While the day before yesterday, yesterday and today we were fiddling with prevention on the site, unusual news passed our attention - for some it was funny, for others it was outrageous, and for others it was great. The Chinese decided not to waste time on trifles and opened alternative App Store , which allows all owners of Apple gadgets living in China to install applications without jailbreaking.
The fact that in China the situation with the protection of intellectual property in general and with piracy in particular is even worse than in Russia is a well-known fact. But this time the impudence of Chinese hackers is amazing. It is noteworthy that they practically did not have to use hacker talents, because the service works based on the volume licensing system that Apple developed for the mass distribution of programs within large enterprises. In short, the IPA file of the program is signed with a special certificate, after which it can be installed on a specified list of devices without any problems. This scheme is nothing new, it has been running for several years now, and there is a separate section of the App Store for bulk purchasing of apps on behalf of businesses. A similar software distribution scheme can be used by developers who subscribe to a paid subscription. iOS program Developer Program from Apple, for beta testing of its products.
But the Chinese site 7659.com makes distribution of programs completely free. In exchange for a freebie, the user must agree to provide the service with a device identifier and some other gadget parameters. Formally, the service is available only in China, but proxy servers and VPNs have not been canceled.
The most interesting thing in this story is to see how Apple will react to this. There are levers of influence, quite a few of them. You can revoke the certificates on which applications are signed by this service, you can sue the resource administration, you can block the accounts of those who use this service. But so far no action has been taken in Cupertino. And will they? This is a sensitive question... Probably even Apple understands that if the average Chinese user has no loopholes for piracy at all, his interest in the iPhone, iPod touch and the iPad will decrease noticeably.
P.S. We did not support piracy, we do not support it, and we will not support it. As we have emphasized more than once, the issue is not at all a matter of conscientiousness, morality and spirituality, the issue is exclusively pragmatic, and everyone decides it for themselves. It’s just that we ourselves develop (and even try to sell) software in the App Store, so loyalty to piracy on our part would look at least strange.
And we'll paste this into the next collection. Let us know in the comments and leave your app ratings for different devices.
Chinese language apps
By far the best Chinese (English-Chinese-English) dictionary for iOS and Android. Needs no introduction. Free version includes very good basic dictionaries, which should be enough for 90% of everyday life. For specific needs, you can purchase additional dictionaries, optical character recognition (OCR), flashcards and much more.
Homepage Android iOS
Waygo Visual Translator
Too lazy and/or stupid to learn Chinese? Or maybe you just want to order your own food without having to learn the world's most complex script? Then Waygo Visual Translator is designed especially for you. The free version includes good OCR that will translate words into menus or street names. Just point your iPhone at the name of the dish and get an instant (and often understandable) translation.
Homepage iOS
Xiaoma Hanzi (小马词典)
A small application for learning hieroglyphs, named after the editor-in-chief of Magazeta. It will help you practice your pronunciation and knowledge of the meaning of hieroglyphs. Searches for hieroglyphs based on features, but not as complex as Pleco
Homepage Android
Sogou Pinyin Input (搜狗手机输入法)
One of the most popular hieroglyph input systems based on pinyin transcription from the Internet giant Sohu. "Sogo" constantly updates its vocabulary base, knows the latest titles and names. We also recommend: .
Homepage Android iOS
Shopping and food apps in China
Taobao (淘宝)
Russian MIG fighters and everything made by human hands, as well - everything is sold here.
Homepage Android iOS
Etao (一淘)
Search and compare product prices on major websites in China and abroad (including Amazon.com).
Homepage Android iOS
Alipay (支付宝钱包)
Do you want that MIG or meteorite? Here's how you'll pay for it. Alipay - Chinese equivalent PayPal. This application helps you pay for purchases using your mobile phone and do basic operations with your electronic account.
Homepage Android iOS
Dazhong Dianping
Search for restaurants by location, cuisine, price and user ratings. The store recommends!
Homepage Android iOS
MTime (时光电影)
What is shown in local cinemas and are there any discounts on Cinema tickets? An app for movie fans in China.
Homepage Android iOS
Wochacha (我查查)
Scan the barcode on a book, groceries or other items and get information and price comparisons at nearby supermarkets and online stores.
Homepage Android iOS
Chinese Social Media Applications
Sina Weibo
Keep your finger on the pulse of the Chinese blogosphere, the latest celebrity gossip and, if you're lucky, become a popular Laowai blogger if you want to practice your Chinese. There is also an application for Tencent Weibo, but we have never met real people who write there.
