Major Media Companies Unite to Order a Cease and Desist Against iPad News Aggregator App, Zite

Zite, a mobile application for news aggregation is being order to stop operations by a number of publishers- Associated Press, Dow Jones, Gannett and Getty Images for copyright infringment. It’s aggregates news feeds through social media, which is all fine, but it removes the ads (that’s wherein lies the issue).

I think this kind of problem is going to happen reoccur as publishers migrate into the online space. In this hyper-information world that we live in, news is becoming more selective, and easier to obtain for free. So the question being asked is this: how long will publishers be able to continue to charge for news content when so many other companies offer similar stories, but for free?  Personally, I hope established media organizations who pay reporters and editors to actually report and write stories and gather the news distinguish themselves from the “aggregators”, who report news on the backs of companies like the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Time Inc., etc.  How many reporters to they have on the ground in Libya?

iPhone Finds the Apps Your Friends Like

The mobile and social world continue to merge with Frendzapp, a mobile application that allows users to see what apps their friends are using, as well as share/suggest their apps to friends. How many applications have you downloaded because your friend told you about it, or you read about it somewhere online? This app cuts out the middle man and allows app sharing to be instant. I think for some, this is a great app, almost as good as MyLife, one that could catch on. So far the engagement and adoption is low, but like many other new mobile/social trends, sometimes it just takes a bit to catch on.  For others, it could just be seen as the next/best marketing tool.  Thoughts?

‘Book Trailers’ Becoming the Norm in the Publishing Industry

You may be asking yourself: What is a Book Trailer, because honestly I asked myself the same thing. There is a relatively new development in the publishing world, and it’s purely digital. Book trailers, like a movie trailer are now becoming a mainstream marketing tactic to draw readers.

Honestly, I’m not sure if this is a fad or if it will only gain momentum. In my opinion, a book trailer is risky- a bad actor could taint the integrity of the book, or it could make it look like a must read. But I like the creativity behind the idea.

Check out an example: Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter

Facebook Migration Tool Takes a Hiatus

Shortly after the Facebook Profile Migration tool was released it was also shutdown. Apparently it was too buggy and it has messed up countless numbers of people’s Facebook accounts. Well, it had great implications, but clearly it had poor execution.

iPhone Rumor Infographic

Thought I’d share this for you iPhone happy viewers out there. It’s a great infographic illustrating the rumors and what percent they hold in truth. If many of these rumors happen to actually be true, I’ll just say, “Apple’s done it again.”

Have a great Monday! If you have any comments or thoughts, I’d love to hear them.