Apple is in hot water in the EU. On Monday, Europe’s Competition Commission hit the company with a 1.8 billion euro ($1.95 billion) fine, after it concluded that Apple was preventing people from being told that they could pay less for music streaming services.

Currently, if you buy a subscription to a music streaming service within an iOS app, Apple will take a cut of that subscription. As a result, you’ll likely be charged the maximum price, and may be excluded from taking advantage of cheaper options that would be available outside of the app. But where the Commission takes issue with Apple’s rules is that the company prevents the streaming service you’re subscribing to from letting you know those cheaper options are available elsewhere. It also bans companies from following up with you outside of the app to let you know about cheaper alternative offers.

After a lengthy investigation, the Commission hit Apple with the fine and demanded that Apple change its rules to let streaming services inform European customers where they can buy the cheapest subscription.

“For a decade, Apple abused its dominant position in the market for the distribution of music streaming apps through the App Store,” said Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager. “They did so by restricting developers from informing consumers about alternative, cheaper music services available outside of the Apple ecosystem.”

The EU’s Competition Commission has a track record of issuing huge fines to Silicon Valley companies (it’s previously fined Google and Meta billions of dollars at a time), but this is the first time the regulator has come after Apple. A key part of the Commission’s job is to make sure that people across Europe aren’t in any way disadvantaged by the business maneuverings of large companies — paying more than they need to for streaming service subscriptions, for example.

Apple’s rules have been the basis of a protracted complaint by streaming service Spotify, which first raised the issue of Apple’s dominance with the Competition Commission. It believes Apple controls access to its customers through the company’s in-app purchase system, which allows Apple to take a 30% cut of these profits. As a result, it doesn’t offer the option to subscribe or upgrade to premium tiers within the app — you have to go to the website instead.

“This decision sends a powerful message,” said Spotify in a blog post following the Commission’s announcement. “No company, not even a monopoly like Apple, can wield power abusively to control how other companies interact with their customers.”

Apple’s POV

Apple, unsurprisingly, sees things very differently. The company preempted the Commission’s decision by issuing a statement and briefing reporters, including CNET, in late February on what it considers to be a cash grab by Spotify, which it says wants to make even more money through its iPhone app than it currently does, without paying anything to Apple. In Apple’s eyes, it is Spotify, not Apple, that’s the dominant player in the European music market, as its Swedish rival currently boasts over 56% of music streaming subscriptions in the region.

“We’re happy to support the success of all developers — including Spotify, which is the largest music streaming app in the world,” said an Apple spokesperson. “Spotify pays Apple nothing for the services that have helped them build, update and share their app with Apple users in 160 countries spanning the globe.”

The company also shared information about Spotify’s relationship with Apple, including the free developer tools and engineering support the music streaming service relies on. Apple, which has its own Apple Music streaming service, insists that Spotify has only grown so successfully because of this work, as well as the many free APIs that the streaming service takes advantage of to work seamlessly across Apple devices. Apple added that users have downloaded, re-downloaded and updated the Spotify app 119 billion times in total on iOS devices.

“Fundamentally, their complaint is about trying to get limitless access to all of Apple’s tools without paying anything for the value Apple provides,” said the company spokesperson.

Following the Competition Commission’s decision on Monday, Apple issued a blog post in which it said it plans to appeal the EU fine. It will argue that the Commission hasn’t actually found any evidence of harm to people and that Spotify is using EU rules to reinforce its dominance. “Free isn’t enough for Spotify,” the company in the blog post. “They also want to rewrite the rules of the App Store — in a way that advantages them even more.”

Spotify didn’t directly respond to Apple’s remarks. In early March, Spotify published an open letter to the EU about a separate Apple issue, complaining about the company’s plans to comply with the incoming Digital Markets Act, which involve changes to fees.

The Commission, meanwhile, is looking beyond both Apple and Spotify. What might look like a straightforward tech titan versus tech titan battle actually encompasses many more players — smaller streaming music services such as Soundcloud and Deezer, as well as midsized players such as Amazon and YouTube.

The regulator’s priority is that consumers aren’t disadvantaged by business strategies that strip them of choice or give them a worse deal. As the battle inevitably plays out in court for years to come, its ideal result is the one which provides people choice, as well as value for money.

