An appeals court has issued a ruling in the long-running antitrust tussle between Apple and Epic Games. As Bloomberg reports, the US Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court ruling, which rejected most of Epic's claims that Apple violated federal competition law by prohibiting alternative app stores on its devices. The three-judge panel also upheld a part of the original ruling that was in Epic's favor.

“There is a lively and important debate about the role played in our economy and democracy by online transaction platforms with market power,” the panel wrote in the decision. “Our job as a federal court of appeals, however, is not to resolve that debate — nor could we even attempt to do so. Instead, in this decision, we faithfully applied existing precedent to the facts.”

The ruling maintains the status quo, unless further appeals move the case to a higher court. One added wrinkle is the fact that Epic may now be on the hook for Apple's legal fees, as Axios' Stephen Totillo pointed out.

“Today’s decision reaffirms Apple’s resounding victory in this case, with nine of ten claims having been decided in Apple’s favor. For the second time in two years, a federal court has ruled that Apple abides by antitrust laws at the state and federal levels," Apple told Engadget in a statement. "The App Store continues to promote competition, drive innovation, and expand opportunity, and we’re proud of its profound contributions to both users and developers around the world. We respectfully disagree with the court’s ruling on the one remaining claim under state law and are considering further review.”

In the original 2021 ruling, US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers determined that although Apple prevented users from being able to pay less for apps or in-app purchases, it wasn't running the App Store like a monopoly. Still, Rogers told Apple to let developers direct users to alternative payment systems, which would have enabled them to bypass the 15 to 30 percent cut Apple typically takes from in-app purchases.

Apple won a last-gasp delay on the implementation of those changes. However, in 2022, it started allowing the makers of certain apps to redirect users to their own websites for payments and to fully manage their accounts.

Engadget has contacted Epic for comment. The company has made similar antitrust claims in a lawsuit against Google and that case is set to go to trial in November. 

Epic kickstarted its battles against Apple and Google when it offered Fortnite mobile players a cheaper way to pay for in-game currency that bypassed the iOS and Android payment systems. Apple and Google removed Fortnite from their app stores, and Epic responded withlawsuits against both companies.

Regardless of the ultimate outcome in both cases, Apple and Google may support third-party app stores on iOS and Android anyway. Regulators in other markets have scrutinized both companies' app store practices. As a result of new European Union laws in particular, Apple is reportedly preparing to allow third-party marketplaces on the iPhone as soon as next year. If and when it does, Epic's own mobile app store is ready to go, according to CEO Tim Sweeney. Microsoft is preparing its own mobile app store too.

Your Google Authenticator one-time codes are no longer trapped if you lose the device that stores them. An update to Authenticator for Android and iOS now stores backups of codes in your Google account. You won't have to reauthorize all your linked apps (or scan a QR code) just because you got a new phone.

Once you have the latest version of the app, you only have to follow prompts to sign into Google and enable syncing. Of course, you'll also want to be sure your Google account is secure to prevent intruders from misusing Authenticator.

Google is still pushing for password-free logins that use technology like passkeys. However, it also acknowledges that people still rely on one-time codes. The Authenticator update promises to reduce some of the headaches of using those codes until you're ready and able to move to another system. This might also encourage the use of two-factor authentication if you were previously afraid of what would happen if your phone was lost or stolen.

This isn't a novel concept. Apps like Microsoft Authenticator also have cloud backups. However, it's no secret that Google's tool is popular. Cloud syncing should make a tangible difference, particularly when many apps can use Authenticator as an alternative to the conventional password.

Microsoft has agreed to stop bundling its Teams remote collaboration software with its Office productivity suite, according toFinancial Times. The company’s move attempts to head off an official EU antitrust investigation as it deals with its most significant regulatory concerns in over a decade.

FT’s sources say companies will eventually be able to buy Office with or without Teams installed, “but the mechanism on how to do this remains unclear.” Talks with EU regulators are reportedly ongoing, and “a deal is not certain.” Microsoft told FT, “We are mindful of our responsibilities in the EU as a major technology company. We continue to engage cooperatively with the commission in its investigation and are open to pragmatic solutions that address its concerns and serve customers well.”

Competing remote-work platform Slack, now owned by Salesforce, complained to EU regulators in 2020, asking officials to make Microsoft sell Teams separately from its ubiquitous Office suite. Slack’s general counsel said at the time, “We’re asking the EU to be a neutral referee, examine the facts and enforce the law.”

Microsoft is facing its first regulatory issues in a decade. The company agreed to a settlement with the European Commission in 2009, agreeing to offer European customers a choice of web browsers; it was then fined €561 million in 2013 for failing to adhere to that consistently. Of course, its most famous antitrust shakeup came around the turn of the millennium when it was initially forced to break up into two companies, a ruling later overturned by an appeals court. Microsoft and the DOJ settled in 2001, agreeing to restrictions like sharing APIs with third-party developers and letting PC manufacturers install non-Microsoft software on their products.

