Apple is attempting to avoid a fine and ongoing legal battle with the European Union. The company is allegedly offering its rivals access to its Near-Field Communication (NFC) technology, used for tap-and-go payments, Reuters reports. The update follows the European Commission's May 2022 charge and ongoing probe into Apple's potential antitrust Apple Pay practices.

The Commission has been investigating Apple since 2020, with Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager previously stating there were "indications that Apple restricted third-party access to key technology necessary to develop rival mobile wallet solutions on Apple's devices." 

While Apple's current proposal could get it out of a hefty fine and settle the case against it, it's not guaranteed to move forward. The Commission will likely confer with Apple's rivals and customers in the next month or so to determine if it should accept the offer. More than 2,500 banks across Europe use Apple Pay. 

Apple also faces a lawsuit in the United States, brought in July 2022 by Iowa's Affinity Credit Union. Similarly, it accuses Apple of engaging in anti-competitive behavior by illegally restricting iOS users to Apple Pay for any contactless payments.

In September 2023, a US District Court Judge Jeffrey S. White of California ruled that the case would move forward, stating: "Plaintiffs have plausibly alleged that Apple Pay charges arbitrary and inflated fees to issuers, and that competition in the tap-and-pay iOS mobile wallet market would spur innovation and lead to lower prices." In his decision, White also explained that the plaintiffs properly demonstrated Apple's alleged and attempted monopolization.

Apple is now rolling out iOS 17.2 to all compatible devices, as well as iPadOS 17.2 and macOS 14.2 Sonoma. The biggest addition in all those is the introduction, finally, of the long-teased Journal app.

Journal differs from third-party apps like Day One by offering journaling suggestions based on your iPhone activity. That can range from photos taken through to locations reached on maps or even what you’re listening to. Your device might also suggest creating a journal entry after things like workouts or a finished podcast episode. Apple’s hope with the app is to help “iPhone users reflect and practice gratitude through journaling.” So, thank you, Apple, for the iOS update.

— Mat Smith

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The best iPad for you

How to pick the best from a confusing lineup.

Engadget

Just in time for that OS update. Between the 10th-generation iPad, the iPad Air and the M2 iPad Pro, Apple sells three tablets with roughly 11-inch screens and broadly similar designs, but there are key differences in internal components and accessory support. We can, though, pick a certain iPad that’s best for most of you.

One warning: Apple will likely introduce new iPads early next year. The company did not release any new tablets in 2023, but Bloomberg reports Apple plans to update its entire lineup throughout 2024.

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The ultra-customizable Arc browser is now available on Windows in beta

Invites have already started going out to Windows users from the waitlist.

Arc, a formerly Mac-only internet browser from The Browser Company, is coming to Windows. In a post on X, the company today announced its first Windows beta invites are already hitting inboxes. Its unique features include the ability to customize (or vandalize) any website. There’s also a sidebar for your bookmarks and tabs. It’s still a work in progress: We know features like Peek (which lets you preview a link before opening it in its own tab) and Little Arc (a lightweight browser window meant for quickly viewing something) are currently being ported across.

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How to get a refund for The Day Before, the game canned in just four days

The studio’s sudden closure remains suspicious.

The Day Before

The Day Before was a much-hyped (much-delayed) zombie shooter game that launched on Steam on December 7, only to be widely criticized for failing to deliver an MMO (massively multiplayer online) experience as advertised — not to mention the bugs and severe lack of originality. Four days later, Fntastic, the studio behind this controversial title, abruptly announced its closure as the $40 game “has failed financially,” despite having apparently sold over 200,000 copies before refunds. Fortunately, Steam offers a two-week refund window, so long as the game has only been played for less than two hours. Give that a try.

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BeReal is launching new features for its app, which won Apple’s 2022 iPhone App of the Year. The company tries to differentiate its platform by prompting spontaneous authenticity via randomly timed two-minute windows to take selfies. Now, it’s adding a feature similar to Apple’s Live Photos. In addition, invite-only groups, tags and 2023 recaps are on their way to the “Your friends for real” platform.