The Regina George of the new 2024 Mean Girls movie — and her popular, pink-wearing entourage — will soon have a new crowd to reign over.

The musical movie Mean Girls hit theaters on Jan. 12, and Tuesday it’ll be Paramount Plus subscribers’ turn to enter the cutthroat halls of high school. The 2024 flick is based on the 2018 Broadway show, itself based on the 2004 film, with Reneé Rapp commanding the Plastics as George and Angourie Rice playing new student Cady.

Tina Fey wrote the new film version and plays Ms. Norbury, as was the case with the 2004 teen comedy, and the large cast also includes Auliʻi Cravalho, Jaquel Spivey, Avantika Vandanapu, Bebe Wood, Christopher Briney, Jenna Fischer, Busy Philipps, Jon Hamm, Ashley Park and Tim Meadows. If you want to watch the movie on Paramount Plus, here are more details on the streaming service.

Mean Girls’ release date on Paramount Plus

The musical movie will drop overnight on Tuesday, March 5, for folks in the US and Canada. Based somewhere else? Paramount Plus said Mean Girls’ “availability in additional international Paramount+ markets will be announced at a later date.”

In the US, Paramount Plus offers a $6 a month Essential plan and $12 a month Paramount Plus with Showtime plan. The Essential plan is ad-supported, but the Showtime plan only displays commercials on “live TV and a few shows.” The latter plan also throws in Showtime programming, the ability to download titles and your local live CBS station. If you’re feeling nostalgic for the original Mean Girls movie, it’s streaming on either Paramount Plus plan.

The Regina George of the new 2024 Mean Girls movie — and her popular, pink-wearing entourage — will soon have a new crowd to reign over.

The musical movie Mean Girls hit theaters on Jan. 12, and Tuesday it’ll be Paramount Plus subscribers’ turn to enter the cutthroat halls of high school. The 2024 flick is based on the 2018 Broadway show, itself based on the 2004 film, with Reneé Rapp commanding the Plastics as George and Angourie Rice playing new student Cady.

Tina Fey wrote the new film version and plays Ms. Norbury, as was the case with the 2004 teen comedy, and the large cast also includes Auliʻi Cravalho, Jaquel Spivey, Avantika Vandanapu, Bebe Wood, Christopher Briney, Jenna Fischer, Busy Philipps, Jon Hamm, Ashley Park and Tim Meadows. If you want to watch the movie on Paramount Plus, here are more details on the streaming service.

Mean Girls’ release date on Paramount Plus

The musical movie will drop overnight on Tuesday, March 5, for folks in the US and Canada. Based somewhere else? Paramount Plus said Mean Girls’ “availability in additional international Paramount+ markets will be announced at a later date.”

In the US, Paramount Plus offers a $6 a month Essential plan and $12 a month Paramount Plus with Showtime plan. The Essential plan is ad-supported, but the Showtime plan only displays commercials on “live TV and a few shows.” The latter plan also throws in Showtime programming, the ability to download titles and your local live CBS station. If you’re feeling nostalgic for the original Mean Girls movie, it’s streaming on either Paramount Plus plan.

A month after Samsung announced its Galaxy S24 lineup will let you upload HDR photos to Instagram, Google’s Pixel phone is here to share that spotlight.

Starting Monday, the Pixel 7 and 8 lineups, as well as the Fold, will let you share Ultra HDR photos and 10-bit HDR videos on Instagram. Footage shot in HDR, which stands for high dynamic range, depicts more vibrant colors, brighter intensity and higher contrast. Essentially, photos and videos look more realistic and less washed out. That can give your content a leg up when people scroll through their feeds. The capability rolls out globally March 4 and in the US on March 11.

See also: Google Gave the Pixel 8 Cameras a Major Upgrade. Here’s How They Did It

Google is also expanding its Circle to Search feature to more Pixel phones. This AI-powered tool lets you circle or highlight anything on your screen to instantly get Google Search information on it, without switching apps. Like what an influencer is wearing in a social media post? Want to know more about an unfamiliar landmark? Hold down your phone’s home button or navigation bar, then tap or draw a circle around what you’d like to search and Google will instantly pull up more information. If you have specific questions about something you see, you can type them into the search bar that pops up too.

