Apple implemented a deceptive dark pattern in iOS to make it harder for users to change their default browser from Safari. This issue was initially reported by Ars Technica and later fixed by Apple, though the specific iOS version containing the fix was not disclosed. Despite solid evidence from multiple sources, Apple recently denied the existence of the issue in a formal response to the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), leading to accusations that the company was potentially misleading regulators.

European and UK competition authorities are investigating in-app browsers, driven by claims they bypass user-selected default browsers, compromising privacy and user choice. These internal browsers are under scrutiny for potentially collecting data without clear user consent. The issue emphasizes the challenge of balancing tech innovation with safeguarding user preferences and security.

Apple's strategy of locking users into its ecosystem with exclusive features and tight control over the App Store is facing external pressures through antitrust lawsuits, legislation, and developer dissatisfaction. Apple is being forced to slowly make concessions, such as the allowance of third-party app stores following European regulation.

An antitrust lawsuit filed by the Department of Justice against Apple may result in significant changes to the iOS experience. There might be some similarities with what happened after the company had to conform to the European Union's Digital Markets Act (DMA) in promoting its services, running its App Store, and handling contactless payments. The main changes in the EU include adding options for downloading apps from other app stores inside iOS and more web browsing options besides Safari.

Apple planned to disable Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) in iOS for European users, citing EU regulations as a cause. However, these changes sparked criticism and threats of investigation by the European Commission. Apple has now reversed course, restoring PWA functionality, but states that PWAs will still need to be built on WebKit to comply with Apple's security and privacy standards.

The European Commission has opened an investigation into Apple's support for alternative iOS marketplaces in Europe. The investigation is focused on Apple's Core Technology Fee, the multistep process required for users to install third-party marketplaces, and Apple's eligibility requirements for developers. Regulators say that Apple's App Store 'steering' policies violate the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA). Apple is the first company to be charged under the DMA rules - it can respond to the European Conformation's preliminary assessment ahead of its final ruling before March 2025. Apple could be fined up to 10% of its annual global revenue for infringement.

Apple is being sued by the US for employing a strategy that relies on exclusionary anticompetitive conduct that hurts both consumers and developers. The 88-page lawsuit says that the company violated antitrust laws with practices that were intended to keep customers reliant on their iPhones and make them less likely to switch to competing devices. It seeks to put an end to those practices and possibly a breakup of the company. The lawsuit is likely to drag out for years before any type of resolution.

Reddit was one of the reasons Y Combinator was started. This post tells the story of how the site came to be. Despite being rejected in the first round for their food delivery app idea, Reddit's founders were offered funding after agreeing to work on a project that would eventually become Reddit. The project was launched on a quick schedule. It had a core set of real users after just a few weeks. Reddit is now a fundamentally useful tool that seems almost unkillable.

This article discusses things to consider when thinking about joining a startup. A job may provide higher salaries, more perks, security, less stress, and other benefits, but working in a startup can result in huge payoffs. Startups require a ton of challenging work to be successful, they have minimal infrastructure in place, and startup employees have lower salaries. However, startup employees own a portion of the company, and this could be worth a lot in the future.

Tortoise is an automated solution designed to meet all Kubernetes resource optimization needs. It shifts optimization responsibility from service owners to platform teams, requiring service owners to configure only a minimal amount of parameters to initiate autoscaling. Tortoise allows for comprehensive tuning by platform teams. It currently only supports deployment - support for all resources supporting scale subresources is in development.

Unnamed sources say that Microsoft is paying approximately $650 million in its deal with Inflection AI. $620 million was paid for non-exclusive licensing fees for Inflection's technology and $30 million was paid to get Inflection to agree not to sue over Microsoft's poaching. Inflection will pivot away from building a personalized AI chatbot to becoming an AI studio that helps other companies work with large language model AI. Microsoft has several reasons for needing a backup for OpenAI - for one, its deal with OpenAI is being scrutinized by the FTC.

Dropflow is a CSS layout engine with a high-quality text layout implementation capable of displaying many languages. It can generate PDFs or images and render rich wrapped text to a canvas in the browser. Dropflow supports bidirectional and RTL text, font fallbacks at the grapheme level, colored diacritics, optimized shaping, and much more.

Doctors have performed a pig-to-human kidney transplant for the first time at Massachusetts General Hospital, the first hospital to perform a kidney transplant. The genetically modified kidney was implanted into a 62-year-old patient who had been diagnosed with end-stage kidney disease. They are recovering well and are expected to be discharged from the hospital soon. It is unknown how long the kidney will last for. This was the third transplant of a pig organ into a living human. The first two patients, who received heart transplants, died weeks after receiving their organs.

Apple forgot to add a border radius to an image on its website, which made an iPhone screen look weird.

Convincing iOS users to use Google's own apps instead of Safari has been a challenge for Google. Google hired former Instagram and Yahoo executive Robby Stein to oversee the push from Safari. The company reportedly considered limiting its AI Overviews feature to its own apps, excluding Safari users, but ultimately decided against the move.

A new study by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) conducted with international consumer protection networks revealed that nearly 76% of 642 subscription-based websites and apps employ dark patterns. These manipulative design techniques often compromise user privacy or encourage unintended purchases. Common dark patterns include auto-renewal sneaking, obstructive cancellation processes, and forced actions for accessing features.

