This week on The Vergecast, a topic very aligned with the theme of this podcast dominated the show: antitrust in the app store.
The Verge’s Nilay Patel, Dieter Bohn, Tom Warren, and Dan Seifert discuss the timeline of events that led to Epic Games suing both Apple and Google after Fortnite was kicked off of their mobile app stores. The crew reads through statements from both sides of the drama and compares this to similar market complaints in the past.
Later in the show, the topic switches to Microsoft’s latest hardware endeavor, the Surface Duo. The company announced a September 10th release date as well as its long-awaited technical specs for its new form factor device. The crew discusses.
There’s a lot more in this episode — as you can tell by its length — so listen through to hear everything you need to know in tech news this week.
Stories discussed this episode:
- Big Tech pledged a billion to racial justice, but it was pocket change
- US passes 5 million coronavirus cases
- Big airlines are hoarding cash to survive the pandemic
- Vaping linked to higher risk of COVID-19 in teens and young adults, study finds
- Microsoft opens xCloud game streaming beta early on Tuesday
- Apple confirms cloud gaming services like xCloud and Stadia violate App Store guidelines
- Microsoft condemns Apple’s App Store policies
- Facebook slams Apple’s App Store policies, launches Facebook Gaming on iOS without games
- Fortnite vs Apple vs Google: a brief and very incomplete timeline
- Epic offers new direct payment in Fortnite on iOS and Android to get around app store fees
- Apple just kicked Fortnite off the App Store
- Watch Epic’s Nineteen Eighty-Fortnite short mocking Apple right here
- Epic Games is suing Apple
- Fortnite for Android has also been kicked off the Google Play Store
- Epic is suing Google over Fortnite’s removal from the Google Play Store
- Google forced OnePlus to decimate a Fortnite launcher deal, claims Epic Games
- Fortnite vs Apple vs Google: a brief and very incomplete timeline
- Epic rallies Fortnite players against Apple with a warning that they’ll miss the next season
- Microsoft’s Surface Duo arrives on Sept 10th for $1,399
- Microsoft releases Surface Duo press event video with 30 minutes of demos
- The Xbox Series X could launch on November 6th
- Microsoft’s new Xbox Series S console confirmed in leaked controller packaging
- When I don’t buy the new Xbox, Microsoft will laugh all the way to the bank
- Android is becoming a worldwide earthquake detection network
- Google is re-adding a Calendar app to Android Auto so you can see how to get to your next appointment
- Google Maps finally works with CarPlay’s excellent dashboard mode
- Google promises the next Wear OS update will launch apps up to 20 percent faster
The Vergecast /
Weekly tech roundup and interviews with major figures from the tech world.