It's a bad day for big tech in the EU. After rejecting Google's appeal of a $2.7 billion antitrust fine, Europe's highest court ruled that Apple must pay back its €13 billion ($14.4 billion) Irish tax break deemed illegal by the EU Commission way back in 2016.
The decision by the European Court of Justice overturns an earlier 2020 decision by a lower court in Apple's favor. "[The decision] confirms the European Commission's 2016 decision: Ireland granted Apple unlawful aid which Ireland is required to recover," the judges wrote.
In a statement to the Financial Times, Apple said the EU was "trying to retroactively change the rules and ignore that, as required by international tax law, our income was already subject to taxes in the US."
Apple's effective tax rate for revenue earned in Europe was an effective 1 percent on European profits and as low as .005 percent in 2014. Because the deal gave Apple a "significant advantage" over the competition, the EU Commission ordered it to pay back "illegal state aid" over the ten-year period before it began investigating its tax practices.
The decision follows several setbacks for the European Commission against US corporations. Last year, the ECJ ruled that Amazon wouldn't be required to pay €250 million ($276 million) in back taxes to Luxembourg and lost a similar case to Starbucks in the Netherlands. So despite today's wins for the EU, those decisions could haunt future EU cases against big tech around tax havens in individual member states.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/apple-ordered-to-pay-back-its-illegal-144-billion-irish-tax-break-110041387.html?src=rss
A SpaceX Dragon capsule carrying the four private astronauts of the Polaris Dawn mission has launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida in the early hours of September 10 after a few weeks of delays. The mission was scheduled to lift off at the end of August but was postponed first due to technical issues, then because of poor weather conditions forecasted for the crew’s return. On board are Jared Isaacman — the billionaire who funded the mission — retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Scott “Kidd” Poteet, and SpaceX engineers Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon. They’ll attempt several firsts during the five-day flight, including the first-ever commercial spacewalk.
That attempt will also mark the first spacewalk from a Dragon capsule. Among Polaris Dawn's other goals is to send its crew farther than anyone has traveled since the Apollo program, targeting an altitude of about 870 miles from Earth. The journey will take the capsule and its crew briefly into the Van Allen radiation belt.
The @PolarisProgram’s Polaris Dawn mission will be the first crew to perform a spacewalk from Dragon, fly higher in Earth’s orbit than anyone since the Apollo program, test laser-based @Starlink communications, and conduct research to help provide insight on human health during… pic.twitter.com/RW387QWShY
Polaris Dawn is meant to be the first of three human spaceflight missions under Isaacman’s Polaris Program. Its crew will put SpaceX’s new Extravehicular Activity space suit to its most important test yet, as they’ll all wear it for protection against the vacuum of space when the Dragon’s doors open for the spacewalk. The spacewalk will take place at an elliptical orbit roughly 435 miles above Earth’s surface, and two crew members will leave the capsule.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/polaris-dawn-is-finally-headed-to-space-for-its-groundbreaking-civilian-mission-093346616.html?src=rss
Google has lost a seven-year battle with the European Commission as the EU's highest court upheld a $2.7 billion antitrust fine against the search giant, Reuters reported. Antitrust regulators originally levied the penalty against Google in 2017 for favoring its own shopping service against local rivals.
"Google's strategy for its comparison shopping service wasn't just about attracting customers by making its product better than those of its rivals," EU commissioner Margrethe Vestager said at the time. "Instead, Google abused its market dominance as a search engine by promoting its own comparison shopping service in its search results, and demoting those of competitors."
Google lost its first appeal with a lower court in 2021, sending the appeal to Luxembourg's Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU). The company argued that it was being punished for its dominant position in the market and that the original decision "erred in law by treating quality improvements... as abusive."
However, the CJEU judges upheld the lower court's decision that the company is allowed to have a dominant position but not to abuse it. "In particular, the conduct of undertakings in a dominant position that has the effect of hindering competition on the merits and is thus likely to cause harm to individual undertakings and consumers is prohibited," they noted.
An unnamed Google spokesperson has already responded to the decision, saying the company is "disappointed" with the judgment. They added "this judgment relates to a very specific set of facts. We made changes back in 2017 to comply with the European Commission’s decision. Our approach has worked successfully for more than seven years, generating billions of clicks for more than 800 comparison shopping services."
