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Moby’s latest album is an exclusive to top iOS meditation app

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Moby
For those days when you want to take your lounge chair into the local park.
Photo: Calm

Music exclusives are nothing unusual when it comes to streaming music services, such as Tidal and Apple Music. But electronic music legend Moby has thought different with his approach to releasing his latest album.

Fans wanting to get hold of Moby’s “Long Ambients 2” can do so only by downloading the Calm meditation app.

Apple comes out swinging against Spotify complaint

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Spotify Premium update October 2018
Spotify isn't happy with Apple.
Photo: Spotify

Apple has responded to Spotify’s complaint that Apple is being anti-competitive by charging a cut of App Store purchases — including subscriptions.

In an impassioned statement, Apple points out how many jobs have been created through the App Store. This has amounted to payments of “more than $120 billion for developers.” It also criticizes Spotify for wanting to take advantage of the reach that the App Store makes possible, without wanting to give anything back.

iOS users miss out as Steam makes mobile PC gaming more portable

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Steam Link iPhone iPad Apple TV
Steam Link’s first big update is great for controller users.
Photo: Valve

Valve today confirmed a big update to its PC game streaming platform that makes desktop games more portable than ever.

Its new Steam Link Anywhere service now lets you enjoy your favorite titles anywhere in the world through the Steam Link app for mobile. But don’t get too excited if you use an iPhone or iPad.

Apple’s strict App Store guidelines mean iOS users remain left out in the cold.

Spotify files complaint against Apple’s ‘unfair’ App Store fees

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Spotify is adding 2x as many monthly subscribers as Apple Music
Spotify is adding 2x as many monthly subscribers as Apple Music
Photo: Spotify

Spotify has filed a legal complaint against Apple for what it believes is anti-competitive behavior.

The music streaming service, like many others, has an issue with the 30 percent cut Apple charges on App Store revenue. Spotify says Apple makes it very difficult to avoid the fee, which makes some services more expensive.

Sen. Warren targets App Store in bid to break up Apple

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App Store
The App Store should be a separate company, according to a high-profile presidential candidate.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s campaign for U.S. president has taken a hard line against big tech, and she has Apple in her sights. On Friday she proposed breaking up a number of large tech firms, and the iPhone-maker made the list.

Now she’s shared more details on why she thinks dividing Apple into at least two parts is necessary.

Elizabeth Warren wants to break up Apple

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Elizabeth Warren chimes in on allegedly discriminatory Apple Card algorithm
Sen. Elizabeth Warren thinks the tech industry would be more competitive if some big companies were divided up.
Photo: elizabethwarren.com

Senator and presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren has proposed breaking up some of the biggest names in tech, including Apple. She says these companies have “bulldozed competition.”

She turned most of her ire on Amazon, Facebook and Google, though.

All the ways Apple locks us into iPhone [Opinion]

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iPhone survey
I wanted a Galaxy S10, but I'm stuck with iPhone.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

It’s not easy to give up your iPhone. Even if you’ve already decided you want to switch to another handset, it’s going to be incredibly difficult to let go. Apple has you locked in. And for some iPhone owners, there is no way out.

That’s because it’s not just your iPhone that you’d be saying goodbye to. Many other apps and services you use every day — some without even thinking about it — make switching to another platform nearly impossible.

Here are all the ways Apple makes it hard to jump ship and switch to Android.

GameClub will bring forgotten iOS games back from the dead

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GameClub
Look out, Apple Arcade!
Photo: GameClub

Remember the games you used to enjoy on your iPhone and iPad in the early days of the App Store? The chances are few of them are still supported and available for download today, but the best could soon be making a comeback.

GameClub is a developer that plans to resurrect forgotten iOS games. The first title on its roster is Hook Champ, a game from Rocketcat that first hit the App Store in 2009, and you can play it today by signing up for early access.

Let this highly rated iOS app help keep robocalls at bay [Deals]

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This app uses a community database of spam and scam callers to help keep them from getting through.
This app uses a community database of spam and scam callers to help keep them from getting through.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

If you thought we were past the age of spam calls, sorry, but no. From intrusive advertising to scam calls, some estimate that billions of scam calls afflict us per month.

Luckily, in the arms race against robocalls, machine learning joins the fight — on your side!

Apple starts purging VoIP duplicates from the App Store

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App Store
Apple apps no longer dominate App Store search results.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple has started removing duplicate VoIP apps from the App Store.

The purge comes after a report highlighted a shady practice some developers have been using to game App Store search results. Plenty of clones still remain in other categories, however.

App Store devs can offer discounts to win back subscribers

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App Store subscriptions
There are three new subscription options to choose from.
Photo: Apple

Apple is giving iOS, macOS, and tvOS developers the ability to offer discounted subscriptions in an effort to win back past subscribers.

A new article posted to App Store Connect details the change and explains the three options developers will have to choose from — including a free trial period like those offered to new customers.

Apple has paid out $25 billion to European developers

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Apple removes 17 malware apps which secretly clicked on ads
Apple has paid out a whole lot to Euro developers.
Photo: Apple

It’s not just U.S. developers who are hitting it rich thanks to the App Store. According to new figures released by Apple, it has now paid out $25 billion through the App Store to European developers.

