A US federal judge has ruled that Google must allow Android apps made by rival technology firms onto its Google Play app store for three years starting next month.

The change was among several remedies ordered by Judge James Donato in a case brought against Google by Epic Games, the maker of the hit video game Fortnite.

Google says it will appeal against the decision and ask for a pause to the proposed remedies.

In December, a jury sided with Epic, which says Google stifled competitors by controlling the distribution of apps and payments on Android phones.

“The changes would put consumers’ privacy and security at risk, make it harder for developers to promote their apps, and reduce competition on devices,” Google said in a statement.

Some legal experts have hailed the ruling as a meaningful challenge to the dominance of a handful of technology giants.

“It shows that courts are not necessarily opposed to asking dominant platforms to share access with rivals in the name of competition,” said Rebecca Haw Allensworth, a professor at Vanderbilt Law School.

Among other remedies, the ruling called for Google to make its catalogue of apps available to competing app stores.

“That isn’t something antitrust law would normally require,” said Mark Lemley, professor at Stanford Law School. “But the judge correctly noted that once you have violated the antitrust laws, courts can order you to do affirmative things to undo the harm you caused, even though you didn’t have the obligation to do those things in the first place.”

Google had argued that its Play app store operates in a competitive landscape, citing competition with iPhone-maker Apple, which was also sued by Epic Games in 2020.

That case ended with an appeals court ruling that Apple does not have a monopoly in mobile games.

Monday’s order is the latest legal blow suffered by Google in recent years on competition grounds.

In August, US District Judge Amit Mehta sided with the US Department of Justice, which accused the company of operating an illegal monopoly in online search.

Last month, District Judge Leonie Brinkema finished hearing arguments over similar government allegations that Google dominates the advertising technology market.

The company’s critics say Google’s fees of up to 30% on every payment made on its app store has meant higher prices for consumers.

“That is a rate they were able to charge because they were a monopoly,” said Lee Hepner, Senior Legal Counsel at the American Economic Liberties Project.

Mr Hepner said that the ruling is likely change that.

“There’s going to be a lot more incentive for developers to enter this market, and prices should be lower for consumers,” he said.

SpaceX shared an awesome view of Earth captured during the early part of the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Hera mission, which launched on Monday.

The breathtaking image (below) shows part of the upper stage of the Falcon 9 rocket with Earth in the distance.

View from Falcon 9's second stage during the Hera mission pic.twitter.com/a4Qrgg6Pp6

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) October 7, 2024

SpaceX launched the Hera mission from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, sending the spacecraft to an interplanetary transfer orbit.

Hera is a planetary defense mission that’s been designed to analyze the effects of NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission. DART reached its climax in September 2022 with the deliberate crashing of a spacecraft into an asteroid — Dimorphos — to see if the impact would alter its course. Scientists discovered that it did indeed change the asteroid’s direction, paving the way for further development of a system that could be used to deflect potentially hazardous asteroids that are spotted heading toward Earth.

The Hera mission will visit Dimorphos far away from Earth to gather further data to help scientists learn more about the composition of the asteroid and the effects of the DART mission. It could also lead to a greater understanding of asteroid geophysics, as well as offer further insight into the formation of our solar system.

This was the 23rd launch for SpaceX’s Falcon 9 first-stage booster, which previously launched Crew-1, Crew-2, SXM-8, CRS-23, IXPE, Transporter-4, Transporter-5, Globalstar FM15, ISI EROS C-3, Korea 425, Maxar 1, ASBM, and 10 Starlink missions.

SpaceX said that due to the additional performance required to deliver Hera to its destination, the first-stage booster was not landed back on Earth in the usual way, but instead expended in orbit.

Many iPhone users have October 28 marked on their calendars. That’s when the long-awaited stable iOS 18.1 update with the first Apple Intelligence features will be available. In the meantime, the company has been sending out betas so developers can tinker with the system. Now, Apple is sending out iOS 18.1 and iPadOS 18.1 developer beta 6 to eligible devices.

