Want to learn a second language? There’s an app (actually, several) for that. Whether you’re planning an exciting trip abroad or you want to spend your down time doing something enriching (and don’t have time to commit to traditional classes), a language learning app can help. The best language learning apps can build your vocabulary, develop proper …
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Duolingo, a 2021 CNET Editors’ Choice award winner, has already made learning a new language fun and relatively stress free. In the coming months, Duolingo will debut a fresh redesign that aims to make language acquisition even easier. I took the app’s new look for a spin ahead of launch. And don’t worry, Duo the owl is still there. He …
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Thinking back on 2021 — the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, billionaires going to space, NFTs — I can’t help but feel tired. And Duolingo agrees. Duolingo released its 2021 Language Report Monday, and “I am mentally exhausted” is its phrase of the year. The company said it chose the phrase, featured in its Japanese course, “to reflect the tone and overall …
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Apps have become a staple in our lives over the past decade. In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic that struck in 2020, many apps saw an install spike as people readjusted to a more digital method of communication, learning, travel, watching TV and playing. In addition, the introduction of Apple’s iPhone 13 and new iOS 15 software made our favorite apps …
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It’s hard to imagine that just over a decade ago, Android apps didn’t exist. Now they’re an integral part of many Android users’ daily life. The Google Play store launched in 2008 with 50 apps, and as of 2021, it’s grown to a playground of over 2.8 million apps that have changed how we communicate, travel, watch TV and play …
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Nov 2021 Learning a new language is tough, especially as an adult. Seriously, our brains just aren’t wired for it the way they are when we’re younger. Language learning apps are a convenient way to help us over those hurdles, but some are better than others. And in a field full of apps trying to help you understand the lyrics …
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Effective Jan. 1, Google is decreasing the service fee it collects from subscription-based apps in the Play Store from 30% to 15%, the company announced Thursday via its blog for Android developers. The new rate will be effective for all apps on day one, the announcement reads — that’s a change from the current structure, which requires subscription-based apps to …
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This story is part of Tech for a Better World, stories about the diverse teams creating products, apps and services to improve our lives and society. On Indigenous Peoples’ Day, 14 states across the US recognize and celebrate the Native American populations who were already living on North American soil before Italian explorer Christopher Columbus arrived. Despite the growing awareness …
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This story is part of Tech for a Better World, stories about the diverse teams creating products, apps and services to improve our lives and society. Almost 10 years ago, I was working at a video rental store (which is miraculously still in business, for the record). One of my favorite customers was an older man who was deaf. Even …
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Few mobile games have had as large a cultural impact as Angry Birds: With 4.5 billion downloads, the game of slingshotting cartoon birds at pigs from Rovio Entertainment has spawned two movies, more games and lots of merchandise since its 2009 release. Kati Levoranta, CEO of the Finland-based Rovio Entertainment, seeks to use the success of Angry Birds and the …
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