Apple tightens rules for iPad news delivery

Apple is putting the screws to a handful of European newspapers, no longer allowing them to provide their paid print subscribers with free access to their content through downloads into iPad apps. Whether this is the beginning of a wider crackdown is not yet known. "Apple verandert de regels terwijl het spel bezig is," Gert …

[Diskcrash]

Apple's walled garden is getting spikes on the wall

I love much of what Apple does with the design and work with they computers and other electronic products but they have always felt too restrictive to me and every time I start to weaken and seriously consider purchasing one they go and do something like this.

Even with its moronic lack of expandability and brain dead port expansion components the iPaddle was starting to suck me in but this will just kill it for me. Do you think that content publishers will be satisfied with a 30% loss in revenue or do you think they will either raise their prices to compensate for it or move to another platform (Android perhaps). Either way the people that ultimately get hurt and pay the price are Apple customers who from the start are paying a premium.

What is next? Apple telling their customers that they can only get software for their Mac or Mac Book from iTunes also?

Sorry but I will not give my money to people who feel that they can treat me like an idiot and expect me to say thank you for the experience. I mean seriously what rational in the world can justify the lack of an memory card slot on an iPad at the price that it is selling for other than a desire to control the customer and restrict their choices?

[Mike Green]

Hmmm....

'What is next? Apple telling their customers that they can only get software for their Mac or Mac Book from iTunes also?'

As soon as they think they can get away with it? I'd bet on it...

[MrT]

Well...

...they have just developed the App Store for use on their desktop and laptop ranges as well, which is no so much a step as a leap in that direction.

http://www.apple.com/uk/mac/app-store/

"Buy, download, and even redownload." Just like every other piece of online software then. Look out for the day they start renting it all out, like some kind of SAAS-style slot machine at 10p per level on Angry Birds.

[Giles Jones]

Read the article again

It's pretty simple to see why Apple are doing this.

Newspapers are releasing free applications to customers and then are charging them for content via their own servers. So for all the work Apple does to host the app, test it and "promote" it on the app store Apple get sod all.

Can you imagine any other online service allowing that? imagine if someone found a way around ebay listings and fees. Would ebay just sit there and let it happen? of course not.

As for SD card slots. Cheap cards create a huge number of problems. Also as a software developer you have to handle removal of the card while it is in use, the situation when someone removes the card and something important it on it.

Plus if someone puts a cheap card in that goes bad and their device misbehaves then Apple stores have to waste their time proving that is the case. Apple could produce their own authorised cards, but people would complain they cost more.

What would you put on the card anyway? music? iTunes handles synchronising of music so that wouldn't work. iPad has no user accessible file system in the same way desktops do. So you can't exactly copy things around. If you look at how Windows Phone 7 does it then you'll see it's not as simple as shoving an SD card slot on it.

In WP7 the card becomes locked to the device and the card becomes mapped as an extension of the internal memory. Sounds good yeah? wrong, the phone will fail to be usable when the card is removed. So you can see that if your card goes bad or someone steals it you will be left without a working device.

[Destroy All Monsters]

You sound like someone with Stockholm syndrome...

...trying to justify why the guy in the balaclava just kicked in your teeth.

To each his own.

[nsld]

@ Giles Jones

"Newspapers are releasing free applications to customers and then are charging them for content via their own servers. So for all the work Apple does to host the app, test it and "promote" it on the app store Apple get sod all."

Actually by having those apps from higher end publications they draw in new purchasers of the iGadgets.

As Jobs doesnt allow you to install stuff from anywhere but iTunes he can now do this, had it been the case from the start I doubt any publication would have gone near the app store or Apple products if they had to surrender 30% of subscriber value to be able to deliver content to some of the readership.

The simple solution for the content providers is to drop the apps and run a web based version only thats runs on the flashless browser of the iPad/phone, then they can serve there own content, run there own subscriptions, serve adds and leave Apple with zip.

[Anonymous Coward]

@ Giles Jones

The next step will be forcing all payments made through iOS's browser to be routed through iTunes first. They need to take take their 30% off that Amazon order you just made? That's what this may as well be.

I'm not sure how you can even try to sugar coat it, but it was a valiant effort.

Also Android handles SD cards just fine.

[Nader]

There's a way around it all...

...and it's called doing it yourself.

