belarus. Combined revenue from Russia, Ukraine and Belarus accounted for about 2.8% of Bumble’s total annual revenue in 2021, the company added.
Other notable removals from the Russian App Store include Amazon’s IMDb, travel app Trivago, The Weather Channel (IBM), Playtika and big fish games (Games), Hily’s dating app, Citizen, DAZN Sports Live Stream, AllTrails and Google Home. (AllTrails has yet to issue a public statement, but told TechCrunch it now has “indefinitely suspended” services in Russia. “We stand with the people of Ukraine and refuse to side with Russia as they are waging this tragic war,” the company said.)
In terms of removal by categories, the app types that have seen the highest number of removals from the Russian App Store include Games, Productivity, Utilities, Music, Business, Education and health. For reference, more than 860 games have been removed from the affected App Stores, including those from Russia, Belarus and, to some extent, Ukraine. (Only a handful were fired in the latter, though.)
Apps from tech giants still top the charts
However, not all tech giants have completely left the Russian App Store just yet.
Microsoft announced on March 4 that it was halting all new sales of products and services in Russia and has since removed apps like Solitaire, Majong, Wordament and, notably, Minecraft from the Russian App Store. But Microsoft’s Word, Office, Excel, Powerpoint, Teams and Outlook rankings still top productivity charts in Russia, according to data from Sensor Tower.
Picture credits: Detection tower. Russian App Store top charts for productivity apps on March 15, 2022.
Microsoft is not alone. Google has taken several actions against Russia, including suspending its advertising activities in the country, but its productivity apps are still available in Russia. Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Assistant, Calendar, Drive, One, and Keep, for example, currently rank high in the Top Productivity app rankings.
Adobe also pledged to leave Russia, saying on March 4 that it would “stop all new sales” of Adobe products and services in Russia, “effective immediately.” He also said he would end access to Adobe Creative Cloud, Adobe Document Cloud and Adobe Experience Cloud for all Russian state media and pledged money for refugees and humanitarian aid.
In the days that followed, Adobe removed some of its apps from the Russian App Store, such as Photoshop and Illustrator, but others remain available for download, at the time of writing, including a leading business app, Adobe Reader. Its iOS app is currently at No. 15 in the top business apps.
Picture credits: Sensor Tower – Adobe Reader in Russia on March 15
Microsoft, Google and Adobe have not yet responded to requests for comment.
Social apps still highly ranked, despite blockages
Currently, Russia’s Top Chart for its overall App Store shows apps that no longer work or have heavily restricted content.
On Monday, Instagram was blocked in Russia, impacting 80 million users. But the app still ranks 34th globally in the country today, as it has not been removed from the App Store. (This means that users can still download the app, but cannot access the service, except possibly through a VPN). Russia also restricted other social media, including Facebook and Twitter, while TikTok suspended users’ ability to live stream and post new content in Russia and blocked all non-Russian content.
But TikTok still ranks well, as the 18th overall app on the Russian App Store, followed by YouTube at 27th. YouTube, like other platforms, banned Russian state media and suspended advertising and payments.
But VPNs Dominate Russian App Store Top Rankings
The downgrading of these social apps can only be partly attributed to bans and restrictions. Another factor is VPN apps, which now dominate the Top Charts.
Picture credits: sensor tower
The top 10 VPN apps collectively reached 4.2 million installs from Feb. 24 to March 13, up 2,286% from the previous period, when the top 10 apps reached around 176,000 installs, data shows. by SensorTower. The firm noted that it has also seen apps like 1.1.1.1 and Cloudflare’s Psiphon appear in the Top 10, although the app dubbed 1.1.1.1 isn’t just a VPN; it advertises privacy and security, which probably appeals to Russian users right now.
]]>We could all benefit from a better night’s sleep. Many of us have tried many things to improve the quality of our rest, from including certain foods that can provide a good nap (nuts, anyone?) to fixing our nighttime routines. But have you thought about looking for an app for it?
Whether you toss and turn or just have trouble falling asleep when you climb into bed, Restflix can help. This restful sleep streaming app uses proven science-based techniques to help you relax and rejuvenate, and subscriptions are on sale just in time to help with sleep disruptions during daylight saving time. Find the right type for your needs – from a one-year subscription for $29.99 (50% off), a three-year subscription for $59.99 (66% off) or a lifetime subscription for $99.99 (83% off).
