News Corp's 'The Daily' launches on iPad with Apple's in-app subscriptions

Posted:
in iPad edited January 2014
Apple on Wednesday launched a new in-app subscription service on its App Store for the iPhone and iPad, alongside a new daily newspaper for the iPad from News Corporation, dubbed The Daily.



A new "In-App Subscriptions" section was added to the iTunes Terms and Conditions to explain how in-app subscriptions auto-renew, how the auto-renewal can be managed and turned off, and stating to users that Apple may request permission to provide personal information to third parties for marketing purposes. The sharing of information can be declined, which will not affect the purchase.



The subscription feature plays a key part in the new tablet-only newspaper from News Corp., called The Daily. The publication was unveiled Wednesday in New York City by the company's chief executive, Rupert Murdoch, who said the product aims to capture the "serendipity and surprise" that traditional newspapers offer, but in a digital format on the iPad.



"New times demand new journalism," Murdoch said. The publication will cost 99 cents per week, and the first two weeks are free courtesy of Verizon. News Corp. spent $30 million to prepare the publication for Wednesday's launch.



For now, the subscription feature is only available from The Daily, though Apple will make an announcement in the near future about recurring subscriptions for other content providers and application makers.



A live demo of The Daily was conducted, showing off features like 360-degree photographs, interactive content, high definition video, and traditional newspaper staples like horoscopes, weather and crossword puzzles.



The central navigation experience is known as "the carousel," where stories are represented visually on tiles. Users can swipe through pages and sections with their fingertips, shuffle random unread stories, or have stories conveyed in audio and video formats.



Stories can be quickly shared on services like Facebook or Twitter, or sent via e-mail. The application also allows users to record text or audio comments for a story.



The publication also offers an 'Apps and Games' section, complete with reviews of iPad software and links to the App Store. Also demonstrated were the interactive elements of the sports section of The Daily, complete with customizable scores and stats for a reader's favorite teams. Even a team's "tweets" from Twitter can be integrated into a custom sports page.



The publication will be updated every morning, but more frequent updates will be possible throughout the day for breaking news or story updates.



Apple's Eddy Cue, left, with News Corp.'s Rupert Murdoch jointly unveil The Daily Wednesday.



Apple's iTunes chief, Eddy Cue, appeared at Wednesday's event, and noted that more than 200 million news applications have already been downloaded for the iPad. He said The Daily has an "amazing team" of reporters, designers and editors that will make it a premier publication.



"It's incredible to believe that something of this production value can be done every single day," he said.



Cue also talked briefly about the new subscription plans within the App Store. The Daily will run 99 cents per week, or annual subscriptions will cost $39.99.



He was also asked about enforcement of App Store policies regarding content being sold within applications available for download. Cue said Apple wants to ensure that customers can get content "both from our device and our App Store, and from other websites and ways that they get them."



Murdoch said that The Daily will not remain exclusive to the iPad, though he expects Apple's touchscreen tablet to remain the dominant player in the tablet market for some time to come.



"We would expect to be on all major tablets, but we believe last year, this year and maybe next year really belong to Apple," he said. "That's just a market judgment."
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 170
    irelandireland Posts: 17,799member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    The central navigation experience is known as "the carousel," where stories are represented visually on tiles. Users can swipe through pages and sections with their fingertips, shuffle random unread stories, or have stories conveyed in audio and video formats.



    "Fingertips", really AI?



    http://www.thedaily.com/
  • Reply 2 of 170
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    ... A new "In-App Subscriptions" section was added to the iTunes Terms and Conditions to explain ... to users that Apple may request permission to provide personal information to third parties for marketing purposes. The sharing of information can be declined, which will not affect the purchase. ...



    This sounds like a solution that ought to make consumers and publishers (unless they are simply determined not to be) happy, and does personal information sharing the way it ought to be done, opt-in and optional. This should become a model that is enacted into law.
  • Reply 3 of 170
    gqbgqb Posts: 1,934member
    While I wouldn't go near any 'news' produced by Murdoch with a 10 foot pole, the price at least seems to be getting into the 'reasonable' territory... $39/year or .99/week.



    Now if a real news organization would follow suit, I'll be interested.
  • Reply 3 of 170
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ireland View Post


    "Fingertips", really AI?



    What's the objection to 'fingertips'?
  • Reply 5 of 170
    irelandireland Posts: 17,799member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by anonymouse View Post


    What's the objection to 'fingertips'?



    We use our fingers, we have used them for a long time.
  • Reply 6 of 170
    sandorsandor Posts: 665member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ireland View Post


    We use our fingers, we have used them for a long time.







    i cannot remember the last time i used the middle segment or base segment of my finger to work an iphone or ipad.



    not sure about you, but i almost exclusively use my fingertips to activate the interface.
  • Reply 7 of 170
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ireland View Post


    We use our fingers, we have used them for a long time.