[Anonymous Coward]

you started well,,

Your point regarding the newspaper apps is a good one. It has a few flaws but that’s entirely due to the way apple do business full stop...

If apple allowed you to install software from other repositories other than iTunes then they wouldn’t be losing revenue from the cost of delivery of content from their servers. The other point is that there are many apps for the iphone that are "free". They make money from the use of adverts in the app, Do apple also demand a cut of the revenues from these apps?

Regarding the memory card issue. There are plenty of bits of kit that have no problem with SD cards and the removal while in use. Expect data loss. End of story...

Also, with the quality of the display, a memory card slot on a fondle slab would make it a compelling bit of kit for a photographer. But alas, i believe the lack of card slot is more about protecting revenue than any other technical reasons.

[Anonymous Coward]

@ Giles Jones

Why don't you wake up and smell what you are i-shovelling? Seriously, get f*cking grip.

[Ian Yates]

@Giles Jones

I entirely disagree.

The issue here is that these are already paid subscribers and the magazine/newspaper is just allowing them electronic access to something they produce in print.

Apple are basically saying, "yeah, we want a cut of your print sales".

I agree with the other commenter: these publishers need to move to web-only and just provide an "app" that opens a cut-down browser to their website.

I find Apple's walled garden philosophy normally quite baffling, but this is one of the first articles I've read where I can only describe my reaction to their actions as disgusted.

[thecakeis(not)alie]

@Giles Jones

That was truly spectacular. If you aren't already paid by Apple to be an apologist...you should be. Seriously sir, bravo.

[Anonymous Coward]

I think they already are but.....

The problem with Android is that there's no billing mechanism built in and (as a result maybe) Android owners are much less likely to pay for content. (I'm an iPhone developer so we've looked into these issues)

I suspect most newspapers will just drop their support for iPad and use a website formatted for iPad instead. Is there really any difference especially with HTML 5 around the corner?

I think it's very shrewd however that Apple used those smaller newspapers to supply them the content to make their device viable and then pulled the rug out from under them. It's not like they haven't pulled that trick before.

[Greg J Preece]

At what point does this get anti-competitive?

Apple start making life harder for other content providers, forcing them to modify their apps and possibly take them temporarily off market (as well as making them less profitable/less appealing to end users), right before releasing a joint content venture of their own? Cupertino really do like walking that fine line, huh?

[Petrea Mitchell]

A very fine line

Seeing as they're doing it just when consumers are going to have a ton more choices for touchscreen tablets, I think they get away with this one.

Dunno what it'll do to their market share when the content providers have to start telling their customers that they'll either have to pay for a separate digital subscription or switch to an Android device. Seeing as the Apple target demographic has money to burn, they might still get away with it.

[Anonymous Coward]

I may not be a trend-setter ...

First I got an ipod,

then a few more,

then an apple tv,

then a mac,

then an ipad,

then I looked into buying an xserve for business,

then Steve killed it,

then I thought "you were kind of pissing me off even before you pulled this one"

and I got an Android Phone

and then another one

and now I'm looking for a new Win 7 computer.

[Big-nosed Pengie]

Started well

Massive fail on the last line. Out of the frying pan into the fire.

[Charlie Clark]

It already is

If this pans out to be true then it is 1:1 the same as the iTunes music only for iPods restriction that was successfully challenged in Norway and elsewhere. Precedent in Europe at least. Of course, this may all be buried in some non-disclosure agreement between publisher and distributor and revenue-desperate publishers might be tempted to sign up which would mean individuals have to initiate action.

About the money - this is probably less about a chunk of subscription (as with app distribution the costs are likely to be the same) than it is about the possibly more lucrative advertising revenues of the kind of premium content that the iPad is likely to attract - The Economist is full of ads for Swiss watches - and "owning" the relationship with the customer: "If you like The Economist you might like..."

Regarding the app itself - as I was able to try before I buy The Economist on a friend's iPad I could read it with my existing subscription. Would be a real pity for Apple to drive a coach and horses through that.

[Frank Bough]

Restrictions?

"iTunes music only for iPods restriction"

No such restriction does, or ever did, exist.

[Nya]

Re: At what point does this get anti-competitive?

The sad thing is, to the general public all they see is gloss and shine, and ignore the damage to freedom, choice and a competitive market which follows Apple wherever it ventures. As Greg mentions about anti-competitive, the unfortunate issue is no one does anything against them. We all know how bad it is with Apple's own personal militia the "evengelist" which has been running since the 80's to flame anyone who dares tell the truth about Apple.

