Apple has been hammered with a huge €500 million ($570 million) fine by Europe’s antitrust authorities, who have demanded changes in Apple’s business practices that will deliver little significant benefit to consumers. Europe says Apple breached its anti-steering obligation under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), and is forcing changes in the company’s business practices, as well as fines. Apple will appeal In a statement, Apple told Computerworld:  “Today’s announcements are yet another example of the European Commission unfairly targeting Apple in a series of decisions that are bad for the privacy and security of our users, bad for products, and force us to give away our technology for free. We have spent hundreds of thousands of engineering hours and made dozens of changes to comply with this law, none of which our users have asked for. Despite countless meetings, the Commission continues to move the goal posts every step of the way. We will appeal and continue engaging with the Commission in service of our European customers.” Europe’s approach has been uniquely Apple-centric, making demands of the company that are not equally made against its competitors. As part of today’s judgment, Apple is also being forced to open up to third-party app store sales, and to permit developers to let customers know of alternative offers outside Apple’s App Store, steer them to those offers and allow them to make purchases. What Europe wants Apple had attempted to craft an approach to these demands that tried to balance platform security and the costs of building the platforms against what Europe wanted. Under those terms, developers had been asked to agree to certain terms, including payment of a Core Technology Fee. The Commission has rejected Apple’s approach, insisting instead that: Apple must change the business terms through which it enables external app store sales. The Apple Core Technology fee may need to be abolished. Apple must make it easier to set up third-party stores. It must make it easy for consumers to install apps from third-party stores. (I fear this also means it cannot warn customers of the risks of using external stores.) Apple must bring itself into compliance with these demands within 60 days or risk periodic penalty payments. It is to be noted that Meta was also fined today. All it really means In theory, these changes mean apps will be sold through multiple competing stores. That won’t be how things shape up, of course. Some stores will turn out to be malware-infested money traps; others will sell illegal or immoral content; others will show themselves over time to lack standards of customer, privacy, or security support; other developers will use the system to fragment the user experience.  Over time we will see stores fail, fall foul to fraud, or go out of business, leaving no clear path for customer compensation or app longevity. Ultimately there will be one or two surviving stores, as well as Apple, and all three will be owned by corporations, rather than by any up-and-coming European tech firm. That latter isn’t going to happen, and if it does, will only be in specific domains. Through these inevitable evolutions, it will be Apple Support that customers first call for help when things do go wrong, even if responsibility rests with the third-party store. Perhaps this is an improvement, but I don’t see it. This fragmentation will also expose European customers to security and privacy attacks, as some of these stores will not hold the same degree of respect for privacy as Apple. Rewarding good behavior? There is a little good news for Apple in Europe’s judgement, which says the company worked ‘constructively’ with EU regulators on the overall antitrust inquiry. Another strand to this had been an investigation into how Apple enabled user choice on its platforms. Europe has closed that strand of the case, saying Apple has acted to regain compliance. Those actions include giving users in the EU choices of alternative apps and an easy interface through which to make such changes. One thing that isn’t clear is the extent to which Europe is demanding that Apple makes all its new features available to third-party competitors from day one. Ostensibly to ensure competition, Apple had complained that this restriction forced the company to develop for its competitors for free, and that the cost of delivering this would require it to develop for multiple operating systems before launch, slowing innovation and costing a lot of cash. Apple already has 500 developers working on EU compliance, which means Europe becomes an increasingly expensive place to do business. Politically driven nonsense One more thing to highlight is the extent to which Apple has become a punching bag for increasing tension between Europe and the US following the imposition of trade tariffs. In the prelude to today’s announcement, some industry watchers had reported that Europe intended to demand a lower fine from the companies it was about to punish. In the case of Apple, that fine still came down to more than half a billion dollars. Perhaps that is seen as small change in Europe, which has given itself the right to demand up to 10% of a company’s global revenue for offenses against the DMA, but it is unlikely to placate the US administration, which has already warned it will act against nations that act against US tech firms. Apple, which is already being punished by the deteriorating relationship between China and the US, may yet end up seeing further challenges if a tit-for-tat trade war between the US and the EU breaks out. At what point do Europe’s own consumers become casualties of increasing the cost of doing business there? You can follow me on social media! Join me on BlueSky,  LinkedIn, Mastodon, and MeWe. 

