For both Google and Apple, the operations on their virtual stores are hugely important, as they account for millions of dollars. However, there has historically been a disparity between the number of downloaded applications and the actual money generated by them, a trend that seems to have peaked in the first quarter of this year.

According to App Annie‘s Index Market for Q1 of 2016, in fact, Google’s Play Store saw a number of downloads that roughly doubles that of the iOS App Store, which in turns represents the platform with the highest profitability, with over 90% more revenue generated over its counterpart…

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Filed under: Apps, iOS Tagged: Android, App Annie, App Store, Apple, china, Google, iOS, Play Store

It was announced last week that Apple would once again face off against the FBI in Congress this week after its previous testimony over the FBI’s request in the San Bernardino gunmen case. During the hearing today, which was entitled “Deciphering the Debate Over Encryption: Industry and Law Enforcement Perspectives,” Apple’s General Counsel Bruce Sewell continued to defend the need for strong user encryption. He also clarified, however, that Apple has refused requests from China for source code.

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Filed under: AAPL Company Tagged: Apple, Bruce Sewell, FBI

Apple today has pushed the golden master build of Xcode 7.3.1 to developers. The update carries the build number 7D1012 and focuses primarily on bug fixes ahead of its upcoming release to the general public.

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Filed under: Developers, iOS Devices Tagged: developer, Xcode, Xcode 7.3.1

Earlier this month, Apple announced that it would make the premium Hermès bands for Apple Watch available as a standalone purchase and today it has done just that. Now, Apple Watch customers can purchase a Hermès band for their Apple Watch separately via Apple’s online store.

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Filed under: Apple Watch Tagged: Apple, Apple watch, Apple Watch Hermès, hermes

Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.

TODAY’S CAN’T MISS DEALS:

Apple drops the price on refurbished 12-inch MacBooks, now start at $929 shipped

Amazon’s Alexa-enabled Echo is on sale for $154 (Reg. $180), Tap Bluetooth Speaker $111 (Reg. $130)

Smartphone Accessories: Arc-shaped Apple Watch Charging Stand $21, AUKEY Magnetic Air Vent Mount $6, more

Review: Are these third-party $11 Apple Watch Sport bands any good? Turns out, they aren’t too bad.

App Store Free App of the Week: Space Marshals goes free for the very first time ($5 value)

Upgrade Your Mac with 3 Great Apps: Scapple $9 (Orig. $15), STAMP Premium $5 (Orig. $10), Ghostnote $7 (Orig. $10)

BADLAND 1 & 2 for iOS now matching lowest prices ever from $1 (Reg. $5)

Apple offers Day One 2 iOS journal app for free ($10 value)

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

SanDisk Storage: Ultra II 960GB 2.5-inch Internal Solid-State Drive $200 (Reg. $232+), 256GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive $50, more

Smartphone Accessories: Pad & Quill Timber Catchall Stand for Apple Watch in cherry wood finish $64 (Reg. $99), more

• Daily Deals: JBL Synchros Over-Ear Headphones $99, Dell Laser Printer w/ AirPrint $70, more
• Games/Apps: Plants vs. Zombies GW 2 $40, Guitar Hero Live from $38, iOS freebies, more
• Fashion: Banana Republic 50% off sale items, 50% off Dockers Pants/Shirts, more

MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

DODOcase 40% off sitewide: iPad Pro Two Tone Case from $49 shipped, iPhone & Apple Watch accessories, more

Samsung 55-inch 4K 120Hz Smart UHDTVs: $1,200 (Reg. $1,500), 3D $1,375 (Reg. $1,800)

Displays: Dell 24-inch 4K $361 (Reg. $400+), LG Ultra-Thin Bezel 27-inch 1080p $180 (Reg. $299)

• Gift Cards up to 20% off: Babies/Toys R Us, Old Navy, Lowe’s, CVS, more
• DJI Phantom 3 Standard Quadcopter w/ 2.7K Camera: $399 shipped (Reg. $499)
• GoPro HERO4 Silver Action Camera w/ Accessories Bundle: $280 w/ .edu ($375 value)
• Panasonic eneloop 8-pack of rechargeable AA batteries: $18 Prime shipped (Reg. $22+)
• Amazon launches standalone $9/month Prime Video subscription, but it isn’t really a deal
• Grab a $5 Kindle eBook credit at Amazon w/ download of select free Android titles
• Green Deals: Anker’s new PowerHouse 400Wh Inverter $400 (Reg. $500), more
• Slayin endless action RPG for iOS is now available for free (Reg. $1)
• Google Chromebook Pixel Touchscreen 1.8GHz/4GB/32GB: $400 (Reg. 650+)
• Jackery USB Power Banks: 6000mAh w/ MFi Lightning Cable $20 (Reg. $30), more
• LG Music Flow P7 20W 2-Channel Bluetooth Speaker: $43 shipped (Orig. $150)
• Grab this RCA 32-inch 1080p 60Hz LED HDTV for only $150 shipped (Orig. $209)
• Give Google Express a try with this $30 credit for $15 w/ email delivery (50% savings)
• LEGO Star Wars Buildable Figurines from $17 including Luke Skywalker, more
• Google Play MP3 albums for $1: Notorious B.I.G. Life After Death (Remastered), Fetty Wap, more
• Pebble Time iOS/Android Smartwatch with color e-paper display: $105 shipped (Reg. $130+)
• Philips Hue Starter Kits (1st gen): Lux $56 (Orig. $80), White & Color $135 (Orig. $170)
• Philips Hue discounted bundles: 4-pack A19 white & color bulbs $199 (Reg. $240), more
• Stay online when the power goes out with the APC Back-UPS Power Supply for $20 (Reg. $30)
• TarDisk Pear solid-state expansion drive for MacBook 15% off
• BenQ 1080p 3D DLP Home Theater Projector (Refurb) $500 (Orig, $1,199)
• Free two-month Audible trial for new customers (Reg. $15/mo.), more
• Green Deals: Aukey 12000mAh Solar Dual-USB Power Bank $25 (Reg. $30+), more
• Samsung 48-inch Smart 4K UHDTV w/ 3 HDMI + 2 USB ports: $450 (Reg. $800)
• QNAP 2-Bay Personal Cloud NAS w/ DLNA & PLEX: $139 shipped (Reg. $179)
• Get your first month free of the comic subscription service Marvel Unlimited ($10 value)
• Enhance your computer audio w/ Mackie’s CR4 50W Reference Speakers for $115 (Reg. $150)
• Fashion: Patagonia up to 50% off – 1/4 Zip Pullover $64, Board shorts $39, more

