Russia's Federal Anti-Monopoly Service (FAS) has levied a $12 million fine against Apple for alleged abuse of its dominance in the mobile applications market, reports Reuters.
According to the FAS, Apple's distribution of apps through iOS gives its products a competitive advantage. Apple has been charged 906.3 million roubles, equivalent to $12.1 million.
The fine stems from an August ruling that said Apple abused its dominant App Store position and limited competition in the iOS app market when it began banning parental control apps back in 2019 for using configuration profiles.
Cybersecurity company Kaspersky Lab filed an antitrust complaint with the FAS after Apple removed the Kaspersky Safe Kids app from the App Store. At the time, the app had been available for three years before it was pulled.
"Apple occupies a dominant position with a 100% share of the market for mobile apps based on the iOS operating system because it is only legally possible to install such apps from the App Store," said the FAS in a ruling that ordered Apple to address the regulatory violations by removing rules that allow it to reject third-party apps.
Apple has said that it "respectfully" disagrees with the FAS's decision and plans to appeal it.
Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
With the release of iOS 14.5, Apple added a new Apple Music feature that lets subscribers of the streaming service share lyrics as text as well as audio clips containing the sung lyrics. Read on to learn how it works.
Apple Music features real-time lyrics for many songs that you can sing along to while the track plays or use to skip to specific parts of a song. In iOS 14.5 and later installed on your iPhone or iPad, you can now share song lyrics with a friend or with a wider circle of people over social media, including Instagram Stories.
In some cases, the feature also lets you share song clips. For example, if you opt to share over iMessage, an Apple Music card will appear in the conversation that allows the recipient to play that specific part of the song in Messages via a play button. The following steps guide you through the process of sharing lyrics in Apple Music.
In the Apple Music app, select a song to play and expand the currently playing menu to the whole screen.
Tap the lyrics button in the bottom-left corner of the screen. If it's greyed out, Apple Music doesn't have lyrics for the currently playing song and you won't be able to share.
With the real-time lyrics showing on screen, press and hold on any of the words.
The actions menu will appear, where you can tap on the individual lines of lyrics that you want to share. To de-select a highlighted lyric, simply tap it again. Note Apple applies a character limit, which means on average that you can share between four and six lines depending on the song.
Choose a sharing method from the two rows of options, such as iMessage or Instagram. You can also choose to share a clip of the song using the Share Song... action.
For more helpful articles detailing all the new features in iOS 14.5, be sure to check our dedicated guide.
On Monday, May 3 Apple and Epic will meet in court as their bench trial kicks off over the dispute that Epic started last summer by defying the App Store in-app purchase rules.
In preparation for the legal battle, Apple today filed the written testimonies of its witnesses with the court, and if approved, it serves the same function as actual trial testimony, providing insight into the arguments that Apple will make. The expert testimony includes several professors with expertise in law, economics, marketing, computer security, and antitrust.
The witnesses will rebut claims made by Epic's witnesses, and will argue the merits of the App Store rules and policies for consumers. University of Pennsylvania Professor in Operations, Information and Decisions Lorin Hitt, for example, calculated Apple's digital game transaction market share to argue that Apple doesn't have a monopoly and to point out that Apple's fees are the same as other game transaction platforms.
My market share calculations support the conclusion that Apple does not have market or monopoly power in a properly defined market. Apple's share of the digital game transaction market lies between 23.3% and 37.5%. In light of my conservative approach, these market share estimates, especially at the high end, are likely to overstate Apple's true market share and are, in any event, inconsistent with Apple having substantial market power. The entry of new game transaction platforms is also inconsistent with Apple having market power.
University of Michigan Professor of Economics Dean Francine Lafontaine points to Safari as an alternative to in-app purchases that some developers use, though it's worth noting that Apple does not generally allow developers to advertise payment methods outside of the App Store, so developers like Epic would need to make customers aware of the option outside of the app.
Even the rare consumer who has access to only an iOS device has a readily available game transaction alternative to the App Store--the Safari browser. For example, any Fortnite player can use Safari (or Chrome) to purchase Fortnite's in-game currency, 'V-Bucks,' a transaction that generates no commission for Apple.
