Apple newspaper set for December launch

 

The long-awaited iPad newspaper The Daily could be launched as early as December, Rupert Murdoch has said.

The project, which Apple is putting together with News Corp, looks likely to trigger the release of an iOS 4.3 around the same time to facilitate daily news products.

It means there could be less than a month between the two latest Apple operating systems as iOS 4.2 was delayed up until last week due to issues with Wi-Fi.

Although the iOS 4.2 has brought multi-tasking, folders, and AirPlay, the iOS 4.3 looks set to update the programming that underpins the operating system – which will in turn deliver more dynamic content such as the News Corp newspapers.

According to Murdoch, The Daily will cost 99 cents per edition. The most likely release dates are either 9 or 13 December as Apple CEO Steve Jobs and News Corp CEO Rupert Murdoch have already penciled in press events for those days.

“The Daily will launch in beta mode sometime around Christmas, and will be introduced to the public on the iPad and other tablet devices in early 2011. It is expected to cost 99 cents a week, or about US$4.25 a month. It will come out — as the name suggests — seven days a week,” Murdoch told Fox News.

“The operation is currently working out of the 26th floor of the News Corp building on Sixth Avenue (New York) in a space that looks like a veritable construction zone. The staff’s permanent home will be on the ninth floor, and they’ll move down once it’s ready,” he said.