Condé Nast rounded out its burst of iTunes subscription changeovers by adding two of its more popular magazines to the mix. Both GQ (free, App Store) and Wired (App Store) for the iPad now follow the same model that the publisher started earlier this month with the New Yorker. Readers can pay either $20 for a yearly subscription or $2 for each individual issue; print subscribers get access for free.
Wired magazine revamped its approach to tablet magazines today with its second, July issue for the iPad (free, App Store). The new version drops the single-issue download approach and adopts the more common in-app strategy; readers can get both future and past issues from the same app. Prospective buyers also no longer have to commit to the full magazine to see how it works, as a smaller 50MB preview is available with the download.
Wired today set a possible benchmark for e-reading after its New York Bureau Chief John Abell revealed that over 24,000 copies of the iPad magazine were sold in just the first 24 hours. The number is a rarity for digital magazines and would have made the Conde Nast magazine $83,832 in one day after Apple collected its royalties. The figure comes even with a large half-gigabyte download and a relatively high $5 price.
Apple is claiming that a new logo for New York City's GreeNYC campaign is too similar to its own. According to Wired, the GreeNYC logo shows a stylized apple with a stalk and a leaf that bears a resemblance to Apple's famous logo. When the city applied for a trademark on the logo, Apple filed a formal opposition, claiming that a trademark grant on the logo would "seriously injure the reputation which [Apple] has established for its goods and services." The city of New York stated, in response: "The city believes that Apple's claims have no merit and that no consumer is likely to be confused. This well-known city is using its new design in a variety of contexts that have absolutely nothing to do with Apple Inc."
USBfever recently announced an inexpensive replacement stereo headset for the iPhone for users that have lost or broken their originals. The headset features a 4 foot long cord, an "answer/end call" button, and a built-in microphone. While the accessory can be used to listen to music on the iPod classic, Touch, Video and Nano – both second and third generation – the button and microphone will not function on those models. USBfever is selling the stereo headset for $20, and is available through its website.
