Netflix – My (Not So) New Obsession

So, Netflix…

Unless you happened to have been living under a rock for the past few months (if you have I hope you’re paying low rent), you will have noticed a growing zombie like horde of your friends have become even more couch potato(ey) , think Homer Simpson in his prime?. This is partly because it’s cold outside, however it mostly down to a red tyrant and no I don’t mean Putin -. Netflix of course!

Netflix is a seemingly unstoppable juggernaut of entertainment, initially taking the form of simply DVD rental service. Fast forward 18 years and it’s blossomed into an beautifully convenient video content app that you can watch at home, on the train, in work and even walking around a city centre (guilty). It has now become something else entirely, with more than 50 million subscribers globally and academy award winning original productions coming out of its tiny HD ears. Netflix is, to some people “the future of television”. However, can it really be that important. The answer is a fairly obvious one…YES!

We’re talking about something which has the potential to decide the future of the film and television industry, influence how content is consumed, change the face of digital advertising and much much more. However, like humans of a similar age this is not a company that has finished or seemingly has completely decide what it is they want to be. They have had their fair share of missteps. In 2011 and then again in 2012, their stock price fell more than 60 points in a matter of months, film and TV companies are lining up to label them with nasty adjectives like “disruptive” and “poisonous” and they recently agreed to a deal with Adam Sandler to make four movies for its streaming service….THE HORROR!

At the moment it’s doing a lot right – ‘Marco Polo’, ‘House of Cards’ and ‘Better Call Saul’ to name but a few things. However, there are definitely storm clouds on the horizon. Netflix and Amazon have both been unwilling to share their viewer numbers since forever and the theory is that when Nielsen and the networks get their hands on this data, it will not be the case of them holding a red and white ticker tape parade. There is a growing belief that making content available to stream has a large cannibalization effect on networks first-viewing ratings. If that really is the case, we may only be left with 4 Adam Sandler films and ten thousand hours of the ‘Fireplace For Your Home’ show. For now, sit back with a mug of tea and some popcorn and enjoy it!

Seriously…someone give me some more TV show recommendations please!

What Do Microsoft’s Latest Announcements Mean For Consumers?

The start of the year is always an exciting time for us ‘tech heads’ we have CES, Mobile World Conference and Tech Crunch Disrupt all withing the first half of the year, although they all play second fiddle to E3 for me personally.

Microsoft’s Windows 10 event took place on Jan 21st and it did not fail to disappoint, there were some obvious announcements about Windows 10 and Microsoft’s future plans for both Web Browsing and Cortana, their intelligent personal assistant (read Siri). However there definitely were some surprises. Notably cross-play gaming and their hologram project simply named ‘HoloLens’.

Below is a summary of the announcements and what they mean for us consumers:

• HoloLens – this is the announcement that I am definitely most excited about and simultaneously most skeptical about. Microsoft gave very little insight to exactly what it is and what it’s purpose will be other than a self contained Windows 10 smart glass computer (really rolls of the tongue). The supporting video showcased a digital world that was blended with the real world where ordinary folk like us could merge virtual holographic objects with real life environments in real time. In all honestly this is likely to be a very commercially focused product with a ridiculous price tag but it made for a fantastic ‘show stopper’. It’s due in 2015 but the actual capabilities of the device are likely to fall short of both the video showcase and consumers expectations…although fingers crossed I’m wrong.

• Spartan Browser – Microsoft’s internet explorer replacement alternative is code-named ‘Spartan’. Now naming their products after elements of the Halo computer game is an interesting choice. However it does show Microsoft’s willingness to adapt and probably switch focus to more of a younger audience, a move I definitely welcome and that is frankly long overdue. This will come bundled with Windows 10 and will act as a cleaner more functional browser that Microsoft has need for a long time, with OneDrive and Cortana integration. However there are some concerns around it’s lack of support for legacy technologies such as ActiveX. Time will tell on this one, but I think anything will be be better than poor old I.E!

• Windows 10 – Windows 8 was a failure, everyone knows it. The operating system was a bold idea and unfortunately it failed. Now I use it and I actually quite enjoy it but they made some catastrophic decisions with this O.S. Namely, no start menu, Metro interface (just…what??) and lack of apps! Good news everyone, in  Windows 10…THE START MENU IS BACK (ahem). Rumor has it the Metro interface will be done away with as well, with the exception of touchscreen devices, in favour of apps within the start menu which is huge bit of backing down from MS. However this O.S has to do better both in consumer and commercial sales and be transferable to mobile, an area where Microsoft continues to lose ground. Other key features include better snapping functionality, virtual desktops and start menu search bar integration. This all means a better consumer operating system, not necessarily the O.S we deserve, but definitely the one we need right now.