REPORT: BT Will Buy O2 Before Christmas | ||
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BT's plan to buy Telefonica mobile phone network O2 looks set to go ahead, This is Money reports this morning. Business Insider noted last month that BT is in talks to take over either O2 or EE in a deal said to be worth around £10 billion as it looks to re-enter the mobile industry. The move is a bold one for the telecoms giant — and will likely spark a catalogue of responses from rivals such as TalkTalk and Virgin, which appear to be looking to America's TV-internet-phone-bundling model for inspiration. In the US, TV, internet services, landlines, and mobiles are combined in "quad play" packages. It's about holding on to customers by making it cheaper for them to keep services they don't want, like TV and landlines. According to sources "familiar with the talks", BT has chosen O2 over EE and a purchase is "imminent". It could happen as early as this week. BT was approached by Spain's Telefonica and one of EE's parent companies, Orange, last month. But analysts have suggested O2 would be a better match for BT — and a cheaper purchase. Although EE has around 3 million more users in the UK, it would have meant much more "regulatory hurdles". None of the companies involved are commenting the situation, but it's believed BT wants to wrap up the acquisition before Christmas. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Developers Are Angry With Apple For Forcing Them To Remove Parts Of Their Apps (AAPL) | ||
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Some app developers have just about had enough with what they say is Apple's meddling. The company has taken a tougher stance on developers since the launch of iOS 8, Apple's newest mobile operating system. App developers have seen a wave of rejections from the App Store, and it's happening to more and more apps. It's not just outright rejections that have developers worried, though. Apple is also asking developers to remove parts of their apps. Apple has always rejected apps. The company wants to keep qiality standards high in its app store. What's new is that established developers are starting to grumble more loudly about the rules Apple enforces. One of the most prominent iOS developers, Tumblr founder Marco Arment, called Apple's moves "disgusting." Apple did not respond to a request for comment. This isn't just about a bunch of tech geeks complaining about Apple's technical standards. The iOS App Store is at the heart of a $10 billion industry. Apple is its sole gatekeeper, and its ability to say yes or no to apps is potentially life or death for development companies, especially the smaller ones that have only one product. The latest app to be hit by Apple's restrictions is Transmit. The developers behind the file-sharing app published a blog post yesterday that explained why the ability to send files with the app has been removed. They said that Apple contacted them to let them know that their app can only download files from iCloud, Apple's online document storage service. This meant that the app had to remove its entire "Send" function, preventing it from sending files to be uploaded to Box and Dropbox, as well as iCloud. Here's the part of the app that has been removed:
App developers rarely speak out against Apple for fear of tougher restrictions or outright bans. Instead, we usually see blog posts simply explaining why features disappear. That's not the case with another app, Launcher, though. It was a well-received app that let you create shortcuts for tasks inside Notification Center. Here's what it looked like:
Cromulent Labs, the company behind Launcher, published a lengthy blog post on Sunday that explains what happened. Without warning, the developer received a message from Apple informing him that his app had been removed from the App Store.
After its removal, Launcher's users were left feeling "shocked and confused." The app's developer accuses Apple of "confidence/arrogance" over the decision, which seems to come from Apple's tight control over its Notification Center menu. Here's a section from Cromulent's blog post that shows the way Apple deals with app developers: They basically said that Launcher was a trailblazer in uncharted territories and that they felt that they needed to make an example of it in order to get the word out to developers that its functionality is not acceptable without them having to publish new specific guidelines. But it's not just Transmit and Launcher that have been hit with changes by Apple. As Mac Rumors reports, there have been other cases where Apple has asked developers to remove parts of their apps.