A survey conducted by UCLA Professor of Marketing Dominique Hanssens argues that Apple does not have a monopoly in the gaming market because most iPhone and iPad users regularly use other devices that can access digital gaming content like consoles.
Results of my first survey show that 92 percent of respondents who downloaded apps from the App Store had regularly used at least one other type of device (i.e., devices other than iPhones and iPads) with which they could access digital gaming content, in the last 12 months. Further, 99 percent of respondents in the first survey had regularly used or could have regularly used at least one other type of device (i.e., devices other than iPhones and iPads) with which they could access digital gaming content, in the last 12 months.
On the topic of security, Johns Hopkins University Information Security Institute technical director Aviel Rubin will cover the importance of the App Store review process when it comes to security. Epic will likely argue that the App Store is not as secure as Apple says it is, pointing to scam apps and malware that slip through the review process as it aims to convince the court that third-party app distribution methods are needed.
The introduction of third-party app stores for iOS would decrease iOS security, safety, and trustworthiness, as evidenced by the cases of Google and statistics indicating that third- party app stores host 99.9% of discovered mobile malware... Irrespective of whether they would be able to or intend to achieve the same security goals, the reality is that they could not. Moreover, there is no guarantee that all, or even most, third-party app stores would commit to upholding user security and privacy and intend to achieve such security goals, particularly if those standards come at the expense of efficiency and revenue.
The filings are limited to Apple's expert witnesses and do not include topics that will be covered by Apple executives during the trial. Apple CEO Tim Cook, Apple Fellow Phil Schiller, and Apple software engineering chief Craig Federighi will all testify in person in the Northern California court.
Epic will likely share its own expert witness testimony at some point ahead of when the trial begins. Epic also has an interesting witness list, which will include Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney and other Epic employees along with iTunes chief Eddy Cue and former iOS software chief Scott Forstall. Both companies will also call executives from other companies like Facebook and Microsoft.
Apple's witness statements are below for those who would like to see them in their entirety to get a better idea of how Apple plans to defend itself against Epic next week.
With the release of iOS 14.5, Apple introduced a new process for recalibrating the battery health reporting on the iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max.
The update recalibrates the maximum battery capacity and peak performance capacity on iPhone 11 models to address inaccurate estimates of battery health reporting that some users have encountered.
Symptoms of this bug include unexpected battery drain behavior or in some cases, reduced peak performance capability, but these issues should be fixed after installing the update.
Once you've updated your iPhone 11 to iOS 14.5 or later (Settings -> General -> Software Update), you'll see a message in the Settings app under the Battery -> Battery Health section informing you of the recalibration process.
Note that the process can take a few weeks to complete after updating your device. This is because recalibration of the battery's maximum capacity and peak performance capability takes place over the course regular charge cycles.
It's also worth bearing in mind that the displayed maximum capacity percentage won't change during recalibration, and while peak performance capability might also be updated, it may not be noticeable.
Only when the recalibration is complete can the maximum capacity percentage and peak performance capability information be regarded as accurate. If the recalibration indicates that battery health has indeed significantly declined, you'll see a battery service message.
In some cases, your iPhone 11 battery's recalibration may not be successful and a battery service message will pop up. In such cases, Apple will replace affected batteries free of charge to restore full performance and capacity to your device.
As was rumored last week, Spotify today announced a new paid subscription platform for podcasts. The service will begin rolling out in the United States today and then expand internationally in the coming months (via Variety).
The announcement comes exactly one week after Apple announced its own Apple Podcasts subscription platform at the "Spring Loaded" event.
The new Spotify feature will be available to creators through its partner Anchor, allowing podcasters to mark episodes as "subscriber only." Spotify says that it will come at no cost to the creator, and they'll receive 100 percent of subscriber revenue (excluding payment transaction fees). Beginning in 2023, Spotify plans to introduce a 5 percent fee to access the tool.
Podcasters can select from three different price tiers for their subscriptions: $2.99/month, $4.99/month, or $7.99/month. The rollout will begin with 12 independent podcasters on Spotify, and will expand to more creators in a few months.
