Enterprise
Qualcomm drops all charges against Apple
Agrees to new multi-year deal
In just a few weeks, the war for the Iron Throne will finally come to a swift conclusion. However, before that happens, one of the real world’s most intense corporate fights has ended. Earlier today, Qualcomm and Apple have buried the hatchet, ending an eternity’s worth of petty banter and litigious strife. Before its end, the conflict has cost both companies billions of dollars.
Previously, Qualcomm ordered Apple to pay US$ 31 million in damages. The subsequent trials were supposed to determine Apple’s final fees. At the eventual trial, Qualcomm and Apple declared the ceasefire, dismissing all cases worldwide.
Further, both companies have agreed to a new multi-year deal. In Apple’s case, the iPhone maker has agreed to pay off an undisclosed amount of royalties to Qualcomm for six years. On the other hand, Qualcomm has also agreed to provide chipsets for several years. To top it all off, Apple will pay an undisclosed one-time fee.
On paper, the deal seems like a victory for Qualcomm. The chipmaker finally attained its goal: to get royalties from Apple. Before the situation escalated, Qualcomm complained about Apple’s allegedly illegal usage of its chips. Finally, all conflicts have been resolved.
Besides the end of the trials, the resolution can potentially speed up Apple’s production of a 5G-capable iPhone. Without Qualcomm’s help, Apple’s 5G iPhone would have launched between 2020 and 2021. Now, Qualcomm can help Apple achieve this earlier.
Surprisingly, Qualcomm and Apple’s peace treaty has sent shockwaves across the industry. Intel, another player in the 5G race, has suddenly backed out of the 5G smartphone market, leaving the race open for Qualcomm, Samsung, and Huawei.
SEE ALSO: Samsung and Qualcomm refuse to sell 5G modems to Apple
Enterprise
Cebu Pacific becomes 1st SEA low-cost carrier with Starlink Wi-Fi
Rollout expected to begin in 2027
Cebu Pacific has introduced Starlink, making it the first low-cost airline in Southeast Asia to bring Wi-Fi in the sky for passengers.
The rollout is expected to begin in 2027. Starlink delivers an unparalleled broadband experience inflight, with high-speed, low-latency Wi-Fi capable of HD streaming, online gaming, productivity and more.
Beyond enhancing the passenger experience, Starlink will also support improved operational connectivity for Cebu Pacific’s flight crews and operational teams. This enables better operational efficiency.
The collaboration is a significant milestone for Philippine aviation. The rollout forms part of Cebu Pacific’s continued investment in customer experience and digital innovation.
As part of the partnership, Cebu Pacific and Indigo Partners portfolio airlines, Wizz Air, and JetSMART expect to install Starlink on over 1,000 aircraft.
Enterprise
Google ordered to pay EUR 4.1 billion in fines
The EU alleges that Google uses its apps to establish an unfair dominance.
European fines have unintentionally become a normal part of doing business in the American technology space. For too long have American companies paid paltry fines to prevent harsher regulation in the European Union. Now, for the first time, Google is about to pay a record-breaking fine that goes beyond “paltry.”
Today, via CNBC, Google has been ordered to pay an astonishing EUR 4.1 billion (or approximately US$ 4.67 billion) in fines. The fine is in response to an anti-competition case.
This has been a long time coming for Google. The original case started in 2018. At the time, the European Union accused the brand of using anti-competitive practices to ensure its dominance in the smartphone market. According to the courts, the company’s bundling of first-party apps for every Android smartphone gives them an unfair advantage in the market and lessens the user’s choice in selecting apps.
For years, Google has fought the fine to seemingly no avail. Now, the company has lost its final attempt, which means that the fine still stands. On the bright side, they did get it reduced from the original EUR 4.34 billion fine.
The European Union is the scourge of every American tech company (and a godsend to consumers). Most notably, the continent’s government forced Apple to adopt USB-C, leading to a more universal experience across brands.
Google’s hefty fine aims to do the same. And it is quite hefty. Whereas previous fines were in the millions (and hence, negligible for most companies), a fine in the billions is more tangible.
Apps
foodpanda relaunches cult-favorite roast chicken brand after 8 years of persistent search queries
Heritage chain Andok’s returns to the platform, driven entirely by long-term user analytics.
In the world of e-commerce and food delivery, platform algorithms usually dictate what consumers see. But occasionally, consumer behavior is so relentless that it shapes the platform’s strategy.
In a move driven entirely by long-term user analytics, foodpanda has officially relaunched Andok’s, one of the Philippines’ most iconic heritage rotisserie chains, back onto its platform after an eight-year absence.
The search bar as a digital wishlist
The decision to ink the partnership wasn’t just a marketing play. It was a response to an ongoing data anomaly. Despite being offline from the foodpanda platform for eight years, Andok’s consistently ranked as one of the most-searched merchants on the app.
Year after year, users treated the empty search results page as an unofficial wishlist. This persistent search intent gave foodpanda a clear, data-backed signal of pent-up demand.
Prior to the official digital rollout, teaser campaigns on social media validated this demand, generating thousands of organic interactions from users anticipating the return.
Bridging heritage flavor with digital infrastructure
For foodpanda, onboarding a merchant with this level of built-in demand fits its broader strategy of marketplace optimization and hyper-local network expansion, turning a heritage brand into another data point for how legacy retail plugs into delivery infrastructure.
For Andok’s, the integration works as a fast track to digital scale. A legacy quick-service chain skips years of independent app development and reaches customers already using foodpanda’s existing logistics network, on a platform they already check daily.
Andok’s built its following on charcoal spit-roasted chicken, a slow-cooked technique that’s stayed largely unchanged since the brand’s early days, alongside seasoned grilled pork belly.
More recently, the Dokito line extended that following into crispy fried chicken and chicken burgers, broadening the brand’s appeal beyond its original rotisserie format and giving foodpanda a menu with both heritage pull and everyday fast-food convenience.
-
News2 weeks agoSamsung releases teaser with Spider-Man: Brand New Day Easter eggs
-
Wearables1 week agoGarmin launches its first screenless fitness band
-
Gaming2 weeks agoMost of the world’s PlayStations will be officially useless by 2028
-
Automotive2 weeks agoMercedes-Benz celebrates 140th anniversary at the Presidential Car Museum
-
Hands-On6 days agoHands-on: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8, Flip8, Ultra
-
Apps2 weeks agoiOS 27 public beta gives us our first taste of Siri AI
-
Accessories5 days agoCASETiFY revives Spider-Man collection for Brand New Day
-
Cameras6 days agoSony announces new FX5 full-frame camera
