Australia

Aussie cops bust teen for allegedly stealing $42,000 in Apple computers

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Canberra Centre
The Apple Store in Canberra Centre was burglarized by some fairly incompetent thieves.
Photo: Apple

A couple of scofflaws broke into an Australian Apple Store and made of with thousands of dollars in computers. But the hapless burglars — allegedly including a 16-year-old boy — were soon tracked down by police.

They got caught because they apparently made nearly every possible mistake.

Press start to resume: Epic’s battle with Apple allowed to continue in Oz

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Epic Games mocked Apple with a ‘1984’ parody.
The battle has been raging since last summer.
Screenshot: Epic Games

There’s no outcome yet announced for Epic Games’ battle with Apple in the United States. But the Australian Federal Court just handed a victory (of sorts) to the Fornite maker: giving it permission to proceed with its fight with Apple in Oz.

The lawsuit alleges that Apple is abusing its position in the marketplace by not allowing companies to distribute their apps on iOS outside the App Store. Epic’s efforts to battle Apple in Australia temporarily halted earlier this year due to a jurisdiction clauses stopping Australian lawsuits from proceeding if a similar case is being heard elsewhere in the world. The judge said they wanted to see what the US case would conclude before continue.

However, three Federal Court judges have ruled that it can continue — since it involves conduct in the Australian market that is of importance to the public.

More Australian retailers stop selling AirTags over safety concerns

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AirTags
AirTags are causing concerns over their safety.
Photo: Apple

More retailers in Australia are reportedly removing Apple’s location-tracking AirTags from their shelves. This relates to concerns that the trackers’ tiny button batteries could be swallowed by small children.

Earlier this week, office supplier retail giant Officeworks suspended sales of the AirTag. Now other Australian retailers — including JB Hi-Fi and Big W — have seemingly followed suit.

Australian stores remove AirTags over safety fears

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AirTag pairs easily with iPhone, much like AirPods.
AirTags are tiny. So are their batteries.
Photo: Apple

A chain of office supply stores in Australia suspended sales of Apple’s AirTag over child-safety concerns.

Officeworks, which sells approximately 30,000 products in its 167 giant stores, confirmed that the “Apple AirTag range will temporarily be unavailable” for purchase. This is reportedly due to how easily the replaceable cell batteries can be removed from the location-tracking tags. And, presumably, swallowed.

Australian antitrust watchdog threatens App Store regulation

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TikTok continues to dominate the App Store in 2020.
App developers should be allowed to sell app purchases outside the App Store.
Photo: Kon Karampelas/Unsplash CC

Australia’s antitrust competition watchdog says that it may have to step in and regulate the App Store if Apple doesn’t do so first.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) wants app store operators — including both Apple and Google — to allow developers to take payments outside of the respective app stores. This would stop both companies taking commission from every app-related purchase in which apps are available through their online stores.

Australian antitrust committee eyes Apple’s lucrative Google search deal

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Is Apple’s deal to make Google Safari’s default search engine anticompetitive?
An Australian government agency is probing Apple and Google for anticompetitive practices.
Photo: Sora Shimazaki/Pexels CC

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is gathering data for a report on whether Google and Apple abuse their ability to pick default web browsers and search engines in their operating systems to squeeze out smaller competitors.

And Australia is just one of many countries probing the business practices of big tech companies. These investigations might eventually be followed by lawsuits or legislation that forces Google, Apple, Facebook, etc. to change the way they do business.

Apple Watch ECG on its way to Australia after government approval

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Apple Watch ECG
One of Apple Watch's best features is expanding its reach.
Photo: Apple

Apple Watch’s terrific ECG feature is one step closer to going live in Australia after receiving government approval. It comes just a month after Australia approved the device’s irregular heart rhythm notifications.

It’s not yet clear when Apple will make the feature available to Apple Watch owners.

Apple now offers AppleCare+ monthly plans in Canada, Australia, and Japan

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2016 MacBook Pro with Touch Bar and AppleCare
AppleCare+ gives you month-by-month rolling protection for your Apple device.
Photo: Apple

Apple is expanding its AppleCare+ monthly plan outside the United States for the first time. It is making it available in Canada, Japan, and Australia as well.

The month-by-month coverage hasn’t launched yet in these countries. However, Apple has revealed that it is coming to these markets in one of its official support documents.

Apple re-closes retail stores in Melbourne, Australia after coronavirus spike

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Apple Chadstone store
Apple Chadstone is one of the stores to re-close.
Photo: Apple

Apple is re-closing four more of its Apple Stores in Melbourne, Australia as coronavirus cases spike again in the region.

Apple Chadstone, Apple Southland, Apple Doncaster, and Apple Fountain Gate will all be temporarily closing down, along with Apple Highpoint, which closed its doors last week. Australian Apple Stores began reopening two months ago, after having been shuttered since March 14.

Australian Apple Stores reopen for business after coronavirus lockdown

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Apple Store Bondi Australia
Apple Bondi is one of the 21 Apple Stores that reopened in Oz.
Photo: Apple

On Thursday, Australia became the first country outside of China to reopen large numbers of Apple Stores as 21 of its 22 retail outlets opened their doors again for the first time in more than six weeks.

The Australian Apple Stores, like all others outside China, have been closed since March 14. They were temporarily shuttered due to the spread of COVID-19.

Majority of Apple Stores in Australia will reopen Thursday, May 7

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Australia money
Apple Stores will be open again to take your money this week. All except one, that is.
Photo: Cult of Mac / Picturesofmoney

All Apple Stores except one will reopen in Australia on Thursday, May 7, claim the official Apple webpages for 21 of 22 brick and mortar stores.