Neato was an app that allowed you to take quick notes in Notification Center using a miniature keyboard. The app's developer thought that Apple would love what it had made, saying on its website that "we were expecting Neato to be featured by Apple." But instead, Apple didn't like the small keyboard, so it asked the app to remove it. (It's unclear how this was resolved: There's no sign that the app was ever removed, and the keyboard still exists.) Apple also got in touch with the developer of PCalc, a calculator app that sits in Notification Center. It said that developers weren't allowed to create calculator apps within that slide-down tray, effectively removing the app's sole purpose. Amazingly, Apple had even helped promote the app in the past by featuring it in the App Store. Apple later changed its mind, though, and allowed the app back onto the App Store, but only after a wave of angry media coverage. Developers are getting fed up with Apple's policy of suddenly removing apps, or surprising them with requests to remove key features. Many developers create apps for a living, so knowing that Apple could decide to remove your work from its App Store is a terrifying prospect. Here's one developer expressing his frustration with Apple's policies: Early Tumblr employee and Instapaper cofounder Marco Ament, one of the most prominent iOS app developers, offered this decisive take on the new tough new App Store restrictions: This is a disgraceful, disrespectful, and cowardly way to create and enforce policies, and it’s burning a lot of developer motivation to work on iOS. You’re better than this, Apple. Just disgusting. We reached out to Apple for comment on this story and will update if we hear back. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Oil Keeps Falling | ||
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Brent Crude fell to $65.95 at 9 a.m. GMT Wednesday, after holding above $66 a barrel earlier this morning.
Crude oil was trading below $63 at 9 a.m. GMT, losing 1.61%.
Reuters this morning reported that the falling oil prices have started to affect US domestic production, with the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) cutting its forecasted growth by 100,000 barrels per day, a move linked to a generally weaker oil demand. Larger US production, mainly from shale basins, is one of the main drivers behind crashing oil prices. That's why the chart below, representing the US shale oil boom over the last three years, has been called Business Insider's "chart of the year."
Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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REPORT: BT Will Buy O2 Before Christmas | ||
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BT's plan to buy Telefonica mobile phone network O2 looks set to go ahead, This is Money reports this morning. Business Insider noted last month that BT is in talks to take over either O2 or EE in a deal said to be worth around £10 billion as it looks to re-enter the mobile industry. The move is a bold one for the telecoms giant — and will likely spark a catalogue of responses from rivals such as TalkTalk and Virgin, which appear to be looking to America's TV-internet-phone-bundling model for inspiration. In the US, TV, internet services, landlines, and mobiles are combined in "quad play" packages. It's about holding on to customers by making it cheaper for them to keep services they don't want, like TV and landlines. According to sources "familiar with the talks", BT has chosen O2 over EE and a purchase is "imminent". It could happen as early as this week. BT was approached by Spain's Telefonica and one of EE's parent companies, Orange, last month. But analysts have suggested O2 would be a better match for BT — and a cheaper purchase. Although EE has around 3 million more users in the UK, it would have meant much more "regulatory hurdles". None of the companies involved are commenting the situation, but it's believed BT wants to wrap up the acquisition before Christmas. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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The 10 Things You Need To Know In Advertising Today | ||
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Good morning. Here's what's going on in adland. 1. Facebook video is driving YouTube off Facebook. New data from Socialbakers, provided to Business Insider, shows that Facebook page owners posted more Facebook videos than YouTube videos for the first time in November. 2. A model who appears in the Coca-Cola Fairlife milk ads, branded by the media as “sexist,” says she didn’t give her permission to appear in the campaign. The model did sign a release form, but she thinks she should have been more fairly compensated by Fairlife and is worried the negative publicity around the ads could prevent her from getting future work. 3. A Pizza Hut branch in England has apologized for posting an ad seeking “good looking girls” to work as receptionists. Pizza Hut UK responded by calling it an “individual error of judgment.” 4. Here are the 10 ads of the year that people couldn’t stop watching. Google has put together its annual list of the most viewed ads on YouTube. 5. Facebook has also launched its year in review to highlight the topics that dominated the conversation on the platform in 2014. Facebook was dominated by the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. 6. Business Insider has charted the rise and fall of Abercrombie & Fitch. The retailer’s CEO Mike Jeffries announced he is stepping down on Tuesday. 7. Digiday looks at how publishers are combatting ad blockers. It’s not easy, but there are ways to block the blockers (or at least dissuade people from using them.) 8. MasterCard is promoting its Apple Pay partnership with an ad campaign starring Gwen Stefani, Adweek reports. The McCann XBC spot sees the singer rewarding Apple Pay users with gifts. The campaign extends into the real world, where Mastercard will reward some lucky Apple Pay users with prizes such as a meet and greet with Stefani and World Series tickets. 9. China is considering a ban on tobacco advertising, The Wall Street Journal reports. China’s cabinet is looking to ban all forms of tobacco advertising, sponsorship and promotion, as well as a ban on smoking in public places. 10. The New York Times is looking to expand the number of print sections its offers, The Wall Street Journal reports. Print still makes up 72% of the company’s advertising revenue and 79% of its circulation revenue. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Developers Are Angry With Apple For Forcing Them To Remove Parts Of Their Apps (AAPL) | ||
