MacRumors

Next-generation Apple Watch models will feature a completely redesigned band connector, rendering them incompatible with all current bands, according to the Apple leaker and prototype collector known as "Kosutami."

In August, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that the upcoming "Apple Watch X" could feature a different way to attach bands to the device. Kosutami's latest tidbit now appears to support this possibility.

Individuals involved in developing new Apple Watch models told Gurman that the existing band system takes up a large amount of space that could be better utilized for bigger batteries or other internal components. As such, Apple is apparently considering a magnetic band attachment system, but it is currently unclear if this specific method will be present on the ‌‌Apple Watch X‌ or if the company will choose something else‌.

The mechanism for connecting bands to the Apple Watch's casing has been consistent since the device's introduction in 2014. The Apple Watch has a slot along the top and bottom edges, allowing a band to be slid in, and clicked into place via a small spring. When a button beside the slot on the underside of the device is pressed, the band is released and can be easily slid out.

This system has remained the same throughout all of the Apple Watch generations to date, enabling users to freely collect and swap bands regardless of which generation they have, providing the casing has the same width. Overhauling this system is bound to be controversial given that all existing bands will no longer be compatible and therefore, ultimately, obsolete.

The band connector change is expected to be part of a broader redesign of the Apple Watch next year, which is said to see the arrival of thinner casings and larger displays. The device is also rumored to offer blood pressure monitoring and sleep apnea detection.

Kosutami's corroboration is notable given that the leaker was the first to say that Apple would replace its leather Modern Buckle band with a FineWoven version earlier this year. They also went on to provide the first real-world images of the FineWoven Apple Watch bands prior to their official unveiling.

The 2023 remake of popular game Resident Evil 4 is available from today on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Capcom released the Resident Evil 4 remake on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC back in March.

Compared to the original 2005 title, the updated version includes overhauled graphics, new characters, and updated gameplay elements like crafting items and ammo from resources.

Cutting-edge technology and creativity have breathed new life into this standout entry in the Resident Evil series. With juiced-up visuals and a reimagined story, this new title aims to honor its predecessor's successes by digging even deeper into its core message. Dodge death with a greatly expanded repertoire of character actions in this heart-pounding experience!

Resident Evil 4 can be played on iPhone 15 Pro models thanks to the A17 Pro chip, which features hardware-accelerated ray tracing and improved GPU capabilities that make console-quality gaming possible. The game is also compatible with iPads that are equipped with an M1 or later, and all Apple silicon Macs.

Resident Evil 4 can be downloaded for free from the App Store, and though the full IAP unlock is usually priced at $59.99, the main game can be bought for half that price until the discount ends on January 17. The Separate Ways mini game is available for $9.99, while an additional DLC pack is priced at $14.99, and several weapon packs are available at prices ranging from $2.29 to $7.49.

Apple today stopped signing iOS 17.1.1 and iOS 17.1.2, preventing iPhone users from downgrading to those versions of iOS. Apple is no longer signing the updates following the release of iOS iOS 17.2 on December 11 and the launch of iOS 17.2.1 today.

It is not unusual that iOS 17.1.1 and iOS 17.1.2 are no longer being signed. Apple routinely stops signing older versions of iOS after new releases in order to encourage customers to keep their operating systems up to date and to prevent users from downgrading to older, less secure versions of the software.

iOS 17.2.1 is the current version of iOS 17 that is available to the public. It introduced unspecified bug fixes, but the iOS 17.2 update that preceded it brought the Journal app, spatial video recording on the iPhone 15 Pro models, updates to Messages and Apple Music, and more.

Apple is also testing iOS 17.3, an update that is expected to come out in January.

An enormous TestFlight leak could see the reappearance of thousands of classic iOS apps and games that have disappeared from the App Store. As noted by Eurogamer, a huge number of TestFlight files were found archived on Wayback Machine and were shared anonymously on X, previously known as Twitter.

The files, which include prototype and beta versions of apps and games, are from 2012 to 2015 and predate when Apple acquired TestFlight. It appears that the content may have come from a cloud storage server that had the wrong configuration, and it was actually uploaded in March 2015 from the old TestFlightApp.com website. Content went unnoticed until it was surfaced on Twitter.

