AllTrails, a trail guide for hikers, bikers, runners, and walkers, was named a Best App of 2023 by Apple Store editors. Apple said AllTrails “cultivates a community” with crowd-sourced trails that include dog-friendly, child-friendly, and wheelchair-friendly routes. There’s also an AllTrails version for Android.
Meanwhile, Google Play Android Store editors selected “Imprint: Learn Visually” as the best app of 2023. Also available on iOS, this interactive educational app helps users learn by breaking down complex subject matter into “bite-sized” pieces. Google Play praised the app’s use of “visual storytelling to bring concepts to life.”
When it comes to mobile gaming this year, Apple and Google have agreed. Both men named his Honkai: Star Rail, a role-playing strategy game in which users explore a mysterious world, as his best work of 2023.
king of memes
Kevin James can add new awards to his collection. The Long Island comedian became the most searched meme on Google in 2023 after an old promotional photo of James from “King of Queens” went viral on the internet. James has a sheepish smile on his face in the photo, and the image has been used in countless social media posts with various reactions.
Drive-through sales
Although the pandemic is over, consumers are still going to drive-thrus and avoiding restaurant dining rooms for fast food meals. Restaurant industry consultant Revenue Management Solutions said there has been a “dramatic shift” to drive-thrus even though most fast food restaurants have resumed dine-in service. The group said drive-thrus now account for about 66% of its revenue, driven by “improvements in drive-thru technology.”
Apple slips on chips
Apple is falling further behind in its multibillion-dollar effort to manufacture iPhone modem chips to replace complex components currently supplied by Qualcomm, missing its goal of shipping components by spring 2025. Probability is high. This disorder reflects a difficult challenge. Apple is faced with designing its own modem that would allow phones to connect to cellular networks to make phone calls and browse the web. — Bloomberg News