It seems as though every day there is something that comes out to advance the ever changing media and internet revolution. First is was the introduction of home desktops and the internet, then the cell phone revolution caught on, next the internet based smartphone, following Facebook etc. Now the news trend in internet technology comes from a TV. Google recently introduced their internet based TV. Their TV offers quick and easy access to Netflix, Facebook, the weather, and ever Android applications to download.
Because of this trend, millions of mainstream consumers, spurred by advances in technology and falling prices for high-tech televisions, are switching off cable and turning to the Internet to watch their favorite programs and films. The trend is expected to accelerate in the next few years, profoundly altering everything from the TVs we buy to the entertainment industry itself.
Not only is Google jumping into the TV revolution but now Amazon, Apple, and Netflix and driving in for a piece of the pie. From a business standpoint this could be the end of standard cable as we know it. Consumers would save hundreds of dollars a year on high cable costs by switching to internet based TV, plus they will have access to tons of online resources. Not to mention most internet TV's come with standard 3-D technology. Move over Cable theres a new TV revolution waiting to boom!
Viewing Internet content on HDTV is a painfully tricky affair these days but Snapstickthinks they can succeed where others have crashed and burned. Forget Google TV, Boxee Box, and Apple TV for a moment. Snapstick’s whole philosophy seems different and that’s where it might have a chance.
Rather than relying on a box connected to the TV (Note: there’s still a box connected to the TV) for navigation and discovery either through a painful onscreen keyboard or a clumsy full size keyboard, content for Snapstick is found either via a computer or iOS device running the Snapstick app. Once you find the video, you physically snap the phone and *bam*, it starts playing on the TV.
The creators say that this method drops any barriers that others like Google TV and Boxee Box must deal with. If you can find the content on your phone or computer, Snapstick will get it onto your TV. Or so they say.
All in all Snapstick media is making it a whole lot easier for older generations and the like to get connect to their internet based TV more easily then ever before. The more complex the internet gets the more difficult it will become to use, lucky companies like Snapstick are making things a whole lot easier for people to get connected.
URL: CNET Snapstick
For years the telephone has been the main source of communication. the main problem has always been white noise or what is known as interference. Sometimes important messages don't get relayed because the lost of translation. Another problem that people face is loss of hearing. The older we get the harder it is to hear messages on the phone. For the elderly it can be really difficult for them to hear phone conversations. Recently there has been an invention that fixes all these common problems. CapTel is a revolutionary way of having phone conversations. while in loud areas it can be very difficult to hear what is being said but with CapTel all that is fixed. While one person is talking the person at home or the office that has CapTel is comfortably listening to the conversation and reading it as well. Trying to listen to someone and not being able to hear them can be very frustrating but with CapTel all those problems are solved.
While browsing through the AOL news I came across an interesting article that I thought fit well with our past class discussions. There seems to be a mobile movie theatre circulating around England and is known as Sol Cinema. This movie theatre is actually set up in a tiny trailer and runs completely on solar energy. The article explains that although the U.K. is not famous for sunny days, it still manages to get enough sun to run the entire trailer and all its necessary appliances. The company never has a utility bill to pay and basically has the ability to perform anywhere and at anytime.
Although the theatre is not very large due to its housing it has played 400 films since its debut this year. It uses an LED projector, powered by solar energy. The theatre shows a wide variety of genres and tends to show more independent films rather than "Hollywood" films as they call them. They also do not show anything too mainstream or anything that encourages violence. It unfortunately only has seating for eight, but it has already won awards. One of the advantages of being housed in a trailer, they have the ability to move around and go to different places. With that said, the founders have planned a tour schedule throughout Europe and may be coming nearby to Los Angeles in the upcoming year.
Being that we have been discussing movies for the last few classes I saw this to be fit for a blog discussion. I think the idea is great, it just goes to show you that you can go green and keep the environment healthy without having to give up things you enjoy doing on a daily basis. It seems to be not only environmentally friendly but also economically friendly. Who doesn't love to save some money every now and then? With the expenses that movie theatres put into showing films based on electric and things of that sort it seems obvious why movie tickets have risen to such high prices, well besides the greedy factor in many people today. But, it makes me wonder, if all movie theatres found a way to go green, I am sure they would be able to lower the prices of their tickets. With all the money they would be saving without having to pay an electric bill every month it would be simple for them to lower their prices a few bucks. I think this would result in happier customers as well as owners.
With this small trailer becoming more and more popular and word reaching us here in the U.S. maybe it is possible we will see some more of these popping up. I think it is an interesting idea for major movie theatres to consider and I think it would result in positive outcomes all around!