Restflix uses the power of binaural beats, proven and exciting technology that helps you relax and get the rest you need by changing how excited your brain is. Yes, just by using sounds this app can trick your brain into falling asleep. And there are also various options to choose from, with ten live channels filled with choices such as sleep meditations, soothing visuals or even a heartwarming bedtime story. All of these use binaural beats and help you enter a meditative and restful state, just in time for the jarring time change that spring brings.
You can use Restflix on major platforms like Apple TV, iOS, Roku, Android, or Fire TV. And the subscription gives you unlimited access to content which includes new updates every week, all without facing annoying ads.
Find out why Livestrong named Restflix the “Best Sleep App for Falling Asleep” and why it earned 4.5 stars on the App Store. CNN delighted, “Whether you’re looking for nature sounds in the form of white noise, relaxing music paired with low-light videos, or a soothing voice that reads stories and meditations to you, Restflix has you covered.”
Restflix is ready to help you sleep well through the DST transition and beyond. Get a one-year subscription for $29.99 (50% off), a three-year subscription for $59.99 (66% off), or a lifetime subscription for $99.99 (83% off ).
Prices subject to change.
]]>CINCINNATI–(BUSINESS WIRE)–DonorDrive, an EngageSmart (NYSE:ESMT) solution and digital fundraising platform for nonprofits, announced the launch of a new version of its fundraising-focused app for iOS and Android. The DonorDrive Charity Fundraising app, which was created to transform the way people fundraise, has demonstrated significant success for nonprofits since its launch in July 2021. Nonprofits using the DonorDrive Charity Fundraising app saw a 195% increase in the average amount raised per fundraiser. , a 240% increase in average engagement rate among app users and a 56% increase in average adoption rate compared to the competing app in the market. The app’s average ratings on the Apple App Store and Google Play have maintained a 4.9/5.0 rating since launch.
DonorDrive runs some of North America’s largest nonprofit fundraising events and campaigns, including THON
, a Penn State student-run philanthropy that benefits Four Diamonds and raises funds to improve the lives of children and families affected by childhood cancer. More than 16,000 Penn State student volunteers raised $13,756,348 through their 46-hour dance marathon from February 18-20, 2022 and saw a 29.3% increase in their annual fundraising. THON uses both the DonorDrive web platform and, new to the 2021-2022 campaign, the DonorDrive Charity fundraising app.
“We were thrilled to give all of our amazing supporters, including Penn State THON, Mini-THON, Team FTK and Play For The Kids attendees, the DonorDrive app this year,” said Michael Ringenbach, Associate Director of Four Diamonds. “THON’s student volunteers have easily used the app, which has contributed to their immense fundraising success at their record-breaking 50th event. We are grateful for their support in our shared mission to defeat childhood cancer.
The two most exciting new features that have just launched from DonorDrive – contactless event registration and new activity tracking integrations – have been designed to boost fan engagement and help fundraising. funds to exceed their goals.
New Event Check-In feature uses mobile fundraiser geolocation for live check-in at in-person events, reduces event wait times, provides attendees with post-check-in instructions, and reduces administrative aspects of event production so that volunteers and staff can focus on the fan experience. Nonprofit staff can get a more accurate picture of attendees, segment post-event communications, and better plan resources for the following year.
Stacey Chase, Sr. Manager of Community and Peer-to-Peer Fundraising at Be The Match Foundation, said, “At the best of times, checking people in at events is a waste. These new features could make it a very smooth experience for supporters. We may use this new registration data to make decisions about event day staffing, further personalize our marketing communications, and gain greater insight into our event day experience.
DonorDrive has also updated its Active Impact feature set to include new integrations with Apple Health, Fitbit, Google Fit and Strava. Active Impact enables nonprofits to host activity challenges that keep fundraisers engaged for physical, virtual, and hybrid events. Nonprofits can combine activity challenges with achievement badges and motivational messages based on fundraising behavior, set milestones for fundraisers to achieve, offer donor incentives to generate more donations and allow donors to pledge donations for each completed fundraising activity. Active Impact gamifies the fundraising experience and is designed to produce more effective fundraising results – fundraisers using Active Impact raise 25% more on average than those who don’t.
Integration with popular activity apps will enhance the fundraising experience when participating in cause-related challenges by giving their activity meaning, whether they choose to walk, run, ride, stream, jog, practice mindfulness, or whatever type of activity works best. their. Additionally, these updates open the doors for nonprofits to diversify their revenue and quickly create new fundraising opportunities, such as corporate wellness challenges, that can significantly expand their network of supporters. .
The DonorDrive Charity fundraising app can be downloaded from the Apple App Store or Google Play here.
