Apple and Google have agreed to a series of changes aimed at making their app stores fairer for developers, the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced today. The concrete commitments come after the CMA found the two companies had a duopoly and designated them as having "strategic market status" in mobile platforms last October. The designation is not a finding of wrongdoing, but gives UK regulators new powers to demand specific changes to boost competition in the mobile market. Under the agreed terms published by the CMA, both companies will ensure apps are reviewed and ranked on their app stores in a "fair, objective and transparent way," without discrimination against apps that compete with their own services. They also…

Macworld One of the reasons why we’re Apple users is the iconic designs the company uses. For example, the current MacBook lineup has a beautiful design with a distinguished look that’s instantly recognizable and often imitated. Apple has a long history of iconic design, many of which are just beloved today as they were decades ago. Case maker Spigen is looking towards those past designs for inspiration. In an X post on Monday, the company posted a concept image of a MacBook case that takes its cues from the classic Macintosh from 1984. The beige case features an impression that symbolizes the floppy drive, and the bottom of the case has Apple’s classic script “hello” etched into the center. The…

The UK's Competition and Markets Authority has extracted promises from Apple and Google over their App Stores, really just bringing over the same features already in place in Europe.UK Parliament - image credit: ParliamentWhile the UK is no longer part of the European Union, its regulators have been slowly copying the EU's initiatives regarding Big Tech. In October 2025, for instance, the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) designated Apple and Google as having "strategic market status."That's a synonym for the EU's gatekeeper term, and just as with the European Commission, the UK's CMA has given itself the right to regulate Apple and Google. According to Reuters, the CMA has announced that the two firms will now comply with its…

The UK's Competition and Markets Authority has extracted promises from Apple and Google over their App Stores, really just bringing over the same features already in place in Europe.UK Parliament - image credit: ParliamentWhile the UK is no longer part of the European Union, its regulators have been slowly copying the EU's initiatives regarding Big Tech. In October 2025, for instance, the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) designated Apple and Google as having "strategic market status."That's a synonym for the EU's gatekeeper term, and just as with the European Commission, the UK's CMA has given itself the right to regulate Apple and Google. According to Reuters, the CMA has announced that the two firms will now comply with its…

Apple recently reported the best iPhone sales in the company’s history in the final quarter of last year. While the long-term trend has of course been upward, the company revealed a dramatic boost to the numbers. We’ve already seen analysts describe some of the reasons for this, but a new report suggests two additional factors – and both of them are the color orange … more…

Macworld Harken, if you will, back to a simpler time. A time when the Macalope’s columns were mostly concerned with dunking on people who said ridiculous things about Apple or Apple products. What happened to those days, Carol? We were so young. So full of life. Did you ever finish making that dating app? It was for people in open relationships in gated communities. What a terrible idea. But such was our pie-eyed optimism! The future was spread out before us like a cruise ship buffet, but without the botulism. And we didn’t have to talk about AI all freakin’ day long. Maybe it was all the AI ads the Macalope was forced to watch during the Super Bowl, featuring…