EU regulators have reportedly sided against Apple in its long fight against Spotify over App Store policies. The complaint centered on “anti-steering” rules that allegedly prevented platforms like Spotify from adequately promoting alternative methods of payment. While Spotify was the key opposition, the decision impacts not just music-streaming, but anyone offering software that requires a monthly subscription.

Bloomberg reports that regulators are still putting the final touches on the ruling, with a formal decision expected for early next year. Along with the ruling, the EU will likely penalize Apple for the practice and ban it outright. It’s expected that Apple will get hit with a steep fine, with some experts suggesting it could be as much as ten percent of its annual global revenue. This could add up to nearly $40 billion.

However, the fine is likely to be lower than that, as the EU tends to place more of an emphasis on actually ending abusive practices, instead of relying solely on fines as a deterrent. So the big news will be Apple being forced to play by the rules when operating in Europe, ending anti-steering practices once and for all. Of course, it’s all up in the air until the regulating body releases its judgment.

This follows a probe that started four years ago. It all began with a complaint from Spotify alleging that Apple’s anti-steering practices were forcing the music-streaming platform to raise prices to cover costs associated with appearing on the App Store. This led to an initial “statement of objections” against Apple in 2021 and a formal charge sheet this past February, as reported by The Verge.

The formal charge sheet declared in a “preliminary view” that “Apple’s anti-steering obligations” offer “unfair trading conditions.” For years, Apple didn’t allow rival streaming services like Spotify to even include links in third-party apps to their own subscription sign-ups. The company has since loosened this restriction slightly after an antitrust investigation in Japan. The EU ruling could further erode this mandate.

The European regulatory commission will address the accusation that Apple stopped companies from advertising alternative subscription methods but will not address anything related to in-app purchases. If you’ve been following this story, fees associated with in-app purchases were also part of the complaint until being dropped in February. The EU has issued a separate probe into Apple’s tap-to-pay technology and whether there are any inherent antitrust concerns. According to reports, the company’s in talks to settle that case.

How will this affect the rest of the world? There’s a similar case making its way through the US courts, via an antitrust suit brought forth by Epic Games. A judge sided with Epic, but Apple recently asked the Supreme Court for an appeal. The court granted a temporary reprieve, so Apple can still do whatever it wants in its App Store, for now. Apple is a global entity, however, so all it takes is a few countries to force a company-wide change. As an example, just look at USB-C ports.

Google faced a different outcome in a US court this week. A federal jury sided with Epic Games in a similar antitrust case against Google. The jury unanimously agreed that Google held an illegal monopoly on app distribution and in-app billing services for Android devices.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-eu-will-reportedly-rule-against-apple-in-spotifys-complaint-over-app-store-policies-195704039.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – The EU will reportedly rule against Apple in Spotify’s complaint over App Store policies

It’s time to find out just how long you’ve spent playing The Legend of Zelda: Tears of The Kingdom, Pikmin 4 and Suika Game on your Nintendo Switch this year. Hot on the heels of Sony and Microsoft releasing their year in review tools, Nintendo has followed suit with one of its own.

Log into the web app with your Nintendo account and you’ll see the first game you played on your Switch this year. You can then scroll down to see how many different games you’ve checked out on the console on our most recent trip around the sun, as well as your total playtime.

Along with a breakdown of your most-played games this year, Nintendo will reveal your gaming trends — i.e. a chart breaking down your Switch gaming time by genre. Naturally, Nintendo will condense these details and info about your busiest months in terms of playtime into shareable cards.

Nintendo’s year in review app is fairly bare bones compared with the ones Sony and Microsoft put together this year. Still, it can be a fun way to help you look back at your year in gaming. And don’t worry about all the other things you could have done with the time you spent playing games. Self-care is important.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/nintendos-switch-year-in-review-site-is-now-live-192907994.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Nintendo’s Switch year in review site is now live

When Threads launched this summer, one of the more intriguing aspects of the new service was Meta’s promise to support ActivityPub, the open-source protocol that powers Mastodon and other decentralized social media platforms. But there were still many unanswered questions about how such interoperability would work, and just how committed Meta was to the plan.

