Playstation To Go OTT

Playstation parent, Sony, wants badly to be in the OTT business. And unlike Intel and its OnCue attempt, Sony seems to have a plan.  Intel tried building its own set  top box while Sony has the power of millions of Playstation boxes already out in the field.  The next step is content and Sony plans to deliver. 

Per the Wall Street Journal, Sony has "reached an agreement for its planned Web-based TV service to carry MTV, Nickelodeon and 20 other Viacom Inc. channels and offer access to streaming Viacom programming on mobile devices."  And as Playstation reaches a core young adult and teen audience, Viacom networks like Comedy Central, MTV, and others seem a terrific fit.  Intel eventually sold OnCue to Verizon and so far we have heard little about their plans with the acquisition.  Others, like Dish Network, also want to get into the web TV gain.  Of course the question remains, will consumers embrace getting fewer channels although at a lower price.

Should cable operators be worried?  Remember that the same lines that deliver cable TV also delivers broadband to the home and services from Sony or Dish or others in the OTT space still need a broadband platform to deliver streaming content.  Cable operators could simply charge more for broadband only connections.  At the same time, cable operators can negotiate with the networks for additional access of linear and VOD content for streaming, an opportunity that would give customers a better TV Everywhere experience.  Lastly cable operators can enhance their value with deals with other box companies like TiVo, XBox and others.  And cable operators can still tout the power of more... more content, more accessibility, more value.

As this rock rolls down the mountain, the moss that it gathers will be more content companies doing deals with OTT.  Discovery Networks has been mentioned as another possible content seller to Sony.  Others will no doubt follow.  For cable, all is not loss; just remember that what got you your size doesn't keep you number one.  Its time to act. 

Should Microsoft Buy Minecraft

With all the news about smartphones and smart watches, Microsoft wants to remind us that they are relevant, too.  According to the Wall Street Journal, Microsoft " is in serious discussions to buy Mojang AB, the Swedish company behind the popular "Minecraft" videogame, according to a person with knowledge of the matter." 

Yes, Minecraft has been a very successful game but for Mojang, just as Angry Birds is to Rovio and Candy Crush is to King.  And yes, Minecraft has had a much longer run than those others in sustained popularity.  But the consumer is a fickle lot and at some point they tire of old and seek new and different.  As for this moment, the video gamer is buying up Destiny according to publisher Activision Blizzard.  Does Mojang have more in the pipeline for Microsoft to engage in acquiring? 

And yet I wonder if this planned acquisition is consistent with their strategy.  It seems over the summer, the plan was to drop it content business to work on the cloud.  Xbox, while a nice business was rumored to be a possible spin-off and the future focus was cloud computing.  So where does gaming fit into that chart?  Is this the business that Microsoft wants to move into?  It just doesn't pass the smell test.

Apple Drops The 'i'

Yesterday, when I brainstormed some names for Apple's new wearable, I suggested that Apple replace with 'i' with an 'ap'.  Well I was close; they dropped the letter and instead took my ap idea and added another 3 letters.  The new product is called Apple Watch. Not so revolutionary a name but certainly one that the public will find easy to understand.  Unfortunately at a price tag of almost $350 and availability in 2015, we will have to wait a long time before we can actually get it.

Interestingly, Apple stopped with the iPhone and Apple Watch.  No mention of new iPads or new laptops.  But it is only early September and the holiday season is still months away.  My gut says another announcement in early November with releases of new iPads, new iMacs, and hopefully an update to the Apple TV.  Hey, we need something to buy this December.

What Will They Call Apple's New Wearable

With just a few hours remaining before Apple's press announcement, many are speculating what will be formally revealed.  Will it be new iPhones, iPads, and other software improvements?  And what about the iWatch, a brand name not ever publicly mentioned by Apple?  So what might Apple call their new wearable device?  Here are a few suggestions and please comment to add your own:

iWear   
iHealth
iMove
iLive
iSmart
iFit
iComm
iPhaz
iCord
iMove
iRule
iStaple
iMotion

Perhaps, it is time to replace the 'i' with another designation, perhaps an 'ap' to represent Apple.   Each of those brands could be renamed as follows:

apWear
apHealth
apMove
apLive
apSmart
apFit
apComm
apPhaz
apCord
apMove
apRule
apStaple
apMotion

Apple could also gain ownership of brands that have already created i devices. Brands like iHome could be used for Apple with new names like apHome.  Apple might be quick to trademark all possible uses of an 'ap' designation.  Whatever name, they call it, ultimately consumers will decide if it has appeal and value.  The Apple clock is ticking and the announcement is coming soon. 

Amazon Fire Fizzle Leads To Price Drop

On the heals of new iPhone releases, Amazon has quickly reduced the price of its smartphone, the Amazon Fire, from $199 to 99 cents.  Mackelmore and Ryan Lewis could have a field day with this news.  According to Business Insider, "Even with the slashed price, the phone still comes with a year of Amazon Prime, which includes free shipping on millions of items as well as a growing selection of free movies, books, and music."  Current customers should demand their money back given that the phone has only been out less than 2 months.  I doubt that this news creates that much more demand.

The Reinvention Of The Smartwatch

Tomorrow marks a potential big announcement by Apple of its first wearable device, the iWatch.  Many have also wondered why Apple hasn't come out sooner with this new product.  But that doesn't seem to be Apple's modus operandi. 

