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Wall Street Journal confirms iPhone coming to Verizon
Rumors of the iPhone coming to Verizon are almost as old as the iPhone itself, and earlier today we heard about a Verizon event next week, cleverly timed for 11 AM on 1/11/11. That set off speculation across the Internet, but we paid special attention to when the Wall Street Journal confirmed the rumor, citing "a person familiar with the matter." The WSJ has a solid history and isn't prone to confirming without good sources, so it seems a sure thing at this point. While Apple has not been involved in this announcement (the WSJ says Apple declined to comment), many people have noted that Apple has generally not been involved in the "second carrier" in any country getting the iPhone. I will be glad to see the iPhone on Verizon for the same reason that I am glad The Beatles are finally on iTunes: so that people can stop talking about it and speculating about when it is going to happen. That said, I've paid enough attention to Verizon's customer service reputation that I'm not convinced that I would switch. Competition is almost always a benefit to customers, so I am hoping that the arrival of the iPhone on Verizon will give customers more choice about calling plans, data plans, and (heck, let me dream) more reasonable SMS pricing. Fingers crossed?
Mossberg says the iPad is the top 2010 product
Wall Street Journal tech journalist Walt Mossberg says the iPad is "amazing" and his favorite product of 2010. He added that "with the new iOS 4.2 operating system and its huge selection of apps, the iPad continues to stay ahead of the competition." No arguments from here. Apple has redefined the tablet form factor, after years of talk about it from Microsoft, who has yet to really produce anything that has caught on with the public. Mossberg gave his number two ranking to 4G networks, saying they are something "to watch closely in 2011." His third place was a tie between two phones, the Samsung Galaxy S and the iPhone 4. Mossberg also had some thoughts on the worst products of 2010. He cites the Dell Streak tablet as a failure that is "too big to be a phone, yet too small to be a tablet." He also dissed Google TV as not being ready for prime time, suffering from a confusing user interface and a clumsy keyboard.
WSJ: Apple bringing Beatles to iTunes after a seven year wait
It's not like The Beatles are lacking in legacy and cultural saturation, but we have to lament the generation of kids that have yet to hear the Fab Four in album form -- at least, in legally-obtained album form -- thanks to the group's conspicuous absence from the largest music retailer in the US . Now, a mere seven and a half years after Apple launched the iTunes store, with countless hopeful rumors in-between, The Wall Street Journal is reporting that The Beatles catalog is a lock for tomorrow's iTunes announcement. This is according to WSJ's "people familiar with the matter," and matches with what Billboard calls "the best bet" from what it's managed to scrounge up. Even with such an imminent announcement, WSJ's sources warn that plans could change at the last minute, and that the talks between Apple, Beatles reps, and EMI were taking place as recently as last week. Still, we just have to believe this is going to happen, cross our fingers, and wear our lucky socks tomorrow -- because really, who wants to wait another seven years?
iPad affecting newspaper sales
Today at the Monaco Media Forum, another nail was pounded into the coffin of that cornerstone of traditional media, the newspaper. News Corp's Asian/European operations lead, James Murdoch, noted that the switch to iPad and other mobile reading apps has had a direct effect on newspaper sales. Murdoch said that the apps were "much more directly cannibalistic" than web sites, as subscribers read the apps in a manner similar to how they read traditional newspapers. Web readers apparently consume their news somewhat differently. While he didn't disclose sales numbers, Murdoch said that the newspapers affected include the Wall Street Journal, News of the World, and the Times of London. News Corp isn't making as much money on subscriptions through mobile apps, but is happy with selling news through the iTunes model. Apple's 30% take isn't that bad when the cost of printing and distribution of traditional newspapers is taken into account. Murdoch mentioned that "the guy on the newstand and the newsagent charge a percentage, and they don't even merchandise it properly." While the iPad is the current leader in electronic news sales, News Corp just delivered an Android tablet version of the Wall Street Journal yesterday and also provides a version for the Amazon Kindle and other e-readers.
App review: Wall Street Journal Tablet Edition for Android
We'd always thought this was going to be the year of Android tablets, but until the day Google gives its full blessing for the tablet form factor, the market will still be lacking in apps that make good use of the extra screen estate. Funnily enough, today the Wall Street Journal took a leap of faith and pushed out an Android version of its tablet app, just in time to ride on the Samsung Galaxy Tab's first wave. In many ways, WSJ's Android app appears to be a slimmed down version of its iPad equivalent. Once logged in with a subscription account, users are greeted by the same start screen for choosing your papers, which are automatically downloaded at launch. Naturally, once the papers are on your device, you can read them regardless of internet connectivity, and you can save your favorites to a dedicated area there for quick access as well. More after the break. %Gallery-107209%
Wall Street Journal releases Android Tablet Edition app, phones need not apply
Given that the first truly respectable Android tablet just came out, the Wall Street Journal is timing its Tablet Edition app release pretty much perfectly. It aims to offer a faithful reproduction of the printed version of the paper while augmenting it with full-screen video, market data, customization options, and the ability to save articles for offline reading. $3.99 will net you a week's worth of access on both Android and iPad Tablet Editions along with subscriber privileges on WSJ.com. The app itself is free, so if you have a Galaxy Tab just hanging around (it doesn't work on phones, we've already tried on a Desire Z) you can give it a test-drive -- it's certainly what we intend to do, check back later for our impressions!