The end result is a press who is in Apple's pocket, and won't step out of line due to the aggro it produces. Without press support, politico's don't do anything as it's not a vote winner. It's not like the politico's are supposed to do things for the general sheep like public is it?

[JEDIDIAH]

...after irreparable harm is done.

> At what point does this get anti-competitive?

After irreparable harm is done and Apple controls enough of the market to make everyone's life miserable. That is the nature of many laws: clean up the mess after the murder/rape/assault/gross negligence has occoured.

[Gregorski]

One step too far

Up until now I've been on Apple's side in the debate. Unlike many Apple detractors on this site, I believe that having a partly walled garden isn't necessarily a bad thing for most consumers because of the vastly improved user experience it offers. Combine that with the fact that 99% of consumers don't care about being able to install hacked apps onto their hardware or do all those things that techies believe are essential.

iTunes app store has been a fantastic launching pad for many smaller software studios, allowing them to reach an audience they could never have dreamed of without Apples infrastructure. The 30% cut that apple take from these developers in return for distribution of their products is reasonable when you consider the cost to a small-time developer in infrastructure to do the same (and that isn't counting the potential marketing costs as well).

However, I believe that forcing content providers to manage their subscriptions via iTunes is one step too far. These are not apple's customers, they are the content providers customers, and the relationship belongs to the provider.

If Apple want a cut of this then the most they should expect is a fee from the provider per download of their app (in return for being an agent in the software distribution process). Whether the provider chooses to pass that fee on to the customer through charging for that app is up to them.

Apple are certainly playing a very dangerous game. As HTML 5 matures, providers will be able to migrate towards browser based products and continue to provide and similar level of end-user experience in their content. What will Apple do then? Block URL's in their web browser to those content providers services. The minute that happens they are dead in the water as a provider of the "mobile devices" that they claim is now their core business.

Come on Apple, you didn't create the content, don't expect a cut of the revenue.

[StooMonster]

Agree

When I pay my annual subscription to The Economist I don't see why Apple should get 30% cut, the App might be a tiny free download from Apple's servers but the content each week comes from The Economist's servers.

This could be a step too far for Apple, oh and Murdoch's newspaper is going to have all the success of Ping IMO.

[Annihilator]

Server space

"but the content each week comes from The Economist's servers"

At the moment, maybe. I'm betting that they want to push that content into Apple owned servers though.

Digital content being delivered with a cut being taken... huh. I really hope no-one explains to Steve Jobs how the Internet works - he may insist on hosting the Internet for iFans...

[Anonymous Coward]

Success

It's kind of a sign of success for a company, I think. When you stop thinking about looking after your business and start worrying about controlling everyone else's you know you're in the big leagues.

[Alby]

Not surprised in the slightest ...

When Apple came for the alternative app stores,

I remained silent;

I was not a alternative app store operator.

When they locked out jailbreakers,

I remained silent;

I was not a jailbreaker.

When they came for the Flash and interpreted code,

I did not speak out;

I was not a Flash or interpreted code user.

When they came for the content creators,

I remained silent;

I wasn't a content creator.

When they came for me,

there was no one left to speak out.

Because of their continual need to try and control how I use a product that I've purchased, I've avoided Apple products for the last 7 or 8 years and each day I feel more and more justified in doing it. As bad as the Apple situation gets, the real trouble will come when Google decide they don't need to play nicely any more and start rocking the boat in the same way as Apple are doing now. The ripples will be like tidal waves for a lot of businesses ...

[Anonymous Coward]

Nice comparison

Because Apple being unreasonable dicks about what apps they allow on their products is comparable with the Nazis murdering tens of millions of people.

You need to get some fucking perspective.

[Anonymous Coward]

The comparison is correct.

Although originally and famously about the Holocaust, the prose being referred to is actually a commentry on humanity, and are still valid when applied to Apple. See also "Bystander Syndrome".

[Anonymous Coward]

New Corporation?

Thought it was called News Corporation.

Maybe Apple should rename it the FoxiPad.

[Anonymous Coward]

Cross-border

My biggest worry is that they will shut down Zinio. As a Brit abroad, I use it to read UK magazines at UK prices, rather than the "EU" price, which is typically 3-4 times higher.

