The Stupidest Thing Apple Ever Did

On Wednesday, a federal judge issued a damning finding that Apple conspired with five major book publishers to fix the price of ebooks. The ruling is a chronicle of these firms’ incredible stupidity. In 2009 and 2010, the judge says, Apple and the publishers conspired more or less in the open, telegraphing their moves to the press, memorializing their discussions over email, hinting at their anti-competitive agreements in public statements, and strategizing in swanky restaurants. For a short while, they succeeded in their goal of raising book prices: Overnight, the average price of ebooks rose by nearly 20 percent, with some best-sellers shooting up by close to 50 percent. Books that used to sell for $9.99 were now $12.99 or $14.99, prices that Apple and the publishers believed would threaten Amazon.com, the undisputed king of ebooks. Continue reading at 'Slate'

[ Slate | 2013-07-12 00:00:00 UTC ]

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Apple's AirPods Pro drop back to $200, plus the rest of the week's best tech deals

It's Friday, which means it's time for another roundup of notable discounts on good tech. Among the highlights, Apple's AirPods Pro are back down to $200, tying the best price we've seen for the iPhone-friendly noise-cancelling earphones. Amazon has dropped the Kindle Paperwhite down to $100,... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-03-24 15:43:59 UTC ]
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Apple Music bug on iOS is reportedly mixing up people's playlists

Apple Music users on iOS are highlighting a fairly serious bug that is causing other people's playlists and songs to appear in their libraries, according to multiple Redditors. On top of that, some users have complained that their own playlists have outright disappeared or been replaced by... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-03-23 10:30:03 UTC ]
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Things (Some) Readers Find Annoying About Books and the Book World

Even the most passionate bibliophile gets annoyed by aspects of books and the book world sometimes. Here are some examples. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-03-22 10:34:00 UTC ]
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Roald Dahl is the last thing we should worry about on World Book Day | Frank Cottrell-Boyce

More important than culture-war noise are the multiple threats to British children learning to love books of any kindBack in the days when everything took place on Zooms and Teams, I was part of a World Book Day event that was livestreamed from the set of the hit musical Matlida. The set is... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-03-02 11:42:37 UTC ]
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‘Things are definitely opening up’: the rise of older female writers

Unpublished authors in their 60s, 70s and 80s are now at a premium in the book world – with radical, edgy women in high demandThe literary world is often accused of an obsession with youth, from multiple awards targeted at authors under 40 to publishers who hunt for new voices exclusively among... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-02-25 07:00:46 UTC ]
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Engadget Podcast: AI all the things!

The AI news just won’t stop! This week, Cherlynn and Devindra discuss the latest on Bing AI – Microsoft is loosening up some recent restrictions, following reports of its bad behavior – as well as the rise of ChatGPT stories on the Kindle store. Spotify is also launching its own AI DJ, starring... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-02-24 13:30:19 UTC ]
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Audiobook Narrators Fear Apple Used Their Voices to Train AI

After a backlash, Spotify paused an arrangement that allowed Apple to train machine learning models on some audiobook files. Continue reading at Wired

[ Wired | 2023-02-14 16:03:54 UTC ]
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Apple's AirPods Pro drop back to $199, plus the rest of the week's best tech deals

We've been keeping tabs on the best TV deals ahead of this weekend's Super Bowl, but there are plenty of noteworthy tech deals going on for those who aren't looking to overhaul their living room. Apple's AirPods Pro, for instance, are back down to an all-time low of $199, while Amazon is running... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-02-10 16:29:46 UTC ]
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Adelaide Books Promises to Make Things Right with Authors

The owner of the hybrid publisher has promised representatives from the Authors Guild that he will address the myriad complaints brought against his company that have piled up for about five years. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-02-01 05:00:00 UTC ]
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'Stranger Things' Choose Your Own Adventure Coming in April

The Duffer Brothers, creators of the Netflix hit 'Stranger Things,' were big fans of the Choose Your Own Adventure middle grade series and a tie-in based on the fourth season of the show is coming from Random House in April. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-02-01 05:00:00 UTC ]
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'Stranger Things' helped Netflix dominate the streaming charts in 2022

You might not be stuck inside watching shows like you were at the height of the pandemic, but there were clearly some favorite online titles last year. Nielsen has shared its top streaming shows of 2022 in the US, and the most-streamed by far was Stranger Things — the fourth season helped... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-01-27 18:20:44 UTC ]
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Trying to Read More in 2023? These Things Can Help.

From audiobook subscriptions to bullet journals to reading lights, here are some things that can help you meet your 2023 reading goals.- Clare Barnett Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-01-09 11:34:00 UTC ]
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Apple's new audiobook narration service uses AI voices

When you browse Apple Books for your next audiobook, you might come across a few titles with a note that says they were "Narrated by Apple Books." That's because the tech giant has released a catalogue of titles that make use of its new AI-powered digital narration service. The company said the... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-01-05 13:10:59 UTC ]
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Apple's AirPods Pro fall to $200, plus the rest of the week's best tech deals

While it's a bit late for most tech gifts to ship in time for Christmas, there are still many deals going on for those looking to buy something nice for themselves. Apple's AirPods Pro, for one, are down to an all-time low of $200, while Sony's WF-1000XM4 earbuds are still at a low of $178.... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2022-12-23 17:30:24 UTC ]
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Apple's iPad Air drops to $500, plus the rest of the week's best tech deals

We're in the thick of the holiday season, so we're still seeing good deals on a number of gadgets and tech gear we recommend. Apple's iPad Air, for instance, is down to its second-lowest price to date at $500, while Amazon's Fire HD 8 is down to an all-time low of $55. The Xbox Series S is still... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2022-12-09 17:01:40 UTC ]
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The Morning After: Apple has ‘fully resumed’ advertising on Twitter, according to Elon Musk

According to Elon Musk, Apple has “fully resumed” advertising on Twitter. The billionaire made the comment during a Twitter Spaces conversation he broadcast from his private plane on Saturday evening. On November 28th, Musk claimed Apple had “mostly stopped advertising on Twitter” and threatened... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2022-12-05 12:15:07 UTC ]
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Best Buy’s best Black Friday deals: Laptops, TVs, Apple gear, and more

Black Friday is just one day away, but the deals have already begun reaching their peak. You don’t need to wait to make your purchases—in fact, if you do, you run the risk of missing out on fantastic discounts. Stock can run out early, as Best Buy warns in its Black Friday FAQ. Many of... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2022-11-24 09:59:00 UTC ]
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Apple's 10.2-inch iPad drops to $270, plus the best early Black Friday deals so far

Though Black Friday is technically a week away, we're already seeing a barrage of sales that we expect to carry over into the shopping holiday. Several of Apple's iPads, Apple Watches and MacBooks are available at their lowest prices to date, for instance, as are a plethora of devices from... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2022-11-18 17:15:53 UTC ]
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Best Buy’s best Black Friday deals: TVs, laptops, Apple gear, and more

As per modern tradition, Black Friday deals are already here, well before Thanksgiving. You don’t have to wait to save money—in fact, if you do, you run the risk of missing out. Not everything will remain in stock, as Best Buy warns in its Black Friday FAQ. Many of today’s best-known tech... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2022-11-17 19:44:06 UTC ]
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Why media investors are saying publishing company VC funding slowdown is a good thing

The venture capital market is slowing -- and while that might be a good thing for some investors, it'll likely be more difficult for media companies to raise capital. Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2022-11-10 05:01:00 UTC ]
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