Apple rolling out iOS 18.1 and iPadOS 18.1 developer beta 6

iOS 18.1 Beta 5 arrived a couple of weeks ago for all eligible Apple devices. Given the stable version rollout schedule, it’s possible that the new beta 6 update will be the last for iOS 18.1. Apple has been working on polishing the OS so that everything is ready for the expected October 28 rollout.

To install iOS 18.1 beta 6, you must have an eligible device and enroll in the beta program (if you haven’t already). Remember that only the iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPhone 16, and iPhone 16 Pro models support Apple Intelligence features. That said, you can check the firmware’s availability under Settings > General > Software Update.

Apple Intelligence features available

Previous iOS 18.1 betas already included the first Apple Intelligence features. Subsequent updates focused on fixing bugs and improving the overall stability of the OS. Users of devices that support Apple Intelligence will enjoy features like AI-powered writing tools. The latter improves spelling/grammar correction and adds options like rewriting with different tones and text summaries.

Siri is now smarter thanks to Apple Intelligence, too. The assistant boasts a better understanding of natural language and context and can even keep up with you if you stumble when speaking. The Safari browser got some AI love via the article summary feature, as well as a new focus mode.

Other native apps, like Messages and Mail, integrate Apple Intelligence capabilities in their own way. In Mail, you’ll get a “Summarize” button at the top of every email, which is especially useful for long ones. The Mail app now intelligently places time-sensitive messages at the top of your inbox. Apple’s AI suite also enables summaries and transcription of audio recordings. The new Smart Replies features are available in both Messages and Mail.

Apple Photos’ new Memory Movie option uses the power of AI to generate prompt-based slideshows with your photos. You can say what kind of photos you want in the slideshow and even decide its “mood.” The update also offers a phone call transcription option.

Not all AI features will be available this year

It’s notable that several Apple Intelligence features won’t arrive until next year. Additionally, as Apple adjusts to EU regulations, users in Europe won’t have access to Apple Intelligence for the time being. So, the new iPhone 16 series loses much of its appeal in those regions.

Google has to open up the Play Store. On Monday, US District Judge James Donato issued a permanent injunction forcing the company to open its storefront to competitors for three years and make Android apps available in alternate stores. The ruling stems from Google’s four-year antitrust battle with Epic Games. Google said on Monday it will appeal the injunction, highlighting its competition with Apple and potential security concerns.

As part of the ruling, Google must allow third-party app stores access to the Google Play library. In addition, CNBC reports that the company has to make those alternate app stores available for download in the Play Store. Google also can’t make deals (using fees or revenue sharing) to launch apps exclusively on Google Play or preinstall its store on new hardware.

Billing changes will also emerge from the injunction. Google can’t require developers to use its own billing system. Nor can it stop devs from notifying users about less expensive payment options.

CNBC reports that a three-person committee will monitor Google’s compliance and technical issues stemming from the ruling. Google and Epic will form the committee.

When reached for comment by Engadget, a Google spokesperson pointed to a blog post explaining why it will appeal. Google VP of Regulatory Affairs Lee-Anne Mulholland wrote that the company’s competition with Apple helps to negate antitrust concerns. “The decision fails to take into account that Android is an open platform and developers have always had many options in how to distribute their apps,” Mulholland wrote. “In fact, most Android devices come preloaded with two or more app stores right out of the box.”

“For example, Epic Games has made its popular Fortnite app available to Android users through the Samsung Galaxy Store, sideloading, and the Epic Games Store — all while Fortnite was not distributed through Google Play,” Google’s Regulatory Affairs VP wrote. “These are options that developers have never been able to offer to their American users on iPhones.”

In December, a jury found Google’s Play Store to violate US antitrust laws. The unanimous verdict stated that the company held an illegal monopoly on app distribution and in-app billing for Android devices. It also ruled that its deals with other gaming companies and device manufacturers were anti-competitive.

In April, Epic listed a proposed permanent injunction that largely matches Donato’s decision today. For its part, Google said at the time Epic’s demands went too far and were too self-serving.

The ruling went in a very different direction from a similar one Epic filed against Apple, which the Fortnite maker mostly lost. CNBC notes that a jury decided Google’s trial, while the fate of Apple’s suit fell into the hands of a judge.