Behind the Scenes (BTS) is BeReal’s branding for its Live Photos-esque feature. Like Apple’s version, BTS captures a video for a few seconds before taking a static shot. After posting, your friends can long-press on the shot to see the short video clip. BTS is an opt-in feature, so nobody should be sucked into it unwillingly, and you can toggle it anytime.

Meanwhile, RealGroups are invite-only groups. In the new communities, group creators can manage the “Time to BeReal” notification (alerting you it’s time to say cheese), offering users a degree of control over the app’s core gimmick for the first time. RealGroups will also support private chat and private BeReals between group members. The company says its Live Photos clone and groups have been the platform’s “most community-requested features.”

Like Apple, Spotify, YouTube Music and various social platforms, BeReal will offer a 2023 recap. It sounds like it doesn’t stray far from the beaten path, with the company pegging it as “a custom experience that users can record and share anywhere they want,” alongside promotional hashtags.

Finally, the app’s new tagging feature lets you cc your friends to ensure they catch your daily selfies. There should be plenty of people to choose from, as BeReal says its platform now has over 25 million daily active users.

Samsung's 32-inch Smart Monitor M8 (M80C, 2023 refresh) can act not only as a monitor with a webcam, but a smart TV as well thanks to the built-in speakers and support for cloud gaming and streaming platforms. The main drawback is the $700 price, but right now it's back down to an all-time low of $400 at Amazon, netting you savings of $300 or 43 percent. 

The refreshed Smart Monitor M8 has the same features as the previous model, but is slimmer and rotates 90 degrees for a document view. It offers UHD (3,840 x 2,160) resolution at up to 60Hz, along with HDR10+. With a VA panel, it's decently bright at 400 nits, offers a 4-millisecond response time and displays up to a billion colors, with 99 percent sRGB coverage. Input-wise, you get USB-C and Micro HDMI 2.0 inputs, along with a USB-C charging interface. Finally, it has a a detachable SlimFit Cam for video calls, making it a solid choice for work or light content creation.

That's just the half of it, though. It's a WiFi-capable smart TV that supports Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ and Apple TV, as well as cloud gaming platforms. It comes with built-in dual 5W speakers and a home hub that allows you to use it to control SmartThings-compatible IoT devices like lights and thermostats. It even has built-in support for Microsoft 365, so you can edit documents or browse the web without having to connect it to a computer. 

Other features include the ability to change the angle and position with the high-adjustable stand, along with a game bar that makes it easy to switch between cloud services. Normally it sells for $700, making the $400 sale price a particularly good deal — so it's best to act fast while it's in stock. 

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If you've been thinking about hosting your own mini data center or need to stream 1,333 Netflix 4K programs at once, Google Fiber has the answer. The Alphabet-owned ISP will launch it's 20Gbps service with Wi-Fi 7 in select cities early next year for $250 a month (plus taxes and applicable fees) — not that ridiculous of a price for such ridiculous speed. 

"We’re starting in Kansas City, North Carolina’s Triangle Region, Arizona, and Iowa," the company wrote. "As we continue to roll out Nokia’s 25G PON across our network, we’ll open up invitations in new areas, so make sure you’ve let us know if you are interested in being the one of the first to have this in your home."

As with Google's other Fiber offerings, the 20Gbps speeds are symmetrical, so you'll see them whether you're uploading or downloading. Google notes that Wi-Fi 7, which offers peak wireless speeds of 40Gbps, is so bleeding-edge that it hasn't even been fully certified yet. The service is being offered through Google's GFiber Labs division, and is made possible by new Nokia 25G PONs (passive optical networks) installed as part of last-mile infrastructure upgrades. 

