Apple broke antitrust laws by working with publishers to increase e-book prices, US court rules June 30, 2015 A federal appeals court in the US has ruled that Apple conspired with publishers to increase the prices of e-books. Read more: Apple antitrust case on brink of collapse It said today that the technology giant broke antitrust laws when it worked with the likes of Hachette, HarperCollins, Penguin, and Simon & Schuster to [...]
Apple Music launches today – here is everything you need to know June 30, 2015 Apple will today launch its new music streaming service, which will allow users to stream music to their Apple devices for a fee. Apple Music is a direct challenge to competitor Spotify. It will be free for the first three months, and then priced at £9.99 a month. Unlike Spotify, the new product from the [...]
Streaming is believing: The race for streaming supremacy is on June 29, 2015 Don’t we just love a media-fuelled battle for supremacy, the winner in the ‘big race’, Goliaths all lining up for the 100 metre Dad’s dash? The truth is, in the mega-subscriber streaming market the gun went off years ago. The battle for streaming kingship is, as they say, a marathon not a sprint and [...]
From Tesco and the Northern Powerhouse to self-control and politeness: Here’s what got us talking this week June 26, 2015 There was a shocking attack in France. In Brussels, deadlines came and went and came (again). And somewhere in social media land, Taylor Swift became the Queen of everything, including Apple. Here's what got us talking this week 1) When it comes to happiness, south London is best Yup, if you're among the [...]
Dunelm hires former Monsoon boss John Browett June 26, 2015 Homeware retailer Dunelm Group has hired John Browett as chief executive, nine months after the surprise exit of former boss Nick Wharton. Browett will join the board on 1st July but will not take on the reins until January, following a six month induction period working with Will Adderley, who has been interim boss [...]
Amazon wants to make talking to robots an everyday event with Echo June 25, 2015 Amazon is aiming to make talking to robots as normal an event as turning on the TV or checking your phone. The company has ambitious plans to make voice control ubiquitous in households and has started by launching the Amazon Echo, a wireless speaker you can control through voice commands by saying “Alexa”. Alexa is [...]
Taylor Swift confirms album 1989 will be on Apple Music June 25, 2015 Taylor Swift has announced that her album "1989" is going to be available on Apple's new Apple Music service. The popstar had a high-profile battle with the Silicon Valley giant to get it to pay artists during the product's three-month trial period, when the streaming service will be offered for free. She won – and Apple [...]
Ocean London: An ocean of possibilities for the city’s event scene June 24, 2015 It seems there is such a thing as too much choice. Even deciding where to see a film on a roof is a headache when you live in a city as large and diverse as London. This predicament has given rise to a number of event planning apps that aim to make your leisure time, [...]
Netflix exit: Carl Icahn is no longer an investor in video streaming service – he reveals on Twitter June 24, 2015 Billionaire investor Carl Icahn is no longer an investor in Netflix after selling the last of his remaining shares in the company today. The outspoken investor had owned around 1.4m shares in the video streaming site through his firm Icahn Enterprises at the end of the last quarter, according to Reuters. At on point he [...]
Tidal chief executive is out: Peter Tonstad exits as boss of Jay Z’s music streaming service June 23, 2015 The boss of Jay Z's fledgling music streaming service has left after less than three months in charge. The company which was launched by the music superstar in March with backing from fellow musicians such as Kanye West and Daft Punk, said Peter Tonstad was stepping down as interim chief executive in a statement. "Current executives [...]