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Epic Games Accuses Apple of Charging ‘Unjustified Fees’ for Required Non-App Store Purchase Link

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Epic Games is once again after Apple, this time accusing the Cupertino company of violating a court ruling that requires Apple to allow developers to offer in-app links to direct customers to third-party purchase options on the web.

app store blue banner epic 1
Apple tweaked its U.S. App Store policies back in January, and developers are permitted to put one link in their apps that leads to a website where customers can make a purchase without using the in-app purchase system. Apple is still charging commission for these purchases, requiring developers to pay between 12 and 27 percent (three percent lower than the 15/30 standard fee).

‌Epic Games‌ is unhappy with the fee that Apple continues to charge, today telling the court that Apple has not complied with the order, and asking that Apple be held in contempt of court. ‌Epic Games‌ claims that the fees make the links “commercially unusable,” thereby subverting the injunction.

Apple violates the Injunction in three ways. First, with respect to External Links, Apple has imposed new fees and enacted a slew of new rules that work together to make the links commercially unusable. This new fee and accompanying web of restrictions subverts the purpose of the Injunction, allowing Apple to continue extracting its excessive commissions and making it effectively impossible for a developer to inform users about, and direct users toward, an alternative platform for making a purchase.

Second, Apple continues to categorically prohibit any steering using “buttons” or “other calls to action”. Specifically, Apple does not allow External Links that resemble a “button” in any way.

Third, Apple’s Guideline 3.1.3 still prohibits certain apps, including all multiplatform services (i.e., apps that operate across multiple platforms and allow users to access the same content across these platforms, including popular games such as Minecraft), from “within the app, encourag[ing] users to use a purchasing method other than in-app purchase”. This language expressly contravenes the Injunction by prohibiting any steering to alternative purchasing methods.

‌Epic Games‌ collected statements from other developers that have spoken out against Apple’s App Store fees, including Paddle CEO Christian Owens and Down Dog CEO Benjamin Simon.

Apple was initially ordered to make the ‌App Store‌ changes in 2021 as part of its court battle with ‌Epic Games‌. Judge Yvonne Gonzalez-Rogers, who oversaw the case, took issue with Apple’s anti-steering rules. Apple was able to delay implementing the ‌App Store‌ changes for a few years while it appealed, but none of the courts decided to change the verdict. Apple ultimately took it to the Supreme Court, but the court declined to hear the case, so Apple had to comply immediately at the beginning of the year.

‌Epic Games‌ claims that the fee Apple charges for the link is “financially unattractive” for developers who want to choose another payment solution, and it “prevents any meaningful competition between payment solutions.” The company wants the court to require Apple to bring its policies into compliance with the injunction.

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How to build AI apps visually with no coding required

How to build AI apps visually with no coding required

In the rapidly evolving world of artificial intelligence (AI), the ability to quickly and efficiently prototype AI applications is more important than ever. For those who are excited about the potential of AI but are not well-versed in coding, Ironclad’s Rivet offers a compelling solution. This platform allows users to create complex AI prototypes without writing a single line of code, using a graphical interface that simplifies the entire process.

Ironclad’s Rivet is a tool that is changing the way we approach AI application development. It is designed for individuals who may not have a background in programming but still want to participate in creating sophisticated AI systems. The graphical interface of Rivet focuses on the design and functionality of the application, removing the need to understand complex programming languages.

Rivet is a visual programming environment for building AI agents with LLMs. Iterate on your prompt graphs in Rivet, then run them directly in your application. With Rivet, teams can effectively design, debug, and collaborate on complex LLM prompt graphs, and deploy them in their own environment.

Getting started with Rivet is incredibly simple. The installation process is quick and straightforward, and once installed on your laptop, you’ll be greeted with a user-friendly interface. This interface allows you to begin building your AI application by simply dragging and dropping different components to where they need to be.

Build AI apps visually with no-code

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One of the key features of Rivet is its ability to integrate with other services, such as Assembly AI. This integration can significantly enhance your application’s capabilities, such as adding audio transcription and interactive Q&A features. To use these services, you’ll need to obtain an API key from Assembly AI’s website, which ensures a secure connection between Rivet and the services provided by the plugin.