About DonorDrive:
DonorDrive, an EngageSmart solution, is an advanced digital fundraising platform for nonprofits that turns everyday people into powerful fundraisers. Generate more revenue for your cause with the most immersive, connected, and well-designed fundraising experience ever. For over 20 years, DonorDrive has helped hundreds of nonprofit organizations like Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Covenant House, Doctors Without Borders, Muscular Dystrophy Association, World Vision and hundreds more to raise billions of dollars. To learn more about DonorDrive, visit www.donordrive.com.
About Engage Smart:
EngageSmart is a leading provider of customer engagement software and integrated payment solutions. At EngageSmart, our mission is to simplify customer and customer engagement to enable our customers to focus their resources on initiatives that improve their businesses and better serve their communities. Headquartered in Braintree, MA, EngageSmart offers true vertical, single-instance, multi-tenant Software-as-a-Service (“SaaS”) solutions, including SimplePractice, InvoiceCloud, HealthPay24, and DonorDrive, designed to simplify the engagement of our customers with their customers by driving digital adoption and self-service. EngageSmart serves more than 79,000 customers in the SMB Solutions segment and more than 3,100 customers in the Enterprise Solutions segment across five primary verticals: Health & Wellness, Government, Utilities, Financial Services and Donations. For more information, visit https://engagesmart.com and follow us on LinkedIn.
Find happiness, peace and calm through Christ.
Are you looking to establish a better routine for connecting with God? The Amen app aims to help you achieve your goal of drawing closer to the Lord through daily prayer, meditation and bedtime audio. Best of all, the Amen app is free on the App Store.
Amen app offers several features including daily prayer audio to help you put Christ first in your life. Earn more wisdom, encouragement, love and support every day. Starting your day off right has never been easier.
Want to read more of this biblical passage mentioned in the daily prayer? No need to leave the app! Amen includes a free, full-featured, easy-to-access Bible. Plus, Amen has vivid narrations of the best Bible stories at your fingertips.
Guided Christian Amen meditations will lead you into a relaxed state, knowing that you are loved and cared for by the Father. New to meditation? That’s okay, the Amen app also provides an audio introduction to the practice. Not sure what to expect? Check out some of the topics covered: managing stress, sleeping better, overcoming anxiety, being grateful and thinking positively. We could all use a little more!
You can easily start and end your day with Amen. With soothing sleep sounds and stories, you can gently fall asleep. With plenty of options to choose from, restless minds can hear specific topics like “Letting Go” and “Reassurance.” Or you can just fall asleep to the peaceful sounds of “Grasslands” or “Nighttime Summer”. The Amen app aims to calm you down for the best possible sleep.
Want to include more? Prayer groups are a great way to harness the power of prayer with friends, family, and fellow believers. Simply post your prayer requests on the app and allow the group to pray for you. Posting prayer requests is easy and our community is supportive and uplifting ;P
The Amen app will help you deepen your relationship with Christ, while reducing anxiety, and helping you fall asleep faster. Thousands of believers have left positive reviews after using Amen. Join others using our highly rated app to follow Jesus Christ today.
Media Contact
Company Name: Amen
Contact: John
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Website: http://www.amen.io/
Mindshine App is a holistic mental health coach with over 200 audio-guided exercises developed by psychologists
Stephan Hauner is co-founder and managing director of Mindshine GmbH
Mindshine App is a holistic mental health coach with over 200 audio-guided exercises developed by psychologists
— Stephan Hauner, co-founder and managing director of Mindshine GmbH
MUNICH, GERMANY, Feb. 15, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ — Maintaining healthy habits can improve mental health. Still, sometimes we need that extra push. The Mindshine app, available to download from the App Store and Google Play, is a new European mental health coach that helps anyone with a phone develop positive thought patterns, thrive and become more happy by offering over 200 science-based tips, audio-guided exercises, and meditations designed by psychologists.
“We can train our mind, just like a muscle. All you need is the right gym, so we created Mindshine,” says Stephan Hauner, co-founder and managing director of Mindshine GmbH. “At Mindshine, we take a holistic approach to mental health coaching and base our exercises on your goals, so it’s more than meditation. You choose the destination and we recommend the path.
How Mindshine Works
Mindshine breaks down complex scientific principles into simple, easy and fun practices with the Mindshine Coach at the center, recommending your next action and helping you stay accountable.
The app is tailored to your needs and designed to fit your lifestyle by keeping powerful coaching plans simple, fun, and small daily chunks that easily fit into your schedule. Additionally, Mindshine helps you work on your personal goals to become who you want to be by increasing self-esteem, alleviating negative emotions, building confidence, and achieving your goals.
