Latest news with #EpicGames'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Apple's App Store Billings Triple to $406 Billion in Five Years
Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) dipped after revealing its App Store facilitated $406 billion in developer billings and sales in 2024nearly triple the $140 billion posted five years earlierand boosted small-developer earnings by 76% between 2021 and 2024. The company said 90% of that volume incurred no commission, underscoring efforts to support entrepreneurs globally. Tim Cook hailed the App Store's 15-year run as incredible opportunity for businesses in 175 countries, even as Apple battles a U.S. judge's order to allow more competitive app downloads and payment optionsa dispute born from Epic Games' antitrust case. Apple also flagged that it stopped over $9 billion in fraud over five years, including $2 billion in 2024, and blocked nearly two million risky app submissions. While critics slam its 30% fee and closed ecosystem, Apple argues its secure payment system and seamless global storefront give developers a trusted platform. Investors should care because the App Store now drives a significant portion of Apple's Services revenuenearly $110 billion last yearand strong developer growth may help offset hardware cyclicality. With Apple's Services segment due to report growth metrics at the next earnings call in late July, markets will be watching whether this developer momentum translates into an uptick in subscription and in-app purchase revenue. This article first appeared on GuruFocus.
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
Apple rejected over 1.9 million apps submitted to App Store in 2024
Apple has said it has prevented more than $2 billion in potentially fraudulent transactions on the App Store in 2024. In its fifth annual App Store fraud analysis report, the tech giant also said it has stopped a total of $9 billion fraudulent transactions via the app marketplace over the last five years. The report comes nearly a week after the return of Epic Games' Fortnite on the App Store, marking the potential end of a protracted legal battle between the iPhone-maker and the video game company. Epic Games had accused Apple of violating antitrust law by taking a 30 per cent cut of in-app payment transactions and introducing anti-steering restrictions that prohibited developers from telling users that they can pay for services outside the App Store ecosystem. Apple executives were on the verge of facing criminal contempt proceedings last month, after a US federal court said it had fallen short of complying with a previous injunction order dictating that the company must allow developers to direct users to external payment options. In this context, Apple has continued to position its App Store as the safer and more secure payment processing system to discourage developers from using third-party payment processors. 'In-app purchase on the App Store offers users a secure and trusted environment designed to protect privacy, prevent fraud, and make managing purchases simple. With built-in tools to view, modify, or cancel subscriptions; purchase history; and support for refunds, users stay in control every step of the way,' Apple said in the fraud analysis report. The company further said it blocked nearly 4.6 million attempts to 'sideload' or install apps from outside the App Store or third-party marketplaces approved by Apple. Apple said it has taken comprehensive steps to tackle App Store threats ranging from deceptive apps designed to steal personal data of users to fraudulent payment schemes. In 2024, Apple blocked nearly two million 'risky apps' submitted to the App Store, which sees an average of 813 million visitors every week. More than 146,000 App Store developer accounts were terminated last year. Additionally, Apple said it blocked over 10,000 illegitimate apps that acted as storefronts to access pornography apps, gambling apps, malware-loaded apps, and pirated versions of legitimate App Store apps. As part of its crackdown on fake reviews on the App Store, Apple said it removed more than 143 million fraudulent ratings and reviews. It also took down over 7,400 apps from App Store charts and prevented nearly 9,500 deceptive apps from appearing in App Store search results. The company further said it deactivated 129 million customer accounts that were spamming or manipulating ratings and reviews on the App Store. Out of 7.7 million apps submitted and reviewed by Apple, over 1.9 million apps were rejected for failing to meet the company's standards regarding security and other aspects. Among the submitted apps that did not make it on the App Store, 37,000 were flagged for fraudulent activity, 17,000 for bait-and-switch maneuvers, and 400,000 for privacy violations. App Store's app review process involves vetting by a human reviewer as well as usage of automated tools capable of detecting and taking action against potentially harmful apps. 'App Review rejects any potentially malicious apps it identifies during review, and the team's investigation into one fraudulent app often results in the takedown of several others linked to the same problematic developer,' the report read.