Google is also fighting a legal battle in the EU that could force it to sell parts of its adtech businesses over similar arguments that it favors its own services over those of competitors. The EU commission found preliminarily that since Google is unlikely to change its behavior, only the "mandatory divestment" of part of its services would address competition concerns. All told, Google has accumulated 8.25 billion euros ($9.12 billion) in EU antitrust fines over the last ten years.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/google-loses-its-seven-year-fight-against-27-billion-eu-antitrust-fine-090638804.html?src=rss
The new AirPods that Apple just announced at its iPhone 16 event come with cases that have USB-C ports, but they will not ship with USB-C charging cables in the box. As 9to5Mac has noticed, the new devices' official page states that USB-C charge cables are sold separately for both the basic AirPods 4 and the AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation. Apple didn't reveal the lack of cable in the earbuds' package in the event, but perhaps the company's assumption was that most people already have a bunch of USB-C cables in their possession. Still, it has just switched out the AirPods' cases lightning port, so current users got lighting cables with their previous models.
Apple started selling its devices without charging bricks years ago, and it also stopped shipping the Apple TV with a USB cable for its Siri charger in 2022. So, no, this isn't unprecedented, but those who don't have an extra cable to use with an AirPods 4 will have to buy one. The latest version of the AirPods Max does come with a cable, though, so those looking to get a pair don't have to put an extra one in their shopping cart.
For those now undecided whether to get the AirPods 4: We did find the ANC version's performance impressive. Engadget Senior Reporter Billy Steele got to try it at Apple Park's chaotic hands-on area, and the active noise cancellation nearly silenced the room full of event attendees. Apple also called the new models the "best fitting AirPods ever."
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/apple-airpods-4-dont-come-with-a-cable-to-charge-them-035629606.html?src=rss
In this bonus episode, Devindra and Engadget Contributing Reporter Kris Holt break down everything new (and not so new) in the iPhone 16 lineup. Is Apple Intelligence alone enough to entice iPhone owners to upgrade? Does anyone actually need the camera button? And why are we so intrigued by the Apple Watch Series 10 (which is undoubtedly the most interesting product Apple launched today)?
Listen below or subscribe on your podcast app of choice. If you've got suggestions or topics you'd like covered on the show, be sure to email us or drop a note in the comments! And be sure to check out our other podcast, Engadget News!
Hosts: Devindra Hardawar and Kris Holt Producer: Ben Ellman Music: Dale North and Terrence O'Brien
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/engadget-podcast-the-apple-watch-series-10-was-the-star-of-the-iphone-16-launch-222416888.html?src=rss
Kind Words 2 (lofi city pop), a game where you send real letters to real people and then wander around a cozy town, is due to hit Steam on October 7.
It’s the sequel to Kind Words (lo-fi chill beats to write to), an award-winning 2019 game from independent Boston studio Popcannibal. Players in the original game had a single bedroom where, backdropped by a sweet lo-fi soundtrack, they wrote and responded to letters from other players. There were small bits of room customization and sticker collection in the game, but it was truly just about connecting with strangers in a warm and nice way. This was a prescient idea: Just six months after Kind Words came out, the coronavirus pandemic locked down the globe. Connecting with people safely and from a distance suddenly became a top priority, and Kind Words carried this responsibility well. In the five years since launch, hundreds of thousands of players have sent more than 6 million messages in-game.
Kind Words 2 imports your letters, room changes and stickers from the first game, and it allows you to leave the bedroom and explore a small town of shops, cafes and parks. On top of the standard letter-writing loop, you can customize your avatar with new clothes, scream (in written form) into the void, wish on a star, perform poetry and interact with other players in public spaces. The endlessly chill soundtrack comes from Slay the Spire and Kind Words composer Clark Aboud. It all looks — and sounds — incredibly adorable.
In terms of game design, Popcannibal faces a unique and impossible-sounding challenge with the Kind Words series. Instead of having to build innovative environments or ultra-responsive controls, developers have to create a world that encourages anonymous online strangers to be nice to each other. The original game excelled in this regard, using visuals, mechanics, mood and music to foster friendly conversations among thousands of anonymous players worldwide. Kind Words 2 is bigger, but the vibe seems just as snuggly, and this time around Popcannibal has years of experience moderating and vibe-curating under its belt. If anyone can create a troll-free anonymous social network, it’s these folks.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/kind-words-2-takes-cozy-letter-writing-to-the-city-on-october-7-215127953.html?src=rss
Two models of AirPods were largely expected at today's iPhone 16 event, one of which would add active noise cancellation (ANC) to the "regular" AirPods for the first time. There are other upgrades for the $179 version, but after a brief demo of the ANC setup on the AirPods 4, I wager the noise-blocking tools will be the key selling point for most people.