In recent months, the company has been scrambling to receive regulatory approval for its planned $69 billion purchase of game publisher Activision Blizzard. The company is reportedly expected to receive a green light from the EU and UK, and it has until July to appease the US Federal Trade Commission. Microsoft offered 10-year legal agreements to provide Call of Duty on Nintendo consoles and cloud-streaming platform Boosteroid to help ease those concerns. Sony reportedly declined a similar offer.

BeReal, Apple's iPhone app of the year for 2022, wants you to know that it's still going strong. The app sends users a notification at a different time each day, prompting them to drop everything and share photos taken with their phone's front and rear cameras simultaneously. You have a two-minute window to do this, with the idea that you'll share authentic updates from your life (you likely won't have enough time to fix your hair or find a spot with great lighting first). Your friends are notified when you post late or retake your photos.

This approach has caused some teething issues. It has led to people sharing mundane photos of their computer screens or taking out their phones simultaneously during a class, as The New York Times reported recently. Citing data from an analytics company, the publication suggested that the app's user numbers have nosedived by around 61 percent in recent months to under six million as the novelty factor waned and biggerrivals started to copy BeReal.

On its new blog, BeReal claims it actually has more than 20 million daily active users. In its inaugural post, the BeReal team notes it has been quiet as it's been busy. "But [that] means people have been guessing about what we’ve been up to and how things are going, and not always accurately," the post reads. 

BeReal

Meanwhile, BeReal has debuted a feature that could lead to an uptick in engagement and perhaps keep wavering users onboard. Bonus BeReal, which the company is testing in the UK before expanding to the rest of the world soon, allows users to post two extra snapshots per day at times of their choosing — as long as they share their regular BeReal on time.

The move could undercut the spontaneous authenticity that BeReal strives for, as it will give users a chance to pose for and edit their extra posts. However, BeReal notes that it may make changes to the feature.

Amazon’s well-reviewed hybrid tablet, the Kindle Scribe, is receiving a software update that brings some new tools to the e-reader/doodle machine. The most notable feature here is the ability to send documents directly from Microsoft Word to the e-reader with just a few clicks. This allows you to read documents on the go and physically annotate them using the touchscreen and a Scribe pen. This is great for making edits on the fly, or just drawing pizza slices all over a college essay.

The feature is similar to the pre-existing Send to Kindle web interface tool, which lets you easily transfer files between external devices and the e-reader, but everything is done right in Microsoft Word. You’ll find this feature in the export tab, though an active Microsoft 365 subscription is required.

Physically annotating PDF documents is also getting a boost with this update, thanks to a new contrast slider. The slider increases the readability of the document itself or of any physical notes you add to the document via the stylus. This feature is available for any PDFs imported via Send to Kindle or for any pre-existing PDF documents available through the Kindle Store.

The Kindle Scribe is notable for having plenty of screen real estate, and this update gives you new ways to interact with that 10.2 inches. There’s a new multi-column layout for reading two pages at once (if you are into that kind of thing). This feature is only for landscape orientation.

Finally, there’s a newly-implemented bird’s eye view tool for notebook page management, letting you see nine notebook pages at once and make appropriate changes to single items or entire batches. You can now add or insert pages to pre-existing notebooks, move pages around and delete single pages.

Amazon has been pretty good about updating the Kindle Scribe to meet the needs of consumers. In recent months, the e-reader has gotten new digital brushes, integrated subfolders and more.

As Apple’s WWDC approaches, the rumor frequency for the company’s VR/AR headset is gathering pace. ​​Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman says the device, rumored to be named Reality Pro or Reality One, will have two ports: a USB-C interface for data transfers and a “new proprietary charging connector.” Judging by Gurman’s description, the latter is reminiscent of Apple’s recently reintroduced MagSafe power port. As for the power supply, it’s about the size of an iPhone, similar to Apple’s own MagSafe Battery Pack for iPhones. The component can reportedly power the wearable for up to two hours on a single charge, but you’ll be able to buy extra packs, given how quickly the headset may drain them.

It doesn’t sound particularly elegant, but there are reasons for it. At the start of 2023, Gurman first hinted at an external power supply. He reported Apple was concerned about the device overheating, while also chasing a lighter, more comfortable headset.

– Mat Smith

The Morning After isn’t just a newsletter – it’s also a daily podcast. Get our daily audio briefings, Monday through Friday, by subscribing right here.

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It looks a lot like the Galaxy Z Fold 4.