While obviously expensive, the new plan allows for some interesting possibilities. For instance, Google promises multi-gig internet speeds on multiple floors of your house, for example, thanks to the custom Wi-Fi 7 router co-created with Actiontec. That could let plan buyers amortize the price across multiple users — 20 people could have 1Gbps connections for $12.50 per month each, for instance. 

The new plan offers four times the speed of AT&T's Elite 5Gbps fiber offering for the same $250 per month. However, Google Fiber's problem has never been the technology or value proposition, but the availability. The company's 5Gbps and 8Gbps plans only just got off the ground and are still only available in a few regions. While available in some major cities (San Franciso, Atlanta, San Antonio), Google Fiber is notably absent in key markets like New York City and Los Angeles. 

The 20Gbps plan will start rolling out in the above-mentioned cities in the first quarter of 2024. Just be aware that you'll need the fastest Wi-Fi possible on your computer (currently Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 on select models) to even get a fraction of that maximum speed. 

Google has been working to phase out the Play Movies & TV brand and services ever since it launched its standalone TV app a few years ago. Now, the company seems to be making the last preparations for when Google Play Movies & TV goes away for good in January. As The Verge reports, the company has released detailed instructions on how long-time customers can continue accessing the content they'd already purchased. Admittedly, it can be a bit confusing, since access depends on what device the viewer is using. 

Starting on January 17, 2024, viewers will be able to access the movies and shows they'd purchased in the "Your Library" row under the Shop tab in Google Play... if they're watching on TVs and streaming devices powered by Android TV. If they're on Android TV cable or set-top boxes, they'll be able to access their old content through the YouTube app, where they could also continue buying and renting movies and shows. On browsers, they will have to fire up the YouTube website to see their old purchases and borrow or buy new ones. 

These changes will be complete over the next few weeks, but we can confirm that they've already started rolling out, as we're already seeing old movie buys on the YouTube website.

Tesla could sue at least some Cybertruck owners who flip their vehicles too soon, but it's unclear if the rule applies to all customers who buy the pickup truck and if it will remain in place for future buyers. A few weeks before the first deliveries for the Cybertruck went out, Tesla updated its purchase agreement to add that it could seek injunctive relief to prevent owners from transferring their vehicle's title if they attempt to sell it within one year of buying it. Further, the company said it could seek "liquidated damages" from customers worth "$50,000 or the value received as consideration for the sale or transfer, whichever is greater."

Shortly after the information made the rounds on social media, though, Tesla removed the clause as quietly as it had added it. Now, as Electrek reports, Cybertruck customers who have managed to put in an order for the $120,000 Foundation Series configuration have received an order agreement with the controversial clause still clearly in place. Based on the copy posted by customers on the Cybertruck Owners Club forum, buyers are agreeing not to sell their vehicles within the first year of purchase. If owners must flip their vehicles before the year is up, Tesla is asking them to notify the company, which will then purchase it back for retail minus 25 cents per mile driven and minus the cost of wear and tear, as well as the cost to repair any damages.. They could only sell their Cybertruck without getting in trouble with Tesla if the automaker declines to buy their vehicle and gives them written consent to sell it to a third party. 

Other automakers, particularly luxury brands like Ferrari and Porsche, enforce a similar rule. In Tesla's case, the company has yet to clarify whether it will apply to all Cybertruck buyers or if it will only enforce the rule for Foundation Series owners. Regardless, fans may want to look over their purchase agreements if they buy a Cybertruck, because Tesla may refuse to sell them any more vehicles in the future if they break the rule. 

The Day Before was a much-hyped zombie shooter game which, after multiple delays, launched on Steam on December 7th, only to be widely criticized for failing to deliver an MMO (massively multiplayer online) experience as advertised, let alone its bugginess, lack of originality and seemingly intentional slow in-game progress. Four days later, Fntastic, the studio behind this controversial title, abruptly announced its closure as this $40 game "has failed financially," despite having apparently sold over 200,000 copies before refunds, according to PC Gamer. 

