App Store changes look like a free ride to some developers
Developers can now direct users in-app to pay for subscriptions outside of the App Store, but the road is not smooth, and there are some pitfalls.
William Gallagher started out in the 1980s using Macs on a UK freesheet newspaper while also working for BBC Local Radio, and writing computer manuals for McDonnell Douglas on a Mac SE/30. He wrote assembly language routines for a professional publishing app in the mid-1980s, and contributed to BBC Television's Micro Live in 1987.
Working in London as features editor on PC Direct from 1990, he wrote technology articles for Macworld UK, PC Magazine, and Computer Life. He edited Educational Computing & Technology magazine and wrote about television drama for the British Film Institute and Paramount Comedy Network's teletext service.
Moving to the BBC's teletext service in 1994, he was a freelance broadcast journalist for BBC Ceefax, then BBC Digitext, and BBC News Online. Simultaneously, he was a producer on the BBC's Radio Times website, and he wrote the Radio Times television history column On This Day for five years.
In 2005 he launched one of the earliest podcasts, UK DVD Review, which charted in the top ten of all podcasts, in all categories, around the world. The show ran for five years and was favorably reviewed on BBC News and The Sunday Times. His work has also appeared in the Los Angeles Times, and the UK's The Independent.
William Gallagher continues to freelance for the BBC, and makes regular contributions on BBC Local Radio stations around the country. In 2012, his first book about television drama was published by the British Film Institute, and it's been followed by 18 further titles on drama, writing, and technology. His books include four best-selling ebook titles about Mac and Apple software.
Alongside writing about technology and its uses for AppleInsider, he runs extensive workshops for writers, musicians, actors and journalists. Including his work with young writers, and roles at UK literary festivals, he's made 790 public speaking appearances since 2012.
Since January 2020, he's produced and presented over 170 weekly editions of 58keys, a YouTube podcast series for writers who use Macs, iPhones and iPads.
Developers can now direct users in-app to pay for subscriptions outside of the App Store, but the road is not smooth, and there are some pitfalls.
Apple will be concentrating its Apple Intelligence launches at WWDC 2025 on developer tools, and wide-ranging translation for users, including live translation via AirPods.
It feels like we're seconds away from WWDC, which rumors say will either be feature-packed or very lightweight. In the meantime, Apple is giving out awards and defending the App Store, on the AppleInsider Podcast.
A new leak claims to have the complete compatibility list of Apple TV models that will be able to support the tvOS 26 upgrade that will be announced at #WWDC25.
A TikTok video maker filmed a prank of pretending to take cash from people's iPhones using Tap to Pay. It didn't end well for the prankster.
Ahead of Apple unveiling the next version of watchOS, a new leak claims to have the list of which Apple Watch models will be able to run it.
While the figures are close, Apple's announced adoption rate for iOS 18 puts it just below the average for the last decade's releases — even though Apple Intelligence was supposed to boost its popularity.
Apple's retail expansion in India continues, with the latest being a new brick and mortar store planned for the country's newest shopping mall in Mumbai.
New regulatory filings show that Apple has produced two updated MagSafe charging pucks, which both support the Qi 2.2 standard that means the iPhone 17 could theoretically charge wirelessly at almost double the speed previously possible.
Previously unknown details of California's deals with local firms have been released, showing that Apple has been paid millions in tax refunds by Cupertino to stay in the area.
Epic Games chief Tim Sweeney complains that "Fortnite" should not have been off the App Store for so long, ignoring the fact that he willfully violated Apple's terms of service.
A message about WWDC sent to retailers outside of Apple has been taken to mean there will new device launches, but it's most likely wishful thinking.
Apple is researching how AirPods could use sensors like the ones used in Face ID to read the user's lips and process what the user wants, even if there isn't a spoken request.
The expected fifth season of Apple TV+ espionage drama "Slow Horses" has been announced, with Gary Oldman returning in the lead role.
A new report from a leaker with a mixed track record says that the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air may get a high-refresh rate display, but it won't be ProMotion.
Starting with whether it will be called macOS 26 or macOS 16, there are so many rumors about what the next update to the Mac operating system will bring. Here's what's expected, and most likely to happen.
While the higher-profile DOJ antitrust lawsuit against Google continues, the company has reached a provisional settlement over similar accusations from its shareholders.
Apple has launched a WWDC placeholder video on YouTube where users can choose to be notified ahead of the live stream.
As expected, Apple has formally filed an appeal against the European Union's ruling on interoperability, saying that it constitutes a massive privacy risk.
As Jony Ive's AI startup is bought by OpenAI, he and investor Laurene Powell Jobs talk about collaboration, and how technology has damaged society as well as benefited it.
A new report claims that internally, Apple has already been testing Large Language Models for Siri that are vastly more powerful than the shipping Apple Intelligence, but executives disagree about when to release it.
Apple's WWDC 25 may change not just the numbering but also absolutely everything about how macOS, iOS, and iPadOS feel, Nothing's CEO says Apple has lost all creativity, and yet more tariff drama, all on this' week's episode of the AppleInsider Podcast.
Haptic buttons are coming not just for the iPhone, but also devices including the iPad and the Apple Watch, as Project Bungo is said to have been revived.
Showrunner and executive producer Jonathan Tropper has been signed to his third exclusive deal with Apple TV+, following the success of his latest Jon Hamm drama.
Despite a US trade court ruling that Trump's "reciprocal" tariffs are illegal, Apple investors have unexpectedly failed to react to the news, likely assuming there is more chaos to come.
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