Kuba Wojciechowski

Days after CNBC reported Google’s plans for a foldable Pixel phone at I/O 2023, an alleged video of the device is circulating online. On late Friday evening, leaker and developer Kuba Wojciechowski shared what he says is a clip of the Pixel Fold. Unfortunately, the video doesn’t show any features that definitively identify the foldable as a Pixel device, but if this is the real thing, be prepared for some noticeable borders to the device’s internal screen. The Pixel Fold will reportedly cost around $1,700 when it arrives later this year. According to CNBC, the device will have a book-like design, with a 5.8-inch external screen and a 7.6-inch folding display. It’s also said to sport the “most durable hinge” of any foldable to date and a battery that can last up to 72 hours in Extreme Battery Saver mode.

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Twitter adds blue checks to accounts of dead celebrities

Tapping the icon says the deceased individuals are "subscribed" to Twitter Blue.

Twitter has begun handing out blue ticks to celebrity users and accounts with more than one million followers. Among the users who received the verification but say they did not pay for the service include author Neil Gaiman, actor Ron Perlman, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Twitter comic dril. Also, accounts that once belonged to Chadwick Boseman, Kobe Bryant and Anthony Bourdain, celebrities who died long before Musk’s takeover of Twitter, were also reverified over the weekend. On Friday, Musk claimed he was “personally” paying the Twitter Blue subscription for a few celebrities, including LeBron James and Stephen King.

Continue reading.

You can't share Xbox clips directly to Twitter anymore

The change is likely down to Twitter's decision to charge for API access.

Microsoft said it had to switch off the option to upload Xbox screenshots and clips directly to Twitter from Xbox consoles as well as the Game Bar on Windows. There are other options, but they're a little more inconvenient. You can use the Xbox mobile app to download console captures and share them to Twitter.

When asked for comment, Xbox declined to shed more light on the reason for the change. It seems likely that Microsoft dropped the built-in sharing option due to Twitter's decision to charge at least $42,000 per month for enterprise access to its APIs. That move is breaking functionality for all kinds of organizations, including disaster response services. This week, Microsoft said it would soon remove Twitter integration from its social media management tool for advertisers.

Continue reading.

Anker is best known for its chargers and power banks, but its Soundcore brand offers some surprisingly good value wireless headphones. If you've been looking for a pair with noise cancellation and want to pay less than a $100, it has several models currently on sale at or near all-time lows. Those include the Soundcore Life Q30 model on sale for just $56 (30 percent off), the Soundcore Space Q45 priced at $100 for a $50 discount and the Space A40 wireless noise-cancelling earphones, down to $64 or 36 percent off the regular price. 

Both the Soundcore Life Q30 and Soundcore Space Q45 headphones offer a comfortable fit thanks to the ample padding. They deliver superb battery life of up to 40-50 hours, can connect two devices at once and come with a 3.5mm cable for wired listening (though only the Space Q45 lets you use ANC when wired). The ANC can't of course, beat high-end headphones like the Sony WH-1000XM5 or Bose QuietComfort 45, but it does a great job of reducing lower-end rumble from jet planes, trains, etc.

For the extra money, The Space Q45 it has an adaptive ANC mode that can automatically adjust the headphone's ANC strength based on your surroundings. The Life Q30, on the other hand, just offers three preset ANC levels. For Android users, the Space Q45 also supports the higher-quality LDAC audio codec. Both let you tune the audio using Anker's companion app, which offers a graphic EQ tool and a few alternative sound profile presets.

Meanwhile, the Soundcore Space A40 earbuds can reduce noise by up to 98 percent, according to Anker. They have a one-touch transparency mode, adaptive noise cancellation and wireless high-res audio. A feature called Hear ID Sound is designed to analyze how you hear music to create a sound profile tuned for your ears. You'll get up to 10 hours of playtime on a single charge, with the charging case providing another 40 hours of playback. Charging for 10 minutes could get you up to four hours of playtime. Soundcore promises "pumping bass" along with "rich middle and crisp trebles" thanks to the 10mm drivers. 

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Chromebooks have always been a popular option for schools due to the relatively cheap prices, but they exploded in popularity during the Covid pandemic as kids did their schoolwork from home. However, they may not be such a good deal after all, according to a new report called Chromebook Churn from the US Public Interest Research Group (PIRG). They found that many Chromebooks purchased just three years ago are already breaking, creating electronic waste and costing taxpayers money. 

Chromebooks in schools typically see rough use, and repairability is a key issue, due to a lack of parts and expensive repairs. For instance, 14 out of 29 keyboard replacements for Acer Chromebooks were found to be out of stock, and 10 of the 29 cost $90 each — nearly half the price of some models. "These high costs may make schools reconsider Chromebooks as a cost-saving strategy," the report states. In another instance, HP only stocked power cords and AC adapters for one model, but no other parts.