Homepage Android iOS
WeChat (微信)
A mixture of Whatsapp and 5 more applications for online communication: send text messages, audio messages, video messages, photos, write another blog and in general, waste your time in a big way!
Homepage Android iOS
Chinese Music Applications
Xiami (虾米)
Music broadcasting (streaming) service. Monitors music charts in China, UK and US. Can search for music playing near you in this moment. Allows you to save 50 tracks to your phone for offline listening. Shows a bunch of lyrics for most songs.
Homepage Android iOS
Douban FM (豆瓣FM)
An Internet radio station similar to the American Pandora. Creates personal stations based on the music you like. It also allows you to save music to your phone for later listening. Thematic stations for the 80后 and 90后 generation are also interesting.
Homepage Android iOS
Chinese video apps
Youku (优酷)
Last year, Youku merged with its main competitor Tudou and has a huge collection of legal HD movies. As well as recordings of the latest TV programs and shows from around the world. Well, and of course, even more video content that is not so legal and in not so good quality :)
Homepage Android iOS
Sohu Video (搜狐视频)
Want to watch Dexter, War of Thrones or The Big Bang Theory? “I have them Sohu.” These and other foreign TV series are in the original with Chinese subtitles.
Homepage Android iOS
iQiyi (爱奇艺)
Another video hosting and Internet TV, but this time from Baidu. Offers a large selection of movies and TV shows that you can't find on Youku or Sohu.
Homepage Android iOS
Funshion (风行)
Another all-in-one app from the video category. I haven't used Funshion myself, but I've heard good things about it.
Homepage Android iOS
Kascend (开迅视频)
An application for searching content on several video platforms.
Homepage Android iOS
Flvshow
A pirated application that is distributed on "" devices. A huge aggregator from all video hosting sites, like Kascend. Download and install at your own risk.
Android
CNTV CBox (国网络电视台Cbox)
Apps for traveling to and from China
Search and reserve plane and train tickets, as well as book hotels and see hot deals. We recommend this service for searching.
Homepage Android iOS
UMeTrip (航旅纵横)
Keep an eye on flight schedules at airports in China. Departures, arrivals and delays: everything is in full view.
Homepage Android iOS
Yidao Yongche
Search for private cab drivers. It costs 2-3 times more than a taxi, but it perfectly saves you from traffic jams and rush hour (when there are no available taxis) in large Chinese cities.
Homepage Android iOS
Useful applications
全国空气污染指数 (China Air Pollution Indicator)
Check the level of air pollution and heavy metal particles in the atmosphere before leaving the house, so that you can take a respirator, gas mask with you in time, or simply stay at home.
Homepage Android iOS
Did we miss anything? Write yours in the comments personal recommendations and advice for Chinese geeks and newcomers.
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Our Chinese friends, in their ineradicable desire for fakes, managed to create their own store Apps Store. And, true to their traditions, they placed pirated copies of well-known iOS applications in it, which anyone can download to their iDevice, and no jailbreak is required.
7659.com is the web portal for the KuaiYong desktop program, which uses Apple's technology for licensing and distributing unlimited applications to corporations and institutions.
The fake App Store targets only Chinese users, but can be accessed from anywhere in the world using a proxy server. Today, 7569.com hosts many applications, including the latest releases such as Final Fantasy V and Badland, all of which are given away for free.
According to the creators of 7659.com, the site was created to help Chinese users master working with Apple gadgets.
First of all, we would like to thank all Apple users for their support of the KuaiYong project.
Statistics show that there are a significant number of people in China using Apple devices, and many of them have difficulty using and managing iTunes.
To enable Chinese Apple fans to download apps securely, KuaiYong has developed its own method, giving users access to thousands free applications without the need to jailbreak. Kuaiyong offers detailed descriptions applications, their possibility free download for informational purposes, as well as backup for audio and video files. Backup We plan to launch iOS and the recovery function in the near future.
Our goal has always been to attract Chinese Apple users and offer them a pleasant and convenient iOS experience. Since the launch of KuaiYong, the percentage of jailbroken devices has dropped sharply, from 60% to around 30%. KuaiYong will continue to pursue this goal and we look forward to Apple's support.