All of the new subscriber-only content will be fully searchable within Spotify like other podcasts. They'll be marked with a lock icon on the play button, until listeners pay to subscribe to the podcast.
Apple's version of podcast subscriptions won't debut until May, and similar to other App Store subscriptions, Apple will collect 30 percent of podcast subscription fees that creators generate in their first year. Afterwards, Apple will collect 15 percent. Creators will also have to sign up for the Apple Podcasters Program by paying $19.99 per year.
According to Spotify podcast service lead Michael Mignano, the company is trying to show creators that Spotify has "the best terms" for publishing their podcasts.
“We really wanted to come out and show creators that we are offering the best terms… and two years [of no fees] is a great way to do that,” said Michael Mignano, Spotify’s head of podcaster services and tools. He added, “There’s no exclusivity. We’re not locking you into terms.”
To start, Spotify has partnered with NPR to be among the first media companies to launch podcast subscriptions. There will be new ad-free paid shows on May 4, including "How I Built This with Guy Raz," "Short Wave," "It’s Been a Minute with Sam Sanders," "Code Switch," and "Planet Money."
We're a few days out from the launch of the newest iPad Pro models, and that means we're seeing all-time low sale prices on the previous generation models this week. We began to track these sales after the "Spring Loaded" event last week, and Amazon has now provided even steeper discounts on a few of these 2020 iPad Pro tablets.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
This time around, prices start at $699.99 for the 128GB Wi-Fi 11-inch iPad Pro, which is $99 off its original price and the best deal we've seen to date. You'll find similar best ever prices among many of the 11-inch 2020 line-up, and the 12.9-inch tablets start at $909.93 for 128GB Wi-Fi.
11-Inch iPad Pro (2020)
Wi-Fi 128GB - $699.99 at Amazon ($99 off, lowest price)
Wi-Fi 256GB - $769.93 at Amazon ($129 off, lowest price)
Wi-Fi 512GB - $999.00 at Amazon ($100 off, lowest price)
Cellular 1TB - $1,499.00 at Amazon ($150 off, lowest price)
For even more iPad deals, head to our full Best Deals guide for iPad. In that guide we track the best discounts online for iPad, iPad mini, iPad Air, and iPad Pro. Additionally, be sure to visit our Deals Roundup to shop for even more Apple-related products and accessories.
Apple today shared the first teaser trailer for its upcoming dark comedy show "Physical." The show stars Rose Byrne as a distressed housewife in 1980's San Diego, who gets swept up in the aerobics craze of the decade and has to contend with battling personal demons along her new journey.
"Physical" will launch on June 18 on Apple TV+. It was created by Annie Weisman, who has worked on shows like "About a Boy," "Suburgatory," "I Feel Bad," and "Desperate Housewives." The show is directed by "I, Tonya" director Craig Gillepsie, as well as Liza Johnson and Stephanie Laing.
Set in the idyllic but fragile beach paradise of sunny 1980s San Diego, "Physical" is a half-hour dark comedy following Sheila Rubin, a quietly tortured, seemingly dutiful housewife supporting her smart but controversial husband's bid for state assembly. But behind closed doors, Sheila has her own darkly funny take on life she rarely lets the world see. She's also battling a complex set of personal demons relating to her self-image... that is, until she finds release through the unlikeliest source: the world of aerobics.
At first hooked on the exercise itself, Sheila's real road to empowerment comes when she discovers a way to merge this newfound passion with the burgeoning technology of videotape to start a revolutionary business. The series tracks her epic journey from a stifled, overlooked enabler to a powerful, confident economic force, as Sheila transforms into someone we take for granted today (but was entirely radical at the time) -- the female lifestyle guru.
Other upcoming Apple TV+ releases include "The Mosquito Coast" on April 30, "Mythic Quest" season two on May 7, "Trying" season two on May 14, "Lisey's Story" on June 4, and "Home Before Dark" season two on June 11. During last week's event, Apple also announced that the second season of "Ted Lasso" will debut July 23.
Eve Systems today announced the newest version of its HomeKit-compatible Eve Energy Smart Plug, introducing Thread integration.
The fourth-generation Eve Energy supports HomeKit over Thread, and as a main-powered always-on Thread accessory, Eve Energy serves as a router node in the Thread network to make smart homes more reliable with better reach throughout the house.
