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All posts tagged "subscription"


Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Apple Planning a Real TV? Let's Hope So...

Posted by Jeff Campbell in "Other Apple Hardware" @ 03:30 PM

http://www.appleinsider.com/article...el_lineups.html

"Apple's anticipated full-fledged television set could offer Internet-based content subscriptions with customized channel lineups, if the company has its way."

We can only hope that Apple can convince the providers to go along, so we can truly get an "ala carte" type of subscription service. I hate paying for channels I never watch, and would totally go Internet only if sports were available without having to have a subscription to a regular content provider. What are your thoughts?


Monday, June 20, 2011

The New York Post Shuts Down Mobile Safari

Posted by Jeff Campbell in "Apple Software (iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad)" @ 04:00 AM

http://gizmodo.com/5813369/the-new-...-their-web-site

"'You shall not pass!' booms Gandalf the Grey as mobile Safari visitors arrive at the New York Post web site this weekend. Sorry, correction: That's how it played out in my head. Reality is more mundane and mostly annoying."

Now instead of getting a welcome ad promoting an app for access, you get instructions on how to get the $1.99 USD app [affiliate link]. The $1.99 price of the app will get you 30 days of access, and after that first 30 days you will need to subscribe at the rate of $6.99 USD per month, $39.99 USD for six months and $79.99 USD for a year. I agree with Dave Winer when he rails about how Apple needs to stop sending info to the servers that I'm on an iPad, then I could use the browser to read what I want, besides it shouldn't be called mobile since its pretty much full size. What are your thoughts?


Thursday, June 9, 2011

Apple Drops In-App Subscription Restrictions

Posted by Jeff Campbell in "Apple Software (iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad)" @ 08:01 AM

http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile...pricing-policy/

"For reasons yet unknown, Apple has reversed course on a rule in its pricing policy for app makers that required them to offer App Store customers the lowest possible price."

I think Apple was getting quite a bit of push back from the publishers, and some, like the Financial Times, dropped their app entirely and went with a web based model. So they basically changed the language to allow subscriptions or in-app purchases as long as there "is no button or link within the app to purchase the approved content." This will make it a bit more difficult to offer other content, but if the publisher wants to avoid giving Apple 30% of the revenue, I'm sure they will find a way. They may just go the route that the Financial Times took, and from what I've seen so far its not a bad route to take. What are your thoughts?


Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Renewed MobileMe Yet? Maybe You Should Wait...

Posted by Jeff Campbell in "Apple Software (OS X)" @ 03:00 AM

http://www.tuaw.com/2011/05/30/mobi...ew-it-just-yet/

"If you've already paid the US$99 for Apple's MobileMe service, but your account is due for renewal within the next ten days or so, it might be a good idea to hold off on renewing it for now."

On June 6th the expectation is that Apple will announce some news about MobileMe, possibly making it a free service, so their suggestion to wait a few days has merit. If your renewal date falls close to it, mine however is way off so I've upped for another year over a month ago. I'm not sure if this will happen but there are no shortages of sites that are making the prediction.


Friday, April 22, 2011

New York Times Sells Over 100,000 Subscriptions

Posted by Jeff Campbell in "Apple Software (iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad)" @ 09:44 AM

http://mashable.com/2011/04/21/new-...-subscriptions/

"The New York Times has sold more than 100,000 digital subscriptions in the three weeks since its launch, the publication revealed in its first-quarter earnings statement Thursday morning."

The launch of this offered $0.99 USD subscriptions, so I'm wondering how many of these were just the trial offers and more importantly, how many will stick with it once the trial period ends. If they do keep everyone, which seems unlikely to me, they will add another $20 million to their bottom line. Not bad and definitely needed since their operating profit is down 41% from last year.


Friday, February 18, 2011

Let The Buyer Compare: App Store vs. One Pass vs. Kindle Store

Posted by Michael Knutson in "Apple Talk" @ 10:00 PM

http://www.appleinsider.com/article...dle.html&page=3

"Apple's iOS App Store isn't the only game in town for subscribed digital content. Here's a look at how the plans to court publishers' subscription content by Apple, Amazon's Kindle and Google's One Pass compare."

