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Facebook won't require political ad labels for news outlets
Earlier this year, Facebook announced and enacted a plan to require all political advertisements to carry a "Paid for by" label and be listed in an ad archive. Now the company is granting an exemption for those requirements to legitimate news publications. Promoted posts and ads run by approved news outlets will once again able to appear in the News Feed without undergoing Facebook's transparency protocol. The exemption will start in the UK (today also marks the start of ad transparency enforcement in the region) and will come to the US and other countries next year.
Google's AI-powered News app arrives on iOS
A redesigned Google News for iOS was a notable inclusion at the Google I/O keynote last week. Today it rolls out officially, replacing the existing Google Play Newsstand, which launched on iOS in 2014 as a news and magazine subscription hub. The app has been completely reimagined, designed to handle the ever-evolving way we consume news, and leveraging existing AI and machine-learning technology to create a personalized and curated experience. Most importantly, it draws from a variety of sources to deliver packages of opinion, analysis and fact-checked articles focused on specific newsworthy events, giving users a solid platform from which to make up their own minds about current affairs.
Apple's Newsstand generates big profits for publisher Future
Magazine publishing company Future has had some closures lately, as its traditional magazine business isn't doing so well. But it turns out the iPad publishing business is rocketing right up: The company reports that Apple's Newsstand app has earned it over $8 million in the last year since the service began in October of 2011. As of last March, the company had over 12 million of the "container" app downloads (which are the free trial apps you download before actually purchasing magazine issues), and had seen over a half million sales. At this point, those numbers are even higher, and with more and more iPads out there in the wild, they're likely still growing. Future's planning a lot more with this market as well, working on a brand new platform for putting these digital magazines together, announcing plans for new digital editions around the world, and new and better ways to monetize all of this digital content that it's creating. Hopefully Future can find a way for digital sales to help shore up its recent losses in print sales, and keep some of these much-beloved tech publications running.
New York Times nears half-million online subscriber mark, halves free article allowance to celebrate
The New York Times just gave you more reason to consider making the jump to a paid online subscription -- beginning in April, that free article allowance will see a 50-percent cut, from 20 monthly articles to just 10. This modification comes one year after NYTimes.com launched its infamous content paywall, and following an announcement that the publisher has signed up 454,000 digital subscribers. Paying readers will receive a 12-week subscription that they can gift to anyone on the fence about swiping for access, and smartphone and tablet app users will continue to have access to the "Top News" sections for free. You'll also be able to read articles linked from other sites on the web, including your inbox, and can access five free posts a day that appear in search engine results. Completely unfettered access will range in price from $15 to $35 per month -- you'll find full details in the PR just past the break, and at the source link below.
The Daily celebrates a year with 100,000 paid subscribers on iPad
One of the iPad's first regular periodical publications (if not the first one) The Daily launched a year ago. It's been a fairly rocky year. Originally, the Rupert Murdoch-funded app hoped it could get at least half a million subscriptions to keep its publication going; a few months ago we heard that there were 120,000 daily readers, and now Mashable says the paper boasts 100,000 paid subscribers. Despite not nearly reaching its original goal, The Daily still seems to be rolling on. Publisher Greg Clayman says that when the app originally launched, the goal was to make an experience unique to the tablet. That's why The Daily began only on the iPad and has only recently added content on the Android platform, via the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. Clayman says that while the company has kept its choice of platforms slim, The Daily has been delivering on its promise to break news; it was the first to report on the story of Paula Deen having diabetes and Alec Baldwin wanting to run for mayor in New York. Clayman says that The Daily is still headed for profitability "over the next couple of years," which he says is actually better than most traditional publications. The Daily might not have the readership that it hoped to have, but a year into its existence Clayman seems optimistic about the publication's future. "We now have a fully baked, fully functional app CMS, and a large, engaged readership," he says. "A year ago we were asking how to build the boat. Now it's about understanding the best way to steer the boat."