The exercises are suitable for all experience levels and environments, so you can do them on a bus or sitting at home. The app walks you through each exercise, which builds and improves mindset through guided, actionable steps to create positive thought patterns, build confidence, and become happier overall.
The Mindshine app offers a 14-day free trial and two subscription tiers, Free and Pro. Free users can access a limited selection of routines, exercises, and meditations. Pro users have unlimited access to everything for as little as one cup of coffee per week.
Learn more about the Mindshine app at https://www.mindshine.app/, listen to our podcast at https://www.mindshine.app/better-begins-in-the-mind-podcast and visit the channel YouTube Mindshine at https://www.youtube.com/c/MindshineTheMentalFitnessApp/videos.
About Mindshine GmbH
The Mindshine app is a guided holistic mental health coach that helps users live happier lives. With over 200 science-based audio-guided routines, exercises and meditations developed by psychologists to help you change the way you think, feel and act, opening you up to increased levels of well-being and satisfaction. Mindshine’s vision is to make the world happier, one mind at a time. Learn more about the Mindshine app at https://www.mindshine.app/.
Renee Hewitt
Hewitt PR
+1 917-965-8712
reneehewittpr.gmail.com
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Mindshine – A happiness coach in your pocket
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SAN FRANCISCO, February 9, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Reveri Health, Inc., which enables anyone in the world to experience the benefits of self-hypnosis after just one 10-minute session, today announced it is closing $1.8 million in a seed financing led by InReach Ventures and with participation from Background Capital, as well as angel investors, Bobby Lo, Joe Greenstein, Andre Artz, Joseph Rubinsztain and Eduardo Vilar. Funding will be used to grow the team with the current job openings listed here and further improve the in-app experience.
The company was co-founded by America’s leading expert in the research and clinical uses of hypnosis with over 45 years of experience, Dr. David Spiegelprofessor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, Stanford University, and Ariel Poler, a prolific Silicon Valley entrepreneur and investor focused on human augmentation. Spiegel also directs the Stanford Center on Stress and Health, and Poler has served on numerous boards of tech companies, including Strava.
As part of today’s news, Reveri announces Massimo DeMarco join as CEO, formerly CTO of Depop and Bradley Lautenbach as SVP of Marketing who was most recently head of trade marketing at The Washington Post.
“After 15 years in high-growth technology and the recent success of Depop, my ambition turned to wellness. I kept asking myself: can I use my experience to help people improve their well-being on a large scale?Soon after meeting Dr. David Spiegel and Ariel Poler, it became clear that Reveri was the opportunity I was looking for. I am thrilled to be part of this mission and of Dr. by David Spiegel world-renowned expertise and decades of research and clinical work with experience that could benefit hundreds of millions of people,” said Massimo DeMarcoCEO of Reveri.
Reveri comes at a critical time as the world enters the third year of the pandemic. Stressors have become persistent and undefined, adding to a multitude of challenges and dangerously damaging people’s well-being and mental health. Self-hypnosis is a proven and effective way to solve life’s challenges. Despite broad misconceptions, hypnosis is rooted in science; it is a facilitator and a useful tool that uses its ability to concentrate. Unlike meditation, which has its own benefits when adopted as a way of life, self-hypnosis is problem-solving oriented and can be used to manage acute challenges on demand. Backed by decades of research and clinical experience, Reveri’s approach to self-hypnosis and its new iOS app will help anyone in the world relieve pain and stress, improve sleep and adopt better habits.
“Self-hypnosis is a powerful tool for better managing your mind and body — from reducing stress to curbing certain habits like smoking and unhealthy diet,” says Dr. David Spiegel, co-founder of Reveri. “I have already helped more people with the Reveri app than I have been able to treat in person in my 50 year career in psychiatry. And that is why I am committed to ensuring that more people experience the benefits of hypnosis on their own terms and anywhere with the Reveri app.”
Reveri currently offers six core practices (with plans for more), aimed at helping people:
- sleep better
- Reduce stress
- manage the pain
- Improve focus
- Eat well
- Stop smoking
“We love Reveri’s mission to bring hypnosis to hundreds of millions of people around the world. There is no one in the world who knows more about the clinical use of hypnosis than Dr. David Spiegel. Combining his expertise with Ariel and Massimo’s background in consumer internet was an opportunity not to be missed!” said Roberto Bonanzingaco-founder and investment partner at InReach Ventures.
