Norway's Consumer Ombudsman has declared that Apple's Fairplay digital rights management system used in Apple's iTunes and iPod is illegal, according to a report at out-law.com.
While the declaration is not legally binding, pressure is increasing on iTunes in Europe with consumer groups in Germany and France recently joining Norway's action against Apple. France has previously pushed legislation aimed at opening up closed DRM systems such as Apple's Fairplay. Apple originally called that law "state-sponsored piracy." Other countries reported to be involved in pressuring Apple are Denmark, Sweden, Finland, and the U.K.
The common goal of the complaints seems to be around the desire for consumers to be able to purchase music or videos from the iTunes store and use it on any device, not just Apple's. Apple has yet to license FairPlay, although some companies have taken cracks at reverse-engineering FairPlay.
Monday November 2, 2026 1:22 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Apple is releasing five new products this Friday, November 6, following pre-orders that opened last week, including its first touchscreen MacBook Pro models.
The following new products will be available from Friday:
iPad mini with OLED display and A20 Pro chip
iMac with M6 chip
14-inch MacBook Pro with M6 chip
14-inch MacBook Pro with OLED touchscreen
16-inch MacBook Pro with OLED...
Monday November 2, 2026 7:27 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Apple's busiest season isn't over yet. Far from it. With two hardware launch dates still to come in November, plus software updates and new smart home accessories running into December, there's more on the way from Apple before the end of 2026, so be sure to stick around.
Below, we've rounded up what's still coming, along with one date in particular that's worth watching if you're a holiday...
Sunday November 1, 2026 7:27 am PST by Joe Rossignol
After announcing a new iPad mini with an OLED display earlier this month, Apple plans to release new iPad Air, iPad Pro, and entry-level iPad models in the first half of 2027, according to the latest word from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said the next iPad Air will also feature an OLED display, while he expects the next iPad Pro to be equipped with a...
