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Apple faces big lawsuit in Europe
Those crazy Dutch are at it again!
After fining Apple 5 million euros ($5.7 million) a week -- to the tune of 50 million euros ($57 million) so far, with no sign of letting up -- regulators in the Netherlands have now launched a multibillion-euro lawsuit targeting the App Store.
Dutch regulators say the App Store is an illegal monopoly that has been overcharging consumers by billions of dollars.
It's interesting that Apple faces such scrutiny in Europe, while U.S. lawmakers remain largely hands-off.
In addition to the Dutch actions, European lawmakers are drafting the Digital Markets Act, which would force giants like Apple and Google to open their platforms to alternative app stores and payment methods, among other things.
European lawmakers argue that such sweeping legislation is necessary to provide oversight to massive global companies that are too powerful to care about consumers.
Meanwhile, in the United States -- crickets.
-- Leander Kahney, EIC.
The Netherlands accuses Apple of “market dominance,” “anti-competitive practices” and gouging App Store users for apps and in-app subscriptions. The Consumer Competition Claims Foundation says Cupertino has been able to charge “excessively high prices” by excluding all competition and then abusing its “monopoly position.”
The first computer built by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak is the Apple-1, right? Not quite. Turns out before that was the “Apple Computer A.”
An in-screen fingerprint scanner won’t be part of any iPhone for at least three years, according to a trusted analyst. That raises the strong possibility that Touch ID will never again be part of Apple’s flagship smartphones — despite occasional rumors to the contrary.
iPhone and iPad users should manually install the latest iOS and iPadOS updates if they want to get their hands on Apple’s newest features and improvements as quickly as possible, according to an Apple exec.
AirPods are some of the best wireless earbuds on the market. Once you use them with your iPhone, it’s hard to switch to something else. Unfortunately, all that AirPods magic doesn’t necessarily translate when you use Apple earbuds with a Mac. There’s a workaround, though. The AirBuddy app adds some of that beautiful, Apple-style simplicity to the “using AirPods with a Mac” equation. And right now the Mac app is on sale for $6.29 with code DOWNLOADNOW.
Carrot Weather app cheers ‘triumphant return of allergy season’ with major update — www.cultofmac.com
If weather apps were judged solely on snarky attitude, there would be one clear favorite: Carrot Weather. But even judged by factors like tracking the weather and variety of features, it’s a darned good app. And now it’s even better.
On March 30, 2006, a court case begins that pits Apple Computer against Apple Corps, aka The Beatles' record label. It's an epic fight.
We’ve written about storing a Mac mini in an upright rather than a flat position to save space. It’s OK to do if the machine’s intake and exhaust vents are not blocked. But what about using your Mac mini as a stand for a display, as in today’s featured computer setup? It’s not necessarily quite as cut-and-dried as the upright mini question. Whether it’s totally fine or a little risky depends a little more on the specific Mac mini and the kind of monitor you use.
Tweets o' the day
One more thing ...
“You know who the best managers are? They’re the great individual contributors, who never ever want to be a manager, but decide they have to be manager because no one else is going to be able to do as good a job as them.” -- Steve Jobs
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