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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Facebook app poses a dilemma for publishers

The social network seems to have decided to host content itself rather than send users to other websites Continue reading... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-11-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Execs Talk Translation at Sharjah Book Fair

At the Sharjah International Book Fair, currently happening in the United Arab Emirates, a panel about translated books saw execs from various countries talking about the difficulties of getting titles that do not originate in English into the Western markets. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-11-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Print Media Buying Has Stabilized, Agency Execs Say, But Change is Still the Watchword

The most dominant story in magazine media over the last decade-the decline in print as digital media surges-may be changing, according to an all-star panel of ad agency executives at a min breakfast Thursday. There was general consensus on the panel of four that the decline has stopped and... Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2014-11-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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This Week in Children's Apps: November 6, 2014

This week in children's apps, a bestselling bedtime story comes to life, Little Critter learns about generosity, and The Cat in the Hat explores the weather. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-11-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Two S&S Canada Execs Depart

Simon & Schuster Canada has confirmed that Martha Sharpe, editorial director, and Alison Clark, associate publisher, have left the company. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-11-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Popular messaging apps fail EFF's security review

Some of the most widely used messaging apps in the world, including Google Hangouts, Facebook chat, Yahoo Messenger and Snapchat, flunked a best-practices security test by advocacy group the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF).The organization evaluated 39 messaging products based on seven... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2014-11-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #security review #messaging apps #advocacy group #digital communications #published tuesday


Nosy Crow turns apps into picture books

Nosy Crow will next year turn its fairy tale apps, including recent addition Jack and the Beanstalk, into picture books.   Digital manager Tom Bonnick told The Bookseller the decision was a “no-brainer” because of all the “fantastic artwork” he had from animator and illustrator Ed Bryan. “We... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-11-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Diversion Books Launches Romance Retail App

E-book publisher Diversion Books has launched EverAfter, a bookstore app dedicated to romance titles. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-11-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Is FlickerLab’s Animgram the Next Big Message App?

If you love animated cartoons and social media, FlickerLab, an animation and app developer, may have developed the perfect messaging software for you. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-10-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Children's BAFTA nod for Touchpress app

Digital publisher Touchpress’ Disney Animated app has been nominated for a Children’s BAFTA award in the Interactive: Adapted category.   The app was made by Touchpress in partnership with Walt Disney Animation Studios and Disney Interactive. It provides users with access to the inner workings... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-10-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Adobe begins encrypting user data collected from Digital Editions app

Adobe Systems said Thursday it is now encrypting data it collects about certain ebooks after facing criticism earlier this month for not protecting the data.The Digital Reader blog reported on Oct. 6 that Adobe’s Digital Editions 4 software, used for downloading and reading ebooks, sent detailed... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2014-10-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Apple Integrates the iBooks App into iOS 8

In a move that should please publishers, the September release of iOS 8, Apple’s updated operating system for phones and tablets, included the integration of the iBooks app. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-10-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Will 'King of Magazines' Spin Off Print Unit? Execs 'Not Opposed'

Media companies have been streamlining their businesses by cleaving off underperforming print units from more lucrative TV, film and digital businesses. Just this year, Time Warner spun off magazine division Time Inc., Tribune Company split apart its TV and newspaper businesses and Gannett... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2014-10-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Uber Debuts Taxi App in South Korea, but Is It Legal?

Taxi app company Uber continues to make inroads in Asian markets, signing up independent cab drivers in Seoul, South Korea, despite regulatory pushback from the country's transport ministry and local authorities. The Wall Street Journal reports that Uber is paying its contract cabbies in Seoul... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2014-10-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Pageviews aren’t perfect, but ad buyers see flaws in attention measures

Premium publishers are pushing for ads to be measured on attention minutes -- or engaged time -- but there are real limitations to its adoption. The post Pageviews aren’t perfect, but ad buyers see flaws in attention measures appeared first on Digiday. Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2014-10-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Issuu Releases iOS8 App, Partners with Jumpstart

Issuu, a digital distribution and reading platform, has launched a new iOS app and announced a partnership with national literacy organization Jumpstart. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-10-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Game of Thrones spawns an app to help fans learn to speak Dothraki

Publisher promises it will arm you with enough vocabulary and grammar to have a complete conversation in DothrakiLanguages created for TV shows can have a powerful fascination for fans: just look at Star Treks Klingon language for proof of that. Game of Thrones Dothraki language also fits into... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-10-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Facebook admits it screwed up, but its proposed research guidelines are meaningless

Facebook is no stranger to controversy, nor is the social network unfamiliar with upsetting its users. It seems as though Zuckerberg's baby has been hitting the headlines for all the wrong reasons lately, and it's not all that long since users vented their fury after it was revealed that their... Continue reading at Betanews

[ Betanews | 2014-10-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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'Gossip Girl' Would Be a Digital-Video Series Today, Former CW Exec Says

If "Gossip Girl" premiered today, it would be a digital-video series, according to Dawn Ostroff, former president of entertainment at The CW Television Network, which aired the teenage melodrama for six seasons starting in 2007.Speaking at the Interactive Advertising Bureau's annual conference... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2014-09-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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As Genre Shows Go Mainstream, TV Execs Are Looking to Novelists for the Next Hit

TV network options on books have exploded. Publishers Lunch, a trade that tracks book industry deals, lists an ever-increasing number of television options over the last few years, with 2013 setting the record and this year looking good. And with massive success stories like Game of Thrones... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2014-09-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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