A nice comparison of current content subscription services, with the bottom line here being about subscriber data (as potentially applicable to advertisers). Right now, Amazon has a huge lead in subscription partners, and since the Kindle app works on many platforms, it will probably remain in the lead - for now. Let the best models prevail!


The Daily Extends Free Period Until February 28th

Posted by Jeff Campbell in "Apple Software (iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad)" @ 05:00 AM

http://thenextweb.com/apple/2011/02...il-february-28/

"When the iPad-only news subscription app The Daily launched, it debuted on the App Store with a free two week trial courtesy of Verizon. Today, it has emerged that the free trial has been extended until February 28 as News Corp. awaits the release of Apple's iOS 4.3 firmware update."

Two more weeks than they initially offered, so that's a bonus. Some financials for this app are that it cost $30 million to set up and will cost approximately $500,000 per week to keep afloat. That is a lot of subscriptions, and while some of the interface is rather clunky for me, I do enjoy the quality of the writing.


Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Apple Reveals Subscription Details

Posted by Jeff Campbell in "Apple Software (iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad)" @ 07:25 AM

http://www.gizmag.com/apple-unveils...-service/17890/

"Filling a gap that has long been a source of complaints for publishers of content-based apps, Apple has finally revealed details of a subscription service on its App Store for digital content including magazines, newspapers, video and music. Expectations of such an announcement rose two weeks ago following the launch of The Daily and the new subscription service will follow the same subscription model ushered in by News Corp.'s tablet-specific newspaper."

It certainly makes it easier, since the cost will be deducted right from your iTunes account. I use Zinio now for my subscriptions and it works pretty well. I'm wondering if publishers will find a way to make it as easy to subscribe on their own website since Apple charges 30% for the service. I guess we will see on June 30th this year how it is going to be received since that is the deadline for publishers to comply with the new terms. What are your thoughts on subscribing to newspapers and magazines via iTunes, bad? Good? Indifferent?


Wednesday, February 2, 2011

The Daily Launches for iPad

Posted by Jeff Campbell in "Apple Software (iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad)" @ 11:30 AM

http://www.thedaily.com/

"The Daily has the depth and quality of a magazine, but is delivered daily like a newspaper and updated in real-time like the web."

Today is launch day for The Daily, the magazine type newspaper (if that makes sense) for the iPad. The press release regarding the launch has lots of info about launch, but the major points are:

  • Pricing is $0.99 USD per week, or $39.99 USD per year;
  • Billed directly through your iTunes account;
  • It will be a mix of text, photography, audio, video, information graphics, touch interactivity and real-time data and social feeds;
  • Up to 100 pages focused on news, sports, gossip and celebrity, opinion, arts and life, and apps and games. It will offer views from across the political spectrum. They will come from across cultures and generations, across America and the world.
  • Sudoku and crossword puzzles, localized weather reports, and a customizable sports package that captures news on the user's favorite teams. Subscribers will also be able to leave comments onDaily stories in either written or audio form -- as well as bookmark them in-app to read later;
  • Initially they will have offices in New York and Los Angeles.

You also get two weeks free and can subscribe via our affiliate link. Want to know more? Learn more about this news delivery system at The Daily site or at the video of the launch. What are your thoughts now that they have launched and we see what they have to offer?


Friday, October 15, 2010

NY Times and NY Post on the iPad

Posted by Jeff Campbell in "Apple Software (iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad)" @ 09:30 AM

http://www.macrumors.com/2010/10/15...-subscriptions/

"A pair of New York newspapers are making news themselves today with their recent iPad app releases, with The New York Times introducing a greatly-expanded application and The New York Post rolling out a new app with subscriptions handled via in-app purchasing."

I didn't care too much for the first NY Times app, but this one [affiliate link] looks pretty good since they have expanded the content and the navigation is improved and simplified. It is free until sometime in 2011 when they will start charging for the editions, but no pricing has been set. The NY Post [affiliate link] is also offering their product and they have subscription prices on a monthly, 6-month and yearly basis. Apple has been trying to work out deals with publishers so I wonder if this is just the first step in getting others on board?


