Netflix, an extremely popular online movie renting site, has done what other sites have been unable to do so successfully, bring the end of brick and mortar video renting locations. Not only have physical video rental locations dwindled, but other online competitors simply could not get the following that Netflix was able to acquire with its extensive selection and quick mailing turnaround.
But even with all of its successes, Netflix was still marred by one fact, their streaming option was not supported by Apple computers. Earlier this year Netflix announced that members of their site would be able to directly stream content from their site, making it easier on the user to view as opposed to having to wait for the mail out. This easily accessible option drove streaming use through the roof, but only for Window’s users. Mac owners were left out in this major announcement until now.
Last week it was announced by Netflix, Inc. that testing was being done to ensure that Mac users would be able to stream content by the end of this year. The announcement which many members thought would never come, came with a catch. The streaming technology would only be available for Intel based Macs, and not be supported by older models.
Thanks to Microsoft’s Silverlight technology, Netflix is able to bring it’s streaming library of over 12,000 movies and TV shows to non-windows users. I personally find it ironic that the only way streaming media could have been brought to the Mac was via a windows bridge, ala Silverlight. Nevertheless, those holding onto older Macs have a reason to ditch it for the Intel based models.
Currently there is a Mac media player that is available for beta testing. The product, now available for public beta testing can be downloaded by anyone. The beta as admittedly experienced several bugs that may interfere with the quality of the movie played, but plans from Netflix are to have most if not all of these bugs worked out by the end of the year.
Personally I love Netflix’s “Watch Instantly” choice, and have longed for support on the Mac. Interestingly though, the DRM only allows a certain number of machines that you can watch your streaming media on. This limitation is similar to what iTunes has with its account set up. I’m not necessarily sure this will be much of a problem for most of us, but the limitation seems silly to begin with.
Thus far the player has worked fine on my machine, but even with my limited use I may not come across all of the bugs that are expected to pop up. If you are using the public beta software to stream movies on a mac, I’d like to year about your experiences and whether this was a good move for Netflix, Inc. Make sure to leave your comments and be heard!
This morning I opened hotmail and found they have just launched a new look. The new hotmail style as you can see from the screenshot below has a much lighter design in terms of colours. Light blue is the Windows Live colours and it seems that hotmail now comes under that umbrella completely.
Apart from the colour changes there isn’t really too much to talk about. The design is very simple, left column for heading, right column for emails and top headings above to make a new email, delete, and move folders.
Very simple design but will it work for Microsoft?
Currently at the Microsoft PDC 2008 they are showcasing the new Windows 7, the latest Windows OS. Windows 7 is being demonstrated and also new user interface enhancements are introduced. The new Windows 7 desktop has many changes compared to Vista. It features a thicker taskbar, improved system tray and no sidebar. Here are some of the screenshots of Windows 7 from PDC 2008.
With the sidebar you can see that it is now a lot larger and actually shows the icons below the taskbar, instead of being an overlay which it is in Vista.
Apart from the basic taskbar being thicker, there isnt too many changes in the basic design.
Over at Sizlopedia they have been able to get leaked information about what new and improved features are going to be in the new Windows 7.
BitLocker Drive Encryption
Should your computer be lost or stolen, BitLocker protects your data by helping to prevent offline software attacks. Turning on BitLocker encrypts the hard drive where Windows is installed, including all information that is stored on that drive.
Device Information Retrieval
It downloads information from Microsoft for your hardware devices and displays it in the Windows 7 Devices and Printers control panel, and when you first install and use a device, in the Device Stage.
Driver Protection
Driver Protection helps prevent the operating system from starting drivers that are known to cause stability problems. These drivers are listed in a Driver Protection List database that is stored on your computer
Dynamic Update
Dynamic Update enables Windows 7 to perform a one-time check with the Windows Update website to get the latest updates for your computer while Windows is being installed. If updates are found, Dynamic Update automatically downloads and installs them so your computer is up to date the first time that you log on or use it.
Desktop Gadgets
Gadgets are programs that run on the desktop and provide at-a-glance information, and easy access to frequently used tools.
Homegroup
HomeGroup allows you to easily link Windows 7 computers on your home network so that you can share pictures, music, videos, documents and devices. It also makes them ready to stream media to devices on your home network such as a media extender.
Internet Printing
When you use this feature to print, you will first need to connect and authenticate yourself to an internet print server. Internet Printing makes it possible to use printers located anywhere by sending print jobs using HTTP.
People Near Me
This new feature allows you to send invites for programs to other people in the local networks.Users who are invited need to have it installed on the computer as well.
All these changes are very interesting but are they going to make Windows 7 be a smashing hit and leave all the worries about Vista behind them?
With so many Internet Browsers currently on the market I wanted to pose a question, which Internet Browser do you use and why?
Currently, the readers of Crenk have so many different browsers and operating systems in use it is simply crazy. The majority of our readers either use the traditional Internet Explorer or Firefox.
