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As Apple's e-book antitrust appeals process begins, one judge already questioning Judge Cote's ruling
Apple's effort to appeal the adverse judgement handed down by Judge Denise Cote began yesterday before a three-judge panel. As a quick recap, Cote, back in July of 2013, ruled that Apple illegally colluded with book publishers to artificially inflate the price of e-books across the industry. From the get go, some believed that Cote exhibited an obvious anti-Apple bias. Others, meanwhile, found it odd that the U.S. Government was going after Apple so tenaciously in the first place given Amazon's ongoing dominance in the e-book market. With the appeals case now underway, AFP reports that one judge in particular -- Judge Dennis Jacobs --- is already casting doubt on wisdom behind Cote's ruling. "What we're talking about is a new entrant who is breaking the hold of a market by a monopolist who is maintaining its hold by what is arguably predatory pricing," Jacobs said. Jacobs also took a swipe at the government's characterization of the conspiracy among the publishers, suggesting that prosecutors should have shown more leniency in light of Amazon's dominance, which has pushed conventional booksellers like Barnes & Noble close to bankruptcy. "All those people who got together, it's like the mice saying they want to put a bell on the cat," the judge said. Apple of course has always maintained that its entry into the e-book market may have temporarily raised the price of e-books in the short term but that prices eventually leveled out. Apple also maintains that its entry into the e-book market is, in fact, beneficial to all parties involved as it serves to increase competition in a decidedly one-sided market. If the appeals court overturns Cote's ruling, Apple will be off the hook. If they uphold it, Apple will have to fork over $450 million to affected users. Earlier this month, Apple executive Eddy Cue told Fortune that Apple chose to fight the DOJ instead of settling because "we feel we have to fight the truth." Is it a fact that certain book prices went up? Yes. If you want to convict us on that, then we're guilty. I knew some prices were going to go up, but hell, the whole world knew it, because that's what the publishers were saying: 'We want to get retailers to raise prices, and if we're not able to, we're not going to make the books available digitally.' At the same time, other prices went down too, because now there was competition in the market.
The top tech gifts of holidays past
Remember the mad rush to secure a Teddy Ruxpin under the tree? Or how about how badly you begged your parents for the Nintendo DS as a year-end treat? As we head into another hectic, yet hopeful holiday season, we look back at some of the geeky gadgets and technological toys that stormed the charts (and stole young hearts) over the years.
YotaPhone 2 review: niche and expensive, but seriously cool
YotaPhone was inarguably one of the quirkiest smartphones released last year, with not one, but two displays. This curious marriage of LCD and E Ink was certainly a manufacturing achievement, but limited uses for the secondary screen meant it simply couldn't live up to its potential. Undeterred, Yota Devices announced earlier this year it was cooking up a sequel, and today it's ready to launch the new and improved YotaPhone 2. Its fresh design, high-end specs and bigger, higher-resolution displays are welcome upgrades, but most importantly, a thorough overhaul of the handset's software means you can now make full use of the low-power E Ink screen, which has also been granted touch functionality for this generation. I've spent a fair amount of time with the device, and have to say that it's the most interesting smartphone I've ever used. Like its predecessor, the YotaPhone 2 is still very much a niche proposition with narrow mainstream appeal. That being said, Yota Devices has more or less achieved what it set out to do last year: Make a handset with an E Ink display that has several, legitimate use cases. Whether these will actually tempt you into picking one up is another matter, but the second screen is no longer an oddity; it's an asset.