As a Thread router node, the Eve Energy can relay other accessories' data packages in the Thread mesh network for overall performance improvements.
"Packing Thread router functionality into a premium quality, small-footprint smart plug, Eve Energy is the quintessential HomeKit accessory," said Jerome Gackel, CEO of Eve Systems. "Not only does it offer endless automation possibilities, but it also delivers an ultra-robust network to ensure that your schedules and timers work, any time and any place."
As a Smart Home device, Eve Energy is a plug that can turn any standard appliance into a smart appliance, allowing it to be controlled through the Eve app, though the Home app, and with Siri voice commands.
With the Eve app, users can monitor the energy consumption and energy costs of whatever is plugged into the Eve Energy.
If a smart home setup has a HomePod or Apple TV as a home hub, users can access their accessories when away from home, plus the Eve Energy supports automations that work with other HomeKit products.
Through Thread and Bluetooth integration, Eve Energy can join a Thread network automatically, and it will work more reliably than a standalone Bluetooth-enabled accessory. Eve has several other Thread-compatible accessories including the Eve Door & Window, Eve Weather, and Eve Aqua.
Nomad today announced the launch of the Base Station Mini, a new single-device charging option that's designed to power an iPhone, AirPods, or other Qi-enabled device.
Designed to take up little space, Nomad says that the Base Station Mini is ideal for a night stand or desk. It's square shaped and not too much bigger than the AirPods, so it's useful for those who want a simple, space-saving charger.
This is not a MagSafe charger and when charging an iPhone, it is limited to 7.5W, though it can charge Android devices faster than that. It comes with a 2-meter USB-C cable, but does not ship with a power adapter. Like other Nomad Base Stations, the mini features a padded black leather surface and a zinc frame.
Separately, Nomad is also selling a new 20W USB-C power adapter that's ideal for use with the Base Station Mini or for other devices, including Apple's MagSafe Charger.
The Base Station Mini is priced at $60 and the 20W USB-C Power Adapter is priced at $19. Both products can be purchased from the Nomad website starting today.
Twelve South today announced the launch of the Forté, a charging stand that is compatible with Apple's MagSafe Charger.
The stand is designed to house the Apple-designed MagSafe charger, so you will need to supply your own. The MagSafe Charger fits into the arm of the stand, which in turn slots into a heavy metal base.
Twelve South sent us a Forté, and the base seems to be heavy enough to keep the iPhone in place when you remove it. Since you're using the standard MagSafe Charger with this stand, it charges at the full 15W speeds.
The MagSafe Charger cord is routed behind the Forté, but it's not possible to keep it entirely hidden, so keep that in mind. The base can house your AirPods or iPhone when not charging, but it does not have charging capabilities itself.
What's nice about the Forté is that it has an adjustable head, so the angle of the MagSafe Charger can be adjusted. You can move it where necessary to get a good view for FaceTime calls, or turn it all the way upright to make a charging platform to charge the AirPods with the Forté.
This upright angle should also work for charging older iPhones with the MagSafe Charger, even though it was clearly designed for AirPods. You can use this charger in either landscape or portrait mode when using it with a MagSafe-enabled iPhone 12, and it is easy to remove the MagSafe Charger if you need to take the charger on the go.
Apple has been listed as "Leader" on the TIME'snewly released list of the 100 Most Influential Companies of 2021, continuing the Cupertino tech giant's streak of dominating lists for the most influential and admired companies in the world.
TIME says that Apple's record-breaking holiday quarter, its growing selection of products and services, and the way it handled the global health crisis earned it a spot in this year's list.
During the holiday season, Apple raked in a record-breaking $111 billion, thanks in part to the uptick in remote work and schooling boosting its Mac and iPad sales. And that's just one way the Tim Cook–led, Cupertino, Calif., company was able to defy gravity in 2020, upsetting both the competition and its apparent partners. Among other moves, it launched a new Mac lineup with a plan to phase out its use of Intel processors for its own Apple-made designs based on its mobile devices. It debuted new iPhone models that caught up to the 5G-enabled competition, and added services like Apple Fitness+ to help keep people moving when they're indoors (and to compete with fitness companies like Peloton).
