The EU is introducing new competition rules that tech giants are responding to
Apple has said it’ll not appeal the European Union’s (EU) new competition rules that come into effect from today. The rules are aimed to force tech companies to make their products and services “consumer-focussed”, which Apple claimed would lead to less choice for users. Earlier, Apple had said it will no longer supportPWAs in iOS17.4 due to EU’s rules.
Apple might allow the pricing options outside of its app to be shown in the EU
Spotify is planning to change Apple’s anti-steering rules which would allow it to provide users with pricing information within the app and link users to subscription options. Earlier, the European Commission imposed a $2 billion fine on Apple for abuse of its dominant position in the music streaming app distribution business. This comes after US courts ruled Apple must allow developers to link out to other payment methods.
There is a decrease in the amount of false positives in search results
Google has been working on ways to fix low-quality content, including AI-generated spam, since 2022. “It takes time…to develop these changes effectively,” a Google official said. “Content at scale: the websites that create thousands of low-quality articles…target that content at search results,” the official added. “Site reputation abuse: sites that rent out part of their website for nonsense,” he further said.
An M3 upgrade is available for the MacBook Air
Amazon has started selling a new version of its Smart thermostat with artificial intelligence (AI) features. It will let users control their heating and cooling via voice commands and can even help reduce Heating and Cooling bills, according to Amazon. The thermostat’s AI features include the ability to control it with voice commands, view temperature information, and change its temperature by pressing a button.
Climate-warming pollution will be tracked by a new satellite
MethaneSAT, a satellite that detects methane emissions from oil and gas operations, was launched by Google and EDF on Friday in the US. MethaneSAT will create a global map of the emissions from the oil and gas industry. It will help regulators determine where there are leaks and reduce emissions, EDF added. MethaneSAT was built at an cost of $88 million.
Apple was fined the first time by the EU in relation to a complaint
Apple has been fined by the European Commission for abusing its dominant position in the market for the distribution of music streaming apps through App Store. “Ironically, in the name of competition, today’s decision just cements the dominant position of a successful European company that is the digital music market’s runaway leader,” Apple said.
The first over the counter birth control pill will be available in the US soon
A birth control pill in the US that was approved for use without a prescription will be available in stores in the coming weeks. Perrigo Co’s Opill is the first over-the-counter birth control pill that was approved for use without a prescription. Perrigo said it started shipping Opill to retailers on Thursday, with the product expected to be available in the coming weeks.
The MacBook Air is getting an upgrade
Apple has announced an upgrade option for its 13-inch MacBook Air and 15-inch MacBook Air that will allow customers to show two external displays while their laptops are not on. Both devices have the ability to show two external displays while the laptops are not on and up to 500 nits of brightness. The 13-inch MacBook Air will be available at a lower price.
Apple was fined for the first time in the EU
The European Union Commission said Apple has banned music streaming app developers from “fully telling iOS users about alternative and cheaper music subscription services” available outside the app. It also banned app providers from sharing instructions on how to subscribe to such offers. Apple has been fined 30 crore for the violations, the largest single-day fine in EU antitrust history.
The rent-a-printer business is owned by HP
Hewlett-Packard (HP) has launched a subscription plan that lets customers rent out its printers for up to two years for $60 per month. It will charge users up to $270 plus taxes, of which $60 would be charged for every printer rented and the length of the subscription. Customers will also have the option to return the rental printer within 10 days.