The @teraleak account is sharing game and app files that have been found, and so far, some of the titles that have appeared include unreleased versions of Angry Birds, canceled game Infinity Blade Dungeons, a prototype of Sonic Dash, and more.

There are many apps and games that have been removed from the ‌App Store‌ and can no longer be downloaded from Apple, so the leak will preserve some of those older titles. Downloads from the leaked files will not be able to run on modern devices, but people may come up with workarounds in the future.

Google parent company Alphabet has agreed to pay $700 million and update the Google Play app in order to settle a 2021 U.S. antitrust lawsuit over the Play Store, reports Reuters.

The United States Department of Justice and all 50 states accused Google of charging unnecessary fees for in-app purchases and restricting the distribution of apps on Android devices, resulting in higher fees for consumers.

Google will pay $630 million in restitution to customers, and $70 million into a fund that will be used by states should the settlement get final approval from a judge. Customers who purchased an app on Google Play between August 16, 2016 and September 30, 2023 will receive at least $2.

News of a settlement was announced in September, but the terms were kept under wraps to avoid impacting the Google vs. Epic Games lawsuit. Google lost that lawsuit last week after a nine-member jury unanimously agreed that Google had abused its power by operating an app store monopoly.

In addition to paying money to consumers, Google will make several changes to its Play Store under the terms of the settlement with the government. Developers will be able to pay through in-app billing systems other than Google Play Billing for at least five years, and will be able to direct consumers to non-Google billing systems by advertising cheaper prices in their apps. Google's full concessions are listed below [PDF]:

- Give all developers the ability to allow users to pay through in-app billing systems other than Google Play Billing for at least five years.
- Allow developers to offer cheaper prices for their apps and in-app products for consumers who use alternative, non-Google billing systems for at least five years.
- Permit developers to steer consumers toward alternative, non-Google billing systems by advertising cheaper prices within their apps themselves for at least five years.
- Not enter contracts that require the Play Store to be the exclusive, pre-loaded app store on a device or home screen for at least five years.
- Allow the installation of third-party apps on Android phones from outside the Google Play Store for at least seven years.
- Revise and reduce the warnings that appear on an Android device if a user attempts to download a third-party app from outside the Google Play Store for at least five years.
- Maintain Android system support for third-party app stores, including allowing automatic updates, for four years.
- Not require developers to launch their app catalogs on the Play Store at the same time as they launch on other app stores for at least four years.
- Submit compliance reports to an independent monitor who will ensure that Google is not continuing its anticompetitive conduct for at least five years.

‌Epic Games‌ CEO Tim Sweeney today shared several tweets decrying the terms of the settlement. He said that it is an "injustice to all Android users and developers," and that the decision "endorses Google's misleading and anticompetitive scare screens."

While Google has agreed to these terms to settle the antitrust lawsuit, ‌Epic Games‌ will also be able to make recommendations for changes to the Play Store as part of its separate lawsuit against Google. ‌Epic Games‌ policy head Corie Wright told Reuters that the ruling "did not address the core of Google's unlawful and anticompetitive behavior" and that ‌Epic Games‌ will push to "truly open up the Android ecosystem" in the next phase of its trial.

Google plans to appeal the decision in the ‌Epic Games‌ case, and the company said it will "continue to defend the Android business model."

Google's settlement and loss in the ‌Epic Games‌ case could have implications for Apple in the future. Apple was successful in its lawsuit against ‌Epic Games‌, but the company has been ordered to change its "anti-steering" rule that prevents iOS developers from directing users to make purchases outside of the App Store, circumventing Apple's 15 to 30 percent cut of in-app purchases.

Apple and ‌Epic Games‌ have both filed appeals in their dispute, and the Supreme Court will need decide whether to hear the case.

Apple accessory maker Nomad today announced the upcoming launch of a new Stand Qi2 Magnetic Wireless Charger that works with the new Qi2 charging standard.

Available in black or white, the Qi2 Stand features the same design as the prior Stand and Stand One chargers from Nomad, offering an upright charging base with a round magnetic charging pad.

