Microsoft Xbox Still Has Its Own Charm

Microsoft Xbox One still has its merit however PS4 ranks ahead.

Since a time span of two years, Microsoft Corporation and Sony Corp. have been competing against one another in the gaming console fraternity. One thing is certain that the PlayStation 4 is the uncrowned king of the fraternity exceeding 36 million units across the globe. As per VGChartz, Xbox One stands with half the sakes but are sales the only benchmark to govern a console? Well this is rather controversial and is based on preferences and perceptions. Thus, here we will advocate why Xbox One is better than PS4.

The thing that gives an edge to Xbox One over PS4 is the backward compatibility functionality. More than a 100 games that belong to the vast catalog of Xbox 360 can be played on the Xbox One. Thus, if you own any title’s disc or digital variant then you can play that game free of cost. Once the disc is popped then the downloading will start on its own. This is the right motivation for a former or present Xbox 360 owner to buy an Xbox One since there is a chance to get hands on more than 100 million titles. On the other hand, PlayStation offers backward compatibility through software emulation for the enhanced PS2 titles at a price of $14.99. The titles part of the bet are Grand Theft Auto Vice City etc. but the question is, who would want to pay $15 more for a game that is older than a decade. On the other hand, Xbox One caters to a range of enticing games like Halo Reach, Saints Row. Moreover, Red Dead Redemption will also surface soon.

Xbox Live Games with the Gold comes with a varied range of games that are better than the ones being offered on PlayStation Plus. Mostly we find indie titles on the PS Plus Instant Game Collection. These titles are not really such which are anticipated usually by gamers except a few best ones like Broforce. On the other hands, Microsoft offers a variety of Games with Gold that are anticipated such as the Gears of War 2, Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag, and Just Cause 2 along with others for Xbox 360. Sunset Overdrive was announced by the company to be debuted on Xbox One in April whereas the titles over the previous months were Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition and Lords of the Fallen. The sad part is that PlayStation hardly has triple A games which are a disappointment for its fans.

It needs to be noted that Xbox Live, is actually a better service in contrast to PlayStation. The company is also offering cross platform gaming to various consoles including PS4. However, Sony is still alien to this concept.

It is an undeniable fact that PS4 is far more beautiful and powerful than Xbox One and is a better console hands down. 

Walmart Launches Fight Hunger Spark Change Campaign

Walmart has launched a campaign this week called 'Fight Hunger, Spark Change' to fight against hunger.

It seems that Walmart Stores Incorporation is looking to make a change by launching a campaign this week called, ‘Fight Hunger. Spark Change’ in order to take action in fighting against hunger with the help of the public. The giant US retail chain has a partnership with Feeding South Dakota helping to get huge amount of food for the needy in the area, it has 200 food banks across the nation known as ‘Feeding America’.

Walmart Stores Inc. is a massive retailer known worldwide and through a move of such category, it can definitely help make a change. The aim for this recent campaign is to provide secure meals to at least 75 million people from the network of Feeding America, the campaign will go on till the 29^th of April. The food providing organization gains almost $3 million of donations through the retail chain which are based on public participation through the campaign.

A year ago, $48,000 were attained through the campaign for Feeding South Dakota, the development associate, Debbie Renner also agrees that without Walmart Stores, the goals it plans to achieve would have been much difficult to attain and consider this partnership as a great gift. A change, big or small, can definitely be expected from this campaign.  According to the data of USDA, one out of seven people in the United States suffer from hunger, indicating that this time is the best one for campaign of such a kind to take place.

Walmart Wholesale is requesting the public to participate in the campaign and help make a change in the very own communities they call home. This campaign will also be contributing factor to raising more awareness about the issue that exists in the area and what people can do to change that through local funds. The retailer is offering people to contribute in-store and even online for Feeding America Network.