Once Apple can control content via store, God knows what they do. In Holland, you can't even buy TV shows or movies from iTunes, iBooks has a handful of titles. I doubt they'll go all out to fill the book store with a worldwide magazine selection.

[JeffyPooh]

I've heard that free Apps do exist [/sarcasm]

30% of nothing is nothing.

I'm not sure exactly how this might work with a end-user customer having a paid subscription to a paper hard-copy newspaper, and thus gaining *free* access to the same content electronically. But if the e-content is free for certain end-users, then see line 1.

[Sgt_Oddball]

Baaaa

When will the greater public see Apple for the greedy, two faced company it's becoming?

"oooh it looks nice" is starting to sound like the "Devils got the best tunes" argument more and more each day, as they push for 'open standards' while pushing more and more customers/developers/content providers for every penny they can by restricting what they can and can't do with each successive generation of iProducts and yet because It all looks so nice and is so easy to open your wallet to they let Apple get away with it.

No one else could possibly abuse their position like apple anymore and one day it will cause them to fall from grace just like Microsoft did.

[Jeremy 2]

I've said this before...

Jobs is a controlling, egomaniacal, anti-competitive Big Brother from hell but he's clearly a savvy businessman. Those who enter his domain should know that he can (and if you're wildly successful without giving him his cut, probably will) pull the rug from under your feet.

If developers still choose to play the App Store game despite knowing fully well that Apple exercise total control over what is and is not allowed and move the goalposts regularly and arbitrarily, they can't then be surprised when it happens to them.

In the early days of the App Store, developers had every right to cry bloody murder when Apple decreed from on-high that their application wasn't allowed any more but now *everybody* knows they do it. Accept the risk or keep away.

[~mico]

here comes another reason

for me not to buy iPad.

[henrydddd]

Who knows?

Who knows? With Apple's intense desire to control their customers, a few of us might chuck our smart I-whatever for the good old fashioned pc.

[KeithSloan]

Glad I have held off buying an iPad.

First they sower the patch with iAdvert.

Now this.

Certainly caused me to take iPad off my Birthday and Christmas list.

[Anonymous Coward]

Other reasons

You have to consider it from Apple's point of view. If people can get content that is loaded through apps then, not only does Apple loose revenue, but they loose control as well.

With the App Store and Marketplace they have been free to block any content they don't like, e.g. anything that promotes competitors, attacks friendly politicians, or harms important corporate relationships. Having writers circumvent that control is obviously unacceptable and can't be allowed to continue.

[M man]

except...

the internet!.

or is there somthing about the ipad i didnt read??

every time I start to weaken and seriously consider purchasing one they go and do something like this.

[Ben Tasker]

You forgot the joke icon!

Why exactly is it unacceptable for writers to circumvent Apples control?

Do users buy an i$DEVICE so that they can receive content solely from Apple?

And how does Apple lose revenue? Yes the App comes from the App Store (and from the article it appears its free) but the content comes direct from the authors. So Apple's not using anymore bandwidth than they would a free fart app.

Oh, you mean the authors earning money from their content and Apple isn't getting to take 30%. Poor Apple!

Thing is, if they could offer the App direct from their own site, don't you think the authors would? OK the App Store may carry marketing, but if you already subscribe to a specific paper odds are you'll download their app whether it's in the App store or that papers website.

[Anonymous Coward]

Can anyone say...

Restrictive monopoly?

[Demosthenese]

On the positive side...

Apple as publisher will now be jointly liable to every defamation case that the newspapers face.

[M man]

really...

yay!

[Dante]

Hey Jobs,

surely nothing to do with your love-in with Murdoch eh?

[Anonymous Coward]

Bye bye Internet, hello Applenet

And some fanbois still have the cheek to downvote comments that call them gullible.

<-- I'll get me coat. Thankfully it's not a mac.

[Chris 3]

Nope, I downvote them because they are trite

Really? You're suggesting that a move by Apple to screw money from newspaper publishers is going to be the end of the Internet?

Really?

And you want to be up-voted on that?

The newspapers, bless 'em have cottoned on to the fact that they can make some money by erecting paywalls. Paywalls that people can burrow through by paying cash and using either a Web browser (or at a premium) an iApp. Apple's decided that it would like to screw some money out of them. for the iApp access. Does that look money grasping? Yes. A threat to life liberty and UDP?