In-app browsers, embedded within native mobile apps, often lack key features, compromise user privacy, and offer inconsistent UI/UX, leading to a suboptimal browsing experience.

Europe's strict tech regulations are causing global firms to withdraw their products and services. Apple's new AI-powered features, including Apple Intelligence, won't be released due to the EU's Digital Markets Act. This isn't new - tech companies have previously exited or limited services, like Meta in Canada and Google News in Spain. Europe's regulatory stance might lead to an outdated tech market.

Apple's WWDC revelations highlight its strategic positioning in AI with a focus on privacy and security and employing in-house chips and a zero-trust architecture in its Private Cloud. Apple's AI integrates OpenAI's ChatGPT for tasks beyond its scope, with a business model where AI suppliers may financially contribute to access Apple's user base. Apple's approach to privacy could leverage upcoming regulations as a competitive advantage, aligning with its commitment to user privacy and potentially reinforcing its dominance in tech.

Europe's top court ruled that Apple must pay 13 billion euros and Google 2.4 billion euros in fines, marking the end of long-standing battles with the EU. Apple's case, related to tax advantages in Ireland, comes just after its iPhone 16 launch. Google faced antitrust fines over its shopping comparison tool, which the EU found stifled competition from smaller rivals.

Apple's recent update to its iOS 18 operating system has sparked significant concern among developers of social and messaging applications. While the update introduced various artificial intelligence features, a less publicized change regarding contact-sharing permissions has raised alarms about the future viability of new social apps. This change, referred to as "contact sync," has historically been crucial for the growth of platforms like Instagram, WhatsApp, and Snapchat, enabling them to connect users with their existing contacts and facilitate rapid user acquisition. The modification in iOS 18 allows users to selectively share their contacts with apps, rather than granting blanket access to their entire address book. This shift has led some developers, such as Nikita Bier, to express dire predictions about the impact on new social applications, suggesting that they may struggle to gain traction in a landscape where established players like Facebook and Instagram already benefit from extensive user networks. While there is sympathy for the challenges faced by new app developers, there is also recognition of Apple's rationale for enhancing user privacy. The company argues that users should have more control over their personal information, allowing them to choose which contacts to share rather than being forced into an all-or-nothing decision. Apple believes that this could potentially lead to increased contact sharing, as users who previously opted out might be more willing to share selected contacts. However, many developers contest this view, citing data indicating a significant decline in contact sharing since the implementation of the new permissions. The ability to connect with friends quickly is critical for the success of social apps, and even a modest decrease in contact sharing can hinder user engagement and retention. Developers have also pointed out that Apple's own services, such as iMessage, do not face the same restrictions, raising concerns about competitive fairness and self-preferencing. The implications of these changes could lead to a shift in the social app landscape, with a potential decline in friend-based applications in favor of content-driven platforms like TikTok or AI companionship apps that do not rely on human connections. This evolution highlights the powerful influence that major tech companies like Apple wield over the industry and the delicate balance between promoting competition and ensuring user privacy.

Apple has introduced a new feature in Safari called "Distraction Control" to improve user experience by hiding unnecessary elements like pop-up cookie settings during browsing. Users can activate this feature by selecting the "Hide Distracting Elements" option and choosing specific items to remove, which disappear with a smooth animation. Safari also remembers user preferences for future visits.

This article examines the differences between Apple and Android designs over the years. It reveals the UX philosophies that underpin their design choices and offers vital lessons for crafting products that resonate. Android values flexibility, adapting to user preferences while maintaining a cohesive user experience through collaboration with device manufacturers, unlike Apple, who emphasizes rigorous market research, extensive user feedback, and highly emotional and practical products.

Microsoft and Apple have opted not to join OpenAI's board due to regulatory scrutiny, with Microsoft stepping down from its observer role and Apple reversing plans to become an observer.

Apple has released a significant redesign that emphasizes a curated user experience for its Apple Store app on iPhone and iPad. The redesigned app features a new navigation bar with tabs like For You, Products, Go Further, Search, and Bag. The Go Further tab provides users with information and usage tips for their existing devices, while Today at Apple now includes instructional video content. Other updates include interface tweaks, new icons, and enhanced privacy settings.

An overview of all of the missing web features in iOS.

Apple has given approval for the Epic Games store for iOS in the EU. Epic's submission was rejected twice previously. The latest decision was reversed just hours after reports started circulating about it. Apple objected to Epic's inclusion of a download button and related copy and has asked the company to fix the buttons in a future submission of the app. Epic still has a lot of work before its app store will be ready - it plans to bring the store to iOS in the next couple of months.

For the past couple of weeks, there’s been backlash on Apple’s decision to drop support for PWAs in iOS. Apple has decided to change its mind and is restoring PWAs to how they worked in iOS 17.3 and before.

In the evolving data privacy landscape, it is an illusion to think it’s possible to evade compliance through obscurity. This article discusses changes in regulators' stances and real-world cases like DoorDash's investigation over customer data shared with marketing companies. It emphasizes key themes that are on top of regulators' agenda, including transparency, opt-out requests, sensitive information from kids, and manipulative design patterns.

Apple will let apps offer NFC functionality through the Secure Element on iOS devices starting with iOS 18.1. Developers will have to pay fees to access payments and secure transactions. iPhone users will be able to set the default payment app triggered by double-clicking the side button. Apple's move to open up its contactless system broadly follows its settlement with the European Commission as part of an antitrust action.