To illustrate, recall that the iPod wasn't the first mobile music device.  Prior to its release, we had the Sony Walkman followed by a ton of digital devices that tried to capture and play music.  I owned an mp3 player and could never get it to download music from my computer and play it back.  I hated it.  The arrival of the iPod brought a simplicity and ease-of-use that took years to be duplicated. 

Since then, the rate of change has been rapid. And Apple has responded by doing to the world of smartphones what it did to music players, reinvented them with the touch screen.  Like mp3 players, the Blackberry and other non-touch phones became uncool.  Again, Apple was not the first to release a smartphone, it just did it differently.

So tomorrow, we may just hear about the next wave of new devices.  And typical for Apple, it could be a device that others, like the Samsung Galaxy, Sony, and the Pebble, have already released.  But if Apple is true to form, the Apple iWatch will also be different and if done right, will revolutionize the wearable marketplace.  Articles on it range from the ergonomics and fashion focus of the device to the Health apps, wireless charging, and NFC chip for mobile payments.  But most importantly, it needs to follow the Apple strategy of simplicity and ease of use.  Done right, the Apple iWatch, or whatever they officially call it, will again show that Apple motto  to 'Think Different'.  Stay tuned. 

We Still Need Better Broadband

FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler agrees that we need better broadband capacity and competition in the US.  And while he was speaking about better wired broadband, the same announcement should apply to wire and wireless.  The c/net article cited thinks such remarks hurt the proposed merger of Comcast and Time Warner Cable, but the truth is that no such competition currently exists between these two media giants.  They each deliver broadband to different community franchises.  So it is a mute point.

But the bottom line is that broadband speed is lacking in this country, especially as more devices are enabled on the platform.  Coaxial wired broadband is limited both in capacity and in usage.  The more users on a ring, the slower the performance.  Heck the more users of broadband devices in a house, the slower the speed.  My own house is a perfect example.  A tablet running a video will slow down internet access on the pc. 

But we have known that our broadband speeds are lacking for quite a while.  In March, the website ThisWeek shared that "According to a recent study by Ookla Speedtest, the U.S. ranks a shocking 31st in the world in terms of average download speeds. The leaders in the world are Hong Kong at 72.49 Mbps and Singapore on 58.84 Mbps. And America? Averaging speeds of 20.77 Mbps, it falls behind countries like Estonia, Hungary, Slovakia, and Uruguay."  Yes, America's download speeds are worse than many Eastern European countries.  What took Tom Wheeler so long to address it and what is he doing about it?

Preventing a Time Warner Cable - Comcast merger is not the solution to the problem.  In fact, consolidation creates some economies of scale that could perhaps improve broadband speed to some communities.  Our reliance on broadband is bigger than that.  To many, broadband access and speed is more important than bread and gasoline.  We could be standing in line waiting for our access and share of broadband.  Even days for broadband, odd days for gas.  

More needs to be done to improve broadband speed and performance in the US.  The infrastructure is collapsing under its own weight as more and more people stream content across their many devices.  The demand is certainly there, its time for the supply to catch up. 

A New Revenue Idea For The NFL

As an out of market fan, I am not always so fortunate to get to see my team on television.  Yes DirecTv has all the games, but I am a cable customer who still gets triple play service from my provider.  I live in the NY metro area so I certainly get all the NY Giants and NY Jets games, but I am a Philadelphia Eagles fan who, if lucky, might get four or five games aired locally.  Unfortunately, this Sunday's game against Jacksonville is not one of them.

Yes, I could go to my local bar and shell out some bucks for a few beers and wings although my waistline might not approve.  But I would also be willing to buy the game from my local cable provider on a PPV basis.  And I wonder, how many other NFL fans might also be willing to pay, say 10 or 15 dollars to get their game as well.  Given the mobility of this country, I would not be surprised to know that there are quite a few out-of-market fans who would pay for the same content. 

As for this weekend, I might just have to suck it in and head out for a few hours to the local pub to enjoy the season opener.  Heck, there are worse things to worry about.  But maybe next season, things will be different. 

Is Our Cloud Information Ever Truly Secure?

If there was one thing our parents always told us, it was that what you tell someone is no longer a secret the moment you share it.  Another truth seems to be that no matter how secure you try to make something, whether it is your nude photos all the way up to your home security, there are people trying to break in and steal it.  Locks thwart some who look for open doors while more sophisticated security systems try to stop those more daring in their attempt to smash and grab.  And despite all that has happened in domestic terrorism, we still have people circumventing security to jump off One World Trade Center or replace flags with white surrender flags on the Brooklyn Bridge.  We are never completely safe from those that want to break in.

And just as celebrities are upset that their nude photos were stolen and shared, The Home Depot became the latest business to have its credit card information hacked.  And as surely as I write this, another security breach will occur.  So who is at fault?  Apple's iCloud platform, Target and The Home Depot's credit card data breach are also victims.  If there is a will, there is a way, and in the digital world, stealing can happen without even leaving the comfort of your chair.  As long as someone wants to hack, they will; it is not a question of if, only when. Who are at fault; those that want to steal what is not theirs are the ones we should blame

Is there a solution? As security systems get more sophisticated, so do those trying to hack them.  It is a game, a puzzle, where the prize is to solve them.  But the repercussions are untenable.  Security fraud, identity theft, information and financial loss seem more at risk the more our information is shared on cloud based platforms.  And we must balance that risk with the value the cloud also offers in accessibility, transaction ease, social networking, and more. It is a tightrope of security breach and mobility that we continue to face in our society.