Apparently you think that Apple's move means that I won't be able to use IRC soon. But no, you're confusing the Web and the Internet.

So you think that Apple demanding payment for iApps will somehow close down the Web. How about the possibility that Apple charging for iApps will actually make the vanilla Web more attractive and stronger?

You sir deserve all the downvotes that you can garner.

[Anonymous Coward]

Hmmmm

"You sir deserve all the downvotes that you can garner"

Which seems to be approximately none at time of writing.

If you want a glimpse of the future look for an online film called EPIC 2014. It's about eight minutes long, IIRC, and worth every second.

[Anonymous Coward]

I don't mind Apple being "tight"

For why? Did I hear you ask? (I'll assume you did. I'll also assume that Little Snitch reported accurately with no false positives.)

But Little Snitch tells me domain go.epson.com denied from application Epsud then went on to piggyback calls from system files, Sophus update and Snapz Pro X.

I am assuming Little Snitch is reporting accurately and am a wee bit worried that a piggyback technology exists and is doing so covertly. I'm not very bright and if I can spot it perhaps others can too? And of those some may do the responsible thing and others might be tempted irresponsibly?

So, yes please Apple: make it tight; very, very tight.

[Mike Green]

A land grab from Apple? Shurely shome mishtake,,,,

So Apple are going to take over the subscription lists of newspapers, and setting up their own news delivery service... Nothing fishy there then....

[Tron]

Used to love Apple.

Back when they were hippies, published their ROM listings and broke the mould.

Wouldn't touch them with a bargepole now. Not nice. Avoid. They are beginning to define everything that is bad about the way tech is going.

Don't reward them with your hard earned money. Much more hinges on the success of Apple's corporate model than you looking fashionable amongst your mates.

Apple stuff: Turkish Delight from Narnia. Just say no.

BTW El Reg. Why can't we have profile pics? Every other board and forum has them.

[Anonymous Coward]

Goodies

We need to get Tim Brooke Taylor and Bill Oddie shouting at His Steveness as so:

You're a megalomaniac!

You're a megalomaniac!

You're a megalomaniac!

You're a megalomaniac!

Que Steve standing in for Graham Gardener:

I'm not! I'm not! I'm not!

(For you yoof, that is the part of the "pirate radio" episode where Graham tries to take the whole of Britain pirate by towing it outside the five-mile limit. The plan is finally foiled when Graham's foot stomping accompanying the "I'm not! I'm not! I'm not!" smashes a hole in the bottom of his row-boat).

[42]

I remeber

A walk in the black forrest on permanent play in that episode!

[Anonymous Coward]

re: Que Steve

Cue spelling flame: It's Graeme Garden

[Annihilator]

Delays, delays..

"Yesterday, however, came word that the rollout had been delayed for "weeks, not months.""

They said that about the white iPhone 4 as I recall...

[pepper]

anti-competitive

A Dutch politician actually suggested that the authorities should look into Apples policies concerning content and newspapers. Not sure if it is being follow up or not. Whatever it is going to be, Apple should know they are walking a thin line in Europe.

[SuccessCase]

More detail

It would be useful to have some more detail please. The article doesn't provide any facts apart from that a newspaper editor somewhere is upset. Does it mean for example Apple won't allow an app to access content made freely available via the web? Does it mean Apple won't allow mixing of paid for downloads and in-app free downloads both of which go through the app store approval process. Either:

1. There is a really serious issue here with Apple randomly and arbitrarily allowing/disallowing content from the open Internet in which case we need to know more

2. Apple have changed their Interpretation of an already published app store rule (there are a few relating to paid for apps/in-app/downloads being used as a way to deliver services that are beyond the scope of the download)

3. Apple have started enforcing an already published app store rule when it became apparent one of the rules was being broken

4. The Register is publishing hearsay without checking the detail to try to grab a headline - again - (in which case the news is that The Register is again experiencing growing pains and combing some really good write-ups with blog style stuff it hasn't properly vetted and that is based on hearsay).

Having posted the headline I would really like The Register to post a follow up to clarify this article. Other sites like Tech Crunch often reply to reader comments. The Reg tend not to, I guess as a part of an earlier apparent editorial style aimed to establish an authoritative but critical style. But if you are going to go for the mantle of editorial authority "The Reg says..." you do need to up your game and stop this steady stream of headlines that are then badly justified by the article itself. There may be a good story hear, it's just entirely unclear from your story if there is.