Internet Explorer
IE is the automatic defualt browser for any computer running Microsoft Windows. Internet Explorer 7 was a huge step forward for the Microsoft Internet browser. IE 7 was light, faster and a lot safer than ever before. The new IE8 has just come out in beta and we are in the process of testing, in which we plan to write a review in the coming weeks. You can download the new IE 8 here.
Firefox 3
Firefox has always been a tech geeks favourite browser. The new version of Firefox is Firefox 3 in which has more theme, add-ons and features than ever before. The main reason why Firefox 3 is a browser that is favoured by geeks, is that it is so fast and light. Web pages are normally a lot faster to load in Firefox 3 because they have a much quicker javascript engine than IE, thus making web pages load in your browser quicker.
Safari
Safari is the traditional browser from Apple. Safari can be found on all Apple macbooks and mac computers as its default browser. Safari is a very light browser with very limited add-on capabilities and themes. Safari also has a PC version that can be found here. Apple claim that Safari is fastest browser on the market for both HTML and Javascript.
Chrome
Chrome is the new browser by Google. Chrome is a very light browser with currently no add-ons or themes available. Chrome runs on a very fast javascript engine so you can expect your websites will be in front of you in a flash. Due to Chrome being so new it tends to currently freeze on occassion, which can get annoying after a while.
Overall
After quickly running through those browsers Im keen to find out what our readers are using and more importantly why they are actually using that browser. Just post a comment below and let us know!
Long gone are the commercials with our friends Bill Gates and Jerry Seinfeld. Mysteriously the advertising campaign stopped, changed directions, and Seinfeld was no more.
Was it the churros? Was it the conquistadors? Perhaps no one wanted to take them in after leaving their last family. Either way, Microsoft has taken a new direction, but some just can’t let a good joke die.
Apple has just released two commercials that are sure to get Microsoft’s feathers ruffled, but all’s fair in and love and war.
Check them out and share your thoughts. Whether you love them or hate them, you’ve got to admit that the marketing from both attacking the other does provide for some interesting conversation.
If you found yourself just as confused by the first commercial from Microsoft featuring the $10 Million Dollar Man himself, Jerry Seinfeld and Microsoft mogul Bill Gates, so was the rest of the world.
The media slammed against what seemed like a commercial about nothing, similar to the description of the show Seinfeld from 10 years ago. Personally I am a big fan of the show, but the humor does not translate 10 years later, and if they look to enter a new, younger, more media savvy market, digging 10 years back for jokes does them no good.
Well the second clip has been released, and the extended version has already been all over YouTube and other video posting sites. While this will not show on TV in its entirety due to it being over 4 minutes long, I can’t imagine the cut version being any better.
The TWiT podcast hosted by Leo Laporte even attempted to dissect the first commercial for the underlying message looking for symbolism in the commercial and even they fell short near the end. If the commercial looks to be that cerebral, they will more then likely lose people rather than gain.
I say thumbs down to this sitcom-ish style advertising, but you be the judge.
Ladies and Gentleman, it’s hard to watch, I know. I warn you, it’s painful. If some of you come away with your mouth open and an empty look on your face after all is said and done, you’re not alone.
In what was supposed to be the biggest coup in Microsoft news recently, their acquisition of comedian Jerry Seinfeld was supposed to herald the beginning of the end of those “vicious” Apple ads that have gained so much popularity. For almost two years Microsoft allowed Apple to take the offensive and for almost two years Apple planned to gain some ground in term of market share. Well it worked, and while Apple now sits at approx. 20% of consumer market, Microsoft has been blasted for their release of Vista, making most users stick toXP for the time being.
Well Microsoft decided enough was enough and planned to counter Apple’s negative ads and re-build their brand, but most importantly the trust of the consumer.
Please watch this video, the first commercial in what is sure to be a long line of painful, shake your head and cry attempts to fire back at apple.
Is this really the best Microsoft could do? I’m not even sure I understand the commercial. And the Spanish speakers was a little awkward. Was that their attempt to gain market share with our Spanish speaking brethren? I’m confused and you should be too.
Digg has to be one of the biggest web properties currently on the internet, with one of the most loyal communities. However, they seem to be able to grow the community, add on new features, turnover good revenue figures and get millions of pageviews, but they simply can’t sell their company to anyone!
Digg has been trying to sell for the last 6 months and yet no one is actually biting. They currently have a Microsoft as an investor and running their ad campaigns, plus they have been in talks with Google for an acquisition, but how come they cant finalise anything?
Is it because the $300 million price tag they are after, it just too out of reach? Is it because the big conglomerates aren’t too sure how they are going to fit the Digg technology into their search engines or portals? Is it because Digg has such a strong community base, any acquisition will just kill the site?
Im hoping to find out why the average person think Digg cant sell.
For a while now I have been running Adphilia and we are only a small site representation company that is slowly growing. We have spent a lot of time trying to source the right Advertising server to meet our needs, but we still haven’t been able to find the right one in my mind. We have toyed with using free ad servers like OpenX or Google, as well as corporate ad servers like Right Media or Doubleclick. This is a post which just outlines what we have found within the company.