Facebook games transmitting your info to third parties
Our friends at Joystiq have turned us on to a Wall Street Journal article that concludes your privacy is at risk if you play Facebook games. The Journal discovered that each of the top 10 Facebook applications transmits user IDs, which may be shared with unauthorized third parties. We know, it's not exactly new or shocking information, but continued user ignorance -- or apathy -- regarding online habits is a troubling trend that bears examining. WSJ authors Emily Steel and Geoffrey A. Fowler did just that and turned up all manner up interesting findings including a data-mining firm called RapLeaf Inc. that linked Facebook user IDs to its database of internet users. RapLeaf didn't stop there, as it then transmitted the user IDs to a dozen other firms, an express violation of Facebook policy. Though RapLeaf vice president of business development Joel Jewitt said "we didn't do it on purpose," Facebook is nonetheless trotting out the damage control PR. "We have taken immediate action to disable all applications that violate our terms," said a company spokeman.
News publishers looking to the Galaxy Tab and BlackBerry PlayBook for refuge as well
In case you were worried that it was just Apple love that got major news outlets on the iPad so quickly, you should know that the general sense of desperation (or is it their never ending sense of adventure?) pervading the likes of the The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and USA Today has them building apps for the Galaxy Tab as well. The news comes courtesy of The Wall Street Journal, and has yet to be announced officially by the parties involved -- though we have a hard time doubting any of it. It makes sense, of course: the big cost is producing content for a tablet form factor, not building the reader app, and the Galaxy Tab naturally won't be the last of its Android kind. The WSJ and The Financial Times are also apparently some possible gets for RIM's PlayBook, though less is known about those deals. On the Tab, The New York Times is supposed to be pre-loaded with some carrier's versions of the device, and its app will be free until January of next year when The Times starts charging for its website.
Analyst: Sharp rise in iPad sales estimates
Yet again, more analyst news regarding the iPad impacting laptop and netbook sales. The Wall Street Journal is reporting that estimated sales of the iPad for 2010 have more than doubled to 11 or 12 million units sold this year, with 20 million iPads expected to be sold in 2011 -- which is still conservative according to some other analysts. In contrast, the NPD Group estimates that sales of laptop units in the US rose by only 12% in the first eight months of this year as apposed to a 30% percent increase in sales last year for the same period. On top of that, NDP Group reports that unit sales were down 1% over July and August -- the peak back-to-school season for such sales. Naturally, the WSJ points to the sluggish economy for such a shift. The paper does also note that some shoppers are preferring to buy the iPad, even at a premium price, over cheaper laptops and netbooks, though the iPad represents only a fraction of portable computer sales overall. The article suggests that the competition for consumers' dollars will become even more fierce with the emergence of competing tablet devices from other manufacturers later this year and next year. But for now, there is still no doubt that Apple is leading the way with the iPad. For the full WSJ article click here.
WSJ: Verizon to sell iPhone in 2011, fifth generation iPhone is in the works (updated)
We've been to this rodeo before (a few times, actually), but the smoke that leads to fire is getting far harder to ignore. Following a Bloomberg report in June that a Verizon iPhone was on track for a January 2011 release as well as independent confirmation from John Gruber, Yukari Iwatani Kane from The Wall Street Journal is now sounding mighty confident that the aforementioned plans are true. According to various people "briefed by Apple," Jobs and Company will begin "mass producing a new iPhone by the end of 2010 that would allow Verizon Wireless to sell the smartphone early next year." It'll rely on a key Qualcomm chip as well as a CDMA radio, but curiously enough, there's nary of a mention of LTE in this report. In closely related news, it's bruited that Apple is also developing a separate iPhone model, though it's unclear how soon VZW will be able to grab the fifth generation edition. 'Course, it's not exactly the shocker of the year to hear that Apple's toiling on a new iPhone without a dubious antenna design, but the real question is this: will the Verizon iPhone beat AT&T's elusive white iPhone 4 to market? Inquiring minds would love to know. Update: The WSJ udated the story to be more clear, "Apple Inc. is making a version of its iPhone that Verizon Wireless will sell early next year." So it's not just a generic CDMA iPhone that may or may not end up on Verizon Wireless. The WSJ also added that the CDMA iPhone 4 variant will be built by Pegatron and would only work on a CDMA network (i.e., it's not a dual-mode GSM/CDMA device). Also, according to one source, VZW has been working with Apple to test its network and is adding additional capacity to avoid being overwhelmed a la AT&T.
