Month: February 2023

Apple Responds to EU’s Decision to Narrow Antitrust Case Prompted by Spotify

The European Commission today announced it has narrowed its antitrust investigation into Apple’s rules for streaming music apps. In a revised Statement of Objections sent to Apple, the Commission said it will no longer challenge Apple’s requirement for apps to use the App Store’s in-app purchase system for digital goods and services. The investigation began in 2019 after Spotify filed an antitrust complaint against Apple.

The investigation will now focus entirely on Apple preventing streaming music apps from informing iPhone and iPad users within the app that lower subscription prices are available when signing up outside of the App Store. Subscriptions can sometimes cost extra when initiated through the App Store compared to directly on an app’s website, as developers look to offset Apple’s 15% to 30% fee on in-app subscriptions.

The Commission’s preliminary view is that Apple’s rules equate to “anti-steering” and “unfair trading conditions,” in breach of EU antitrust law. The Commission added that the rules are “detrimental to users of music streaming services on Apple’s mobile devices” given they may end up paying more and “negatively affect the interests of music streaming app developers by limiting effective consumer choice.”

In a statement shared with MacRumors, an Apple spokesperson said the company is “pleased” that the Commission has narrowed its case:Apple will continue to work with the European Commission to understand and respond to their concerns, all the while promoting competition and choice for European consumers. We’re pleased that the Commission has narrowed its case and is no longer challenging Apple’s right to collect a commission for digital goods and require the use of the In-App Payment systems users trust. The App Store has helped Spotify become the top music streaming service across Europe and we hope the European Commission will end its pursuit of a complaint that has no merit.Spotify no longer allows customers to subscribe through its iPhone app. A message in the Premium tab of the app informs customers that they “can’t upgrade to Premium in the app” and says “we know, it’s not ideal.” The tab does not provide any information or external links related to subscribing on Spotify’s website.

Apple’s App Store Review Guidelines allow developers to inform users about alternative purchasing methods with communication outside of the app, such as email. “Reader” apps such as Spotify can also include an in-app link to their website for users to set up or manage their accounts. Ultimately, though, Spotify still cannot advertise the lower subscription prices available through its website within its iPhone app.

As part of its response, Apple said it always promotes competition, is only one of many competitors in the streaming music market in Europe, and that the iOS app economy supports 2.2 million European jobs. Apple also cited reports finding that Spotify is among the most successful apps on the App Store and a dominant business.Tags: Spotify, Antitrust

This article, “Apple Responds to EU’s Decision to Narrow Antitrust Case Prompted by Spotify” first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

The European Commission today announced it has narrowed its antitrust investigation into Apple’s rules for streaming music apps. In a revised Statement of Objections sent to Apple, the Commission said it will no longer challenge Apple’s requirement for apps to use the App Store’s in-app purchase system for digital goods and services. The investigation began in 2019 after Spotify filed an antitrust complaint against Apple.

The investigation will now focus entirely on Apple preventing streaming music apps from informing iPhone and iPad users within the app that lower subscription prices are available when signing up outside of the App Store. Subscriptions can sometimes cost extra when initiated through the App Store compared to directly on an app’s website, as developers look to offset Apple’s 15% to 30% fee on in-app subscriptions.

The Commission’s preliminary view is that Apple’s rules equate to “anti-steering” and “unfair trading conditions,” in breach of EU antitrust law. The Commission added that the rules are “detrimental to users of music streaming services on Apple’s mobile devices” given they may end up paying more and “negatively affect the interests of music streaming app developers by limiting effective consumer choice.”

In a statement shared with MacRumors, an Apple spokesperson said the company is “pleased” that the Commission has narrowed its case:Apple will continue to work with the European Commission to understand and respond to their concerns, all the while promoting competition and choice for European consumers. We’re pleased that the Commission has narrowed its case and is no longer challenging Apple’s right to collect a commission for digital goods and require the use of the In-App Payment systems users trust. The App Store has helped Spotify become the top music streaming service across Europe and we hope the European Commission will end its pursuit of a complaint that has no merit.Spotify no longer allows customers to subscribe through its iPhone app. A message in the Premium tab of the app informs customers that they “can’t upgrade to Premium in the app” and says “we know, it’s not ideal.” The tab does not provide any information or external links related to subscribing on Spotify’s website.

