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Apple Is Planning To Launch a News Subscription Service (bloomberg.com)

An anonymous reader shares a report: Apple plans to integrate recently acquired magazine app Texture into Apple News and debut its own premium subscription offering, according to people familiar with the matter. The move is part of a broader push by the iPhone maker to generate more revenue from online content and services. The Cupertino, California company agreed last month to buy Texture, which lets users subscribe to more than 200 magazines for $9.99 a month. Apple cut about 20 Texture staff soon after, according to one of the people. The world's largest technology company is integrating Texture technology and the remaining employees into its Apple News team, which is building the premium service. An upgraded Apple News app with the subscription offering is expected to launch within the next year, and a slice of the subscription revenue will go to magazine publishers that are part of the program, the people said.

37 comments

  1. Paying for Cupertino bias? by bobbied · · Score: 4, Interesting

    No thank you... I can assemble a biased news feed all on my own or just subscribe to Twitter and Facebook and get one ready made for free.

    --
    "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
    1. Re: Paying for Cupertino bias? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      But at what cost?

    2. Re:Paying for Cupertino bias? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I have no doubt that a few snowflakes with hipster glasses, beanie hats and some extra money from mom and dad will gladly pay to make it possible to prevent unpleasant facts from disturbing them at Starbucks.

    3. Re:Paying for Cupertino bias? by bobbied · · Score: 1

      I have no doubt that a few snowflakes with hipster glasses, beanie hats and some extra money from mom and dad will gladly pay to make it possible to prevent unpleasant facts from disturbing them at Starbucks.

      If we can keep Starbucks from tossing them out onto the street or getting them arrested for trespassing....

      --
      "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
    4. Re:Paying for Cupertino bias? by Freischutz · · Score: 1

      No thank you... I can assemble a biased news feed all on my own or just subscribe to Twitter and Facebook and get one ready made for free.

      Why waste your time painstakingly assembling the biased news yourself? Just watch the Fox News live stream.

    5. Re:Paying for Cupertino bias? by bobbied · · Score: 1

      No thank you... I can assemble a biased news feed all on my own or just subscribe to Twitter and Facebook and get one ready made for free.

      Why waste your time painstakingly assembling the biased news yourself? Just watch the Fox News live stream.

      Better yet, just listen to MSNBC, CNN or even NPR... What ever you do, DON'T EVER listen to CSPAN or look at Thomas.gov, you might die from shock being exposed to the actual facts....

      --
      "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
  2. Subscription Offering by lazarus · · Score: 3, Interesting

    When they rolled out their paid-for streaming service they killed off their free radio stations. I'm just wondering what is going to happen to news once they have a paid-for service.

    --
    I am not interested in articles about life extension advancements.
    1. Re:Subscription Offering by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Going to any news site, especially a conservative one will result in launching the app store pointing to Apple News, that's what. Or maybe going to Fox News automatically brick your device "for safety."

    2. Re:Subscription Offering by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Of course! Won't Somebody Think Of The Children!!1!!!!1!

  3. Apple is running out of ideas by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Apple is still selling stuff that were designed back when Steve Jobs was still alive

    After Steve's passing, what new things Apple has brought to the world?

    Apple Watch? Don't make me laugh!

    1. Re:Apple is running out of ideas by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Don't forget HomePod

  4. More like APPle News! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Today's headlines:

    • App apps app while apping other apps!
    • LUDDITE arrested for hacking appy app apps!
    • Only apps can app apps!

    Apps!

  5. Worlds Crappiest Product by SuperKendall · · Score: 1, Offtopic

    I wish them luck, but I try to avoid most news as it is as reporting this days is simply awful. I can't see why I would pay for the privilege of reading a shoddy product.

    It's not like you can possibly be out of touch with current events anyway, as news has infiltrated all aspects of existence.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
    1. Re:Worlds Crappiest Product by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Who gives a flying shit what you think?

    2. Re:Worlds Crappiest Product by CaptainDork · · Score: 1

      This.

      When businesses and their advertisers got their filthy fucking hands on "news," journalism died.

      Look: Sensational "news" draws a crowd. Where there are eyeballs, there's money.

      We've all seen where PBS and C-Span get ribbed because their news is dry and impartial and uninteresting.

      Those two, and others like them, struggle for funding.

      Meanwhile, "news" that should be labeled as "entertainment" grabs the cash.

      Go look at nyt.com or wapo.com.

      Throughout the day, their content doesn't change much.

      That's because news doesn't come at us like a goddam gaggle of random noise.

