Industry Apple Apple took API tools away from Hulu for upgrading subscriptions outside the App Store Using its APIs to cancel subscriptions and upgrade off-platform was not explicitly against policies at the time By Cal Jeffrey, May 7, 2021, 12:44 PM 13 comments
Industry Apple Epic exposes Apple's efforts to persuade Netflix to keep in-app subscriptions Special favors, including advertising within B&M stores and coercion by punitive means By Cal Jeffrey, May 6, 2021, 11:47 AM 15 comments
Industry Apple The Epic Games/Apple antitrust trial started with kids screaming and creating chaos If you are going to hold a public hearing via teleconference, it might be a good idea to start with everyone muted By Cal Jeffrey, May 3, 2021, 2:33 PM
Industry Apple Epic's expert witness says App Store profit margins approach 80 percent Apple contends that App Store margins cannot be accurately calculated because of its reliance on other iOS services By Cal Jeffrey, May 3, 2021, 1:08 PM
Apple Mobile Shady iOS developers are hiding casino gambling inside kids' games You can unlock the casino with a VPN set to an IP address where gambling is legal By Cal Jeffrey, April 16, 2021, 11:11 AM
Mobile Software Consumers spent a record $32 billion on apps in Q1 2021, the most ever People turned to their smartphones for entertainment during the pandemic By Shawn Knight, April 1, 2021, 2:23 PM
Mobile Apple iPhone user loses $600,000 after downloading scam Bitcoin app from Apple's store It would be worth around $1 million today By Rob Thubron, March 31, 2021, 5:16 AM 36 comments
Apple Apple antitrust defense suggests iOS developers create web apps to bypass the App Store But web apps are so 2007 By Cal Jeffrey, March 25, 2021, 3:47 PM 14 comments
Apple Developer gets disqualified from Small Business Program after Apple couldn't answer his question The question seemed straightforward, but support never gave him a straight answer By Cal Jeffrey, March 11, 2021, 1:14 PM 13 comments
Apple UK regulator to investigate Apple's App Store ToC over alleged anticompetitive behavior Another day, another Apple antitrust claim By Cal Jeffrey, March 4, 2021, 1:23 PM 18 comments
Google Google finally updated Gmail's App Store entry with privacy 'nutrition labels' It still has at least seven others that don't have data collection information listed By Cal Jeffrey, February 23, 2021, 1:47 PM
Google Security Google still has not updated most of its iOS apps since privacy labeling took effect 'This app is out of date'---It sure is By Cal Jeffrey, February 12, 2021, 1:04 PM 17 comments
Software The Web North Dakota lawmakers float bill targeting 'monopolistic' app stores If passed, Apple and Google could not force app makers to use their payment systems in ND anymore By Cal Jeffrey, February 10, 2021, 5:29 PM 17 comments
Apple Google Apple and Google sued by ex-ambassador over failure to remove Telegram from app stores It's alleged that the app facilitates violence and extremism By Rob Thubron, January 26, 2021, 9:34 AM 19 comments
Software Mobile Apple's App Store generated sales of $64 billion in 2020 Almost twice the amount generated by Google's Play Store By Adrian Potoroaca, January 8, 2021, 4:09 PM
Apple Mobile Apple's App Store saw $1.8 billion in spending during Christmas week A single-day record of $540 million was set on New Year's Day By Rob Thubron, January 7, 2021, 8:28 AM
Software Apple Apple backtracks, says macOS utility Amphetamine can remain on the App Store Apple previously said the app name promoted inappropriate use of controlled substances By Joe White, January 3, 2021, 2:37 PM
Apple Mobile Apple purges 46,000 apps from its Chinese App Store More than 39,000 were pay-to-play games By Cal Jeffrey, December 31, 2020, 12:41 PM 46 comments
Apple Industry Apple is trimming App Store commission fee to 15 percent for devs that make less than $1 million per year The new policy could deflect antitrust complaints By Shawn Knight, November 18, 2020, 11:36 AM 10 comments
Apple Gaming Apple kills workaround players were using to play Stadia games on Apple devices Developer agreement disallows use of APIs in any way that Apple did not intend By Cal Jeffrey, October 21, 2020, 4:26 PM 11 comments
Software Industry Microsoft takes a not-so-subtle dig at Apple and Google, lays out new Windows Store principles Hopes to set an example for other app stores By Adrian Potoroaca, October 8, 2020, 5:52 PM 11 comments
Software Mobile App revenue grew to $29 billion in Q3 2020, with two thirds being generated by Apple's App Store Mobile apps govern our lives more than ever By Adrian Potoroaca, October 3, 2020, 8:40 AM
Google Mobile Google demands app developers start using its billing system next year Netflix and Spotify apps use credit card payment options By Rob Thubron, September 29, 2020, 7:03 AM 10 comments
Industry Apple Apple temporarily waives its 30-percent fee on Facebook events for small-businesses It's making a three-month exception during Facebook's one-year Covid relief effort. That's a 25% discount! By Cal Jeffrey, September 25, 2020, 3:59 PM
Industry Apple Apple critics Spotify, Epic, and others form coalition to fight for App Store changes The Coalition for App Fairness takes issue with Apple's rules By Rob Thubron, September 25, 2020, 6:15 AM 10 comments