Australian Apple Stores, like all others outside China, have been closed since March 14. This is due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Apple TV+ pauses production on Shantaram to seek new showrunner

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Apple TV+ series Shantaram seeking incentives in India
Shantaram has been published in 39 languages and sold 6 million copies.
Photo: St. Martin's Griffin

One of the most high-profile projects in development for Apple TV+ is already running into some huge problems while shooting its first season.

Apple reportedly shut down production on its TV series adaptation of the popular novel Shantaram in Australia. The reason: the writers can’t churn out scripts fast enough.

Last of Australia’s big four banks will offer Apple Pay

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Apple in talks to bring Apple Pay to Israel
It might sound like just another Apple Pay announcement, but it's actually the end of a saga!
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

The last of Australia’s big four banks to adopt Apple Pay says that it will support Apple’s mobile payments service.

While Australia is just one market of many where Apple Pay is available, its arrival in the country has been particularly fraught with challenges. Westpac’s support marks the end of that particular story.

Brits and Aussies can enjoy hundreds of publications with Apple News+

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Apple News+ in Australia
Another email you didn't want.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s subscription news service just debuted in the UK and Australia, with access to a range of local and international newspapers and magazines for a single monthly fee.

News+ includes offerings like The Times (UK) and The Daily Telegraph (AU). There’s Cosmopolitan UK, Australian Men’s Health and many more.

Apple store thieves rob $200,000 worth of iPhones

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Apple Store Perth robbery
Two Apple Stores were broken into early Tuesday morning.
Photo: WA Police

Thieves reportedly stole more than $200,000 worth of iPhones from an Australian Apple store in an early morning raid Tuesday.

According to police, a gang smashed its way into a store in Perth at 2:15 a.m. After being disturbed and fleeing empty-handed, they headed to another store. They broke into this second Apple store in Garden City in Booragoon at 3 a.m., and made off with the handset haul after threatening a security guard.

Apple Pay goes live in two new markets and one big Australian bank

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Apple in talks to bring Apple Pay to Israel
Apple Pay continues to go from strength to strength.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Apple Pay has continued its expansion by going live in Hungary and Luxembourg. This marks 38 markets in which Apple’s mobile payment service is now available.

It is Apple Pay’s first new launch since it went live in Iceland at the start of May. That’s not the only Apple Pay news, either.

Apple scraps plans for controversial flagship store in Melbourne

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Oz new store
The Apple Store that will never happen.
Photo: Apple

Apple has scrapped a controversial plan to build a flagship Apple Store in Melbourne, Australia’s Federation Square.

Apple had been battling to build the store for much of last year. It even scrapped its original designs and came up with new ones, only to have those criticized as well. Government agent Heritage Victoria ruled that the Apple Store would be too “visually dominant.” It also said that demolishing the existing Yarra Building to construct Apple’s flagship store would “diminish” the public space.

Australia’s biggest department store will stop selling Apple products

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Australia money
Apple products had become unprofitable, the store said.
Photo: Cult of Mac / Picturesofmoney

Australian biggest department store Myer has said that it will stop selling Apple products. The retail giant, founded more than a century ago, claims Apple products have become unprofitable for it.

The news that it will stop selling Apple devices was announced by the company today. It will apply to both the company’s physical and online stores.

iPhone stops arrow en route to user’s head

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iPhone stops arrow
Here's one man's tip on using the iPhone.
Photo: New South Wales police

The iPhone has made news for stopping bullets. A man in Australia discovered his iPhone was durable enough to stop an arrow aimed at his head.

The man was under attack in his driveway by an acquaintance with a bow and arrow in the town of Nimbin in New South Wales. The victim raised his iPhone to get a picture of his attacker when an arrow struck and penetrated the handset.

Multinational struggle pits Apple against new encryption laws

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GrayKey can bypass iPhone security
Several governments have passed or are working on laws that Apple argues weaken the encyption that protects the privacy of its users.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Australia recently passed a law forcing tech companies to give law enforcement greater access to encrypted messages from users. The U.K. already has a similar law, and India is considering one.

There’s no new legislation in the U.S., but the FBI and other police agencies still want easy access to iPhones and other computers, as well as private conversations.

Australian Apple Store customer blasts bad experience

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The screen really is beautiful.
Customer went into Apple Store to buy an iPad cover.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Apple Stores are known for their high level of service. An Australian dad begs to differ, however, based on his reported experience in a Sydney Apple Store recently.

Specifically, he claims that he was given a hard sell on using Apple Pay on his iPhone. Despite not wanting to use the service, he reports feeling patronized and — worse — as though the store was refusing to let him pay for his product in any other way.

Federation Square officials try again to make Melbourne Apple Store a reality

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Oz new store
The original, now abandoned design for Melbourne's flagship Apple Store.
Photo: Apple

A fresh attempt is being made to demolish Federation Square’s Yarra Building in Melbourne, Australia to free up space for a proposed flagship Apple Store.

The application has been made by the square’s management, which argues that the building to be demolished is not in keeping with the other building designs in the precinct.

Apple Pay finally available through Australia’s largest bank

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Australia money
It only took a few years!
Photo illustration: Cult of Mac / Picturesofmoney

Australia’s largest bank, the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (abbreviated to CommBank), has announced that Apple Pay is finally coming to its customers.

The bank previously promised that Apple Pay support was coming soon, although it did not give an exact date. “Thanks for all your gentle prompts,” it stated in a tweet sent today. “We read them all. Now you #CanApplePay.”