Apple’s App Store Review Guidelines allow developers to inform users about alternative purchasing methods with communication outside of the app, such as email. “Reader” apps such as Spotify can also include an in-app link to their website for users to set up or manage their accounts. Ultimately, though, Spotify still cannot advertise the lower subscription prices available through its website within its iPhone app.

As part of its response, Apple said it always promotes competition, is only one of many competitors in the streaming music market in Europe, and that the iOS app economy supports 2.2 million European jobs. Apple also cited reports finding that Spotify is among the most successful apps on the App Store and a dominant business.

This article, “Apple Responds to EU’s Decision to Narrow Antitrust Case Prompted by Spotify” first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

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Goldman Sachs backs an $80M investment in tech service startup Bitwise Industries to train workers in underrepresented communities

Bitwise Industries, a tech service provider that trains workers in underrepresented communities, has raised $80 million in new funding led by existing investors Kapor Center and Motley Fool, with participation from the Growth Equity business within Goldman Sachs Asset Management

Bitwise Industries, a tech service provider that trains workers in underrepresented communities, has raised $80 million in new funding led by existing investors Kapor Center and Motley Fool, with participation from the Growth Equity business within Goldman Sachs Asset Management […]

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Lee Jung-jae on making his directorial debut with the spy thriller Hunt

Lee Jung-jae in Hunt. | Image: Magnolia Home Entertainment

Lee Jung-jae has had plenty of success in front of the camera, first spending years as a star in Korea and then capturing the attention of the rest of the world with his leading role in Squid Game. Soon, he will even be in a Star Wars project. Now, he’s trying his hand at directing as well. The spy thriller Hunt marks Lee’s directorial debut — and he also stars in the film and co-wrote the screenplay.
Hunt made its debut at the Cannes Film Festival last year; I caught it at the Toronto International Film Festival, where the bombastic action and plentiful twists made it one of my favorite films of the festival. Set in 1980s Korea, the movie uses real-world events — like political protests and even an assassination attempt — as a backdrop to tell a gripping, action-packed story. While it follows historical events, the movie is primarily fiction. “I didn’t want Hunt to be a documentary,” Lee says.
Lee stars alongside Jung Woo-sung as rival Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA) agents, and fellow Squid Game alum Heo Sung-tae also plays a prominent role. Part of the fun of Hunt is how you never know who to trust; right up until the end, it’s never clear whose side anyone is on.
The movie is available today on DVD / Blu-ray and on-demand services, and ahead of the wider debut, I had a chance to ask Lee a few questions over email about directing for the first time, straddling fiction and reality, and juggling his new role with acting.
This interview has been lightly edited for clarity.

What made this project a good fit for your first directorial effort? What interested you about it?
I have always had a fondness for spy genres. As time has passed, I have come to think more about what ideologies and beliefs are, and whether the ones I know are the right ones. I have also started to consider what these ideologies and beliefs are for. Hunt is a fascinating work that contains such thoughts.
“It was very embarrassing for me to evaluate my acting”
How did you find balancing being a director with also starring in the film? Were there new kinds of challenges that you didn’t anticipate?
I learned a lot through Hunt. I tried to communicate on set. As a director, it was very embarrassing for me to evaluate my acting. Still, I focused on the emotions and actions that [my character] Park Pyung-ho needed to express and acted with the belief that the answer lies in the chemistry with my co-actors.
What was the research process like for you in terms of understanding the time periods and real events that the movie is centered around? Was it a challenge to create such a bombastic action experience within the confines of that real historical backdrop?
I believe that we should be careful when dealing with history in movies because it can be seen as a distortion of history. I didn’t want Hunt to be a documentary. I doubted that we needed to recreate every detail of such significant events. Therefore, I thought that we needed to add more fiction.
I believe that Hunt should provide entertainment value through mystery and action at the beginning of the movie so that the audience could be more immersed in the drama in the latter part of the movie. It is not a movie that walks a tightrope between reality and fiction, but rather an entertaining action movie with added fiction elements.

Image: Magnolia Home Entertainment

A behind-the-scenes shot of Lee Jung-jae on the set of Hunt.