[Martin 47]

it happens to all big companies eventually

They all seem to forget who is the most important person to them in business and stop concentrating on the paying customer and start presuming that other stakeholders are more important instead.

Sony did it (and looks like they are still have not learnt the lesson) with DRM etc etc

Microsoft did it with vista

and there are many many others, seems like a routine part of the business cycle

[Anonymous Coward]

Simple...

You can't expect Apple to distribute the App for free so someone else can profit from the content and advertising.

[Anonymous Coward]

Hmmmm

And i take it they get no money from people buying their products? I guess that people buying their products because they can get their paid subscriptions on them doesnt get them more business does it?

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Simple...

Bullsh*t. When you lock out all other methods of distribution, you don't get to whine that it isn't fair because you have to do all of the distribution yourself.

[Andy Watt]

Typos...

"Apple and New Corporation..."

I think murdoch's world domination has been in progress for a while.

I had thought that El Reg's fruit-baiting was dying back - I see this comment thread will run and run!

Don't go blaming apple exclusively. Their grasping is understandable, if you jump into bed with newscorp you can expect them to get pissy about any competition - witness current machinations here in the UK with the sky takeover. Apple are hedging their bets on content provision and taking advantage of the opportunity to turn news and periodical distribution towards their existing business model. It's predictable.

I'm sure they can't cut off websites. Pay wall news sites will still work. Big deal, apps will fall away a little. HTML5 enhanced sites, anyone?

[Greem]

"pro" and "consumer"...

'What is next? Apple telling their customers that they can only get software for their Mac or Mac Book from iTunes also?'

How long until you have to pay top whack for Mac OSX Pro which will allow you to install "other" software, ie. not downloaded from iTunes? Not too long now given the OSX App Store's launch.

We poor "home" or "consumer" folks will have to make do with the App Store, and Apple will take a cut from every download. Want to install your own software from DVD or CD? Pay the cut up front on your OS costs.

Hrm. Believable, isn't it?

[Anonymous Coward]

I am constantly amazed

That people buy these products.

Would people buy a car that can only take one brand of fuel from one supplier? Or a car that would only allow you to use it as per the manufacturers rules?

Hell no.

Here's to apple not running MY life. EVER.

[Anonymous Coward]

You seem quite amazable then

If you buy a car you are just as restricted.

Try to put diesel in your petrol car and see what happens.

Try attaching a plough to your family saloon and go furrowing some fields - your car will break and the manufacturer will refuse to honour the warranty. Hell, just try not getting it serviced according to the manufacturers rules and see what happens.

Try reboring the engine, reprogramming the ECU and installing a NOx boost and see how much grief you get - not only will the manufacturer refuse to honour any warranty, your insurer will laugh at you and demand payment in the souls of your unborn children, no reputable garage will agree to service it, the DVLA will refuse to grant an MOT and you are asking for plod to have you charged.

Apple's restrictions not quite as bad as you first think then, when you stop being so excitable and start getting a grip. Or just get your iPad jailbroken - it's not rocket science.

[david bates]

Ridiculous

If I own a car and take it ploughing then yes, the manufacturer will not honor the warrentee. They wont TRY and stop my ploughing though, and they won't issue an update to disable all those cars that have been used for ploughing.

As for modding the engine, as long as it conforms to the laws of the road there is no problem. A dealer might not like it, and insurance will go up but if I want to put a V8 in a Mini I can. No-one will stop me.

Likewise, my Nexus One is cracked and rooted. When I cracked the bootloader (fairly trivial) there was a warning "Do you want to do this? Cracking the bootload voids your warrentee". Google did'nt try and stop me though, and OTA updates still work (they unroot it sometimes, but I can easily root again.

Your arguments are, at best, spurious.

[Sven]

Belgium

They are testing things out on a small country. If things work out, they will move up. If it doesn't, its only a small little country, they won't complain.

[Anonymous Coward]

Message from Steve

Just move countries, not that big a deal

Steve

Sent from my iPhone

-----

This message has been vetted by Apple, we think we're happy with it, but if we change our mind in the next 10000 years will delete it remotely

[Anonymous Coward]

Tomorrow Never Dies/The World Is Not Enough - 2

Have they decided on the plot for the new James Bond film?

