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Apple Unveils $9.99 News Subscription Service Dubbed Apple News+ (variety.com)

Apple today unveiled a news subscription service called Apple News+ at its services event in Cupertino, Calif. The $9.99 service gives paying subscribers access to over 300 magazines as well as select newspapers and premium digital news services. From a report: "We believe in the power of journalism and the impact it will have on your lives," said Apple CEO Tim Cook. Some of the magazines part of the service are including GQ, Esquire, Popular Science, The New Yorker, Sports Illustrated, Fortune, New York Magazine and Vogue, as well as Variety and the Rolling Stone. Newspapers included in the package are the Los Angeles Times and the Wall Street Journal. Digital publications include theSkimm, TechCrunch and The Highlight by Vox. For now, it is available just in the U.S., and come to three more markets -- Canada, Australia, and the U.K., later this year.

76 comments

  1. Information vs News by BringsApples · · Score: 2

    What's the difference between information and news, from the standpoint of a technology company like Apple, and why?

    --
    Politics; n. : A religion whereby man is god.
    1. Re:Information vs News by Freischutz · · Score: 1

      What's the difference between information and news, from the standpoint of a technology company like Apple, and why?

      Information:
      grep searches the named input FILEs (or standard input if no files are named, or if a single hyphen-minus (-) is given as file name) for lines containing a match to the given PATTERN. By default, grep prints the matching lines.

      News. (broke 25 minutes ago at the time of writing according to Google News):
      Mueller told Justice Dept. three weeks ago he wouldn't reach a conclusion on obstruction.

    2. Re:Information vs News by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Apple gets to claim their 30% cut of some other source?

    3. Re:Information vs News by DickBreath · · Score: 1

      > What's the difference between information and news,

      Good question.

      Information is that stuff related to something once called Journalism.

      News is something with the primary purpose of entertaining you.

      BREAKING NEWS -- COMMING UP -- AFTER THE BREAK . . .

      How to keep someone watching the news without flipping the channel.

      --

      I'll see your senator, and I'll raise you two judges.
    4. Re:Information vs News by DickBreath · · Score: 0

      At least Apple News will tell me what I want to hear instead of what is actually happening. Reality Distortion Field Engaged. And what I want to hear is whatever Apple wants me to think or buy today.

      --

      I'll see your senator, and I'll raise you two judges.
    5. Re: Information vs News by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I think they want 50% this time. after all hardware sales are down

  2. Get Your News From An Enemy Of The 1st Amenedment by Crashmarik · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Really with all the work Apple does promoting censorship why would anyone get their news from them ?

  3. Re:Get Your News From An Enemy Of The 1st Amenedme by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    did you take a look at the content providers... there is no news being pushed, just opinion and marketing, which is perfect for the apple audience.

  4. Lovely! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    NeWz+ with Ti card becomes NeWz++
    Love all those +!

  5. Re: Get Your News From An Enemy Of The 1st Amenedm by reanjr · · Score: 1

    LA Times isn't news?

  6. FAEK NEWS! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    GQ, Esquire, The New Yorker, New York Magazine and Vogue, as well as Variety and the Rolling Stone.

    Holy Gay Agenda, Batman!

    1. Re: FAEK NEWS! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Don't forget N1gger Illustrated and Butch Social.

  7. News for fanboys, stuff that is expensive by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Oh my, I can't wait for the memes

  8. Re: Headline: Trump is a Jew loving traitor by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    In other news, Lenin was not a jew, he just loved forced labor

  9. Apple everything by xack · · Score: 0

    Apple TV, News, Games, Phone, Music, (Soon) Car all paid with an Apple credit card. Soon there will be Apple mortgages and health care.

    1. Re:Apple everything by Nixoloco · · Score: 1

      Apple TV, News, Games, Phone, Music, (Soon) Car all paid with an Apple credit card. Soon there will be Apple mortgages and health care.

      Just like the old saying: Buy an apple a day to see the doctor right away.

    2. Re:Apple everything by dittbub · · Score: 1

      Even Apple bananas?

  10. Just wondering... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Is Private and other porn mags included with Nuz+ subscription or does one need a Nuz++++ subscription?
    Just wondering...

    1. Re: Just wondering... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      does Tim Covksucker private collection of wireless butt plugs and n1ggers dildos count?

