A California bill that would require operating system and app store providers to verify users’ ages before they can download apps has cleared the Assembly 58-0, and will now move on to Gov. Gavin Newsom, reports. The Digital Age Assurance Act (AB 1043), introduced by Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, does not require photo identification for verification, but puts the onus on the platforms to provide tools for parents to indicate the user’s age during a device’s setup, and use this information steer kids toward age-appropriate content and screen time.
It comes after and both adopted app store age verification laws earlier this year that have been criticized as posing potential privacy risks, and faced opposition from the likes of Google and Apple. The California bill has been received more positively by Big Tech, with Google, Meta and others putting out in support of it in the leadup to a Senate vote on Friday. Kareem Ghanem, Google’s Senior Director of Government Affairs & Public Policy, called the bill “one of the most thoughtful approaches we’ve seen thus far to the challenges of keeping kids safe, recognizing that it’s a shared responsibility across the ecosystem.” Gov. Newsom now has until October 13 to sign or veto the bill, according to Politico.
Apple debuted the iconic and now wildly popular iPad in 2010. A few months later, Instagram landed on the App Store to rapid success. But for 15 years, Instagram hasn’t bothered to optimize its app layout for the iPad’s larger screen.
That’s finally changing today: There’s now a dedicated Instagram iPad app available globally on the App Store.
It has been a long time coming. Even before Apple began splitting its mobile operating system from iOS into iOS and iPadOS, countless apps adopted a fresh user interface that embraced the larger screen size of the tablet. This was the iPad’s calling card at the time, and those native apps optimized for its precise screen size are what made Apple’s device stand out from a sea of Android tablets that largely ran phone apps inelegantly blown up to fit the bigger screen.
Except Instagram never went iPad-native. Open the existing app right now, and you’ll see the same phone app stretched to the iPad’s screen size, with awkward gaps on the sides. And you’ll run into the occasional problems when you post photos from the iPad, like low-resolution images. Weirdly, Instagram did introduce layout improvements for folding phones a few years ago, which means the experience is better optimized on Android tablets today than it is on iPad.
The fresh iPad app (which runs on iPadOS 15.1 or later) offers more than just a facelift. Yes, the Instagram app now takes up the entire screen, but the company says users will drop straight into Reels, the short-form video platform it introduced five years ago to compete with TikTok. The Stories module remains at the top, and you’ll be able to hop into different tabs via the menu icons on the left. There’s a new Following tab (the people icon right below the home icon), and this is a dedicated section to see the latest posts from people you actually follow.
The City of Hagerstown is removing parking meters due to theft and damage. The final phase of removal is underway, according to a community announcement.
Residents are encouraged to download the PayByPhone app for cashless parking payments. The app is available on both the App Store and Google Play. For assistance with downloading the PayByPhone app or for more information, call 301-739-8577, ext. 479 or 445.
New PayByPhone signs will be installed at parking spaces throughout the city, with completion expected by the first week of September.
New PayByPhone signs will be installed at parking spaces throughout the city, with completion expected by the first week of September.
While the app will be required for street and lot parking, cash and credit cards will still be accepted at city parking decks.
This story was created by Janis Reeser, jreeser@gannett.com, with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at https://cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct/.
Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company xAI is suing Apple and OpenAI, . The suit accuses the companies of illegally conspiring to stop rival AI companies from getting a fair shot on the App Store, alleging they have “locked up markets to maintain their monopolies and prevent innovators like X and xAI from competing.”
The complaint suggests that Apple and OpenAI have been conspiring to suppress xAI’s products on the App Store. “If not for its exclusive deal with OpenAI, Apple would have no reason to refrain from more prominently featuring the X app and the Grok app in its App Store,” xAI told Reuters.
Apple has integrated OpenAI’s ChatGPT into several of its products, but it remains to be seen if that has translated to any anticompetitive practices. It’s worth noting that rival AI apps like DeepSeek and Perplexity have both spent time on the top of App Store charts since this partnership began, .
This lawsuit comes after Musk a couple of weeks back after making similar accusations regarding Apple and OpenAI. Apple has yet to respond to the complaint but OpenAI CEO “a remarkable claim given what I have heard alleged that Elon does to manipulate X to benefit himself and his own companies and harm his competitors and people he doesn’t like.”
Altman is likely referencing various studies that indicate Musk to and posts by conservative commentators. He has also on X, which is a crowdsourced fact-checking tool. OpenAI spokesperson Kayla Wood told The Verge that today’s lawsuit “is consistent with Mr. Musk’s ongoing pattern of harassment.”
xAI also brought this lawsuit to the Northern District of Texas Fort Worth Division, which is a . This is where Musk typically steers his various lawsuits, in a “judge shopping.”
Building fire reported on South Wilson Way in Stockton
WE BEGIN WITH BREAKING NEWS. THAT BREAKING NEWS WE’RE FOLLOWING AT THE STATE CAPITOL RIGHT NOW. CALIFORNIA VOTERS WILL HEAD TO THE POLLS THIS NOVEMBER TO DECIDE ON NEW CONGRESSIONAL MAPS. LAWMAKERS PASSED LEGISLATION WITHIN THE LAST HOUR ADVANCING THE PLAN THAT COULD HELP DEMOCRATS WIN FIVE MORE SEATS IN THE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. THANKS FOR JOINING US AT 4:00. I’M LISA GONZALEZ, AND I’M KURTIS MING. RIGHT NOW, DEMOCRATS ARE GATHERING TO SIGN A COUPLE OF THE BILLS PASSED TODAY. THEY’RE TALKING AHEAD OF THIS. THE SPECIAL ELECTION BILL. NOW, THAT ONE DOES NOT NEED THE GOVERNOR’S SIGNATURE, BUT GOVERNOR NEWSOM WILL SIGN A COUPLE OF PIECES OF LEGISLATION THAT OUTLINE THE LOGISTICS FOR AND PROVIDE THE MONEY FOR THAT SPECIAL ELECTION. THE GOAL OF ALL OF THIS IS TO HELP DEMOCRATS WIN FIVE MORE U.S. HOUSE SEATS IN 2026. YOU WILL VOTE ON THOSE MAPS IN NOVEMBER. DEMOCRATS SAY IT IS A RESPONSE TO TEXAS REPUBLICANS PUSH TO REDRAW THE STATE’S CONGRESSIONAL MAP AT PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP’S URGING, BUT REPUBLICANS SAY IT IS A POWER GRAB BY CALIFORNIA DEMOCRATS. I WANT TO START BY SAYING WHAT THIS IS NOT ABOUT. IT IS NOT ABOUT TEXAS. AND ACTUALLY, YOU ALL JUST CONCEDED THAT BY YOUR VOTE THIS MORNING WHEN YOU AMENDED ACA TO TAKE OUT TEXAS AS A CONDITION, AND THAT THIS BILL THAT YOU ARE VOTING ON RIGHT NOW DOESN’T HAVE TEXAS AS A CONDITION AND COMMITS CALIFORNIA TO GOING BACK TO GERRYMANDERING. AND YOU SHOULD REALLY THINK TWICE BEFORE YOU GO AHEAD AND DO THAT TODAY. ACA IS A DIRECT RESPONSE TO THE LIFE THREATENING POLICIES THAT TRUMP AND THIS MAJORITY CONGRESS HAVE TAKEN. AND THIS ACA IS OUR OPPORTUNITY. THE PEOPLE’S OPPORTUNITY TO EMPOWER CALIFORNIANS TO NEUTRALIZE THAT THREAT. YOU CAN STAY UPDATED ON THIS REDISTRICTING PUSH AS WE APPROACH THE SPECIAL ELECTION. GO TO THE KCRA THREE APP. BE SURE TO TURN ON BREAKING NEWS ALERTS FOR ANY NEW DEVELOPMENTS. ALL RIGHT. WE’RE FOLLOWING THE HOT WEATHER IT IS MAKING TODAY A KCRA 3 IMPACT DAY. WE’VE GOT A LIVE LOOK FROM SACRAMENTO AND STOCKTON FROM OUR WILL HERYFORD SKYCAM TEMPERATURES EXPECTED TO BE IN THE TRIPLE DIGITS TODAY AFTER A MILD JULY. AUGUST IS BRINGING THE WEATHER WE EXPECT FOR SUMMER. WE’VE GOT LIVE TEAM COVERAGE ON THIS HOT WEATHER. KCRA 3’S DENEEKA HILL SPOKE WITH PEOPLE WORKING OUTSIDE AND HOW THEY’RE TRYING TO STAY COOL. BUT LET’S BEGIN WITH METEOROLOGIST HEATHER WALDMAN WITH MORE ON THE CONDITIONS. HEATHER. YEAH, WE ARE IN THE TRIPLE DIGITS UP AND DOWN THE VALLEY AND INTO THE DELTA AS WELL. SO FAR, THE HIGHEST NUMBER I’VE SEEN FOR EXECUTIVE AIRPORT IN SACRAMENTO 101 STOCKTON AS HIGH AS 104 DEGREES MODESTO STILL JUST SHY OF 199 DEGREES. BUT ALL OF THESE LOCATIONS, EITHER ABOVE A RECORD OR WITHIN A COUPLE DEGREES OF ONE STOCKTON SO FAR, THE ONLY SPOT TO BREAK A DAILY RECORD HIGH. NO REPORTS FROM MARYSVILLE THAT GAUGE THERE HASN’T BEEN WORKING FOR THE LAST FEW DAYS. HOPEFULLY IT COMES BACK SOON, BUT YOU’VE SEEN THE BLANK SPOT ON OUR MAP HERE THROUGHOUT THE WEEK. WE’RE AWARE OF IT 104 RIGHT NOW IN FAIRFIELD AND IN STOCKTON, WE’RE IN THE UPPER 90S IN FAIRFIELD, 91 DEGREES IN PLACERVILLE. WE’RE IN THE UPPER 80S IN TRUCKEE. THERE IS AN ONSHORE BREEZE, BUT THERE’S NO COOL AIR TO BACK IT UP. SO TONIGHT IS GOING TO BE ANOTHER MILD NIGHT WITH TEMPERATURES STAYING IN THE MID TO UPPER 60S AS WE GO INTO THE DAY ON FRIDAY, EXPECT MORE OF THE SAME VALLEY TEMPERATURES IN THE MID 80S. BY LATE MORNING NEAR 100 DEGREES BY NOON 1:00. AND WE’LL SPEND A COUPLE OF HOURS BETWEEN 101 AND 104 AGAIN TOMORROW AFTERNOON WE WILL START TO SEE THE HEAT EASING SOMEWHAT THIS WEEKEND. I’LL SHOW Y
A building fire was reported on South Wilson Way in Stockton Thursday evening.Video Above | 4 p.m. Headlines from KCRA News 3It was reported near Crosstown Freeway around 7:20 p.m.Fire crews are on scene.It is unclear what caused the fire.This story was curated by Hearst’s KCRA Alert Desk.See news happening? Send us your photos or videos if it’s safe to do so at kcra.com/upload.If this story happened near you or someone you know, share this article with friends in your area using the KCRA mobile app so they know what is happening near them. The KCRA app is available for free in Apple’s App Store and on Google Play.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
STOCKTON, Calif. —
A building fire was reported on South Wilson Way in Stockton Thursday evening.