Free Ad Servers:
Open X – OpenX is an amazing piece of software that allows medium and large website to control their inventory. It is cost effective because the software is free, however you need to think about the implications advertising will have on your hosting servers, because huge amounts of ad serving can mean very large bandwidth costs. I also find OpenX a little hard to understand when you are first using the serving, plus I’m sure the larger your sites are the more complicated it becomes.
Google Ad Manager – Google Ad manager is a great product but it is built specifically for small publishers. It has a great design and easy to use. The first issue is that you can only use this ad server for small sites, because it is not compatible with any larger ad servers, and you have to put ad code straight into the header of your site. Additionally, I really don’t like the fact that when you deliver your first campaign you have to set it all up the day before it is allowed to be start. Small but bloody annoying.
Corporate Ad Servers:
Zedo – Zedo is very professional company with some great customer service. However, with them we got caught on the first hurdle, cause they were very expensive compared to all the other companies. Possibly, this is due to the great customer service and the results they can bring your sites. However, if you don’t have a great sales team to match what they can offer, there isnt too much point.
DoubleClick – This company just amazes me. Doubleclick seems to be a mish mash of several individual sections of software that has been mashed into one tool. Instead of Trafficking, reporting, billing and account details all in one sections, they seem to have segmented them, thus making it very untidy. However, they are the worlds best ad serving tool and the most used.
Atlas – Atlas, I tried to contact 5 times and they have never even responded to the messages I left. So I didn’t even get past the pricing stage let alone using their service. Typical Microsoft!
After all of these experiments it didn’t really bring me to finding the ad server solution that I was after. Im wanting a piece of software that is easy to understand and us, which doesn’t cost the earth, preferably free and web based. Does anyone know of a solution that I should try?
Well im sure that everyone has already heard, but if not Microsoft has today withdrawn their proposal to acquire Yahoo! Yahoo have issued a press release and Roy Bostock, Chairman of Yahoo! Inc., issued the following statement today in response to Microsoft Corporation’s announcement that it has withdrawn its proposal to acquire Yahoo!:
“We remain focused on maximizing shareholder value and pursuing strategic opportunities that position Yahoo! for success and leadership in its markets. From the beginning of this process, our independent board and our management have been steadfast in our belief that Microsoft’s offer undervalued the company and we are pleased that so many of our shareholders joined us in expressing that view. Yahoo! is profitable, growing, and executing well on its strategic plan to capture the large opportunities in the relatively young online advertising market. Our solid results for the first quarter of 2008 and increased full year 2008 operating cash flow outlook reflect the progress the company is making. Today, Yahoo! has:
– a refined strategic focus to drive enhanced volume and yield;
– reorganized to focus its efforts on its most promising products and services;
– invested in innovations designed to revolutionize display advertising and facilitate closing the competitive gap in search; and
– enhanced expense and resource management to support improved profitability.”
Here are also some of the thoughts from around the web:
It has been reported this morning that Farecast has been acquired by Microsoft for $115 million. Farecast is a travel prediction engine which attempts to help you find the most ideal time to purchase tickets.
This is a good return for investors into Farecast, because they received approx 5 times their investment.
Microsoft has already openly stated that they will integrate the Farecast technology into MSN Travel. Farecast had a very good technology and im sure there must have been more companies interested in Farecast, because I cant see that Microsoft would pay $115 million just to put the technology into their travel section. Must have been a strategic move to keep the technology out of reach of their competitors.
The soap opera that is Microsoft bid for Yahoo is continuing. Firstly it is reported by the WSJ that Yahoo is closing in on a merger with AOL. If the deal goes through, the two companies would combine their web and internet based services. Yahoo! would reportedly use some of the revenue from a merger with Time Warner/AOL to buy back a whole bunch of stock which woudl help the company fend off any further unwanted advances from Microsoft.
While at the same time it is reported that Yahoo has begun testing out Search Ads from Google. Then Microsoft hit back with the following statement about the search testing:
From Brad Smith, Microsoft’s General Counsel:
“Any definitive agreement between Yahoo! and Google would consolidate over 90% of the search advertising market in Google’s hands. This would make the market far less competitive, in sharp contrast to our own proposal to acquire Yahoo! We will assess closely all of our options. Our proposal remains the only alternative put forward that offers Yahoo! shareholders full and fair value for their shares, gives every shareholder a vote on the future of the company, and enhances choice for content creators, advertisers, and consumers.â€
Well, what can I see happening? I expect that AOL and Yahoo will potentially merge, but this it might happen in about 6 months time. In terms of search advertising between Google and Yahoo, im sure this cant continue because of the amount of marketshare they will have between them. Finally, Microsoft have no chance of purchasing Yahoo, I cant see it happening because Yahoo shareholders and directors would have already agreed if there was something that was going to happen.
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