These people are so sweet and kind. They just wanted to help poor Chinese people install apps on their iOS devices. Of course, for informational purposes only. It seems that it won’t be too difficult for Apple to deal with this pirated application store. True, it cannot be ruled out that the technology used by KuaiYong will not be used by anyone else for similar purposes. It's so easy to be kind - especially at someone else's expense.
Image: Reuters/Edgar Su
As of the end of 2016, there were 731 million Internet users in China. The figure is more than half the official population of the Middle Kingdom and is almost equal to the population of all European countries. 95% (695 million) of Chinese Internet users access the World Wide Web from mobile devices. And all these users use mobile applications on a daily basis, mainly created in China and for the Chinese market.
As is known, in the PRC the most high level Internet censorship. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram are blocked in China, Google search engine and related services: store Google applications Play mail client Gmail, maps Google Maps. You can only access all these resources using a VPN connection. The technology allows you to bypass the Firewall. By 2018, the Chinese authorities promise to completely block VPNs. But most Chinese Internet users don't seem to need it. Such strict control over the Internet contributed to the formation of its own unique market in China. Local services are popular here, which almost completely replace inaccessible Western resources and even surpass them in many ways.
Introducing the TOP 50 most popular in China mobile applications. The ranking is based on the number of monthly active users as of May 2017 (according to iResearch Global).
1.Wechat
Monthly active users: 932.446 million
The undisputed leader of the rating, No. 1 in China. The application, created by the Internet giant Tencent in 2011, is the most famous Chinese mobile application outside of the Middle Kingdom. It is common to call Wechat the Chinese equivalent of Whatsapp. But in fact, Wechat's functionality is much broader. The application combines many options and is at the same time a messenger, social network, a service for ordering tickets and calling a taxi, a mobile wallet (instant money transfer service) and much, much more.
2. QQ
Monthly active users: 551.708 million
Another popular Chinese instant messenger from Tencent. The QQ program was created for the computer in 1999 under the name OICQ (“Open ICQ”) as a replica of ICQ. But after a conflict regarding violation of intellectual property rights, it received the name QQ. Today the program also has many useful functions: group chats, file sharing, data storage service, dating service.
3.iQIYI
Monthly active users: 541.686 million
The Baidu-owned app is designed to search and watch video content, with an emphasis on licensed high-definition video. You can search and watch videos for free. Paid subscription makes it possible to enjoy videos without advertising in ad-free mode.
4. QQ Live
Monthly active users: 490.624 million
Service for watching videos. Users can leave reviews, rate films, and share their favorite films with friends.
5. Sogou Input
Monthly active users: 489.683 million
How do the Chinese type characters on computers and smartphones? Most people use the Sogou app. There is a keyboard for handwriting input and a voice input function.
6. Taobao
Monthly active users: 447.410 million
Taobao is a symbol of China, like pandas or rice. It is the most popular online shopping platform and online shopping app. On average, users open the app 7 times a day. With its help, you can not only buy goods and track their delivery, but also purchase air and train tickets, travel vouchers, exchange recommendations with friends and conduct microblogs.
7. Alipay
Monthly active users: 443.897 million
Alipay, created by the Alibaba group of companies, is today the most popular Chinese payment system. Using the service, users pay for purchases in online stores, communication, public utilities. Most restaurants, shops and even markets accept Alipay. Also, through the application you can transfer money to a bank account, arrange a deposit, insurance, get a loan or purchase securities. For comparison, PayPal services are used by 197 million people.
8. Sina Weibo
Monthly active users: 398.233 million
Sina Weibo is a microblogging service, the Chinese equivalent of Twitter. By the end of March, the platform's total monthly users exceeded 340 million, leaving Sina Weibo behind its American counterpart, Twitter, with 328 million active users. Weibo's daily active users have exceeded 154 million.
9. Baidu Search
Monthly active users: 377.804 million
The main search engine, “Chinese Google”.
10. QQ Browser
Monthly active users: 360,261 million
Tencent's popular browser has received criticism for its lack of privacy protection.
11. Baidu Maps
Monthly active users: 323,626 million
The application runs on Chinese. Since 2016, maps of not only China, Hong Kong and Macau, but also other countries such as Italy, Spain, France, South Korea and many others are available.
12. Baidu Input
Monthly active users: 321,123 million
Alternative keyboard for typing.
13. 360safe
Monthly active users: 320,404 million
360 Security is a free antivirus app available for Android and iOS. Helps support high speed smartphone operation, optimizes computer memory, deletes unnecessary files.
