Help Matt With College
Matt's take on interesting news.
Sony Pushed Toward Early PS3 Price Cut
http://www.thestreet.com/_htmlbtb/pom/pomrmy/10345639.html
According to the latest numbers from the U.S. and Japan, sales of Sony's PlayStation3 console are even weaker than the dismal January figures implied. An unusually early price cut may be Sony's best shot at salvaging the product's performance.
My View: Sony really, really screwed up with the PS3. While I am not much of console gamer, I can safely say that I am not going to purchase a PS3, even if the price does come down $100 as the article suggests may happen. Microsoft's XBox 360 and Nintendo's Wii definitely have the advantage with lower price and an earlier release on top of their key titles like Halo and Mario. I guess we will have to wait and see how the next round of console releases pans out to see if Sony learned their lesson.
Labels: electronics, entertainment, microsoft, nintendo, sony
:: Permanent Link :: Posted 3/22/2007 :: 0 Comments :: Links to this post ::
Apple Keeps Its Shine
http://www.thestreet.com/_htmlbtb/newsanalysis/investing/10344789.html
A genuine leader in this regard at the moment is Apple, which is on track to emerge later this year as the single most influential, life-changing and powerful company in the technology and consumer electronics universe. In a few years, it could even become the most valuable. The latest step in Apple's amazing transformation from industry doormat to kingpin will come in the next 30 days, as investors and consumers come to recognize a set of powerful catalysts that have the potential to kick Apple's sales and earnings to levels that will shock skeptics and possibly even surprise optimists.
My View: Apple is certainly a force to be reckoned with in the electronics/entertainment industry. As the article mentions, they are playing in four different circles - PCs, music, phones and video - which allows them to maintain a broad base of products. The company's stock has grown over 20% in the past 6 months and its growth has no sign of slowing down especially with the release of the iPhone, Apple TV, and the newest Video iPod.
Labels: apple, electronics, entertainment
:: Permanent Link :: Posted 3/20/2007 :: 0 Comments :: Links to this post ::
Viacom's Full-Court Press for Online Ads
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/19/business/media/19viacom.html
Video advertising, while less than 5 percent of online spending, is the fastest-growing advertising category online, generating $410 million last year, an increase of 82 percent from 2005, according to eMarketer, an online advertising research firm.
My View: As much as some people hate to admit, the Internet has become a huge marketing tool, especially among today's kids (born in the mid to late '90s). While Viacom is going in the right direction with it's creation/purchase of websites directed at this crucial demographic, this is only one step in the right direction. I see pay per episode/season TV show downloads becoming the ultimate standard in TV viewing. We'll see how things turn out within the next 10 years since you will certainly see significant change by then.
Labels: advertising, tv, viacom, youtube
:: Permanent Link :: Posted 3/20/2007 :: 0 Comments :: Links to this post ::
Juice your creative orange with visual thinking
http://www.slash7.com/articles/2007/3/8/juicing-your-creative-orange
There's just something different about the way your brain works when you are using your hand, and moving it, rather than typing. I personally feel like my brain's wired differently when I work with physical things out here in the real world, rather than living solely in the domain of the virtual.
My View: A very well written article by a prominent "interface developer" which discusses several ways to approach designing/notetaking. I found that the points made in this article agree with things that I haven't been able to put in to words before. I am definitely looking forward to using this approach on my newest project.
:: Permanent Link :: Posted 3/19/2007 :: 0 Comments :: Links to this post ::
Look at Me, World! Self-Portraits Morph Into Internet Movies
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/18/arts/design/18schn.html
Noah Kalina flew to Switzerland last month to attend the opening of "We're All Photographers Now," an exhibition at the Musée de l'Elysée in Lausanne. The show is a survey of trends in digital photography, particularly portraiture, and Mr. Kalina produced its foremost example of how technology is changing the genre. His globally popular video "everyday" is composed of 2,356 daily self-portraits shot from Jan. 11, 2000, to July 31, 2006.
My View: Perhaps I can't truly appreciate these more abstract forms of art but I don't see what is so great about these. I watched "me" and "everyday" on YouTube and was kind of disappointed that I actually spent 7 minutes of my life watching it. But like I said, it is probably because I can't appreciate this kind of art... I mean, I don't want to sound like Richard Benson: "They are people who don't know what they are doing and who celebrate themselves," Mr. Benson said. "I find it completely boring."
Labels: art, photography, youtube
:: Permanent Link :: Posted 3/18/2007 :: 0 Comments :: Links to this post ::
Airlines Learn to Fly on a Wing and an Apology
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/18/business/18sorry.html
Airlines are getting serious about saying they're sorry. After a spate of nightmarish service disruptions, American Airlines, JetBlue Airways and others are sending out more apologies, hoping to head off customer complaints and quell talk of new consumer-protection regulations from Congress.
My View: Good to see the airlines finally doing something, but as with most institutions in today's world, they are being reactive rather than proactive. Southwest would fair much better if they actually fixed their problems.
:: Permanent Link :: Posted 3/18/2007 :: 0 Comments :: Links to this post ::
Popularity Might Not Be Enough
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/17/business/17online.html
Let's say you wanted to build an advertising-supported online media business that took in $50 million a year in revenue. How many users would you have to attract to get there?
My View: So basically you need to start small with a good idea to get your bearings in the industry with which you are working and then slowly grow in size. Common sense anyone?
Labels: advertising
:: Permanent Link :: Posted 3/17/2007 :: 0 Comments :: Links to this post ::
Archives
Matt's Goal
He needs $115,959!
Thanks to you we’re at $4817.08 or 4.2% >