Last June, Apple reported having paid out more than $20 billion. Almost an extra $5 billon in seven months is pretty darn impressive — working out at upward of $70 million per month.

New shortcut proves Apple is serious about subscriptions [Opinion]

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The inevitable visual ‘sub’ pun.
The inevitable visual ‘sub’ pun.
Photo: Marion Doss/Flickr CC

Apple has added a shortcut to the latest versions of iOS 12 to make managing app subscriptions easier. Previously, you had to dig deep into your Apple ID settings to find the control panel for your subs. Now, it’s just a couple of taps away. On the surface, this looks like a simple tweak to make things easier for the user, but it’s more than that.

By making subscriptions easier for the user to cancel, it’s also making it more likely that people will sign up for them in the first place. That’s good for users, for developers, and for quality apps in general.

Google follows Apple’s lead by investigating controversial Saudi app

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Saudi government app
A Saudi man can use a government app to restrict the travel of his wife or daughter.
Screenshot: iTunes

Google is following Apple’s lead in investigating a controversial Saudi app which allowed men to follow the locations of their wife or daughters.

Tim Cook said yesterday that Apple was looking into the app to find out whether complaints made about it were accurate. Google has now told the New York Times that it plans to do the same.

Apple will investigate Saudi app that let men track wives and daughters

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Saudi government app
Government app can be used to restrict the travel of women in the country.
Screenshot: iTunes

Tim Cook says he will investigate a Saudi government app that lets men receive updates on the location of their wives and daughters.

Speaking on National Public Radio, Cook said he was not personally aware of the app. However, he noted that, “obviously we’ll take a look at it if [the complaints about it are accurate].”

App Store spending hit all-time high in 2018

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Apple removes 17 malware apps which secretly clicked on ads
iPhone users spent much more in the App Store last year, on a wide variety of apps.
Photo: Apple

iPhone users in the US spent, on average, $79 last year on software. That’s up 36 percent from 2017, according to figures from a market analysts firm. Spending on premium apps and in-app purchases has more than doubled since 2015.

Of the 2018 total, $44 was spent just on games, a 22 percent increase year-over-year.

Apple cracks down on iOS apps that record users’ screens

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Coronavirus could have a surprisingly positive impact on App Store revenue
Apple takes privacy seriously.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple wants developers to be more transparent about the use of analytics code that lets them record how users interact with apps. Or else.

Hammering home its commitment to user privacy, Apple has contacted the makers of several apps recently highlighted as gathering screen-recording analytics data without properly disclosing it — and it wasn’t just for a friendly chat.

iOS 11 users can’t access the App Store or Apple Music

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iOS 11
Do you have problems with iOS 11?
Photo: Apple

Some iOS 11 users are having trouble accessing the App Store and Apple Music, according to online reports.

The services have been unusable for over a day for a number of users who are yet to upgrade to the latest software — despite being shown as online on Apple’s System Status page. There is a weird workaround that has proven useful for some, however.

Apple just broke all of Facebook’s internal apps

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Facebook owns 4 of the top 10 apps of the past decade
Facebook owns 4 of the top 10 apps of the past decade
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple just dealt Facebook a serious blow in retaliation for the social network’s recently pulled VPN app that was paying teens to take all their data from phones.

Facebook’s internal iOS apps no longer work after Apple revoked the certifications need to install the apps on employee’s iPhones. Everything from early builds of Facebook, Messenger and Instagram won’t even open. Even simple tools like a lunch menu are currently broken.

App Store made almost twice as much as Google Play in 2018

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App Store
Apple apps no longer dominate App Store search results.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The App Store raked in almost twice as much revenue as Google Play in 2018, despite significantly fewer downloads.

Google’s marketplace did enjoy a 27.3 percent rise in gross app revenue year-over-year — a larger rise than Apple’s — but iOS remains the most lucrative platform for developers by far.

Fornite made almost half a billion on iOS alone in 2018

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Fortnite iOS 14
Everyone should welcome skill-based matchmaking.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Fortnite is like an unstoppable freight train that continues to plow through players’ wallets month after month. Despite controversial changes and additions to its insanely popular Battle Royale mode, it shows no signs of slowing down.

Even on mobile the game has been incredibly successful, with almost half a billion dollars made on iOS alone in 2018. A whopping $69 million of that was raked in during December, Fortnite’s best month so far on iOS, according to new data.

14 iPhone apps found communicating with malware server

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App Store
More than a dozen iOS apps offer up vulnerabilities to hackers.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Fourteen iOS apps have been discovered to be covertly sending information to the server associated with Android-based malware Golduck, which affected more than 10 million users.

Golduck embedded malicious code on devices, which allowed hackers to do things like sending premium SMS messages from a victim’s phone. According to security researchers, the related iPhone apps could pose the same threat.

Apple’s App Store sets record: takes in $1.22 billion in a week

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The App Store had a great Q4, including its best week ever.
The App Store had a great Q4, including its biggest week ever.
Graphic: Apple

The Apple App Store had its best week ever between between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. And New Year’s Day was the best single day of sales ever.

This is just the kind of news the company needs, as Pres. Trump’s trade war with China is hurting iPhone, iPad, and Mac sales in that country.