Eddy Cue: Apple didn't settle e-book antitrust lawsuit because "we feel we have to fight for the truth"
Going head to head with the DOJ over antitrust allegations has been nothing short of a headache for Apple. If you recall, Apple was taken to task for allegedly conspiring with publishers to artificially inflate the price of e-books across the board. Though Apple could have settled the issue out of court, Tim Cook said that Apple wanted its day in court because it had done nothing wrong. For Apple, Tim Cook said a few months back, it was a matter of principle. As it turns out, a principled stance doesn't come cheap, or easy for that matter. Apple ended up losing its case, and in the process, was slapped with a number of punishments, including an external anti-trust monitor they desperately tried to get rid of but must keep on the payroll for two years. Further, if Apple's upcoming appeal falls through, they'll have to fork over $450 million to affected class members. Speaking on the matter to Fortune, Apple executive and key negotiator Eddy Cue reiterated why Apple chose not to settle, instead opting for what turned out to be a thorny legal battle. Echoing previous statements made by Tim Cook, Cue explained that for Apple's it's a simple matter of right and wrong. We feel we have to fight for the truth. Luckily, Tim feels exactly like I do, which is: You have to fight for your principles no matter what. Because it's just not right. As for the irrefutable fact that the price of some e-books increased following Apple's deal with publishers, Cue notes that it wasn't the result of some secretive conspiratorial agreement, but rather something that the publishers were open about wanting. Is it a fact that certain book prices went up? Yes. If you want to convict us on that, then we're guilty. I knew some prices were going to go up, but hell, the whole world knew it, because that's what the publishers were saying: 'We want to get retailers to raise prices, and if we're not able to, we're not going to make the books available digitally.' At the same time, other prices went down too, because now there was competition in the market. Again, Apple ultimately lost the legal battle when Judge Denise Cote ruled that Apple colluded with publishing houses to increase the price of e-books. Apple's appeal is slated to begin on December 15. If Cote's ruling is overturned, Apple will be in the clear. If the ruling is upheld, Apple will be on the hook for the full $450 million.
Judge Cote approves Apple's proposed $450 million settlement agreement in e-book antitrust case
At long last, the ongoing legal drama surrounding Apple's e-book antitrust violations is seemingly behind us. Reuters reports that Judge Denise Cote recently approved a proposed US$450 million settlement agreement that will see Apple fork over cash to upwards of 23 million consumers provided that Apple's appeal falls through. Apple initially agreed to a $450 million settlement this past July only to have Judge Cote state that the terms of the proposed settlement agreement were troubling. The reason? Well, there are a few. For starters, Cote wasn't keen on Apple not having to pay interest on the damages amount during the appeals process. Further, Cote was similarly leery of the fact that Apple wouldn't be liable for any damages if her decision regarding Apple's alleged collusion with publishing houses was overturned. Examples of Cote's seeming bias against Apple have been well documented, so it's finally nice to see cooler heads prevail. A settlement agreement, if ultimately needed, is in place, and now all eyes will be on Apple's appeal.
Amazon adds instant definitions, family sharing to newer Kindles
Remember all those new Kindle software features Amazon promised? You know, the ones that were announced alongside the shiny new Kindle Voyage? The company's been coy about when exactly we'd get them packaged up for our installing pleasure, but it's now ready to spill the metaphorical beans -- a software update will ferry those features to the Voyage, the new $79 basic Kindle and the second-generation Kindle Paperwhite over the air during the coming weeks... unless you want to just install the update yourself right now.
Amazon and Hachette call a truce in their e-book pricing war
Well, that was anticlimactic. Online retail titan Amazon and the publisher Hachette have been sniping at each other for months because they couldn't see eye to eye on how much e-books should cost (and how much revenue Amazon should get off of them). Now, just when it seemed like the war would stretch out even longer, both sides have announced that they've brokered a peace to end the Great Book War of 2014. The most frustrating part? Neither side seems willing to disclose the juiciest details of the deal. Still, the official PR blast mentions that Hachette got what it really wanted all along -- once the terms of the agreement take effect in early 2015, it "will have responsibility for setting consumer prices of its e-books, and will also benefit from better terms when it delivers lower prices for readers."
Amazon's flagship Kindle Voyage e-reader now available in the UK for £169
Amazon's announced today that its new Kindle Voyage e-reader and updated Fire HDX 8.9 tablet are now up for grabs in the UK. The Kindle Voyage is by far Amazon's best e-reader to date, but it commands a pretty penny as a result. At £169 for the WiFi-only model and £229 if you want 3G connectivity, the Voyage is significantly more expensive than the Paperwhite, which starts at £109, and almost three times the price of the bog-standard Kindle. While the Voyage will enjoy all the attention that comes with being a brand new device, the new Fire HDX 8.9 is merely an upgrade. The 8.9-inch tablet has a faster processor and better sound quality, among other tweaks, and is still the biggest, baddest Amazon tablet around. The 16GB, WiFi-only model is now on sale for £329, but if you want more storage or an LTE radio up in there, that'll be costing extra.
