Tech Digest daily roundup: Apple TV+ prices up, WhatsApp down
Apple TV+, the critically acclaimed streaming TV service from Apple, will cost you more – starting today – in the UK (as well as in several other countries). The price hike, according to Apple, is due to the service’s growing content library. At the same time, Apple is also raising the prices of its Apple Music subscription service, as well Apple One – its online services bundle. With this price rise, Apple is joining other streaming services that changed their pricing in recent months, including Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+ (only in the US, for now) and even Sky, with its Sky Glass plans that now cost more. Since its launch, Apple TV+ was £4.99/month in the UK. Starting today, Apple TV+ is now £6.99/month, though some users can get extended free trials (see below). CordPlus
Toyota (7203.T) is considering a reboot of its electric-car strategy to better compete in a booming market it has been slow to enter, and has halted some work on existing EV projects, four people with knowledge of the still-developing plans said. The proposals under review, if adopted, would amount to a dramatic shift for Toyota and rewrite the $38-billion EV rollout plan the Japanese automaker announced last year to better compete with the likes of Tesla….In the meantime, Toyota has suspended work on some of the 30 EV projects announced in December, which according to the sources and a document reviewed by Reuters include the Toyota Compact Cruiser crossover and the battery-electric Crown. Reuters
WhatsApp has gone down for users across the UK, with tens of thousands of people reporting being unable to send or receive messages. Downdetector, which tracks outages, said more than 57,600 reports of problems had been submitted at 8.41am, with issues first detected just before 8am. However, the number of users experiencing issues could be much higher due to the way the website collects data. WhatsApp users from around the world have taken to social media platforms, such as Twitter, to complain that the app is not working. Sky News
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Big tech firms should face tougher penalties for abusing their market power, a committee of MPs has said. The Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Committee has urged the government to publish legislation that could allow firms to be fined up to 10% of global annual income for abuses. MPs say the draft Digital Markets Bill, announced in the Queen’s Speech in May, should be published “without delay”. Until this legislation is passed, consumers are at risk, they say. The committee argues that existing fines have been viewed as just “a small business cost” by the big technology businesses. BBC
Prime Gaming’s free games for November 2022 have apparently leaked early. According to the leak, Amazon Prime subscribers will be able to claim seven games in November, including Fallout: New Vegas Ultimate Edition, WRC 9, and Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade. Considering that this leak came from Dealabs poster billbil-kun–the person behind the always-accurate PlayStation Plus freebie leaks–it seems likely that the list is correct. We expect for Prime Gaming to make an official announcement covering November’s lineup later this week. Gamespot