How Reveri Works
Reveri’s self-hypnosis is an immersive and interactive audio experience in which you can choose to interact verbally or with on-screen options. Upon opening the Reveri app, a member can learn about self-hypnosis through a video with Dr. Spiegel. From there, a member can choose from the six Core Practices currently available, with more planned for this year. Practices vary in length and content depending on the member’s answers to questions, but typically last 10-15 minutes. Reveri’s Moments** feature helps members build their self-hypnosis muscle while dealing with whatever is bothering them that day.
Reveri is available for download from the Apple App Store and offers monthly, annual, and lifetime subscriptions. Reveri aims to help as many people as possible, regardless of their financial situation. To do this, Reveri for Good makes Reveri available to those for whom membership is out of reach. Details on the website or by emailing [email protected]. Download Reveri today from the Apple App Store and change your mind for the better.
About Reveri Health, Inc.
Reveri’s self-hypnosis app helps anyone relieve pain and stress, improve sleep, and build better habits in as little as ten minutes. Backed by decades of scientific research and clinical experience, Reveri is the easiest way to change your mind and improve your life. Reveri was co-founded in 2020 by Dr. David Spiegel and Ariel Poler. Spiegel is one of the world’s most respected experts in the research and clinical uses of hypnosis. He is a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, Stanford University and directs the Stanford Center on Stress and Health. Poler is a serial entrepreneur and prolific investor focused on human augmentation and has served on numerous boards of tech companies, including Strava. Reveri is backed by top global investors, including InReach Ventures and Background Capital, as well as angel investors, Bobby Lo, Joe Greenstein, Andre Artz, Joseph Rubinsztain and Eduardo Vilar.
Media inquiries:
Audrey Jacobson for Reveri Health, Inc.
(415) 374-0715
Media Contact
Audrey JacobsonReveri Health, Inc., 1-415-374-0715, [email protected]
SOURCEReveri Health, Inc.
]]>Immersive learning tools
Discovery Education introduces free augmented reality app for students and teachers
Sandbox AR allows users to create virtual worlds or augment their own – all tied to real-world knowledge
Discovery Education today introduced its new Sandbox AR iPad app, giving students and teachers free access to an immersive learning tool that uses augmented and virtual reality to create interactive learning experiences that unleash children’s natural curiosity. students.
By overlaying virtual images and data onto a user’s real-world view, augmented reality enables learners to view and interact with complex topics and enhances student engagement with digital content. The Sandbox AR app allows students and teachers to create, share, and even inhabit virtual environments; users can create virtual “scenes” and fill those scenes with one of hundreds of built-in unique objects from history, science, nature, and more, Discovery Education said.
The app also has a mode for users to move around and inhabit their own environments in a virtual setting, using their iPad to take pictures of their surroundings; this virtual world or scene can then be populated with the app’s built-in objects to create a scene that combines virtual reality and augmented reality, Discovery Education recently told THE Journal. Objects in the app each connect to information about its history (like the Great Pyramid of Giza), its origins in the natural world (like an African elephant), and more.
Once a user has built their Sandbox AR scene to their satisfaction, they can take photos or record a step-by-step video with their own voiceover, to present to their classmates or teacher what they have created or what he learned, for example.
To help teachers harness the power of AR wherever learning takes place, Discovery Education has made the Sandbox AR iPad app available for free in the Apple App Store.
“We know that educators and students love augmented reality,” explained one of the app’s developers, Phil Birchinall, Discovery Education’s senior director of immersive content. “Sandbox gives students the ability to control and have some agency over this augmented reality.”
Sandbox adds multiple layers of data to the scene created by users, using built-in links attached to every object in the app to teach users “real world” information about every object they see in their “virtual world.” “, he explained.
“Sandbox AR gives students the ability to immerse themselves in any scene or topic they learn and really show off their knowledge,” said Jason Ediger of Discovery Education. “This app will have a real impact in the classroom and on learning outcomes. Highly engaging content is important, but giving kids a sense of belonging – underpinned by appropriate learning concepts – is key.
Sandbox AR offers pre-made scenes such as ancient Egypt, Mayan ruins, road construction sites, space exploration, and more, as well as hundreds of individual objects that students or teachers can use to create their own scenes. Each scene and object is linked to learning material, or for teachers using the app, each is linked to teaching material.
Visit the Discovery Education website to watch a demonstration video of the capabilities of the Sandbox AR app.
“It’s critical that teachers understand the power of this tool for them and their students, so we’ve included lessons for educators on how to use it in their teaching,” Ediger said. “The uses for this are endless – students can inhabit an AR world they build and really experience it; it could be part of a mindfulness meditation, or a game” or a lesson on endangered species like the African elephant.