Now, Meta is taking its first step toward making Threads compatible with the fediverse. A new test will make some Threads content available on Mastodon and other apps for the first time, Mark Zuckerberg announced in a post on Threads. “Making Threads interoperable will give people more choice over how they interact and it will help content reach more people,” he wrote. “I’m pretty optimistic about this.”

It wasn’t immediately clear how this would work or how much Threads content might be available on Mastodon or other services. But the company previously introduced the ability to verify your Threads profile on Mastodon, so Meta does have some insight into Threads users who are also active in the fediverse. We’ve reached out to Meta for more details and will update if we hear back.

The test is the latest sign of growing momentum behind decentralized social media, which advocates say could upend how we interact online. Because decentralized platforms like Mastodon rely on protocols rather than a single company’s platform, more mainstream adoption of say, ActivityPub, means that people would be able to interact with a wider variety of content in more places. Meta has also said ActivityPub support would allow users to “to stop using Threads and transfer your content to another service.”

Though some fediverse enthusiasts have been skeptical about Meta’s entry into the space, Mastodon founder Eugen Rochko has said he’s supportive of their efforts. “The fact that large platforms are adopting ActivityPub is not only validation of the movement towards decentralized social media, but a path forward for people locked into these platforms to switch to better providers,” he wrote in a blog post earlier this year.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/meta-tests-making-threads-posts-available-on-mastodon-and-other-fediverse-apps-190003236.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Meta tests making Threads posts available on Mastodon and other fediverse apps

We knew that the iPhone 15 Pro and the Pro Max would be able to record spatial videos, but that capability wasn’t available until the release of iOS 17.2. Well, it’s here now, so there’s no time like the present to start building up a library of spatial video clips for the impending launch of the Apple Vision Pro mixed-reality headset. The process isn’t quite as simple as taking a standard video, however, so follow along and we’ll get it sorted. Here’s how to take a spatial video with your iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max.

How to take spatial video with an iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max

This is a more complicated process than making a traditional video, but just slightly. Here’s how to capture iPhone 15 Pro spatial video.

1. Head to settings

You have to set up your phone to record spatial video. Do this by heading to settings and then camera and, finally, formats. Look for “Spatial video for Apple Vision Pro” and turn it on. That’s it. You’re good to go.

2. Open up the camera app

Now that the setting has been enabled, just open up the camera app as you would to take traditional photos or videos. Select video mode to begin the process. Spatial videos must be captured in landscape orientation, so flip the phone.

3. Make a spatial video

You should see a spatial video icon on the screen. Tap it and then hit record or either volume button to start making a video. Spatial videos benefit from an abundance of care while filming. Keep the iPhone steady and level, frame any subjects three to eight feet from the camera and use even and bright lighting. Tap the spatial video icon again to stop the recording.

4. Watch your video

For now, you’ll have to settle with watching the video on your iPhone or any other traditional screen. Spatial videos captured on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are recorded at 1080p at 30FPS. However, that changes with the launch of the Apple Vision Pro headset. Once that arrives, you’ll be able to view them in glorious 3D in the headset’s Photos app. You shouldn’t have to manually upload the videos to the Vision Pro, as spatial videos sync to all of your devices, assuming you’re signed in with the same Apple ID and have iCloud turned on.

The Apple Vision Pro headset releases at some point during the first half of 2024, so we have a bit of waiting to do before experiencing the magic of spatial video. In the meantime, start collecting clips.

What is spatial video?

You can’t make a spatial video without understanding the purpose. You know how spatial audio increases immersion by creating 360-degrees of virtual space for sound effects, music and narration? Spatial video is basically the same thing, but for visuals. The technology creates videos that feel similar to how we move in the real world that can be experienced in all directions.

There’s a major caveat. You can take these videos with an iPhone 15 Pro, but you can’t really enjoy them. Sure, you can play them just fine, but without any of those added spatial effects. For that, you’ll need the Apple Vision Pro mixed-reality headset, which will allow you to, in a way, relive the moment. You’ll be able to pull up the video as a large and immersive floating screen or expand it to occupy your entire field of view, which is sort of like stepping inside of a memory. The technology isn’t exclusive to Apple’s ecosystem, but this specific integration is.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/how-to-take-spatial-video-on-the-iphone-15-pro-184721039.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – How to take spatial video on the iPhone 15 Pro