So those of you in my generation remember playing Sonic the Hedgehog on your Sega Genesis. In fact, Sonic was pretty much the star of that franchise. Well, in November 2019 they’re releasing a movie about this hedgehog with super speed. Already, it’s raising eyebrows…for the wrong reasons. First of all, it will probably get an R rating, thanks to the f bombs. Then there are other scenes that aren’t exactly family friendly. And social media are letting director Jeff Fowler know how they feel. The comments got so much and so intense he sent a Twitter to reply to the feedback.
On Twitter, Fowler thanked the people for the criticism. He also vowed to make changes and give fans the movie they truly deserve. And fans gave Fowler and other filmmakers advice on how the movie can improve. So here is the preview of the upcoming film right here. Yes, that is Jim Carrey in the film.
To his credit, I do believe Fowler is going to do his best to make this a family film. It’s in his best interest. This film is to be cross-generational, allowing the over 35 crowd to relive memories, and the younger ones about the gaming culture of our youth. So it wouldn’t make sense to make it an ‘R’ movie. About the other content, I’m not so sure. From the preview that I saw, the jury’s still out on that one.
So what about you? Do you want to see the Sonic the Hedgehog Movie?
So I have another merger to talk about. But this isn’t what you think. Because this is less about big money and more about IT support functions. Alexa and Roku are compatible: Should we rejoice?
So now, through Alexa, consumers can now control their Roku account. This means Alexa will do things like play their favorite shows and search their account for shows. Furthermore, Alexa will do practical things for Roku, like turn on/off the TV. Alexa’s services apply only those with Roku 8.1. or higher. Also, they have to link their Amazon account with their Roku account. In anticipation for move, Roku already came up with voice-controlled equipment just for this.
Roku already works with Google based equipment. So with Amazon just being Amazon, this shouldn’t surprise anyone. Roku will work with any Amazon voice system, no matter how budget or expensive. Yes, you will be able to control Roku by telling Alexa what to do. Already, some bloggers are giving it the advantage. Because with Google, one has to say, “Hey Google…”. But with Alexa, you just say, “Alexa…”. Some people say this alone gives Alexa the advantage. Come on, people. It’s just a one word difference. And that word is, ‘hey’. The word ‘hey’ is often a first word for one-year-olds.
However, this is one point. If we’re going to choose a voice system just to save us from saying one small word, then something is wrong with us. I remember when I was a kid, I was the remote. I was told to change the channel, until we finally got a remote. Now, the IT service/voice does it for you. As a business move, this is good for Roku and Amazon. For consumers, this gives us more convenience, as we need any more. Alexa and Roku are compatible: Should we rejoice?
So we celebrated another Super Bowl last night. Since our computer repair headquarters are in Boston, then you know we really celebrated (Go Patriots!). But what about the commercials? I read an article that graded them. I have mixed feelings, but here are Super Bowl tech Super Bowl 53 commercials.
First, there was’s Microsoft’s ‘We All Win’ ad. I talked about it a few days ago. To me, this was by far the best commercial of the night (hey, who is cutting onions around here?!). However, I did see some other good ones. There is one from Michelob Ultra the stars a robot. Like in real life, this robot does everything better than humans do. But unlike the humans, the robot can’t enjoy simple human pleasures, like having a beer with friends. In your face, AI/robotic technology!
A close third came from Verizon. This isn’t necessarily a tech commercial, but it pulled at the heartstrings. This one featured football players that honored first responders for saving their lives. Needless to say, this was just as moving as the ‘We All Win’ commercial. In an era where many are cynical of first responders, especially police officers, this is a great reminder of what they really do. They save lives, no matter who you are.
Then there was the really bad ones. Sprint tried to capitalize off sports legend Bo Jackson…while holding a mermaid and playing a synthesizer. I’m old enough to remember the ‘Bo Knows’ commercials from the late 1980s. But does anybody born after 1991 even know who Bo Jackson is? And what was the point of that unicorn? But the worst goes to tech security firm SimpliSafe. They show the world being a very dangerous and ‘big brother’ place (which it is), and IT support contributing to that. Yet, SimpliSafe is the only one that’s going to save you, your home and family from these evils. Okay. I need more evasive, big brother technology to save me from the evasive, big brother technology that’s already out there. Does that make any sense to you?
What was your favorite tech Super Bowl 53 commercials?
