HBO Max exec admits to the app’s early flaws

Viewers have long complained about the early HBO Max app’s tendency to crash, and its lack of discoverability features. There have been a number of overhauls and fixes since then. Now we know why. Turns out that HBO Max launched its apps before they were ready in order to keep up with its competitors. The app was “never intended to go global” or to suit the needs of a direct-to-consumer market, according to an interview that Sarah Lyons, HBO Max’s head of product experience, gave Protocol. The network wanted to build an audience first, and then fix the app’s flaws as the service scaled up.While Lyons admits that the early days of HBO Max were rocky, she thinks the company made the right decision. We’ve been changing out the engine of the plane while we’re flying the plane,” she said. “I do think it was the right decision to try to balance both,” said Lyons.HBO Max first released its app in May 2020, to join an already saturated streaming ecosystem that included Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Apple TV+ and others. At the time, both HBO Go (the network’s on-demand app for cable subscribers) and HBO Now (the standalone app for cord-cutters) were still available, a fact that confused many subscribers. The network has since retired both apps.Viewers have flocked to Reddit since the app’s initial launch with complaints that spanned platforms and devices. “We’ve been trying to watch the Harry Potter movies and literally every 15 min or so we get an ERROR message and have to force close... Continue reading at 'Engadget'

[ Engadget | 2022-04-14 23:32:58 UTC ]
News tagged with: #apple tv+ #streaming platforms #home page #biggest change #harry potter

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Print Unit Sales Rose 7.2% in Early September

Unit sales of print books in the week ended Sept. 12, 2020, rose 7.2% over the comparable week in 2019, at outlets that report to NPD BookScan. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-09-18 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Getting into the Holiday Spirit Early

Booksellers are kicking off holiday sales now, well before the traditional start of the holiday season on Black Friday, or the day after Thanksgiving. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-09-11 04:00:00 UTC ]
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In Emma Cline’s story collection, ‘Daddy,’ flawed men reap what they sow

As in “The Girls,” Cline’s wit is on point and her writing is evocative and seductive. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2020-09-04 08:54:40 UTC ]
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Bon Appétit names Dawn Davis, celebrated Simon & Schuster exec, new editor-in-chief

The storied culinary media brand lands a, well, seasoned publishing pro at a critical juncture.   Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2020-08-27 17:16:47 UTC ]
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Pearson appoints Walt Disney exec Andy Bird as c.e.o.

Pearson has appointed Andy Bird, most recently president and chairman of Walt Disney International, to be Pearson's new chief executive. He will start on 19th October, subject to shareholder approval, with outgoing boss John Fallon remaining in the role until that date.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-08-24 08:02:27 UTC ]
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Flaws Could Have Exposed Cryptocurrency Exchanges to Hackers

Researchers found troubling bugs in open-source libraries used by financial institutions. Continue reading at Wired

[ Wired | 2020-08-09 11:00:00 UTC ]
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NetGalley adds audiobook support and launches app

NetGalley has added audiobook support to its platform and launched its first app allowing members to read and listen to its content. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-07-13 18:47:51 UTC ]
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Norman Lock’s ‘American Follies’ mines America’s flawed past for dazzling fiction

The latest installment in Lock’s American Novels series brings together P.T. Barnum and Susan B. Anthony. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2020-07-07 15:01:01 UTC ]
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Laurence King Publishing offers Woolf essay early to bookshops

Laurence King Publishing is branching out with the first standalone volume of Virginia Woolf’s essay How Should One Read a Book? featuring a new introduction and afterword by author Sheila Heti. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-07-06 10:27:44 UTC ]
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PRH Announces Early Launch for 2-Day Shipping Program

Penguin Random House is hoping to alleviate a significant source of stress for independent booksellers by launching its annual 2-Day Transit Program on July 1, two months ahead of schedule. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-06-25 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Hulu, Condé Nast, Roku and YouTube Execs on Being Flexible With Marketers During Pandemic

As the delayed 2020 Digital Content NewFronts finally arrive today in their new virtual format, Adweek assembled its annual NewFronts roundtable to discuss this wild year. Several industry execs weighed in on many of the marketplace's biggest issues going into NewFronts, including Jim Keller, vp... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2020-06-22 12:41:43 UTC ]
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Adeola and Wilson-Max call for trade transparency on race

Illustrators Dapo Adeola and Ken Wilson-Max have said the industry could be on the cusp of change over diversity but it requires more black people in sales teams and greater transparency on race. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-06-16 15:01:56 UTC ]
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Adeola and Wilson-Max to discuss lack of children's publishing diversity

Dapo Adeola will be speaking to Ken Wilson-Max on Instagram Live this week about their experiences as two of just four black British illustrators currently being published in children's books. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-06-15 09:32:54 UTC ]
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Print Unit Sales Increased 6.8% in Early June

Unit sales of print books rose 6.8% in the week ended June 6, 2020, over the similar week last year, at outlets that report to NPD BookScan. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-06-12 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Studio Press acquires two 'important' early years series

Bonnier Books UK imprint Studio Press has acquired two new board book series for its early years publishing.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-06-11 20:55:38 UTC ]
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A great Bigfoot novel may be lurking out there. Max Brooks’s ‘Devolution’ isn’t it.

Given monster stories by Mary Shelley, Stephen King and other masters of the macabre, Brooks is trying to fill some awfully big shoes here. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2020-06-09 15:19:49 UTC ]
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Max Brooks's 'Devolution' follows Bigfoot into the dark forest of terror

Ron Charles tracks the Sasquatch legend that won't die in Max Brooks's "Devolution" Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2020-06-08 08:25:32 UTC ]
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Science Fiction for Early Readers: The Fantastic World of DINOSAUR TRAIN

Get to know the fantastic and thrilling world of the DINOSAUR TRAIN series, a shining example of science fiction for early readers. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2020-06-02 10:35:52 UTC ]
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It’s okay to admit it: We’d all like to be living in an Elin Hilderbrand novel

The queen of the beach read has built a bond among her readers. It feels more vital — and in greater jeopardy — in a time of social distancing. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2020-05-28 12:00:00 UTC ]
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Open source security flaws found in 70 percent of applications

New research from application security specialist Veracode finds seven in 10 applications have a security flaw in an open source library on initial scan, highlighting how use of open source can introduce flaws, increase risk, and add to security debt. The study analyzed the component open source... Continue reading at Betanews

[ Betanews | 2020-05-19 09:57:36 UTC ]
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