In February, Apple was crowned the world's most admired company by Fortune for the 14th consecutive year. Last year, Apple ranked in fourth for the largest American company. Moving forward, Apple is expected to continue to dominate lists of these kinds thanks to its rumored entry into different markets such as automotive and augmented reality.
Adobe Creative Cloud for Individuals is on sale this week in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, offering 40 percent off your first year of the subscription service. This offer is valid for new subscribers only and will end on Friday, April 30.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Adobe. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
To get the deal, head to Adobe's website and hit the "Buy Now" button on the front page, under the special offer details. On the next page, click "Buy Now" again next to the "Creative Cloud All Apps" option. With the sale, it'll be priced at $359.88/year, down from $599.88/year. There's a limit of one membership per customer.
At the end of your first year, you'll be billed for the current standard price, unless you opt to change or cancel the membership before the automatic renewal. Users should again note that this offer is only for new Adobe subscribers.
When signing up for Creative Cloud All Apps, you gain access to: Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Adobe XD, Premiere Pro, Lightroom, Acrobat Pro, Animate, Dreamweaver, Premiere Rush, After Effects, Dimension, Audition, InCopy, Lightroom Classic, Media Encoder, Character Animator, Prelude, Fuse, and Bridge.
These programs can be subscribed to individually as well for a monthly fee, but the new offer is only for Adobe Creative Cloud All Apps. Adobe is not discounting individual services. Be sure to visit our full Deals Roundup to shop for even more Apple-related products and accessories.
As part of the suite of features in iOS and iPadOS 14.5, Apple has rolled out a brand new set of Apple Music playlists that lists the top 25 songs in more than 100 cities around the world.
Reported by Billboard, the new collection of playlists ranks the top 25 most trending and hottest songs for over 100 cities around the world. The new collection can be found within the Browse section of the Apple Music app on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Non-Apple Music subscribers can also browse the playlists using Apple Music on the web.
Apple says the playlists are updated daily with songs "making the waves" in cities worldwide. There are over 100 cities currently part of the collection, and Apple could add more with time. Courtesy of iMore's Stephen Warwick, the full list of cities currently part of the collection can be found below:
Apple says that it will ban and reject apps on the App Store that attempt to offer users monetary incentives to enable tracking through App Tracking Transparency (ATT), one of many measures the company is taking to ensure developers follow through with the new framework.
Yesterday the Cupertino tech giant released iOS and iPadOS 14.5 with several headlining features, including ATT. ATT is a new framework on iOS and iPadOS devices that requires apps to ask for users' permission before tracking them across others apps and websites.
It's received significant criticism from companies such as Facebook, which deems it a threat to its business. With the new framework, all apps on the App Store must present users with a pop-up that asks whether they wish to be tracked or not. Users are shown "Ask App Not to Track" and "Allow" in the pop-up.
Following ATT's release, Apple also updated its Human Interface Guidelines with a new section titled "Accessing User Data." In this section, offering a mix of new and previously known information, Apple outlines the design policies that all apps must follow when they attempt to ask a user for their permission to access personal data, device capabilities such as microphone and camera, and consent to track them across apps and websites.
Apple's senior vice president of software engineering, Craig Federighi, recently said that Apple can only enforce its privacy values through the policies to which apps on the App Store are subject to and that it entirely can't be done at a system level. Federighi referred to ATT, echoing that Apple will enforce the new change as vigorously as it can through the App Store's rules.
The new additions to the Human Interface Guidelines are reflective of Federighi's comments. Apple can expect to see some apps try to circumvent ATT with gimmicks such as imitation or limiting an app's functionality unless permission to track is given. To counter this, Apple's new guidelines bar apps from attempting to mislead users to enable "Allow" for ad tracking by imitation or using a graphic that mimics the system pop-up.
Most notably, however, Apple says that any app that attempts to offer monetary incentives to users to convince them to enable tracking will be banned from the App Store.
Don't offer incentives for granting the request. You can't offer people compensation for granting their permission, and you can't withhold functionality or content or make your app unusable until people allow you to track them.
