Apr 23, 2013 | Entertainment, News
In 1999, Netflix got it’s first subscriber. In 2013, it has surpassed historic cable giant HBO in American?subscribers for the first time ever.
According to reports, by the end of March 2013, Netflix had 29.17 million subscribers, while HBO had slightly less. As recently as the end of 2012, HBO was in the lead by about 1.5 million subscribers. I can’t wait to see what this does to intensify company rivalry. This isn’t just company competition: This is an outright rivalry, reminiscent of the? east vs. west rap wars or pro wrestling?Monday night?wars?back in the 1990s.?But?HBO can still brag?about being a bigger force internationally. They have over 110 million world subscribers; Netflix have only 7 million.
But the good news for Netflix doesn’t stop there. To better serve large households, they?plan to extend the two movie/TV stream limit from two to four, for an additional $11.99. But this is only available in the US, and will do nothing to help global numbers.?I don’t know what HBO’s offering these days, but looking at these numbers, they need to be offering something.
Wall Street is taking notice too.? Their shares are up nearly 20 percent, and those numbers are expected to increase. Wow! Back in the early 2000s, when people said Netflix would put video stores out of business, I didn’t believe it! Now, I see what used to be Blockbusters and independent video chains are now ghosts of better days. But Netflix needs to something about their international market in order to stay strong. How long will Netflix’s gravy train last?
Apr 22, 2013 | Entertainment, News
Starting on April 29, you can attend a great comedy show. Come see legends like Mel Brooks (Blazing Saddles) and Carl Reiner (writer of Dick Van Dyke Show). Come see up and coming comedians like Amy Schumer (a semi-finalist on Last Comic Standing). You won’t be seeing this?show?at your local comedy club. You won’t even seeing this festival on TV. This event will be seen exclusively and entirely on Twitter.
This is a partnership between Comedy Central, Viacom, who owns Comedy Central and Twitter. For years, the relationship between television and social media has intertwined. Ever hear of Vine? Well, next Tuesday, Steve Agee will lead a ‘vine party’. At the party will be the cast of ABC’s mega-hit scandal. Don’t tell my friends about that one. But they will be sharing in six second videos. There is a bigger picture here. Comedy Central wants to be the network that is just as dependent on online media as much as TV.?For example, their core group is the young adult crowd, age 18-34. Guess what? The big core group for tweeters is the 18-34 crowd.
I think Twitter and Comedy Central are doing a great job and the right thing here. Gone are the days are families gathering around the TV at prime time. Did you miss an episode? Now you can watch it on Hulu. I find myself watching You Tube as much as I do regular TV. Whether we like or not, media is changing. I’ll ask this question to take it a step further: by the 2020s or 2030s, will TV be altogether obsolete?
Apr 21, 2013 | Computer technology, internet, News
Iran, 2011. A corrupt election drives many Iranians to the streets in protest. They use social media to introduce the world to their struggle, a struggle that includes police brutality and other injustices. The world saw what the Iranian people really went through, not just what the Ayatollah and Ahmadinejad wanted us to hear. Can that happen to North Korea?
Not in it’s present state. I have it by good authority the people there are so isolated most have never even heard of You Tube, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. They’ve never typed on a desktop, carried a laptop or played Angry Birds on a smartphone. They’ve never sent an email or seen a power point presentation. Ten years ago, it was a capital offense to even carry a cell phone!? However, things are slowly changing.?Now, thanks to their kind hearted gov’t (note the sarcastic tone) one million North Koreans have mobile phones. And some even have Internet access. So some ingredients are being put in place, ingredients to connect them to the outside world.
But dictators and regimes know what power 21st century technology has, and they’re bent on getting a hold of it before their opposition does. Don’t expect them to let?the majority have these technological necessities. What’s worse? They’re training their higher ups to suppress?and stop democratic urges. Instead of spending money on food, education, health care?and infrastructure for their people, they’re spending it to build technology to spy on their people, to tighten the leash on them.?They can do this through facial recognition systems, voice scans, DNA,?and the?kinds of things once only seen in James Bond movies or spy TV shows. Even in?American cities like Chicago, they’re trying to put a surveillance camera on every corner in the city. In some parts of England, the camera will talk to you if you so much as jaywalk or litter! I always feel like somebody’s watching me! That’s because they are.
I am not here to knock technology. I’m so thankful for the advances that have been made just in my lifetime. I’m saying they can be used for good and evil, depending on whose control it’s in. The Internet has done far more good than harm. You can best believe while dictators and aristocrats are working hard maintain power, freedom fighters are working hard to win democracy. Social media gives these people more power than they’ve ever had before. Remember what TV did for the Civil Rights Movement back in the 1960s? Where will you be when Pyongyang has it’s online?revolution?