Video Above | 4 p.m. Headlines from KCRA News 3
It was reported near Crosstown Freeway around 7:20 p.m.
Fire crews are on scene.
It is unclear what caused the fire.
This story was curated by Hearst’s KCRA Alert Desk.
See news happening? Send us your photos or videos if it’s safe to do so at kcra.com/upload.
If this story happened near you or someone you know, share this article with friends in your area using the KCRA mobile app so they know what is happening near them. The KCRA app is available for free in Apple’s App Store and on Google Play.
THIS IS KCRA THREE NEWS AT FIVE. WHAT IS A KCRA 3 WEATHER IMPACT DAY TODAY? OUR TEAM IS TRACKING TRIPLE DIGIT TEMPERATURES AND THEN SOME. THE AREAS THAT COULD BREAK RECORDS TODAY. CREWS BATTLE A WILDFIRE THAT’S PROMPTING AN EVACUATION WARNING IN EL DORADO COUNTY. THE PROGRESS THEY’VE MADE SO FAR. STATE LAWMAKERS SET TO VOTE TODAY ON LEGISLATION THAT WILL PROMPT A SPECIAL ELECTION ON REDISTRICTING THIS NOVEMBER. WHERE THINGS STAND RIGHT NOW. WELL, TODAY IS A KCRA 3 WEATHER IMPACT DAY, AND THIS MORNING WE’RE BRACING FOR A STRETCH OF TRIPLE DIGIT TEMPERATURES IN OUR FORECAST. AND THAT’S EXPECTED TO LAST THROUGH THE WEEKEND. GOOD MORNING AND THANKS FOR BEING WITH US. I’M MELANIE WINGO IN FOR DEIRDRE FITZPATRICK AND I’M TEO TORRES. LET’S HEAD RIGHT NOW TO METEOROLOGIST TAMARA BERG. YOU’VE BEEN SAYING THIS FOR DAYS, TAM. YEAH. THE HEAT IS BUILDING, AND YESTERDAY WE GOT A LITTLE TASTE OF WHAT TO EXPECT. HERE’S A LIVE LOOK OUTSIDE RIGHT NOW IN DOWNTOWN SACRAMENTO. EVEN OUR MORNING TEMPERATURES ARE FEELING A BIT UP A LITTLE BIT, ESPECIALLY IF YOU’RE AN EARLY RISER AND THIS IS YOUR TYPICAL WAKE UP TIME IN THE 5:00 HOUR. YOU MAY STEP BACK THAT WARM COFFEE AND SAY, ALL RIGHT, I’M GOING TO PUT IT OVER ICE AT THIS POINT BECAUSE IT IS A MILDER START TO THE DAY. THE HEAT WILL BUILD TODAY WITH VALLEY HIGHS 100 TO ABOUT 105 IN THE FOOTHILLS, EYEING MID AND UPPER 90S. I’M ALSO GOING TO BE WATCHING FOR SOME INCREASING CLOUD COVER AS MONSOON MOISTURE STEERS INTO OUR NECK OF THE WOODS STARTING THIS AFTERNOON. RIGHT NOW, 65 DEGREES OUT THE DOOR IN SACRAMENTO, 63. AS YOU’LL NOTICE IN FAIRFIELD. WELL, YOU HAVE JUST A TOUCH OF A DELTA BREEZE. THERE’S NO COOL AIR THAT’S COMING IN ON TOP OF IT. 62 RIGHT NOW. STOCKTON 66 FOR YOUR START TO THE DAY IN MODESTO. WE’RE IN THE LOW 70S IN AUBURN AND PLACERVILLE AND HANGING ON TO LOW 40S UP AT THE TOP IN TRUCKEE AND TAHOE, WHERE THERE’S NOT MUCH WIND. IN FACT, THE AIR ACROSS THE REGION IS PRETTY STAGNANT FOR THE MOST PART. NOT MUCH OF A BREEZE IN STOCKTON MODESTO. AND THERE’S THAT SOUTHWEST WIND AT NINE IN FAIRFIELD. BUT AS I MENTIONED ALREADY, NO COOL AIR ON TOP OF IT AS WE’RE JUST NOT SEEING THE MARINE LAYER. IT’S REALLY KIND OF SQUASHED DOWN FOR THE MOST PART ALONG THE COAST. SO THE DAY AHEAD, PLAN FOR THE HEAT AND HAVE A HEAT PLAN, ESPECIALLY AS THE KIDS ARE BACK IN THE CLASSROOMS, BACK TO SCHOOL AND YOU’RE HEADING INTO THE OFFICE, TRY TO DO ANY STRENUOUS ACTIVITY BEFORE LUNCHTIME WHEN THOSE TEMPERATURES ARE IN THE 70S TO LOWER 80S, AND THEN WE GET BEYOND LUNCHTIME, WE START TO REALLY HEAT UP WITH THOSE HIGHS AGAIN IN THE VALLEY FEATURED 100 TO AS HIGH AS 105 IN A FEW SPOTS IN THE NEXT TEN MINUTES. A CLOSER LOOK AT THE FORECAST DIALED INTO YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD. IT’S 502 RIGHT NOW. GOOD MORNING BRIAN, WHAT ARE YOU TRACKING FOR EARLY COMMUTERS? WE’RE GOING TO START HERE ALONG INTERSTATE 80. AS YOU MAKE YOUR WAY INTO THE SPLIT. AND IF YOU’RE HEADING OFF TO SACRAMENTO OR OFF INTO WEST SACRAMENTO, ALL CLEAR ON THAT STRETCH OUT THROUGH THE CAUSEWAY AND BEYOND, THROUGH TO THE BAY AREA. INTERSTATE 80 OUT OF ROSEVILLE. ALSO CLEAR AND 50 OUT OF FOLSOM. NO PROBLEMS HERE. WE’RE LOOKING AT I-5 NOW AND 99 FROM ELK GROVE. A LOT OF GREEN ON THE MAP. NO DELAYS HERE FOR STOCKTON. ALSO INCIDENT FREE ACROSS HIGHWAY FOUR AND 12. HEADING OFF INTO THE DELTA. EARLIER HIGHWAY FOUR A LITTLE BIT FURTHER DOWN THERE WAS A FIRE NEAR A BART STATION, BUT THAT SO FAR IS OUT, NOT CAUSING ANY DELAYS ON THE FREEWAY, BUT IT WAS PUTTING SOME SMOKE UP FOR A LITTLE BIT. 205 OVER TO 580 A MINOR DELAY ACROSS THE TOP RIGHT NOW, JUST BREAKING INTO THE RED AT 25 MINUTES ON THE TRACY TRIANGLE. 580 OVER THE ALTAMONT PASS, 26 MINUTES. 12 MINUTES BETWEEN MODESTO AND MANTECA HERE IN SACRAMENTO. NINE MINUTES OUT OF ROSEVILLE ON 80. 15 MINUTES OUT OF FOLSOM ON 50. 99 IS A NINE MINUTE RIDE I5 11 MINUTES COMING IN FROM ELK GROVE. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH, BRIAN. SO WE’RE FOLLOWING BREAKING NEWS RIGHT NOW OUT OF EL DORADO COUNTY THIS MORNING. AN EVACUATION WARNING IS IN PLACE DUE TO THE COYOTE FIRE. THAT FIRE STARTED JUST AFTER 2:00 YESTERDAY AFTERNOON NEAR CEDAR CREEK ROAD AND COYOTE HILL LANE. IN THE SOMERSET AREA. SO HERE’S SOME VIDEO OF THE FIRE FROM OVERNIGHT. THIS IS FROM AN ALERT WILDFIRE CAMERA. AS OF THE LATEST UPDATE FROM CAL FIRE. THE FIRE HAS BURNED JUST OVER 550 ACRES. NO CONTAINMENT ON THIS ONE JUST YET. THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE IS UNDER INVESTIGATION. AND THE FLAMES ARE TRIGGERING THAT EVACUATION WARNING WE TALKED ABOUT. AND THAT MEANS PEOPLE LIVING IN THE AREAS SHADED HERE ON THIS MAP SHOULD BE PREPARED TO LEAVE AT A MOMENT’S NOTICE. THAT WARNING IS WEST AND SOUTH OF OMO RANCH ROAD AND NORTH OF THE AMADOR COUNTY LINE. AUTHORITIES SAY THE BEST WAY OUT IS MOUNT AUKUM ROAD. MEANTIME, A PART OF HIGHWAY 108 IS CLOSED THIS MORNING AFTER A FAST-MOVING GRASS FIRE DESTROYED ONE BUILDING AND DAMAGED THREE OTHERS. THE FIRE SPARKED AROUND 4:00 YESTERDAY NEAR THE COMMUNITY OF RIVERBANK. HIGHWAY 108 IS CLOSED BETWEEN SLOUGHHOUSE AND SNEDEGAR ROADS. FIRE CREWS SAY THE FLAMES JUMPED HIGHWAY 108 DUE TO STRONG WIND. AT ONE POINT, THERE WAS ABOUT 40 FIRE ENGINES FIGHTING THE FLAMES. WE SPOKE TO A NEIGHBOR WHO JUMPED IN TO SAVE HIS OWN HOUSE. MY SISTER, SHE CAME INTO MY ROOM SCREAMING LIKE, HEY, THE HOUSE IS ON FIRE. SO ME, I’M THE BIG BROTHER OF THE HOUSE. SO I JUMP INTO SURVIVAL MODE, GRABBED THE WATER HOSE AND I RAN OUTSIDE TRYING TO SPRAY THE FIRE UNTIL THE FIRE DEPARTMENT GETS HERE. HE SAYS HE AND HIS FAMILY ARE THANKFUL THE CREWS ARRIVED IN TIME, AND THAT THEIR HOME WAS SPARED. FIRE IS NOW FULLY CONTAINED. IT BURNED 10 TO 15 ACRES. THE CAUSE IS. IT DID CAUSE A POWER OUTAGE. WE UNDERSTAND RIGHT NOW ABOUT 200 CUSTOMERS ARE STILL IN THE DARK. THEY EXPECT TO RESTORE POWER BY 6:00. THE MODESTO FIRE DEPARTMENT SAYS CREWS ARE KEEPING AN EYE OUT FOR ANY FLARE