Apple is using this version of the AirPods 4 to bridge the gap between the AirPods and the AirPods Pro. As such, this model has some features that were previously exclusive to the company's priciest buds. Those include Siri interactions that allow you to accept or reject calls with a head nod, Adaptive Audio, Voice Isolation and more — all thanks to the H2 chip that powers the Pro model. All of these will be welcome improvements for people who prefer the open fit of the AirPods 4, but the ANC is the most impressive addition in my book.
I got a brief demo of the AirPods 4 with active noise cancellation in the chaotic hands-on area at Apple Park. Honestly, it's a perfect place to test ANC. Once I had the AirPods 4 in my ears and I got some music going, I activated noise cancelling to silence the room. And it nearly did. I was blown away by how effective the ANC is on these earbuds that don't completely seal off your ears. Most open-type designs with ANC barely put a dent in ambient distractions, but do affect battery life. Here, I might as well have been in a room on my own, and I was only aware of the environmental noise when transparency mode jolted me back to reality.
Billy Steele for Engadget
Apple updated the design for the AirPods 4, calling them "the best-fitting AirPods ever." This refined shape, in addition to some software tricks and acoustic performance, helps boost passive noise isolation while keeping your ears open for that default audio mode. ANC is yet another place Apple is able to flex the muscle of the H2 chip, and the AirPods 4 performance in that regard is a testament to the component's abilities.
I will note that transparency mode on the AirPods 4 didn't sound as natural as it does on the AirPods Pro. That's mostly due to the fact that I didn't feel like the earbuds were piping in as much of my own voice as that pricier model. In fact, I felt like it hardly did so at all. An Apple rep explained that the difference could be attributed to a number of factors, including the fact that my ears weren't completely closed off.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/apple-airpods-4-hands-on-seriously-impressive-anc-performance-211526269.html?src=rss
At its big iPhone 16 event, which also included a new Apple Watch and AirPods, the company snuck in a new MagSafe charging cable. Although there’s nothing to see here if you’re standing pat with an older handset, the new magnetic accessory will boost charging speeds for iPhone 16 owners.
9to5Macspotted that the new MagSafe charger supports maximum charging speeds of 25W when paired with an iPhone 16 or iPhone 16 Pro and a 30W (or higher) wall charger. The OG MagSafe charger only offers speeds of up to 15W, the same max speed the new accessory will give you when used with an iPhone 15 or older. So, other than future-proofing, there’s no reason to get the new charger if you have an older handset and already own the original MagSafe charger.
The new MagSafe accessory comes in two variants: One with a 1m (3.3 ft) cable and another with a 2m (6.6 ft) cable. The shorter cable costs $39 (the same as the original), while the longer one will set you back $49.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/apples-new-magsafe-charger-will-juice-up-the-iphone-16-faster-than-the-old-accessory-can-203435004.html?src=rss
Apple unveiled a quartet of iPhones on Monday, including the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max. As expected, the updates are largely iterative. The standard models now have the programmable Action button from last year's Pro series, slightly improved battery life and an updated camera module that's stacked vertically instead of diagonally.
The Pro phones, meanwhile, feature bigger displays with slimmer bezels, improved battery life and a handful of camera upgrades, including a 5x optical zoom for the smaller Pro and a sharper ultrawide camera. The standard models run on Apple's new A18 silicon, while the Pro models, fittingly, use a faster and more efficient chip called the A18 Pro.
The most notable hardware change across the board might be a new touch-sensitive "Camera Control" button that makes capturing photos and video a little more DSLR-like. Mostly, though, these phones don't look to be massive departures from the iPhone 15s before them. Much of Apple's sales pitch will come down to how helpful its "Apple Intelligence" AI tools are out in the wild.
We already have a hands-on preview for the iPhone 16 Pro up on the site, and we'll have full reviews for the entire iPhone 16 lineup in the near future. But if you're thinking about pre-ordering right away, we've broken down how the new iPhone 16 Pro compares to two of its most prominent rivals in the $1,000 price bracket, the Google Pixel 9 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S24+, on the spec sheet. Per usual, raw specs won't tell the full story — you'd probably buy an iPhone because you want iOS and an Android phone because you prefer Android — but if you're wondering what a $1,000 smartphone gets you in 2024, here's how Apple's latest handset stacks up.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/apple-iphone-16-pro-vs-the-competition-bigger-with-more-buttons-194622608.html?src=rss
Apple's latest attempt to slightly differentiate the iPhone 16 series is... a faux button it's calling Camera Control. But unlike last year's new button, this one doesn't actually physically depress, and uses a mix of sensors and haptic feedback to simulate the sensation of movement. And in my brief hands-on right after Apple's iPhone 16 launch event, I have to say I actually thought it was a real button.