      Then go to cnn.com or foxnews.com.

      BREAKING: stays up all fucking day long about the same goddam story all day long where very little additional information is available all fucking day long.

      I agree with OP: How in Sam Hill can anyone avoid knowing what's going on?

      --
      It little behooves the best of us to comment on the rest of us.
  6. Re:Word is this service is for Whites only by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I think the word "White" should be replaced with "Metro sexual" as this is geared towards Apple fanboys.

  7. Thanks for the interest! by SuperKendall · · Score: 1

    I only post for fun, not because I think people care what I think... or care what they think about what I post.

    However, you both read and responded to my message. Thanks for being a part of my fan club, that hangs on my every word! Your post has confirmed people do read what I write, giving me the energy to post for the next several decades. :-)

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
    1. Re:Thanks for the interest! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You fat lying fraud! On the contrary, you care a lot, so much that you control-f every fucking slashdot article in search of your name!

  8. Clearly I'm not the target audience. by ThomasBHardy · · Score: 1

    I'm not seeing a scenario where I'd pay $10 a month for access to magazines, be they news or otherwise.

    If we could get unbiased fact reporting, then sure, I'd be willing to pay for that service. But just collecting 200 magazines? Why?

    And why call it news? Just because there are a few magazines like Time and Forbes? But the majority of their list seems to be in the conventional magazine space like Cosmo, Better Homes and Gardens, Working Mother type of stuff.

    And if I did have some interest, maybe for scientific mags or a couple of foodie mags, I have trouble seeing how I fit this into the workflow of my day. If I want a recipe today I look one up online. If I need food inspiration I have sites for that. If I want to read scientific articles there are sites I can visit. When do I set aside time to curl up with my pad and read magazines for a few hours? I'd rather read a book.

    I'm thinking through people I know, and I'm not able to pinpoint any one person and think "Hey, they would love this!"

    --
    Warning: Teh poster of this messaeg is lysdexic
    1. Re:Clearly I'm not the target audience. by CrashNBrn · · Score: 1

      You could of at least read the title, "Apple is planning to Launch a News Subscription Service."
      Apple bought a magazine subscription App to base the technology on; they even kept some of the app's staff.

      We should probably all be astounded that it wasn't just rolled into iTunes.

  9. All The News... by Zorro · · Score: 2

    You are authorized to know according to company policy.

  10. Terrible idea from Apple by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    For a major tech company, they haven't paid much attention to the trends in modern journalism. In 2018, journalism is done on YouTube, Facebook livestreams, Twitter, smart phones, and blogs by everyday people. Lots of it is crap, but then again, lots of "mainstream media" is crap, so what's the difference? The market is choosing decentralized new media as the face of modern journalism. Who would pay Apple one cent for the old model?

    1. Re:Terrible idea from Apple by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      > Who would pay Apple one cent for the old model?

      Someone who agrees with whatever their reporting is, I suspect.

  11. WTF by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    What the frell is a "magazine?" Nobody but people in waiting rooms read magazines. Totally dead industry. Tim is dumb/

    1. Re:WTF by magusxxx · · Score: 2

      Like you never snatched a Highlights from a kid at the dentist.

      --
      Care killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back.
    2. Re:WTF by enjar · · Score: 1

      Goofus is cool

    3. Re:WTF by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      But it will be shipped monthly on a multimedia CD-ROM. apple; always ahead of the rest!

  12. libraries already offer this by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    through most libraries, you can freely read magazines already through apps like Rbdigital (formerly Vinio) and Flipster. Why would I need this?

  13. Re:Word is this service is for Whites only by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    A woman of color should be CEO, not a White Man!

    Why?

  14. FUCK THIS BULLSHIT. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I already get "news" I don't want on my iPhone, courtesy of Apple's "hidden" agenda which continues to send me feeds I SPECIFICALLY
    shut off.

    My next phone will not be an Apple product.

  15. Re:Word is this service is for Whites only by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I think the word "White" should be replaced with "Metro sexual" as this is geared towards Apple fanboys.

    " "White" should be replaced with FAGGOT"

    FTFY

  16. MODDOWN! ; creimer karma whoring sock puppet post! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0


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    C.D. Reimer is a renowned Slashdot collaborator, as he puts it himself; "Because of the quality of my posts and my article submissions, I'm a highly rated commentator and moderator."

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  17. Creimer click bot... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

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  18. I aint need no apple news by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    between Drudge Report and Slashdot... what other news would you need?