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.
Apple, others talking to DoJ about anti-poaching agreement
Apple, Google, Pixar, Intel, and a few other companies are currently in talks with the Department of Justice about an alleged anti-poaching agreement, according to sources speaking to the Wall Street Journal. The government is considering accusing the companies of agreeing to not hire each others' employees for a certain period of time. If, as a law professor tells the Journal, the government finds that these companies are actually agreeing to not poach, then employees could be hurt by not having access to the best deal available. For their part, the companies are reportedly arguing that non-poaching agreements are a requirement, especially when companies are so closely collaborating on various technologies and standards. Apple and Google, for example, would want to create the best products possible for customers, and wouldn't be able to do that if they had to worry about their employees possibly getting hired away by the other partner. There's no actual lawsuit yet -- this is still just an investigation, and the Journal says that there are "some companies more willing to settle to avoid an antitrust case than others." But we'll see -- if the Department determines that the companies did make an agreement and that employees were punished by it, then the case could end up in court eventually.
Best Buy to expand iPad availability, sales cannibalizing laptops by up to 50%
Here's another report of the iPad stealing attention and money away from more traditional computing. Best Buy's CEO Brian Dunn tells the Wall Street Journal that the iPad has "cannibalized" sales of laptops by up to 50%, meaning that customers in the big box retail store have gone for Apple's tablet rather than a traditional keyboard-and-screen computer. That's pretty astounding, although if you think about the period Best Buy has just been through, with back-to-school students and parents shopping for consumer technology, it's not surprising to think that lots of people would go for a brand-new iPad over a similarly-priced laptop. Best Buy is also expanding its iPad coverage, bringing the Apple product to all of its over 1,000 U.S. stores by the end of this month. The big retailer is in the midst of a transition, moving away from previously huge libraries of DVDs and CDs and towards consumer electronics and end-user entertainment devices. It's still projecting higher revenues, but one analyst says that Best Buy is really aiming for "tablets, e-readers and probably the higher-end digital cameras." That means that it makes a lot of sense for them to get in close to Apple and the iPad. [via MacRumors]
Wall Street Journal confirms iTunes TV show rentals [Update: Netflix on Apple TV claimed by BusinessWeek]
TV shows and iTunes go back several years now, to October 2005. If iTunes TV show sales have not been as brisk over those five years as Apple and the studios might have hoped, perhaps a less expensive rental solution might introduce vigor to the TV market. This afternoon, the Wall Street Journal has confirmed with "people familiar with the matter" that Apple is set to announce $0.99 rentals during tomorrow's media event. Rumors of iTunes TV rentals have been widespread over the last month. With Hulu Plus waiting on the sidelines for $10/month (and ads, for that matter) and Netflix hyping digital streaming to mobile devices, it seems like a good time for Apple to dip its toes into new and more flexible revenue streams. While Apple is willing, it seems like the studios had to be convinced. WSJ sources say that studio participation in the rental scheme is contingent on broader Apple participation in digital development deals. I know that I have rarely re-watched any of my iTunes purchases -- and that most of those purchases were based on pre-Hulu availability after my EyeTV system failed to record shows. But with Hulu as a major player these days, not to mention the promise of Hulu Plus's mobile streaming service, and with a growing recession, will consumers be willing to pay extra just to skip ads? Update: Engadget points to the Bloomberg BusinessWeek report claiming Netflix streaming will also be on deck for a revamped Apple TV.
E-readers: they make people read more
There may be a whole lot of nostalgia tied up in the tree-based matter traditionally used to deliver the written word. But lots of new data suggest that once you've made the leap into the digital marketplace, you're going to spend a lot more time -- and money -- on books than you otherwise would. Amazon reports that its customers buy 3.3 times more books after they buy a Kindle. 11 million people will own e-readers by the end of month. E-book sales grew 183% more this year than last. And people seem to be reading in all sorts of new places, just because of the portability the e-readers offer. We know that we've been burying our heads in a lot more literature since we've been able to do it via 1's and 0's, but it's nice to hear that normal people have been reading more as well. [Image credit: LenEdgerly's flickr]
Paul Allen's company sues Apple, Google
Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen has formally sued Apple, Google and several others over the use of technologies for which he holds the patents. The Wall Street Journal was unable to reach any of the parties involved for comment, but notes that Allen has been going after companies, many of them high-profile, that he believes are using software that was developed in his Silicon Valley laboratory several years ago. The suit identifies four specific patents. Each appears to be a huge part of how contemporary e-commerce and Internet search tools work. For example, one addresses how websites suggest products based upon customers' recent searches. Another lets those reading a news story quickly find related stores, while the two others let ads and news items, among other things, flash on a computer screen adjacent to what the user is directly looking at. No specific dollar amount was identified. Allen's spokesman, David Postaman, told the Journal, "Paul thinks this is important, not just to him but to the researchers at Interval who created this technology." Others named in the suit include Ebay, Facebook, Netflix and Aol (Note: TUAW is owned by Aol). We'll keep an eye on this story and post any updates.