UPS HERE. NO WORD ON HOW IT STARTED. RIGHT NOW, PEOPLE IN EL DORADO COUNTY AND AMADOR COUNTY ARE ASKED TO BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR AN AT RISK MISSING PERSON. TAKE A LOOK. THIS IS 85 YEAR OLD GEORGANN WILMOT. OFFICIALS SAY SHE’S BEEN MISSING SINCE 7:00 LAST NIGHT. AND SHE WAS LAST SEEN IN PLACERVILLE WEARING A LIGHT BLUE LONG SLEEVED SHIRT AND BLUE JEANS. SHE’S BELIEVED TO BE DRIVING A BLUE 2013 TOYOTA PRIUS WITH THE LICENSE PLATE NUMBER THAT’S ON YOUR SCREEN. IT’S SEVEN C 512. IF YOU SEE HER, CALL 911. NOW TO A LIVE LOOK AT THE STATE CAPITOL BUILDING. AND STATE LAWMAKERS ARE EXPECTED TO VOTE TODAY ON LEGISLATION THAT COULD LAUNCH A STATEWIDE SPECIAL ELECTION ON REDISTRICTING. DEMOCRATS ARE PUSHING FOR A SPECIAL ELECTION IN NOVEMBER SO CALIFORNIANS CAN VOTE ON NEW MAPS TO POTENTIALLY SEND FIVE MORE DEMOCRATS TO THE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. A BILL WAS INTRODUCED MONDAY. IT WILL BE VOTED ON LATER TODAY. LAWMAKERS WILL HEAR ARGUMENTS FROM BOTH SIDES BEGINNING AT 9 A.M. MEANTIME, CALIFORNIA SUPREME COURT REJECTED A REQUEST FROM REPUBLICANS TO FREEZE THE EFFORT TO REDRAW CALIFORNIA’S CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS. REPUBLICANS FILED AN EMERGENCY PETITION EARLIER THIS WEEK. THEY CLAIMED CALIFORNIA DEMOCRATS VIOLATED THE STATE CONSTITUTION BY NOT WAITING 30 DAYS BEFORE TAKING ACTION ON REDISTRICTING LEGISLATION. THE CHIEF JUSTICE WROTE THAT REPUBLICANS FAILED TO MEET THEIR BURDEN OF ESTABLISHING A BASIS FOR RELIEF. AT THIS TIME. FORMER PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA IS BACKING GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM’S REDISTRICTING MAP. HE GAVE IT THAT ENDORSEMENT WHILE HE SPOKE AT A FUND RAISER FOR THE NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC REDISTRICTING COMMITTEE. THAT’S A GROUP THAT WORKS TO FIGHT GERRYMANDERING. OBAMA SAYS IT WOULD BE HIS PREFERENCE TO NOT HAVE POLITICAL GERRYMANDERING. BUT HE SAYS HE SUPPORTS CALIFORNIA’S EFFORT, GIVEN THAT EFFORT IN TEXAS THAT’S GOING ON RIGHT NOW TO APPROVE NEW MAPS THAT WOULD TURN OVER FIVE CONGRESSIONAL SEATS TO REPUBLICANS THERE. HE CALLS CALIFORNIA DEMOCRATS STANCE A, QUOTE, RESPONSIBLE APPROACH. MEANWHILE, IN TEXAS, THE STATE’S LOWER HOUSE APPROVED THE REDISTRICTING BILL THAT’S DESIGNED TO SEND FIVE MORE REPUBLICANS TO CONGRESS. THIS IS THE BILL THAT SPURRED GOVERNOR NEWSOM’S PUSH FOR CALIFORNIA’S REDISTRICTING PLAN. THE TEXAS SENATE IS EXPECTED TO TAKE UP THE BILL IN COMMITTEE THIS MORNING, AND TEXAS GOVERNOR GREG ABBOTT IS POISED TO SIGN IT QUICKLY AFTER THE SENATE APPROVES IT. MORE SEMIFINALISTS FOR THE JOB OF SACRAMENTO CITY MANAGER WILL INTERVIEW FOR THE ROLE NEXT MONTH. A COUNCIL MEMBER, RICK JENNINGS OFFICE SAYS 94 PEOPLE APPLIED FOR THE POSITION. A SMALLER POOL OF APPLICANTS MADE IT TO THE PRELIMINARY INTERVIEWS, THE FIRST OF WHICH WERE ON WEDNESDAY. THE NEXT WILL BE SEPTEMBER 2ND. AFTER THOSE TWO INTERVIEWS, SESSIONS WRAP UP, A HANDFUL OF CANDIDATES WILL ADVANCE TO THE ROUND OF FINALISTS. JENNINGS OFFICE SAYS CITY LEADERS HOPE TO HAVE A DECISION ON THE NEXT CITY MANAGER BY THE MIDDLE OF NEXT MONTH. WELL, AS WE TALKED ABOUT AT THE TOP OF THE NEWSCAST TODAY IS A KCRA 3 WEATHER IMPACT DAY, AND WE’RE EXPECTED TO HIT TRIPLE DIGIT TEMPERATURES LATER TODAY. THE HEAT IS PROMPTING SEVERAL WEATHER RESPITE CENTERS TO OPEN IN SACRAMENTO COUNTY. THAT INCLUDES THE WARREN E THORNTON YOUTH CENTER. IT WILL BE OPEN FROM TODAY AT ONE AND STAY OPEN UNTIL TEN MONDAY MORNING. THE OUTREACH ENGAGEMENT CENTER ON AUBURN BOULEVARD WILL BE OPEN FROM 10 A.M. TOMORROW TO 8 A.M. SUNDAY. THE SAM AND BONNIE PARNELL COMMUNITY CENTER WILL ALSO OPEN TOMORROW FROM 8 A.M. TO 8 P.M. CALL 211. BEFORE YOU GO TO CHECK CAPACITY THERE, FLIERS ARE AVAILABLE FOR FREE SAC RT BUS RIDES TO THOSE CENTERS ON ANY DAY THAT HITS 100 DEGREES. CITRUS HEIGHTS POLICE WILL OPEN THEIR LOBBY ON FOUNTAIN SQUARE DRIVE FROM NOON TO EIGHT. AND ELK GROVE, THE WACKFORD COMMUNITY COMPLEX, WILL OPEN AS A COOLING CENTER FROM 1 TO 8 P.M. BOTH TODAY AND TOMORROW. OKAY, AT 509, WE’RE GOING TO TURN THINGS OVER AGAIN TO TAMARA BERG AND TAMARA. I THINK IT ALWAYS BEARS REPEATING WHEN WE TALK ABOUT A HEAT WAVE, THAT MEANS SORT OF A CHUNK OF TIME WHEN WE HAVE TRIPLE DIGIT TEMPERATURES, YOU KNOW, PROLONGED HEAT, ESPECIALLY INTO THE AFTERNOON HOURS. NOW, TODAY IS GOING TO MARK ANOTHER DAY OF HOT TEMPERATURES. YESTERDAY WE KIND OF STARTED THINGS OUT. WE HAD A HIGH OF 100 AND SACRAMENTO. YOU LOOK AT THE SATELLITE LOOP FOR THE MORNING, WHAT’S INTERESTING IS THERE’S NOT A LOT OF DETAIL TO SHOW YOU. TYPICALLY, MOST MORNINGS I TALK ABOUT THE MARINE LAYER, BUT IT’S JUST KIND OF SQUASHED OUT OR GONE IN MOST SPOTS. THERE’S SOME PATCHES OF FOG ALONG THE WATER THERE IN SAN FRANCISCO DOWN TOWARDS MONTEREY, BUT THAT’S ABOUT IT. YOU CAN ALSO SEE A FEW HIGH CLOUDS HERE OVER PARTS OF THE DESERT, AND EXPECT THAT SOME OF THESE CLOUDS WILL KIND OF FAN THEIR WAY INTO NORTHERN CALIFORNIA DURING THE AFTERNOON. RIGHT NOW, 62 DEGREES, ONE OF THE COOL SPOTS IS STOCKTON. GOOD MORNING FAIRFIELD HEADING OUT THE DOOR TO 63 AT 65 RIGHT NOW IN SACRAMENTO. 70 FOR YOU IN AUBURN AND WAKING UP TO 41 IN TRUCKEE. I DO EXPECT TODAY IN THE MOUNTAINS. WHILE THOSE CLOUDS WILL BUBBLE UP ALONG THE CREST OF THE SIERRA, NOT EXPECTING THUNDERSTORMS IN TRUCKEE OR TAHOE BASIN, IT’S GOING TO BE A HOT DAY TODAY. PLAN FOR THAT IN QUINCY WITH A HIGH OF 198 FOR YOSEMITE FOOTHILLS PLANNER TODAY. EXPECTING MID AND UPPER 90S FOR 98. IN SONORA TO 97 IN PLACERVILLE. MID 90S TODAY IN GRASS VALLEY AND NEVADA CITY. WE’LL BE IN THE UPPER 90S AROUND LAKEPORT WITH THOSE INCREASING CLOUDS IN THE AFTERNOON HUNDRED TODAY IN FAIRFIELD, NOW CLOSER TO THE WATER, YOU GET SOME RELIEF FROM THE TRIPLE DIGITS AT 78 TODAY IN SAN FRANCISCO. IT’S HOT TODAY. LODI MAKE A PLAN FOR THE HEAT 101 STOCKTON STEPPING UP TO AS HOT AS 105 TRACY 102 MODESTO AT 102. AND TODAY IN SACRAMENTO, IF WE HIT THAT 103 MARK, WE’RE GOING TO BE TYING THE RECORD ON THIS DAY. BROKEN BACK IN THE 1960S. ALL THE CLOSER LOOK AT HOW LONG NUMBERS LIKE THIS WILL STICK AROUND FOR COMING UP IN TEN MINUTES. IT’S 511. BRIAN, WHAT ARE YOU TRACKING FOR OUR COMMUTERS? EASY DRIVING HERE IN THE SACRAMENTO AREA AT THE MOMENT. AS YOU’RE HEADING OUT ON TO THE CAUSEWAY FROM WEST SACRAMENTO, OUT TOWARDS DAVIS. NO PROBLEMS HERE. EAST AND WESTBOUND. AND THEN ALSO LOOKING AT 80 COMING IN FROM ROSEVILLE. STILL ALL CLEAR. HIGHWAY 50 CLEAR OUT OF FOLSOM AS YOU MAKE YOUR WAY IN AND I 99 NORTHBOUND OUT OF ELK GROVE. NO DELAYS THERE THROUGH STOCKTON HIGHWAY 12 OUT OF LODI, ACROSS 99. ALL CLEAR THERE. AS YOU CAN SEE ACROSS THE MAP, JUST A WHOLE LOT OF GREEN THERE. WHERE WE DO RUN INTO SOME RED IS ACROSS THE TOP OF THE TRACY TRIANGLE THAT IS BUILDING NOW AT 27 MINUTES FROM I-5 TO FIVE 8580 OVER THE ALTAMONT PASS, A 26 MINUTE RIDE AS YOU MAKE YOUR WAY FROM 205 TO 680. 99 FROM MODESTO TO MANTECA A 12 MINUTE RIDE, NO DELAYS ON 120. AND HERE IN SACRAMENTO, 80, 50, 99 AND I-5 CURRENTLY RUNNING AT THE SPEED LIMIT. BACK TO YOU. GOOD DEAL. THANKS, BRIAN. YOUR TIME RIGHT NOW. 512. VOTING AS MANY STATES KNOW, IT COULD SOON CHANGE. PRESIDENT TRUMP IS LOOKING TO CHANGE THE WAY YOU CAST YOUR BALLOT. I’M RACHEL HERSHBERGER AT THE WHITE HOUSE WITH HOW A POPULAR WAY OF VOTING