Apr 20, 2013 | News
Yesterday, I put the Apple iPhone 5 as the greatest smartphone in Q1 2013. I said this was the only thing going for Apple right now. Apparently, I may be right. Since September 2012, Apple has lost almost half it’s stock.
Last September, Apple broke Wall St. records when it hit a high of $702 a share. As of Friday April 19, that stock is around $390. During this time, Apple lost? $150 billion in cash. Their growth is gone, profit margins are near gone, and don’t count of any earth-shattering new Apple products in the near future. There seems to be no end in sight. So why be hopeful?
I don’t know if it’s resilience or pity, but investors believe Apple has nowhere to go but up. This is good?for us consumers too. The stock decline will force Apple to reduce it’s prices on their products. Now?that their stock prices are down to Earth, more people can invest in Apple (well, more than last September). In fact, word?on the Web is Apple is working on a cheaper?iPhone. That same word?says Apple is working?their TV and/or smart watch. That?could get people coming back.?So Apple has a lot, or has the potential, to have a lot going for them. Will you be investing in Apple anytime soon?
Apr 19, 2013 | Entertainment, networking, Wireless
Can you believe the year is over 1/4 over? I’ve been reporting a bit about Q1 (the first quarter of 2013) sales this week. Now let’s see which devices had the?best?2013 starts.
10. LG Optimus G: It’s 4.7 inches and 2 GB of pure power! A few months ago, it was ranked America’s best smartphone.
9.? HTC One: Any phone that can be used as a remote control, sign me up!
8. Motorola Droid RAZR Maxx HD: Have you seen the long battery life on this thing?
7. Blackberry Z 10: For the writing impaired, the keyboard will virtually do the typing for you!
6. Google Nexus 4: That Google mapping navigated me in a lost city; and possibly out of?a crime-ridden part of the city!
5. HTC Windows 8X: On my desktop, Window 8 is a boil on the neck! But on this smartphone, it’s smooth as butter. Coincidence? I think not.
4. Nokia Lumia 920: Another Windows phone, this?one?does everything and in style. I?read one critic say, “This is not a toy.”
3. Samsung Galaxy Note 2: It’s carried by all 4 big phone companies (AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, Verizon) and gets lots of well deserved praise for it’s?pen use, CPU core, and lengthy battery life.
2. Samsung Galaxy S 3: If I listed all the ways this phone saves time, this posting would go on all day and night.
1. Apple iPhone 5: As of late, this is Apple’s biggest accomplishment. This may be their only accomplishment so far this year. What it lacks in mapping skills it makes up for in looks, camera, and pocket ability. And of course there’s the name Apple!
If you think I missed any smartphones, let me hear from you!
Apr 18, 2013 | Computer technology, News, Wireless
Do you have Google Glasses? Do you plan to buy Google Glasses? You better keep them to yourself. Google forbids reselling, or even loaning?your glasses.??If you do, you’ll be sorry.
According to their service terms, if your glasses are resold or borrowed, they can cut off your device and all access. You will not be entitled to a refund. Can they do this? You bet! Believe it or not, when you buy any computer related device, you’re more like renting the software. So the company from where you purchased the device (whether it be Google, Apple, Android) owns most of the rights to that software. When you purchase Google Glasses, it’s registered under your Google account. So when you trade your merchandise, you can be tracked.
Buying these glasses isn’t like buying a loaf of bread at the grocery?store. It isn’t even like getting a laptop at the computer store. You have to qualify. How does one do that? Under the Google Glass Explores Program, if you post a pro-Google flattering comment under any social media site, then you might qualify to pay at least $1,500 for these glasses. And then there was that poor man who tried to Ebay his glasses.
What’s to make of this? Let’s say Google does very well with the glasses. Let’s say they do so well they lower the price and sell these to the masses, still forbidding the resale and lending of the glasses. Now all other companies see this and adopt the same policy of all their devices, from smartphones to tablets, even low cost cell phones. Now, in this New Order of things, if you loan out your device, no matter what the reason, that device can be shut off at anytime.?And in 21st century America, it’s more important than ever to be wired, and now you have no access to being wired. Do you see my concern?of where this may lead??So is it even worth getting Google Glasses at all?
Apr 17, 2013 | internet, networking, News
Yahoo is making a comeback. Or so the Q1 2013 numbers say. Their stock is up 50 percent since July 2012. And their earnings delivered more profit than in Q1 2012. But not all the news was good: display ads, and the revenue they produce, fell 11 percent. So there’s still more?work to do.
This is where CEO Marissa Mayer’s chain reaction comes in. That first?link was changing the work culture; this included insisting people coming back to work in the office. Now it’s a top place to work. This leads to the second link: getting talent. Applications and resumes have tripled during Mayer’s tenure.??During Q1 2013, 14?percent of?those hired were those who left the company and returned. Now this leads to the?links?three and four: building better products and reaching customers better. According to Mayer herself, by 2015, there will be more use of hand held devices than PC’s. Of the 700 million users, nearly half are subscribed on a smartphone or something similar (iPod touch).