In its first major update, MX Creative Console, Logitech's Stream Deck-like Mac accessory, has added support for Final Cut Pro, DaVinci Resolve, and more.Logitech's MX Creative Console is an LED keypad and a separate dialFirst launched in September 2024, the Logitech MX Creative Console is a two-part device where one side resembles an Elgato Stream Deck. Alongside its nine LED buttons, though, there is a separate rotary DialPad, and together they control scrolling and particular apps on the Mac.Now the pair have their first significant update, with the addition of controls for five apps: Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

The iPhone 16e is off to a faster start than the 2022 iPhone SE 3 managed, giving Apple a boost in the competitive mid-range phone market.iPhone 16eApple's latest budget-friendly model is making an immediate impact, according to new sales data from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP). The iPhone 16e accounted for seven percent of total U.S. iPhone sales in the first quarter, outperforming the iPhone SE's performance in 2024.Combined, the five iPhone 16 models made up 74 percent of iPhone sales in the U.S., up from 68 percent for the iPhone 15 lineup during the same quarter in 2024. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Today marks the announcement of a new crop of the Architectural League of New York annual League Prize for Young Architects + Designers winners. The 44th cycle of the League Prize, as with other contests, is open to those practicing within ten years of completing their education and organized under the 2025 theme 'Plot.'Explaining the theme, the Young Architects + Designers Committee wrote: "Every building has its lore, and plots are known to thicken. Which dramas are shaping architecture’s arc today? The truth may be stranger than fiction. Despite the best-laid plans, design so often deals in circumstance. That is, while architects may endeavor to write their own stories, projects always present twists. [...] We invite young designers to chronicle that which bookends their practices and to demonstrate plot’s persistent role as main character."They join other past winners of the League Prize like Mario Gooden, who worked with Behnaz Assadi, Jia Yi Gu, and William O’Brien on the jury...

The latest AIA/Deltek Architecture Billings Index (ABI) for March has shown the effects of continued business challenges, including the threat of new tariffs, at firms across the country. The new ABI for March was 44.1, down from February’s total of 45.5. This indicates that most firms are still experiencing a decline in billings. The ABI has now posted declines for 27 out of the last 30 months. This includes the past two months of consecutive declines for inquiries into new projects overall, while the values for newly signed design contracts have also declined for what is now the 13th month in a row. "Clients are increasingly cautious about starting projects due to uncertainty over future trends in interest rates and building materials costs, as well as the potential for an economic slowdown," Kermit Baker, the AIA Chief Economist, stated. "Unfortunately, this softness in firm billings is likely to continue as indicators of future work remain weak, however, the average project back...