A house fire was reported Thursday morning in south Sacramento.Fire crews were dispatched around 6:38 a.m. to a property on 39th Street south of 14th Avenue in the South Oak Park neighborhood. It was unclear what caused the fire, if anyone was injured or the extent of any damage. This story was curated by Hearst’s KCRA Alert Desk.See news happening? Send us your photos or videos if it’s safe to do so at kcra.com/upload.If this story happened near you or someone you know, share this article with friends in your area using the KCRA mobile app so they know what is happening near them. The KCRA app is available for free in Apple’s App Store and on Google Play.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
A house fire was reported Thursday morning in south Sacramento.
Fire crews were dispatched around 6:38 a.m. to a property on 39th Street south of 14th Avenue in the South Oak Park neighborhood.
It was unclear what caused the fire, if anyone was injured or the extent of any damage.
This story was curated by Hearst’s KCRA Alert Desk.
See news happening? Send us your photos or videos if it’s safe to do so at kcra.com/upload.
If this story happened near you or someone you know, share this article with friends in your area using the KCRA mobile app so they know what is happening near them. The KCRA app is available for free in Apple’s App Store and on Google Play.
Person taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries after being shot multiple times in Sacramento
BOTH SIDES. SACTOWN DEPUTIES ARE NOW SEARCHING FOR THE GUNMAN WHO CRITICALLY INJURED SOMEBODY. THIS IS HAPPENING IN A SOUTH SACRAMENTO NEIGHBORHOOD OFF OF 39TH STREET, NORTH OF 39TH AVENUE. THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE SAYS THE PERSON WAS SHOT SEVERAL TIMES. KCRA 3’S CAROLINA ESTRADA JOINS US LIVE NOW FROM THAT AREA. WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO LEARN? RILEY EDIE. WE KNOW THE MAN THAT WAS SHOT RIGHT NOW IS FIGHTING FOR HIS LIFE AT THE HOSPITAL. HE’S IN CRITICAL CONDITION. ACCORDING TO WHAT DEPUTIES TELL US OUT HERE IN SOUTH SACRAMENTO, WE ARE RIGHT NOW ON 39TH STREET AND MASCOT AVENUE. THIS IS WHERE IT ALL UNFOLDED, WHERE THE SHOOTING HAPPENED AND HAS NOW TURNED INTO A CRIME SCENE. LET ME GIVE YOU A LOOK AT WHAT WE’RE SEEING OUT HERE. FIRST, I WANT TO DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO THAT TREE THAT YOU SEE THERE, WHERE THE DEPUTIES ARE ALL SURROUNDED. THAT’S THE AREA WHERE THEY HAVE BEEN FOCUSING THEIR INVESTIGATION. THAT’S BECAUSE THAT’S WHERE THE MAN WAS WALKING MINUTES BEFORE HE WAS SHOT. THAT’S WHERE THAT SHOOTING TOOK PLACE. DEPUTIES TELL US THEY HAVE FOUND SEVERAL SHELL CASINGS HERE IN THE AREA. ACTUALLY, IF YOU TAKE A LOOK OVER ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD HERE, YOU CAN SEE SOME GREEN MARKERS THERE ON THE GROUND. THOSE ARE MARKING WHERE THE SHELL CASINGS HAVE BEEN FOUND SO FAR. SACRAMENTO COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPUTIES TELL US THEY FOUND AT LEAST A DOZEN SHELL CASINGS. NOW, WHAT DO WE KNOW EXACTLY ABOUT WHAT UNFOLDED OUT HERE TODAY? SO WE KNOW SEVERAL CALLS CAME IN AT AROUND 430 FROM NEIGHBORS REPORTING SOUNDS OF A SHOOTING. AND THEY WHEN DEPUTIES ARRIVED, THEY FOUND A MAN WITH SEVERAL GUNSHOT WOUNDS TO THE ARM AND THE TORSO AREA. THAT’S WHEN HE WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL. HOWEVER, SACRAMENTO COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPUTIES TELL US THEY WEREN’T ABLE TO TALK TO THE MAN BEFORE HE WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL BECAUSE HE WAS UNCONSCIOUS. NOW THEY’RE OUT HERE GATHERING EVIDENCE, PHOTOGRAPHING THE SCENE, TRYING TO PIECE TOGETHER EXACTLY WHAT UNFOLDED. WE SPOKE TO SOME NEIGHBORS THAT ARE OUT HERE. AS YOU CAN SEE, IT’S A VERY RESIDENTIAL AREA. THEY TELL US THEY HEARD AT LEAST THREE GUNSHOTS FIRED, AND THAT’S WHEN THEY CALLED 911. NOW IT IS UNKNOWN IF THIS MAN LIVES IN THIS AREA, BUT THEY ARE TALKING TO WITNESSES THAT WERE HERE AT THE TIME WHEN ALL OF THIS HAPPENED, TRYING TO PIECE TOGETHER EXACTLY WHAT UNFOLDED RIGHT NOW. BUT AGAIN, WHAT WE KNOW IS THAT MAN RIGHT NOW AT THE HOSPITAL, FIGHTING FOR HIS LIFE IN CRITICAL CONDITION AS INVESTIGATORS ARE OUT HERE GATHERING INFORMATION TO PIECE TOGETHER WHAT HAPPENED. NOW, NO INFORMATION ABOUT A SUSPECT OR SUSPECT HAS BEEN RELEASED SO FAR. BUT OF COURSE, WE’LL CONTINUE TO FOLLOW THIS STORY AND BRING YOU THE LATEST. LIVE IN SACRAMENTO COUNTY
Person taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries after being shot multiple times in Sacramento
A person has been taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries after being shot multiple times Tuesday afternoon, according to the Sacramento Sheriff’s Office.Video Above | Morning headlines from KCRA News 3Deputies responded to the report of a shooting around 4:30 p.m. in the 5900 block of 39th Street.Deputies arrived to find one man with several gunshot wounds in his arm and torso, officials said. He was taken to an area hospital and is in critical condition.It is unclear what led to the shooting.KCRA is working to learn more information. Stay tuned for updates.This story was curated by Hearst’s KCRA Alert Desk. If this story happened near you or someone you know, share this article with friends in your area using the KCRA mobile app so they know what is happening near them. The KCRA app is available for free in Apple’s App Store and on Google Play.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
A person has been taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries after being shot multiple times Tuesday afternoon, according to the Sacramento Sheriff’s Office.
