'Hot garbage!'

Big, big changes to the iPhone are afoot — sideloading, alternative app stores, streaming game apps and more — but so far, app developers are not fans.

Tim Sweeney, the CEO of Epic Games, which publishes the massively popular Fortnite, calls Apple’s plans for the EU App Store “hot garbage” and “malicious compliance.”

Of course, Sweeney’s not an impartial observer: Epic sued Apple over the same issues that EU regulators addressed.

Nonetheless, I’ve not seen many positive reactions to Apple’s plans. Developers are criticizing all of it, with only a few exceptions.

Steve Troughton-Smith, an influential developer with a large social media following, is generally positive, however. He says Apple’s plans are technically impressive, even if the business proposals are not. “There's a foundation here that I think has great potential to enable whole new aspects of iOS,” he said on Mastodon.

Also in today’s newsletter:

• What amazing magic is this? Apple’s already-magical music recognition app, Shazam, can now ID tunes playing in your headphones!

• Tagging people and pets in your photos makes it much easier to find pics down the line. Here’s how to do it.

• If you have the cash — and the space — stereo-paired HomePods are great for your computer setup.

• The latest iPadOS 17 beta contains a strong clue that the next iPad will come with a horizontal camera.

• Elago’s Premium Apple Watch bands are made from colorful fluoro rubber, which is strong but flexible and — surprisingly — breathable. And they cost less than $19.

— Leander Kahney, EIC.

^{A message from CdkeySales}

^{A message from the Cult of Mac Deals team}

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One more thing ...

Today’s poll

Results from yesterday’s poll: How do you feel about sideloading iPhone apps?

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