Fortnite Returning To US App Store After Epic Games Wins Legal Battle Against Apple

After several years of legal disputes, Fortnite is set to return to the U.S. App Store next week. The decision follows a recent court ruling in favor of Epic Games, ending a long-standing standoff between the game developer and Apple over in-app payment systems and platform policies.

The dispute began in August 2020, when Apple removed Fortnite from the App Store. This action came after Epic Games introduced its own direct payment system within the app, bypassing Apple’s 30% commission fee—something Apple considers a violation of its App Store policies. Since then, the two companies have been locked in a legal battle, with significant developments on both sides over the years.

On April 30, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney announced on X (formerly Twitter) that Fortnite will return to the U.S. App Store following a legal victory in a California court. The court found that Apple had acted in bad faith and engaged in anticompetitive behavior, particularly in relation to how it handles online transactions on its platform.

The court order stated: “For the reasons set forth herein, the Court finds that Apple willfully violated the injunction issued by this Court in 2021, which aims to restrict and prohibit Apple’s anticompetitive pricing and conduct. Apple’s continued efforts to interfere with competition will not be tolerated.”

This marks a significant shift in a legal saga that began with Apple securing a partial win in 2021. Now, the latest decision favors Epic Games, though both companies may still revisit the courtroom as additional proceedings unfold.

Earlier this year, Epic had already signaled a comeback, stating in March that Fortnite would return to iOS in July. However, with this new ruling, the timeline has been moved forward, and US iOS users can expect the game to reappear as early as next week.

This decision could have broader implications for App Store policies and developer rights, as it challenges Apple’s long-standing control over in-app payments and opens the door for more flexible models going forward.

Fortnite Returning To US App Store After Epic Games Wins Legal Battle Against Apple

, original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.

Elden Ring: Nightreign trailer details all eight classes and some fiery hazards

A few weeks out from the arrival of Elden Ring: Nightreign, developer FromSoftware and publisher Bandai Namco have released a lengthy overview trailer that offers an in-depth look at what’s in store. The run-based Elden Ring spinoff gives players three in-game days to prepare for a final boss battle with the help of up to two human-controlled allies.

The new trailer explains that you’ll have a limited time to strengthen your character. You can level up by fighting dangerous grunts or scour the land for weapons and other gear. You can also collect useful information that’s hidden in enemy bases. Alternatively, you can face off against more formidable enemies inside fortresses and receive “powerful rewards” if you can take them down. You don’t have to stay with your teammates the entire time either, as you can take a divide-and-conquer approach to your runs.

Limveld (a renamed version of the original game’s first main area Limgrave) is procedurally generated, so things will be different every time you play. Yup, this is a roguelite, folks. Expect the unexpected, as obstacles can include things like meteor strikes and craters that are full of lava.

As in the likes of Fortnite and other battle royale games, the playable area will shrink over time, nudging your squad into encounters with minor bosses when night falls. So you’d best make good use of your time to prepare for these tough fights. If you do fall in battle, one of your allies can revive you by, uh, attacking you. Look, this is Elden Ring, it doesn’t have to make complete sense.

In addition, the trailer reveals details about the eight character classes in Elden Ring: Nightreign. Each has their own weapons, passive abilities and skills. One has a grappling hook that can pull in enemies or be used to swiftly close a gap. Another can turn invisible to sneak around enemies or ambush them. I suspect quite a few people will opt for the sea-faring Raider, whose arsenal includes a powerful blow that can’t be interrupted by an enemy attack. Let’s see how those colossal bosses like the taste of their own medicine.

After each run, whether you triumph or fail, you’ll earn relics. These are part of a permanent progress system and can be used to improve your stats. You’ll be able to unlock cosmetic costumes as well. Some of these take inspiration from previous FromSoftware games, such as one that references Solaire from Dark Souls.

Elden Ring: Nightreign is coming to PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S on May 30.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/elden-ring-nightreign-trailer-details-all-eight-classes-and-some-fiery-hazards-151216173.html?src=rss

Fortnite Returning To US App Store After Epic Games Wins Legal Battle Against Apple

After several years of legal disputes, Fortnite is set to return to the U.S. App Store next week. The decision follows a recent court ruling in favor of Epic Games, ending a long-standing standoff between the game developer and Apple over in-app payment systems and platform policies.