Rivet’s environment is designed to be modular, meaning you can create separate graphs for different functions within your application. For example, you might have one graph for handling audio transcription and another for managing the Q&A functionality. This modular approach not only makes your application more flexible but also allows it to scale more easily as you add more features.

The process of using Rivet is intuitive. You start by inputting an audio URL, which the Assembly AI plugin then transcribes. Following this, you can ask a question, and Rivet will provide an answer in text form. This demonstrates the seamless integration of services like Assembly AI into your application, making it easier to build powerful AI features.

assembly AI plugin for Rivet

An important aspect of creating effective AI responses is prompt engineering. This involves crafting questions in a way that elicits the most accurate and relevant answers from your AI model. Mastering this technique is vital for ensuring that your AI prototypes perform optimally and deliver the results you’re looking for.

For those who want to take their Rivet graphs to the next level, integrating them into larger projects is possible with technologies like Node.js. Node.js is a popular runtime environment that allows you to incorporate the graphs you’ve created in Rivet into web applications or other software projects, significantly expanding the potential uses of your AI prototypes.

Ironclad’s Rivet provides a powerful and accessible platform for those interested in AI prototyping but who may lack coding expertise. By utilizing the steps provided, from the initial installation to becoming proficient in prompt engineering, you can develop and refine AI functionalities such as audio transcription and interactive Q&A.

The combination of Rivet’s graphical development environment with integrations like Assembly AI and Node.js ensures that your entry into AI prototyping is efficient and effective. With tools like Rivet, the barrier to entering the world of AI is lower than ever, opening up opportunities for innovation and creativity in a field that continues to grow and influence our world in countless ways.

Image Credit : Ironclad

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How to make custom GPTs for landing pages no-coding required

How to make custom GPTs for website landing pages no-coding required

In the fast-paced online world, a good website landing page is crucial. It’s the first thing people see when they visit a business online. It’s like a digital handshake. This is where people form their first impression of a business. Effective landing page usage is crucial for online business success. But there’s more to a landing page than how it looks. The technical parts are just as important.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing many areas, including business websites. One AI tool recently launched by OpenAI is the ability to create custom GPTs or Generative Pre-trained Transformers. This method of easily creating AI tools for website, productivity and automation is going to transform the business world. These AI models can create text that sounds like a human wrote it and thanks to  the new Assistant API and ChatGPT  integration.

Custom trained on your brand and products

Users can train these GPT models by feeding them with data and customize them to produce specific categories of text and results. This makes them great for making websites more dynamic and interactive, providing customer support and more 24-hour is a day seven days a week. In a similar way to having a sales assistant always available for every visitor to your website answering any questions they may have accurately based on your custom data and training.

Good landing pages begin with design. It should be visually appealing, representative of the brand, and user-friendly. The layout should assist visitors in actions like buying, signing up, or learning more. Use good headlines, smaller headings, and pictures that show what the page is for. The goal is to make it easy for people to understand and benefit from what you’re offering. The custom GPT should perform well on any device, mobile or desktop. Use modern web tools to make pages that can change for different devices and write efficient custom GPTs that doesn’t slow down the page.

Designing custom GPTs for landing pages

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GPT models are especially good for making chatbots on websites. These chatbots can talk to visitors, turning them into customers. No coding knowledge required to use these models on your site. Tools like Zapier and OpenAI make it easy to set up and manage these models. For example, you can put a chatbot on your website that uses GPT to respond to visitors.

Zapier, a tool for linking apps and automating tasks, can help manage the data between your website and the GPT model. When someone talks to the chatbot, Zapier sends their words to the GPT model and then sends the model’s reply back to the chatbot. This makes the chat experience smooth and can help turn visitors into customers.

Cost-effective solution

Using GPT models can be cheaper than hiring engineers for similar jobs. The cost of using a GPT model depends on the provider, but it’s usually less than paying an engineer. These models can also save time and resources since they work well with tools like Zapier. Custom GPT models are flexible. You can train them with your own data to make responses that fit your brand. Better training data leads to better model performance. It’s important to use good, varied data.