So back in the day, we waited until the Super Bowl to watch Super Bowl ads. But social media changes that. Because now, we can see the whole commercial before the intended debut. However, one gets to me. Microsoft’s Super Bowl ad: Who’s cutting onions in here?
So in this one, Microsoft promotes their Xbox Adaptive Controller?(no, this link is NOT the Super Bowl commercial). But they’re not using celebrities for this one. The stars of this commercial are children with disabilities. Most of them have physical disabilities, like either no hands or deformed hands. But one child is a 9-year-old boy with cerebral palsy. They talk about their love for video games, and how it connects them with friends.
However, there is one problem. The controllers they use often don’t fit their needs. It usually slows them down and messes up their video game play.? This is where the Xbox Adaptive Controller comes in. Because these controllers are more roundly shaped, and they don’t have to grab at joysticks and push at buttons. Therefore, everyone can play at an equal level now. This improved these kids’ play sharply! One kid said she doesn’t even have to look at the new controller, just at the screen now.
So you say it’s just a video game, right? Don’t tell those kids or their parents that. Because this moved one father to tears. He asks, “How will Owen (the kid will cerebral palsy) be viewed by other kids?”. Choking up, he answers his own question, “He’s not different when he plays.”. That’s the point. These adaptive controllers gives a more equal playing field, so everyone can fit in, regardless of disability. And it shows Owen playing video games with other kids, enjoying each other’s company. This controller will cost you $100, but what comes with it is priceless. How can anybody not feel some kind of touch or emotion when watching this commercial? Microsoft’s Super Bowl ad: Who’s cutting onions in here?
So this one is hot off the press. We all know Netflix is one of the biggest streaming services of all-time. But this morning, they made quite the announcement. Breaking news: Netflix raises it’s prices.
So these prices go up for the first time since 2010. From now on, the cheapest plan will cost you $9 (it’s officially $8.99 a month, but who are we kidding, here?). That’s the basic plan that used to cost $8 a month ($7.99, but even a 3rd grader can round that off). That’s for one device. But the most popular plan is the two device plan. If that’s you, then expect your Netflix bill to go up to $13 a month. That’s up slightly from $11 a month. A four device plan will now run you $16 a month.
So why is Netflix doing this? For starters, they’re looking over their shoulders at the competition. In order to compete, they need to keep investing in original programming. And like any IT service, or any business, they have to pass that cost on to the consumer. Then add companies like ABC/Disney, NBC/Universal, will be starting their own streaming services. That means they’ll be less generous with their original programming. Of course, they’re competing with Hulu as well. Me and my computer repair colleagues often argue which one is better: Hulu or Netflix? I always say Netflix.
Netflix raises it’s prices, but how are people responding? The stock market responds very well. Because today, Netflix stocks are rising over 6%. Personally, I like how Netflix does this. Yes, they raised their prices. But they have to cover their cost in order to get better. However, they didn’t double the prices, or were ridiculous with raising prices. They know that will turn fans off. And with so much competition, they don’t want to do that. That’s why this Netflix move is so genius. Do you think so?
So as many as you know, we here in computer repair love our video games. But we’re not the only ones. Because 2018 is a great year for gaming. In fact, you can say this is an epic year for Epic Games.
Yes, I’m talking about the gaming company Epic Games. Epic made over $15 billion in profit this year. Furthermore, they can thank their latest video game, the popular Fortnite for this. Fornite alone made over $3 billion in profit. Fornite is kinda like Hunger Games with a twist, and it is so addictive! I guess I’m not the only one who thinks so.
Because this isn’t just one of the games of 2018. This is the game of 2018. Epic has a 27-year history (they were founded in 1991), and this is their most successful game yet. Nobody at Epic is bragging about Fortnite’s success. But people estimate it has 125 million players. To put that in perspective, if Fornite were it’s own nation, then it would be one of the largest in the world. Fornite is free for gamers. But they make money by selling digital items. Then there are the investors from the US to China, who in the last few years, poured over 1.4 billion into Epic. No wonder why this is an Epic year for Epic Games.
Epic Games doesn’t make all their money through Fornite. They have a whole host of others to choose from. In fact, you can shop for them all at the Epic Store. Guess where Epic Games is growing fastest? You guessed it, China. In fact, they estimate China could make up to 40% of their overall numbers. One thing I credit Epic Games for is spreading their product to all gaming and computer service systems. We’re talking from XBox to Playstation, from PC’s to Mac’s, from Apple’s to Google/Androids. Is this part of the reason why they’re so successful?