Mint
6 days ago
- Business
- Mint
Weekly Tech Recap: Google unveils Gemini upgrades at I/O, Trump threatens tariffs on India-made iPhones and more
With tech news coming in thick and fast all week, it can be hard to keep track of all the updates. To help the readers stay updated, we've compiled the Weekly Tech Recap, where we take a stock of the biggest developments from the world of technology. Without further ado, let's dive into the top stories that made waves in the tech world this week. After a protracted legal battle, Epic Games' Fortnite finally made its comeback on the Apple App Store earlier this week. While Apple had previously refused to reinstate Fortnite until its appeal was cleared by the courts, the company finally relented after U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers told it to approve the submission or return to court to explain the legal basis for rejecting it. Last week, Apple also approved an updated app from Spotify, the audio streaming giant, featuring external payment links for purchasing subscriptions. As expected, Google's I/O 2025 event was all about AI. Key announcements included numerous upgrades to Gemini, the unveiling of Veo 3 and Imagen 4 video and text models, Android XR, and new real-time translation capabilities on Google Meet. Additionally, the company introduced a new $250/month AI Ultra subscription tier aimed at power users and enterprises. OpenAI announced this week that it will acquire io, the AI hardware startup co-founded by legendary Apple designer Jony Ive, in an all-stock deal valued at nearly $6.5 billion. The ChatGPT maker revealed that Altman and Ive have been collaborating 'quietly' since 2023, envisioning hardware products that seamlessly integrate generative AI models. It isn't yet clear what the new device will be, but Altman said he has already experienced one of the prototypes. The product is expected to enter mass production in 2027, with reports suggesting that OpenAI and Ive plan to ship 100 million AI devices. 'I've been able to live with it, and I think it is the coolest piece of technology that the world will have ever seen,' the OpenAI CEO added. Amazon-backed AI startup Anthropic unveiled its two new artificial intelligence models—Claude Opus 4 and Claude Sonnet 4—touting them as the most advanced systems in the industry. Built with enhanced reasoning capabilities, the new models are aimed at improving code generation and supporting agent-style workflows, particularly for developers engaged in complex and extended tasks. 'Claude Opus 4 is the world's best coding model, with sustained performance on complex, long-running tasks and agent workflows,' the company claimed in a recent blog post. 5) Donald Trump threatens 25% tariffs on India-made iPhones: US President Donald Trump has threatened that Apple's plans to manufacture U.S.-bound iPhones in India will be met with a 25% tariff. Trump further noted that this tariff would apply to all companies in the segment, not just the Cupertino-based tech giant. "I have long ago informed Tim Cook of Apple that I expect their iPhone's that will be sold in the United States of America will be manufactured and built in the United States, not India, or anyplace else," Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Fortnite' Using A.I. Darth Vader Is Another Step Toward the Dark Side
Darth Vader has a new enemy, but it isn't the Jedi Order reborn. It's the Screen Actors Guild. On May 16, as part of a month-long collaboration between Epic Games' Fortnite and Disney-owned Star Wars, Darth Vader was added to Fortnite Battle Royale as an optional, recruitable ally. What's unusual about Vader is that players can "talk" to him; by pressing a special button, players can say anything into their headsets to Vader, and the Sith Lord will respond using conversational artificial intelligence. The technology uses the voice of the late James Earl Jones, who played Darth Vader in the films. Epic Games wrote on its official blog that Fortnite's A.I. Vader was created with the involvement of Jones' estate: "We're honored to feature the voice of the late Mr. Jones and we thank his estate for the opportunity to make this happen for players," wrote Epic in a statement. However, the union that represents professional actors, SAG-AFTRA, says that Epic violated labor practices by failing to notify the union, "and without bargaining with us over appropriate terms." "We celebrate the right of our members and their estates to control the use of their digital replicas and welcome the use of new technologies to allow new generations to share in the