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Apple Loses EU Fight Over App Store Gatekeeper Label

Europe's General Court dismissed Apple's challenge to the EU's designation of its App Stores and iOS as "gatekeepers" under the Digital Markets Act. The ruling means Apple remains subject to DMA obligations requiring it to allow alternative app stores, support interoperability with rival services, and avoid favoring its own services over competitors. MacRumors reports: Apple took its case to Luxembourg's General Court in 2024 after the European Commission designated its five App Stores -- on the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Watch -- as a single core platform service under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), a label that brings with it a set of strict obligations. Designated "gatekeepers" are prohibited from favoring their own services over those of rivals, and are prevented from combining personal data across different services. They also have to give users the option to use alternative app stores. Apple also challenged the EU's designation of iOS as a gateway platform, a status that requires the operating system allows rival services to interoperate with it. The company also disputed the classification of iMessage as a number-independent interpersonal communications service, or NIICS, which would subject the app to EU telecoms rules. But the General Court said Apple's actions regarding the iMessage service are inadmissible.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Google Ordered to Pay $2 Billion For Anti-Competitive Practices By Swedish Court

Google was ordered to pay almost $2 billion this week to Pricerunner, reports Bloomberg: The Patent and Market Court in Stockholm, which issued the judgment on Wednesday, dismissed most parts of the claim in which Pricerunner sought 80 billion Swedish kronor, or roughly $8.2 billion, in the wake of a European Union antitrust crackdown... The Swedish price-comparison website argued that Google has been abusing its dominant position as a search engine by favoring its own comparison shopping service over competing portals for more than a decade. Wednesday's award compensates for lost revenue caused by Google's preferential treatment of its own comparison-shopping service over independent price-comparison services, conduct that also drives up costs for consumers, [Pricerunner owner] Klarna said in a statement after the judgment... A Google spokesperson said the company doesn't agree with the court's decision and will consider its legal options. [The ruling can be appealed.] Changes implemented in 2017 to Google's platform are working and generating growth and jobs for hundreds of comparison shopping services operating more than 1500 websites across Europe, according to the statement. The litigation is linked to a 2017 decision by the European Commission to fine Google €2.4 billion for illegally leveraging its search dominance to give its own shopping service an edge. The EU decision unleashed a wave of so-called follow-on suits, which were delayed for years as Google appealed the EU fine. Two years ago the EU's top tribunal confirmed that the company did violate antitrust laws — meaning EU-based plaintiffs no longer have to prove that in court. A Berlin court last year ordered the tech giant to pay €573 million in damages to two German price-comparison websites, a ruling Google appealed. Similar cases are pending across Europe.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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« C’est un pur monopole que va faire Sony » : la fin des jeux PlayStation physiques met-elle en péril les boutiques ?

Sony a démarré le second semestre de l'année 2026 par une annonce fracassante : à partir de janvier 2028, plus aucun jeu physique PlayStation ne sera produit. Une immense épée de Damoclès qui s'abat sur les revendeurs spécialisés, comme nous l'explique Thomas 'Gyo' Bachellerie, commerçant et consultant indépendant.

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C’est la fin des jeux physiques, la PS6 n’aura pas de lecteur de disque

Une page historique de l'industrie vidéoludique est en train de se tourner sous nos yeux. Dans un communiqué officiel publié sur son blog, Sony Interactive Entertainment a annoncé l'arrêt définitif de la production de disques physiques pour les nouveaux jeux PlayStation. Le géant japonais fixe une date butoir pour cette transition radicale vers le 100 % numérique. La PS6 ne devrait donc pas avoir de lecteur de disque.

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La Nintendo 64 fête ses 30 ans, et pourtant elle ne suscite que trop peu de nostalgie

Lorsque l'on pense retrogaming et Nintendo, on a tout de suite en tête l'époque dorée des bonnes vieilles cartouches grises distribuées dans des boîtes en carton d'une grande fragilité. Un descriptif qui correspond à la NES, la Super Nintendo, la Game Boy… mais aussi la Nintendo 64. Et pourtant, c'est rarement son souvenir qui suscite de la nostalgie chez les joueurs, exception faite de deux ou trois légendes absolues de l'histoire de l'industrie, aux allures de partie émergée d'un iceberg auquel plus personne n'ose vraiment se frotter. Et puis honnêtement, quand on voit que l'exceptionnel Super Mario 64 fête le même anniversaire, on a du mal à réaliser qu'elle est déjà aussi vieille.

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