A federal appeals court has struck down the U.S. Federal Communication Commission’s existing net neutrality rules, which prevent broadband providers from discriminating against certain kinds of network traffic. The key to the verdict is that since the FCC has explicitly exempted broadband providers from classification as common carriers, it can’t regulate them as such. However, the FCC can still require broadband providers to disclose how they manage traffic, thus forcing disclosure of what large content companies might be paying for prioritized delivery. The FCC’s options at this point are either to further appeal the ruling or change its rules.

Thanks to its capability to connect to a variety of display devices, including projectors and SMART Boards, and its support for AirPlay, the Apple TV makes an excellent helper when it comes to giving presentations. In this chapter of “Take Control of Apple TV,” Josh Centers explains what hardware and software you’ll need to turn your Apple TV into a presentation machine for Keynote from an iPad, when demoing an iPhone app, or even bringing in a remote guest.

TidBITS managing editor Josh Centers and Take Control author Kirk McElhearn took turns discussing this year’s Consumer Electronics Show with host Gene Steinberg on the latest installment of The Tech Night Owl Live.

The maximum price of an App Store app is $999.99, and yes, some cost that much. Mike Wehner, writing for TUAW, reveals that some of those expensive apps are an elaborate scam to rig App Store rankings. The scam works by bumping up an app’s price to $999.99, having a second party buy multiple copies — which moves the app near the head of the Top Grossing list — and then, with the increased attention, lowering the app’s price to a reasonable figure and raking in the sales. But other developers, like Sergiy Grachov, who sells his Fleas game for $999.99, do it simply because users keep buying.

Want to switch to T-Mobile, but are stuck in an existing cellphone contract? The magenta-tinted carrier will pay up to $350 in early termination fees when you sign up, as well as up to $300 in credit for your existing devices. With T-Mobile now carrying the iPhone 5s, as well as offering innovative service plans, this might be a good time to make the switch — if there’s decent coverage in your area.

Most people think of the Consumer Electronics Show as a showcase for the sort of gadgets and gizmos that Jeff Porten has been profiling here on TidBITS, but for many of its annual attendees, CES is actually a marketplace where much of the action happens behind closed doors. The Verge’s Russell Brandom tagged along with Lukas Thoms, a buyer for quirky electronics retailer Grand St., for this fascinating look at the real business of CES.

Richard Moss of Eurogamer.net profiled Aspyr Media (a TidBITS sponsor), looking at the history of gaming on the Mac and the challenges that Mac game publishers face, like having to create separate versions of each game for the App Store and Steam. It has been a long and winding road for Aspyr, and to this day, no one is sure if Apple cares about Mac gaming.

Bexar County, Texas has built a $2.3 million library — with no physical books. Every book available in the BiblioTech is digital, and self-described “grumpy old man” Glenn Fleishman, author of numerous Take Control ebooks himself and publisher of The Magazine, doesn’t like it. Fleishman outlines several problems that library ebooks have when compared with print editions, including accessibility to the poor, destructive DRM, restrictive licensing agreements, and the lack of older or obscure titles in digital formats.

At CES, AT&T announced a new Sponsored Data program that would push some of the cost of mobile data onto content providers. The program works like this: a company like Netflix would pay AT&T, and in turn, mobile usage of Netflix would not count against AT&T customers’ data caps. Many are concerned that the plan, which would effectively give deep-pocketed companies priority, could be bad for Internet neutrality in the long run.

There’s little more annoying than having someone share a document in Google Docs with an email address other than the one you normally use for Google Docs. Depending on the specifics, you may be able to avoid the problem by associating alternative email addresses with your Google account.

Jeff Chu, writing for Fast Company, has profiled incoming Apple retail chief Angela Ahrendts. While the pressure facing her is immense, the outgoing Burberry CEO seems to have what it takes to lead the Apple Store into the future. At Burberry, she tripled revenue, restored Burberry’s reputation for innovation with store technology upgrades, and turned her employees into ecstatic brand ambassadors. Chu’s profile paints her as having much in common with late Apple CEO Steve Jobs, including a knack for snappy answers to stupid questions.

In this chapter of “Take Control of Apple TV,” Josh Centers teaches you everything you need to know to turn your large-screen TV into a digital picture frame that can’t be beat, complete with access to photos stored in iPhoto or Aperture on your Mac, or in iCloud or Flickr online.

The repercussions of Edward Snowden’s NSA revelations continue to build every day. Josh Centers sums up the developments since his last roundup.

The upgrade wonks at Other World Computing have discovered that the brand-new Mac Pro has a removable CPU that can be upgraded by the user. They replaced the stock Intel E5-1650 with an Intel E5-2667 and gained a 30 percent performance boost. Don’t get too excited, since the E5-2667 retails for about $1,900, so squeezing even more performance out of the cylindrical Mac Pro won’t come cheap.

Josh Centers has invested significantly in his podcast recording arsenal in the past year. Here’s what he’s currently using to maximize audio quality.