Things get pretty complicated. Did you want viewers to feel like they could understand all the twists and turns, or do you think confusion is a part of the experience?
I think that if a plot twist is revealed too late in a movie, it can be boring, and if it’s revealed too early, it can be less exciting. While there may be a simple and clear reason why someone needs to be revealed as a spy at a certain point, there is no reason why their identity needs to be revealed at the end.
I want Hunt to be an appealing movie because of its simplicity. While it is a spy film and therefore has a multilayered structure, I gathered opinions from various people to craft the most appropriate structure for the story.

Lee Jung-jae in Hunt. | Image: Magnolia Home Entertainment

Lee Jung-jae has had plenty of success in front of the camera, first spending years as a star in Korea and then capturing the attention of the rest of the world with his leading role in Squid Game. Soon, he will even be in a Star Wars project. Now, he’s trying his hand at directing as well. The spy thriller Hunt marks Lee’s directorial debut — and he also stars in the film and co-wrote the screenplay.

Hunt made its debut at the Cannes Film Festival last year; I caught it at the Toronto International Film Festival, where the bombastic action and plentiful twists made it one of my favorite films of the festival. Set in 1980s Korea, the movie uses real-world events — like political protests and even an assassination attempt — as a backdrop to tell a gripping, action-packed story. While it follows historical events, the movie is primarily fiction. “I didn’t want Hunt to be a documentary,” Lee says.

Lee stars alongside Jung Woo-sung as rival Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA) agents, and fellow Squid Game alum Heo Sung-tae also plays a prominent role. Part of the fun of Hunt is how you never know who to trust; right up until the end, it’s never clear whose side anyone is on.

The movie is available today on DVD / Blu-ray and on-demand services, and ahead of the wider debut, I had a chance to ask Lee a few questions over email about directing for the first time, straddling fiction and reality, and juggling his new role with acting.

This interview has been lightly edited for clarity.

What made this project a good fit for your first directorial effort? What interested you about it?

I have always had a fondness for spy genres. As time has passed, I have come to think more about what ideologies and beliefs are, and whether the ones I know are the right ones. I have also started to consider what these ideologies and beliefs are for. Hunt is a fascinating work that contains such thoughts.

“It was very embarrassing for me to evaluate my acting”

How did you find balancing being a director with also starring in the film? Were there new kinds of challenges that you didn’t anticipate?

I learned a lot through Hunt. I tried to communicate on set. As a director, it was very embarrassing for me to evaluate my acting. Still, I focused on the emotions and actions that [my character] Park Pyung-ho needed to express and acted with the belief that the answer lies in the chemistry with my co-actors.

What was the research process like for you in terms of understanding the time periods and real events that the movie is centered around? Was it a challenge to create such a bombastic action experience within the confines of that real historical backdrop?

I believe that we should be careful when dealing with history in movies because it can be seen as a distortion of history. I didn’t want Hunt to be a documentary. I doubted that we needed to recreate every detail of such significant events. Therefore, I thought that we needed to add more fiction.

I believe that Hunt should provide entertainment value through mystery and action at the beginning of the movie so that the audience could be more immersed in the drama in the latter part of the movie. It is not a movie that walks a tightrope between reality and fiction, but rather an entertaining action movie with added fiction elements.

Image: Magnolia Home Entertainment

A behind-the-scenes shot of Lee Jung-jae on the set of Hunt.

Things get pretty complicated. Did you want viewers to feel like they could understand all the twists and turns, or do you think confusion is a part of the experience?

I think that if a plot twist is revealed too late in a movie, it can be boring, and if it’s revealed too early, it can be less exciting. While there may be a simple and clear reason why someone needs to be revealed as a spy at a certain point, there is no reason why their identity needs to be revealed at the end.

I want Hunt to be an appealing movie because of its simplicity. While it is a spy film and therefore has a multilayered structure, I gathered opinions from various people to craft the most appropriate structure for the story.

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Apple’s 2023 MacBook Pro with M2 Pro is $200 off right now

Apple released the latest refreshes to its MacBook Pro laptops just last month, but a new deal has brought the 14-inch model down to $1,799 at Amazon and B&H. That’s $150 off this configuration’s typical going rate on Amazon, $200 off Apple’s MSRP and the largest discount we’ve seen to date. B&H’s listing says the deal is only scheduled to last through Tuesday. Note that only the Space Gray model is discounted.

