On Friday, the Northern California judge handling the massive Epic Games v. Apple court case turned in a ruling that, in many ways, works out in Apple's favor—but with one huge, App Store-changing exception.
The ruling from US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers includes a single-page permanent injunction demanding that Apple open up payment options for any software sellers on the App Store. In other words, Epic Games' effort to add Epic-specific payment links inside the free-to-play game Fortnite, and thus duck out of paying Apple's 30-percent fee on in-app transactions, can now happen.
Gonzalez Rogers ruled that the App Store is not a monopoly and that Apple should not be punished for its success. And while the court is forcing Apple to allow developers to tell app users about alternative ways they can pay for subscriptions and in-app purchases — which may seem like (and in some cases, was initially reported as) a win for Epic — Apple will be allowed to continue most of the App Store practices Epic was fighting to get it to stop.
I am confident a lot of developers are going to test this language in aggressive ways, and that Apple will find itself developing new rules to protect its lucrative in-app purchasing system from competition. And I’m confident Apple will try to say that “button” just means what something looks like, while developers will say that “button” means how something works.
The real question is, will the ruling allow apps to directly embed purchase options, or will it be a more of a redirection to the web for an alternate out-of-app payment program?
Due to this risk, Apple recommends that users not attach their iPhones directly to the chassis or handlebars of such motorcycles, as direct transmission of vibrations can be intense. Apple even recommends that users mounting their devices to lower-powered devices like mopeds and electric scooters at least use a vibration-dampening mount to minimize the chances of any damage.
After the September 14 event, Apple retail stores will begin selling the 24-inch iMac in all colors, which will mean all seven colors will be able to be purchased in store.
If you’ve never tried a Mac with two (or more) displays, you’re in for a treat.
If you’re new to the concept of using a family app to stay organized, having everything captured in the frame of your phone—that everyone else in your family can have captured in theirs too—is a game changer. In our home, there’s no more fear of missed communications or conflict of events. With organization apps very much a part of our daily routine, adding things to the to-do list, grocery list, or even the family calendar are second nature.
ProjectWizards has released Merlin Project 8.0, a major upgrade to the powerful project management app that adds a Dynamic Help feature that explains views, columns, fields, and controls via an interface that hearkens back to the Balloon Help of the classic Macintosh System 7.
The Snapshot case for the AirPods Pro comes with a camera-shaped design that neatly houses an AirTag inside the faux camera lens.
Apple suggested Peely ought to wear clothes in federal court and showed him in a tuxedo; Epic argued the suit was unnecessary. And you better believe the judge’s ruling, released today, has come to a final conclusion.
Tim Cook said this during the Epic Games v. Apple trial: "The bulk of the apps on the App Store are free, so you’re right that there is some sort of subsidy there. [...] We have 150,000 APIs that we create and maintain, and numerous developer tools, and the customer service piece of dealing with all these transactions."
The App Store, it definitely seems, will be changed, and some of the existing revenue is going elsewhere.
Apple has never claimed that the full 15 to 30% is used for the payment gateway. Will Apple start nickel-and-diming developers for app reviews, 'marketing', and APIs, especially for the apps that use non-Apple payment gateway?
Or will Apple start levying a fee on all free apps?
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