Media
Hey Siri, Buy Sony
What if Apple buys Sony? Like the WHOLE THING.
Apple has an event next week, and rumor has it that they will announce an AppleTV that will basically run iOS. As a long time AppleTV user (going all the way back to 2010 and the Original Mac mini sized box), I’m happy about this. I prefer my AppleTV because I have a lot of iTunes content, but I also have a Roku because AppleTV is currently limited to apps that Apple “blesses” and works with partners to get on the platform. This model will be busted wide open when AppleTV runs iOS.
Back to Sony…
I think Apple would benefit greatly from buying Sony outright. Sony’s current market cap is about $27 billion. That’s about how much Apple has in the bank right now. I’m not saying to bet the farm on Sony, but they could easily get the financing. Why should they do it? Here’s a list of things Apple will get if they buy Sony:
- Sony Pictures, Sony Television, Sony Music. All just more content for the new AppleTV. Maybe Apple could start their own streaming service someday.
- Sony Consumer Electronics. I know, there are iPods all over the place. Apple isn’t going to relaunch the MiniDisc, but having that sweet iOS stack running inside a Sony television would certainly make some people happy.
- PlayStation and the PlayStation Network. Let’s face it. Game Center isn’t great. It looks like your grandma’s old Bridge table, and finding people to play against isn’t very intuitive. There’s no in-app chat or screen sharing, and real time games are few and far between. Apple can scoop up PS2/3 users and an entire gaming infrastructure and social network in one shot. Imagine if your Bluetooth PS3 controllers work with the fancy new AppleTV for iOS games. Win-Win.
- Camera Technologies. Carl Zeiss lenses on a smartphone? Why not. Apple already uses Sony’s camera tech in the iPhone 4. Why not own that tech? Seems very Apple. I doubt Apple would sell point-and-shoot cameras, but I could see them using Sony camera tech in phones and high-end pro-level video and photo gear.
- Medical Devices and Patents. Apple isn’t really into medical tech and health, but they could be. iPhones are very personal to each user. There’s no reason to believe we won’t all have more health sensors on our phones or other devices strapped to our bodies in a few years.
- Patents, Patents, Patents. Sony has invented so many life changing technologies over the years. BetaMax, MiniDisc, the Walkman and Discman, Memory Stick, proprietary CD formats, and more. Not to mention all the audio and video codecs they own. Having unfettered access to all that IP could be super useful.
I don’t expect this to happen, mind you. I’m just a guy who likes tech and thinks this is a good idea. I haven’t really gotten into the real meat of it, and never will. It’s just fun to think these things through sometimes. From my perspective, Apple owning a content company AND a gaming company AND a stack of patents a mile high is a no-brainer.
The Illusion of Choice
Jason, at FrugalDad:
And today, most of our media is controlled by one of six companies. Check out Frugaldad’s infographic on the state of media consolidation in the U.S.:
All Wet.
Jeff Jarvis, on his brilliant BuzzMachine blog:
But mostly, shouldn’t reporters report? Standing in the water repeating what we already know over and over is not reporting. Reporting would be finding out what government is not doing — see Katrina. But in truth, with all this information flying by, we don’t need a lot of reporting unless and until government messes up. That’s what is making journalism more efficient and sustainable.
Just a bunch of idiots getting wet.
Can't We Talk About It?
After a rambling, but accurate and interesting, list of quotes by Beck, O’Reilly, Limbaugh, Levin, and more, David Frum says:
This talk did not cause this crime. But this crime should summon us to some reflection on this talk.
I have to agree. As I said yesterday, there is no known connection between the Tucson shooter and the Palin poster, but that doesn’t mean we can’t talk about the Palin poster, or the hate speech that may incite this type of violence. As of late, it has been mostly from the extreme right wing. Roger Ebert tweeted:
These “incidents” aren’t “isolated.” They’re “clustered” around the American Right Wing.
He’s right. Historically, though, inciteful language has been used by the extremes on both sides of the political spectrum. Even Barack Obama, in a campaign speech, said
If they bring a knife to the fight, I’ll bring a gun.
Bottom line, there is no excuse for violent imagery or language in political discourse. The new House of Representatives just read the Constitution when opening for business this year. Politicians don’t speak like this anymore. I know times have changed, and Americans don’t speak like that anymore either. But here’s the thing: I want my politicians to be better than me. I don’t want “regular folks” running this country. It’s far too complicated a machine. I expect my political leaders to be more educated, better trained, and more selective in their language.
While I’m on a little rant, let’s not forget the cable news media machine that all fed off of each other’s misinformation. NPR “confirmed” that Giffords had died. Then Fox News “confirmed” it, then MSNBC and CNN followed. What exactly did they use to “confirm” it? That Sprint Store employee who happened to be working across the parking lot? He was on every news channel, admitting that he didn’t even see anything, he just heard it. I’m sure they didn’t get confirmation from a law enforcement or hospital official. Is this the fact-checking we’re settling for as an audience? What’s next? Speeding tickets based on information from the pizza guy?
Snowpocalypse Snow Job
There is a huge thing going on in cable news right now. And it’s pissing me off.
First, let’s all agree that 20" of snow is not the end of humanity. Quit calling it “Snowpocalypse.” What are we going to call it when we get 22" of snow? Let’s save the apocalypse references for when the shit really hits the fan.
People on Fox News, MSNBC, and CNN are all praising Newark, NJ mayor Cory Booker for taking care of business during the blizzard over the weekend, and decrying New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg as a “plutocrat” who doesn’t care about the little people.
Bloomberg has a history of fighting labor unions, lobbying for less control and lower taxes for the Wall Street elite, and even changing the rules of term limits so he can remain mayor. I’m not here to defend him on any of those shenanigans, but let’s look at the plain old numbers about this storm.
According to NOAA, New York and Newark both got about 20" of snow. That’s a lot of snow. Especially on overcrowded urban streets where buildings and cars line every block. There’s just nowhere to push the snow. Then there are the facts. I got all these numbers from a Wolfram-Alpha comparison.
| New York | Newark | |
| Area | 303 sq. mi. | 23 sq. mi. |
| Population | 8,300,000 | 279,000 |
| Population Density | 27k ppl/mi^2 | 11.7k ppl/mi^2 |
| Counties | 5 | 1 |
Now, I’d like just one cable news talking-head to explain to me how Bloomberg is supposed to deal with the situation the way Cory Booker did when Bloomberg has 14 times the area, 32 times the population, and 5 counties separated by dozens of bridges and tunnels? Add on top of that the nation’s busiest city bus system, the country’s largest subway system, two major airports, and the fact that we’re on an island.
Again, I’m not defending Bloomberg, or trying to say that Mayor Booker is not doing well. I happen to think Cory Booker is one of the best mayors in the country right now. I’m just trying to figure out how people who consider themselves “the news” can be so irresponsible with the ACTUAL facts. It’s easy to go out on the streets and get 10 seconds of video of Booker pushing a car out of the snow, and 10 seconds of video of a pissed-off New Yorker. Try going out there and actually doing a story. You know, with facts and stuff.
The Internet will be my DVR.
Can internet video streaming services replace your digital video recorder?
The short answer is, oh yeah! But not yet. After trying a couple of free – that’s right, FREE- services, I can see what all the hoopla is about.
The Internet will be my DVR.