The EC’s obsession with payment processing and commissions blinded them, I think, to the fact that Apple has always had other options for monetization. This Core Technology Fee, based on installations rather than purchases, is one of them.
The CTF disrupts the free/freemium model used by Apple’s biggest rivals and competitors. Meta’s apps are all free: WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, and now Threads. Meta has paid Apple effectively nothing for those apps, ever. The YouTube app offers IAP subscriptions but most of Google’s popular iOS apps are just completely free, so Google pays Apple nothing. Spotify has 500 million worldwide users, split 40-60 between paid and free (ad-supported). That means Spotify likely has roughly 100 million free users on iOS — and Spotify pays Apple nothing.
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The DMA says Apple can’t make the App Store the exclusive distribution source for iOS apps in the EU, and can’t make its own payment system exclusive for apps from the App Store, either. But I don’t see anything in the DMA that says Apple is prevented from charging fees to developers.
Some of these changes are coming to all of Apple’s platforms, while others are coming only to the iPhone and not the iPad.
There is reason for this nuance. Apple explains that the European Union ruled that iOS is a gatekeeper platform as part of the Digital Markets Act. This applies only to iOS on the iPhone. iPadOS on the iPad is a completely different platform in the eyes of Apple and the European Commission.
It’ll take some time to see whether other developers and alternative app stores choose to go along with Apple’s new rules. But perhaps one of the biggest hurdles Apple might have to face in the coming days is whether the EU Commission will actually approve of the company’s changes. The Commission will start evaluating companies’ responses when the DMA goes into effect on March 7th, and Commissioner Thierry Breton has already warned: “If the proposed solutions are not good enough, we will not hesitate to take strong action.”
Starting with iOS 17.4 and tvOS 17.4, currently in beta, Apple has expanded SharePlay music control to HomePod speakers and the Apple TV.
Pestle 1.6 improves the digital cookbook experience with two new widgets and bulk selection support. The first new widget is specifically for coming across recipes you haven’t tried yet. The other will show you recipes based on your meal plan.
If you're interested in getting into scriptwriting, I highly recommend you start out with Beat. Not only will it not cost you a penny (unless you are kind enough to offer a donation to the developer), but it's user-friendly and does everything you need as a beginner or intermediate writer for the stage or screen.
The new Stand Qi2 delivers full 15W wireless power in a full metal and glass design with the option for a slick all-black or white/silver finish.
Yet when the tech help request comes from an elderly family member or friend, and has to do with an iPhone, it’s typically the same thing over and over again: Some of their apps have disappeared from their home screen, and they want to get them back.
In reality, the app hasn’t actually disappeared. The cause of the problem is always the same: They’ve accidentally moved an app’s icon to a new page on their iPhone’s home screen, or more commonly, accidentally moved one app’s icon onto another, creating a home-screen folder.
“Legally, they’re probably in the clear because of their terms of service, but it’s still kind of crappy,” said Matvei Vevitsis, who noticed this month that he could no longer send his mother iMessages through his 12-inch MacBook.
Apple declined to comment. After The New York Times contacted Apple, some Beeper customers began reporting that they had been unblocked in recent days.
Is it possible, then, that we so fiercely police the distinction between what Large Language Models can do and human creativity because we’re… touchy about it? That we’re worried it may be a temporary distinction of degree rather than a fundamental difference of category; which is to say, no distinction at all?
If all you want is to force Apple not to be able to collect any money from any third-party developer ever again, then just say it out loud. Don't pretend you know how to fix the problem with alternative app stores or alternative payment gateways or any such whatevers.
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Rearranging app icons, and also widgets, on iPhone remains a frustrating experience after so many years. But, looking at all the efforts Apple had been doing to make rearranging windows and contents easier on the different platforms -- Stage Manager, Safari's tabs -- I think I should be somewhat happy that Apple hasn't starting rethinking how app icons can be rearranged.
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Thanks for reading.