Birchinall, a former teacher himself, said his team created the AR Sandbox for a purpose, not just to bring cool tools to the classroom. “We know AR has a huge impact on learning,” he said. “Tools like these amplify the power, depth and speed of student learning.”
Discovery Education first entered the world of edtech more than two decades ago, digitizing educational video content previously brought into classrooms on VHS tapes and media carts, then introducing digital textbooks.
“While 2021 marked Discovery Education’s 20th year of delivering innovative digital learning solutions to educators around the world, it also marked a new chapter in the company’s history,” said Scott Kinney. , CEO of Discovery Education. “Sandbox AR and the resources we are making available to educators today are just the beginning of what will be a number of powerful new resources Discovery Education plans to provide students and educators in 2022 and beyond. .
Discovery Education also featured DE Originals today. Produced by Discovery Education’s curriculum team, DE Originals airs videos featuring former teachers introducing students to various topics in a “fun and engaging” way, the company helps. DE Originals are exclusively available to subscribers of Discovery Education’s K-12 learning platform.
The 100+ new DE Originals kick off with the DEmystfied series, which explains complex science concepts through fun, funny, short, digestible, and standards-compliant videos. Combining Discovery Education’s signature storytelling style with creative graphics, DEmystfied helps students ask and answer questions about the world around them. Discovery Education users can access DEmystfied through the DE website.
For more information about Sandbox AR, teachers can check out the Sandbox AR Quick Start Guide or check out a free Sandbox AR lesson. To learn more about Discovery Education’s digital learning resources, visit www.discoveryeducation.com.
About the Author
Kristal Kuykendall is the editor of 1105 Media Education Group. She can be reached at [email protected].
Aggies can now access immediate mental health support through the My Student Support Program, an app that can connect students to virtual counseling services and a resource library at no cost.
The new partnership with My Student Support Program (MY SSP) this semester augments the services offered by Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) at Texas A&M University. The program will make mental health resources available to all students 24 hours a day, seven days a week, as demand for counseling services increases.
“It’s been a really big platform that we’ve been able to tap into,” said Mary Ann Covey, licensed psychologist and director of CAPS. Through MY SSP, students are connected to licensed psychologists, counselors, and social workers located throughout Texas. Appointments can range from short live chats and phone calls to crisis counseling, she said. Students can speak with the same counselor multiple times through confidential phone or video appointments, and all communications are confidential.
With over 72,000 students at Texas A&M, MY SSP will help CAPS provide quality treatment to as many Aggies as possible. The spring semester began Jan. 18 and demand for services is high, Covey said, with many students facing worry and anxiety as they return to in-person classes amid the coronavirus pandemic. ongoing coronavirus.
Nearly 200 people had requested appointments at CAPS on Thursday, the third day of the new school year. At the end of the week, Covey said she expects the total to be more than five times the demand seen at the start of the spring semester in 2018. This semester, 59 students registered for services during the first week of class.
People are reacting in different ways to the latest stage of the pandemic, which makes it difficult for students to process their feelings, Covey said. There are those who are more concerned that courses will move online and lack a sense of structure and connectivity across organizations and events. Then there are the students who feel tired and apathetic about wearing masks and other safety protocols.
“They’re like, ‘I’m so over this,'” she said. ?’ and it’s really difficult when they have such different experiences.
Covey said she hopes the partnership with My SSP will enable more Texas A&M students to become “empowered in mental health care.”
That means taking a preventative approach to managing mental health, she said, learning to prioritize mindfulness and deal with anxiety and other issues before they become a bigger problem.
Through the app, students have access to an extensive library of videos, articles, podcasts, and other content related to mental health and wellness. Anonymous ratings for depression, general anxiety, and alcohol and drug use are also available.
“It really tries to connect people to resources, to help them start investing in life changes and teaching themselves things to improve their mental health. These are things that we really want our students to understand,” Covey said.
My SSP can be downloaded via the App Store or Google Play. Visit the app’s website for more information.
]]>CHICAGO (CNS) – Hallow, the world’s #1 Catholic prayer and meditation app, has launched a Spanish version of its app, Hallow Español, with a wide range of content exclusively for Hispanic Catholics.
The app, available in all Spanish-speaking countries and the United States, “aims to help Hispanic Catholics deepen their faith,” a press release said.
“As the percentage of all American Catholics who are Hispanic increases, with one-third – 33% – of all American Catholic adults identifying as Hispanic, the Catholic Church has become more focused on providing resources and programs that appeal to his Spanish-speaking parishioners,” it said.