Video Above | Morning headlines from KCRA News 3
Deputies responded to the report of a shooting around 4:30 p.m. in the 5900 block of 39th Street.
Deputies arrived to find one man with several gunshot wounds in his arm and torso, officials said. He was taken to an area hospital and is in critical condition.
It is unclear what led to the shooting.
KCRA is working to learn more information. Stay tuned for updates.
This story was curated by Hearst’s KCRA Alert Desk.
If this story happened near you or someone you know, share this article with friends in your area using the KCRA mobile app so they know what is happening near them. The KCRA app is available for free in Apple’s App Store and on Google Play.
NEW YORK, September 30, 2024 (Newswire.com)
– For millions of parents across the country, one of the most stressful parts of their day isn’t work — it’s carpooling. Juggling chaotic schedules, coordinating rides, and worrying about their children’s safety are all-too-common headaches for busy parents. According to recent polls, 51% of parents spend over five hours per week chauffeuring their kids, with 13% devoting more than 10 hours.
Enter HiveDrive, the brainchild of two working moms, Molly Goldberg and Jennifer Geller, who were fed up with the endless carpooling chaos. Molly, currently managing carpool for her son, teamed up with Jenn, who empathizes from her past experience coordinating rides, to create a better solution for busy parents. “I found myself constantly running into other parents from the same neighborhood, all picking up our kids from the same activities,” says Molly. “It felt so inefficient.” Jenn adds, “We realized that an app could easily solve this problem by connecting parents to share rides and keep their kids safe.”
HiveDrive is the first app designed specifically to help families manage carpools within their own trusted networks. It allows parents to create a “hive” of trusted friends, neighbors, and teammates’ parents, making it easy to organize rides without unnecessary stress or confusion. Parents can easily see who’s available to drive, and children can request rides from the parents they know.
“We’re solving two huge problems: time and safety,” says Jenn. “Parents are already juggling busy schedules, and HiveDrive simplifies their lives while ensuring their kids are in safe hands.”
What makes HiveDrive stand out is its focus on safety. The app only allows parents within a child’s trusted circle to offer rides, ensuring full visibility and accountability. Unlike rideshare services that leave parents wondering who’s driving their child, HiveDrive gives families peace of mind by keeping everything within their own community.
Save Time: Streamlined communication within the app ensures only one parent shows up for pickup, eliminating unnecessary trips and freeing up hours for busy families.
Safety First: Know exactly who is driving your child, with rides managed within a secure, privacy-protected network.
Eco-Friendly: Fewer cars on the road mean less traffic and reduced carbon emissions, all while giving families more free time.
With HiveDrive, parents can say goodbye to the frantic “Mom, can I get a ride?” calls and hello to a well-organized, stress-free solution.
To simplify your family’s carpooling and ensure your kids’ safety, visit gohivedrive.com and download HiveDrive today.
New data shows that Resident Evil 7, which was recently ported to iOS devices, was purchased and downloaded by less than 2,000 players, yet another example of big games failing to succeed on Apple’s powerful portable devices.
Kotaku Goes Hands-On At The Apple Developer Showcase
Capcom’s fantastic survival horror sequel Resident Evil 7—originally released in 2017—launched on iOS earlier this month for $20. It’s the latest big console game to arrive on iOS devices as part of Apple’s ongoing push to get more AAA titles running natively on iPhones and iPads. Last year, Resident Evil Village and the Resident Evil 4 remake arrived on iOS. While they were playable and impressive, they were pretty awful ways to play such great games due to poor performance and crappy touch controls. And it seems players agree that these aren’t great versions of these games, as data shows that these ports are likely flopping hard on iOS.
As reported on July 16 by MobileGamer.biz, data seems to indicate that RE7′s iOS port, which launched on July 2, has only made Capcom around $28,000 via 2,000 people paying for the full game after downloading the free demo.
Other AAA iPhone ports have also failed to find much success on the App Store. As previously reported by the outlet in June, data indicates that after a month only 3,000 people had purchased Assassin’s Creed Mirage, even though its free trial version had been downloaded over 120,000 times.
2023’s Resident Evil 4 remake did a bit better after six months on the market. It was downloaded 357,000 times with data indicating that around 7,000 people paid the $30 to unlock the full game. Resident Evil Village, on the other hand, did horribly on iOS. In about the same amount of time, only around 5,700 people paid $15 to play Village on their iPhone or iPad.
Why AAA games are flopping on iPhone
So what’s happening here? Well, I think the higher price points for these AAA ports are scaring away a lot of mobile players who are used to free games. But I think the bigger issue is that these aren’t the kind of games people want to play on their phones in 2024. I love Assassin’s Creed Mirage. It’s a wonderful return to the stealth-focused gameplay and smaller worlds of older AC games, while still feeling modern and fun to play. Good shit! But I have zero desire to play that game on a tiny iPhone with a cumbersome controller attached or via terrible touchscreen buttons.
Capcom / TapGameplay
These AAA games were designed to be played for hours and hours, often in a comfy chair or couch, with a controller or keyboard and a big screen. And that’s just not the experience you get with a phone. The best mobile games are pick-up-and-play. Things you can open up, have a bit of fun with, and then drop a few seconds later because your bus arrived or your game finished installing on Xbox.
iPhones will for sure get more powerful and be able to run even more AAA games at high framerates and resolutions in the future. That’s a fact. But I’m not sold on any of these games finding success on the App Store because they just aren’t what most people want to play on their mobile devices.
So now the question is, with Capcom and other publishers not making money on these ports, how long before Apple stops (probably, this hasn’t been confirmed) funding them and all these AAA games stop arriving on iOS? How long before Apple tosses in the towel on gaming once more? We shall see…
The retro PC game emulator UTM SE is now available on the App Store for iPhone, iPad and Apple Vision Pro, marking the first time Apple has allowed a PC emulator for iOS onto its marketplace, per The Verge. UTM SE will let you run classic PC games, but you’ll first need to either download a pre-built virtual machine — several of which UTM offers for free on its website — or you can create your own from scratch.
We are happy to announce that UTM SE is available (for free) on iOS and visionOS App Store (and coming soon to AltStore PAL)!
Shoutouts to AltStore team for their help and to Apple for reconsidering their policy.https://t.co/HAV5JnT5GO
Apple previously rejected UTM SE, but the team behind the app shared on X that it was able to move forward with a “JIT-less build” thanks to the help of another developer, so it could comply with Apple’s restrictions. The developers also said UTM SE would soon hit the alternative app marketplace AltStore PAL as well, which would open it up to users in the EU. “Shoutouts to AltStore team for their help and to Apple for reconsidering their policy,” the UTM team posted.
At WWDC 2024, Apple unleashed a blitzkrieg of software updates to put AI, or “Apple Intelligence,” front and center in your iPhones, iPads, and Macs. After Samsung and Google pushed AI on phones, it’s now Apple’s turn to try and flip the script to make smartphones, tablets, and laptops “smarter” by introducing an AI of its own.
Apple Unveils Its iPhone 15 and Apple Watch Series 9
If you woke up this morning hoping for some big hardware announcement, or hell, even a hint or teaser for a new phone or Mac design, it’s best you return to your comfortable cave and hibernate until the next big Apple showcase. Regarding software, Apple Intelligence will be available in most user-end apps with automatic summarizations and AI-enhanced photo editing. ChatGPT is coming to the latest iPhones as the Cupertino, California tech giant is set to make the chatbot accessible anywhere on the phone without needing the app.