New York Times reveals labyrinthine subscription plans, Canadian readers already hitting paywall
We knew it was coming, and now The New York Times has followed through on its promise to erect a paywall for online content, which means no more free news -- kind of. Starting today in Canada and March 28th in the US, NYTimes.com will ask visitors reading more than 20 articles per month to pay for their info fix. The new plan offers monthly subscriptions of $15 with a smartphone app, $20 with tablet app, or $35 for complete digital access -- subscribers with a physical subscription will be granted a full pass, except on e-readers. Further convoluting the pay structure, entry from sites like Twitter and Facebook won't face the same restrictions, and access via Google is set at five free visits per day. Other news sources, including The Wall Street Journal, have already started charging for online content in the face of declining ad revenue, but this is certainly one of the most elaborate systems we've seen so far. The subscription plan was unleashed in Canada today, allowing the paper to iron out any kinks before hitting the US, which means you've got just under two weeks to hit NYTimes.com completely free -- after that, prepare to be confused.
Former Newsweek editor planning iPad magazines
Former Newsweek Magazine President Mark Edmiston is planning to launch a set of magazines formatted for the iPad, according to a report out from Mashable today. Nomad Editions, a new media company launched by Edmiston, started releasing five digital weekly magazines this past fall: Real Eats, Wave Lines, Wide Screen, u+me and BodySmart, with the newest title, u+me, coming in February 2011. Each title is offered as a free trial for four editions/weeks, and after that, the price is US$6.00 per 90 days or $2 per month -- a pretty fair price for a weekly magazine. While Nomad Editions will be in competition with some other high-profile, iPad-centric publications, like Rupert Murdoch's The Daily and Richard Branson's Project, Edmiston has structured his company a little differently with a small staff of freelancers contributing content in exchange for a share of any revenue derived from sales. With some reports saying that iPad magazines aren't faring well over time, this should be a good comparison test to see which model performs better in this new digital marketplace. [via Mashable]
Despite strong start, iPad magazines not faring well over time
There's good news and bad news on the iPad publication front. First of all, lots of iPad magazines seem to be having respectable launches -- Wired's first iPad edition did a full 100,000 downloads earlier this year, and other magazines have seen similarly large numbers at launch, as customers download the app or content just to see what it's like. But that content doesn't seem to be holding anyone's attention, as most publications are seeing major drops over the rest of the year. Magazines like GQ, Vanity Fair, and Glamour have seen about a 20 percent user drop off per month from September to November, at a time when there were more iPads available than ever. Reports say publishers are still hopeful -- they believe that solid holiday sales of Apple's tablet device could bring customers back after the new year. But numbers like these won't get anyone excited in publishing more iPad content, unfortunately. By the time there are enough iPad customers out there to make a digital publication on that platform worth it, publishers may have lost interest. [via Engadget]
Rumor: Apple's newspaper subscriptions could debut next month
Last week the Mercury News reported that Apple is working on plans to sell newspaper subscriptions to iPad owners. Today, a follow-up from the Wall Street Journal suggests that it could launch as early as next month, and will include magazines as well. While Apple declined to comment, the WSJ's sources note that plans are moving forward, even though publishers are hesitant. Some see Apple's dominance over the online music market as foreboding, while others are leery of Apple's typical 30 percent cut. Among the reportedly agreeable publishers is Hearst, which owns huge properties like the Oprah Winfrey magazine, Esquire, Cosmo (admit it, you take the quizzes) and The Houston Chronicle, among others. I've used the current Popular Mechanics app, another Hearst product, and love it. Also in contention is data that publishers use for their marketing efforts, like name, email addresses, subscription histories and more. Apple reportedly doesn't want to turn it over, and publishers want it. I'm hoping it works out, because I find I'm reading newspapers more than I have in decades since buying my iPad. Also, I'd love to have a regular subscription to my old hometown paper delivered to me digitally every day.