In today’s mobile-driven world, your page should function seamlessly across all devices. It should change its layout for different screens. Testing on lots of devices is key to make sure it works well everywhere. A responsive page is not only better for users but also helps with search engine rankings.

How people feel using the page is also key. A good page, for example, is one that is easy to use and find information on. Test with users to find and fix any problems. Also, the page should load fast. If it’s slow, people might leave. To speed up, use smaller images, save browser data, and keep web requests low.

Conversion rate optimization (CRO) means changing your page to get more people to do what you want, like signing up or buying. Test different things like buttons, headlines, or pictures to see what works best. Keep forms simple and use words and reviews that build trust and encourage people to act. Keep an eye on how the page does with analytics tools to keep making it better.

Here is a quick summary of areas to consider when designing and integrating custom GPTs into website landing pages

  • Importance of Landing Pages:
    • Landing pages are crucial in the fast-paced digital world, acting as the forefront of a business’s online presence.
    • They serve as a digital introduction, influencing a visitor’s first impression and decision to engage with the brand.
    • For online success, mastery in crafting landing pages is crucial, going beyond aesthetics to technical proficiency.
  • Role of AI in Enhancing Landing Pages:
    • Artificial intelligence, particularly GPT models, revolutionizes the functionality of business websites.
    • GPT models excel in generating human-like text, learning from vast internet sources to produce tailored content.
    • This capability renders websites more dynamic and interactive, elevating the user experience.
  • Design and User Experience:
    • Effective design aligns with the brand identity and caters to user-friendliness.
    • The layout should encourage specific actions like purchases, subscriptions, or learning about services.
    • Utilizing clear headlines, subheadings, and imagery simplifies the user journey and highlights the offered value.
    • Responsiveness across devices is crucial, ensuring consistent performance from smartphones to desktops.
    • Speed optimization is key; a slow-loading page risks losing potential customers.
  • GPT-Powered Chatbots:
    • Chatbots powered by GPT can significantly enhance user engagement, converting visitors into potential leads.
    • These advanced chatbots require minimal coding knowledge for integration, thanks to user-friendly tools like Zapier and OpenAI.
    • They can provide personalized interaction, improving the overall user experience and likelihood of conversion.
  • Automation and Data Management:
    • Zapier facilitates the automation of data flow between the website and GPT model, enhancing the efficiency of chatbot interactions.
    • This automation creates a smooth, responsive dialogue between the chatbot and visitors, fostering a positive user experience.
  • Cost-Effectiveness and Customization:
    • GPT models offer an affordable alternative to hiring dedicated engineers for content generation and chatbot interactions.
    • Customizable to specific business needs, GPT models can be fine-tuned with proprietary data to align with the brand’s voice and style.
  • Mobile Optimization and SEO:
    • With the prevalence of mobile usage, ensuring mobile responsiveness is non-negotiable for landing pages.
    • Responsive design contributes not only to user satisfaction but also aids in improving search engine rankings.
  • User Testing and Page Speed:
    • Continual user testing helps identify and rectify usability issues, ensuring the landing page meets user expectations.
    • Optimizing elements like image size and browser caching is essential to enhance page loading speed.
  • Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO):
    • CRO involves iterative testing of various elements (CTAs, images, forms) to increase user actions like sign-ups or purchases.
    • Simplifying forms, using persuasive language, and presenting social proof are strategies to boost conversions.
    • Ongoing monitoring through analytics is vital for understanding performance and guiding further optimizations.
  • Long-term Strategy:
    • A well-designed landing page is not just a one-time entry point; it sets the stage for a sustained relationship between the business and its clients.
    • It’s a critical component of any comprehensive online strategy, impacting customer acquisition and retention.

Designing and making a website landing page is important. The initial impression can influence whether people stay or leave. These tips help businesses create attention-grabbing landing pages. Adding custom GPTs can boost readership, followers, and sales. This first step on the landing page can start a long-term relationship between a business and its customers, making it a key part of any online plan.

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