Apple Fine and Sideloading

Apple Sideloading

In two recent blows to Apple, it’s just been fined £1.5bn for breaking EU competition laws over music streaming, while its latest iPhone update means allowing developers to offer their own ‘app stores’.  The Fine  Following a complaint by Swedish music streaming service Spotify, Apple has been fined £1.5bn by the European Commission for abusing…

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End Of The Road For Apple Car

Apple Car

It’s been reported that Apple has ceased work on its Autonomous Electric Vehicle known as “Project Titan”.  The 2,000 employees who were working on the decade-long project (and who reportedly had a say in the decision to stop work on it) are reported to have been moved to Apple’s generative AI team, other divisions in…

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Quantum-Proof iMessage Update

New Apple Security

Apple says it’s rolling out an update to its iMessage texting platform that can defend against future encryption-breaking technologies such as decryption by quantum computers.  Apple says its PQ3 “groundbreaking post-quantum cryptographic protocol” offers Level 3 security, i.e. it provides protocol protections that surpass those in all other widely deployed messaging apps. Apple says PQ3 (post-quantum cryptography…

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Instagram and Facebook Ads ‘Apple Tax’

Apple Tax For Facebook

Meta has announced that it will be passing on Apple’s 30 per cent service charge (often referred to as the “Apple tax”) to advertisers who pay to boost posts on Facebook and Instagram through the iOS app.   This move is a response to Apple’s in-app purchase fees, which apply to digital transactions within apps available on the…

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Stolen Device Protection Update Rolled Out

Stolen Iphone

Apple iPhone users are being urged to use a new feature called ‘Stolen Device Protection’ which was rolled out in a recent update to iOS.  As the new feature’s name suggests, it can help prevent someone who has stolen your device and knows your passcode from making critical changes to your account or device. It…

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Apple Tests Contingent Pricing To Retain Developers

Apple-Contingent-Pricing

To keep its App Store appealing to developers after they gain the right to distribute apps through their own channels when the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) comes into force, Apple is introducing a pilot test of “contingent pricing.”  This means that developers can bundle subscriptions for two apps at a discounted price in the…

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Apple Makes EU Concessions To Avoid Antitrust Fine

Apple Antitrust

It’s been reported that The European Commission is now seeking feedback from Apple’s rivals and customers over concessions agreed by Apple relating to its tap-and-go mobile payment systems, based on the independent technology called Near-Field Communication (NFC).  Following an antitrust investigation and the threat of a fine, Apple had agreed to open up these systems…

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Apple To Allow Sideloaded EU App Stores

Sideloading iPhones

In compliance with the regulations in the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), and following the iOS 17.2 update, it’s been reported that Apple will soon be allowing iOS users to sideload app stores in the EU. This means that iOS users will be able to download and install apps from sources other than its official…

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Apple Pays After Throttling iPhones Settlement 

Apple Pays After Throttling iPhones Settlement

Following a US case dating back to 2017 which led to Apple admitting that it has deliberately slowed down some older models of iPhones (throttling), a settlement for compensation payments to affected iPhone owners has been reached.  After agreeing in 2020 to pay, this settlement of the lawsuit means that each of the 5.5 million…

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Apple Watches Back On Sale In The US After Ban

Apple Watch Back On Sale

The latest version of the Apple Watch has gone back on sale in the US after being removed from sale by the US Government from 26 December 2023. Its removal from sale followed claims by medical technology company Masimo that the watch’s pulse oximetry sensors (used to measure how much oxygen is in the blood)…

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