Cast your vote for the next crowd-selected Kindle books
Similar its original series' pilot season, Amazon is opening up its Kindle publishing arm to crowd voting. The so-called Kindle Scout program allows you to peruse portions of unpublished works before nominating worthy pieces for proper e-reader release. If you're looking to lend a hand with the vetting process, voting is now open for submissions that span sci-fi, romance, mystery and other genres. After a 30-day nomination window, the folks at Amazon will review the tallies before picking what gets made into a Kindle edition. In return for backing a chosen author, you'll get the published book for free one week before it releases for the masses to download. Not too shabby.
Amazon and Simon & Schuster reach a deal on internet book sales
Amazon just found a way to put further pressure on Hachette in its ongoing pricing war: strike a deal with another publisher. The online retailer has forged a new agreement with Simon & Schuster that will keep the book giant's digital and physical titles on Amazon for multiple years. The full terms of the deal aren't available, but the Wall Street Journal claims that it reaches a middle ground; Simon & Schuster will normally set prices, while Amazon will have the right to discount books in some situations. However it works, both sides are claiming it as a victory. Amazon argues that it gives the publisher a "financial incentive" to drop prices, while a letter from Simon & Schuster describes the pact as "economically advantageous" for both itself and authors.
Amazon Kindle Voyage review: The best e-reader is also the priciest
When Amazon introduced an updated version of its flagship Kindle Paperwhite last year, it took the easy way out -- after all, tweaked internals, improved software and slightly better lighting do not a thrilling e-reader make. The 2013 Paperwhite wasn't bad by any stretch, just a bit boring. Now, a year later, Amazon has put together a reader that's anything but. Say hello to the Kindle Voyage. On paper, the new Voyage sounds like a home run. Smaller footprint? High-resolution screen? Something akin to physical page-turn buttons? Sign me up! It's Amazon's first truly premium Kindle, unless you count the dodo that was the DX, and this time around the company's catering to die-hard readers. But here's the real question: Does anyone really need a $199 e-reader (with ads, no less)? In a word, yes.
Amazon gives UK customers early e-book access with Kindle First
While Amazon tends to release new e-reader and tablet hardware in the UK and US simultaneously these days, we're still not top priority when it comes to new services. That being said, the UK has caught up significantly in the past week with the launch of the all-you-can-read Kindle Unlimited subscription and now, Kindle First. Amazon runs a bunch of publishing houses, and what Kindle First offers is early access to new releases originating from them. Each month, Amazon editors will select four books scheduled for publication the following month, and let you buy one (and only one) of them in e-book form for 99 pence, or snag one for free if you're a Prime member. Once you've registered, it's basically as simple as that. You can head to the Kindle First page now to check out the selections for this month, and sign up for the newsletter if you'd like to know when other titles become available for pre-release reading.
Amazon brings Kindle Unlimited e-book subscriptions to the UK
Whether we like it or not, Amazon nearly always launches its new products and services in the US first. It happened with its Fire-branded tablets, set-top box and smartphone. The same can be said for its all-you-can-read e-book service, Kindle Unlimited, which after two months of availability stateside has today made its debut on the online retailer's UK store. For £7.99 a month, Amazon offers unlimited access to over 650,000 digital books (50,000 less than in the US) and thousands of audiobooks, which can be synced across e-readers, tablets and Amazon's numerous mobile apps. While you won't find books from many of the major publishing houses, Amazon does offer the Harry Potter and Hunger Games series, as well as a vast number of Kindle originals. Good news for jetsetters, commuters and maybe also Kindle owners waiting for Kindle Unlimited to launch in other European countries, but some already believe Amazon's new service poses a very real threat to local libraries.
From paper to pixels: the arrival of the e-reader
Ray Bradbury, the author of Fahrenheit 451, once said: "Nothing a computer can do can compare to a book." For some, the pleasure of flipping through a paperback may never change, but pragmatism is starting to take hold. More people than ever are opting for e-books; the benefits of having a virtual library in your pocket outweigh the nostalgia for physical books. And although modern e-readers have been around in some form or another for over two decades, the evolution and adoption process has been a long and complex one. Join us as we take a look at some of the key moments in the e-reader's history.
