So people my age remember those Pepsi vs Coke challenge commercials. Furthermore, what’s this I hear about Burger King offering one cent whoppers to one up rival McDonald’s? I bring this up because there’s nothing new in throwing shade at your rival. But now, IT service is doing it. Microsoft vs Apple: Battle for the commercial.
So let’s look at Microsoft’s Surface Go commercial. It’s set to the tune of Christmas classic, “Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer”.? A 10-year-old girl sings about wanting a Surface Go, urging her grandmother not to buy an iPad. The iPad was good when she was 6, but now she needs a ‘real computer’. The girl wants a real computer to do coding and save the manatees, and only Surface Go can help her. Dang, iPad!
However, the iPad Pro threw a little shade of it’s own. Their commercial also features a kid, somewhere between 10-13 years old. He’s doing everything on this iPad all day long: studying, talking with friends, buying food, and researching. An adult neighbor sees him on his iPad in the backyard. Then she asks, “What are you doing on your computer?”. The kid replies, “What’s a computer?”. This hints that the PC, which Microsoft helped start, is becoming so obsolete that today’s kids don’t even know what a computer is.
Between these two commercials, I think Microsoft Surface Go wins this one. I give it to them because trust me, as someone who works in computer repair, the PC ‘computer’ era isn’t dead. Obviously, more people are on mobile devices. But most people will tell you their desktop is equally as important. Will it be by 2025? That I don’t know. Also, Microsoft’s commercial had a little subtle social commentary. The girl talked about wanting to do coding. Keep in mind there’s a push to get girls and young women interested into coding and bridge the gap between men and women in IT. And Microsoft Surface can do that better than iPad, or so the commercial says. Who do you think wins Microsoft vs Apple: Battle for the commercial?
So many people are into mobile gaming now. Here at our computer service shop, it’s a favorite activity and talking piece. This is among customers and computer repair experts alike.? But Google sees it and wants to take it somewhere. Google and mobile gaming: Are they taking gaming too?
Well, Google focus on mobile gaming advertising. In fact, they’re teaming up with Unity, a game developing company, to do so. Let’s say marketers advertise with Google on games that Unity makes and backs up. Keep in mind Unity’s audience plays a combined 9 billion minutes a day playing their games. Think about how much revenue and people these companies can reach.
Then think about this: mobile gaming is worth over $50 billion a year. In fact, over 30% of all apps on all smartphones are games. They could range from anything from solitaire to Pac-Man to Call of Duty. When you think of mobile gamers, you probably think of young men and techies, right? Not exactly. Because according to some stats, nearly have of all mobile gamers are now women. These girls and women can be as young as 10, or as old as 65. So look at the age range. Almost all gamers, boys, girls, men and women play their games for free. And most of them said they’d rather watch advertisements then pay for these games out of pocket.
Not only is Unity the leader in gaming production, but it’s becoming a leader in the VR and AI race is well. Plus, keep in mind Google’s biggest rival, Apple, searches for mobile gaming advertisers. It looks like Google beat them in securing an alliance with Unity. And it seems like a good mood. I predict Google and mobile gaming could be the most powerful alliance in advertising history. I know that sounds out there now, but this trend shows no signs of slowing down. Could mobile gaming be the new TV of advertising?
So when people think of Nintendo, they think of something my generation played back in the 1980s and 1990s. That was the go-to system for many of us in computer repair.? But maybe we should look at Nintendo as a current hot commodity. Nintendo’s comeback: Their profits soar.
So according to their own reports, Nintendo sold around 20 million of their newest console, the Switch. Nintendo also reports an 88% increase in profits just from last year. Overall revenue is up almost 10%. In Q2 2018 alone, Nintendo sold 1.88 million switches. Let’s not forget that we’re in the back to school shopping season already. Then comes the holiday shopping season. So I think we can expect these numbers to only increase.
But it doesn’t stop at the Switch. In September, they’re going to be new titles, like Super Smash Bros. and some new Pokemon games. Remember the classic Nintendo consoles for all us old school heads, and for those looking for nostalgia? Well, they sold over 1.25 million copies. It also sold 1.39 million Labo kits. That’s just in the last couple of months. Recently, their online games have been doing very well. They made billions of dollars recently. They’re anticipating the latest editions of Mario Kart Tour and Dragalia Lost. They should be out in early 2019.
I myself see the switch to Nintendo products. Because near our computer service shop, a customer let us play with his Switch. He told us he even sold his XBox One and switched to Switch. This is just part of Nintendo’s comeback. For a while, it wasn’t looking good. Just a while ago, they came out with their Wii U. It was a flop. Then you had competition from Xbox. But I’m glad to see Nintendo making a comeback. This is the system I grew up with. This is the system that brought me games like Zelda, Duck Hunt and Mike Tyson’s Punch Out. Past or present, what’s your favorite Nintendo game?
