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The European Union leveled its first antitrust penalty against Apple on Tuesday, fining the U.S. tech giant nearly $2 billion for breaking the bloc’s competition laws by unfairly favoring its own music streaming service over rivals.
Apple banned app developers from “fully informing iOS users about alternative and cheaper music subscription services outside of the app,” said the European Commission, the 27-nation bloc’s executive arm and top antitrust enforcer.
That is illegal under EU antitrust rules. Apple behaved this way for almost a decade, which meant many users paid “significantly higher prices for music streaming subscriptions,” the commission said.
The 1.8 billion-euro fine follows a long-running investigation triggered by a complaint from Swedish streaming service Spotify five years ago.
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The EU has led global efforts to crack down on Big Tech companies, including a series of multbillion-dollar fines for Google and charging Meta with distorting the online classified ad market. The commission also has opened a separate antitrust investigation into Apple’s mobile payments service.
The commission’s investigation initially centered on two concerns. One was the iPhone maker’s practice of forcing app developers that are selling digital content to use its in-house payment system, which charges a 30% commission on all subscriptions.
But the EU later dropped that to focus on how Apple prevents app makers from telling their users about cheaper ways to pay for subscriptions that don’t involve going through an app.
The investigation found that Apple banned streaming services from telling users about how much subscription offers cost outside of their apps, including links in their apps to pay for alternative subscriptions or even emailing users to tell them about different pricing options.
The fine comes the same week that new EU rules are set to kick in that are aimed at preventing tech companies from dominating digital markets.
The Digital Markets Act, due to take effect Thursday, imposes a set of do’s and don’ts on “gatekeeper” companies including Apple, Meta, Google parent Alphabet, and TikTok parent ByteDance — under threat of hefty fines.
The DMA’s provisions are designed to prevent tech giants from the sort of behavior that’s at the heart of the Apple investigation. Apple has already revealed how it will comply, including allowing iPhone users in Europe to use app stores other than its own and enabling developers to offer alternative payment systems.
The commission also has opened a separate antitrust investigation into Apple’s mobile payments service, and the company has promised to open up its tap-and-go mobile payment system to rivals in order to resolve it.
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The sports app game has a new competitor as Apple has announced the launch of their Apple Sports app for iPhone users.
As millions have gotten accustomed to keeping up with the latest happenings in sports on their smartphones and other devices, Apple is now giving them another option with a brand-new application. On Wednesday (Feb. 21), the global technology brand announced the launch of Apple Sports, a new application for the iPhone. Apple Sports is now available for users in the United States and the United Kingdom as well as Canada. There is no expected date for a global release yet.
“We created Apple Sports to give sports fans what they want — an app that delivers incredibly fast access to scores and stats,” said Eddy Cue, the senior vice president of services for Apple. The app, which is free to download and install, gives users real-time access to game scores, team stats, betting odds and more data. The NBA, NHL, NCAA basketball, and the Premier League are supported within the app, as well as Major League Soccer, Bundesliga, LaLiga, Liga MX, Ligue 1 and Serie A. According to the press release, there will be support for the NFL, WNBA, Major League Baseball, the NWSL and NCAA college football for their upcoming seasons.
Apple Sports users will be able to have their team interests synced with their Apple ID and other apps to help personalize their Apple TV and Apple News experiences. This option can also be turned off. Users can also customize the scoreboards found in the app, get lineup details for teams, and switch to other information for games and other streaming services to check out their teams there. Concerning the betting odds, which are supplied by DraftKings, a representative for Apple said that the app doesn’t support live betting, however, and so there is no revenue-share agreement in place between the two companies.
The news comes as Major League Soccer is beginning another season. Through Apple TV, they offer a season pass at $14.99 per month and $99 for the whole season. They also began to show MLB games in a “Friday Night Baseball” package back in 2022, which was the core of its 10-year broadcasting deal with the league. The move is also sure to boost Apple’s Services division revenue, which came in at $22.3 billion in the fourth quarter of 2023.
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With the rise of VR headsets like the Meta Quest 3, PlayStation VR2 Headset and Valve Index, Apple decided to throw its hat into the VR ring with their very own headset. Enter the Apple Vision Pro, a new mixed-reality headset that’s positioned as the “ultimate entertainment experience.”
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Starting at $3,499, the Apple Vision Pro is available for pre-order on Jan. 19 starting at 5 a.m. PT/8 a.m. ET at apple.com, Amazon and Walmart with release on Feb. 2.
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Available on Feb. 2
Apple Vision Pro
The Apple Vision Pro is designed to pair the virtual world with the physical world through spatial computing and digital content via the tech company’s newest operating system Apple visionOS.