14. Autonavi Minimap
Monthly active users: 310,440 million
The application has several useful options: voice navigation, the ability to create a detailed route, search for cafes, restaurants and other establishments. The creators promise high accuracy and reliability of the data.
15.Youku
Monthly active users: 306,359 million
Youku is the largest video portal in China by number of visits. 80% of Youku's revenue comes from advertising. The service has more than 20,000 videos in VR format (360 degrees).
16.Kugou
Monthly active users: 290,873 million
The Kugou Music app can be installed on your computer or mobile device (there are versions for both iOS and Android).
17. UC Browser
Monthly active users: 285,451 million
18. SNDA Wifilocating
Monthly active users: 279,451 million
The WiFi万能钥匙 app also allows you to turn on the hotspot Wi-Fi access on a smartphone for other devices.
19. QQ Music (QQ音乐)
Monthly active users: 271,327 million
A popular application for searching and listening to music. Allows you to listen to tracks for free, create your own playlists, and share music with friends.
20. QQ Secure
Monthly active users: 263,900 million
21. QQ News
Monthly active users: 256,232 million
Leading news app from Tencent.
22. Tencent My App (Ying Yong Bao)
Monthly active users: 241,211 million
The app store receives huge traffic, especially for installing mobile games.
23. Moji Weather
Monthly active users: 229,480 million
The application offers weather forecasts for more than 70 cities. According to the developer, Moji Weather is used by 500 million people around the world. Real-time and 15-day weather forecasts and air quality forecasts are available. The weather forecast is presented by funny characters.
24. Iflytek Voice Input
Monthly active users: 223,545 million
Alternative keyboard for mobile devices with manual or voice typing options.
25. Apple appstore
Monthly active users: 174,013 million
26. Mi Video
Monthly active users: 146,599 million
Search for videos on various resources.
27. Le TV
Monthly active users: 137,617 million
Another popular Chinese application for searching and watching videos.
28. Article News
Monthly active users: 136,423 million
News application.
29. Kuwo Player
Monthly active users: 129,241 million
酷我音乐播放器 application for searching and listening to music.
30.360appstore
Monthly active users: 128,003 million
Another app and mobile games store.
31. Xiaomi Market
Monthly active users: 122,073 million
Mobile application store for owners of Xiaomi smartphones.
32.Meituan
Monthly active users: 121,102 million
The most popular resource for joint purchases and receiving discounts on various goods and services.
33. JD (Jingdong) Mall
Monthly active users: 116,552 million
Mobile application popular in China trading platform JD.com.
34.MYXJ
Monthly active users: 115,381 million
The application allows you to transform a portrait in an instant, make the skin smoother and whiter, and remove oily shine. The app is called Mei Yan Xiang Ji (美颜相机), which can be translated as “beauty camera.”
35. VIVO APP Store
Monthly active users: 112,631 million
36. Baidu Appsearch
Monthly active users: 108.188 million
37.Huawei Market
Monthly active users: 108.059 million
Application store for Huawei devices.
38. VIVO Game Center
Monthly active users: 107.753 million
Game center from the mobile device manufacturer VIVO.
39. 360 Browser
Monthly active users: 106.786 million
Free mobile version browser for iOS, Android, Windows Phone from Chinese developer Qihoo.
40. QQ Mail
Monthly active users: 103.837 million
The mobile application of a popular mail agent in China allows you to use several mailboxes simultaneously, send large files.
41. OPPO Software Store
Monthly active users: 101.490 million
42. Jinshan cleanmaster
Monthly active users: 98.992 million
The application helps maintain high speed of the smartphone and optimizes the device memory.
43. QQ hlddz
Monthly active users: 98.477 million
Gaming platform with many online games.
44.iReader
Monthly active users: 98.178 million
Convenient application for reading books.
45. Meitu Xiuxiu
Monthly active users: 94.628 million
Photo editor for retouching portraits, selfies, processing any photos. The Meitu Xiuxiu (美图秀秀) application can even out skin tone, remove dark circles under the eyes, make the face narrower, the eyes larger, and the figure slimmer. There are many stickers and special effects.
46. Dianping
Monthly active users: 93.691 million
47. OPPO GameCenter
Monthly active users: 93.414 million
48.Kbao
Monthly active users: 91.403 million
49. QMK
Monthly active users: 89.114 million
50. Netease News
Monthly active users: 85.911 million
Popular news platform. The official description of the app notes that Netease has been chosen by 400 million people.
