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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Mexico’s Manuvo: Building Book Apps for Spanish Readers

Award-winning Mexican app development studio Manuvo is at the forefront of building book apps for the Spanish-language market. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-07-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #spanish readers #spanish-language market


This Week in Children's Apps: July 10, 2014

This week in children's apps, we feature apps from the world of Dr. Seuss and Little Critter that explore shapes, holidays, and what life is like on the farm. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-07-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #feature apps


Houghton Unveils Educational App for iPad, Chrome OS

Houghton Miffllin Harcourt is releasing the HMH Player, an interactive educational app designed for the iPad and Google’s Chrome OS that allows teachers to access HMH school content, customize materials and communicate and collaborate with students. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-07-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #chrome os


New mobile app for Milwaukee taxis challenges disruptive competitors

Facing industry pressure from mobile ride-booking applications Uber Technologies Inc. and Lyft Inc., American United Taxi Services is pushing back with an app of its own. "TAXIMKE" is designed with its competitors' concept in mind: order, book and track a taxi through your smartphone. Unlike... Continue reading at Silicon Valley Business Journal

[ Silicon Valley Business Journal | 2014-06-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #mobile app #pushing back #credit card #selling point


RosettaBooks Debuts Mobile E-book App

E-book publisher RosettaBooks is launching an interactive e-reading app for mobile phones and tablets that allows consumers to buy an inventory of backlist classics from Rosetta's retail partners. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-06-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #mobile phones #retail partners


This Week in Children's Apps: June 5, 2014

This week we feature an app from Moonbot Studios, founded by picture book artist William Joyce, and another app approved by the folks at the Smithsonian. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-06-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #moonbot studios


Disney's Frozen Coming to Messaging Apps in Sticker Form

Disney's Frozen is coming to messaging apps in sticker form. The animated blockbuster has been merchandised, advertised, digitized—and now there's a licensing deal to bring the characters to apps like BlackBerry Messenger and Kik. The licensing company TextPride, which buys rights to branded... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2014-05-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #pulp fiction #kill bill #broadcast networks #monster hit


Wowio Launches New Mobile App

The mobile version of its ebook distribution platform will have more than 350,000 titles from IngramBooks. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-05-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #mobile app


For Soothing Relief, Dr. Oz Loves iPad Apps

Specs Who Dr. Mehmet Oz Age 53 Accomplishments Cardiac surgeon and professor at Columbia University; host of The Dr. Oz Show; author; founder of Dr. Oz The Good Life magazine (May/June issue is on newsstands now) Base New York What’s the first information you consume in the morning? Whether my... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2014-05-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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This Week in Children's Apps: May 22, 2014

This week in children's apps, we feature apps with familiar characters who go on two different kinds of explorations—one of the alphabet, and the other of the ocean's waters. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-05-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #feature apps


5 Writing Tips: Max Brooks

The author of "World War Z" and "The Harlem Hellfighters" says it's okay to have over 200 drafts. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-05-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #max brooks #world war #harlem hellfighters


This Week in Children's Apps: May 8, 2014

This week in children's apps, we feature a Berenstain Bears app just in time for Mother's Day, and three new apps based on the Totally Monster book series. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-05-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #apps based


'Joy of Cooking' App Unveiled

Scribner, which publishes the iconic cookbook "The Joy of Cooking," has gone digital with the title. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-05-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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App Report: Look & Cook

Israel meets the Amazon (or Amazon.com, anyway) in Kinetic Art's new 'Look & Cook' app. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-05-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #app report


Authors on the Air April 29, 2014: Max Brooks

Max Brooks, author of "The Harlem Hellfighters" (Broadway Books, 9780307464972), will appear on "Conan" on TBS on Tuesday, April 29. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-04-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #max brooks #harlem hellfighters #broadway books


Thrillbent 3.0 Debuts Subscription, iPad App

Thrillbent, the digital comics platform launched by comics writers Mark Waid and John Rogers, has been upgraded to Thrillbent 3.0, introducing a new subscription plan for $3.99 per month as well as an integrated iPad app. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-04-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #ipad app #john rogers #subscription plan


This Week in Children's Apps: April 17, 2014

This week in children's apps, we feature an update of a classic app for Easter, and another that takes a trip through the human body with the Cat in the Hat. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-04-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #classic app #human body


App Report: Craft Cocktail

With a slick design, gorgeous photography, and – most importantly – delicious drink recipes, Craft Cocktail raises the bar on mixology apps. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-04-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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FarFaria App Offers kids’ Stories for $3.99 Per Month

Offering a colorful and fanciful interface with more than 600 digital stories for kids, FarFaria is a subscription app for the iPad, providing unlimited access to its content for $3.99 a month. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-04-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #subscription app