Here’s how it works: Just place the headset over your head on let it rest on your eyes to begin interacting with Apple’s mixed reality format. Instead of using controllers or a stylus, you interact with apps — like Safari, FaceTime, iMessages, iCloud and others — as well as digital content — from Apple Music, Apple TV, Disney+ and more — with your eyes, hands and voice.
If you’re a Disney+ subscriber, you can watch movies — like Avatar: The Way of Water, Avengers: Endgame, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Encanto and many others — in 3D and Dolby Vision with experiences that’s specifically designed for the Apple Vision Pro.
If you’re not a subscriber, you can sign up for Disney+ with prices starting at $9.99 for the ad-supported plan. With a subscription, you can have access to hit original programing, such as The Mandalorian, Moon Knight, The Muppets Mayhem, American Born Chinese, Turning Red and more.
Available for pre-order on Jan. 19 at apple.com, Amazon and Walmart, the Apple Vision Pro starts at $3,499 with release on Feb. 2. In the meantime, watch an introduction video from Apple, below.
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Want more? For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best gaming chairs, best over-ear headphones, wifi extenders, laptop deals and more.
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Source: Apple / Vision Pro
Apple is making headway in the video game, sneakingly dropping a video game console with its iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max phones. Now, the company that Jobs built is ready to jump into the VR world with its Apple Vision Pro headset this year.
Surprise, the Apple Vision Pro is dropping on February 2, which is much sooner than many people thought. Apple CEO Tim Cook announced on his X, formerly Twitter account, that the $3,500 headset is ready to launch.
Apple first revealed the headset during its Worldwide Developer Conference last June, and pre-orders for the ridiculously expensive device begin January 19 at 8 AM ET.
Along with the release date, Apple also shared the price of the Zeiss prescription lenses users can get with them. Readers will start at $99, while prescription lenses cost $149.
The base model, which will cost you an arm and leg, comes with 256GB of RAM and these other accessories:
Solo Knit Band and Dual Loop Band
A light seal and two light seal cushions
Apple Vision Pro cover
Polishing cloth
Battery
USB-C charging cable and USB-C power adapter
For $3,500, users will also get a 4K display for each eye, and a dedicated dial on the side of the headset will allow users to switch seamlessly from virtual to augmented reality.
A dual-chip setup comprised of Apple’s in-house M2 chip and the new R1 chip will power the Vision Pro, and thanks to some impressive eye, head, and hand tracking capabilities, users don’t need to use the controller to navigate the interface.
Can Apple Make Up Ground on Meta?
Apple is a bit late to the VR/AR game dominated by Meta, which is currently on its third headset, the Meta Quest 3, and it’s also a lot more affordable.
With the Vision Pro, Apple is pushing it to be used with apps like FaceTime, Photos, and Movies while allowing users to watch spatial videos recorded on the iPhone 15.
Apple also says users can access over 150 3D titles through the Apple TV app using the Vision Pro. This is all possible because Vision Pro runs visionOS, the company’s latest operating system.
So watching shows like Monarch: Legacy of Monsters on the Vision Pro will be one epic experience.
But is it worth $3,500? That’s the big question.
We know fans of the Apple brand are not scared to swipe their cards for the latest tech from the company, and we are intrigued to see if that continues to be the case with Vision Pro.
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Photo: Apple / Vision Pro
Apple reported a blowout quarterly earnings report, with its serviced division (which includes Apple TV+, Apple Music and other media-related offerings) hitting another new record with $22.3 billion in revenue.
That was up from $19.2 billion a year ago, and from $21.2 billion in its last quarter.
In total, Apple delivered revenues of $89.5 billion in its fiscal Q4, with profits of $23 billion, reflecting strong demand for its iPhone line.
“Today Apple is pleased to report a September quarter revenue record for iPhone and an all-time revenue record in Services,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, in a statement. “We now have our strongest lineup of products ever heading into the holiday season, including the iPhone 15 lineup and our first carbon neutral Apple Watch models, a major milestone in our efforts to make all Apple products carbon neutral by 2030.”
Apple is seeking to improve its revenues and margins in its services business, raising prices on Apple TV+ and other subscription offerings last month. Apple TV+ now costs $9.99 per month, though it is also included in the Apple One subscription bundle, which includes products like Apple Arcade, Apple News, and extra cloud storage.
“We achieved all time revenue records across App Store, advertising, Apple Care, iCloud, payment services and video, as well as the September quarter revenue record on Apple Music,” Cook added on the earnings call.
As for Apple TV+, Cook touted Martin Scorsese’s new movie Killers of the Flower Moon, and noted the awards that ths ervice has garnered.