The Qi2 Stand supports 15W charging on Qi2 compatible devices, which includes the iPhone 15 models and iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 models that have iOS 17.2 or later installed.

Qi2 is the next-generation version of the Qi wireless charging standard. It incorporates the magnetic charging profile from MagSafe, and it supports faster 15W charging on compatible iPhone models. The current Qi standard is limited to 7.5W.

With Qi2 available, manufacturers do not have to license official ‌MagSafe‌ charging functionality from Apple, so we can expect to see more affordable 15W wireless charging options. Nomad's Stand will work with any ‌MagSafe‌ or Qi2-enabled device, and it comes with a USB-C to USB-C cable, but customers will need to supply a 20W+ USB-C power adapter.

Nomad plans to begin selling the Qi2 Stand in the coming weeks from the Nomad website, and customers can sign up to be notified when it becomes available.

Alongside iOS 17.2.1, Apple today released iOS 16.7.4 and iPadOS 16.7.4 updates that fix an issue with built-in apps. In some cases, if a user deleted a built-in Apple app on a device running iOS or iPadOS 16.7.3 or earlier, the app would not be able to be reinstalled.

From Apple's release notes for the update:

This update fixes an issue where built-in Apple apps that may have been deleted may not reinstall.

While we haven't heard many complaints about the issue, that is likely because the majority of users have transitioned over to iOS 17. For those who are having a problem with reinstalling a deleted app in iOS 16 or iPadOS 16, the new update will address the problem.

Apple's iOS 17.2.1 update also included bug fixes, but Apple did not provide specific details.

The developers behind Beeper Mini are continuing with their effort to make iMessage for Android function despite Apple's mitigations, and the latest "fix" requires Beeper Mini users to have access to a Mac.

On Reddit, the Beeper Mini team says that the Mac-based fix coming on December 20 stabilizes iMessage for Beeper Cloud and Mini, and it "works well" and "is very reliable."

It is unclear how many Android users have a Mac or have a friend with a Mac to rely on, but the fix requires using a Mac to connect to iMessage on Beeper. According to Beeper Mini's developers, registration data from an actual Mac has to be sent to Apple to use iMessage on Beeper. Beeper has been using its own Mac servers to provide that information to Apple, but that resulted in thousands of Beeper users having the same registration info, which was an "easy target for Apple."

The Beeper update will instead generate unique registration data for each Mac, making it harder for Apple to tell which users are accessing iMessage through an Android device. The Beeper Mini team says that registration data is "only used to indicate that a Mac is available during registration" and that the Mac will not be given access to an account or messages.

If you do not have access to a Mac computer, but have a friend on Beeper with a Mac, you can ask them if you can use their registration data. In our testing, 10-20 iMessage users can safely use the same registration data.

With the fix, Beeper Cloud and Beeper Mini users will once again be able to use iMessage on Android, but only with email addresses and not with phone numbers.

The Beeper Mini team appears to be losing some support with Android users, who do not want to jump through multiple hoops to access iMessage on Android. Multiple people on Reddit have said that they will instead wait for Apple's implementation of RCS for more seamless texting between iPhones and Android devices.

Since launch, the Beeper Mini experience has changed. Initially, Android users were able to register their phone numbers with Beeper Mini, but Apple quickly put a stop to that, and many Beeper Mini users ended up missing text messages. Now Beeper Mini only works with an Apple ID email address, and there have been multiple service interruptions over the past few days. With the requirement to have a Mac added in the mix, it is not surprising that Android users are finding the app to be more hassle than help.

Beeper Mini launched using a reverse engineered version of iMessage, and the app was registering the phone numbers of Android users with fake iMessage credentials using Apple's own servers. Apple made it clear that it views Beeper Mini as a security risk, and that it has no intention of allowing the app to use iMessage in any capacity.

In a statement, Apple said that Beeper Mini "posed significant risks to user security and privacy, including the potential for metadata exposure and enabling unwanted messages, spam, and phishing attacks."

