By deciding to support RCS, Apple has effectively bought an insurance policy. Even if iMessage is found to be big enough to be covered by the messaging interoperability requirement, it can now turn round and say “We’re doing just that – through RCS.”
I've long said it would either take carrier requirements or governmental intervention for Apple to adopt RCS, and we all knew the US wasn't going to be the government to force the company's hand. Much like the iPhone's switch to USB-C this year, this week's announcement comes courtesy of some real pressure, not from its peers, not from its users, but from regulation pushing for better standards across the board. Google can't really take credit for this — nor is it really trying to — but it gets to celebrate nonetheless.
Apple has filed a legal case contesting decisions taken by the European Commission under its recently-introduced Digital Markets Act, according to a post shared by the Court of Justice of the European Union on X.
The tough new legislation targets 22 "gatekeeper" services, run by six tech companies - Microsoft, Apple, Alphabet's Google, Amazon, Meta and ByteDance's TikTok.
But there is a universe of programming behind those big-ticket shows that rarely gets the same amount of pop culture traction, likely because many people don't hear enough about them. And even as some critics grouse about Apple TV+ raising its subscription fees by $3 per month – arguing they don't offer enough classic shows as "library content" to justify the price hike – I think there are lots of original series packed in their lineup that many viewers haven't yet considered.
So, at the risk of looking like a shill for Apple, here's a quick look at why I've come to appreciate a streaming service which will spend millions to put something like Monarch: Legacy of Monsters on the small screen.
Getting a leg-up here on our Thanksgiving stretch preview, Apple Studios production of Ridley Scott’s Napoleon will invade the global box office via Sony this Wednesday, in what’s shaping up to be a $46M WW global start.
Split up for the Wednesday-Sunday stretch, that’s $22M 5-day domestic, and $24M overseas.
Actor Nick Mohammed, who plays 'Nate' on Apple TV's Ted Lasso, leaked a potential return to the show with a fourth season on social media platform X.
This opens up completely new possibilities for the smart home. After all, the “open” and “closed” status can now also be used to create automations in HomeKit and thus control other HomeKit devices that are not connected to the Philips Hue Bridge.
Cozy game, interior decorating app, learn-to-code primer or something in between, the interactive, 3D spaces builder known as Rooms has made its way to the App Store.
Lego Bricktales is a fun way to play with these bricks wherever you go. The game challenges players to build their way through puzzles in a variety of colorful environments.
Climate change is already exacerbating heatwaves. Last summer was the hottest on record. To make matters worse, the climate crisis has increased the scarcity of water, which some data centers need to stay cool. In order to keep a bad situation from getting worse, scientists have been urging world leaders to stop using fossil fuels. Some advocates, on the other hand, have demanded Congress take action on the energy burdens the AI sector presents.
These concerns link two of society’s most seemingly apocalyptic scenarios: world-dominating AI and world-ending climate change. Are smarter (and more energy-intensive) smart homes really worth the trouble?
While Spotify is planning to start penalizing labels and distributors for egregious instances of streaming fraud, Apple Music quietly rolled out its own strengthened fraud protections — including hitting repeat offenders with “financial adjustments” — more than a year ago, according to an email obtained by Billboard that the platform sent to music industry partners in March. Apple Music’s internal metrics indicate that the policy has already led to a 30% drop in streaming manipulation.
The move follows Musk's endorsement of antisemitic conspiracy theories as well as Apple ads reportedly being placed alongside far-right content. Apple has been a major advertiser on the social media site and its pause follows a similar move by IBM.
On my weekend hobby project, I'm still stuck on syncing. And my SwiftUI code doesn't update itself after syncing.
Still learning…
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Thanks for reading.