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Meta has been promising as much for a while, and now Meta Quest 2, 3 and Pro owners can now stream hundreds of games through Xbox Cloud Gaming. You’ll need an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership, compatible controller, solid internet connection and the most recent Quest software update. Then, you’ll be able to snag the Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta) app and hop into games such as Starfield, Cocoon and Halo Infinite on a large virtual screen.

Meta says you’ll be able to choose from four virtual display sizes. You can opt to play games in an Xbox-themed virtual space or make it appear as though the display is floating in mid-air thanks to the Quest 3 and Pro’s full-color passthrough features. As for supported controllers, Meta says Xbox gamepads, PlayStation 4 peripherals and the Nintendo Switch Pro all work. Support for the PlayStation 5’s DualSense will be available at a later date.

This is the second major cross-platform collaboration that has arrived on Quest in the last couple of weeks. It’s now possible to wirelessly play PC VR games on the headsets thanks to Steam Link support. While some folks were already able to access Xbox Cloud Gaming on Quest headsets via workarounds, the arrival of the app will make it much easier for anyone to dive in and play something when, say, they’re traveling or someone else is occupying the TV.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/xbox-cloud-gaming-lands-on-meta-quest-headsets-204929253.html?src=rss 

EU regulators have reportedly sided against Apple in its long fight against Spotify over App Store policies. The complaint centered on “anti-steering” rules that allegedly prevented platforms like Spotify from adequately promoting alternative methods of payment. While Spotify was the key opposition, the decision impacts not just music-streaming, but anyone offering software that requires a monthly subscription.

Bloomberg reports that regulators are still putting the final touches on the ruling, with a formal decision expected for early next year. Along with the ruling, the EU will likely penalize Apple for the practice and ban it outright. It’s expected that Apple will get hit with a steep fine, with some experts suggesting it could be as much as ten percent of its annual global revenue. This could add up to nearly $40 billion.

However, the fine is likely to be lower than that, as the EU tends to place more of an emphasis on actually ending abusive practices, instead of relying solely on fines as a deterrent. So the big news will be Apple being forced to play by the rules when operating in Europe, ending anti-steering practices once and for all. Of course, it’s all up in the air until the regulating body releases its judgment.

This follows a probe that started four years ago. It all began with a complaint from Spotify alleging that Apple’s anti-steering practices were forcing the music-streaming platform to raise prices to cover costs associated with appearing on the App Store. This led to an initial “statement of objections” against Apple in 2021 and a formal charge sheet this past February, as reported by The Verge.

The formal charge sheet declared in a “preliminary view” that “Apple’s anti-steering obligations” offer “unfair trading conditions.” For years, Apple didn’t allow rival streaming services like Spotify to even include links in third-party apps to their own subscription sign-ups. The company has since loosened this restriction slightly after an antitrust investigation in Japan. The EU ruling could further erode this mandate.

The European regulatory commission will address the accusation that Apple stopped companies from advertising alternative subscription methods but will not address anything related to in-app purchases. If you’ve been following this story, fees associated with in-app purchases were also part of the complaint until being dropped in February. The EU has issued a separate probe into Apple’s tap-to-pay technology and whether there are any inherent antitrust concerns. According to reports, the company’s in talks to settle that case.

How will this affect the rest of the world? There’s a similar case making its way through the US courts, via an antitrust suit brought forth by Epic Games. A judge sided with Epic, but Apple recently asked the Supreme Court for an appeal. The court granted a temporary reprieve, so Apple can still do whatever it wants in its App Store, for now. Apple is a global entity, however, so all it takes is a few countries to force a company-wide change. As an example, just look at USB-C ports.

Google faced a different outcome in a US court this week. A federal jury sided with Epic Games in a similar antitrust case against Google. The jury unanimously agreed that Google held an illegal monopoly on app distribution and in-app billing services for Android devices.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-eu-will-reportedly-rule-against-apple-in-spotifys-complaint-over-app-store-policies-195704039.html?src=rss 

OpenAI will pay German publisher Axel Springer to use its news articles to train its AI models and show real-time information from Axel Springer’s brands, which include Business Insider and Politico in the US and Bild and Welt in Europe, in ChatGPT’s responses. None of the companies disclosed how much the deal was worth, but Bloomberg reported that OpenAI will pay the publisher tens of millions of euros over the next three years.

“This partnership with Axel Springer will help provide people with new ways to access quality, real-time news content through our AI tools,” said OpenAI’s chief operating officer Brad Lightcap in a statement. “We are deeply committed to working with publishers and creators around the world and ensuring they benefit from advanced AI technology and new revenue models.”

OpenAI’s partnership with Axel Springer comes on the heels of concerns from creators, authors, and publishers who have criticized and sued generative AI companies for training their models on their content without consent or compensation. Some publishers like The New York Times, Vox Media, BBC News, Reuters, and CNN have blocked OpenAI from accessing their data. Striking deals with AI companies, however, could provide a brand new revenue source for publishers who are currently going through the worst year for the media business in decades.

As part of the deal, Alex Springer will provide OpenAI with both current news articles as well as archives from all its brands to train its large language models, the foundational tech that powers ChatGPT. When ChatGPT uses Axel Springer’s articles in its responses, it will include attribution and links to the pieces for transparency. Axel Springer will also be able to use OpenAI’s technology to improve its own products, The Wall Street Journal reported.

This isn’t the first deal that OpenAI has struck with a news publisher. Earlier this year, the company entered into a two-year partnership with The Associated Press to use select content from the AP’s archives dating back to 1985 to train its AI models, although the terms of that deal do not include letting ChatGPT use AP content in its responses. OpenAI also has a $5 million partnership with the American Journalism Project to explore how local news organizations can benefit from artificial intelligence.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/openai-will-pay-to-train-its-models-on-business-insider-and-politico-articles-200327559.html?src=rss