“Lexcycle’s Stanza e-book reader for the iPhone and iPod touch has been stripped of USB book sharing, at the request of Apple, the developer says,” iPodNN reports.
MacDailyNews Take: Who owns Lexcycle? Amazon.
iPodNN continues, “Stanza 2.1 is now being distributed through the App Store, and makes the removal of USB sharing the only change. App owners were previously able to transfer ePub or eReader books into Stanza through a USB cable.”
“Why Apple would want the feature removed is uncertain, particularly as Lexcycle says it has been blocked from discussing its conversations with Apple,” iPodNN reports. “USB transfers have been removed from other apps in the past, and the Stanza technology involves detouring normal iPhone sync methods.” (Bold emphasis added by MacDailyNews Editor.)
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: So much activity on the e-book front lately; wonder why? 
It’s all hogwash.
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While I’ve been using Stanza from the beginning, only through WiFi. Honestly, I didn’t even realize USB was possible as it doesn’t work while connected to my Mac through the 30 adapter that comes with the iPod, as far as I know.
But this still isn’t right on the part of Apple. Shame!
This is downright anti-competitive. I’m not liking the way Apple has been acting the last few years. Oh well, what’s my other choice, Microsoft? HAHAHAHA
There’s a simple fix for this: Backup your current (old) version Stanza.ipa file, and reinstall it in iTunes and iPhone as needed. I love Apple products, but they are now going too far.
anti competitive? NOT.
Developer signs an agreement, agreement states terms, developer develops and profits, provided his work is good and fills a need for the consumer. Exactly how is this anti-competitive?
Or how about, developer ignores agreement, writes features into the app that are not allowed and then is asked to REVISE it. Nope, thats not anti-competitive either. Now Maybe and it’s a big maybe, IF Apple had pulled the app all together in favor of their own app that does the same thing, it COULD be.
DO you think content providers want to hear that Apple is allowing their content to be spread about creation, no, they want your friend to buy the book you just told them about, not read your copy that was shared. So Apple plays along, because they want the content producers to provide content so you buy their device. You see they are in the middle and mouth-breathers like you can’t seem to understand it. If you want to be mad, look to the publishers..
Yeah, Apples hands are tied, by Publishers, Music Labels, Hollywood Studios, and Publishers, and by wireless providers, you want on their network, you want their content, well bend over and make concessions. Not really that hard to figure out, yet you slap on your tinfoil hat and spout off about how Apple is this menace to society. Give me a break, go buy some crap powered by Microsoft and get off my lawn.. Let me know how well that works for ya..
MDN used to be more balanced.
Since the release of the iPad, you have blithely ignored Apple’s anti-consumer stance, of which this is another example. You’ve also criticized those who state that the iPad is not the be-all-and-end-all product. For example, it’s not compelling for me, since I travel with an iPhone and a MacBook Pro. The iPad is not a laptop replacement, and it’s not an iPhone replacement. I don’t need something in the middle. Sure, some folks will love it – but not all of us need it, despite your protestations to the contrary.
A little more balance would make you more credible, rather than merely creditable.
Apple takes a step to limit e-book sharing (theft), and for this they are criticized? Out of curiosity, how many people in favor of free sharing of content lock the doors on their houses and cars? How many use a hard to break password for their bank accounts? Come on, if sharing is such a great idea, why not be consistent? Oh that’s right, we are talking about your stuff, and somehow, the rules change. Content has a price, and a consumer is not compelled to buy any. However, the consumer’s refusal to buy does not create a right to simply take content.
The extreme overreactions from some people to this news (here and on other sites) were as predictable as they were irritating.
It seems whatever one’s pet issue is (this issue, multi-tasking on iPhone OS, any political stance, etc.), the only approach many people know is to take the most extreme and alarmist approach possible – painting their own side as glowing, shining, unquestionable good, and anyone who opposes them as bitter, irredeemable, unjustifiable evil. Strangely enough, this makes rational discussion of the issues at hand pretty much impossible – almost like they don’t want to have a discussion in the first place.
There are worthy debates to be had on this topic and others, with salient points to be made on both sides. But with all these screaming overreactions, and a refusal to even *think* of listening to anyone with an opposing viewpoint, it’s getting more and more difficult to bother.
@Maryland:
Why is selling an eBooks that you have paid for different to sharing a paper book, which is acceptable ? Its anti-consumer.
Apple have introduced their book reading application to either help the consumer, or increase the appeal of the iPad in order to boost Apple’s revenues. You decide.
Whatever the reason, the fallout has been an increase in eBook prices, and a decrease in functionality. Is that progress ?
@Maryland :
that is, forcing Stanza to remove that functionality is anti-consumer.
ALL RIGHT PEOPLE.
This is not in any way anti-competitive or related to digital rights. All this is about is making this simple for the user. Apple has always worked to make sure there is one simple way to do standard tasks on the iPhone. Why has this come up now? because ebooks will now be a part of iTunes so the functionality of moving ebooks onto your iPhone or iPad will be handled by iTunes. This in no way inhibits sharing of non-DRMed ePub files. It just sets a standard place to save and organize them.
