| From: zax | 3/7/2025 10:04:18 AM | | | | | | Brazil Orders Apple To Allow iOS Sideloading Within 90 Days
A Brazilian judge has ordered Apple to open its iOS platform to alternative app stores within 90 days, according to Valor International. The ruling cited Apple's compliance with similar requirements in the European Union under the Digital Markets Act without showing "significant impact or irreparable harm to its economic model."
The case originated from a 2022 complaint by Mercado Livre. Brazil previously issued a 20-day deadline in November for Apple to permit alternative payment options and sideloading, but that injunction was overturned in December. Apple plans to appeal. |
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| From: zax | 3/13/2025 3:14:33 PM | | | | | | 'Something Is Rotten in the State of Cupertino'
apple.slashdot.org
Apple's announcement that "more personalized Siri" features of Apple Intelligence would be delayed until "the coming year" reveals a troubling departure from the company's hard-earned reputation for reliability, long-time commentator John Gruber writes. Unlike other Apple Intelligence features that were demonstrated to media in June, the personalized Siri features -- promising personal context awareness, onscreen awareness, and in-app actions -- were never shown working to anyone outside Apple. Yet Apple prominently featured these capabilities in the WWDC keynote and even created TV commercials ( now pulled) touting these functions to sell iPhone 16.
This represents a dangerous shift toward the pre-Jobs-return Apple that promised vaporware it couldn't deliver. Gruber writes. Apple has squandered its credibility, built meticulously over decades through consistently shipping what they promised, he writes. Gruber's post cites the following excerpt from a 2011 story: Apple doesn't often fail, and when it does, it isn't a pretty sight at 1 Infinite Loop. In the summer of 2008, when Apple launched the first version of its iPhone that worked on third-generation mobile networks, it also debuted MobileMe, an e-mail system that was supposed to provide the seamless synchronization features that corporate users love about their BlackBerry smartphones. MobileMe was a dud. Users complained about lost e-mails, and syncing was spotty at best. Though reviewers gushed over the new iPhone, they panned the MobileMe service.
Steve Jobs doesn't tolerate duds. Shortly after the launch event, he summoned the MobileMe team, gathering them in the Town Hall auditorium in Building 4 of Apple's campus, the venue the company uses for intimate product unveilings for journalists. According to a participant in the meeting, Jobs walked in, clad in his trademark black mock turtleneck and blue jeans, clasped his hands together, and asked a simple question: "Can anyone tell me what MobileMe is supposed to do?" Having received a satisfactory answer, he continued, "So why the fuck doesn't it do that?"
For the next half-hour Jobs berated the group. "You've tarnished Apple's reputation," he told them. "You should hate each other for having let each other down." The public humiliation particularly infuriated Jobs. Gruber adds: Tim Cook should have already held a meeting like that to address and rectify this Siri and Apple Intelligence debacle. If such a meeting hasn't yet occurred or doesn't happen soon, then, I fear, that's all she wrote. The ride is over. When mediocrity, excuses, and bullshit take root, they take over. A culture of excellence, accountability, and integrity cannot abide the acceptance of any of those things, and will quickly collapse upon itself with the acceptance of all three. |
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| From: zax | 3/21/2025 3:45:45 PM | | | | | | 'Hey Siri, What Month Is It?'
apple.slashdot.org
DaringFireball:
Whole Reddit thread examining this simple question: "What month is it?" and Siri's "I'm sorry, I don't understand" response (which I just reproduced on my iPhone 16 Pro running iOS 18.4b4). One guy changed the question to "What month is it currently?" and got the answer "It is 2025." More comments from that thread:"I ask Siri to play a podcast and she literally says, "I'm trying to play from Apple Podcasts but it doesn't look like you have it installed." I didn't even know you could delete that app. I certainly haven't. So I have to manually do it every time now. It used to work." "I asked Siri last night to set a reminder for 3:50, so naturally she set it for 10:00." Further reading:
Apple Shakes Up AI Executive Ranks in Bid to Turn Around Siri;
'Something Is Rotten in the State of Cupertino'. |
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| To: Jon Koplik who wrote (32639) | 3/21/2025 3:55:28 PM | | From: Jon Koplik | | | | 3/20/25 Bloomberg on : Apple Stupidity -- Apple is poised to announce the changes to employees this week.
The moves underscore the plight facing Apple : Its AI technology is severely lagging rivals, and the company has shown little sign of catching up.
The Apple Intelligence platform was late to arrive and largely a flop, despite being the main selling point for the iPhone 16.
Jon.
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| From: Jon Koplik | 3/21/2025 3:56:18 PM | | | | | | Reuters -- Apple losing over $1 billion a year on streaming service ...............................
March 20, 2025
Apple losing over $1 billion a year on streaming service, the Information reports
By Reuters
March 20 (Reuters) -- Apple is losing more than $1 billion a year on its streaming service, the Information reported on Thursday, citing two people familiar with the matter.
The tech giant has spent more than $5 billion a year on content since launching Apple TV+ in 2019 but trimmed it by around $500 million last year, the report said.
Apple did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Apple TV+, known for original shows such as "Ted Lasso", "The Morning Show", "Shrinking", and "Severance", has lagged behind rivals Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon.com's Prime Video in terms of subscribers.
Industry leader Netflix had a total subscriber count of 301.63 million, according to the latest data, while Disney+ had 124.6 million users followed by Warner Bros Discovery at 116.9 million.
The iPhone maker does not break down the subscribers for Apple TV+ but it is estimated to have reached 40.4 million at the end of 2024, according to five analysts polled by Visible Alpha.
Apple TV+ productions have earned more than 2,500 nominations and 538 wins, CEO Tim Cook said in a post earnings call in January.
As competition heats up in the streaming industry, media companies are increasingly bundling their services at discounted rates to appeal to price-conscious consumers.
Apple TV+ is part of a bundle offered by Comcast that combines the service with Peacock and Netflix at $15 per month. Apple TV+ costs $9.99 per month in the U.S when bought separately.
The Cupertino, California-based company also bundles Apple TV+ with services such as iCloud, Apple Music and others under the Apple One program.
© 2025 Reuters.
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| From: zax | 3/26/2025 5:01:42 PM | | | | | | Apple Barred From Google Antitrust Trial, $20 Billion Search Deal at Risk
apple.slashdot.org
A U.S. appeals court has ruled that Apple cannot participate in Google's upcoming antitrust trial, potentially jeopardizing a $20 billion annual deal between the tech giants. The DC Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed that Apple waited too long to join the proceedings, filing its request 33 days after the government proposed remedies in the case Google lost last August.
"The delay seems difficult to justify," the judges ruled. While Apple can still submit written testimony and file friend-of-court briefs, it cannot present evidence or cross-examine witnesses as it had sought. At stake is Google's practice of paying Apple approximately $20 billion annually to remain the default search engine in Safari browsers across Apple devices. The government's proposed remedies would make such arrangements impermissible. |
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