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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Publishing Sales Execs Consider the Future of Book Pricing

A trio of international publishing sales executives reflect on the different attitudes toward book pricing across the world, wondering what the future holds. The post Publishing Sales Execs Consider the Future of Book Pricing appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-12-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Can an Oil-and-Gas Exec Disrupt the Book Business?

Bangkok-based Gordon Ross says disrupting the book industry is a business challenge, and has launched Bleeding Heart Publications to test his instincts. The post Can an Oil-and-Gas Exec Disrupt the Book Business? appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-12-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book business #book industry


Kindle app update adds X-ray, push notifications, better audiobook controls

The Kindle’s X-Ray feature is an excellent differentiator from other eReader apps. It’s like a specialized Wikipedia for each Kindle book, curating details about characters, locations, history, and many other facets of both fiction and non-fiction texts. The X-Ray feature is finally available in... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2014-12-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book isn #push notifications #x-ray feature


YouTube star takes online break as she admits novel was ‘not written alone’

Bear with me, video blogger Zoella asks fans, as she takes break from internet after admitting that runaway bestselling debut Girl Online was written jointlyYouTube star Zoe Sugg has announced that she is taking a break from the internet after admitting that she did not write her bestselling... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-12-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #bestselling debut #twitter account #girl online #fastest-selling debut


Zoella admits Girl Online ghost-writing

Her debut novel, Girl Online, was written with the "help" of her publisher, Penguin, admits Zoella. Continue reading at BBC World

[ BBC World | 2014-12-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #girl online


Obituary: Publishing Exec Donald W. Jones, 92

In 1996, the Association of American Publishers awarded Jones a lifetime achievement award for his work in the higher education publishing field. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-12-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Slicebooks Debuts Customizable Storefront App

Founded in 2011 by Jill and Ron Tomich, Denver-based Slicebooks is a digital publishing platform that gives publishers the ability to “slice” their titles into smaller chunks and sell them by chapter. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-12-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Meaning of Liff app from Faber

Faber has launched an interactive app based on Douglas Adams and John Lloyd's The Meaning of Liff. The Meaning of Liff app, which is available from the Apple app store, is based around the 1983 book, which takes British place names and assigns them with phenomenon which English does not have a... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-12-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Bezos admits making 'billion of dollars of failures' at Amazon

Amazon c.e.o. Jeff Bezos has admitted to making “billions of dollars of failures” at the company, and has said it does not matter. Speaking at Business Insider’s Ignition conference, Bezos also addressed the dispute the online retailer had with Hachette Book Group in the US, which has now been... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-12-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Thrillbent Grows with Print and an App

Thrillbent, the digital comics portal started by comics writers Mark Waid and John Rogers, has spun-off into a full featured app and a print campaign with two different publishers. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-12-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Time Inc. Exec VP Todd Larsen Out in Executive Reshuffle

Time Inc., the nation's largest magazine publisher, is reorganizing its executive suite.Executive VP Evelyn Webster, who oversees the company's lifestyle titles including InStyle, will assume responsibility of Time Inc.'s entire U.S. portfolio, excluding People and Entertainment Weekly,... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2014-12-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #internal memo #executive suite #assume responsibility #entertainment weekly #effective immediately #lifestyle brands


Veteran Time Inc. Exec Jed Hartman Heading to Bezos's Washington Post

Time Inc., the nation's the largest magazine publisher, is losing one of its top business-side execs to The Washington Post. The executive, Jed Hartman, who is group publisher of news and business at Time Inc., is joining the Post as its chief revenue officer.The departure costs Time Inc. an... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2014-12-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Google Play Store cyber sale offers discounted apps, movies, music, and books

The Google Play Store is joining in on the cyber week sale madness, offering some tempting deals on a variety of digital content.Click over to the Play Store to scroll through everything that is up for grabs. Some of the best deals are on entertainment, with Academy Award winner Her available... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2014-11-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Orion extends early reader series

Orion Children’s Books is increasing its range of early reader titles, with four non-fiction books planned for 2015. The books are all on science or nature and the first, The Deep Dark Sea, is by Tony De Saulles and will be released on the 19th March. The other three books coming out next year... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-11-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #books coming #orion children


Obituary: Publishing Exec Pam Byers, 67

Pam McLucas Byers, a veteran publishing executive on both coasts, died on October 27 after a long illness. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-11-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The mistakes publishers make with mobile apps

Publishers are getting smarter about their mobile apps, recognizing their mistaken assumptions and altering their app strategies as a result. The post The mistakes publishers make with mobile apps appeared first on Digiday. Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2014-11-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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To 'read' this fashion magazine, you'll need a smartphone app

Persona is one of the latest fashion magazines in Tokyo. It’s printed on heavy stock paper and is full of photos of models and clothing. The only thing missing is text.You “read” Persona with a smartphone camera.An app recognizes the images, queries a cloud database and then downloads related... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2014-11-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #fashion magazine #quarterly magazine #print version


Running Press, HBO Partner on 'Game of Thrones' Line

Running Press and HBO are teaming up on multiple books and mini kits inspired by the premium channel's series, 'Game of Thrones.' Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-11-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Two Iolani grads find success with photo book app SimplePrints

Two graduates of Hawaii's Iolani School, Matt Sullivan and Landen Buckley, have taken on the photo book market with their StoryTree Inc. app SimplePrints. Unlike online photo services such as Shutterfly and Snapfish, SimplePrints was designed for mobile devices to make photo books, clearing... Continue reading at Silicon Valley Business Journal

[ Silicon Valley Business Journal | 2014-11-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Jaguar's Google Glass App Brings Print Ads to Life

Jaguar has a clever way to take you inside the plot of its latest villain-themed campaign. Today, the brand is linking print ads in Condé Nast's Vanity Fair, Condé Nast Traveler, GQ and Wired magazines to digital content through the Blippar app for Google Glass and mobile devices. The app is... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2014-11-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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