Apple continues to impose controls

A specific Wall Street Journal effort for the iPad is in development, confirms Rupert Murdoch, the CEO of the newspaper's parent company, News Corp.. Apple CEO Steve Jobs is said to have been visiting the Journal and other publications in recent weeks, demonstrating the iPad in an attempt to sell them on the platform. Any WSJ iPad app is likely to expand on the current iPhone title, offering features like native resolution and inline video.

Apple continues to impose extreme security measures on iPad development. The Journal has access to just one pre-release tablet, according to Murdoch, and it is "under padlock and key." The magnate adds that the key is "turned by Apple every night," in a statement which may imply that even preferred developers are not trusted enough to prevent leaks.

The iPad may be only the first tablet to which the Journal could be headed. Within the space of a year, Murdoch notes, there should be at least six devices on which newspapers can potentially be hosted. Some devices are already capable, like the Nook and the Kindle.

by MacNN Staff