  11. Apple Call+ will be launched in 2020+ by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    For all you call girls and call girls affectionados apple call+ will be launched in 2020+
    I cannot wait...

  12. YOUR'E NO'T A FANBO'I UNTI'L by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You can shove a large apple up your bum, squeeze said bum, and make juice come out said bum. Tehn, and only tehn, are you fanbo'i. Im looking at allachu!

  13. Difference is strength of link to reality by SuperKendall · · Score: 1

    What's the difference between information and news, from the standpoint of a technology company like Apple, and why?

    That's easy - News is by and large fantasy, because by definition you can't know everything in a short period of time.

    Information is created over a longer period where you can actually investigate what has happened, or what is about to happen.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
    1. Re:Difference is strength of link to reality by BringsApples · · Score: 1

      I personally define "news" as 'information dressed up'. But that's not what I'm asking. I'm just wondering why apple, a technology company, needs to charge for information dressed up by others. I guess for the money of it all, but I wonder if they want to make available, news that fits their ideology.

      --
      Politics; n. : A religion whereby man is god.
  14. Not very interested in this service by SuperKendall · · Score: 0

    I have to say, I don't read Apple News much today, and Apple Plus interests me even less being a glorified magazine stand.

    Not only that, but it's mostly the crappy magazines you'd get in any of those mail offers that let you subscribe to a hundred magazines for a nickel or whatever.

    Even the better ones they do have, like the WSJ, will not include all content (they said they'd not have the full science/technology section for example).

    At least it is ad free, maybe that is enough to get market. But given how I can't be bothered to read magazines I already get in the mail I can't see spending money on this service. It's not like Apple Arcade or anything that is a must-have....

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
    1. Re:Not very interested in this service by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      nearly every bit of content in this $10 a month service is available somewhere else for free (and legitimately so).

      only the rare possibility of some exclusive article (not news, cuz once something hits a newswire, it's everywhere anyway) that might interest you would remain behind closed doors, and if you don't pay, you won't be reading it; but also won't know about it and you wouldn't care anyway.

    2. Re: Not very interested in this service by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You'll miss out on exclusive N1gger Illustrated.

  15. Re:Get Your News From An Enemy Of The 1st Amenedme by jellomizer · · Score: 1

    That is the cost of being a News Junky.
    We use to be able to get our news from the daily news paper, and from the 6:00 news for local news and the 6:30 for national news.
    The news paper normally had more in depth coverage, covering the complexity of the issue for those who want to read past the headline, while the TV Prime time news had what has happened during the day, and as a general coverage.

    There wasn't this 24 hour news cycle which they need to fill in time slots with opinions, and commentary, pulling in the most outspoken congressional representative to make the other side seem like a group of idiots, and in depth coverage showing how bad the other guys really are.

    Me, I normally get my news from my commute too and from work on NPR. I feel I normally get enough news from that to know what is going on in the world, occurring issues that I should as a citizen vote for or against. (My local Public Radio station also has fairly good local news too during my commute, so I know what is going on in my neighborhood.) Is NPR 100% fair and balanced? No it is not, there is defiantly a leftward slant to its coverage... However they seem aware of this and try hard to cover information more fairly. The super liberal crazies and the super conservative crazies while they may get on the interview once or twice they rarely seem to stick around, and focus more on the more level headed people.

    When you look at your news source, you need to figure out what their agenda is, a commercial company agenda is to make money. Best way to make money it to get people emotional on what is happening, so they are emotionally invested in your product and they come back again, and expose them to advertising.

    --
    If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
  16. News Plus is available in Canada now by Scott+Tracy · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Summary makes a mistake: Apple News Plus launched in both the U.S. and Canada today. That's because most of this 'new' product is just a re-branding of Texture, the magazine app that's been running for years, and bought by Apple last year. Texture is/was $14.99CA, and Apple News Plus will be $12.99CA, while including more content (like the Toronto Star and the L.A. Times). As a magazine fan all my life I love Texture. I'm reading about a dozen magazines regularly, and there's no way I would have purchased 12 print subscriptions. Plus you can jump into any article from the over 300 magazines in the collection, so for me it's well worth the money.

    1. Re:News Plus is available in Canada now by dittbub · · Score: 1

      Are there any options for local journalism?

  17. RTFA by lazarus · · Score: 1

    So, from the linked article:

    The service will launch in the U.S. and Canada effective immediately via an update the Apple News app. The company plans to launch it in Australia and the U.K. later this year, and in other European countries in 2021.