“We’re telling impactful stories that inspire imagination and stir the soul,” Cook said. “Making movies that make a difference is also at the heart of Apple TV+, and we were thrilled to produce Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon, a powerful work of cinema that premiered in theaters around the world last month.”
Apple CFO Luca Maestri added on the call that Apple’s services division now has “well more than one billion” subscribers.
Also on the call, Cook confirmed that the company is investing significantly in generative artificial intelligence: “Obviously we have work going on, I’m not going to get into details about what it is because as you know, we don’t we really don’t do that,” Cook said in response to a question from an analyst. “But you can bet that we’re investing, we’re investing quite a bit. We’re going to do it responsibly. And you will see product advancements over time where those technologies are at the heart of them.”
This article was originally published by The Hollywood Reporter.
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes. Walmart is encouraging you to treat yourself with a major deal. Right now you can score $70 off the coveted AirPod […]
Apple Music Radio is coming to Apple Podcasts.
On Tuesday (Sept. 26), Apple announced that Apple Music subscribers will now be able to stream more than 2,500 “musically rich” episodes from Apple Music Radio on its podcasts app.
Apple Music’s original shows air across three global stations — Apple Music 1, Apple Music Hits, and Apple Music Country — and feature such top talent as Zane Lowe (The Zane Lowe Show), Ebro Darden (The Ebro Show, Hip-Hop DNA) and Kelleigh Bannen (Today’s Country Radio, The Kelleigh Bannen Show). It additionally airs artist-hosted programs including Angel Hour Radio with Reneé Rapp, Time Crisis hosted by Vampire Weekend’s Ezra Koenig, OTHERtone featuring Pharrell Williams and Deep Hidden Meaning Radio hosted by Nile Rodgers.
Apple Music’s coverage of the 2024 Apple Music Halftime Show featuring Usher will also be available to Apple Music subscribers on Apple Podcasts.
In addition to Apple Music Radio shows, Apple Podcasts will now also include audio programming for subscribers to other connected apps, including Apple News+, meditation app Calm and “playlearning” app Lingokids. Starting next month, subscribers to several more apps — including Bloomberg, Curio, L’Équipe, Mamamia, Sleep Cycle, The Economist, The Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, WELT News and Zen with Apple Podcasts — will be able to connect their subscriptions as well.
Listeners with subscriptions to any of these apps will have those subscriptions automatically connected the next time they open Apple Podcasts. They can also connect their subscriptions manually by signing into their accounts from each app’s channel page on Apple Podcasts. Subscribers will be able to listen across Apple devices, including iPhone, iPad, Mac, HomePod, CarPlay and Apple Watch with AirPods. The company notes that Apple’s latest operating systems — iOS 17, iPadOS 17 and macOS Sonoma — are required to connect subscriptions.
Once subscriptions are connected, listeners can browse all podcasts available to them from the Library tab. They can also learn more information about each show and follow any show for free to automatically download and be notified about new episodes. They will also receive personalized recommendations in Up Next on the Listen Now tab.
A government watchdog agency in France has ordered Apple to withdraw the iPhone 12 from the French market, saying it emits levels of electromagnetic radiation that are too high.
The National Frequency Agency, which oversees radio-electric frequencies as well as public exposure to electromagnetic radiation, called on Apple in a statement Tuesday to “implement all available means to rapidly fix this malfunction” for phones already being used.
Corrective updates to the iPhone 12 will be monitored by the agency, and if they don’t work, “Apple will have to recall” phones that have already been sold, according to the French regulator’s statement.
Apple disputed the findings and said the device complies with all regulations governing radiation.
The agency, which is known by the French acronym ANFR, said it recently checked 141 cellphones, including the iPhone 12, for electromagnetic waves capable of being absorbed by the body.
It said it found a level of electromagnetic energy absorption of 5.74 watts per kilogram during tests of a phone in a hand or a pocket, higher than the European Union standard of 4 watts per kilogram.
The agency said the iPhone 12 met the threshold when radiation levels were assessed for a phone kept in a jacket or in a bag.
Apple said the iPhone 12, which was released in late 2020, has been certified by multiple international bodies and complies with all applicable regulations and standards for radiation around the world.
The U.S. tech company said it has provided the French agency with multiple lab results carried out both by the company and third-party labs proving the phone’s compliance.
Jean-Noël Barrot, France’s minister in charge of digital issues, told France Info radio that the National Frequency Agency “is in charge of controlling our phones which, as there are software updates, may emit a little more or a little less electromagnetic waves.”
He said that the iPhone 12 radiation levels are “slightly higher” than the standards but “significantly lower than levels where scientific studies consider there may be consequences for users. But the rule is the rule.”