This deal applies to the entry-level 14-inch model, which includes a new M2 Pro chip with a 10-core CPU and 16-core GPU, 16GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD storage. The 14.2-inch Mini-LED display has a resolution of 3,024 x 1,964 and supports refresh rates up to 120Hz for smoother scrolling. There’s a 1080p webcam inside an iPhone-style display notch, plus three Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports, an HDMI 2.1 port, a full-sized SD card slot, a MagSafe connector for charging and a headphone jack.
We gave the latest 14-inch MacBook Pro a review score of 92 back in January. Although that review was based on a higher-power configuration than this discounted model, the general benefits are the same here. The new MacBook Pro is essentially just a speed bump, but it remains a fast and sturdily-built notebook for power users. Its display is still superb, its keyboard and trackpad are still comfortable, its speakers are still top-notch and its battery life can still genuinely last beyond a full work day. On the flip side, the whole thing is still expensive (even with this discount) and hardly upgradeable, but that’s a familiar story for Macs. This entry-level model also comes with a 67W charger, while the more expensive configurations include a faster 96W adapter in the box.
The one major upgrade here is the new chip. To be clear, this variant of the M2 Pro isn’t worth the upgrade for most owners of the prior MacBook Pro, and its graphics performance is still clearly behind the M2 Max chip available in the pricier Pro models. Because of the way its NAND chips are configured, this entry-level model’s storage performance is technically slower than the last entry-level 14-inch Pro as well. 
That said, this is still a powerful notebook. Any storage drop-off isn’t likely to be noticeable the vast majority of the time, and the CPU and GPU performance here is still a nice jump for most looking to upgrade from an older Intel-based Pro. While the M2 MacBook Air is the better buy for most people in need of a general-purpose laptop, the 14-inch MacBook Pro is a great choice for those willing to pay for more performance, and this deal makes it at least a little more affordable. 
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-2023-macbook-pro-with-m2-pro-is-200-off-right-now-164333083.html?src=rss

Apple released the latest refreshes to its MacBook Pro laptops just last month, but a new deal has brought the 14-inch model down to $1,799 at Amazon and B&H. That’s $150 off this configuration’s typical going rate on Amazon, $200 off Apple’s MSRP and the largest discount we’ve seen to date. B&H’s listing says the deal is only scheduled to last through Tuesday. Note that only the Space Gray model is discounted.

This deal applies to the entry-level 14-inch model, which includes a new M2 Pro chip with a 10-core CPU and 16-core GPU, 16GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD storage. The 14.2-inch Mini-LED display has a resolution of 3,024 x 1,964 and supports refresh rates up to 120Hz for smoother scrolling. There’s a 1080p webcam inside an iPhone-style display notch, plus three Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports, an HDMI 2.1 port, a full-sized SD card slot, a MagSafe connector for charging and a headphone jack.

We gave the latest 14-inch MacBook Pro a review score of 92 back in January. Although that review was based on a higher-power configuration than this discounted model, the general benefits are the same here. The new MacBook Pro is essentially just a speed bump, but it remains a fast and sturdily-built notebook for power users. Its display is still superb, its keyboard and trackpad are still comfortable, its speakers are still top-notch and its battery life can still genuinely last beyond a full work day. On the flip side, the whole thing is still expensive (even with this discount) and hardly upgradeable, but that’s a familiar story for Macs. This entry-level model also comes with a 67W charger, while the more expensive configurations include a faster 96W adapter in the box.

The one major upgrade here is the new chip. To be clear, this variant of the M2 Pro isn’t worth the upgrade for most owners of the prior MacBook Pro, and its graphics performance is still clearly behind the M2 Max chip available in the pricier Pro models. Because of the way its NAND chips are configured, this entry-level model’s storage performance is technically slower than the last entry-level 14-inch Pro as well. 

That said, this is still a powerful notebook. Any storage drop-off isn’t likely to be noticeable the vast majority of the time, and the CPU and GPU performance here is still a nice jump for most looking to upgrade from an older Intel-based Pro. While the M2 MacBook Air is the better buy for most people in need of a general-purpose laptop, the 14-inch MacBook Pro is a great choice for those willing to pay for more performance, and this deal makes it at least a little more affordable. 

