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Today the United States Department of Justice has sued Apple, claiming the company has maintained an illegal monopoly over the smartphone market, locking in its customers, driving up prices, and selectively imposing contractual restrictions on developers, withholding critical ways of accessing functionality to prevent competition. "Apple exercises its monopoly power to extract more money from consumers, developers, content creators, artists, publishers, small businesses, and merchants, among others", the DOJ says,…

Apple products work best if you stick within the ecosystem. They play nice together. Things just work. It’s one of the reasons iPhone users buy one in the first place, never mind the rest of the gear they add on after. So much so that Tim Cook’s jokey response to a reporter’s complaint about the best iPhones not having RCS support (which is coming later this year) was, “Buy your mom an iPhone.” Slightly tone-deaf? Perhaps. But everybody, including Tim Cook, knows things just work in the Apple ecosystem.But the US…

Maria Diaz/ZDNETAmazon's Big Spring Sale is in full swing and the deals just keep popping up wherever you look. The Google Nest Thermostat is one of the best ones for smart homes everywhere and one of my personal favorites, especially at just $90 on Amazon. Also: Amazon Big Spring Sale: The 85+ deals you can shop nowJust in time for the warmer months, this smart thermostat lets you control your home's temperature on the device or with just a tap on your phone, from your bed or outside your home via the Google Home…

Josh Peck showed his support for his former Nickelodeon peers who shared allegations of abuse and misconduct — including his former Drake and Josh co-star Drake Bell — in the new docuseries, Quiet on Set.  In a note on Instagram, Peck said he needed a”few days to process” the four-part Investigation Discovery series after he finished watching it. Peck said he “reached out to Drake privately,” then said he wanted “to give my support for the survivors who were brave enough to share their stories of emotional and…

Earlier today, OnePlus launched the Ace 3V in China, with the brand new Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3 chipset at the helm. It is in fact the first handset to bear this newly announced SoC. Redmi isn't impressed, however. Its official Weibo account posted the image you can see below in response. It clearly states that 8 is better than 7, and this isn't a subtle jab at all. Basically, Redmi is telling us that the Snapdragon 8 series chipsets outperform those in the 7 series. And wouldn't you know it, coincidence of all…

Apple and the App Store are again at the center of a legal spat that revolves around the way the former manages the latter — and how it forces app developers to work within its frameworks.Following a ruling in 2021 that Apple must not prevent app developers from offering “buttons, external links, or other calls to action” informing users of payment options outside of their apps, Microsoft, Meta, and others have filed an amicus brief that alleges Apple simply isn't playing nicely. In fact, it argues that the company is…

There's a new version of visionOS available for all Apple Vision Pro users to get their hands on. It's visionOS 1.1.1, and it brings "important bug fixes and security updates" to the headset.We don't gain a groundbreaking new feature in this software update, unfortunately – it's more of a refinement. But minor update or no, Apple does recommend it for all users. Think of it just like iOS updates on the best iPhones. And it's especially important considering how new the Vision Pro is: There are still some bugs lurking…

Beth Mauder/ZDNETAmazon's Big Spring Sale is happening now, and Roborock has dropped the price of its latest and greatest two-in-one robot vacuum and mop, the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra, on both Amazon. Occasionally, we've seen Roborock drop the price by $400, specifically around Black Friday, but this is the best price yet for the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra. If you've been eyeing a high-end machine to take the stress out of vacuuming and mopping, there really isn't a better time or deal. But act quickly -- this deal won't…

Beth Mauder/ZDNETIf you're a Transformers fan, I present the Roomba Combo J7+. This robot vacuum and mop combination easily transitions from hard to soft floors by lifting the mop away from carpets with a retractable arm. Also: Amazon Big Spring Sale: The 80+ deals you can shop nowThe Combo J4+ is a self-emptying robot vacuum that is also smart enough to avoid obstacles on the floor, from dirty socks to pet waste, and you can now buy it at $799 (down from $1,099).Its dual multisurface rubber brushes effectively pick…

GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty ImagesOver the years, as a tech columnist for ZDNET, I have been closely following the looming legal battle between Apple and regulatory authorities in Europe and the United States that could one day challenge its monopolistic position within the technology industry. In the EU, as a result of the Digital Markets Act, Apple has recently been required to make changes to its operating systems and platforms that require it to permit application sideloading third-party app stores, as well as…