via Chrome Unboxed – The Latest Chrome OS News https://ift.tt/3guZ6Xu
Wednesday, August 26, 2020
Korea to Investigate Apple and Google's In-App Purchase Practices
https://ift.tt/2QtpxlX
Last week, multiple startup companies in Korea called for an investigation into Apple and Google's in-app purchase practices. Now, The Korea Herald has confirmed that the Korean Ministry of Science and ITC will launch an investigation to look into the two companies' "excessive commissions."
The investigation will examine platform fees, payment systems, and whether Apple and Google have violated Korean laws that prohibit technology service operators from obstructing users to choose services.
Apple and Google made up 87.8 percent of the Korean app market in 2019, and the issue is effectively an antitrust investigation. The original petition submitted by an alliance of app developers and small companies argued that platform operators are using their immense market share to give developers no choice but to submit to high commission fees.
They explained that Apple has been forcing developers to use their specific in-app purchase system since 2011, through which Apple takes a 30 percent commission. Google demands game apps in Korea use its own in-app purchase module and adds an additional 30 percent game-only commission. Google reportedly plans to expand restrictions on developers, and demand a 30 percent commission on webtoons, music streaming, and e-books.
The ministry laid out plans to collect opinions from local app developers and smaller market sources to see if the companies' platform fees are unfairly hindering business operators and in turn raising prices for consumers.
The outcome of the investigation could be sweeping amendments to Korea's new Telecommunications Business Act, which takes effect in January.
This article, "Korea to Investigate Apple and Google's In-App Purchase Practices" first appeared on MacRumors.com
Discuss this article in our forums
from MacRumors: Mac News and Rumors - All Stories https://ift.tt/2ElSgH0
Last week, multiple startup companies in Korea called for an investigation into Apple and Google's in-app purchase practices. Now, The Korea Herald has confirmed that the Korean Ministry of Science and ITC will launch an investigation to look into the two companies' "excessive commissions."
The investigation will examine platform fees, payment systems, and whether Apple and Google have violated Korean laws that prohibit technology service operators from obstructing users to choose services.
Apple and Google made up 87.8 percent of the Korean app market in 2019, and the issue is effectively an antitrust investigation. The original petition submitted by an alliance of app developers and small companies argued that platform operators are using their immense market share to give developers no choice but to submit to high commission fees.
They explained that Apple has been forcing developers to use their specific in-app purchase system since 2011, through which Apple takes a 30 percent commission. Google demands game apps in Korea use its own in-app purchase module and adds an additional 30 percent game-only commission. Google reportedly plans to expand restrictions on developers, and demand a 30 percent commission on webtoons, music streaming, and e-books.
"[The ministry] will carefully monitor and prepare policies that can cope with the increasing influence of platform providers," a Ministry of Science and ITC spokesperson said. "The ministry will also mediate between developers and platform operators to secure user rights."
The ministry laid out plans to collect opinions from local app developers and smaller market sources to see if the companies' platform fees are unfairly hindering business operators and in turn raising prices for consumers.
The outcome of the investigation could be sweeping amendments to Korea's new Telecommunications Business Act, which takes effect in January.
This article, "Korea to Investigate Apple and Google's In-App Purchase Practices" first appeared on MacRumors.com
Discuss this article in our forums
from MacRumors: Mac News and Rumors - All Stories https://ift.tt/2ElSgH0
Bloomberg: Apple Could Add AR Bonus Content to Apple TV+ Shows in 2021
https://ift.tt/2Th04ye
Apple plans to add bonus augmented reality content to its Apple TV+ streaming video service, according to a new report today by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
The new feature is said to take aspects of scenes in a TV show, such as characters or objects, and display them on the viewer's iPhone or iPad so they can be seen as if they existed in the user's surrounding environment.
More to follow...
This article, "Bloomberg: Apple Could Add AR Bonus Content to Apple TV+ Shows in 2021" first appeared on MacRumors.com
Discuss this article in our forums
from MacRumors: Mac News and Rumors - All Stories https://ift.tt/3jkzqyN
Apple plans to add bonus augmented reality content to its Apple TV+ streaming video service, according to a new report today by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
The new feature is said to take aspects of scenes in a TV show, such as characters or objects, and display them on the viewer's iPhone or iPad so they can be seen as if they existed in the user's surrounding environment.
