Filed under:The two companies aren’t happySouth Korea has passed a bill written to prevent major platform owners like Google and Apple from restricting app developers to built-in payment systems, . The bill is now expected to be signed into law by President Moon Jae-in, whose party championed the legislation.The law comes as a blow to Google and Apple who both require in-app purchases to flow only through their systems, instead of outside payment processors, allowing the tech giants to collect a 30 percent cut. If tech companies fail to comply with the new law, they could face fines of up...…Filed under:The two companies aren’t happySouth Korea has passed a bill written to prevent major platform owners like Google and Apple from restricting app developers to built-in payment systems, . The bill is now expected to be signed into law by President Moon Jae-in, whose party championed the legislation.The law comes as a blow to Google and Apple who both require in-app purchases to flow only through their systems, instead of outside payment processors, allowing the tech giants to collect a 30 percent cut. If tech companies fail to comply with the new law, they could face fines of up...WW…

Amazon has reached a deal to acquire the film and TV company MGM for $8.45 billion, the companies announced today. It’s a significant acquisition for the e-commerce giant, and it means it will own a library of content that’s reported to consist of around 4,000 films and 17,000 hours of TV. The acquisition is likely to help Amazon attract even more big-spending Prime subscribers as its Prime Video service competes with the likes of Netflix and Disney Plus. MGM is perhaps most notable for being the Hollywood studio behind the James Bond and Rocky franchises, but its library runs the gamut...…Amazon has reached a deal to acquire the film and TV company MGM for $8.45 billion, the companies announced today. It’s a significant acquisition for the e-commerce giant, and it means it will own a library of content that’s reported to consist of around 4,000 films and 17,000 hours of TV. The acquisition is likely to help Amazon attract even more big-spending Prime subscribers as its Prime Video service competes with the likes of Netflix and Disney Plus. MGM is perhaps most notable for being the Hollywood studio behind the James Bond and Rocky franchises, but its library runs the gamut...WW…

Filed under:Alerting you about price drops in your open tabsThe latest version of Chrome on Android has started rolling out a new price tracking feature to alert you about price drops. receiving the new feature in Chrome version 90, though it doesn’t seem to be live for everyone. Once activated, Chrome monitors your open tabs for any price drops, and sends you a notification if any happen.It could be a useful bit of functionality for the Android app, which isn’t compatible with price tracking extensions like that are available for Chrome’s desktop client. But the requirement that you keep a...…Filed under:Alerting you about price drops in your open tabsThe latest version of Chrome on Android has started rolling out a new price tracking feature to alert you about price drops. receiving the new feature in Chrome version 90, though it doesn’t seem to be live for everyone. Once activated, Chrome monitors your open tabs for any price drops, and sends you a notification if any happen.It could be a useful bit of functionality for the Android app, which isn’t compatible with price tracking extensions like that are available for Chrome’s desktop client. But the requirement that you keep a...WW…

Filed under:‘Watch your step with Heads Up’Android’s Digital Wellbeing service is getting a new “Heads Up” feature, which will prompt users to stop staring at their phones while walking, . The feature appears to be rolling out to the of the Digital Wellbeing app, and reports receiving the feature on their Pixel 4A device.“If you’re walking while using your phone, get a reminder to focus on what’s around you,” says the Heads Up setup page. The reminders include brief notifications with instructions like “Watch your step,” “Stay alert,” and “Look up,” judging by an app teardown last year .—...…Filed under:‘Watch your step with Heads Up’Android’s Digital Wellbeing service is getting a new “Heads Up” feature, which will prompt users to stop staring at their phones while walking, . The feature appears to be rolling out to the of the Digital Wellbeing app, and reports receiving the feature on their Pixel 4A device.“If you’re walking while using your phone, get a reminder to focus on what’s around you,” says the Heads Up setup page. The reminders include brief notifications with instructions like “Watch your step,” “Stay alert,” and “Look up,” judging by an app teardown last year .—...WW…

Filed under:Siri-equipped smart display also thought to be in the worksApple is reportedly developing a new TV accessory that combines elements of its Apple TV with a HomePod speaker and camera for video calls, according to a . Alongside it, Apple is also said to be working on a smart speaker with a display, similar to Amazon’s Echo Show or Google’s Nest Hub. Development of both devices is said to be in its early stages, with plans subject to change.The unannounced TV accessory would have the hardware to fulfill a variety of roles. As a TV accessory it could offer access to games and the...…Filed under:Siri-equipped smart display also thought to be in the worksApple is reportedly developing a new TV accessory that combines elements of its Apple TV with a HomePod speaker and camera for video calls, according to a . Alongside it, Apple is also said to be working on a smart speaker with a display, similar to Amazon’s Echo Show or Google’s Nest Hub. Development of both devices is said to be in its early stages, with plans subject to change.The unannounced TV accessory would have the hardware to fulfill a variety of roles. As a TV accessory it could offer access to games and the...WW…