Editors' Note: After some investigation, it turns out that at least part of the camera control is a real, depressable button. You'll feel the actual movement when you push all the way down, but the half-press is what's simulated by the iPhone 16's haptic feedback. It does a remarkably good job of simulating a two-stage button.
I got a quick look at the iPhone 16 Pro here in Apple Park, and got a deep walkthrough of the new camera control and its corresponding interface. When I first picked up the iPhone 16 Pro Max, I felt like it looked sleeker and thinner than my iPhone 15 Pro Max, which was nice. My fingers were then drawn to the new "button," which has a groove that surrounds it, which helps with identification by touch.
From the home screen, I pressed down on the camera control and the camera app quickly opened. The Apple rep guarding these phones encouraged me to push the camera control with varying pressures, as a lighter touch changed the dial that popped up onscreen next to where the button sat. I dragged my finger on this surface, and the digital knob moved along with me, although I at first found the direction of the movement slightly counterintuitive. I am, however, one of those gamers that needs to flip the direction of my controllers when looking around and navigating any environment though, so that might be just me.
There is no way to change the direction of camera control's direction when you're swiping, but you can tweak the settings to adjust pressure sensitivity. When the Apple rep asked me to push harder on the control, I was shocked at what felt like a real button moving below my fingertip. I confirmed again with the Apple rep that this was not a mechanical button that actually moves, and was met with reassuring nods. Next to me, fellow reviewer Brian Tong echoed my sentiment that the camera control feels remarkably like an actual button.
Cherlynn Low for Engadget
Aside from marveling at the physical sensation on the iPhone 16 Pro, I also took a closer look at the changes to the interface. When I first light-pushed on the camera control, a selection of options came up, allowing me to select Exposure, Zoom, Camera, Styles and Tone. Pressing harder down on each of these locked those modes and a different dial with more markings came up, and swiping on the sensor would move the wheel. In the Camera mode, I was able to quickly switch between the ultrawide, main and zoom options, similar to how the viewfinder currently operates. If you prefer to use the existing interface to switch cameras, you can still do so.
When you pick the Styles option, you'll swipe between the new Photographic Styles that Apple introduced this year. In each of these, you can tap an icon on the top right of the app to edit them with the new touchpad-ish interface. Dragging your finger around this square at the bottom will adjust color temperature and hue settings. You can also make changes to the Photographic Style in your picture after it's been taken, so you don't have to worry too much about not liking the way something looks.
Cherlynn Low for Engadget
I also got to hold the iPhone 16 Pro Max in portrait mode and take a selfie. At first, my thumb was placed too high on the device's edge, and pressing down did nothing. I shifted the phone in my hand slightly, which felt a little precarious, then found the camera control and quickly took a shot. I'm not sure of the position here just yet, but it feels like something I'll figure out in time.
Some of the camera improvements on the iPhone 16 Pro are new video editing features, but I didn't quite get to recording 4K120 footage yet. I did get to peek at the updated video-editing interface, which has a tab on the side for Audio Mix, which lets you isolate the voices of people on camera or make the shot sound like it was recorded inside a studio. It's all so very cinematic. I don't know that I believe people can shoot IMAX-friendly films on any iPhone ever, but the idea that you can is certainly intriguing.
The iPhone 16 Pro Max vs the iPhone 15 Pro Max display
Part of the reason I found the iPhone 16 Pro slightly sleeker than its predecessor is likely to do with its display. It's 6.9 inches large now, compared to its predecessor's 6.7-inch screen. However, Apple has managed to keep the handset at the same size as before, shaving the bezels down even further to do so. It's not something you'll notice without putting the two devices side by side and really scrutinizing the borders, but it makes a small difference in making this year's Pro Max feel new.
Whether that makes a meaningful difference in maneuvering the phone or reading more content at once is something I'll wait till I can scroll Reddit for hours on my couch before judging. I'd also need more time to see if Apple Intelligence and the new A18 Pro chip will improve the iPhone 16 Pro experience and battery life. I know I'm super stoked for the update to the Voice Memo app and will be loudly singing into my iPhone 16 Pro whenever I get the chance. If you want the most comprehensive review from an aspiring singer, definitely come back to check out our full impressions soon. If not, well, you have been warned.
Update, September 09 2024, 8:04PM ET: This story has been updated to clarify that there is a real button in Camera Control, and that the half-step is what's simulated by haptic feedback.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/iphone-16-pro-hands-on-how-does-a-faux-camera-control-button-feel-so-real-191406863.html?src=rss