Will the comeback continue? It sounds like they’re on the right track. Talent is coming back. Plus, talent is so abundant they can be selective in their choosing. This is always a good thing. They are trying to create apps, particularly for small devices. Yahoo execs believe this rebuilding process will take years. But there is already signs of growth now. One way they can speed up the comeback is better news articles. They’re becoming better at this, but what I’d like to see is less celebrity gossip and fluff and more hard news. I mean news you won’t hear anywhere else, like that 7.8?earthquake on the Pakistan/Iran border. What are some other ways Yahoo can improve?
Apr 16, 2013 | News, Wireless
Google Glasses are almost here! Developers have been told to write guides, libraries and have?projects ready. It’s expected these glasses will be on the production line as early as May. But it will come with restrictions.
Developers are forbidden to distribute the software, advertise apps or charge fees. Other prohibitions exist as well. Developers are to?put on these glasses for?an entire day, live?with them for a while. They also don’t want?Google glasses to dominate the users life. They’re urged to keep it timely and be expected?for anything. ?These are glasses after all; how many have broken their reading glasses before? There is a series of You Tube videos that go over?guidelines?for developers. I must admit, that fedora hat looks nice!
I’ve seen some of these videos and read some of the articles. I think these regulations and guidelines are reasonable. I’m glad developers are encouraged to live with these glasses. You should never sale a product you wouldn’t use. As far as banning advertising and fees, I see where Google come from. Developers could easily pocket the profits, and they’re supposed to be working with Google. Plus, many are already addicted to other social media; do you want to add one more to that list? Timing is everything: Who wants to get info a week too late? Whose ready for Google Glass?
Apr 15, 2013 | Computer technology, Wireless
Why let Sony and Motorola have all the fun with smart watches? In addition to Microsoft designing a smartphone, the software giant collaborates with Asian suppliers to build the perfect smart watch.
Microsoft and Apple are in a race to produce this wearable smart electronic. Some investors are banking for this to be the next big thing in computer technology. And it’s closer than you think. They already have watches that measure your heart rate and temperature. Some can work with a smartphone to check weather and receive messages. There’s an increasing demand for these wrist robots, and within the next 5 years, according to economic analysts, the?wearable smart electronics,?from watches to glasses, could be a $10 billion a year industry.?It’s interesting that?in the 2000s,?Microsoft?built a?watch that followed your favorite sports team and tuned in your favorite FM radio station. But like many business ventures during the Great Recession, this one disbanded in 2008. I guess no company was immune to economic hard times.
Believe it or not, I’m looking forward to what this smart watch can do. I hope Microsoft doesn’t mess it up like they did Windows 8; don’t even get me started on that one.?But don’t go lining up to buy?the Microsoft wrist machine yet. They are hush-hush about when, or even if they’re going to continue with this project. Plus, they’re struggling to come up with a smartphone. Can you imagine?typing a?document or even?delivering a presentation with a?watch? Are you even optimistic the Microsoft can and/or will produce this super machine?
Apr 14, 2013 | Computer technology, Entertainment
Beam me up Scotty…make that beam me up Google! Since the 1990s, Google has changed just about all of our lives. Now, it wants to go even further, by building a Star Trek like computer.
That’s right. Google is obsessed with building a computer solely based on language. For example, you ask, “Where in this city/town is the best place to meet people?’ Google will start a conversation about which place is the best and why it’s the best. It might even tell you who and where to avoid. We shouldn’t be surprised. From what I’ve read, Google top employees are huge Star Trek fans! During lectures, they incorporate Trek in their speeches.? Google VP Amit Singhal says it’s his dream to meet William Shatner. Well, as for as Shatner’s on screen computer, it talked to them, understood them,?and in some episodes, already knew what their needs were. And this was in the 1960s! Is it even conceivable today?
In 1992, did you think a search engine website was conceivable? Now, what?used to take?hours and days to research now takes literally minutes.?Have you ever Googled yourself? The last time I did,?this search engine seemed to know me better than I knew myself! Check out their knowledge graph:?Look up a celebrity or public figure. When you do, you’ll get a whole row?of people related to the person you’re looking up. There’s already software that?when you speak, the software types it for you.?Singhal predicts this Star Trek computer will happen in our lifetimes, and I believe him.
But Google’s idea reminds me more of 2001: A Space Odyssey more than Star Trek.?As I write this, I’m having visions of Google Star?Trek becoming more like a jealous lover than a wise friend.?What if?use Bing? I can see Google Star Trek?turning on you ?and trying to destroy you, just like HAL did in Space Odyssey.??Are you really ready to go where no man has gone before?
