Untitled

Apple (AAPL) was the number one reason the Nasdaq was negative most of the day on Friday. The stock lost $8 on news of an anti trust probe by the Justice Dept and the Federal Trade Commission on its new rules on iPad content. Apple has decided that anyone selling digital content like news feeds on its iPad must sell the subscriptions through the iTunes store so Apple can collect their 30% fee. Also, the seller cannot sell the product cheaper anywhere else. For example if they are selling it for $10 a month on the iPad they can't sell it for $7 a month on an Android platform. That means Apple is telling content providers what they can and can't do on other platforms. I personally have a serious problem with this and apparently many others have the same feeling. Apple has already turned down apps from numerous magazine and newspapers because those content providers did not agree to the rules and Apple's 30% fee. This is digital blackmail. Why does Apple get to control what content we can see on a device we own?

 

Apple dodged one bullet on Friday after Steve Jobs turned up at the president's supper meeting with all the tech heads in California. Apparently the press was kept well away and could not take any pictures of the attendees but others at the meeting said Jobs looked fine and did not appear to be in any immediate physical distress. In the "official" picture below that is Steve sitting next to the president with Mark Zuckerberg sitting on the far side of the president. Yes, Mark wore a suit and not his customary hooded sweatshirt. Note the awe struck look on Mark's face in his conversation with the president.