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While Epic appeared to score a victory this week in its ongoing bid to roll out its own app store, the gaming company is still not satisfied, while Meta has been subject to an investigation and found to be in breach of the Digital Markets Act.
On the hardware side, Nocs Design has launched a thoughtful, minimalist aluminium speaker, while Apple has added the first generation AirPods, first generation HomePod and iPhone X to its official “vintage” list.
Below, Hypebeast has rounded up the top tech news stories from this week to help you stay on top of industry trends.
Apple gives Epic ‘temporary’ approval to launch third-party App Store
Omar Marquez/Sopa Images/LightRocket/Getty Images
The years-long legal battle between Apple and Epic Games may be nearing an end, as Epic reports that Apple has “temporarily” given the company permission to launch a third-party app store that will house games like Fortnite.
The news follows a thread posted on X, in which Epic accused Apple of “arbitrarily and obstructively” rejecting an app store it created. The apparent issue was buttons, with Epic claiming that Apple “is too similar to our ‘Install’ button, and that our ‘In-app purchase’ labels are too similar to the App Store’s ‘In-app purchase’ labels.”
Epic is now planning to fight Apple over the button issue ahead of the App Store’s launch.
Update: Apple has notified us that our previously rejected Epic Games Store notarization application has been accepted. https://t.co/tl5LY1aQD6
— Epic Games Newsroom (@EpicNewsroom) July 5, 2024
Nocs Design’s new “Monolith” is a minimalist, portable aluminum speaker.
Knox Design
Swedish audio brand Nocs Design has unveiled a sleek portable speaker called the Monolith. Despite the name, this speaker can fit in a backpack. Taking a minimalist approach, Nocs has built the speaker in a single aluminum shell, with no buttons, just a grille.
“We spent countless hours just achieving the perfect symmetry of the driver placement,” says founder Daniel Alm. “There are no logos or frills, just the smooth, refined look of solid aluminum. Timelessness is the most important thing to me.”
Nocs Design’s Monolith speaker is available for pre-order now for $1,000.
Mehta is being prosecuted for violating EU competition law
Chesnot/Getty Images
The European Commission is cracking down on Meta for violating the Digital Markets Act. The Commission has released the preliminary findings of its investigation into the tech giant, specifically its “pay or consent” advertising model.
The commission said that under this model, Meta essentially requires users to agree to provide their personal data for advertising purposes or sign up for a paid, ad-free version of the app.
However, under the DMA, users must be given the freedom not to disclose their personal data if they wish. The European Commission has notified Meta of the violations, and the company could be fined 10% of its annual revenue.
Apple has officially classified the first-generation AirPods, HomePod, and iPhone X as “vintage”
Hason Ho/Hypebeast
The original AirPods, the original HomePod, and the iPhone X will now be referred to as “vintage” Apple products. The company added these pieces of hardware to the vintage list because they were discontinued more than five years ago.
For the next two years, Apple will continue to support AirPods, HomePod, and the iPhone X, after which they will be considered “outdated.”