So Netflix got a report card of sorts. It’s not a good one. Netflix is slipping. But what are they going to do about it?
So here is the report card. Netflix added fewer subscribers than their stockholders hoped for. It also fell behind their own forecasts for Q2 2018. In fact, some graphs and charts show they added the fewest new subscribers in a year. These aren’t just minor setbacks. Because these setbacks are so bad that they had to knock off $10 billion of their budget. The last time I checked, a few minutes before, Netflix’s stock prices are down over 8%. They’re bracing for their worst day on Wall Street in two years.
This comes as a very bad time for Netflix (when is a good time for this). They’re spending billions on original content. They want to build a fan base, and hope to outdo Comcast. Furthermore, another graph shows that Netflix is slipping. In fact, their ratings are the lowest in several months. Netflix leaders assure shareholders about long-term successes. They have a point. Netflix has a hecka good 2017. In fact, graphs show Q4 2017 was the quarter of Netflix’s life. Then you have the shares. Just a month ago, they were at an all-time high.
But you know what I’ve learned in the IT service and IT support game? It’s not about what you did yesterday. That’s history. Where are you going? That’s what counts. But Netflix overcame hardships before. Remember the North Korea movie controversy? Also, in the spring of 2016, they had a Netflix drop in number of subscribers. But after that, they went through a huge boom. But it looks like the boom is ending. So I don’t think Netflix stockholders should panic. Netfix is slipping right now. I think they will bounce back and hopefully, beat Comcast. What do you think?
So cloud computing lets us share computer/online resources with minimum efforts.? It also lets us store information. In computer repair, we get inquires of cloud computing all the time. Since 2006, tech companies saw this and ran with it. However, now, tech companies team up with Hollywood, for the cloud.
First of all, Google announced they’re building a cloud region in Los Angeles. They did this to better focus on video streaming and IT support for designers and artists. Then there is Microsoft, who already had a cloud region there. Not only that, but they’re chasing after the Hollywood entertainment venues. They compete for the industry’s business at a time when many consumers turn to streaming services like Netflix and You Tube Red.
This is a crazy time for Hollywood. Content is becoming more diverse. Consumers are becoming more demanding and sophisticated. And people want their entertainment fix five minutes ago. This is where cloud comes in. Maybe this is why tech giants are trying to either buy up or team up with Hollywood companies. For example, Microsoft got Avere Systems, a top cloud tech firm. Around the same time, Google got Anvato, a rising media platform. Both Microsoft and Google did this to lure Hollywood to their side.
On the surface, this looks more like more corporate takeover. And part of it is. But then again, that’s the way of our world today, whether we like or not. So this time, let me look at the good this can offer. For us, tech companies team up with Hollywood could give us more diversity in entertainment. Thus, we can all watch something we can enjoy. It could also mean good news for entertainers and leaders. These clouds can open up more jobs for actors and others. It can open up more jobs for other markets too, from writers to make-up artists to caterers. What other good can this do?
So I think we all know the online content war is no joke. In fact, AT&T and Time Warner are merging because of this. However, Apple fights back. Oprah chooses Apple for original content.
The media mogul signed a long lasting contract with Apple. This contract will have Oprah Winfrey, owner of OWN cable TV network, producing videos exclusively for Apple. However, nobody knows what these videos will be about. Or at least, nobody is giving anything away. Well, they did say this program will embrace her ability to reach out to her audience. So we shouldn’t expect a lot of action/adventure flicks from this venture. That’s going to disappoint a lot of folks in our computer service shop.
Many IT support insiders say this is a huge win for Apple in the streaming content wars. Because as most of us know, Oprah Winfrey isn’t just a talk show host or an actress. Over the past 32 years, she has done it all. This includes producing and founding shows like Dr. Phil and Rachel Ray, both of which are still very popular. Also, there is another reason why Oprah chooses Apple. Because they already have some of her content. For example, Apple has an Oprah podcast she calls, “Oprah’s Super Soul Conversations“. In typical Oprah fashion, it’s wildly successful. In fact, it’s a #1 podcast show on Apple.
As we say, we don’t know what will be on these videos, but it’s fun to speculate. Maybe she’ll put reruns of her 1986-2011 talk show. Or maybe she’ll air some of her cable shows, or put some of Dr. Phil or Rachel Ray’s content up there. I can already imagine some new shows and productions will be up here. Or maybe, just maybe, she’ll use this platform to announce her Presidential Candidacy for the 2020 election. Could this be what this is about?