Amazon's $200 Kindle Voyage is the Rolls-Royce of e-readers
Perhaps Amazon sold a lot of 3G Paperwhites without special offers. Or maybe Kobo's Aura HD has quietly taken the world by storm and Jeff Bezos decided he needed an answer. Whatever the impetus, Amazon has decided there is room in the world for a $199 e-reader. The Kindle Voyage was built for people who "love to read." Clearly the company thinks there is a place out there for a premium e-reader and, while we can't vouch for the vibrancy of the high-end e-reader market, we can confirm that Amazon has put together a stunner of a device. The familiar Kindle software has even picked up some neat new software tricks that the Voyage taught its more budget-minded siblings.
Amazon listing details new smaller, high-res 'Voyage' Kindles
You don't need supernatural powers to realize that it's been 12 months since a Kindle Paperwhite refresh, ergo we're due a new one. It also kinda helps when Amazon's own web-store lets slip a little bit of info. Some eager searchers spotted a listing for Kindle "Voyage" on Amazon's German and Japanese stores. The listings don't have too much information, but do mention a 300 ppi display on the 6-inch device that comes in the usual WiFi and 3G versions. The 112 x 116 mm dimensions suggest the Voyage will be smaller and at 8mm deep, the "thinnest Kindle up to now" (thanks Google translate). The (now-pulled) product page was even kind enough to give us details on price -- $190 or $250 with 3G -- all set for a November 4th launch date. It could be that the Paperwhite name is on the way out, too, with the Spanish version of this support page replacing "Paperwhite" with the new "Voyage" name.
Kindle security flaw can be exploited by hidden codes in e-books
Next time you come across a Kindle e-book link somewhere other than Amazon itself, you may want to make sure it's not some dubious website before you hit download or "Send to Kindle." A security researcher by the name of Benjamin Daniel Musser has discovered that the "Manage Your Kindle" page contains a security hole -- one that hackers can take advantage of with the help of e-books hiding malicious lines of code. Once you load the Kindle Library with a corrupted e-book (typically with a subject that includes <script src="https://www.example.org/script.js"></script>), a hacker gets access to your cookies, and, hence, your Amazon account credentials.
Sony, the catch-up king
Sony's not making PCs any more. It recently announced it wouldn't be making new e-readers, either. The company's also taking a long hard look at the TV business that it dominated for decades. In the '90s, its TVs stood up alongside the Discman, Walkman and even that new games console that could play CDs. Sony was cool; it had cachet. But a narrow focus on proprietary technology and its slowness to adapt to the dizzying speed of consumer tech in the last two decades have taken their toll. While it's created a new department solely dedicated to making the next big thing, it remains to be seen if the company can bounce back from decades of failures.
What you need to know about Amazon's fight with e-book publishers
Unless you've been living in a book-free cave, you may have heard that retail giant Amazon and book publisher Hachette are having a little tiff. It's all about digital versions of books -- so-called e-books -- and it boils down to this: Amazon wants to sell most of them for $10, and Hachette wants to set its own prices depending on the title and author. In the latest volley, Amazon tightened the screws by listing many Hachette pre-orders for printed titles as unavailable and pulling some product promotion pages. In a blog post, Amazon claimed it was trying to do well by consumers and (confusingly) invoked George Orwell. Meanwhile, 900-plus authors -- including household names like Stephen King and J.K. Rowling -- said they were innocent victims and took out a $104,000 ad decrying Amazon's hardball tactics. The dispute shows no sign of abating. So, who's right and, more importantly, who will win?
Hands-on with the Galaxy Tab 4 Nook
The Nook tablets were seriously underappreciated. And while Samsung certainly makes some nice devices, there's something a little sad about seeing the Nook name slapped on a rather generic-looking slate from the Korean manufacturer. But it was inevitable, I suppose. After years of hemorrhaging cash as the market for physical books dried up, Barnes & Noble had to find ways to save money, and outsourcing the manufacturing of its slow-selling slates to a third party made perfect sense. The first device to result from this new approach is the Galaxy Tab 4 Nook. And, while it might sound a little glib, it's basically just the Galaxy Tab you already know with a few software extras baked in. But, that's not necessarily a bad thing.