Circle to Search was already available on the Galaxy S24 series as well as the Pixel 8 lineup, and Google’s now expanding it to the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro as well.

Ahead of Mobile World Congress last week, Google also shared a handful of Android updates like integrating its Gemini AI tool into Messages and making Google Wallet passes available in Wear OS, so you can access boarding passes and tickets right from your smartwatch.

See the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro Up Close and Personal

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Google hasn’t forgotten about its inaugural smartwatch. The first-generation Pixel Watch will soon be updated with some of the Pixel Watch 2’s key features, such as automatic workout detection, pace training and heart zone alerts. The update provides more consistency across Google’s smartwatch lineup and bolsters its fitness offerings as rival Samsung zeroes in on health tracking.

Google has previously said that certain Pixel Watch 2 features will arrive on the original Pixel Watch, but it’s only just announced availability. The software update will start rolling out on March 11 in the US and March 4 in other markets.

Read more: Smart Rings Are Picking Up Where Fitness Trackers Left Off

Pace and heart zone training are among the most significant Pixel Watch 2 features coming to the older Pixel Watch through this update. These settings allow you to set pace and heart rate zone targets, which enables the watch to alert you when you fall in and out of those desired ranges.

The watch buzzed my wrist as I started to slow down during a run at an outdoor track when I tested these tools on the Pixel Watch 2 last year, prompting me to pick up the pace. While it might not sound like a huge addition, it does help bridge the gap between a general-purpose smartwatch like the Pixel Watch and training watches like those made by Garmin. But notably, the Pixel Watch 2 has a new heart rate sensor that’s said to be more accurate.

Additionally, the Pixel Watch gains automatic workout detection for running, walking, elliptical workouts, spinning, outdoor biking, treadmill exercises and rowing — addressing one of the watch’s biggest shortcomings. You’ll also be able to see how much time you’ve spent in specific heart rate zones during a workout and use the Fitbit Relax app for breathing exercises. Public transit directions will also be available in Google Maps now that Google has added that feature to Wear OS watches.

But the Pixel Watch 2 still has some extras that could make it a better choice for those particularly interested in health tracking, namely its updated heart rate sensor and irregular heart rhythm notifications.

Still, the update makes the original Pixel Watch a more capable fitness tracker than before. And the update comes as Samsung has been doubling down on its health tracking efforts with new upcoming Samsung Health features like My Vitality Score, which evaluates your current state based on sleep, activity and other data. The smartphone giant also showed off a new fitness tracker called the Galaxy Ring, which will be launching later this year, during the Mobile World Tech conference in Barcelona last week.

Get a Closer Look at Google’s Pixel Watch 2

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Foldable phones are all the rage right now, but they often carry a hefty price tag. If you’re looking to get your hands on a foldable model, Amazon has a deal you won’t want to miss. Right now you can score a $150 discount on our favorite foldable phone, the Galaxy Z Flip 5. That brings the price of the 256GB model to just $850.

We’ve seen this phone go for as low as $800 in the past, but this is still a fantastic Z Flip 5 deal for anyone wanting to upgrade to a foldable phone. We’re not sure how long Amazon will offer this deal, so be sure to act soon if you don’t want to miss out on these savings.

Unlike flip phones of years gone by, the Z Flip 5 offers tons of great features in a small, compact package, with the 3.4-inch outer cover screen being one of its biggest perks, as CNET phone guru Lisa Eadicicco noted. It also has a super fast Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip, and when fully open, it’s 6.7 inches, so you get a lot of phone for the size.

As of right now, you can score the discount on all colors that are in stock, including cream, graphite, lavender and mint. And if you’re looking for even more storage, the 512GB models are on sale as well right now for just $970.

You’ll want to act fast because prices fluctuate on Amazon, as does stock, and getting the unlocked foldable Z Flip at this price won’t last long. It’s worth noting that Amazon also offers a trade-in program that lets you save up to $401 in exchange for your old phone.

Months after Apple introduced its newest M3 processor in MacBook Pros and iMacs, the MacBook Air lineup has had an M3 upgrade of its own. New M3-equipped 13- and 15-inch Airs were announced Monday, and are available Friday, March 8, but can be preordered now.