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-2023-macbook-pro-with-m2-pro-is-200-off-right-now-164333083.html?src=rss

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Biden’s Semiconductor Plan Flexes the Power of the Federal Government

Semiconductor manufacturers seeking a slice of nearly $40 billion in new federal subsidies will need to ensure affordable child care for their workers, limit stock buybacks and share certain excess profits with the government, the Biden administration will announce on Tuesday. From a report: The new requirements represent an aggressive attempt by the federal government to bend the behavior of corporate America to accomplish its economic and national security objectives. As the Biden administration makes the nation’s first big foray into industrial policy in decades, officials are also using the opportunity to advance policies championed by liberals that seek to empower workers. While the moves would advance some of the left-behind portions of the president’s agenda, they could also set a fraught precedent for attaching policy strings to federal funding.

Last year, a bipartisan group of lawmakers passed the CHIPS Act, which devoted $52 billion to expanding U.S. semiconductor manufacturing and research, in hopes of making the nation less reliant on foreign suppliers for critical chips that power computers, household appliances, cars and more. The prospect of accessing those funds has already enticed domestic and foreign-owned chip makers to announce plans for or begin construction on new projects in Arizona, Texas, Ohio, New York and other states. On Tuesday, the Commerce Department will release its application for manufacturers seeking funds under the law. It will include a variety of requirements that go far beyond simply encouraging semiconductor production.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Semiconductor manufacturers seeking a slice of nearly $40 billion in new federal subsidies will need to ensure affordable child care for their workers, limit stock buybacks and share certain excess profits with the government, the Biden administration will announce on Tuesday. From a report: The new requirements represent an aggressive attempt by the federal government to bend the behavior of corporate America to accomplish its economic and national security objectives. As the Biden administration makes the nation’s first big foray into industrial policy in decades, officials are also using the opportunity to advance policies championed by liberals that seek to empower workers. While the moves would advance some of the left-behind portions of the president’s agenda, they could also set a fraught precedent for attaching policy strings to federal funding.

Last year, a bipartisan group of lawmakers passed the CHIPS Act, which devoted $52 billion to expanding U.S. semiconductor manufacturing and research, in hopes of making the nation less reliant on foreign suppliers for critical chips that power computers, household appliances, cars and more. The prospect of accessing those funds has already enticed domestic and foreign-owned chip makers to announce plans for or begin construction on new projects in Arizona, Texas, Ohio, New York and other states. On Tuesday, the Commerce Department will release its application for manufacturers seeking funds under the law. It will include a variety of requirements that go far beyond simply encouraging semiconductor production.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Nothing Phone 2 Is Heading to the US With Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 – CNET

Carl Pei’s tech startup is brewing its next-generation phone.

Carl Pei’s tech startup is brewing its next-generation phone.

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How much progress is Klarna making toward profitability?

Klarna has had a publicly difficult few quarters. Now that we have its 2022 financial data, we can look more closely at how it performed amid all the noise.
How much progress is Klarna making toward profitability? by Alex Wilhelm originally published on TechCrunch

Klarna, a well-known private tech company working in the consumer credit and e-commerce market, dropped its 2022 annual report today. The document contains a wealth of information about its financial performance and recent operating philosophy. We care about both.

The former startup has had a publicly difficult few quarters. From seeing its valuation cut sharply to layoffs, the news around Klarna has been negative for some time. Now that we have the company’s financial data, we can take a more detailed look at how it performed amid all the noise.

Most coverage of Klarna’s results focused on its full-year totals, which show rising deficits and net losses growing more quickly than revenue. The rest looked at quarterly trends, which can paint a more nuanced picture of a company’s trajectory.

The Exchange explores startups, markets and money.

Read it every morning on TechCrunch+ or get The Exchange newsletter every Saturday.

Our work today is simple: We need to parse the company’s growth compared to its market, and then we need to dig into its quarterly profitability to see how well it is managing to control costs and work toward profitability. This is where operating philosophy comes into play, as you’ll see.

How much progress is Klarna making toward profitability? by Alex Wilhelm originally published on TechCrunch

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