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courtenaybird:
Nielsen reported this spring that there are now over 5 million cord cutters in the U.S., up from 3 million in 2007. In these “zero tv” households, almost half were under the age of 35.
(via TechCrunch)
Zero TVs means that those households aren’t paying for a cable bill each month. Cord cutters are real.
(via courtenaybird)
During Google I/O, Google announced a Samsung Galaxy S4 with stock Android running on it instead of TouchWiz that Samsung usually slaps on to every device they make for Android. People were surprised and happy that Google is finally listening to masses that some people want stock on their Android devices instead of the OEM’s skins that help them differentiate from other Android devices that aren’t theirs. But, right after Google announced this came one big selling point about this device that would change their minds which was it cost … $649.
Anywhere else than the United States that isn’t a big deal, but these “Google Edition” phones are only being sold in the U.S. right now. Most Americans are so used to phones costing free to up about $200 for any phone because of the business model the carriers have created here. So, convincing an audience of people that normally would never pay $600+ for a phone is going to hard task for Google.
Or maybe since these phones are priced the same as the regular unlocked, hacker-friendly phones that these OEMs put out months later that they don’t care where the money is coming in at. Google isn’t subsidizing any of these unlike the Nexus 4 at $300 shows that Google doesn’t care if you use a TouchWiz S4 or a Google Edition S4 so long as it is a Android phone in your hand.
The real reason why these “Google Edition” phones exist is because everyone it seems has said “this phone would be so much better if it just had stock running on it.” Samsung & HTC are listening to customer feedback with them making these phones.
Now, if these phones flop then OEMs can say whenever someone wants a stock version of a phone that “there isn’t enough customer demand to make one.” Personally, I want to see more and more phones have a “Google Edition” version of them just so Android purists like me have options other than the Nexus line as to what phone they can choose without having to give up a version of Android that they love. Don’t get me wrong, I have a Galaxy Nexus as my primary device right now and the Nexus 4 is the probably best value smartphone ever.
So, will anyone buy these phones? Time will tell us if there’s really a consumer demand for phones with a stock version of Android running on it that they didn’t have to hack on to get. I hope this is the start of the Nexus line expanding to something else other than just the Nexus devices.
Has it been a semester already? Looking back on what my experience was before this class with social media, personal branding, video production, and the future of media and compare that to where I am at now is like night and day. MCOM 220 has been an exciting, extensive experience that will prepare me for a job in the Mass Communication field when I leave SDSU. Before MCOM 220, I’ve never used Adobe Creative Suite, iMovie, and other digital media products. This class has shown me what you could create with those products. MCOM 220 and Dr. Cecil opened up my eyes to the possibilities you can do with them.
Coming into MCOM 220 I only knew about the personal side of social media like Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, Facebook, and etc. using it as a way to communicate with my friends and family when I wasn’t around them. Today, I not only use social media as a way to communicate also as a way to express my ideas and thoughts professionally to maybe one day land a job in technology business. Blogging was something I’ve been wanting to do for a while now as employers are looking for people that take the initiative like blogging. Using Twitter was easier for me as I have used it for a few years before this class, however MCOM 220 and Dr. Cecil have taught me to speak your mind but in a fair, constructive, and professional way which will be invaluable knowing when entering the business world after college. I’ve had a great time learning new ways of expressing my interests through social media and I would say that its been the best area for me in MCOM 220.
Personal branding is something new to me, yet it is the most exciting area that I want to continue to learn and grow after MCOM 220. I remember using InDesign for the first time back in February with our logos and thinking, “How am I going to create anything with this program?” Now I understand the basics of using InDesign to create something out of nothing. Also, typography as become a great interest to me as another tool to express yourself the right way while communicate a message with the font you choose. I will continue to use the tools I’ve learned from MCOM 220 to properly brand myself in the future. Personal branding has been at times a weak part for me in MCOM 220, but I will strive to get better in future.
Create and editing video was a struggle at first with finding out the proper ways of uploading the video you shot, editing it to get it to look, sound, and feel right, and to combine everything together to get the video you wanted at the beginning of the process. I would say video production was my weakest area at first, but now it has become a strength for me.
The future of digital media looks very promising as we continue to move into this digital age of computers, phones, televisions, and products that haven’t been thought up just yet. Intro into Digital Media has been a very constructive, enlightening class that shows us how to use all these products to brand yourself for employers to see who you really are. I also like to thank everyone in MCOM 220 and Dr. Cecil for making this class so enjoyable and a great experience for me.
Thank you.
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Vermont telephone company offering $35-per-month gigabit internet service
I’m happy to see that the dominos are starting to fall now. Hopefully soon, everyone can get some form of gigabit Internet that is affordable.
A great video on why Comic Sans is the most hated font in history and why it okay for someone to use it. This video and Intro to Digital Media have changed the way I look at typography. I’m trying to get better at using typography on the things I make everyday just like a kid starting to learn how to play a guitar. Trial-and-error is what humans do to learn how to correctly do something, so when they have to do it again that we know how to do it the right way. If I have ever used Comic Sans, I am deeply sorry and I was just “a kid learning how to play a guitar.”
Here’s a website for Typography 101 to follow.
