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Apple, HarperCollins in e-Book Talks, iPhone OS 4.0 and iLife Getting Updated?

by Amar Toor on January 19, 2010 at 10:25 AM


While many of the details about Apple's release of its rumored tablet device have remained shrouded in a miasma of mystery, The Wall Street Journal reports that the company is in talks with one major book distributor about a potential e-book partnership for the product. According to sources close to the negotiations, Apple and HarperCollins Publishers are currently hammering out the details of a potential deal that would make electronic books available for download on the elusive tablet. HarperCollins would reportedly be able to set the prices of its books, with some percentage of the retail prices going to Apple. Apparently, these e-books would be substantially enhanced, as well, and would feature cool add-ons like video, author interviews, or even social networking apps. If the rumors prove to be true, the partnership would represent a bold, confrontational step against Amazon, whose Kindle currently dominates the e-book market.

Also swirling around the rumor mill is news of an upcoming iLife update from Apple, as well as a new 4.0 version of iPhone OS. Clayton Morris of FOX News claims to have spoken with an Apple source before the company sent out the invitations to its January 27th event, and writes that the event will indeed center on the much anticipated tablet, the iLife 2010 software, and the latest software for the iPhone. Still, he cautions, Apple may pull something unexpected at the last minute. So, while we all have some clues and some hankerings about what might go down, we'll just have to wait until the 27th to see how it really shakes out. [From: The Wall Street Journal, via: Engadget and Engadget]

Tags: apple, ebook, ereader, harpercollins, ilife, ilife 2010, Ilife2010, iphone os, iphone os 4.0, IphoneOs, IphoneOs4.0, islate, publishing, slate, tablet, top

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