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Some app developers have just about had enough with what they say is Apple's meddling. The company has taken a tougher stance on developers since the launch of iOS 8, Apple's newest mobile operating system. App developers have seen a wave of rejections from the App Store, and it's happening to more and more apps. It's not just outright rejections that have developers worried, though. Apple is also asking developers to remove parts of their apps. Apple has always rejected apps. The company wants to keep qiality standards high in its app store. What's new is that established developers are starting to grumble more loudly about the rules Apple enforces. One of the most prominent iOS developers, Tumblr founder Marco Arment, called Apple's moves "disgusting." Apple did not respond to a request for comment. This isn't just about a bunch of tech geeks complaining about Apple's technical standards. The iOS App Store is at the heart of a $10 billion industry. Apple is its sole gatekeeper, and its ability to say yes or no to apps is potentially life or death for development companies, especially the smaller ones that have only one product. The latest app to be hit by Apple's restrictions is Transmit. The developers behind the file-sharing app published a blog post yesterday that explained why the ability to send files with the app has been removed. They said that Apple contacted them to let them know that their app can only download files from iCloud, Apple's online document storage service. This meant that the app had to remove its entire "Send" function, preventing it from sending files to be uploaded to Box and Dropbox, as well as iCloud. Here's the part of the app that has been removed:
App developers rarely speak out against Apple for fear of tougher restrictions or outright bans. Instead, we usually see blog posts simply explaining why features disappear. That's not the case with another app, Launcher, though. It was a well-received app that let you create shortcuts for tasks inside Notification Center. Here's what it looked like:
Cromulent Labs, the company behind Launcher, published a lengthy blog post on Sunday that explains what happened. Without warning, the developer received a message from Apple informing him that his app had been removed from the App Store.
After its removal, Launcher's users were left feeling "shocked and confused." The app's developer accuses Apple of "confidence/arrogance" over the decision, which seems to come from Apple's tight control over its Notification Center menu. Here's a section from Cromulent's blog post that shows the way Apple deals with app developers: They basically said that Launcher was a trailblazer in uncharted territories and that they felt that they needed to make an example of it in order to get the word out to developers that its functionality is not acceptable without them having to publish new specific guidelines. But it's not just Transmit and Launcher that have been hit with changes by Apple. As Mac Rumors reports, there have been other cases where Apple has asked developers to remove parts of their apps.
Neato was an app that allowed you to take quick notes in Notification Center using a miniature keyboard. The app's developer thought that Apple would love what it had made, saying on its website that "we were expecting Neato to be featured by Apple." But instead, Apple didn't like the small keyboard, so it asked the app to remove it. (It's unclear how this was resolved: There's no sign that the app was ever removed, and the keyboard still exists.) Apple also got in touch with the developer of PCalc, a calculator app that sits in Notification Center. It said that developers weren't allowed to create calculator apps within that slide-down tray, effectively removing the app's sole purpose. Amazingly, Apple had even helped promote the app in the past by featuring it in the App Store. Apple later changed its mind, though, and allowed the app back onto the App Store, but only after a wave of angry media coverage. Developers are getting fed up with Apple's policy of suddenly removing apps, or surprising them with requests to remove key features. Many developers create apps for a living, so knowing that Apple could decide to remove your work from its App Store is a terrifying prospect. Here's one developer expressing his frustration with Apple's policies: Early Tumblr employee and Instapaper cofounder Marco Ament, one of the most prominent iOS app developers, offered this decisive take on the new tough new App Store restrictions: This is a disgraceful, disrespectful, and cowardly way to create and enforce policies, and it’s burning a lot of developer motivation to work on iOS. You’re better than this, Apple. Just disgusting. We reached out to Apple for comment on this story and will update if we hear back. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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