Geek Smack! Audio - www.geekazine.com

Download the audio version
Subscribe to the podcast via: iTunes – TechPodcasts – Stitcher

You can catch me on Twitter @geekazine – Facebook Group – About.Me

Other shows: Day in Tech History – Geekazine Special Media Feed – iPad365

WiFi 802.11ac at 1.3Gbps
This new chip with 4×4 antenna system will allow transfer of 1.3 Gbps
Steam Out of Beta
PC Gamers can use Steam on the HDTV
Movie Studios Opt Out
Lionsgate, 20th Century Fox, BBC Films, Sony Entertainment and Walt Disney Pictures ask to take down their own Facebook and Wikipedia pages
Facebook Pays for Sponsored Stories
If you have been featured on Sponsored Stories, you could get $10 from Facebook.
Keep Internet Free
Google Blog talks about the importance of an Open Source Internet
Real Life Transformer?
Group wants to make “Re-programmable Matter” which will re-shape into items you need (like a coffee cup).
Zynga Loses on New Facebook Deal
Zynga is now part of a “Standard License Agreement” with Facebook.
Google New Maps API
Applications will be able to use the API to get location data from the player
Yahoo Axes Chat
One of the oldest chat room systems closing due to underage sex chatting.
Instagram iPhone Vulnerability
Non-encrypted cookie is being sent which can clue the attacker on how to get in to delete photos.
-

Comics: the Hawkeye Initiative
Crowdfunding: Stick and Find NFC Location Discs
LEGO: Tall LEGO Tower Crushes
Star Wars: R2D2 Vespa
Cars: Back to the Future Delorean Taxi

-

“The Daily was a bold experiment in digital publishing,” said News Corp. Chief Executive Rupert Murdoch. “Unfortunately, our experience was that we could not find a large enough audience quickly enough to convince us the business model was sustainable in the long term.”

The Daily was a mobile news app. Launched in February, News Corp invested 80 million into the venture. But with the .99 cent / week subscription, the Daily didn’t see too many memberships. Even the 100 thousand members that was reported back in July couldn’t even begin to pay back the overly-infused company.

Was the Daily set up for failure? To pay back a 80 million dollar price tag in 5 years the publication would have needed around 333 thousand subscribers – or about 1% of the US population. The app only received 1/3 that and we don’t know if that number grew since July.

Does this mean a closed paywall app does not work? Not necessarily. When most companies put 80 million into an app and don’t see the returns, the first thing to do is re-organize. Not close the company.

Was it because theDaily was more of a Magazine than an app? I have only a couple publications on my iPad. Some of those online magazines take up too much space. Mad Magazine takes up to 300 MB in some issues while other publications can take up to 500 MB. When you have a 16 GB iPad you have to make some sacrifices.

If I was a subscriber I would be pissed at News Corp simply because I put my money toward something that didn’t even get a chance. I would be asking for a full refund of my subscription. After all, they don’t care about me…

Geek Smack! is a weekly video show and podcast that comes out every Tuesday evening. Your host: Jeffrey Powers – talks tech news, IT news and geek news for the week. Geek Smack! is ©2012 under a Creative Commons no-deriv license. Never take candy from strangers. If you would like more information about what is technology, recent news, Geekazine, and Jeffrey Powers, feel free to contact him. Jeffrey Powers does interviews, just ask!