With the release and success of The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered, eyes are now on Bethesda for its long-rumoured remaster of Fallout 3. While the Oblivion remaster changed up quite a few things, it maintained the same classic open-world RPG gameplay of the original. Former Bethesda developer Bruce Nesmith believes, however, that with a Fallout 3 remaster, Bethesda should revise the title’s gunplay. Speaking to VideoGamer, Nesmith spoke about how the Fallout series under Bethesda had evolved between Fallout 3 all the way back in 2008, to Fallout 4 in 2015. Among the differences in the two titles, Nesmith specifically pointed to the gun combat, which was much more refined in Fallout 4 than its predecessor. “What did you see in Fallout 4? That will tell you what they felt was necessary to change from Fallout 3,” Nesmith said. “I know in Fallout 4 there was a lot of work done on the gun combat, because Fallout 3 is the first time they ever tried to do a shooter-style game. And, well, I think the work that was done was amazing.” Nesmith, who has previously worked at Bethesda on titles like The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion and Fallout 3 as a designer, also went on to mention that the gun combat in Fallout 3 was “not good,” and that it would require heavy revisions if the game were to be remastered for release in the modern gaming market. He also says that Fallout 3‘s combat didn’t quite hold up to even its contemporaries at the time. For context, 2008 saw the release of Gears of War 2, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, Dead Space, and Call of Duty: World at War, among many other titles. “[Fallout 3 combat] didn’t hold up to shooters at the time,” Nesmith explained. “Also, it’s an RPG shooter, it’s not a run-and-gun shooter. But a lot of work was done on that for Fallout 4. So I anticipate seeing a lot of that work go into it, assuming they’re doing the same thing.” “Oblivion wasn’t just brought up to the 2011 version of Skyrim,” he continued. “It was brought up to something that, at least on the surface, looks like it exceeds the most recent graphics update in Skyrim.” While Bethesda hasn’t made any announcements confirming the existence of Fallout 3 Remastered, rumours from as far back as 2023 indicate that it has been in the works for a modern release. A report from 2023 covering Microsoft’s trial with the US Federal Trade Commission included mentions of titles like Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and The Elder Scrolls 6, as well as of remasters like The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion and Fallout 3. More recent rumours have indicated that Fallout 3 Remastered is still in the works at Bethesda. However, the game isn’t planned for release for a while. In the meantime, check out everything you need to know about The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered, as well as what former Blizzard president Mike Ybarra thinks about the game. Also check out how the remastered release revamps various gameplay aspects, like enemy scaling and encumbrance.

With the introduction of GameCube games to the collection of classic titles that will be available on the Nintendo Switch 2 through a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription, the company will also be releasing a new GameCube controller for the console. However, previous reports have indicated that the controller might only be compatible with GameCube titles, and other games being played might face some compatibility issues. The company has now confirmed that the GameCube controller will work with other games on the Switch 2 as well as GameCube titles. Speaking to Nintendo Life, the company has mentioned that players might face some issues when using the controller on Switch 2 titles, however. It cites the fact that the GameCube controller doesn’t have all the buttons that are usually present on a typical Switch 2 Pro Controller or the new Joy-Con 2 controllers. The company also points out that the GameCube controller will not be compatible with the original Switch. “The Nintendo GameCube controller is designed for use with the Nintendo GameCube – Nintendo Classics collection of games and is an optional way to play those games,” said the company in its statement. “Since it doesn’t have all the buttons and features found in other controllers that can be used with the Nintendo Switch 2 system, there may be some issues when playing other games. The Nintendo GameCube controller can only be used on Nintendo Switch 2 and is not compatible with Nintendo Switch.” A previous statement by Nintendo indicated that the controller would only work with GameCube games being played on the Switch 2. While the company hadn’t elaborated at the time, speculation revolved around the controller not featuring all of the Switch 2’s buttons. However, historically, classic controllers released for the Switch have also been usable on other games, albeit with some issues here and there. The GameCube controller also tends to be of significance to fans of the Super Smash Bros. franchise. Since the GameCube title, Super Smash Bros. Melee, is widely considered to be one of the best games in the series, a GameCube controller is often preferred by players even for more modern titles like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate on the Nintendo Switch. The GameCube controller for the Switch 2 was announced alongside the arrival of GameCube games on the console during a Nintendo Direct earlier this month. At the console’s June 5 launch day, heavy hitters from the classic console will be available to play, including The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, F-Zero GX, and Soul Calibur 2. More games are planned to be added to the service, including Luigi’s Mansion, Super Mario Sunshine, and Chibi-Robo: Plug Into Adventure. GameCube games on the Switch 2 will have plenty of additional quality-of-life features for players, including online multiplayer, save states, game rewind, and even an option for CRT-styled scanlines applied through a filter on top of the game’s visuals for that extra retro appeal. Back when the GameCube was Nintendo’s latest console, scanlines produced by CRT TVs would be used by artists to add an extra layer of aliasing to improve visuals in games.