Wednesday, August 18, 2010

HBO Go Service Going Mobile For Some Subscribers

Posted by Jeff Campbell in "Apple Software (iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad)" @ 09:00 AM

http://9to5mac.com/hbo-ipad-in-6-mo...e+Intelligence)

"HBO Go is a service which allows paid HBO subscribers to access HBO original TV shows, movies, and sports on their computers all in HD."

In about six months, you will be able to watch the same service on your iPad or iPhone/iPod Touch, or at least that is the plan from HBO. The big problem is that it is only available via Comcast or Verizon FIOS, so if you are a Dish Network subscriber like me, it appears you are out of luck. Too bad too, as I was looking forward to this.


Thursday, May 6, 2010

Unfair Subscription Pricing for iPad Owners?

Posted by Jeff Campbell in "Apple Software (iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad)" @ 09:00 AM

http://www.macworld.com/article/151...l?lsrc=rss_main

"If you thought online news would be free forever, perhaps it's time to think again. Rupert Murdoch, CEO of News Corp., announced during that company's third-quarter earnings call that in "three to four weeks" it would be announcing a subscription model for news and other digital content. The impetus? None other than Apple's iPad."

Not sure if this is what they had in mind when it was called a "game changer" but this is what it has led to apparently. The Wall Street Journal isn't the only one with this in mind as the New York Times and USA Today area also stating they will be charging for subscriptions for service on the iPad. I don't mind paying subscriptions on the iPad because of the convenience factor is worth it to me, but I don't want to get raked over the coals by paying the same price as print version. For instance, you can get a combo online/print subscription to the Wall Street Journal for $140.00 USD per year ($11.67 USD per month) so why is the Wall Street Journal punishing you for owning an iPad and charging you roughly $200.00 USD per year ($3.99 USD per week)? The ridiculous pricing extends to some magazines too, such as Time magazine where they charge $4.99 USD for the digital version (the print version sells for $4.95 USD). What are your thoughts?


Monday, March 29, 2010

WSJ Announces Pricing for iPad Version

Posted by Jeff Campbell in "Other Apple Hardware" @ 10:00 AM

http://www.cultofmac.com/wall-stree...w+(Cult+of+Mac)

"Maintaining the pretense of objective journalist integrity by reporting in third-person upon itself, the Wall Street Journal claims that "according to a person familiar with the matter," they'll be charging you $17.99 a month to read on your iPad."

Personally, I don't read enough articles to justify this so I'm not tempted, but even if I was a current subscriber this might be a bit too much for me to pay for a digital version. The $17.99 USD per month works out to $10.00 USD less per month than the regular subscription, roughly $216.00 USD per year. What are your thoughts?


Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Thumbplay Launches Subscription Music Service

Posted by Jeff Campbell in "Apple Software (OS X)" @ 09:00 AM

http://www.macrumors.com/2010/03/01...-music-service/

"Media Memo reports that popular ringtone site Thumbplay has launched a new subscription music service, offering consumers unlimited streaming for $10/month with the option to purchase songs from a catalog of 8 million tracks at the same $0.69-$1.29 price points found on Apple's iTunes Store."

Not only that, but they have also snagged a MobileMe Executive from Apple, Pablo Calamera, and hired him as their Chief Technology Officer. Thumbplay is also planning on offering iPhone and Android apps later this year, so we'll see how that goes. 


Wednesday, December 23, 2009

MobileMe, a Price Breakdown

Posted by Jeff Campbell in "Apple Software (OS X)" @ 08:00 AM

http://theappleblog.com/2009/12/18/...+(TheAppleBlog)

"If you believe the marketing hype, you aren't really a true Mac user unless you have MobileMe. MobileMe is pushed heavily in the Mac and iPhone UI as well as the Apple retail environment. Fancy terms like "beyond the box sales" are a clever way of saying "high profit" for Apple."

Single license roughly $8.25 USD per month, before discounts if you buy direct from Amazon.com, so is it really worth that much a month? For me it is, and I'm on the family plan, but it is mainly worth it because everything I need to do in order to keep my family organized and in sync is in one nice package. If I was just doing this for myself, I'm not sure I would keep it. What are your thoughts?


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