Briefly: iPod nano update, The Daily extended, CEO succession plan

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
Apple updated the firmware on its latest iPod nano, adding the ability to turn the device off and control playback with the sleep/wake button. And News Corp revealed plans to extend the free trial of The Daily for several more weeks while fixing bugs. Finally, after its proposal was rejected at Wednesday's shareholder meeting, a labor union announced that it will keep pressing for Apple to annually reveal its CEO succession plan.



iPod nano



Apple issued software update version 1.1 for the sixth generation iPod nano earlier this week. The update adds the ability to completely turn off the device, rather than just putting it to sleep. Also added was the use of the sleep/wake button to control music or radio playback.



Initial reviews of the diminutive iPod, which was released in September of last year, were at first skeptical of the smaller size, but eventually warmed up to the device. Apple removed the video camera and reduced the size of the display but added multi-touch and a clip.



The Daily



The Daily Publisher Greg Clayman revealed an indefinite extension of the free trial for the iPad-only newspaper to paidContent on Wednesday, though it will likely only last for several more weeks.



News Corp. unveiled the periodical on Feb. 2 at a joint event with Apple. The application is the first to take advantage of Apple's now controversial in-app subscription feature. After iPad maker revealed the terms of its in-app subscription service, several developers and publishers spoke out in opposition to the pricing structure and restrictive terms.



For his part, News Corp CEO Rupert Murdoch says he's satisfied with the 70 - 30 revenue split with Apple for now, but hopes that future negotiations will improve the deal.



The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that The Daily's iPad exclusive status could quickly diminish as News Corp. plans to port the newspaper over to Google's Android mobile operating system as early as this spring. Though Murdoch had previously mentioned at the paper's launch that the project would make its way to other tablets, he gave off mixed signals by saying that "last year, this year and maybe next year really belong to Apple."



CEO succession plan



On the heels of Apple's shareholder meeting on Wednesday, the Laborers' International Union of North America issued a press release detailing its commitment to continue to push Apple to release its CEO succession plan.



?The men and women who invest in these plans do back-breaking work all day building this country ? they deserve to have their retirement savings invested in stable, responsible companies,? LIUNA General President Terry O?Sullivan said in the statement. ?We?ll continue to demand Apple?s board behaves responsibly and does right by its shareholders. It?s good for the company, investors and the economy for Apple to demonstrate that it?s prepared.?



Apple had publicly opposed the shareholder proposal, which was initiated by the Central Laborers' Pension Fund, on the grounds that disclosing the company's comprehensive succession plan would give competitors "an unfair advantage" and "undermine (Apple's) efforts to recruit and retain executives."



Investment advisory firm ISS threw its support behind LiUNA and the proposal earlier this month.



Though the succession plan proposal was rejected at the meeting, a separate proposal submitted by a California pension fund that would require majority votes for board member reelections was approved in the preliminary vote count.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 1
    If Apple is sooooo irresponsible by not publishing succession plans then those hedge/retirement funds should just take their investments elsewhere. Do the right thing for your investors by investing in more responsible companies elsewhere like say Microsoft? I hear their stocks are cheap. Don't see any of them doing that now do we?



    I think this is just some egomaniac drumming up publicity for himself.
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