Apple Tablet

Apple Tablet Confronts Publishers

Posted by Sam Churchill on October 2nd, 2009

Apple’s rumored tablet could affect the magazine and newspaper business, so publishers are now discussing strategies, including an industry-wide digital storefront where tablet users could buy digital issues or subscriptions without going through iTunes or the App Store, reports Ad Age.

Apple dictated music prices on iTunes and Amazon exerted total control over the magazine and newspaper subscriptions it sells on the Kindle. Many fear Apple’s iTunes could become a chokepoint between readers and publishers.

An industry storefront would let publishers retain that information, not to mention full control over pricing, the executive said. “That storefront would live on the Apple tablet,” this person said. “You’d have an icon for this store where you could get your magazines or newspapers.”

Leo Laporte explains it all.

iLounge rounds up the current rumors. Meanwhile, Apple has purchased PlaceBase, a company that produced a maps API called Pushpin and offered a mapping service much like Google Maps.

source : dailywireless.org