enjoyment of those legacies and renowned roles," reads SAG-AFTRA's statement. It should be emphasized the use of Jones's voice is not the problem here; the actor signed over the rights to his voice to Lucasfilm in 2022, and even worked with Ukranian-based A.I. firm Respeecher prior to his death. The first instance of an A.I. Vader was not Fortnite, but for the Disney+ series Obi-Wan Kenobi. Gamers asking Vader vulgar questions or making him cuss—which Epic issued a swift hotfix after players caught the dark lord dropping F-bombs—isn't the issue either. It's that Fortnite released an A.I. Darth Vader, a character otherwise performed by union members, during a major ongoing strike against video game companies by the actors' union. Adds SAG-AFTRA: "However, we must protect our right to bargain terms and conditions around uses of voice that replace the work of our members, including those who previously did the work of matching Darth Vader's iconic rhythm and tone in video games." The union announced it filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) against Epic Games' Llama Productions. While yes, it's awfully funny to ask Darth Vader about Skibidi Toilet and Sabrina Carpenter—and in one Reddit user's case, receive an unexpectedly moving response after they told Vader about their recently deceased grandmother—AI's concerning potential to replace human artists evolves at lightspeed. Generative artificial intelligence was at the center of the 2023 dual labor strikes in Hollywood, and in July 2024, SAG-AFTRA began its strike against major gaming publishers over an industry-wide rush to adopt of A.I. Among the parties SAG-AFTRA is striking against is Fortnite's publishers Epic Games. "We're not going to consent to a contract that allows companies to abuse A.I. to the detriment of our members," said SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher in the union's July 2024 strike announcement. The real disturbance in the Force is how Epic felt emboldened to drop its A.I. Vader while it is in active dispute with the actors' union over A.I. Since 2024, Epic Games has enjoyed splashy investment from Star Wars' parent company, Disney, with Fortnite as the crux of their partnership. That a tech giant backed by one of the biggest movie studios in the world implemented a virtual novelty action figure—without concerning the labor union that advocates protections for humans from A.I.—comes across as one of the biggest gestures of arrogance yet. The future is yet to be written, but as people grow alarmingly comfortable with artificial intelligence, it may already be decided. You Might Also Like Kid Cudi Is All Right 16 Best Shoe Organizers For Storing and Displaying Your Kicks
Business Recorder
21-05-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
Cyberattack to cost UK retailer Marks & Spencer £300mn
LONDON: British clothes-to-food retailer Marks and Spencer on Wednesday said a cyberattack affecting its online service is set to last through to July and cost the group £300 million ($404 million). Marks last week revealed that some personal data of its customers had been stolen in a cyberattack that has crippled its online services for weeks. 'In Fashion, Home & Beauty, online sales and trading profit have been heavily impacted by the necessary decision to pause online shopping, however stores have remained resilient,' Marks said in a statement. 'We expect online disruption to continue throughout June and into July as we restart, then ramp up operations.' The impact on annual group operating profit is estimated at 'around £300 million… which will be reduced through management of costs, insurance and other trading actions', the retailer added. Epic Games' Fortnite returns to Apple App Store in US after nearly 5 years The news came as Marks on Wednesday reported operating profit before adjusting items of £985 million for its financial year to the end of March. Following the update, its share price dropped 2.5 percent at the start of trading in London. Group operations have since Easter been hampered by a ransomware sting which forced the retailer to suspend online sales, contactless payments instore and even recruiting operations. Marks said information stolen could include names, dates of birth, home addresses and telephone number. However, it did not include 'useable payment or card details', nor account passwords. The company reported the incident to relevant government authorities and law enforcement. A wave of cyberattacks have hit British retailers in recent weeks, including luxury department store Harrods and the Co-op food chain.