More murmuring about 99 cent iTunes TV rentals
Well now. The previous rumor about 99 cent rentals for TV episodes on iTunes was just your average, but now that we know there's an Apple event just around the corner, it's time to start making hay out of all the chaff floating around. A source now tells the Wall Street Journal that Apple is pushing hard for a deal with Disney to nail down cheaper 48-hour rentals, presumably to come through iTunes and the revamped iTV service. Resistance to the deal is coming from TV companies (surprise, surprise), who are leery about putting too much content out through online services, fearing that people will leave their monthly cable bills behind if another service arises. What's funny about that, of course, is that Apple sees that's already happening. Services like Hulu Plus and Netflix are already making cable customers rethink their monthly fees, and so Apple is finding itself with a limited amount of time to get in on the action. The Wall Street Journal says the company is pushing for agreements "before the new television season starts," but now that we know there's an event planned for September 1st, it's more likely Apple is trying to get agreements set up before the announcement. Of course, as Philip Elmer-DeWitt points out, the real economic tradeoff isn't between the $0.99 rentals and a more lucrative plan the studios come up with -- it's between Apple's proven iTunes-based economy and the free-range TV programming on BitTorrent. And with its ties to Disney, odds are that Apple will definitely have enough to go forward, even if it doesn't have every channel signing on the dotted line just yet. So here's the question: if Apple does announce a new iTV, and a way to watch new television on demand right away, will you choose a system like that over whatever cable bill you're currently paying?
The curious idea of ads in iBooks
Don't worry -- you won't start seeing ads for tattoo parlors while reading Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Not yet, anyway. But there's some interesting thinking going around the 'net (kicked off by this article in the Wall Street Journal) about how advertising may soon try to conquer the last bastion of entertainment: books. When you go to the movies, you see ads, when you watch TV and browse the Internet, there are ads everywhere. But why don't you see ads while reading a book? (I mean, besides the obvious conclusion that it's annoying and invasive?) In the past, it's been because the lead time for books is a wild card. Unlike newspapers and movies, books have a longer shelf life, and different readers could revisit the same material over a period of years rather than days or weeks. You'd have to dynamically deliver ads in some way, and you'd need publishers with know-how and insight about their customers in order to sell relevant ads regularly. In short, you'd need e-books, and you'd need a company (says Snarkmarket) like, say, Apple. Publishers may not have the ability to sell relevant ads to readers, but Apple surely does, especially since it seems to be sweeping up ad sales people as quickly as possible lately. And with prices becoming competitive in the e-book space, there's incentive for both Apple as an iBook publisher and even authors (who want to supplement e-book sale numbers with iAd sales) to bring advertising over to the iBookstore at some point.
WSJ says iPads gaining acceptance in corporations
The past few weeks have been fascinating for Apple watchers. The business press has been reporting that the brand, formerly a pariah in the buttoned-down world of corporate IT, is now being accepted with open arms. We had a story yesterday about the growth of Mac sales in the government and enterprise markets, and now the Wall Street Journal is reporting on how the iPad is finding a home in the business world. In the WSJ Tech piece, reporter Ben Worthen notes how the iPhone was banned by companies when it first came out in 2007 for being inappropriate for the workplace. The iPad, however, has been quickly embraced by companies. One such success story cited in the WSJ piece talks about Chicago-based law firm Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP. The company pre-ordered 10 iPads prior to the release of the device in April so that they could learn how iPads could be used with the company's internal systems. The technology department at the firm now supports more than 50 attorneys with iPads, and they plan on issuing iPads as a less-expensive alternative to laptops soon.
Starbucks reveals plans for a Digital Network, made up of 'exclusive and premium' digital content
Free WiFi not enough of an enticement to get you to step into a Starbucks? Don't worry, the ubiquitous frappuccino purveyor has another card up its mocha-stained sleeve. Beginning this fall, Starbucks locations will be enriched with a new Digital Network, a freely accessible portal unto exclusive content from some of the more highbrow providers. The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today will flesh out the news offering, Yahoo will pick up business and career duties, and Apple's iTunes will provide free downloads to sate entertainment needs. Curiously enough, nobody is exchanging any cash up front -- Starbucks isn't paying for this and neither are you -- but the trick is as always to try and upsell you on to even more premium goodies, in which case the coffee chain and content provider have a revenue-sharing deal in place to split the profit. Doesn't sound like the worst idea in the world to us, bring on the freebies!