The dispute began in August 2020, when Apple removed Fortnite from the App Store. This action came after Epic Games introduced its own direct payment system within the app, bypassing Apple’s 30% commission fee—something Apple considers a violation of its App Store policies. Since then, the two companies have been locked in a legal battle, with significant developments on both sides over the years.

On April 30, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney announced on X (formerly Twitter) that Fortnite will return to the U.S. App Store following a legal victory in a California court. The court found that Apple had acted in bad faith and engaged in anticompetitive behavior, particularly in relation to how it handles online transactions on its platform.

The court order stated: “For the reasons set forth herein, the Court finds that Apple willfully violated the injunction issued by this Court in 2021, which aims to restrict and prohibit Apple’s anticompetitive pricing and conduct. Apple’s continued efforts to interfere with competition will not be tolerated.”

This marks a significant shift in a legal saga that began with Apple securing a partial win in 2021. Now, the latest decision favors Epic Games, though both companies may still revisit the courtroom as additional proceedings unfold.

Earlier this year, Epic had already signaled a comeback, stating in March that Fortnite would return to iOS in July. However, with this new ruling, the timeline has been moved forward, and US iOS users can expect the game to reappear as early as next week.

This decision could have broader implications for App Store policies and developer rights, as it challenges Apple’s long-standing control over in-app payments and opens the door for more flexible models going forward.

Fortnite Returning To US App Store After Epic Games Wins Legal Battle Against Apple

, original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.

Piaggio turned its cute follow robot into a Star Wars droid

Since 2017, the Vespa-maker Piaggio’s Fast Forward division has been exploring a unique way to cut down on car trips: Building robots that can follow you around and carry your stuff. We called its original Gita (pronounced “jee-tah,” Italian for “trip”) robot an attractive rolling porter, but its size and initial $3,250 price made it more of a robo-curio than something you’d actually want to buy. The company followed that up with the Gitamini, a smaller and slightly cheaper $1,850 model, but even that remains niche.

Most people just don’t have thousands of dollars to spend on a cute follow bot — but the calculation may be different for Star Wars fans. Squint a bit, and Piaggio’s devices don’t look that different from BB-8, R2-D2 and the multitude of other droids. So it’s not a huge surprise to see Piaggio Fast Forward debut a special Star Wars edition robot: the G1T4-M1N1. It’s basically just a $2,875 version of the Gitamini (which now sells for $2,475) with Star Wars decals and sound effects.

Piaggio Fast Forward Star Wars Gitamnini
Devindra Hardawar for Engadget

G1T4-M1N1 boasts all of the same specs as the Gitamini: It can carry up to 20 pounds in its top compartment; it lasts for 7 hours, or 24 miles; and its speed tops out at a jaunty 6 MPH. But like a true Star Wars droid, it’s more talkative than its older sibling. Lucasfilm offered up some of its unique sound effects for the bot, so you might hear it sound extra flustered as it’s rushing to catch up to you, or turning quickly around a corner. It’s a big leap beyond the Sphero-powered BB8 toy from 2015.

I had a chance to spend a weekend with G1T4-M1N1 at my home, but unfortunately I couldn’t take it outside or use it in public, where it’s really meant to shine. Instead, it was stuck puttering around my home and deck. While that delighted my kids — who both jumped in the air the moment G1T4-M1N1 awoke with a loud boot-up sound — they were still frustrated they could’t pile their toys into its compartment and walk it to the neighborhood park.

From my brief time with it, I can confirm G1T4-M1N1 followed me around like an eager droid, ready to carry whatever I needed. But it also had some trouble navigating around my cluttered floors — if it hit any major obstacle or corner, it would go to standby mode until I tapped the capacitive button on its noggin. Unlike my Roomba vacuums, it doesn’t back up and try again. I also had to be extremely careful with the G1T4-M1N1 around my deck stairs, since it continually tried to fall to its death like a robotic lemming.

According to Piaggio Fast Forward CEO and co-founder Greg Lynn, the company expects bot owners to watch out for major “cliff” drops like stairs. Gitamini and Gita have the ability to pause before jumping over large curb drops, he says, but I couldn’t see that in action.