Beeper CEO Eric Migicovsky said over the weekend that he is aiming to provide a secure service for Android users, and he spoke out against Apple's iMessage monopoly. SMS conversations between iMessage and Android users are not encrypted like iPhone-to-iPhone communications, so Beeper Mini has been able to argue a security angle.

Given the publicity surrounding Beeper Mini, U.S. lawmakers have stepped in to express concern over the situation, but with Apple planning to adopt RCS next year to bring many iMessage features to conversations with Android users, there may not be much of a case for Beeper Mini to use a backdoor to offer iMessage to Android customers.

Encryption for ‌iPhone‌ to Android chats will be missing until Apple is able to work with the GSM Association that developed the ‌‌RCS‌‌ protocol to add end-to-end encryption, but Apple will likely make that a priority to stop inquiries into iMessage.

With any investigation into iMessage, Apple will also be able to point out that there are many highly popular cross-platform apps to choose from that offer end-to-end encryption, including Signal, Telegram, and WhatsApp.

Masimo CEO Joe Kiani does not believe that Apple will be able to solve its patent infringement issues with software, reports Bloomberg. In an interview with Bloomberg TV, Kiani said that a software solution won't work because Masimo patents cover hardware, not software. "I don't think that could work -- it shouldn't -- because our patents are not about the software," said Kiani.

Apple is reportedly working to change the algorithms used for the blood oxygen sensor in the Apple Watch to skirt Masimo patents, with engineers aiming to adjust how oxygen saturation is determined and how the data is provided to customers. An Apple spokesperson said yesterday that Apple is planning to submit a workaround to the US Customs agency to determine whether a software change is enough to avoid an import ban.

Masimo would be open to settling its dispute with Apple to prevent the Apple Watch import ban that Apple is facing, but Apple so far has not expressed interest. "They haven't called," Kiani told Bloomberg. "It takes two to tango." Kiani did not mention the amount of money that Masimo would accept to settle, but he said the company would be willing to "work with them to improve their product."

According to Kiani, he has not spoken with Apple since 2013, which is when Apple considered purchasing Masimo or getting Masimo's help to develop the blood oxygen sensors in the Apple Watch. Masimo has accused Apple of employee poaching and patent infringement, and the U.S. International Trade Commission in October agreed that Apple has violated Masimo patents with the Apple Watch.

As a result, Apple is facing an import ban on the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2, with sales set to stop starting on December 21. "These guys have been caught with their hands in the cookie jar," Kiani said. Masimo wants an apology and an "honest dialogue" as part of any settlement discussion.

Apple's announcement that Apple Watch sales will stop in the U.S. on Christmas Eve is a "stunt" that is meant to pressure the Biden administration, according to Kiani. Apple did not have control over the timing of the import ban.

Apple for its part said yesterday that it "strongly disagrees" with the ITC's order and import ban decision, and that it is "pursuing a range of legal and technical options" to keep the Apple Watch available to customers.

It is possible that Apple will avoid an import ban and a pause in sales if the Biden administration vetoes the ban by December 25. It is not clear if the White House will step in, as presidential vetoes of ITC bans are rare.

While Apple will not be able to continue selling the Apple Watch in the U.S. without a veto, third-party retailers like Best Buy and Target can continue to offer it as long as supplies are available. The import ban will prevent Apple from importing components and assembled devices from countries like China.

The ITC's decision will not impact sales of the Apple Watch outside of the United States.

Apple's next Apple Watch Activity Challenge is set to kick off on Monday, January 1, with Apple Watch users able to earn an award by closing all three rings for seven days in a row in January.

Let's go for it in 2024. Earn this award by closing all three rings for seven days in a row in January.

Apple Watch owners will need to fulfill their stand, exercise, and move goals for seven days sequentially at any time during the month of January to get the New Year's award.

As with all of Apple's Activity Challenges, the New Year challenge will be accompanied by an award that can be viewed in the Fitness app as well as a series of animated stickers that can be used in the Messages app.

Apple has hosted a New Year challenge for many years running now, and it is one of many Activity Challenges that the company offers throughout the year to encourage people to meet their Fitness goals.