For example, someone watching a moon-walking scene in the Apple show "For All Mankind" might be able to see a virtual lunar rover on their device’s display, seemingly perched atop their living room coffee table. The option would serve as bonus content akin to the director commentary or trailer that accompany a movie download and would be accessed from Apple's TV app on the iPhone or iPad.Gurman says that Apple intended to release the AR feature for Apple TV+ later this year, but the impact of the global health crisis pushed back the launch. Gurman's sources also cautioned that Apple could decide to ditch the plan entirely.
The AR feature is expected to debut next year, ahead of an Apple headset in 2022 that will be built around augmented and virtual reality, said the people, who asked not to be identified because they weren't authorized to discuss the plan publicly.
More to follow...
This article, "Bloomberg: Apple Could Add AR Bonus Content to Apple TV+ Shows in 2021" first appeared on MacRumors.com
Discuss this article in our forums
from MacRumors: Mac News and Rumors - All Stories https://ift.tt/3jkzqyN
Apple Maps to Get Native Ratings System and Photo Uploads for Places of Interest
https://ift.tt/2YBL3JF
The latest iOS 14 beta 6 includes a new way for users to review places of interest and upload photos to Apple Maps that doesn't rely on third party integrations.
Images via Twitter user BeauGiles
First spotted by Twitter user BeauGiles and reported by 9to5Mac, the new user interface for places of interest in Maps no longer pulls reviews and photos from the likes of Foursquare, TripAdvisor, and Yelp. Instead, Apple is replacing these third-party services with its own native rating system.
Going forward, users who tap a marker for a place on the map that they have physically visited will be offered the ability to recommend a place using a thumbs up/thumbs down rating that can also distinguish between relevant categories, such as ratings for the quality of products and services in a shop, for example.
Meanwhile, a new "Add Photos to Maps" option in place cards also lets users upload pictures directly to Apple's Maps servers. As outlined in Apple's legal terms for the new feature, the option only appears to users older than 13 years of age and photos are reviewed by humans before appearing in Apple Maps.
Currently, the rating system is only visible on some places of interest in the latest iOS 14 beta, as Apple is clearly still in the initial stages of implementing the feature. In future, however, users shouldn't be redirected to third-party apps in the App Store whenever they want to submit a review or photo of a place of interest in Apple Maps.
This article, "Apple Maps to Get Native Ratings System and Photo Uploads for Places of Interest" first appeared on MacRumors.com
Discuss this article in our forums
from MacRumors: Mac News and Rumors - All Stories https://ift.tt/3aXEd65
The latest iOS 14 beta 6 includes a new way for users to review places of interest and upload photos to Apple Maps that doesn't rely on third party integrations.
First spotted by Twitter user BeauGiles and reported by 9to5Mac, the new user interface for places of interest in Maps no longer pulls reviews and photos from the likes of Foursquare, TripAdvisor, and Yelp. Instead, Apple is replacing these third-party services with its own native rating system.
Going forward, users who tap a marker for a place on the map that they have physically visited will be offered the ability to recommend a place using a thumbs up/thumbs down rating that can also distinguish between relevant categories, such as ratings for the quality of products and services in a shop, for example.
Meanwhile, a new "Add Photos to Maps" option in place cards also lets users upload pictures directly to Apple's Maps servers. As outlined in Apple's legal terms for the new feature, the option only appears to users older than 13 years of age and photos are reviewed by humans before appearing in Apple Maps.
Currently, the rating system is only visible on some places of interest in the latest iOS 14 beta, as Apple is clearly still in the initial stages of implementing the feature. In future, however, users shouldn't be redirected to third-party apps in the App Store whenever they want to submit a review or photo of a place of interest in Apple Maps.
Tag: Apple Maps
This article, "Apple Maps to Get Native Ratings System and Photo Uploads for Places of Interest" first appeared on MacRumors.com
Discuss this article in our forums
from MacRumors: Mac News and Rumors - All Stories https://ift.tt/3aXEd65
Vivo Y20, Vivo Y20i Launched in India with Snapdragon 460 SoC, 5000mAh Battery: Price, Specifications
via News – MySmartPrice https://ift.tt/2CXJiyK
iPhone 12 'will be 15% faster than iPhone 11'
https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
...or offer up to 30% better battery life, depending on Apple's priorities
from Latest iPhone Articles from Macworld UK https://ift.tt/2EiEKE3
...or offer up to 30% better battery life, depending on Apple's priorities
from Latest iPhone Articles from Macworld UK https://ift.tt/2EiEKE3
ASUS Zenfone 7, Zenfone 7 Pro with Rotating Cameras, 90Hz OLED Display Launched: Price, Availability
via News – MySmartPrice https://ift.tt/2QmlDv8
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)