WWDC 2024 — June 10 | Apple
If you have no interest in AI, there are a few new updates to get excited about. iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 are incoming, promising some long-awaited features. One is the iPhone lock screen update, which allows users to place their widgets and icons where they want. Another is the update to Messenger that will finally enable it to use the RCS protocol. Say goodbye to those green bubbles forever.
Meanwhile, iPads and Macs are getting a few new, unexpected features, like a full-on Calculator app that supports scribbling and iPhone mirroring on macOS Sequoia. Many of these updates are slated for fall of this year, though the betas should start rolling out in the next few months.
What’s Up With ‘Apple Intelligence’
Apple Intelligence is Apple’s Big AI Product for All of its Ecosystem
Screenshot: Apple
First on the list is “Apple Intelligence.” The Cupertino company’s AI is just what it says on the tin: an entire ecosystem for navigating users’ lives. There’s a lot going into it, but—eventually—the software should be able to include multimodal AI vision capabilities and work within all the apps on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac. The only problem is that we still don’t know exactly when any or parts of these features should be available.
Apple Intelligence can Rewrite or Proofread Text
Apple promises the new AI writing tools can summarize your text and add an easy “TLDR” to the top of emails. Like Google’s Gemini, the rewriting feature could include different text styles to make it sound more “Friendly” or “Concise.” You also have the option to add tables, lists, or summaries to the text. This should work in pretty much all Apple apps and some third-party apps.
Apple’s Emails Will Summarize Important Points Before You Open them
The Priority feature in the Mail app will show you your most important emails or messages for when you have a lot of them coming in at once. These condensed notifications will show this right on the lock screen of your iPhone. This works with a new Focus that cuts down on the number of notifications and only shows the most important ones.
Apple Will Let You Create AI Images, Including ‘Genmojis’
Screenshot: Apple
Of course, Apple wouldn’t stay its hand from the AI image generation game. The new Image Playground is built into Pages, Messages, Freeform, and several other apps.
You have three styles on offer: animation, illustration, or sketch, but you have the regular prompt bar to make it create whatever (somewhat disturbing) images you desire. There are also new AI-generated emojis called ‘Genmoji,’ which will come out as a sticker or Tapback. You can also create one of your friends if you trust it enough. Apple promises all its images are generated on-device.
There’s also a new Magic Eraser-like tool in Photos to remove unwanted elements from an image before filling in those missing pixels.
The Apple Intelligence Can Pull Up Your Files and Photos
There’s a lot of big promises coming about thanks to AI. Apple claims their new AI system will eventually let the AI perform rather complex actions, like pulling up photos and files from any of your apps. It should be able to work between apps so that it will know when your meetings are and what your plans are for that day when you ask it to send a text that helps you work around your schedule.
Apple Promises Its AI Won’t Save Your Data
Some of the AI running on Apple’s devices are on-device, but those are supposed to run through Private Cloud Compute. Apple promises to maintain your privacy by determining if a request needs any off-device AI. Then, it will only send parts of the request to the cloud. Apple promises outside agencies will be able to look at Apple’s servers to verify the big privacy claims.
Siri Has a New Look and a Whole Lot More Capabilities
Screenshot: Apple
Poor, beleaguered Siri is finally receiving those long-rumored AI upgrades, but we may need to wait a long time to see them in action. The Siri updates will allow the assistant to interact with iPhone and iPad apps far more than it currently can.
For one, Siri now has a new logo and look, making the borders of the screen wavy whenever the assistant gets called up. Siri will maintain conversational context and will be able to work off your previous requests. Now you can type to chat to Siri as well. Double tapping on the bottom of the screen allows you to communicate with Siri directly.
Siri can also take actions happening on-screen. It can also take actions across apps, like adding a photo from the Photos app to the Notes app. Eventually, the idea is that Siri can take specific actions in more apps over time.
The digital assistant should also become more engrained with users’ “Personal Context.” Siri should know your emails, plans, calendar events, and texts to find all the necessary information.
Siri Will Be Your Best How-To Machine for Apple Products
Siri should be able to send you a how-to guide for anything related to your Apple products. This comes baked into Siri and will work with all the most commonly asked questions about Apple products.
Siri Can Use ChatGPT ‘Seamlessly’
Screenshot: Apple
While we don’t have a good idea when Siri will receive its most important updates, we know that the current stopgap will be ChatGPT integration directly on users’ devices. The app will be accessible straight from Siri and the new compose feature. You can use the chatbot to generate DALL-E images as well. Apple promises this integration will be powered by GPT-4o for free without paying for an account.
Apple promises your activities won’t be logged, and you can access the ChatGPT paid features if you link your account. ChatGPT integration will be coming to all the Apple ecosystem’s new updates later this year.
iOS 18 is Promising some Long-Awaited Customization Features
iOS Now Supports RCS
Screenshot: Apple
As a last-minute note to end its talk about iOS 18, Apple confirmed that the next version of iOS will support RCS protocol. There’s no word yet exactly what form this will take, though Android Authority first recognized that it could be RCS Universal Profile 2.4. This could be the true end to green bubble tyranny, but we’ll learn more as we get close to release.
iOS 18 Lets You Finally Rearrange Your Home Screen Apps
Screenshot: Apple
iOS 18 will be a big one for folks who have long demanded Android-like customizability on the iPhone. Now, you can rearrange all your apps and widgets on the home screen however you like, so you can finally frame your background wallpaper without having an app covering up your kids’ faces. Apple goes further by allowing users to set the tint and tone of the app’s icons themselves.
You Can Soon “Lock” Any App in iOS 18
The next iPhone update will allow users to lock and hide apps so anyone using your phone won’t have immediate access without biometric scanning or a PIN. Similarly, you can now hide away apps into a select hidden folder if you don’t want visitors to your iPhone to get into some of your more sensitive apps without a passcode.
Messenger Includes Full Emoji Tapbacks
Screenshot: Apple
Are you annoyed you can’t do full emoji reactions to texts like you can on Android? The iOS Talkback feature is receiving full emoji support, so you can respond to your friend’s queries with as many poop emojis as their messages require.
Messenger Text Effects Will Let You Emphasize Certain Words
The Messenger app in iOS 18 is expanding the ability to emphasize words. Now, instead of just emphasizing the names of people or other words, users can use Text Effects to make certain words blow up or jiggle. The app will automatically suggest specific effects for certain words. There are new effects, and you can add them to any text you want.
Messages are also gaining the ability to use text formatting, allowing you to underline, bold, or italicize words or phrases.
Game Mode on iPhone
Mac’s Game Mode is getting a version on iPhone. The mode should automatically kick in while in a game. This minimizes background tasks to put as much processing power into the game. It should improve latency with controllers or AirPods.
Messages Via Satellite
If you find yourself without cellphone service, Apple will let you use your iPhone to text friends and family when off the grid on Messages. You can still send emojis and Tapbacks, and Apple claims its E2E encrypted. This will only be available with the iPhone 14 or later, which comes with satellite support.
Apple Maps Now Allows You to Get Hiking Trail Info
Screenshot: Apple
Apple Maps now has access to topographic trail maps, allowing hiking loops on your phone. This will show the overall length and elevation gain of the trail or loop and the various entry points on the app.
Tap to Cash Allows You to Pay Your Friends With Your Phone
Those iPhone users keen on Apple Cash will soon be able to send money to each other using the same action you can use to send folks your contact information. Hovering both phones with the active cash app will send and receive money from your wallet. Additionally, event tickets are being redesigned to show you details about the venue and other essential information.
Photos App is Gonna Look a Hell of a Lot Different
The Photos app now has a new design that shows all your photos in a single grid. You can find different photos based on months or years and filter your photos to eschew screenshots.
The new Collections will let you section different photos into topics like People & Pets or Recent Days. This will let you see your photos in a collage. In selections like Trips, you can find your vacations or travels by date. You can also pin different collections.
The Favorites carousel now shows you a slideshow of photos from various favorite collections.
iPadOS 18 Promises Some New and Unique Features for Apple’s Tablets
Floating Tab Bar on iPad Might Make it Far Easier to Use
Screenshot: Apple
Apple is introducing a new floating tab bar for iPadOS 18. It essentially works as an easy-to-access menu that can morph into a sidebar for even more fine-tuned controls. It should work with most Apple apps on the iPad. There are also new animations to accompany this update. Apple added it’s working to make browsing through documents easier on Apple’s tablets.
SharePlay Tap and Draw Will Let You Remote Control Another iPad
The new SharePlay update will let you make annotations on a foreign device and act as a remote control for another person’s iPad. So, if you’re trying to describe to your mom how to access her iPad photos, you can use SharePlay and draw an arrow straight to them. Once you get frustrated enough, you can take control.
Calculator on iPad (‘Yay’)
Screenshot: Apple
Finally, the iPad is getting a calculator app, but it’s far more interesting than that. It may look like It also works with Apple Pencil. Math Notes comes up from the calculator button, and if you write out an equal sign, it solves it for you, updating it live depending on your different functions. It also works with lists that let you tabulate numbers rather quickly. Notes also have the same math capabilities as Calculator.
Notes’ Smart Script Will Fix Your Chicken Scratch as You Write
The AI will make your writing more legible as you go. The on-board AI should be able to take your loose handwriting and make it a bit more legible while keeping your writing “style.” You can paste it directly into the Notes app, which should mimic your handwriting style.