Piaggio Fast Forward Star Wars Gitamnini
Devindra Hardawar for Engadget

Between its trouble with stairs and obstacle avoidance, I couldn’t imagine ever using any Gita robot indoors without headaches. But I could see it being useful if I still lived in Brooklyn, where it could accompany my kids and I to the park while lugging their gear. (My aching back sure would appreciate that, anyway.) I could also see parking it outside a local grocery store and having it follow me home afterwards.

Even in that dream scenario, though, I’d worry about someone trying to steal the G1T4-M1N1. While you can lock it down from an app, which closes the storage compartment and turns off any following capability, you still have to remember to do that manually. According to Lynn, he’s seen curious strangers accidentally enable the Gita bots’ following feature more than he’s encountered stories of potential theft. Still, the worry is there, especially since the G1T4-M1N1 and Gitamini weigh 28 pounds. It’s not hard to imagine some intrepid thief driving up to a parked G1T4-M1N1 and throwing it in their car. (Unfortunately, there’s no way to physically chain it like a bike, either.)

I’m not making any final judgements on the G1T4-M1N1, or its siblings, since I couldn’t test it properly. But it’s clearly not something meant for everyone — not at that price, and not with the navigation problems I encountered. But I could see a future where assistive robots like these could be helpful. We currently have robots delivering food on the streets of some cities, and I’ve seen them helping waiters move food around local restaurants. At some point, we’ll see cheaper and more useful home bots beyond the Roomba and its ilk. And whatever comes next will likely owe a debt to the ground being tread by Gita’s large wheels.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/piaggio-turned-its-cute-follow-robot-into-a-star-wars-droid-140019416.html?src=rss

Fortnite Returning To US App Store After Epic Games Wins Legal Battle Against Apple

After several years of legal disputes, Fortnite is set to return to the U.S. App Store next week. The decision follows a recent court ruling in favor of Epic Games, ending a long-standing standoff between the game developer and Apple over in-app payment systems and platform policies.

The dispute began in August 2020, when Apple removed Fortnite from the App Store. This action came after Epic Games introduced its own direct payment system within the app, bypassing Apple’s 30% commission fee—something Apple considers a violation of its App Store policies. Since then, the two companies have been locked in a legal battle, with significant developments on both sides over the years.

On April 30, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney announced on X (formerly Twitter) that Fortnite will return to the U.S. App Store following a legal victory in a California court. The court found that Apple had acted in bad faith and engaged in anticompetitive behavior, particularly in relation to how it handles online transactions on its platform.

The court order stated: “For the reasons set forth herein, the Court finds that Apple willfully violated the injunction issued by this Court in 2021, which aims to restrict and prohibit Apple’s anticompetitive pricing and conduct. Apple’s continued efforts to interfere with competition will not be tolerated.”

This marks a significant shift in a legal saga that began with Apple securing a partial win in 2021. Now, the latest decision favors Epic Games, though both companies may still revisit the courtroom as additional proceedings unfold.

Earlier this year, Epic had already signaled a comeback, stating in March that Fortnite would return to iOS in July. However, with this new ruling, the timeline has been moved forward, and US iOS users can expect the game to reappear as early as next week.

This decision could have broader implications for App Store policies and developer rights, as it challenges Apple’s long-standing control over in-app payments and opens the door for more flexible models going forward.

Fortnite Returning To US App Store After Epic Games Wins Legal Battle Against Apple

, original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.

DJI's Osmo Pocket 3 camera now starts at $799 following Trump's tariffs

If you’re concerned about how new US tariffs might affect future electronics purchases, look no further than DJI. The company has raised the price of its popular Osmo Pocket 3 camera to $799, or $280 (54 percent) more than it cost at launch. The Pocket 3 Creator Combo that includes a wireless Mic 2 and other accessories also went up from $700 to $950. Recent tariffs levied by President Trump on Chinese products were “certainly among the key considerations” for the hefty price bumps, the company told The Verge

The Osmo Pocket 3 was a success from the get go, thanks to the built-in gimbal, motorized subject tracking and large 1-inch sensor that delivers excellent video quality, even in low light. It’s widely beloved by content creators for those reasons and is a recommended option in several of Engadget’s camera buying guides — in fact we bought some for our own reporters. 