Cellphones have been labeled as “possible” carcinogens by the World Health Organization’s cancer research arm, putting them in the same category as coffee, diesel fumes and the pesticide DDT. The radiation produced by cellphones cannot directly damage DNA and is different from stronger types of radiation like X-rays or ultraviolet light.
In 2018, two U.S. government studies that bombarded mice and rats with cellphone radiation found a weak link to some heart tumors, but federal regulators and scientists said it was still safe to use the devices. Scientists said those findings didn’t reflect how most people use their cellphones and that the animal findings didn’t translate into a similar concern for humans.
Among the largest studies on potential dangers of cellphone use, a 2010 analysis in 13 countries found little or no risk of brain tumors.
People’s mobile phone habits also have changed substantially since the first studies began and it’s unclear if the results of previous research would still apply today.
Since many tumors take years to develop, experts say it’s difficult to conclude that cellphones have no long-term health risks. Experts have recommended that people concerned about their cellphone radiation exposure use earphones or switch to texting.
Apple Music is doubling down on classical music with the acquisition of Swedish label BIS Records.
Following the launch earlier this year of its standalone app Apple Music Classical (AMC), the tech giant makes its move for BIS, a classical specialist which has operated since 1973.
The acquisition ticks several boxes for both parties.
For BIS, the timing, and its new teammates, were right. “A few days ago BIS Records turned 50 years old and I am immensely proud of what our small team of people has accomplished during this half-century,” writes BIS founder Robert von Bahr in a blog post.
Its strong suit, “while paying our dues to the core repertoire,” he continues, “has been to nurture young classical artists and interesting living composers and to safeguard the musical treasure that we all represent long into the future. It is to that end that, after much careful consideration, and having just turned 80, I am excited to announce the rather momentous news that we have made the decision to become part of the Apple family.”
For Apple, the hardware colossus with a market cap that’s fast approaching $3 trillion, its latest purchase is a statement of intent. Classical music is hot right now, the newest member of its family comes bearing the goods, with a catalog of contemporary composers and early music. And Apple wants ownership.
Apple made its splash in the classical water with the March launch of AMC, stemming from its August 2021 acquisition of Primephonic.
The new app, Apple boldly declared at the time, was the “ultimate classical experience” with the “largest classical music catalog,” boasting over 5 million tracks and works from new releases to recognized masterpieces.
The game is changing, fast. Last November, Deutsche Grammophon launched a new standalone streaming service, Stage+, catering to its own catalog and that of Decca Classics. And, recently, Universal Music Group bought Hyperion Records, and announced its asset would finally enter into the streaming age.
Following the latest transaction, BIS will become part of Apple Music Classical and its artist services service Platoon. Financial terms of the arrangement were not disclosed. At the time of writing, BIS Recordings were available on Apple’s DSPs and eClassical.
Von Bahr and his staff won’t be going anywhere. “As proud as I am of this milestone,” he writes, “I am even more proud of the fact that the entire personnel of BIS, including me, have been retained. We all look forward to a future, filled with new music and artists in golden sound from this increased force in classical music.”
Read more here.
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Source: Apple / iPhone
Is your iPhone tripping out? If so, you know what that means. It’s that time of the year when Apple announces a new iPhone model.
The invites for the upcoming Apple Event called “Wonderlust” are live, and it’s all happening on September 12th at 1 PM ET / 10 AM PT. According to speculation, the tech giant is showing off its worst-kept secret, the iPhone 15 and a new Apple Watch model.
The event will take place at Apple Park in Cupertino, and the Apple logo on the invite, gray, blue, and black, could serve as a tease to the iPhone 15s device’s colors.
If this upcoming event serves as the coming out party for the iPhone 15, it will most certainly take centerstage during the presentation. The Verge reports the forthcoming standard and plus models will look like their predecessors, with some design upgrades in critical areas.
Per The Verge:
The notch at the top of the screen will apparently be replaced by the Dynamic Island that first appeared in the iPhone 14 Pro lineup. The Lightning port might also be replaced by a USB-C port, which could enable faster charging.
As for the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max, those phones might have some bigger changes. Those higher-end phones are rumored to get titanium frames, thinner bezels, big camera improvements, and, like the base iPhone 15s, USB-C ports.
The website also reports with those “improvements,” Apple fans should expect a price bump. How significant the price increase will be remains a mystery.
A New Apple Watch Model Is On The Way
According to The Verge, Apple will also dedicate some time to its new Apple Watch Series 9, It will reportedly feature 41- and 45-millimeter screens and a new model of its costly Apple Watch Ultra model.
We can’t wait to see Apple reinvent the wheel like it always does every year.
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Photo: Apple / iPhone
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