There are three ways customer of Walmart can play a part in this campaign, the first one being, locals can buy products in the retailers store that are going to help provide meals for poor families. The second way is getting donations online for food banks by sharing and liking posts on different social media networks. The third way of participation is by donating at the local FAN food bank while checking out. Walmart has been a partner of Feeding America for over 10 years now and this is its third campaign to generate donations. The retailer is helping raise awareness and make change to fight hunger and help locals.

Google Fiber Phone A Modern Way To Make Landline Calls

Google Fiber Phone to offer landline calls.

Alphabet Inc. has made an announcement regarding its Fiber Phone service which will enable all the Fiber users to get access to landline phones on a monthly basis for $10. The recent service is not like the conventional services offered by the company. It makes use of VoIP to make calls putting an end to phone lines.

The monthly plan by Google encompasses unlimited nationwide and local calls whereas all the call made internationally will be charged on the same pricing structure of Google Voice. To regulate the transition, the search engine giant will enable the users to make use of their present phone number. In case they need, a number can also be allotted. Conventional bundles are also present in the service such as 911, caller ID and call waiting. In comparison with the conventional voice mail service, the company is offering an upgraded feature where voice messages transcribed by Fiber Phone which can be sent via text or email.

John Shriver Blake, the Product Manager at Google Fiber stated, “Fiber Phone can help you make the most of your home phone — even when you’re not at home. Adding Fiber Phone means getting access on the road, in the office, or wherever you are.” He talked about how the phone numbers are present in the cloud service that is permitted to be used on a tablet, smartphone or laptop. One of the core benefits of the service is that it can redirect the call made on the smartphone in case the consumer is not home.

At this point of time, the Fiber Phone is only limited to a few cities which already have the fiber optic plan. As a consequence, not all cities in the United States can access this service. This on the other hand is good news since the service is likely to have some glitches and kinks in the primary stages. It will be quite interesting to judge how the service will function on a larger canvas.

At this point of time, the phone service was Google seems to be a relatively backward initiative. Telecommunication companies are now coming up with phone packages that will only charge consumers for the data consumed. Since carriers now know that the Internet is being used by the masses to make calls. Considering this, it is an odd move by GOOG to saturate their focus on landlines that are considered as an obsolete form of communication. However, they do put Google Fiber in a better place which is priced at $70. If the television service is added then the price will hike to $120 and with Fiber Phone it sums up to $130 for all the services.

The Fiber Phone service has striking resemblance with Google Voice which is offered by the subsidiary of Alphabet- it seems to be an attractive offer. In case the Internet is down, the landlines function making it an advantage. 

Alibaba Pictures Group Posted Full Year Profit

Due to acquisitions and a deal with Paramount for Tom Cruise Mission Impossible, Alibaba Pictures Group steered last year by reporting a full year profit.

Alibaba Group Holding is very much interested in expanding its business in the media industry. It is not only investing to improve and bolster its media division but it is also making deals and acquisitions that would further help in growing in this domain. In March 2014, Alibaba acquired almost 60% stakes in ChinaVision, valued at $805 million. After acquiring, it registered it as a film company next month, which was first named Alibaba Films Group and then changed it to Alibaba Pictures Group in the later month.

Alibaba Group was quite confident of its Alibaba Pictures and wanted to come up with the best. Alibaba Pictures was boosted by the financial gains from a stock offering which helped the Films Group to end its year on a high. It might be a tough start in the beginning but with time, the film subsidiary did quite well in 2015. The Beijing based studio, which is also the film subsidiary of Jack Ma’s online retailing giant managed to post a full year profit of $71.7 million (RMB 466 million).

The result is a massive improvement as Alibaba Pictures Group reported a full year loss of $64.1 million in 2014, which was its first year in the industry. The decision to invest in Paramount’s Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation, which features one of the biggest Hollywood stars Tom Cruise, was brilliant. The movie brought in nearly $10.6 million in revenues for this year and increased the overall subsidiary’s profits by $1.1 million with this movie alone.