It’s fair to say that the new tariffs are 100 percent behind the price increase, despite DJI’s diplomatic wording. The price is the same as at launch in Europe and in Canada, suggesting that there are no other technical reasons to raise it. DJI quietly boosted the US price from $520 to $620 a couple of months ago, around the time that Trump first announced potential tariffs on Chinese products. Other DJI products like drones have yet to rise in price, however.  

DJI said that the Osmo Pocket 3 is one of the best selling products in the history of the company and that it’s popularity “continues to exceed expectations.” However, much of that popular was likely due to the original $520 price (on top of the camera’s strong feature set), that was a bargain next to standard compact cameras like Canon’s new $899 PowerShot V1. At $799, the Pocket 3 loses some of its competitive advantage. 

It’s difficult to find the Pocket 3 in the US (and elsewhere) at any price at the moment, though DJI says it’s striving to keep up with demand. On top of all that, the company is facing a full ban of its drone products in the US in 2026 unless it obtains an exemption from regulators. That will affect the company as well as consumers, as its drones are widely used in production, emergency services and elsewhere — and it’s far ahead of rivals in terms of technology. DJI sent a formal letter to five national security agencies (DHS, DoD, FBI, NSA, and ODNI) in March requesting that any or all of the agencies begin evaluating its products “right away.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/djis-osmo-pocket-3-camera-now-starts-at-799-following-trumps-tariffs-131536721.html?src=rss

Apple updates its App Store guidelines to allow external payment options

Apple has updated its App Store guidelines to comply with the orders of a California court, which required the company to immediately stop collecting commissions on purchases that weren’t paid through the App Store. As noticed by 9to5Mac, the most prominent change in the guidelines states that there are now no prohibitions on “buttons, external links, or other calls to action that direct customers to purchasing mechanisms other than in-app purchase,” as long as it’s for an app on the US storefront. Further, developers don’t have to request for an entitlement from Apple to be able to offer external link purchases on apps for the United States storefront anymore. 

In the section stating that certain applications, such as reader apps and apps that sell goods and services, cannot encourage users to opt for third-party purchasing methods in-app, Apple added that the prohibition doesn’t apply to apps on the US store. “The App Review Guidelines have been updated for compliance with a United States court decision regarding buttons, external links, and other calls to action in apps,” Apple said in a statement.

These changes come as a result of a recent ruling by Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, who found that Apple violated her 2021 ruling for Epic Games’ lawsuit against Apple. Back then, she ordered Apple to allow developers to direct users to other payment systems that would let them avoid paying the company a 30 percent cut.

However, Apple still took a 27 percent cut from external purchases, prompting Epic Games to accuse the company of non-compliance in a new legal filing last year. Apple also showed users a “scare screen” when they try to make external purchases, discouraging them from using third-party payment systems. In addition to ordering Apple to stop collecting fees from purchases made outside the App Store, Gonzalez Rogers also prohibited Apple from creating rules that would prevent developers from presenting customers with buttons and links for external payments

In response, Epic chief Tim Sweeney announced that Fortnite will be coming back to iOS next week. He also said that the video game company will bring back Fortnite on iOS for everyone and will drop all litigation regarding the issue if Apple adopts the no-commission policy worldwide, but that doesn’t seem to be the case for now. Other companies are now also looking to roll out updates that would allow them to bypass Apple’s commission for external payments. One of them is Spotify, which announced that it had already submitted an update that would allow customers in the US to pay outside the App Store. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/apple-updates-its-app-store-guidelines-to-allow-external-payment-options-123039994.html?src=rss

Fortnite Returning To US App Store After Epic Games Wins Legal Battle Against Apple

After several years of legal disputes, Fortnite is set to return to the U.S. App Store next week. The decision follows a recent court ruling in favor of Epic Games, ending a long-standing standoff between the game developer and Apple over in-app payment systems and platform policies.

The dispute began in August 2020, when Apple removed Fortnite from the App Store. This action came after Epic Games introduced its own direct payment system within the app, bypassing Apple’s 30% commission fee—something Apple considers a violation of its App Store policies. Since then, the two companies have been locked in a legal battle, with significant developments on both sides over the years.

