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Google Bends a Little Toward Nexus One Customers February 09, 2010 
Google has cut the early termination fee of its Nexus One smartphone from $350 to $150. It has also introduced customer support for the ordering and shipping processes. However, these moves are not as expansive as some users would like. For one thing, T-Mobile's early termination fee, which is separate from Google's ETF, reportedly would still apply.
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Does 'Nimble' Pricing Suggest iPad Won't Move? February 09, 2010 
Apple surprised some company watchers with its relatively low price points for the iPad, and it appears prepared to go even lower, if necessary. It will be flexible about pricing if consumer demand for the device does not shape up as expected, according to a note from Credit Suisse reported in The Wall Street Journal.
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Ripping the Wrong Page From Apple's E-Playbook February 08, 2010 
On January 27, a major speech took place: No, it was not the State of the Union address, but Steve Jobs' announcement of the release of the iPad. The iPad has already started to change the landscape of digital publishing: After a short battle, Amazon was forced to capitulate to a new deal with Macmillan, one of the six largest publishers; on Friday, Hachette started to make noise too.
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Hachette Joins E-Book Dogpile February 05, 2010 
Apple's new iPad may look like a thin, fragile piece of hardware, but it's apparently strong enough for publishing houses to use as a powerful wedge against Amazon in their negotiations over e-book pricing. Hachette Group became the latest publisher to announce it was going to move to the "agency" relationship with retailers, which would result in a higher pricing structure.
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DoJ Re-Nixes Google's Settlement With Authors February 05, 2010 
The Department of Justice has advised the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York that "significant" copyright and antitrust issues remain in the proposed amended settlement agreement between Google and the Authors Guild. "The amended settlement agreement suffers from the same core problem as the original agreement," the agency explains in its filing.
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The E-Book Empire Strikes February 05, 2010 
Apple held most of the music industry virtually at knifepoint for years, and that wasn't necessarily a bad thing, especially if you were a consumer who wanted a legal way to get popular music at a fairly reasonable price. It was only about a year ago that iTunes let go of its dollar-store policy and allowed for a little leeway in its pricing.
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AT&T Figures Its 3G Net Can Handle SlingPlayer for iPhone February 05, 2010 
AT&T said Thursday it will now allow Sling Media's television-viewing program for the iPhone to operate over its "3G" high-speed mobile network. The reversal comes as the FCC is drafting rules to keep broadband providers -- including wireless companies -- from favoring or discriminating against Internet traffic flowing over their networks.
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Don't Stomp on the Bookworms, E-Publishers February 05, 2010 
Apple's new iPad is apparently going to let me download The DaVinci Code -- either in book or movie form. I like that. If you're going to release a new device and charge me a lot of money for it -- not to mention the costs of using a network of some kind to facilitate all that downloading and streaming -- then please don't get between me and my instant media gratification.
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Amazon's Touchco Buy Could Lead to Niftier Kindle February 04, 2010 
Amazon has reportedly acquired Touchco, a start up company that focuses on touch-screen technology, according to a report in The New York Times that cites a person briefed on the deal as a source. Amazon will merge Touchco's technology and staff into its Kindle hardware division, according to the Times.
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Amazon Grudgingly Gives In to Macmillan's Pricing Demands February 01, 2010 
After a brief protest late last week, Amazon now says it will give in and sell e-books from Macmillan at the higher prices the publisher has requested: $12.99 to $14.99 for e-book versions of bestsellers and most hardcover releases. Most Amazon Kindle e-books are priced closer to $9.99.
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FCC Puts Early Termination Fees Under Microscope February 01, 2010 
In the last weeks of 2009, the Federal Communications Commission began a probe into Verizon Wireless' hiked early termination fees for "advanced wireless devices." The FCC was not exactly satisfied by Verizon Wireless' explanation of the fees and said its inquiry would continue. Last week, the next stage of the investigation into early termination fees began.
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'FarmVille' Provides a Sugar-Coated Taste of the Ag Biz January 31, 2010 
Even while calling Chicago home, Laura Hawkins Grimes is a country bumpkin. Her scenic rural spread has three dairy farms, two ponds and a log cabin, all skirted by a white picket fence as scarecrows stand sentry over her blackberries. The best part is the 40-year-old sex therapist never has to leave her computer to tend to it all.
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Critics Hammer Away at Google Book Settlement January 29, 2010 
Google's bid to secure the digital rights to millions of books remains under attack from rivals and other critics trying to block a revised legal settlement that would unlock a vast electronic library. The opposition fired its latest salvo Thursday, the deadline for filing objections with U.S. District Judge Denny Chin in New York.
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iPad's Not Soft Enough to Cushion Journalism's Hard Landing January 29, 2010 
The more I see devices like the new Apple iPad, the more I come to appreciate Steven Spielberg's 2002 sci-fi spectacular "Minority Report." It was the first thing I thought of when I saw video of the company's newest "magical" creation and executives demonstrating its New York Times app. The app seamlessly integrated video content with the usual Grey Lady font and text.
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Can AT&T Bear the Burden of Another Apple Gadget? January 29, 2010 
Before Wednesday, if the rumors were to be believed, Apple was not only on the brink of jettisoning its exclusive U.S. arrangement with AT&T for the iPhone, but that it would also roll out its tablet device with support from multiple carriers. That, of course, didn't happen. AT&T is still the exclusive carrier for the iPhone, and no indication was given that the situation would change soon.
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Sued Song Swapper Says Nuts to RIAA Settlement Offer January 28, 2010 
Jammie Thomas-Rasset, the Minnesota woman who was twice found liable for copyright infringement for sharing two dozen songs using an online file-sharing application, has turned down an offer to settle her $54,000 penalty for less than half that amount. The Recording Industry Association of America gave Thomas-Rasset the option of settling the case for $25,000, with the money promised to be donated to a musicians' charity.
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