Apple today introduced a new firmware update for the third-generation AirPods. The new firmware is version 6A317, up from the 6A300 firmware introduced in September.

Apple's AirPods firmware updates do not come with details on new features, so it is unclear what might be included in the software.

Apple also does not offer instructions on how to upgrade AirPods software, but firmware is generally installed over-the-air while the ‌‌AirPods‌‌ are connected to an iOS device. Putting the ‌‌‌‌‌AirPods‌‌‌‌‌ in the case, connecting the ‌‌‌‌‌AirPods‌‌‌‌‌ to a power source, and then pairing the ‌‌‌‌‌AirPods‌‌‌‌‌ to an iOS device or Mac should force the update.

You can check your ‌‌‌AirPods‌‌ or ‌‌‌‌‌‌AirPods Pro‌‌‌‌‌‌‌ firmware by following these steps:

• Connect your ‌‌‌‌‌‌‌AirPods Pro‌‌‌‌‌‌‌ to your iOS device.
• Open the Settings app.
• Tap General.
• Tap About.
• Tap ‌‌‌‌‌AirPods‌‌‌‌‌.
• Look at the number next to "Firmware Version."

If we learn more about what's new in the AirPods firmware release, we'll update this article. Apple has also recently released 6A307 beta firmware for the ‌AirPods Pro‌, AirPods 2, AirPods 3, and AirPods Max.

The Roadside Assistance via Satellite feature that Apple introduced for the iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 models now works with the Verizon Roadside Assistance program, according to an updated Apple support document.

As of iOS 17.2, U.S. customers that have a Verizon SIM can connect to Verizon via satellite to get roadside assistance on the iPhone, with this option joining the already existing AAA roadside assistance option that Apple announced as part of iOS 17.

Verizon provides its subscribers with the option to purchase Roadside Assistance for $4.99 per month for each line enrolled in an account. The subscription includes winching, fuel delivery, battery jumpstarts, tire changes, towing, and more, though there are limits on all services.

Roadside Assistance through Verizon includes four service claims in a wireless coverage area and one claim outside of wireless coverage, though Verizon notes that non-coverage area service requests are only available on iOS 17.2 ‌iPhone 14‌ and ‌iPhone 15‌ models that offer satellite connectivity.

Verizon does offer its subscribers pay per use roadside assistance without a subscription. Towing is priced starting at $154, a jump start is $92, and a tire change is $98.

Apple announced Roadside Assistance via Satellite alongside the new ‌iPhone 15‌ models, adding it to the Emergency SOS via Satellite function. Apple routes customers to either AAA or Verizon, and does not provide any roadside assistance itself.

Apple includes two years of Emergency SOS via Satellite and Roadside Assistance via Satellite connectivity for free with the purchase of an ‌‌iPhone 14‌‌ or ‌‌iPhone 15‌‌, but actual roadside assistance fees need to be paid to Verizon or AAA. Roadside Assistance via Satellite is limited to the United States at this time.

Apple today released macOS Sonoma 14.2.1, a minor update to the ‌macOS Sonoma‌ operating system that initially came out in late September. ‌macOS Sonoma‌ 14.2.1 comes shortly after the launch of macOS Sonoma 14.2, a major update that brought new widgets, enhanced AutoFill, Messages tweaks, and more.

The ‌‌‌macOS Sonoma‌ 14.2.1‌ update can be downloaded for free on all eligible Macs using the Software Update section of System Settings.

According to Apple's release notes, ‌macOS Sonoma‌ 14.2.1 includes bug fixes and a security update. macOS 14.2.1 fixes a screen sharing vulnerability that could cause a user to unintentionally share the incorrect content.

Apple is already testing macOS Sonoma 14.3, an update that we are expecting to see released sometime in January.

Apple today released iOS 17.2.1, a minor update to the iOS 17 operating system that first came out in September. iOS 17.2.1 comes shortly after Apple released iOS 17.2, an update that brought the Journal app, spatial video recording, and more.

iOS 17.2.1 can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Apple has also released iOS 16.7.4 and iPadOS 16.7.4 for older iPhones and iPads.

The iOS 17.2.1 update includes unspecified bug fixes, according to Apple's release notes for the update.