On April 30, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney announced on X (formerly Twitter) that Fortnite will return to the U.S. App Store following a legal victory in a California court. The court found that Apple had acted in bad faith and engaged in anticompetitive behavior, particularly in relation to how it handles online transactions on its platform.

The court order stated: “For the reasons set forth herein, the Court finds that Apple willfully violated the injunction issued by this Court in 2021, which aims to restrict and prohibit Apple’s anticompetitive pricing and conduct. Apple’s continued efforts to interfere with competition will not be tolerated.”

This marks a significant shift in a legal saga that began with Apple securing a partial win in 2021. Now, the latest decision favors Epic Games, though both companies may still revisit the courtroom as additional proceedings unfold.

Earlier this year, Epic had already signaled a comeback, stating in March that Fortnite would return to iOS in July. However, with this new ruling, the timeline has been moved forward, and US iOS users can expect the game to reappear as early as next week.

This decision could have broader implications for App Store policies and developer rights, as it challenges Apple’s long-standing control over in-app payments and opens the door for more flexible models going forward.

Fortnite Returning To US App Store After Epic Games Wins Legal Battle Against Apple

, original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.

Engadget Podcast: Meta’s first LlamaCon was kind of a bust

This week Meta held its first-ever AI dev conference, LlamaCon, focused on the development of its Llama generative AI model. But while there was plenty of hype, not much happened, besides the launch of the Meta AI app and a new Llama API. In this episode, Engadget Senior Reporter Karissa Bell joins us to talk about her thoughts on LlamaCon after attending in person. After just announcing its latest Llama models a few weeks ago, it was as if Meta didn’t have much else to say.

  • Meta’s Muted LlamaCon: who was the AI dev conference really for? – 1:31

  • Court orders Apple to stop collecting app fees outside of the iTunes store – 21:44

  • Microsoft announces Xbox series X and S prices are going up – 25:22

  • NPR report: DOGE employees may have access to U.S. nuclear secrets – 26:44

  • New EV startup Slate to offer a barebones pickup for $20k (after tax breaks) – 30:47

  • Swiss academics use AI to influence public opinion on Reddit – 35:08

  • Duolingo to replace contract workers with AI – 40:19

  • Working on – 47:50

  • Pop culture picks – 50:56

Hosts: Devindra Hardawar and Karissa Bell
Producer: Ben Ellman
Music: Dale North and Terrence O’Brien

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/engadget-podcast-metas-first-llamacon-was-kind-of-a-bust-113008156.html?src=rss

Epic Games takes aim at Apple and Steam with zero-commission policy for developers

Epic Games just announced some changes to its store that should please budding developers. The company will not charge a commission of any kind for the first $1,000,000 in revenue from an app per year. Once a piece of software goes past that threshold, Epic will begin taking its standard rate of 12 percent. The policy goes into effect in June.

This sounds like a real boon for smaller devs, especially when you consider that Steam takes 30 percent of sales as commission. Apple isn’t a direct competitor here, but the App Store takes 15 percent on the first million in revenue. This increases to 30 percent once that metric is met.

Epic also announced something called webshops, which sounds like a way for developers to avoid Apple’s App Store fees. These shops are powered by the Epic Games Store and offer customers “out-of-app purchases, as a more cost-effective alternative to in-app purchases.” These stores will be available next month “on any platform that allows it,” though that now includes iOS devices in both the EU and the US.

The company will begin offering a bonus of five percent in Epic Rewards to lure customers to these webshops. This will be applicable to all purchases, though the company hasn’t said if it’s a limited time offer.

Epic is able to do this whole webshop thing because it just won a case against long-time foe Apple. A California court just ordered Apple to stop collecting fees for purchases made outside of the App Store.

The ruling also means that Fortnite is coming back to Apple devices in the US next week. Epic CEO Tim Sweeney has stated that the company would return the game to the App Store worldwide, so long as Apple extends the court’s ruling across all countries. The company will also drop all pending litigation on the topic. He’s calling it a “peace plan,” but Apple has yet to respond.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/epic-games-takes-aim-at-apple-and-steam-with-zero-commission-policy-for-developers-183956940.html?src=rss