The devices also have built in "death dates," the report reads, after which software updates end. "Once laptops have 'expired,' they don’t receive updates and can’t access secure websites." Google does provide eight years of software updates for Chromebooks, but that's only from the date of release. Since many schools buy Chromebooks released several years before, support can expire in half that time. 

Chromebooks aren’t built to last. Professional repair techs tell me they’re often forced to chuck good Chromebook hardware with years of life left due to aggressive software expiration dates.

"Chromebooks aren’t built to last. Professional repair techs tell me they’re often forced to chuck good Chromebook hardware with years of life left due to aggressive software expiration dates," iFixit's director of sustainability Elizabeth Chamberlain told PIRG. Those expiration dates also make it a challenge for schools to resell their devices. PCs and Macs may have a higher purchase price, but they can easily be resold after a couple of years and can get updates for longer periods of time.

The organization said that doubling the lifespan of the Chromebooks sold in 2020 (some 31.8 million) "could cut emissions by 4.6 million tons of CO2e, equivalent to taking 900,000 cars off the road for a year. To do that, they recommend that Google eliminate update expirations and that its manufacturing partners production a 10 percent overstock of replacement parts, and that those parts be more standardized across models. They also say that consumers should be allowed to install alternative operating systems like Linux.

In a statement to Ars Technica, Google said: "Regular Chromebook software updates add new features and improve device security every four weeks, allowing us to continuously iterate on the software experience while ensuring that older devices continue to function in a secure and reliable manner until their hardware limitations make it extremely difficult to provide updates." 

It added that it's "always working with our device manufacturing partners to increasingly build devices across segments with post-consumer recycled and certified materials that are more repairable, and over time use manufacturing processes that reduce emissions."

Google needs to do better, though, according to the group. "The least we can do for students who rely on their laptops is ensure these devices are durable and repairable—not part of a constant churn," said PIRG's Lucas Rockett Gutterman. "With more tech in our lives and classrooms, if Google wants to be a trusted source for tens of millions of students, they need to make laptops that families and school districts can count on."

At the start of 2023, Bloomberg’s Gurman reported Apple’s forthcoming mixed-reality headset would feature an external power supply. At the time, he said the company made the decision to offload the battery for a few reasons. Apple was concerned about the device overheating. It also wanted to make the headset lighter and thereby more comfortable to wear.

Ahead of WWDC 2023, the venue where Apple is expected to announce the headset, Gurman has shared more information about what to expect from the wearable’s external battery. Writing in his latest Power On newsletter, he says the device, rumored to be named “Reality Pro” or “Reality One,” will feature two ports: a USB-C interface for data transfers and a “new proprietary charging connector.” Judging from Gurman’s description, the latter is reminiscent of Apple’s recently reintroduced MagSafe power port. The included power cable reportedly features a round tip that magnetically attaches to Apple’s headset. After inserting the cable, Gurman says you rotate it to lock it into place.

Apple

As for the power supply, it’s about the size of an iPhone and looks similar to Apple’s own MagSafe Battery Pack (pictured above). The component can reportedly power the wearable for up two hours on a single charge. Recharging the pack involves a USB-C cable connected to a MacBook Pro power adapter. Gurman speculates Apple will allow customers to buy additional packs separately since a single one provides so little uptime.

More than anything, Gurman’s latest report underscores how much of a first-generation product Apple’s headset will be when it arrives later this year. With the device employing such a cumbersome power delivery method and coming in at a rumored $3,000, it’s hard to imagine the average consumer running out to buy Apple’s latest gadget.

If you missed the chance to buy Apple’s 2022 iPad when it was $50 off earlier this month, now you have another opportunity to purchase the tablet at a discount. For the time being, Amazon is offering the device at a starting price of $399. That’s a return to the iPad’s best-ever price.

The sale includes all color, storage and networking variants of the 10.9-inch tablet. Colorway options include pink, blue, silver and yellow, and you can order the device with either 64GB or 256GB of storage. Apple also offers an LTE variant that features cellular connectivity. With the $50 discount, you’ll pay $549 for either the 256GB WiFi model or the 64GB LTE model. The top-spec variant is currently $699.

Engadget awarded the 10th-generation iPad a score of 85 when it reviewed the device last fall. The tablet features a refreshed design reminiscent of the iPad Pro and iPad Air. Apple removed the Home button found on the previous model, replacing it with an edge-facing Touch ID button that doubles as a sleep button. The company also outfitted the tablet with its A14 Bionic chipset and repositioned the front-facing camera so that it has a landscape orientation, making the tablet better suited for video calls. Note that the 2022 iPad is not a great choice if you’re an artist as it doesn’t support the second-generation Apple Pencil. With the redesign also came a more expensive price tag, something Amazon’s discount helps address.

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