Don't display a custom message that mirrors the functionality of the system alert. In particular, don't create a button title that uses "Allow" or similar terms, because people don't allow anything in a pre-alert screen.
Don't show an image of the standard alert and modify it in any way.
Don't draw a visual cue that draws people's attention to the system alert's Allow button.
Apple also outlines the do's and don'ts on how apps can provide additional information for why users should enable ad-tracking. The native ATT pop-up offers developers the choice to customize the text to explain why tracking is needed.
Apps can also employ a splash screen before the pop-up appears that provides information about what the tracking is used for. These splash screens, however, must use wording like "Continue," "Next," and not "Allow," which may mislead and confuse users, according to Apple.
If you display a custom screen that precedes a privacy-related permission request, it must offer only one action, which must display the system alert. Use a word like "Continue" to title the action; don't use "Allow" or other terms that might make people think they're granting their permission or performing other actions within your custom screen.
The new section will be helpful for developers looking to make sure they're up to date with Apple's latest guidelines and can be an interesting read for users looking to learn more about ATT and the privacy aspects of App Store apps.
If your Mac is running macOS Big Sur 11.3 or later, you can use a HomePod stereo pair as your Mac's system audio output. This article explains how to set up two HomePod speakers as a stereo pair and then connect them to your Mac.
Dedicated stereo speakers are always going to provide a better listening experience than relying on your Mac's built-in speakers for audio, so it makes sense that some people will be interested in using two HomePods as a stereo pair to create a wider soundstage for richer, more enveloping sound.
In previous versions of macOS, such a setup had a glaring limitation: HomePods set up as a stereo pair could only be used in the Music app and other apps that support AirPlay. In other words, it was only possible to select separate HomePod speakers from the menu bar on a Mac, which meant using stereo-paired HomePod speakers as your Mac's audio output device was a non-starter.
Fortunately, Apple fixed this omission in macOS Big Sur 11.3, and it's now possible to use a HomePod stereo pair as you default audio output on a Mac. Note that system sounds will remain playing only on your Mac's built-in speakers.
Stereo-paired HomePods can already be set as an audio output option on iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV, so the update brings the same functionality to the Mac. Note that stereo pairing is available with two HomePods or two HomePod minis, but the HomePod and HomePod mini can't be paired together.
You can join two HomePod speakers as a stereo pair when you initially set up HomePod, or you can later join two speakers that you’ve already set up using the Home app. Keep reading to learn how it's done.
How to Create a HomePod or HomePod Mini Stereo Pair
Swipe up and tap the cog icon in the bottom-right corner of the screen.
Tap Create Stereo Pair....
Select the other HomePod that you want to use.
In the last screen, tap a HomePod to identify it via a tone, and swap the and right channels if needed.
Once you've paired the two HomePod speakers, you'll see a single pane in the Home app representing the stereo pair.
How to Select a HomePod Stereo Pair As Your Mac's Audio Output
This is the easy part. Once you've set up your stereo pair in the Home app, you should be able to select them as your Mac's default audio output, just like any other speaker.
There are two ways to do this. You can click the sound icon in the menu bar and select your paired HomePods from there.
Alternatively, launch System Preferences, click the Sound pane, and select your HomePods in the AirPlay section of the devices list.
It's worth bearing in mind that when two HomePod speakers are joined, only one responds to Siri requests, plays alarms, and acts as a speakerphone.
Tip: If you own an Apple TV 4K and two HomePod speakers, you can create a theater experience with Dolby Atmos or surround sound right in your home.
The European Commission will this week bring charges against Apple over concerns that its App Store rules break EU competition law, reports the Financial Times. The charges relate to a two-year-old antitrust dispute with Spotify.
Margrethe Vestager, the EU's competition chief, will late this week publicly issue charges against Apple over concerns that the rules it sets for developers on its App store break EU law, according to several people with direct knowledge of the announcement.
In 2019, Spotify filed a complaint with the European Commission, alleging that Apple enforces App Store rules that "purposely limit choice and stifle innovation at the expense of the user experience," accusing the company of "acting as both a player and referee to deliberately disadvantage other app developers."