    Oh my. Quibblemudgeon.
  • Reply 8 of 170
    irelandireland Posts: 17,799member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by sandor View Post


    i cannot remember the last time i used the middle segment or base segment of my finger to work an iphone or ipad.



    not sure about you, but i almost exclusively use my fingertips to activate the interface.



    You're dealing with semantics. AI used the term 'fingertips' to make the app sound fresh, but technologically it's not. The iPad is great. The term fingertips just sounds like they are trying too hard on this story.
  • Reply 9 of 170
    antkm1antkm1 Posts: 1,441member
    I wonder what Glenn Beck has to say about this. From his own boss nonetheless.
  • Reply 10 of 170
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ireland View Post


    You're dealing with semantics. AI used the term 'fingertips' to make the app sound fresh, but technologically it's not. The iPad is great. The term fingertips just sounds like they are trying to hard on this story.



    So, you're saying they need to knuckle down on their choice of words?
  • Reply 11 of 170
    sandorsandor Posts: 665member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ireland View Post


    You're dealing with semantics. AI used the term 'fingertips' to make the app sound fresh, but technologically it's not. The iPad is great. The term fingertips just sounds like they are trying to hard on this story.



    then question the content of the whole article, since none of it is anything new - as noted in the article, there have already been 200 million news app downloads.



    fingertips is a perfectly acceptable, and technically correct, descriptor in my view.
  • Reply 12 of 170
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ireland View Post


    You're dealing with semantics. AI used the term 'fingertips' to make the app sound fresh, but technologically it's not. The iPad is great. The term fingertips just sounds like they are trying to hard on this story.



    Thanks for fleshing out your comment. I see your point. It can be viewed as a little chirpy I guess. Still . . . only a venial sin. Let's have them say two Our Fathers and two Hail, Marys and be done with it. Go and sin no more, AI.
  • Reply 13 of 170
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    Apple on Wednesday launched a new in-app subscription service on its App Store for the iPhone and iPad, alongside a new daily newspaper for the iPad from News Corporation, dubbed The Daily. ...



    Sounds like they are being very smart about this, but then no one ever accused Murdoch of being dumb, just evil.



    I still think a buck a week is too much for content that is essentially free elsewhere in slightly different formats. Also, it will probably have advertisements so you'd have to be pretty much a dumbass to buy into this thing.



    The good news for Murdoch is that roughly 70% of the public falls into the "dumbass" category.
  • Reply 14 of 170
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ireland View Post


    You're dealing with semantics. AI used the term 'fingertips' to make the app sound fresh, but technologically it's not. The iPad is great. The term fingertips just sounds like they are trying to hard on this story.



    Wrong "to."



    It should be "trying too hard" if we are into correcting grammar and language this morning.
  • Reply 15 of 170
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Prof. Peabody View Post


    Wrong "to."



    It should be "trying too hard" if we are into correcting grammar and language this morning.



    . . . or typos.



    And now, back to our thread . . .
  • Reply 16 of 170
    irelandireland Posts: 17,799member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Prof. Peabody View Post


    Wrong "to."



    It should be "trying too hard" if we are into correcting grammar and language this morning.



    It's a typo. I wasn't correcting grammar. It was merely pointing out AI's 'desperate' word usage.
  • Reply 17 of 170
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by GQB View Post


    While I wouldn't go near any 'news' produced by Murdoch with a 10 foot pole, the price at least seems to be getting into the 'reasonable' territory... $39/year or .99/week.



    Now if a real news organization would follow suit, I'll be interested.



    I agree. This would be so much better if a "real" news organization with no bias were behind this like the NY Times, NBC News or MSNBC.........
  • Reply 18 of 170
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Prof. Peabody View Post


    Sounds like they are being very smart about this, but then no one ever accused Murdoch of being dumb, just evil.



    I still think a buck a week is too much for content that is essentially free elsewhere in slightly different formats. Also, it will probably have advertisements so you'd have to be pretty much a dumbass to buy into this thing.



    The good news for Murdoch is that roughly 70% of the public falls into the "dumbass" category.



    It will depend on how much content is included, my local paper was $150 per year delivered, if the content is similar in extent, obviously missing local content, it would be worth $52 to me.



    www.thedaily.com just started rerunning the news event, if you want to listen in.
  • Reply 19 of 170
    The Daily is available now from the App Store. Downloading now.
  • Reply 20 of 170
    gqbgqb Posts: 1,934member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by dsknj View Post


    I agree. This would be so much better if a "real" news organization with no bias were behind this like the NY Times, NBC News or MSNBC.........



    Your sarcasm is noted, but keep in mind that survey after survey shows that FOX viewers consistently rank as the most misinformed in the world.

    FOX is the propaganda arm of the Republican party. That is not up for debate. The question is whether or not the party is actually just the political arm of FOX.



    Give up the 'liberal media' meme. Doesn't exist, and you know it. At best its 'corporate media'.
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