So, What’s New in macOS Sequoia?
macOS Sequoia Will Allow You to Mirror Your iPhone on Your MacBook
Screenshot: Apple
macOS Sequoia is getting a lot of the features you can find on Apple’s other products. Continuity will let you access universal apps on the rest of the Apple ecosystem. More importantly, it will let you mirror your iPhone on a Mac. Users can then select and work on any of the iPhone’s apps. The audio also comes through Mac.
The iPhone stays locked while you mirror it and works with Standby mode. When your phone is connected to the laptop, iPhone notifications will also appear on Mac, and when you click on them, your iPhone mirror will open up.
You Can Place Your Mac Windows into Tiles, Like Windows 11
Screenshot: Apple
macOS Sequoia is adding a few new tiling features to make organizing your desktop more seamless. Bringing a window to a corner of the screen should automatically reorient and morph to fit a clean style.
You Can Preview Your Camera When Doing a Facetime
Before hopping into a video meeting, Macs will let you preview what you look like on camera. It is better to help you fix your makeup or remember to put on a shirt. There’s also a built-in background replacer if you can’t access one in whatever app you use.
Passwords App Will Show All Your Stuff
There’s now an all-new Passwords app to act as your one-stop shop for your keychains and important, sensitive information. It should be present across the entire Apple ecosystem. This should contain everything from WiFi passwords to verification codes to Passkeys.
Safari Reader Function Summarizes Text
Screenshot: Apple
The new updates to Safari introduce several new AI functions. At the top of the list are AI-generated summaries for the content on web pages. The Reader mode changes the website’s look and brings up a table of contents. There’s no look whether it also removes ads while it’s at it.
Game Porting Toolkit 2 Adds Better Windows Compatibility
Apple first announced its Game Porting Toolkit last WWDC, and now there’s a sequel that promises to make porting more hardcore titles easier to Apple’s framework. The company detailed several new games coming to Mac, including Frostpunk 2 and Control. Assassins Creed: Shadows is also coming to iPad, and Prince of Persia: Shattered Crown is coming to Mac.
How About watchOS 11 and AirPods?
AirPods Can Sense Your Head Nods For Saying Yes to Siri
Screenshot: Apple
If you’d rather not be that asshole in the elevator talking on your Bluetooth headset, AirPods will soon get a feature that should track your head movements. If there’s an incoming call, you can nod or shake your head to respond yes or no to taking it. After it rolls out to AirPods, we’ll have to see what other uses this gesture has.
Apple Watch’s watchOS 11 Gets Training Mode
There are a few new features on the Apple Watch for those fitness fans. With Training Mode, an AI algorithm tells you what kind of effort you made during your recent exercise. This might tell you if you were going too soft or too hard on your recent workout. Plus, you can customize your Fitness app to see what kind of data you want to see at a glance.
The Next watchOS Update Includes a Vitals App
Screenshot: Apple
The Vitals app will look at your entire health data to check all your health metrics and even tell you whether your drinking has impacted your health. This might show your heart rate and tell you whether that’s in your typical range. If it’s not within normal levels, the app should give you a rundown of what’s happening and what could be causing the issue.
Apple Watch Will Open Up Different Widgets Depending on Context
Apple’s smart stacks will automatically add weather or translation widgets to your main screen if it thinks you need them. This might come up when it looks like it’s about to rain or if you’re traveling around a foreign country.
The Apple Watch Will Determine Which Photos Work Best for Your Home Screen
Screenshot: Apple
Like its new TV update, Apple Watches will look through your photos and select those with enough blank space to fit the time. It should also be able to stick the time in front or behind certain photo elements, making it look far more like the photo belongs on the home screen.
If you’d rather not be that asshole in the elevator talking on your Bluetooth headset, AirPods will soon get a feature that should track your head movements. If there’s an incoming call, you can nod or shake your head to respond yes or no to taking it. After it rolls out to AirPods, we’ll have to see what other uses this gesture has.
AirPods Pro Now Have Voice Isolation and Spatial Audio in Gaming
AirPods Pro is getting an update that will add voice isolation to remove background noise for the sake of whoever’s on the other end. Additionally, developers can access an API to add spatial audio for games. This will add a surround-sound type experience to the game, first coming to Need for Speed Mobile.
Is There Anything New Coming to Apple TV+ and Vision Pro?
AppleVision OS 2, the Squeekquel, Will Let You Project Your Mac Screen Into nearly 180 Degrees
Screenshot: Apple
Apple released Vision Pro in February, and its first major update of the year is a sequel to the first visionOS coming down the pike just a few months later.
The big new update includes several new spatial photo updates. The Vision Pro can turn 2D images into 3D-ish Spatial photos. You can share those spatial photos with SharePlay. Apple is adding a few new gestures to tap to open the home view or open the control center by turning your wrist. Later this year, Apple plans to update the OS to add better Mac screen integration. This will expand the total view of your projected Mac screen, and with dynamic foveation, it can create a wraparound screen that travels nearly 180 degrees.
InSight on Apple tvOS Will Offer a Few Details on What You’re Watching
Apple’s new InSight feature on Apple TV+ is essentially Amazon’s X-Ray. It lets you get a quick summary of the content you’re watching, plus information about the actors on screen and perhaps a little trivia about the scene as it plays. Plus, there are a few new screensaver animations, like one from Peanuts’ Snoopy, but your photos will now reframed to fit with a timestamp and look like they belong on-screen.
It seems Apple’s recently added option for App Store developers to include links to external payment methods isn’t actually all that appealing. In a hearing on Friday as part of the ongoing legal battle with Epic, Apple said only 38 developers have applied to add such links — out of roughly 65,000 that could, according to . The new guidelines, , require developers get Apple’s approval before they can add alternative payment options and stipulate that they’ll still have to pay a commission fee of up to 27 percent.
The changes were intended to satisfy an injunction ordered by U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in 2021, but, per , Epic in March called Apple’s attempt at compliance “a sham” and filed a complaint with the court. At this point, Rogers doesn’t really seem impressed either. “It sounds to me as if the goal was to then maintain the business model and revenue you had in the past,” Rogers said of Apple’s solution during the latest hearing, according to Bloomberg.
On top of Apple’s commission, developers also need to consider payment processing fees, which altogether could lead to them paying even more than they did before. “You’re telling me a thousand people were involved [in approving the new fee] and not one of them said maybe we should consider the cost [to developers]?” the judge reportedly said.
Ubisoft says the mobile version of the AAA title offers “the same experience as the console version” but with adapted touchscreen controls. IGNreports that Ubisoft confirmed the mobile game will support MFi hardware controllers like the Backbone One and Razer Kishi Ultra.
Ubisoft says Assassin’s Creed Mirage supports cross-progression and cross-save through Ubisoft Connect, so you can pick up where you left off no matter your platform. The game launched in October for PC, PS5/4, Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One.
Ubisoft
Engadget’s Kris Holt found Assassin’s Creed Mirage to be a return to form for the series, trading the RPG elements that had grown prominent in recent years for the series’ stealth and action roots. “The deeper I got into Assassin’s Creed Mirage, the more a sense of warm nostalgia washed over me,” Holt wrote. “It felt like a cozy hug from an old friend. A comforting, bloody embrace.”
The game will be free to download, and it has a 90-minute free trial. After that, it’ll be a $50 in-app purchase to continue playing on any compatible iPhone or iPad. You can pre-reserve the game now on the App Store.
The popular Nintendo emulator, Delta, that to much fanfare a few weeks ago is now getting a version that’s optimized for the iPad. Developer shared an update on Threads this weekend revealing that an iPad app has been in the works, and is now being prioritized since Apple changed its tune on game emulators. The iPad app is “near completion,” and subscribers to Testut’s can get it now through the AltStore, an alternative marketplace the developer created a few years back for sideloading iOS and iPadOS apps. Otherwise, you can wait a little while for it to come with Delta’s next big update, version 1.6.
In the post, Testut also shared a little preview of how it’ll run on iPad. Delta was released as the successor to Testut’s Game Boy Advance emulator, GBA4iOS, and supports a slew of other Nintendo systems, including NES, SNES, N64, and DS. It shouldn’t be long before the iPad version is finished — Testut wrote that the team just needs to “finish up controller skins [and] fix some last bugs.” They’re also working on device-to-device multiplayer, Testut (but that’s still a couple of items down on the checklist). And, as an added treat, he said a SEGA Genesis emulator is on the way too. That’s still in beta, but will become available “soon-ish.”
Video game emulators are having a tough time. Back in March it was Nintendo Switch emulator Yuzu, which got shut down following a lawsuit from Nintendo. Pizza Emulators, another Nintendo emulator, disappeared around the same time. Then, over the weekend, after Apple updated its restrictions on retro game emulators to allow them in the App Store, a Game Boy Advance app called iGBA became a fast favorite. iGBA didn’t make it through Monday.
The emulator that iGBA resembled, though, is now available on the App Store: Delta, a free, upgraded version of an emulator designed specifically for iOS that supports games for the Nintendo Entertainment System, Super Nintendo, Nintendo 64, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, and DS, making games created for those systems playable on iPhone screens. The emulator is “focused on providing a polished, easy-to-use emulation experience, with iOS-specific features like AirPlay,” says its creator, Riley Testut. It supports a variety of controllers, including Nintendo Switch Pro controllers, Joy-Cons, Nintendo Switch Online controllers, and PS5 and Xbox Series X.
