News Corp buys Hearst’s Skiff e-reader
Rupert Murdoch may love Apple's iPad, and have a lot of time for Amazon's Kindle.But what Rupert really loves is to run the whole show, and now he can.
Rupert Murdoch may love Apple’s iPad, and have a lot of time for Amazon’s Kindle.
But what Rupert really loves is to run the whole show, and now he can.
News Corp has bought the Skiff Reader tablet (pictured) from Hearst for an undisclosed sum, giving the Murdoch empire its very own e-publishing platform (struggling Hearst never got the Skiff beyond a demo).
The deal includes an associated download service for delivering paid content to the Skiff itself, or other devices ranging from smartphones to netbooks.
A Skiff reader's tricks include the ability to display real-time updates, courtesy of a cellular connection.
However, not everyone is blown away by the Skiff. Technology commentator Harry McCracken said he was initially impressed by Hearst's tablet as a slick Kindle commentator, but that was "before we entered the Technicolor world of the iPad, which makes even the nicest monochrome E-Ink devices look profoundly retro–especially for magazines, which cry out for colour."
Separately, News Corp said today that it had invested in Online Journalism LLC, a start-up that specialises in revenue-collection services for online newspapers and magazines.
Both deals gel with Mr Murdoch's frequently espoused, but still vague plans to expand paid content across his media empire. Currently, News Corp paywalls are restricted to The Wall Street Journal, and a handful of regional trials.
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NBR staff
Tue, 15 Jun 2010
Tue, 15 Jun 2010
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News Corp buys Hearst’s Skiff e-reader
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