This update provides important bug fixes and is recommended for all users.

For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website:
https://support.apple.com/kb/HT201222

Apple is already testing iOS 17.3 and iPadOS 17.3, updates that are expected to be released in January.

A functional AirPower prototype from early on in its development has exhibited some of the severe thermal problems, including burning or melting devices placed on the charging pad, that ultimately led Apple to abandon the project.

AirPower was an Apple-designed charging mat designed to charge Qi-based iPhones, the Apple Watch, and ‌AirPods‌ that Apple announced in September 2017 alongside the iPhone X. ‌AirPower‌ was designed so that users could place an ‌‌iPhone‌‌, ‌AirPods‌, and Apple Watch on any part of the mat to charge them, which meant that multiple overlapping charging coils had to be included.

It would have prompted devices to display a unique on-screen iOS animation when they were placed on the charging mat, as seen in Apple's early marketing materials. An ‌iPhone‌ on the ‌AirPower‌ charger would also have shown the charge of all of the devices that were placed on the pad. ‌AirPower‌ missed its original 2018 launch date goal, and after a large number of issues with its development, Apple outright canceled the AirPower project in March 2019.

Images depicting an ‌AirPower‌ prototype first surfaced on social media in August 2020, showing a multi-coil design and the device's internal circuitry, and the first video footage of the device emerged in August 2021. Multiple other AirPower prototypes have emerged since then, but most are no longer functional.

The Apple leaker and prototype collector known as "Kosutami" recently obtained an early version of the ‌AirPower‌ charging mat. The prototype features 15 charging coils, unlike later revisions that had up to 22 coils, leaving small gaps between them. Like other ‌AirPower‌ prototypes that have emerged in the past, the unit does not feature the white exterior shell that Apple marketed the device with, displaying its internal circuitry more clearly.

In contrast to most other prototypes seen in recent years, Kosutami's unit is largely operational, even when charging an Apple Watch. Rebooting after issuing commands to initiate auto-calibration allowed a large amount of information to be read off the prototype, such as the firmware install date of March 17, 2017, commands for selecting specific coils, and more.

Kosutami found that when devices were aligned precisely with one of the charging coils, the ‌AirPower‌ charged steadily at a low voltage, with no noticeable thermal problems. Kosutami told MacRumors that with improper placement, the ‌AirPower‌ proceeds to get extremely hot and can even leave devices with scorch marks. In fact, Kosutami's AirPods Pro charging case began to melt when charging on the ‌AirPower‌.

This requirement for precise positioning between devices and the charging coils defeats much of the purpose of the accessory, which Apple touted as more convenient than other Qi wireless chargers that demand careful placement. Apple ultimately addressed this problem with a different technology: MagSafe.

Apple subsequently increased the number of coils inside the ‌AirPower‌ in an attempt to mitigate the problem, but found that higher coil density only made overheating worse. No ‌AirPower‌ prototypes have emerged from 2018 or 2019, suggesting that the short-lived device's hardware was almost entirely developed in 2017 or earlier. Instead, software was the subject of a period of iteration before the ‌AirPower‌ project was shelved due to an inability to resolve overheating issues.

Rumors in subsequent years about Apple's work on a smaller wireless charger seem to have been related to ‌MagSafe‌ or the ‌MagSafe‌ Duo charger, rather than ‌AirPower‌. Nevertheless, a report from reliable Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman last year said that Apple is still looking into AirPower-like charging solutions for the future.

Sonos is hosting its holiday sale this week, and these deals are matching the all-time low prices we saw over Black Friday for many of its audio products. In total, you can get up to 25 percent off select devices, and Sonos is guaranteeing delivery in time for Christmas if ordered by 11 a.m. local time today.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Sonos. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

All the prices in this sale are matching the ones we tracked during Black Friday and Cyber Monday, meaning they're the best prices we've ever seen for these devices. Additionally, the new holiday sale is expanded with bundle options for anyone looking to purchase a full home theater speaker system this season.