The new Airs have the same design as the M2 models, abandoning the older, tapered Air body that’s now discontinued — the M1 Air is no longer being sold. The M3 chip is the main new draw, along with faster Wi-Fi 6E support and a capability to connect to two external displays. MacBook Airs were limited to one external display previously. However, there’s a catch: The M3 Airs need to have their lids closed to support two displays.

The new Airs start at a similar US price as before: $1,099 for the 13-inch Air with 8GB of RAM and 256GB solid-state drive, and $1,299 for the 15-inch Air, also with 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD. Configurations ramp up to 24GB of RAM and a 2TB SSD. Colors are the same as before, too, but Apple’s promising a more fingerprint-resistant coating on the midnight dark blue Air models.

The M2 Air line is sticking around, with the base model M2 13-inch Air costing $999. That’s been the common sale price for M2 13-inch Airs, but it’s a great starting price on a still-powerful laptop that’s bound to drop lower on sales this year.

Picking up a portable Bluetooth speaker is a great way to take your music just about anywhere, whether it’s around the pool, to the beach, or when you’re off camping. There are tons to choose from, but JBL, which is owned by Samsung, is one of the biggest names around. The JBL Xtreme 2 Bluetooth speaker is from a few years ago now but it’s well-reviewed and right now you can pick it up for a price that’s hard to beat.

The Xtreme 2 would normally sell for around $200, but if you order your new speaker from Walmart today you’ll save $50 and pay just $150, a price that is available on no fewer than five different color options. All you have to do is pick the one that best fits your style.

In terms of features, there’s plenty to like about the Xtreme 2, starting with the 15-hour battery life and USB charging. Its IPX7 rating that makes this the perfect speaker for taking outdoors whatever the weather.

JBL’s Connect Plus software can wirelessly link more than 100 compatible speakers for an even better listening experience and the speaker even comes with integrated hooks so that it can be hung anywhere, too. Factor in the built-in bottle opener and it’s difficult to imagine what else you could possibly need to get the party started.

Bluetooth speakers are pretty great, but there are some times when you just want to keep the party to yourself. For those times, our list of the best wireless headphone deals is definitely the place to start. We keep that list updated all the time, too, so make sure to check back if you don’t see a deal that ticks all your boxes.

Microsoft Office is probably one of the most well-known productivity suites out there, so it certainly makes sense that Microsoft turned it into a subscription service. But paying $7 a month in perpetuity doesn’t suit everyone’s needs or budget. In that case, buying an older version of the software can be a way to get around the problem, and right now you can grab a Microsoft Office 2019 license for just $32 and avoid paying the monthly subscription fee altogether. Just be sure to use coupon code ENJOY20 at checkout to get the full discount. That’s a huge saving on the usual $229 price, so this deal from StackSocial is well worth grabbing.

There are two versions of Office here. Mac users will get the basic Home and Business suite of apps, which includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams and OneNote, while Windows users will get the Professional Plus version with more apps. Just note that you won’t get Microsoft Teams here.

This isn’t the latest version of Office, but compared to signing up for the Microsoft 365 subscription suite, which costs $7 a month or $70 a year for individuals, StackSocial’s offer is a great deal. There is a free online version of Microsoft Office out there that you can use, but it lacks several features, so this may be a better option. Apple users should note that Outlook is now available as a free app for the Mac.

Some important things to note: You’ll get a one-time use code for a single computer, which means you won’t be able to download these apps on multiple devices. And that means that if you upgrade to a new computer or your current one dies, you likely won’t be able to transfer the suite. These licenses also lack some of the added conveniences you’ll get with a 365 subscription, including OneDrive cloud storage and cloud-based AI features, including Microsoft Copilot. Additionally, these apps should work for as long as your computer does, but the Mac license has reached the end of its lifecycle, which means Microsoft’s support for this version of Office has ended. Windows users will have extended support through Oct. 14, 2025. There is also a risk that Microsoft could terminate the license at any time, but we’ve been running other versions of Office from StackSocial since early 2022 and have yet to encounter a problem.

Now that you have some sweet new software, you might need a computer to go with it. Be sure to check out our regularly updated list of the best laptop deals to make sure you don’t overpay.