Apple reverses decision and approves controversial game ‘Liyla and The Shadows of War’

It’s generally a murky process trying to get politically or culturally charged content up on Apple’s App Store. They tend to shy away from controversial topics or subject matters. A recent example is Liyla and The Shadows of War, which follows the story of a young Palestinian girl living in the Gaza Strip while the conflict in Israel is ongoing. Apple initially rejected it saying it “is not appropriate in the Games category.” Palestinian developer and Liyla creator Rasheed Abueideh shared the text he got from Apple where part of the message also says, “It would be more appropriate to categorize your app in News or Reference for example.” Apple was both unwilling to permit the developer’s message to come out and they even didn’t want it to be considered a game. 

But it seems backlash from the rejection was enough to get Apple’s attention as well as to reconsider putting the game up of the App Store. It’s up on both iOS and Android now.

Source: The Verge

New Philips Ambiance Hue Lighting Set is HomeKit-compatible

Philips has announced a new set of HomeKit-compatible Hue-branded lighting products. What’s different this time around is that these Hue White Ambiance lights are geared towards people who want adjustable white lights and don’t need the varied color options. These Wi-Fi-connected bulbs promises to show “every shade of white light,” ranging from 6500k daylight to 2200k warm light. And like other Hue bulbs, these 800 lumens bulbs rated at 4000k can be adjusted throughout the day with varied light recipes, routines, and HomeKit scenes. And with HomeKit support, it responds to Siri voice commands, too.

The package comes with two Philips Hue white ambiance bulbs, a HomeKit-compatible bridge, and one wireless dimming switch that can be controlled from anywhere in the house even without the iPhone app. The entire kit retails in the US for US$129.95 (around CA$170), while each bulb costs US$29.95. You can check out Philips’s website for more details.

Source: MacRumors

UPDATE (as of July 14, 2016 8:48 p.m. EDT)

Error on this writer's part but the individual bulbs cost CA$29.95 as well.

Spotify lost US$194 million last year

Streaming music service Spotify has lost US$194 million in 2015, which is considered the biggest loss for the company. But it’s not all bad news for them as that is just a bit over what they lost in 2015 and their overall revenue rose to US$2.18 billion. This means it has been able to slow its losses while boosting revenue, a development Spotify needs as players like Apple and Alphabet (Google’s parent company) entered the streaming service market.

It is looking good for them but there are still some areas for concern, according to Jan Dawson, chief analyst at Jackdaw Research. He emailed Mashable saying that content costs for Spotify are still quite high. They send about 80 percent of its revenue to the recording industry. And they are still incurring losses. “Their operating and net losses were both bigger in 2015 than 2015, and that’s a bad sign for future profitability,” Dawson said. And they are spending rather aggressively on things like staffing, public relations, and consultants.

Source: Mashable

Sago Mini's Jinja's House makes game characters and environments real for kids

Sago Mini's magical world is coming to life on June 2 with its first must-have playset — Jinja’s House. Jinja the Cat, one of Sago Mini’s most beloved characters, will be moving into her very own house. Her good friend Rosie will be there to help her unpack boxes and move in.  

Thoughtfully designed for play on the go, this portable playset features the same beautiful artwork and attention to detail fans love from the Sago Mini apps. Jinja’s house is designed to capture kids’ imaginations, offering endless possibilities for role playing and creativity. The house opens to over two feet wide revealing lovely indoor and outdoor play areas to let kids make up their own stores. With interchangeable play accessories like a movable slide, table and chairs, tiny slices of pizza and miniature postcards, kids can really make the experience their own. 

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