    From the summary:

    For now, it is available just in the U.S., and come to three more markets -- Canada, Australia, and the U.K., later this year.

    So Canada, do you get this right away or not?

    --
    I am not interested in articles about life extension advancements.
  18. Re: Get Your News From An Enemy Of The 1st Amenedm by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If you consider yellow journalism to be news, then sure, count it in.

  19. not for me by renegade600 · · Score: 2

    I will stick with the free stuff.

  20. Hipster SJW News by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    No thanks

  21. Outside of US by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Why would people outside of the US want to see US mags? Are there mags from outside US? Are the mags going to cater for those outside of US?

    1. Re:Outside of US by registrations_suck · · Score: 1

      Why would people outside of the US want to see US mags? Are there mags from outside US? Are the mags going to cater for those outside of US?

      Because they're not small-minded assholes?

      I read plenty of non-US magazines, despite living in the U.S.

      I guess all the US magazines suck, but non-US ones don't suck. That is the only way to explain what is going on.

  22. Partial List. by Zorro · · Score: 3, Informative

    Those magazines include the following plus many more:

    Business & Politics
    TIME
    The Atlantic
    The New Yorker
    Style & Beauty
    Vogue
    InStyle
    ELLE
    Food
    Bon Appétit
    Food & Wine
    Saveur
    Sports
    Sports Illustrated
    ESPN
    Runner's World
    Travel & Regional
    Condé Nast Traveler
    Travel + Leisure
    Outside
    Entertainment
    People
    Vanity Fair
    Entertainment Weekly
    Science & Tech
    WIRED
    National Geographic
    Scientific American
    Online Publications
    Vox
    theSkimm
    The Cut
    Vulture
    At launch, AppleNews+ also includes newspapers, including:

    The Wall Street Journal
    Los Angeles Times

    So No Soldier Of Fortune or Guns & Ammo? NO DEAL!

    1. Re:Partial List. by nuckfuts · · Score: 1

      No Guns & Ammo?

      That's a different kind of magazine.

    2. Re:Partial List. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And the walls of the echo chamber grow taller. ffs...

      I'm hard left but find it essential to follow fox news to get proper perspective on things.

      If you don't listen to both sides your opinion is useless.

    3. Re:Partial List. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      you missed the important stuff like playboy,hustler and all the others in this category. Money mag might be interesting.

  23. Re: Because... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    As soon you stop sucking cock you will notice things differently, facist cocksucking incel.

  24. Two reasons by SuperKendall · · Score: 0

    I'm just wondering why apple, a technology company, needs to charge for information dressed up by others.

    I see what you are saying now... I think in large part is because they honestly do want to forward a world where there can be reporting that is supported by something besides ads. That was a strong motivation for the other thing they announced, Apple Arcade...

    I wonder if they want to make available, news that fits their ideology.

    Sadly that is ALSO demonstrably true. :-( It would be great if Apple were also neutral on the content they would support, but it sure does not seem like they will be.

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

      I think in large part is because they honestly do want to forward a world where there can be reporting that is supported by something besides ads.

      No it's about money, it's about putting up a paywall between people and news and making sure it's Apple's paywall.

    2. Re:Two reasons by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Ads are a great way to support news reporting because whilst they might be a bit annoying they make the news accessible to everybody, once you put a paywall you control access to the news and can limit it to only those who can afford it.

    3. Re:Two reasons by mr_lemonade4796 · · Score: 1

      Conglomerated news subscription services fail everywhere.

      I don't see News+ being that important a year from now. Maybe it will just be rolled into the overall subscription.

      -T-

  25. But Does Anybody Care? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Why would anyone pay money for this?

  26. Re: Because... by Oligonicella · · Score: 0

    Thank you for a nice demonstration of just *who* would be culling and prepping the news Apple will be distributing.

  27. I read actual magazines by DogDude · · Score: 1

    I buy subscriptions and read actual magazines, thanks.

    --
    I don't respond to AC's.
    1. Re:I read actual magazines by sootman · · Score: 1

      The environment thanks you.

      --
      Dear Slashdot: next time you want to mess with the site, add a rich-text editor for comments.
  28. Re:Get Your News From An Enemy Of The 1st Amenedme by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

    Isn't iTunes uncensored though? I see they have some unrated movies on there. For music they have uncensored lyrics.