@bjh why is getting access to more ebooks anti-consumer.
Do you really think Amazon was holding a gun to the publisher heads forcing them to license texts. NO and because of amazons price policy few ebooks were released day and date with hard cover releases. Apples more open policy allows for higher prices for newer titles which will make holding back ebooks unnecessary. Thus those who want ebooks can get them sooner albeit for a slight cost increase and publisher can feel good knowing that ebook sales wont cannibalize hard cover sales as much. This I think is good for everyone as Amazons models really tends towards killing off the tree based book business in favor of eBooks. I think the world is better off with both.
Nonsense! This isn’t about making things easier for the consumer. If anything, using USB is easier, because EVERYONE who has an iPhone has the USB connection, and only some have WiFi.
And, Mr or Mz Truth, as you want to call yourself, you’re wrong as well. Stanza has been out for quite some while. This is a feature Apple was well aware of. It’s nothing new. There is nothing in the guidelines that I know of that would require then to have not put this feature in. Because Apple is requiring them to not discuss what happened, I can only assume it was something OUT of the guidelines, or Apple would have stated the reason, as they’ve done in the past.
Well, for me I do not give a little mice fat ass. LOL
I have not used the USB to get any eBook. Have received the book by celluar connection as a download. Perhaps it is important, I just do not know it.
If anyone can explain, just the facts, the purpose of a USB download compared to wireless, would clear it up for me or others as well.
Lack of knowledge on this one.
It is one thing to offer content conveniently and at a competitive price. It is another to take measures to prevent a devise from acquiring content from other sources. It sure seems anti-competitive to me. It also seems like it could become a case of using a monopoly in one area to gain an advantage in another. Not sure it is there yet. It does not feel like a move in favor of the consumer.
@Mel Gross, “there is nothing in the guidelines that U know of”
SUPER!! You are the expert on their guidelines then? (truth be told my guidelines comment was really geared towards the “it doesn’t do flash” idiots. I do tend to lump all you “it don’ts” into one big steaming pile though..
Apple/developer relations are wrapped up in a strict NDA, period.
Why is it so hard to imagine that in negotiating with content producers, they say to Apple: “You know that Stanza App is cutting into our revenues and we do not really like it.” SO Apple fixes it for them.
@Not Bill – You have a computer connected to the internet right? Download all the content you want and put it on your iPad yourself. You want apps, go to the app store. Simple. I cannot get the Ford Dealer to put a Hemi in my 500 either, but you don’t hear me calling it anti-competitive. Don’t like the Apple eco system, buy another device and buy content where you like. simple. Don’t like that, join the propeller head army and write your own linux distro for it and flash the damn thing..
Enough of the pissing and moaning already. No it isn’t “the end all be all device” but just who told you it was supposed to be? Not Apple, I think they were pretty clear about what it was, and what it does. Buy it or don’t already, but stop the crying, great it doesn’t meet your needs, nothing to see here move along. Sounds like most of the electronics out there to someone..
“So much activity on the e-book front lately; wonder why?”
That’s your take?
Come’on MDN.
With USB sharing removed a retail shop could not sell you a book and bypass Apple but not to worry as this sector matures the consumer will dictate it’s ultimate shape.
At first glance, this stinks, but I’m reserving judgement. So far, no Apple application has locked down content to its own retailer. You can play any music or video in iTunes or on the iPod, for example, as long as it’s not DRM’d and uses a codec Apple supports. So I will be stunned if the iPad requires you to purchase all your books from Apple.
“The Stanza technology involves detouring normal iPhone sync methods”. Hmm. Might this be a security risk?
——RM
I use a gmail account to transfer epubs. In fact I have Calibre set up to send downloaded newspaper crawls automatically to my gmail account. An extra step but it works. To me its actually easier.
This is incredibly stupid flame bait.
Apple hasn’t locked ANYTHING. They just don’t allow iPhone apps to read the non-photos in the Photos library (i.e. the DCIM folder). That’s where ALL of the USB transfer hacks put files. They do it by hacking the iTunes transfer protocols. Apple has asked all apps that use this hack to remove it. It’s a nasty skanky hack, it’s prone to breaking, and it would piss off users if a future iTunes improvement made all of these apps break. Plus, there’s an OFFICIAL way of transferring files over USB in the next iPhone OS.
That’s ALL. It has nothing to do with stopping others from competing with iBooks. Go get a life, people.
Plus, a general USB transfer approach is coming, so the complainers, whiners, attackers, and Jobs & Apple bashers reveal themselves to be the fools!
See http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2010/02/apple-kills-usb-syncing-for-apps-but-alternative-is-coming.ars
Apple is not the Evil Empire! That’s Microsoft and, like the U.S., too much pushing around and being imperial leads to decay, bankrupts the company and nation at home and destroys both security and freedom (viruses to extend a tortured metaphor).