In terms of Christmas delivery, Sonos says that you'll need to order by December 19 for ground delivery options and by December 22 for overnight shipping options. There's a good mix of products on sale, including the popular Arc soundbar for $719 ($180 off), cheaper Ray soundbar for $223 ($56 off), Roam Bluetooth speaker for $134 ($45 off), and more.

• Arc Soundbar - $719, down from $899
• Beam Soundbar - $399, down from $499
• Ray Soundbar - $223, down from $279
• Sub - $639, down from $799
• Sub Mini - $343, down from $429
• Roam Speaker - $134, down from $179
• Roam SL Speaker - $119, down from $159
• Era 100 Speaker - $199, down from $249
• Essential Turntable Set - $667, down from $717

Head to our full Deals Roundup to get caught up with all of the latest deals and discounts that we've been tracking over the past week.

Apple has decided to not appeal a UK court ruling that revives a comprehensive antitrust investigation into its dominance in mobile browsers and cloud gaming, meaning it will commence in January (via Open Web Advocacy).

In late November, London's Court of Appeal effectively reversed a previous verdict that had halted the probe, reinforcing the authority of the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). There was a 21-day grace period before the investigation could restart to provide Apple with a sufficient window to respond.

Apple had the option to appeal to the Supreme Court until yesterday, but decided not to do so, meaning that the CMA's investigation is set to resume efforts to scrutinize the company's influence in the mobile browser market and its approach to cloud gaming on the App Store. The CMA's latest update:

18 December 2023: The deadline for Apple to seek the Court of Appeals permission to appeal the Court's decision has now lapsed, therefore in accordance with the Court's order dated 30 November 2023, the market investigation will recommence on 24 January 2023.

In November 2022, the CMA launched an investigation into the cloud gaming and mobile browser restrictions put in place by both Apple and Google, suggesting that the two companies were holding back innovation and increasing costs for web developers, cloud gaming service providers, and browser vendors. This decision was initially overturned by the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT), which agreed with Apple that the CMA took too long to open an investigation.

The Court of Appeal's latest judgment clarified that the CMA acted within its legal bounds, rejecting Apple's argument regarding time limits. The ruling emphasized that such restrictions apply only to consultation processes within a market study and do not limit the CMA's broader investigative powers.

The court highlighted the CMA's role in promoting competition and safeguarding consumer interests, pointing out the potential "serious consequences" of restricting these powers. The investigation is a part of the CMA's broader effort to scrutinize the power exerted by tech giants like Apple and Google overs mobile ecosystems with a focus on operating systems, app stores, and web browsers on mobile devices.

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.

In macOS Sonoma 14.2, Apple included some additional controls for Shazam music recognition, which is now baked into the Mac operating system more than ever. Here's how to add the functionality to your Mac's menu bar and Control Center.

For those unfamiliar with Shazam, it's an Apple-owned popular service that can identify the names and lyrics of songs, music videos, TV shows, and more, simply by listening to and deciphering whatever is playing.

After years of ‌‌Siri‌‌ integration, Apple acquired Shazam in 2018, and integrated it into iOS and iPadOS as a system-level song recognition function. With macOS 14.2, the same level of integration has finally come to Mac.

Previously, the Shazam app for macOS was necessary to add Shazam to your Mac's menu bar, or you could ask Siri to identify a song. Now there are two other ways to access Shazam that are built-in to the system.

The Shazam menu bar item and the Control Center button can be used to prompt Shazam to start listening to the currently playing song. The dropdown menu also includes a history of any songs you previously have identified using the feature.

To open a song in Shazam on the web, click its title. To open the song in the Music app, click the music icon. To delete an entry, click the trash icon and choose Delete Song to confirm the operation. This will delete the song from your Shazam history across all devices with the Music Recognition option enabled in iCloud's sync settings.

How to Add Shazam to You Mac's Menu Bar

1. Click the Apple symbol in your Mac's menu bar and select System Settings....
2. Select Control Center in the side column.
3. In the Music Recognition section, toggle on the switches next to Show in Menu Bar and/or Show in Control Center.

Don't forget that on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, HomePod, and Mac, you can ask Siri what song is playing, and the result of these requests will also appear in your Music Recognition listening history.