    It's only really the app store that doesn't allow adult content.

    --
    const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
    SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
  29. Re:Get Your News From An Enemy Of The 1st Amenedme by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Infowars was removed from podcasts app, and their actual app was banned entirely. There are plenty of others who have been deplatformed by Apple.

  30. Re: Because... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You may want to look up the definition of fascism. It seems you're following it to a "T." Your Pavlovian response is amusing and typical of an SJW (which is a fascist ideology, btw).

  31. Super genius by AndyKron · · Score: 1

    Apple News+. What an innovative name! I hope the people at Apple are getting paid well for this ingenious piece of work.

  32. Hold on now... by erp_consultant · · Score: 4, Informative

    I'm seeing a lot of negativity on here about the announcement. I still need to read the fine print but $9.99 a month doesn't seem like a bad deal. In fact, it's a great deal when you consider that it includes the Wall Street Journal. Last time I checked, the WSJ charges $5 a week. So if you get it through Apple instead it is half the price. Not to mention that you get access to other magazines and periodicals.

    I get that a lot of people on here don't like Apple but on the face of it, this is a good deal.

    1. Re:Hold on now... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I know about the entrenched liberal bias of Bon Appétit but really? WSJ is leftist? You are pretty hardcore there Mr. Bannon

    2. Re:Hold on now... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So Time, NYer, Vox, NYmag, Rolling Stone, and the LA Times being on there is balanced out by WSJ? That's like excusing the otherwise universal left wing bias of TV news and entertainment by pointing out that Fox exists.

    3. Re:Hold on now... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The question is, will it be Apple's version of the WSJ or the original publication?

      I'm pretty confident the content will curated, filtered, modified and another layer of advertising added.

      Ya, great deal.

    4. Re:Hold on now... by dwpro · · Score: 1

      Indeed, and instead off paying directly for good journalism, you can instead spread your money around to largely frivolous publications. What's not to like?

      --
      Millions long for immortality who do not know what to do with themselves on a rainy Sunday afternoon. -- Susan Ertz
    5. Re:Hold on now... by erp_consultant · · Score: 1

      Time will tell. Apparently you can try it free for a month and decide for yourself.

  33. Orange man bad articles? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Why pay good money to get opinions or misleading 'news' stories from this aggregator?

    I'd pay for it if every story was edited+marked "ok" from both left + right wing people as impartial and 'just facts'.

  34. Re: Because... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Ditto

  35. Re:Get Your News From An Enemy Of The 1st Amenedme by Crashmarik · · Score: 1

    Tim Cook in his own words on censorhip
    https://dailycaller.com/2018/1...

  36. $10, not $9.99. A Q for readers by RFjunkie · · Score: 2

    So, some overeducated and likely underemployed person way back when decided that people were dumb enuff to think $9.99 is a lot less than ten bucks. OK, so maybe there's a small set of people that'll believe that sh... tuff. I believe the whole '$9.99 bit' is an insult to people's intelligence. I'd happily pay the extra penny and have whole prices. I'd pass by a lot of places that don't to support a person/company that respects the users' intelligence and offers their services/product for an honest, whole-number price.

        Does anyone here actually believe that $9.99 is better than $10 even?

    --
    Olphart at play. Ruck FepubliKKKans. Welcome to the Worldwide Idiocracy, y'all.
  37. Re:Any conservative outlets? by AHuxley · · Score: 1

    Welcome to curated SJW news. Curated to look for any sinful publications.

    --
    Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
  38. lol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    u get called a nazi over and over here yet you still agree that racism is bad ??? quit cucking bro

  39. Re:Headline: Trump is a Jew loving traitor by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If (when; I hope) Trump loses in 2020, his last flight in AF1 will be to self imposed exile in Moscow. A combination of fresh federal indictments and state charges for financial crimes over the last decade or two will prevent him from ever stepping foot on American soil again. Don't worry the remaining Republican supplicants will find some other lunatic to fawn over.

  40. A portal to fake news at premium by Just+A+Gigolo · · Score: 1

    Served to you by better-than-you overlords at Cupertino.

  41. pretty nice by sad_ · · Score: 1

    in total that is not a bad price for what you get, if you even buy just a few news subscriptions, you'll be spending more then $9 easily.

    --
    On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero.
  42. Ballmer by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Time to fire Steve Ballmer (aka Tim Cook) before he messes up Apple..