Spotify highlighted that Apple's 30% commission on App Store purchases, including in-app subscriptions, forces the music streaming service to charge existing subscribers $12.99 per month for its Premium plan on the App Store, just to collect the $9.99 per month it usually charges.
Spotify argues this gives Apple an unfair advantage because it's unable to compete with Apple Music's standard $9.99 per month price within the App Store.
The Spotify antitrust case is one of several opened by the European Commission into Apple's business practices in June last year. It's not yet known what the EU's charges could involve, but Apple could be forced to pay a fine or make changes to its App Store business model in Europe to foster greater competition.
Last month, Reutersreported that EU regulators were in the process of finalizing a charge sheet against Apple in related to Spotify's antitrust complaint, while FT's sources warned that the timing of the charge could still slip. Apple has denied allegations of anti-competitive behavior, and said at the time of Spotify's complaint that its rival was using "its financial motivations in misleading rhetoric."
Apple's custom next-generation Mac processor entered mass production this month, claims a new report today from Nikkei Asia. Tentatively dubbed the "M2" after Apple's M1 chip, the processors take at least three months to produce and could begin shipping as early as July in time for incorporation in Apple's next line of MacBooks, according to the paper's sources.
The next generation of Mac processors designed by Apple entered mass production this month, sources familiar with the matter told Nikkei Asia, bringing the U.S. tech giant one step closer to its goal of replacing Intel-designed central processing units with its own.
Shipments of the new chipset -- tentatively known as the M2, after Apple's current M1 processor -- could begin as early as July for use in MacBooks that are scheduled to go on sale in the second half of this year, the people said.
Produced by Apple supplier TSMC, Apple's custom M1 silicon made its debut late last year with the introduction of the Mac mini, MacBook Air, and 13-inch MacBook Pro, bringing considerable performance improvements and battery efficiency over the Intel chips it replaced.
Just last week, Apple unveiled redesigned 24-inch iMacs and a new iPad Pro lineup, and to underscore the hardware capabilities of the devices, Apple kitted them out with the same 5nm-based M1 processor found in its other Apple silicon Macs.
With an 8-core CPU, up to an 8-core GPU, a 16-core Neural Engine, unified memory architecture, and more, Apple says the M1 chip delivers up to 3.5x faster system performance, up to 6x faster graphics performance, and up to 15x faster machine learning, while enabling battery life up to 2x longer than previous-generation Macs.
Apple said in 2020 that it would take the company two years to fully transition from Intel chipsets to Apple silicon. Rumors suggest that future Apple silicon Macs will include new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with an all-new form factor as early as Q2 2021, in addition to a redesigned 27-inch iMac later this year and a smaller version of the Mac Pro, likely in 2022.
With the release of iOS 14.5, Apple introduced a feature that lets users select a specific music service to use with Siri, with the options including third-party services like Spotify in addition to Apple Music.
When this feature first came to light in beta versions of iOS 14.5, many early reports interpreted it as Apple allowing users to select a default streaming service, similar to the way it allows email apps other than Apple's native Mail client to be selected as the system default.
However, Apple has since clarified that there isn't actually any option to choose a music service that will be selected on every occasion. More accurately, the feature in question uses Siri intelligence to learn from your listening habits and improve the music selection process over time.
In fact, by occasionally asking which service to use, Siri learns your preferences for all types of audio content rather than just music. For example, it will let you open podcasts in Apple Podcasts or a third-party podcasts app, and let you choose a specific audiobook app if you listen to audiobooks. Here's how it works.
Ask Siri to play an artist, song, or album with a request like "Hey Siri, play The Beatles."
Siri will display a list of all music apps you have installed and will ask "Which app would you like to use?"
Choose your preferred music app from the list.
If asked, confirm that Siri can access data from your music app.
From there, Siri will play the music in your app of choice. If you chose Spotify, for example, the music content will play in Spotify.
In past versions of iOS, it's been possible to play music from other services by clarifying which service you want Siri to use, such as "Hey Siri, play music on Spotify," but the change implemented in iOS 14.5 makes it more likely that Siri will remember your music app of choice, so a simple command like "Hey Siri play music" will use your favorite app rather than defaulting to Apple Music.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Adobe. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