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

DJI’s new professional-grade drone is incredibly powerful and intelligent

• Samsung goes big with the “world’s first” bezel-less curved 4K Ultra HDTV
• LEGO reveals a massive 1,600 piece Minecraft set loaded with zombies, more
• Improve your kitchen skills with the best under $10 utensils
• Some of the best SNES games of all-time hit Nintendo’s 3DS eShop
• Amazon’s new $290 Kindle Oasis is a slim, luxury e-reader with months of battery life
• The Lycan Powerbox is a robust solar generator with a swappable battery system
• Impossible Project reveals its Polaroid-style analog camera with iOS connectivity
• JBL’s new Reflect Aware C noise cancelling headphones are powered by USB Type-C
• You probably won’t own Lytro’s new 755MP Cinema Camera but you’ll enjoy its benefits
• GoPro’s new Omni Virtual Reality rig leverages six HERO4 Black action cameras
• Epson’s latest ‘Small-in-One’ printer weighs in at a fraction of the competition
• Twelve South introduces new TimePorter capsule for Apple Watch and charger
• Ryobi’s new Ultra Quiet Garage Door Opener has a Bluetooth speaker and more
• Roku introduces a new quad-core streaming stick with a slimmed down design
• Apogee releases its most affordable full-featured Mac recording interface yet
• The Yecup 365 travel mug uses your iPhone to heat or cool your drink
• ROAM-e follows you around in the sky and takes selfies on demand

Filed under: Tips and Tricks Tagged: 12-inch MacBook, 9to5Toys, alexa, Amazon, app deals, Apple Watch Charging Stand, Best Buy, Daily Deals, Echo, free apps, Gold Box, Pad & Quill, SanDisk storage, Tap, video games

Popular social network Pinterest has today announced a major update to its iOS app. In a blog post, the company detailed all of the changes coming with today’s update, including a refreshed interface, better localization for different markets, and more.

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Filed under: iOS Tagged: app, iOS, Pinterest, update

Even though nobody has gotten their hands on the new 12-inch MacBook released today, Apple has already gone ahead and released a new software update. The update focuses on bluetooth compatibility with third-party devices. Weighing in at 157.8 MB, it will be a relatively small update to download once configuring your new machine.

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Filed under: Mac Tagged: 12-inch MacBook, Mac OS X, MacBook, Software Update

Not soon after the news of Apple potentially opening MapKit as a web API, creative developer Tim Broddin has gone ahead and developed a proof of concept showing what that experience might look like in the future. Fruity Maps mimics a very basic Apple Maps view similar to what you’ve likely encountered with embedded web versions of Google Maps. While it’s missing most features that would make it fully usable (such as pins and searching), it gives us a very nice idea of the extent that Apple Maps might be utilized by developers on a desktop experience.

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Filed under: Developers Tagged: Apple Maps, MapKit JS, WWDC

We’re nearing the one year mark of the Apple Watch’s original release. When Apple first announced the Watch I was excited to see all the creative applications, tools, and games developers would make for it. The watch was a new product category begging for creative development. After a full year, I believe we’re finally starting to see what that means, starting with Rafael Conde’s Break this Safe Apple Watch game.

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Filed under: Apple Watch, Apps, Reviews Tagged: Apple, Apple watch, Rafael Conde

From 9to5Toys.com:

With news of fresh 12-inch MacBooks this morning, Apple is now further discounting previous generation refurbished models with prices starting at $929 shipped. If you’re willing to hold off on the spec bumps announced today, you’ll be able to cash in on significant savings. All of Apple’s refurbished products come with a full one-year warranty and are eligible for AppleCare.

Apple’s inventory of refurbished computers and accessories are generally limited. It’s not uncommon to see a specific model come in and out of stock. Check in regularly if your desired MacBook sells out in the coming days.

Here’s a look at the new MacBook price drops:

• 12-inch 1.1GHz/8GB/256GB: $929 (Orig. $1,299) – was $1,099
  • available in Space Gray, Silver and Gold
• 12-inch 1.3GHz/8GB/256GB: $1,149 (Orig. $1,549) – was $1,319
  • available in Space Gray and Gold
• 12-inch 1.2GHz/8GB/512GB: $1,189 (Orig. $1,599) – was $1,359
  • available in Space Gray, Silver and Gold
• 12-inch 1.3GHz/8GB/512GB: $1,319 (Orig. $1,749) – was $1,489
  • available in Space Gray and Gold

If you’re looking for more power, we currently have Apple’s 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro on sale from $1,000 with a .edu email address (Reg. $1,299).

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Filed under: Mac Tagged: 12-inch, 12-inch MacBook, Apple, MacBook, Refurbished