“Technology has increasingly played a key role in reaching Hispanic Catholics,” the statement added. “But there hasn’t been a Catholic app that provides them – until now.”
“With over 1.7 million downloads, Hallow has become an essential resource for prayer and meditation in the English-speaking world,” Jaime Gil, Hallow’s team manager for Spanish content, said in a statement. “As we move forward in our vision of having millions of people praying every day, we are excited to make the same great content available in Spanish.”
A 14-day trial of Hallow Español is available. Information to register for the trial is available at www.hallow.com.
Those who have the English edition of the app can change the language to Spanish and all the Spanish prayers and meditations will appear.
“Spanish is not only spoken in 21 countries in the Americas, Spain and other parts of the world,” Gil said, “but it is also the second most spoken language in the United States. Hallow Español, we believe that God will continue to sanctify the lives of many millions of other people around the world.
Hallow Español’s original content is tailored specifically for Hispanic audiences and will be continually updated throughout the liturgical year.
For its official launch in December, this content included the Our Lady of Guadalupe novena, a Las Posadas community challenge, and special meditations for Día de los Reyes Magos (the Feast of Epiphany).
Hallow, which has received over 40,000 five-star reviews, is available on the Apple App Store, Google Play Store, and Amazon App Store.
Over the past year, Hallow has added numerous faith leaders to the app, including Auxiliary Bishop of Los Angeles Robert E. Barron, founder of the Word on Fire media ministry; Father Mike Schmitz, priest of the Diocese of Duluth, Minnesota, who is co-creator of the daily Bible in a Year podcast; Scott Hahn, founder and president of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology in Steubenville, Ohio; Leah Darrow, Catholic wife and mother, author and podcaster; and Sister Miriam James Heidland, a member of the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity, who is a sought-after speaker at youth conferences.
Hallow also formed a new council of advisers, led by Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Indiana, who is the immediate past chairman of the Committee on Doctrine of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Hallow tries to be “an app that helps you disconnect from apps and technology,” according to its CEO and co-founder, Alex Jones.
It sounds like a contradiction, he admitted in a 2020 interview with Catholic News Service.
But while other religious apps have users glued to their screens reading the Bible, he explained, Hallow lets its users press “play,” close their eyes, and listen to the Bible. audio of a prayer.
Users are encouraged to develop a prayer habit by spending at least one minute in guided prayer with Hallow each day.
“The hardest part of praying is just doing it,” Jones told CNS. “It’s easy during the seasons of Lent and Advent when it’s a priority, but (at other times of the year) when there’s a lot of other things going on, it’s easy to fall short. side of that.”
The app lets users set goals and “you can add family members and friends to the app to keep you accountable,” he said. “You can set daily reminders.”
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Copyright © 2022 Catholic News Service/United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
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Consumer spending on mobile apps reached $ 170 billion in 2021, according to the recently released “State of Mobile 2022” report by App Annie, released today, which provides a comprehensive overview of the app economy on iOS , Google Play, and third-party Android app stores in China. That figure is up 19% year-on-year, which is only a percentage point decline from the growth rate the company announced in its previous annual report. The growth in app downloads, however, has declined a bit more. Although consumers today are installing more apps than ever before – 230 billion were downloaded in 2021, setting a new record – the growth rate itself is slowing.
In January 2021, App Annie reported year-over-year download growth of 7% in 2021, which has now fallen to just 5% in 2021.
The growth of downloads today is largely driven by emerging markets like India, as well as Pakistan, Peru, the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia and Egypt.
Image credits: App Annie
What is also clear is that consumers are spending more time in apps, even exceeding the time they spend watching TV in some cases.
The report noted that the average American watches 3.1 hours of television per day, for example, but over the past year, they have spent 4.1 hours on their mobile device. And they’re not even the biggest mobile users in the world. In markets like Brazil, Indonesia and South Korea, users exceeded 5 hours per day in mobile apps in 2021.
Across the top 10 markets analyzed in the study, the average time spent in apps exceeded 4 hours and 48 minutes in 2021, up 30% from 2019. This included averages for Brazil, Indonesia, from South Korea, Mexico, India, Japan and Turkey. , Singapore, Canada, United States, Russia, United Kingdom, Australia, Argentina, France, Germany and China combined.
Much of that time was spent on social, photo and video apps, which made up 7 out of 10 minutes spent on mobile over the past year. These categories, along with entertainment apps, are also appealing to Gen Z users, especially in the United States.
Here in the United States, the most used Gen Z apps included Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and Netflix. Generation Y preferred Facebook, Messenger, Amazon and WhatsApp. Gen X, who have now been coalesced into the baby boomer demographic (ack!), Have used The Weather Channel, Amazon Alexa, NewsBreak, and Ring.