Alibaba Pictures Group (also known as APG) noticed the widening of its operating loss last year as well but one-time gains that also include share issuance with net proceeds of $1.5 billion (HK$ 12.1 billion) eventually helped in reporting full year profit. The acquisitions also helped APG to raise revenues, which were $40.6 million in 2015. Last year’s revenues were a year over year increase by 108.3%.

Yueke, which was acquired by APG for $134 million, is one of the biggest suppliers of cinema tickets to the viewers in China, which also majorly helped the company to raise such high revenues. APG gave credit to Yueke in an announcement, which contributed in much of its revenues.

The officials said that Yueke has proved to be an asset for the APG and they expect the acquisition to continue being a strong revenue generator in the times to come. China’s national box office is massively growing considering the situation and has expanded over 50% in just the first two months of 2016. Hence, the positive growth strategy would be key for Yueke and APG to improve revenue gains.

Netflix Does Not Care About Geography Age And Gender

According to a report published by Wire, Netflix does not consider geography, age, and gender while tailoring content for its subscribers.

Netflix Inc. has completed revolutionized the television industry. When it debuted as the online video content service provider back in 2007, it changed the perception of viewing television. One of the best feats that the streaming giant offers to its customers is the facility to binge watch an entire season of their favorite TV shows. And this feature is actually changing the mindset of viewers based in United States as well as in the rest of the world.

It is known that Netflix proceeded with a global expansion at the beginning of this year where it launched its services in almost 130 countries simultaneously. This expansion plan made the platform available in 190 countries which mean it could reach anyone in any part of the world who has a stable internet connection. There was no technical glitch whatsoever when it launched in 130 new markets and since then the company is running its service smoothly and efficiently which is extraordinary work. But this is one end of the story. The other end tells that the streaming giant is looking to transform the whole world into binge watching in the coming times.

St. Patrick’s Day was one of the most memorable days for the company as it premiered the second season of its popular hit series, Daredevil. The show went live in all 190 countries simultaneously. This is the second thing which Netflix launched simultaneously in a short span of time. The streaming service provider was initially a DVD loaner which has now transformed it in a global TV network. And the shows including Daredevil, Orange is the new Black, and House of Cards is following the company’s ambitions to become the biggest TV network in the industry.

But Netflix’s worldwide premier of Daredevil was no big deal for the company as well as for the streaming subscribers. The company has nearly 75 million streaming subscribers on its platform but that is not it. There are extra 7 billion people out there who are not on board with Netflix and it is targeting to achieve this objective. As Wired reported, “For the world, Netflix’s aspiration could mean much more: the first glimpse at what happens when every part of an online entertainment empire, from interface to content to delivery, is engineered to be everything to everyone, all of the time.”

When Daredevil was launched, the streaming giant welcomed its subscribers with ‘eight header image variations’ of the cast. The different pictures were displayed to the customers in eight different but same sized boxes. From that, Netflix started to track which top shots is inspiring the most streaming of the series. Wired continued in its report, “By now, those eight images will have given way to the best-performing two or three. After 35 days, one of those will become the default. The rest will vanish.”

Netflix’s Vice President of Product Innovation, Todd Yellin, clearly announced that geography, age, and gender do not mean anything to tailor content for its users. He said, “There’s a mountain of data that we have at our disposal. That mountain is composed of two things. Garbage is 99 percent of that mountain. Gold is one percent… . Geography, age, and gender? We put that in the garbage heap. Where you live is not that important.”

Toyota Mirai Was Endorsed Via Japanese Manga

A manga was published to endorse Toyota Mirai.

The Japanese are quite smart when it comes to endorsing their cars. There have been numerous campaigns in Japan that have gained a lot of traction and have thus resulted in increased sales. Toyota Motors Corp. vehicles have always used new techniques to market its products thus this time it is via the Japanese manga- a conventional cartoon style thoroughly followed in the region as highlighted by Green Car Reports.