Can James Bond stop an alliance of a couple of media moguls from holding the world to ransom?

Gadgets - check

Villain with white Cat - er, does Steve Jobs have a white cat?

[hplasm]

No cat-

But Stevo has a white iPad.

[TeeCee]

White cat?

One of those long haired, uber-villain accessory types?

With a *black* polo-neck? Do Sellotape cut you in for a %age if he reads this and gets one?

[g e]

Here's a radical idea, then

Don't support Apple products

[JarekG]

Yes

People who have brains don’t.

[Frank Bough]

If...

...you tell yourself that every day, your world doesn't seem so awful, does it?

[Anonymous Coward]

Hacking

And they wonder why people are eager to hack their products.

[Tralala]

serves you right

ooh, the lemmings are complaining now...

Why ever not? What the fxxk else do you expect?

Didn't iPrunes not teach you rabbits anything?

You guys bought these things and told us how beautiful, wondrous and shiny they are [did you get a commission?] So why don't you just suck it up and stop moaning.

So bored. Really, really, really bored with this promo material.

If you can manage independent thought why not ask yourselves what else merited such coverage; Razrs, Blackberries? And what is the common denominator?

It's a fad. it's been over two years.

The thing is dying. Can we move on to something else? Please?

[Anonymous Coward]

Yet another reason to never trust Apple

They censor the News.

[url]

@Greg J Preece

it's long overdue imo.

really hoping that it happens soon.

[Anonymous Coward]

Nasty piece of work.

Goodbye apple app, hello HTML5 and an EU referral.

Jobs is a nasty piece of work who has been trying to recreate the AOL walled garden for years.

Require him to release software that opens up ALL his products to any app store or provider - break him on the wheel of fair competition.

[Destroy All Monsters]

There are people who still wants to read The Economist?

Have those &%*& apologized for their unconditional support for the Afghan War yet?

Yeah, didn't think so.

Same about "Orthodox" Bubble Economics?

What a rag. I let the subscription expire 5y ago and never looked back.

[ceebee]

so what is new...

I am always surprised by people's reactions to the latest twist in Apple's fight to totally control its platform. They have been like this since the beginning.

Part of Job's obsession with control seems to stem from clones of the Apple II that hurt Apple's bottom line.

The Lisa and then the original Macintosh were originally designed with a totally locked down environment in mind.

Apple has a history of litigation and attempts at control... this is just the latest (and will surely not be the last) round in the battle.

If Apple (or MS) ever force me to use an Apps store to install software on my Mac or PC I think the time will finally come to move to Linux despite its many problems.

[Walking Turtle]

Both Jobs and Murdoch are...

well-known in certain International Reportage quarters as loyal Bilderberger affiliates. Well known Webside even though a "Hermetick Secret" of their Black Lodge, which has NOTHING to do with Dermal Melanin Levels. Venetian Black Nobility heirs-in-spirit. Not a fair spirit - never was and ain't gonna' change. So that's is where they come from.

The inquisitive can readily search out the rest of the Infandous History Webside, of course, via the reliable word of their favorite far-searching spider-driver's Virtual Vehicle... Or just review Spielberg's remarkably illustrative "Pinky and the Brain" series on any Web Video site that might still host 'em. {NARF!)

Synopsis: These two, as is so with all the rest of their little cadre of underhanded 'n' foul-dealin' 'brethren' of the Order, are merely trying to take over the world (which is still to some palpable degree both yours, Gentle Reader, and MINE TOO) for their own exclusive Apex of Benefit. Oh of course there maybe just might be just a little wee bit of Collateral Damage inflicted upon sub-apex-positioned others here and there - even unto the utter ruination of all the Rest of Us, one incrementally abdicated Traditional Personal Liberty at a time.

But what of that? Such a precedent! Think of this little Corporate News Consolidation Action as those two corporatists' meticulously engineered and Very Shiny entrance to a downright huge and extremely profitable (for Jobs+Murdoch) Coin-Operated Laundromat for the Burgeoning Apple Fanboi Mind(sic) Market. Nothing more than that.