"We did everything within our power, but unfortunately, we miscalculated our capabilities," added Fntastic, which has since removed all of its over-promising trailers from its YouTube channel.

Gamers who paid for the disastrous early access are understandably livid. Fortunately, Steam does offer a two-week window for refund requests, so long as the game has only been played for less than two hours. Even if you, for some reason, have already played The Day Before for more than two hours, it's likely that Steam will still honor your refund, as suggested by an announcement from publisher Mytona. A handful of comments also seem to confirm that those players were able to get their refunds, despite having worked their way through the disappointing title for over two hours. 

Head over to Steam Help, go to "Purchases," click on The Day Before, then under the "What problem are you having with this product?" section, pick whatever reason you deem suitable (probably "Gameplay or technical issue," in this case) to proceed with your refund request. Good luck.

Epic Games' lawsuit against Google has had a much different turnout from its courtroom battle with Apple. A federal jury has sided with the video game developer and has found Google to be in violation of US antitrust laws when it comes to how it runs the Play Store. According to The Verge, the jury has unanimously agreed that Google held an illegal monopoly on app distribution and in-app billing services for Android devices. Further, it found the company's distribution agreements with other video gaming companies, as well as its deals with device manufacturers to pre-install its apps on Android devices, to be anticompetitive. 

In its complaint, Epic said that Google had silently paid game developers hundreds of millions of dollars to make their titles downloadable from the Play Store in an initiative that was originally known as "Project Hug." It alleged that the company had paid Activision Blizzard $360 million to abandon its plans of creating a competing app store, which the game developer subsequently denied. Google, which Epic said came up with the incentive program after it released Fortnite outside of the Play Store, also reportedly inked deals with Nintendo, Ubisoft and Riot Games. 

The jury has come to the conclusion that Epic Games has been negatively affected by Google's actions, but we've yet to know how its victory will change the latter's practices. In a statement posted on X, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney said the court will start "work[ing] on remedies" in January. Judge James Donato, who's overseeing the case, will be making the decision whether to order Google to give developers the freedom to introduce their own app stores and billing systems for Android devices. In the case of Epic's lawsuit against Apple, the court ruled that the iPhone-maker didn't violate US antitrust laws, but it ordered the company to allow App Store developers to direct customers through third-party payment systems. 

Google, however, doesn't intend to go down without a fight. Wilson White, Google VP for Government Affairs and Public Policy, told Engadget that the company plans to challenge the verdict. "Android and Google Play provide more choice and openness than any other major mobile platform," White said. "The trial made clear that we compete fiercely with Apple and its App Store, as well as app stores on Android devices and gaming consoles. We will continue to defend the Android business model and remain deeply committed to our users, partners, and the broader Android ecosystem."

Alongside iOS, iPadOS and watchOS updates, Apple has rolled out the latest version of tvOS. The main change this time around is a redesign of the core Apple TV app.

You'll now see a sidebar that blends content from Apple's own services (such as Apple TV+, MLS Season Pass and a Store where users can buy and rent popular movies) with access to third-party channels and apps such as Disney+ and Max. It seems that Apple is aiming to improve navigation and discoverability without straying too far from the industry standard tile browsing format on the homepage.

On living room devices (i.e. Apple TV hardware and the eponymous app on smart TVs and other devices), the sidebar will include profiles. Apple says this will allow you to swiftly switch between users for more personalized recommendations across the app and in the Up Next section. Meanwhile, Watch Now has been rebranded as Home.

Apple

The Apple TV app's Store tab is where you'll want to go to buy or rent movies and TV shows. Starting today, the iTunes Movies and TV Shows apps on Apple TV 4K and HD devices will redirect users to the Apple TV app's Store tab to find and manage their purchases. The same goes for the iTunes Store app on iPhone and iPad.

Meanwhile, you'll now be able to answer FaceTime calls directly on Apple TV 4K devices. Apple has added support for FaceTime audio calls as well.