The Department of Justice has sued Apple. According to theverge.com, the DOJ and 16 state attorneys general claim that Apple uas driven up prices for consumers and developers at the expense of making users more reliant on its phones. The suit alleges that Apple “selectively” imposes contractual restrictions on developers and withholds critical ways of accessing the phone as a way to prevent competition from arising. The suit has been filed in New Jersey. An Apple spokesperson said the suit “threatens who we are and the principles that set Apple products apart in fiercely competitive markets. If successful, it would hinder our ability to create the kind of technology people expect from Apple — where hardware, software, and services intersect. It would also set a dangerous precedent, empowering government to take a heavy hand in designing people’s technology.” Apple says it will vigorously defend against the suit. 

Reddit priced its IPO at $34 per share yesterday, and hauled in $519 million…valuing the company at $6.5 billion. CNBC reports that the ticker symbol will be RDDT. Although $6.5 billion is a ton of cash, the company is actually taking quite a haircut from its private market valuation of $10 billion at the peak of the tech boom in 2021. Reddit’s core business of online advertising faces competition from industry giants like Alphabet and Meta. The company also counts Snap, X, Pinterest, Discord, Wikipedia and Amazon’s Twitch streaming service as competitors, according to its prospectus. Revenue increased 20% last year to $804 million from $666.7 million in 2022. Its net loss in 2023 was $90.8 million, marking an improvement from the $158.6 million net loss it recorded the previous year.

DoorDash is expanding its partnership with the Wing division of Alphabet to bring a pilot drone delivery service to the US. According to TechCrunch.com, users in Christianburg, VA will be able to order eligible items from the local Wendy’s menu. In order to use the service, you need to have a small clearing on your property…at least 7 feet in diameter. There are also weight and volume restrictions. If the order is more than a drone can carry, you’ll get delivery from a regular Dasher. 

Waze is getting a new guest voice…and here’s a hint: ‘Who ya gonna call?’ Just in time for the release of Ghostbusters-Frozen Empire tomorrow March 22, Waze has scored Dan Aykroyd as a voice on Waze. Androidpolice.com says just choose ‘Spooky’ mood on the app, and there is Ray from Ghostbusters…the well-known voice of Dan Aykroyd. You can get a number of funny paranormal-themed comments as you drive to the next ghost busting event…or to work or home, of course. 

I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.