Green Car Reports very smartly chalked out an example that was published in 2015. The company found the Toyota Mirai- a fuel cell hydrogen powered car being front and center in Motorfan. The issue was a Model Special Edition which surfaced in January, FY15. Similar to all the issues of the Motorfan, the publication was devoted to one model only and since Mirai was debuted at that time in Japan, the hydrogen powered car got the opportunity.

The comic was in Japanese but has also been translated in English for all those who are acquainted with the language. The issue shows Japanese mid aged guy who is on the lookout for a new car which has advance power features. He then goes through various possible option but soon he gets convinced that the Mirai is better than other car that have alternative fuels like BMW range-extended i3, Nissan Leaf battery electric, and Toyota hybrid car- Prius. Ironically, he has to go through a mild detour when he is hit by wife once he tells her about the price of the vehicle.

The good thing about this method is that nobody living in Japan needs to be concerned about crossing the lines when it is about the odd and weird depictions of Toyota cars. This is merely because TM is quite good at it on its own. By the start of the fiscal year of 2016, the company started to pitch a campaign for Toyota Prius that encompasses 40 young girls through anime graphics. 10 such girls were used in the company’s television advertisement whereas 30 were found on the company’s official website. These girls were known as the Impossible Girls where every girl was associated to a characteristic of the car is it door chimes or engines.

This is quite mild in contrast to an advertisement by the company that surfaced in Japan for the pickup trucks during the summers of FY14. The advertisement was called "Jungle Wakudoki" where a few businessmen were driving in the jungle. During this journey, they were heads on with a gorilla, a dance off also took place with the beast- it was like a Gangnum Style moment. The advertisement is extremely cute and attractive and the jingle is so engaging that it gets stuck on you mind.

This clearly indicates that Toyota has always been creative when it comes to their advertisements thus using manga as a medium comes as no surprise.

Netflix Demands Soars In The United Kingdom

According to a report conducted by Barb, Netflix and other streaming services are increasing their dominance in the region sidelining conventional TV businesses.

Netflix Inc. has expanded its global footprints in 190 countries this year after it announced a massive global expansion in January which covered most parts of the world. After the United States, the company’s major market is United Kingdom from where it has the dominant market share against local and international TV business. In short, Netflix has become a global TV network in a very short span of time. And this has had significant impact on the viewers of UK.

According to a report, it is believed that the streaming giant is significantly growing in the United Kingdom’s TV industry and has sidelined most of the conventional pay TV cable business as well as other TV networks currently present in the region. The report suggests that there are more than one million homes in UK which do not own a television all thanks to Netflix. The demand of the streaming network along with other streaming rivals such as Hulu and Amazon Prime Video is soaring. Almost 4.7 percent of participants i.e. nearly 1.3 million households do not own a television set at the end of last year as they were paid monthly subscribers of Netflix.

Regardless of the content the streaming service provider offers to its UK subscribers which is three times less than what it offers to US subscriber, the demand is increasing at a faster pace. The survey was conducted by Barb which is the official body that collects television audience figures.

Barb surveyed 53,000 viewers in the UK. It was reported, “The number of households with Netflix grew by 1.4 million between the end of 2014 and the end of 2015, compared with an increase of 500,000 households for Amazon Video and 300,000 households for Now TV. One theory is that non-TV households are online pioneers who are keen on TV but prefer to use computer devices to access it.”

The report showed that 24 percent (a quarter) of households in the United Kingdom were paying for a streaming service monthly whether it is Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, or Sky’s Now TV by the end of last year. This figure was stalled at just 14 percent in the initial months of 2014. Barb’s reported stated that Netflix which has produced a couple of hit and popular shows last year such as House of Cards, Making of a Murderer, and Orange is the New Black is dominating the market irrespective of the continuous growth shown by Amazon Video and Now TV.

Netflix is an on the go TV viewing service which offers a diversified and extensive content library to its viewers with a benefit of binge watching any favorite series. This is one of the main reasons of as to why the demand is soaring.