Apple loosened its App Store restrictions to allow retro game emulators onto its store earlier this month. The main stipulation in its rule change was that the emulation apps comply with “all applicable laws.” (Nintendo has a history of cracking down on sites that traffic in ROMs, which are playable software versions of its hardware game cartridges.) Apple also expressly forbids “copycats” in its store. “Don’t simply copy the latest popular app on the App Store, or make some minor changes to another app’s name or UI and pass it off as your own,” its guidelines read. In the case of iGBA, it itself was a version of another developer’s work.
Testut, a student at the University of Southern California and an app developer, tells WIRED he first learned of iGBA’s existence on Discord, where Patreon supporters were talking about it Saturday night. He quickly recognized his handiwork in the emulator listed on the App Store. “Not only were the controller skins and UI identical, but the app’s internal name was literally ‘GBA4iOS.app.’”
Online, Testut expressed shock and disappointment that iGBA had made it onto Apple’s platform before his own project. “I’m pissed that Apple took the time to change the App Store rules to allow emulators, and then approved a knock-off of my own app,” even though he’d been trying to launch an update of GBA4iOS called Delta ”since March 5,” he wrote on Threads,
Testut says that the developer responsible for iGBA emailed him “and personally apologized for the mess … They didn’t expect this all to happen so quickly,” Testut says.
Apple declined to comment.
As the game industry grapples with saving older titles at risk of disappearing forever, emulators like Testut’s are likely to be more in demand all the time. “We’ve seen repeatedly that IP owners are resistant to (consistently) porting old titles to newer hardware, preventing later generations from playing them,” Testut says. “Emulators ensure that old games can still be replayed decades later, similar to playing old audio recordings.”
Even industry leaders believe emulation could be the answer to the preservation problems in gaming. “My hope (and I think I have to present it that way as of now) is as an industry we’d work on legal emulation that allowed modern hardware to run any (within reason) older executable allowing someone to play any game,” Xbox head Phil Spencer told Axios in 2021. Microsoft has since set up an internal team focused on preservation of Xbox games.
Apple has already opened the door for emulators on its App Store; iGBA has proven that there’s a very eager market waiting. Delta—as long as it stays in Apple’s good graces—might finally be it.
Last month, Epic Games filed a motion asking a California judge to hold Apple in contempt for what it claims are violations of a 2021 injunction relating to the company’s App Store practices. Now, Apple is asking the judge to reject Epic’s request, alleging in a new filing spotted by that the motion is an attempt to “micromanage Apple’s business operations in a way that would increase Epic’s profitability.”
The original injunction by US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers required Apple to let developers provide an option for external payment methods, which would allow them to avoid fees of up to 30 percent on App Store and in-app purchases. Apple for developers in January that do allow linking to external websites for purchasing alternatives, but the new rules also require they get Apple’s approval to do so and impose a commission of 12-27 percent for these transactions. Per Reuters, Epic argued that this makes alternative payment options “commercially unusable.”
Epic also said at the time that Apple’s “so-called compliance is a sham,” and accused the company of violating the injunction with its recent moves. Apple maintains that it has acted in compliance with the injunction, stating in the new filing, “The purpose of the Injunction is to make information regarding alternative purchase options more readily available, not to dictate the commercial terms on which Apple provides access to its platform, tools and technologies, and userbase.”
Apple is in major legal trouble as the Department of Justice (DOJ) and 16 state and district attorneys filed a lawsuit against the iPhone maker, as reported by the Washington Post Thursday. They accuse Apple of building a monopoly with the iPhone.
Apple Unveils Its iPhone 15 and Apple Watch Series 9
The suit alleges Apple’s changes to its rules and high fees created a “degraded user experience.” Some of the practices cited included the iMessage green bubbles for non-iPhone users, the 30% App Store fee, and privacy issues with the Apple Wallet.
“We alleged that Apple has consolidated its monopoly power, not by making its own products better, but by making other products worse,” U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a press conference Thursday. “If left unchallenged, Apple will only continue to strengthen its smartphone monopoly.”
Apple says the suit is wrong on the facts and the law.
“This lawsuit threatens who we are and the principles that set Apple products apart in fiercely competitive markets,” the company said in an emailed statement to Gizmodo Thursday. “If successful, it would hinder our ability to create the kind of technology people expect from Apple—where hardware, software, and services intersect. It would also set a dangerous precedent, empowering government to take a heavy hand in designing people’s technology.”
Apple routinely finds itself in legal trouble over its business practices, but the company finds ways to keep winning. Last year, the legal battle between Epic and Apple over the App Store payment options went all the way to the Supreme Court, but Apple prevailed in the end.
But that’s in the U.S. Over in the European Union (EU), Apple has been getting spanked by regulations. Not only did regulators make Apple go all-in with USB-C cables for the iPhone 15 last year, but the EU also made Apple open up its software to allow third-party app stores onto its devices.
Apple may be facing a fine of roughly $539 million (500 million euros) from the EU and a ban on its alleged anti-competitive App Store practices for music streaming services, according to . The publication, which cites five unnamed sources with knowledge of the matter, reports that the European Commission will announce its ruling early next month.
The probe stems from a 2019 antitrust complaint filed by Spotify and is focused on App Store rules that at the time prevented developers from directing customers to alternative subscription options outside the app, which could be cheaper as they wouldn’t have to compensate for Apple’s 30 percent fee. Apple later loosened these restrictions. According to FT, the Commission will say Apple broke EU antitrust law and created “unfair trading conditions” for its rivals with the App Store’s “anti-steering obligations.”
Fortnite maker Epic Games is not happy about how Apple intends to comply with a district court’s injunction that permitted app developers to direct users to their own websites and payment platforms — a court order that came into effect following the Supreme Court’s decision to not hear the Apple antitrust case, leaving the current ruling to stand. Though Apple had largely won the case, as the court decided it was not a monopolist, a judge ruled that app makers should be able to steer their customers to the web from links or buttons inside their apps, something that forced Apple to change its App Store rules.
But Apple’s compliance doesn’t give app makers the victory they had hoped, as the tech giant aims to still charge commissions on purchases made outside of apps — a decision Epic aims to challenge in court.
According to statements made by Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney, shared on X, Apple’s “bad-faith” compliance undermines the judge’s order that would have allowed buttons or external links “in addition to [in-app purchases.”
The Ninth Circuit District Court had ruled on one count of out ten in favor of Epic in its decision, finding that Apple violated California’s Unfair Competition law. The decision meant Apple had to remove the “anti-steering” clause from its agreement with App Store developers. This clause for years had prevented app developers from directing their customers to other ways to pay for in-app purchases or subscriptions from inside their apps, leading to confusing screens or broken features, where customers would have to figure out on their own how to make the necessary purchases from the developer’s website.
Apple updated its App Store Guidelines following the Supreme Court’s decision but with a lot of caveats. It said that developers would still have to pay a 27% cut on purchases, instead of 30%, and developers in Apple’s Small Business Program or auto-renewing subscriptions in their second year would be reduced to 12%, instead of 15%. This 3 percentage point discount is similar to what Google is offering through its User Choice billing pilot program, which counts Spotify and Bumble among its early adopters. In Google’s case, it reduced the required commissions by 4%. But these small discounts aren’t enough to make alternative payment processing worthwhile for most developers who have to pay at least that much in payment processing fees, many have argued.
Sweeney agrees, noting in his post today, shared on X, that developers aren’t able to offer their digital items “more cheaply on the web after paying a third-party payment processor 3-6% and paying this new 27% Apple Tax.”
Apple filed a bad-faith “compliance” plan for the District Court’s injunction. It totally undermines the order allowing “buttons, external links, or other calls to action that direct customers to purchasing mechanisms, in addition to IAP”.https://t.co/ofbuMwe7SH
In addition, he points out that Apple is strictly controlling how the new links and buttons must appear. In addition to forcing developers to apply for permission, the links can’t be in the app’s ordinary payment flow but must be in a separate section of the app, Sweeney explains. The links also open to a generic web browser session, forcing users to log in again to the developer’s website — an additional point of friction in making a non-App Store purchase. And then customers will have to initiate a search to find the item they wanted to buy, after logging in.
Apple will also “front-run competing payment processors with their own ‘scare screen’ to disadvantage them,” Sweeney says, meaning that Apple will warn users about the issues that may arise when transacting with a developer outside its App Store. For instance, users won’t be able to cancel their subscriptions within Apple’s App Store or request refunds — they’ll have to do this through the developer’s website.
Sweeney says Epic will contest Apple’s compliance in District Court.
The developer lobbying group, Coalition for App Fairness, which also includes Epic, issued its own statement on Apple’s new App Store rules.
“Apple’s approach to ‘compliance’ with the District Court’s decision will not benefit developers and consumers. The new 27 percent commission on payments it does not process defies the intention of the District Court’s injunction and undermines competition,” said Rick VanMeter, Executive Director of the Coalition for App Fairness. “These changes do nothing to enhance consumer choice, lower prices for in-app purchases or inject competition into Apple’s walled garden. It is precisely this type of abusive, monopolistic behavior that makes it imperative for Congress to pass the Open App Markets Act,” he added.
The European Union is about to hit Apple Inc. AAPL, +0.75%
with a ban on App Store rules that govern music-streaming rivals like Spotify Technology SPOT, -0.93%
and a potential hefty fine in the regulatory body’s latest bid to thwart the power and reach of Big Tech. A Bloomberg report Wednesday said the EU’s imminent antitrust order would prohibit Apple’s practice of blocking music services from pushing their users away from the App Store to alternative subscription options. Regulators are also mulling a fine of up to 10% of Apple’s annual sales. Apple was not immediately available to comment on the report.