Image credits: App Annie
This increase in time spent in apps has had a direct impact on consumer spending. In the United States, the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have forced users to shop, work, learn, play and play from their homes over the past year. This has led to “phenomenal” growth in consumer spending, App Annie said, as the market added $ 43 billion in 2021, up $ 10.4 billion from 2020, which equates to growth. by 30% year on year, above the world average.
At the peak of consumer spending, there were 233 apps and games that grossed over $ 100 million in 2021 and 13 titles that grossed over $ 1 billion. That’s a 20% increase from 2020, when there were then 193 apps and games topping the $ 100 million mark, and just 8 titles grossing over $ 1 billion a year.
Image credits: App Annie
Outside of consumer spending which included paid apps, subscriptions, and in-app purchases, the broader mobile app market topped $ 295 billion in 2021, up 23% year-over-year, despite marketers’ fears over Apple’s privacy changes and the IDFA crackdown. By 2022, the market is expected to reach $ 350 billion, helped by big events such as the Beijing Olympics and the United States at its midpoint.
Image credits: App Annie
New versions of mobile apps also increased in 2021, with publishers launching 2 million new apps and games, bringing the total number of apps and games ever released to the App Store and Google Play to over 21 million. . Of course, older apps and games have since been removed over the years, either by the publishers themselves or by the app stores during cleanups. Currently, 5.4 million “live” apps and games are available on app stores, including 1.8 million on iOS and 3.6 million on Google Play.
Google Play also accounted for 77% of all new releases last year, while games made up 15% of all releases at both stores, the report noted.
Image credits: App Annie
App Annie’s full report also delved into individual app categories including gaming, finance, retail, video streaming, food & beverage, health & fitness, social media, traveling, dating and more.
Among the highlights of its findings:
- Games: An additional $ 16 billion in consumer gaming spending was added in 2021, bringing total spending to $ 116 billion.
- Finance: Financial app downloads in India topped 1 billion in 2021, bringing the 28% increase in downloads of the category to 5.9 billion globally.
- Purchases: Time spent in shopping apps reached more than 100 billion hours spent worldwide in 2021, up 18% year on year. The fastest growing countries are Indonesia, Singapore and Brazil (52%, 46% and 45%, respectively).
- Video streaming: The total number of hours spent watching video streaming apps has increased 16% globally from pre-pandemic levels. But China saw a decline as users turned to shorthand TikTok and Kwai apps. Netflix is on track to surpass 1 million downloads in more than 60 countries in 2022.
- Food drink: Sessions in foodservice applications reached 62 billion in 2021. Several regions drove growth in the fourth quarter, notably the United States (42% yoy), Russia (154% yoy), Turkey (75% year-on-year) and Indonesia (over 9x growth).
- health and fitness: Global downloads of health and fitness apps topped pre-COVID levels in 2021, despite slowing slightly from pandemic-induced peak in 2020 in most countries. The top five meditation apps around the world saw a 27% year-over-year growth in consumer spending.
- Social: Time spent in top 25 live streaming apps topped the social market year-over-year by a factor of 9 – year-over-year growth of 40% over all social apps at 5%. Global spending on the top 25 live streaming apps in 2021 is up 6.5 times from 2018 and 55% year-over-year. TikTok has seen year-over-year growth rates of up to 75%.
- To travel: Travel app downloads rebounded 20% in the second half of the year with strong increases between July and December 2021. Second half downloads hit 1.95 billion globally, approaching pre-pandemic levels of 2.08 billion in the second half of 2019.
- Encounter: Global consumer spending on dating apps topped $ 4 billion in 2021, an increase of 95% since 2018. Growth was mainly driven by the United States, Japan, China and the United Kingdom. United. Tinder led the market with $ 1.35 billion in global consumer spending in 2021.
The report also lists the top apps and games globally and by country in terms of downloads and consumer spending. Globally, the top five downloaded apps in 2021 were Google Meet, Instagram, TikTok, Microsoft Teams, and InShot. In terms of consumer spending, the list was YouTube, Tinder, Tencent Video, Disney +, and TikTok.
Image credits: App Annie
The best games to download include Project Makeover, acquapark.io, WormsZone.io, DOP 2: Delete One Part, and Bridge Race. While spending, the list was ruled by Honor of Kings, Fantasy Westward Journey, Candy Crush Saga, Homescapes, and Empires & Puzzles.
Image credits: App Annie
The full report is here.
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