Apple has been found guilty of infringing two telecommunications patents used in its iPhones and iPads by London’s Court of Appeal. The ruling is a major victory for Optis Cellular Technology LLC, a U.S. patent holder that sued Apple in 2019. Optis says the two patents are essential to certain technological standards, such as 4G. The Court of Appeal dismissed Apple’s appeal of a lower court ruling that found the company had infringed the patents. Apple had argued that the patents were not essential to 4G and that it did not need to license them from Optis. However, the Court of Appeal found that the patents were essential and that Apple had infringed them by using the technology without a…

Illustration: Alex Castro / The Verge An important deadline just passed for the biggest tech platform companies in the world to notify the European Union (EU) that they are gatekeepers under the Digital Markets Act (DMA). Seven companies have officially acknowledged they meet the criteria: Alphabet (Google), Amazon, Apple, ByteDance (TikTok), Meta (Facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp), Microsoft, and Samsung. Companies on the list have a market capitalization of over €75 billion ($82 billion) and own a social platform or app that has at least 45 million monthly users or 10,000 active business users. The statement published by EU commissioner Thierry Breton says it “will now check their submissions and designate the gatekeepers for specific platform services by 6 September,” and after…

In the latest Power On newsletter for Bloomberg News, Mark Gurman reports that Apple is working on a new Mac external display option that can serve as a smart home display when idle. Apple’s 27-inch 5K Retina Studio Display Benjamin Mayo for 9to5Mac: Apple is also working on other monitor options, likely aimed as direct successors to the Pro Display XDR and Apple Studio Display. The smart display would run using an iOS device chip, but that doesn’t come as much surprise given the Studio Display works in the same way (running off an A13 chip internally). But on the Studio Display, the smarts of the software merely extend to the camera and speaker system with features like Center Stage…

Apple in June introduced the 15-inch MacBook Air, the world’s best 15-inch laptop. With an expansive 15.3-inch Liquid Retina display, the incredible performance of M2, up to 18 hours of battery life, and a silent, fanless design, the new MacBook Air brings power and portability — all in the world’s thinnest 15-inch laptop. Only possible with Apple silicon, the 15-inch MacBook Air is the world’s best 15-inch laptop. It comes in four gorgeous finishes, including starlight, space gray, silver, and midnight. With an all-new six-speaker sound system, the 15-inch MacBook Air delivers immersive Spatial Audio, along with a 1080p FaceTime HD camera, MagSafe charging, and the power and ease of macOS Ventura for an unrivaled experience. the 15-inch MacBook Air…

Apple TV+ has canceled the generally well-reviewed “High Desert,” starring Patricia Arquette, after one season. “High Desert” is an eight-episode dark comedy series, starring and executive produced by Patricia Arquette, which premiered globally on May 17, 2023 on Apple TV+. “High Desert” follows Peggy (Patricia Arquette), an on-again-off-again addict who decides to make a new start after the death of her beloved mother, with whom she lived in the small desert town of Yucca Valley, California, and makes a life-changing decision to become a private investigator. Ed Hardy for Cult of Mac: Arquette herself made the announcement Sunday. While funny, High Desert wasn’t a feel-good comedy. It centered on an occasional drug addict played by Arquette who becomes a private…

Apple is prepping major new hearing health and body-temperature features for AirPods, planning cheaper models, a transition to USB-C charging ports, and exploring how it could better position AirPods as a hearing aid, Mark Gurman reports for Bloomberg News. AirPods Pro (2nd generation) Mark Gurman for Bloomberg News: The capabilities will come in addition to already-announced software features that were part of iOS 17, as well as plans for new AirPods Pro and Max models. The company is working on a new hearing test feature that will play different tones and sounds to allow the AirPods to determine how well a person can hear. The idea is to help users screen for hearing issues, not unlike how the Apple Watch…