Filed under:Epic argues it’s part of Apple’s lock-in strategyApple knows that iMessage’s blue bubbles are a big barrier to people switching to Android, which is why the service has never appeared on Google’s mobile operating system. That’s according to depositions and emails from Apple employees, including some high-ranking executives, revealed in from Epic Games with the iPhone manufacturer.Epic argues that Apple consciously tries to lock customers into its ecosystem of devices, and that iMessage is one of the key services helping it to do so. It cites comments made by Apple’s senior vice...…Filed under:Epic argues it’s part of Apple’s lock-in strategyApple knows that iMessage’s blue bubbles are a big barrier to people switching to Android, which is why the service has never appeared on Google’s mobile operating system. That’s according to depositions and emails from Apple employees, including some high-ranking executives, revealed in from Epic Games with the iPhone manufacturer.Epic argues that Apple consciously tries to lock customers into its ecosystem of devices, and that iMessage is one of the key services helping it to do so. It cites comments made by Apple’s senior vice...WW…

Filed under:Offering ‘a little taste of Samsung’Samsung has released to give iPhone users “a little taste of Samsung” from their mobile browser. When visited on an iPhone, the site prompts users to add it to their phone’s home screen, after which it turns into a shortcut to a simulated Samsung Galaxy device. The site appears to be the work of Samsung New Zealand, .The experience might be limited, but it’s a neatly designed bit of marketing. Open up the camera “app” and a video will automatically play featuring influencer Logan Dodds, who describes Samsung’s camera app features in the...…Filed under:Offering ‘a little taste of Samsung’Samsung has released to give iPhone users “a little taste of Samsung” from their mobile browser. When visited on an iPhone, the site prompts users to add it to their phone’s home screen, after which it turns into a shortcut to a simulated Samsung Galaxy device. The site appears to be the work of Samsung New Zealand, .The experience might be limited, but it’s a neatly designed bit of marketing. Open up the camera “app” and a video will automatically play featuring influencer Logan Dodds, who describes Samsung’s camera app features in the...WW…

Filed under:Just like last yearApple just announced that its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) will take place on June 7th through June 11th this year, and that like last year it will be an online-only event.The announcement, as is typical for Apple, is opaque when it comes to details, but there might be a tantalizing hint: is the memoji character’s glasses simply showing a reflection from their laptop? Or could Apple finally be gearing up to announce its or AR glasses?“We are working to make WWDC21 our biggest and best yet, and are excited to offer Apple developers new tools to...…Filed under:Just like last yearApple just announced that its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) will take place on June 7th through June 11th this year, and that like last year it will be an online-only event.The announcement, as is typical for Apple, is opaque when it comes to details, but there might be a tantalizing hint: is the memoji character’s glasses simply showing a reflection from their laptop? Or could Apple finally be gearing up to announce its or AR glasses?“We are working to make WWDC21 our biggest and best yet, and are excited to offer Apple developers new tools to...WW…

Filed under:Promising the ability to handle both macro and telephoto shotsXiaomi’s upcoming Mi Mix handset will include a camera with a liquid lens, the company teased in a pair of today. As its name implies, the lens typically includes a layer of liquid, and the lens’s focus and focal length are changed by applying an electrical voltage. Xiaomi says the lens will allow one camera to take everything from telephoto to macro shots as well as offer fast autofocus. The phone is due to be unveiled on March 29th.Liquid lenses have been around for a number of years, but they’re typically found in...…Filed under:Promising the ability to handle both macro and telephoto shotsXiaomi’s upcoming Mi Mix handset will include a camera with a liquid lens, the company teased in a pair of today. As its name implies, the lens typically includes a layer of liquid, and the lens’s focus and focal length are changed by applying an electrical voltage. Xiaomi says the lens will allow one camera to take everything from telephoto to macro shots as well as offer fast autofocus. The phone is due to be unveiled on March 29th.Liquid lenses have been around for a number of years, but they’re typically found in...WW…

Elon Musk has reiterated his claim that fake and spam accounts could make up more than 20 percent of Twitter’s users, saying the deal to acquire the social media company “cannot move forward” until Twitter proves the accuracy of its much lower estimate of less than 5 percent. Musk is currently in the process of buying Twitter and its estimated 226 million monetizable daily active users for $44 billion. “20% fake/spam accounts, while 4 times what Twitter claims, could be *much* higher,” the Tesla CEO tweeted in response to a report from Teslarati. “My offer was based on Twitter’s SEC...…Elon Musk has reiterated his claim that fake and spam accounts could make up more than 20 percent of Twitter’s users, saying the deal to acquire the social media company “cannot move forward” until Twitter proves the accuracy of its much lower estimate of less than 5 percent. Musk is currently in the process of buying Twitter and its estimated 226 million monetizable daily active users for $44 billion. “20% fake/spam accounts, while 4 times what Twitter claims, could be *much* higher,” the Tesla CEO tweeted in response to a report from Teslarati. “My offer was based on Twitter’s SEC...WW…