Apple plans to show ads on its Maps app 'this summer'

Apple's new Apple Business service brings ads to Maps | Source: Apple

Advertising is set to appear on Apple Maps soon, at least in Canada and the US. Apple confirmed it will start showing ads in the navigation app "this summer." Similar to the ads on the Apple App Store, businesses interested in advertising their services on Apple Maps can claim their physical location and upload photos through Apple's new Apple Business service. They can pay Apple to have their businesses shown at the top of search results that are "based on relevance" as well as in the "Suggested Place" section.

Apple noted that users' personal data will remain on the device and won't be collected by the company or shared with third parties. Ads viewed in Maps will not be tied to users' Apple accounts or used to track their actual locations.

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Spotify SongDNA lets you discover how your favourite songs are linked

Source: Spotify

If you're a music lover who enjoys doing deep dives into your favourite tracks, Spotify has started to roll out the beta version of its SongDNA feature. Available for Spotify Premium subscribers on iOS and Android, SongDNA shows you more than the singer, songwriter or producers. The beta feature expounds on the existing About the Song feature. It displays other connections, including covers of the track, information on samples, interpolations, and other projects in which the song's collaborators are involved. Spotify plans to complete the rollout of SongDNA sometime in April.

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Nintendo reportedly plans to produce fewer Switch 2 units amid weaker demand

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Weakening demand for the Nintendo Switch 2 in the US has reportedly prompted the company to lower its projected production count for the console. Bloomberg reported that the Japanese gaming company plans to produce four million units of the flagship device, down from the initially expected six million. The news outlet, citing unnamed sources, said the reduced output rate is expected to continue in April.

The weaker demand was acknowledged by Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa in an earnings call last month, stating, "Overseas sales were somewhat weaker than expected." Despite the rumoured production slowdown, Bloomberg's sources noted that the company is still expected to meet its target of selling 19 million Switch 2 units by the end of the fiscal year, which concludes in March 2026.

SOURCE | VIA

Disney reportedly pulls out of OpenAI deal after Sora shutdown

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OpenAI has announced it will shutter its Sora AI video app a few months after its launch. Consequently, Disney is reportedly withdrawing from its deal with OpenAI, The Hollywood Reporter wrote. The entertainment giant agreed to license the use of some of its characters in Sora and committed to investing US$1 billion in the company, a source told the news outlet. The objective behind the deal was to integrate OpenAI's tech into Disney+. However, with the app gone, it doesn't necessarily mean the technology goes away, so Disney could potentially enter a deal with another AI company.

The Hollywood Reporter noted comments from a Disney spokesperson. “As the nascent AI field advances rapidly, we respect OpenAI’s decision to exit the video generation business and to shift its priorities elsewhere,” the spokesperson said. “We appreciate the constructive collaboration between our teams and what we learned from it, and we will continue to engage with AI platforms to find new ways to meet fans where they are while responsibly embracing new technologies that respect IP and the rights of creators.”

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