'iGuide' another rumored tablet/service name from Apple
"iSlate" isn't the only less-than-exciting name that Apple may be considering for their rumored upcoming tablet release. MacRumors has uncovered another possible trademarked name for the new device: iGuide. They found what appears to be a shell company created by Apple a while back (December 2007, around the same time that the iSlate trademark was filed) designed to trademark the name "iGuide" for a new device or service. The purpose of said service? To browse, transmit and play many types of multimedia content, including videos, audio, movies, photos, and even electronic publications like books, magazines, and blogs. Obviously, this is a pretty vague stab in the dark, but paired with recent rumors that the new tablet will include some Kindle or Nook-style reader functionality, iGuide could certainly be a delivery service for the new device, sort of an iTunes but for all kinds of media, designed to deliver content directly to the reader. We're just giving out ideas here -- as I said yesterday, this thing isn't real until it is. But the possibilities are very interesting for sure. [If you want to see more speculation and prognostication around the tablet in convenient video format, check out Mike R.'s appearance on Fox Business News earlier today.]
Two pieces celebrating the 5th anniversary
Blizzard's onslaught of fifth anniversary press continues. As we said on the podcast last week, Turpster and I both are kind of "meh" about the whole thing at this point -- just how much can you read/hear about how the game has changed over the last five years? But just in case you're still interested, here's two good pieces from two big publications about WoW's 5th birthday. First up, Prospect magazine has a piece by Tom Chatfield about "the world's most famous computer game" -- he plays with his wife, and says that the game represents quite a few things he's enjoyed. It's diverse, all-encompassing, lets you act out (or show off) your fantasy self, and constantly rewards rather than punishes. It's this brilliant game, he says, which has allowed gaming a "bridgehead" into the mainstream. Interesting. Even moreso, here's another article from The Guardian that tags on to the whole "video games equal art" argument, using Blizzard's MMO as exhibit A. Writer Sam Leith compares the game to a cathedral, not only for the fact that the art and look of Azeroth will match up against any stained glass, but also because, like an old European cathedral, the game has so many functions and purposes. It's a social space, full of ritual and traditions. It's full of stories and emotion. And it's the creation of many over a long period of time. You might not think you'd ever have heard an MMO compared to the cathedral at Chartres, but the comparison is apt. When you think about it that way, it's no surprise that Blizzard is expecting many more years out of this game. Thanks to everyone who sent these in!
EVE Online's official magazine E-ON releases latest quarterly issue
E-ON is the official magazine of EVE Online, released quarterly and one of the most focused sources of EVE content out there. We've spoken with E-ON in the past and a few of us on the Massively staff are regular readers -- our EVE columnist Brendan Drain has been an E-ON contributor himself. The Spring issue of E-ON is now shipping and although it doesn't have the instant gratification of clicking on a hyperlink, there's some excellent content there that we really want to mention to our readers and in general point out that E-ON has a lot to offer EVE Online players.This issue's cover story is "The End of New Eden" by Jim Rossignol and is an inquiry into the dreaded question of when the game will finally run out of steam. Sad as it is, all MMOs end eventually. Or do they have to?The E-ON cover story looks at how different EVE is from the other MMOs running. Since EVE is really all about what happens in New Eden, an open sprawling galaxy where players do what they choose, the game isn't necessarily tied into expansion zones, new classes, certain quests or raid bosses. In other words, EVE doesn't suffer from the pitfall many MMOs do in that players quickly progress through the new content and then have nowhere else to go. EVE is unique in that it's a setting -- sometimes a harsh setting -- where PvP and PvE exist side-by-side and players determine their own path. Perhaps it's that freedom that's been a draw for many players so far and "The End of New Eden" looks at the prospects for this attraction continuing in future years. As there will be no EVE Online 2, it's all about one continually evolving setting and the possibilities this brings, and Rossignol's article is well worth a read.