USC's Ganek Immersive Studio, a creative hub, has announced the line-up for its annual student Immersive Showcase.Read More

B3, an open gaming ecosystem built by Coinbase veterans, has partnered with Chris DeWolfe's startup Reach Labs to deploy a UA platform.Read More

Assassin's Creed Shadows has third biggest US launch month in series history | US Monthly Charts Split Fiction, WWE 2K25 and MLB: The Show 25 also debut in the top 10 Image credit: Ubisoft News by Samuel Roberts Editorial Director Published on April 23, 2025 Assassin's Creed Shadows topped Circana's charts for US game sales in March 2025, while monthly video game hardware spending slipped 25% year-on-year. The latest entry in Ubisoft's series is the second best-selling game of the year in the US so far after Monster Hunter Wilds. Circana noted Assassin's Creed Shadows finished first in full game dollar sales on Xbox, and second on both PlayStation and Steam. One observation shared by Circana's Mat Piscatella on BlueSky is that it was the third biggest debut in launch month dollar sales for the series behind only 2012's Assassin's Creed 3 and 2020's Assassin's Creed Valhalla. Other new entries in the chart include MLB: The Show 25 in second place (not counting digital sales on Switch and Xbox), along with the latest in the WWE 2K series at number four, and EA/Hazelight co-op game Split Fiction at number five. Lower down the charts, anime tie-in Bleach: Rebirth of Souls came in ninth place, while Nintendo's Xenoblade Chronicles X remaster made 17th place on physical sales alone. 18th place saw the debut of a remaster for the first two games in Konami's Suikoden RPG series. In mobile gaming, Sensor Tower's Samuel Aune said the market did experience contraction compared to March 2024, but pointed out the top ten games were generally seeing success. The number one mobile game for March by consumer spending is once again Monopoly Go, followed by Candy Crush Saga which rises two places, and Last War: Survival which drops a place. Pokémon Go climbed four places to number six in the charts. "Six out of the top ten saw double digit growth month over month, with Pokémon GO seeing 42% increase in consumer spend thanks to the Unova Tour event," Aune said. "Candy Crush Saga saw 12% growth, allowing the venerable puzzle game to retake the #3 spot from Last War: Survival, which only grew 1.6%. "Coin Master also had an excellent month, with 15% growth." Coin Master climbed two places to number seven. Overall spending declined 6% to around $4.7 billion versus last March, while spending so far for 2025 – $13.7 billion – is 12% behind 2024's total in the same timeframe. Hardware spend, as mentioned, once again experienced a dropoff in the US, in a pattern similar to February's results. The total video game hardware spend in March 2025 was $286 million, the lowest March total since 2019 ($279 million). PS5 spend still leads, even as hardware dollar sales fell 26% compared to March 2024. Xbox Series sales dropped 9% versus the same time period, while the Nintendo Switch dropped 37%. Piscatella says digital-only SKUs have accounted for 75% of Xbox Series and 50% of PlayStation 5 hardware sales in the year so far. Here are the top 20 selling games from the period February 2 to March 1, 2025, data courtesy of Circana: Rank Last month rank Title 1 NEW Assassin's Creed Shadows 2 NEW MLB: The Show 25^^ 3 1 Monster Hunter Wilds 4 NEW WWE 2K25 5 NEW Split Fiction 6 6 Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 7 4 PGA Tour 2K25 8 5 NBA 2K25 9 NEW Bleach: Rebirth of Souls 10 2 Kingdom Come: Deliverance II 11 11 Minecraft^ 12 9 Grand Theft Auto V 13 12 EA Sports FC 25 14 14 Red Dead Redemption 2 15 10 Madden NFL 25 16 18 Elden Ring 17 NEW Xenoblade Chronicles X* 18 NEW Suikoden I and II HD Remaster: Gate Rune & Dunan Unification Wars 19 13 Marvel's Spider-Man 2 20 16 EA Sports College Football 25 ^Digital sales on Nintendo platforms not included. ^^Digital sales on Nintendo and Xbox platforms not included. *Digital sales not included for marked titles.