In some shocking but exciting news,
Although this seems to come out of nowhere, it could be because everyone under the sun is currently gunning for Apple because of their App Store policies.
- On March 4, 2024, the European Commission hit the tech company with a €1.8 billion fine. In a press release, the
European Commission alleged that Apple was “abusing its dominant position on the market for the distribution of music streaming apps to iPhone and iPad users (‘iOS users') through its App Store.”
- On March 21, 2024, the United States Justice Department released a statement saying they were suing Apple for “
Monopolizing Smartphone Markets .”
- And all of this comes after Apple’s
lengthy legal battle with Epic Games which also revolved around Apple’s App Store policies.
With Apple finally allowing retro game emulators, it would seem that the tech company wants to move the App Store in a new direction. One where they’re constantly not being sued.
This seems exciting, but emulator enthusiasts and developers remain cautious about the whole ordeal.
For one, the rules are broad and could be interpreted in many different ways. Here’s what Apple officially said about emulation:
What counts as a “retro game console?” What’s the cut-off limit? 10 years? 15 years? 20?
On top of that, allowing emulators is great. But how can users download and play games? Will they allow these emulators to offer ROM links?
I’m not the only one asking these questions. Henrik Rydgård, creator of the PSP emulator, PPSSPP,
It seems only time will tell how this will play out, but in the meantime, it does seem like an exciting time for retro gaming fans.
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Disney to Crackdown on Password Sharing
Following in the footsteps of
The new policy doesn’t take effect until June, but Disney seems dead-set on making this happen. And why wouldn’t they? Although you would be hard-pressed to find consumers who agree and like this change, the numbers don’t lie. And they spell profits for these streaming services.
When
“By the end of 2023 Netflix had more than 200 million subscribers — an annual increase of nearly 30 million subscribers. It was a massive contrast compared to 2022's viewership number in crease of 8.9 million.”
- CBS News
With Netflix’s numbers growing and Disney implementing its own password policy, it’s only a matter of time until the rest of the streaming services make the same change.
In Other News
- Microsoft says it’s cracked the code on an important quantum computing problem - The Verge
- Tesla Settles Lawsuit Over Deadly Autopilot Crash Involving Former Apple Engineer - Forbes
- TikTok’s Instagram competitor likely to be named TikTok Notes - TechCrunch
That’s it for this week’s edition of the Tech Company Brief. Come again next week to get another dose of can’t-miss tech news!
- Jose Hernandez, General Tech and Media Editor @ HackerNoon
The Tech Company Brief is a weekly newsletter written by HackerNoon editors to help you dissect the last week in tech news! Subscribe here for the full scoop delivered straight to your inbox: https://hackernoon.com/tech-company-brief