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First previews of the new HomePod are mostly very impressed, which Spotify isn't impressed at all with how slowly it thinks the European Union is moving against Apple. Plus Microsoft and Google are laying off thousands.
Apple is more than just the iPhone manufacturer. This $2 trillion company's decisions impact many facets of technology, financials, and everyday life. When the company is rumored to be getting into something new, the entire world pays attention. And since 1997, AppleInsider has been covering this fascinating electronics maker from every possible angle. From details of the next-generation iPhone and MacBook to key indicators expected to drive the company’s stock price, AppleInsider Daily has you completely covered on a daily basis.
Welcome to the AppleInsider Daily for Friday, January 20, 2023
That's one week before the first buyers will get their new HomePods, but today we learned that Apple has been holding listening parties. A very eclectic set of reviewers across finance, technology and local news reporting were each played a series of songs on the new device.
The songs were picked by Apple -- they included a live recording of "Hotel California" by The Eagles, and Everybody by Ingrid Michaelson, and it was all done under very carefully Apple-controlled conditions.
Every reviewer says they are waiting until they can test out the HomePod themselves, but every reviewer says the sound is excellent. One from TechRadar says it's so good you'll never bother going to a live concert again, then one from The Verge says music played through it sounds just like it did on the old HomePod.
The odds are that most people will be playing Spotify or Apple Music through their HomePods, though, and today Spotify told the European Union to sort out Apple. Spotify, together with seven other firms including Basecamp and Deezer, says that Apple has been defying orders from courts and regulators.
Spotify wants decisive action to prevent what it claims are antitrust issues with Apple, and it wants decisive action... from courts and regulators.
There has unfortunately been decisive action today from both Google and Microsoft, who are each laying off thousands of employees. Microsoft is shedding 10,000, while Google is letting 12,000 go.
That's about 6% of Google's entire workforce, and around 5% of Microsoft's. Both companies say it follows the greatly increased hiring they did during the COVID pandemic, and both a return to more normal operations now, plus the economy's rising inflation.
Their moves follow lay offs from many other technology companies, including Twitter which has today officially blocked all third-party apps from using its service. Longstanding and hugely popular apps such as Twitterific have simply had to entirely close down.
There was one piece of good news today, however, and especially for Seamus - an 18-month-old dog. He got swept away in flooding in San Bernardino, California, ending up in a steel access tube a mile downstream, but he was found by rescuers who tracked the AirTag in his collar.
So Seamus -- and his owner -- are relieved, the new HomePod sounds great, Spotify sounds annoyed, and it's been a bad day for Microsoft, Google, and Twitter.
You can hear more news from AppleInsider on the weekly AppleInsider podcast every Friday. There's also our HomeKit Insider Podcast for smart home users, that's out every Monday. Links for both shows are in the notes for this one.
Thanks for listening, I'm William Gallagher and this has been the AppleInsider Daily for January 20, 2023.