Disclaimer: This-here Red Injun does not put Apple Gear onto the 'net. THIS one accepts the occasional donation, efficiently strips out the recyclable bits, sells those off to others who want 'em for (small) fair-market-value cash, then pays to dispose of the remaining detritus at Normal Free Market Rates from the proceeds of the prior Materials Upgrade and sales activities. (A Labor of Love...? Well, from a certain perspective...) ;)

So move along move along now folks, nothing to see here move along that's right move along. (You! With the camera! YOU come with ME NOW!)

And that is all! >:(

[MDR]

It's their field, too

I'm not surprised by the in-flight rules change. It's not just Apple's ball, it's their field and the officials are their employees.

Oh, and the only reason Apple must bear the cost of distributing a free app is because they chose to build the walled garden in the first place.

[Anonymous Coward]

Cant be accurate...

Surely if they are allowed to implement such a rule that means the end of all these non-apple ebook reading apps like Kindle, Kobo, etc? Or Spotify app, Pandora app and just about anything that requires a non=itunes based purchase to allow you acess? What about the Sky+ app - which is free and requires a subscription to work that is nothing do do with itunes? Or the conent supplied by the Sky mobile player? Or any of the radio apps out there?

Either apple wil have to go down the route of applying one rule for one, and another for everything else - and thus get challenged by publishers and content providers everywhere (Taking on Amazon?) Or they will have to back down?

I suspect that if this article is accurate, it's more to do with News Corp putting the pressure on than Apple.

Besides, NewsCorp sells the Times subscriptions and allows their subscribers to get the iPad edition for free......

[hj]

so, there will be a price differentiation then...

350,- euro for an android tablet and 400,- for the ipad version... problem solved, people choose everybody happy.

[slooth]

Worms

I think Stevey boy and Larry went to lunch together and ate some bad pork. Now they have worms munching their brains, which is making them think that they are super-powerful and will not fail......

[Anonymous Coward]

Ahh...monopolies......

The sooner we get credible android/window tablets launched, the better

[Anonymous Coward]

(untitled)

"Apple is changing the rules while the game is in progress."

Oh noes! It's not like any other corporation would do that! Like Sony would never deactivate alternative OS on the PS3! Or T-Mobile would try to switch your 3GB of data to 0.5GB!

Or maybe, the difference is that Apple is doing it to companies (yikes, get lawyers on the phone!) while the others are doing it to consumers (meh, who cares).

[Ascylto]

Jobs & Murdoch

I am an Apple fanatic.

There, I said it.

As soon as I heard Jobs was to get into bed with Murdoch I became a skeptic.

[Jellyjazz]

More jailbreaks

This just encourages more jailbroken iPads and handsets, people with these immediately stop buying anything, in turn less profits for everyone. Doing a deal with News Corp isn't a good idea also, with a massive scandal being released by Wikileaks around the corner,

PS - You can can still get the Wikileaks app via Installous (whats the app store?) :P

[Miek]

Um

Stop using iCrap, job done.

[Anonymous Coward]

Apple should have the strength of their convictions...

...and do the following on their desktop systems too:

- block flash

- block access to websites which sell content to people directly, rather than via itunes

- block access to websites selling software to people directly, rather than via itunes.

If it's right to do this stuff, then surely it's right to do it on an iMac too?

Or have I missed something here?

[Anonymous Coward]

With an army of deluded fanboys...

Willingly prepared to bend over and take whatever Apple shoves up them then there isn't much anyone can do about any rules (Apart from withdraw and lose business that is).

Especially when those fanboys immediately start pretending that everything Apple does is wonderful.

[Anomalous Cowturd]

FFS people!

Just how many more times do Apple think they can get away with "moving the goalposts after the ball is kicked"?

I gave in to pester power and bought my little princess an iPod Touch for Christmas. Boy does she wish now that I'd bought her an Android phone instead. Had to install Windows on her lappy just to let her put music on it.

Sack of cack!

Hopefully, in a year or two, Apple will do the decent thing for once, and just die.

[Mystic Megabyte]

It's time to re-read

The Machine Stops

https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/The_Machine_Stops

[Spongibrain]

economist audio edition podcast

The economist already publish an audio podcast through iTunes.

This is free to print subscribers. Do apple current get a 30% cut on that? I'd assumed not.

[darrylsaladino]

Ya

Rumors have been swirling that the launch of this efforts was scheduled for January 19 in San Francisco, at an event hosted by both Steve Jobs and Rupert Murdoch.

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http://www.downloadvlcplayer.net/download.html