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We'll see how this one plays out. Depending on how long it takes Netflix to fix this one, we'll see how the stock takes a hit tomorrow.
erinstlblz erin delantyHaving a hard time explaining to my 5 y/o why she can't watch her "flix movie" I promised ALL day long to her! Come on @netflix!!SheMightBeGIANT Emily Reid
There are many comparisons between the Kindle Fire and iPad 2 as a tablet. With top issues like no camera, microphone, screen size, and lack of 3G.
ByRICK ARISTOTLE MUNARRIZ, THE MOTLEY FOOLPosted 12:15PM 11/22/11Technology,Google,Apple,Amazon.com,Barnes & Noble
Kindle Fire Review: 5 Things Amazon's New Tablet Is Missing
As early adopters crack open their Kindle Fires this month, the rest of the country is watching. Is Amazon.com's (AMZN) new $199 gadget as good as the $499 iPad 2 or the $249 Nook Tablet?
After playing around with the Kindle Fire for a couple of days, I have no problem recommending it as a quality entry-level tablet. Money's tight this holiday shopping season, and if junior can be talked out of an iPad and into a Kindle Fire, then we're talking about a few extra bills that can be paid.
Analysis has the part cost of the $199 Kindle Fire to be $201.70.
Amazon Kindle Fire Costs $201.70 to ManufactureNovember 18, 2011Amazon’s Kindle Fire media tablet carries a BOM cost of $185.60, according to preliminary findings from the IHS iSuppli Teardown Analysis Service. When manufacturing services expenses are added, the cost increases to $201.70, as shown in the table below.
This is slightly lower than the IHS virtual estimate of the Kindle’s cost issued in September of a BOM amounting to $191.65, and a total of $209.63, when factoring in the manufacturing and the margin expenses.
ISupply say the iPad2 cost $326.
iPad 2 Carries Bill of Materials of $326.60, IHS iSuppli Teardown Analysis ShowsMarch 13, 2011With the second-generation iPad, Apple Inc. has held the line on the bill of materials (BOM), maintaining virtually the same costs as the first version of the device, an IHS iSuppli teardown analysis of the product has revealed. The 32GB NAND flash memory version of the iPad 2 equipped the with Global System for Mobile Communications/high-speed packet access (GSM/HSPA) air standard carries a BOM of $326.60. The 32GB version equipped with the code division multiple access (CDMA) air standard carries a BOM of $323.25. The compares with $320 for the first-generation 32GB 3G iPad, based on pricing from April 2010.
I have been using Netflix for years and we have all seen the train wreck from its decisions to modify its business model. But, did Netflix really modify its business model or just try to change its pricing?
I have been a loyal Amazon Prime subscriber as well. I have a Kindle Fire so now it is much easier to watch Amazon Prime free streaming videos. One the things that just hit me is the different business model for Amazon Prime than Netflix.
With Netflix you pay for streaming and you get a bunch of free videos. If you want videos not included in the free streaming you put a request in for the DVD. So Netflix wants you subscribe to both streaming and DVD delivery.
Amazon Prime you get free videos. You find free videos, and when you don't see what you want there are a wide choice of daily rentals $.99 - $4.99 a day to watch a video. If you know you like a video you can choose to buy the streaming content or buy the DVD.
Amazon is using streaming video to keep the eyeballs coming back to rent or buy content, operating like a retail operation. Amazon Prime video is keeping the users coming back on a regular basis and trying to up sell the users. There is a much bigger upside for Amazon Prime, than Netflix. A fanatical Netflix user will choose the 5 DVD rental option with blu-ray, but that same fanatic will incur a high monthly cost for postage, handling, and content. A fanatical Amazon Prime user will rent and buy videos and almost certainly buy many more things on Amazon Prime's store. The upside revenue for Amazon is much higher than Netflix.
And the beauty is Amazon Web Services is making money from Netflix operations as well.
Think of these business models as changing things were data centers are at the core of a strategy. Streaming is also a much greener strategy than physical media. How DVDs do you have sitting around your house? Don't you wish they were all in the cloud on demand?
Business Insider reports on a Gartner talk in Australia. Warning: this is a bit of cynical view that you would guess Gartner did not want to spin in this particular way as Microsoft, IBM, Oracle, and SAP are clients of Gartner research.
So, what does the reporter say?
Microsoft is all about Windows and Office.
Microsoft mainly wants to protect Windows and Office. Microsoft is a platform company, and its main goal is to protect its highly lucrative Windows and Office monopolies, while establishing other platforms that will be hard for customers to break away from later. New functionality is "drip fed" to users of those core platforms, but new products exist to protect the core. He advised extreme caution before moving to Office 365, and said not to slip into an "all-Microsoft" mentality
Oracle products don't work together as advertised.
Oracle products don't really work well together. Oracle's sales force is extremely aggressive about pushing a suite of products, but has much fewer integration points than SAP. In fact, integration is usually left entirely up to the customer. Oracle is also very reluctant to talk about product roadmaps for fear that future products will cannibalize existing ones. The company makes more than 90% of its profits through maintenance fees, and will do whatever it takes to keep those fees flowing in. Gaughan also expressed some surprise that so many customers keep working with Oracle despite reporting that Oracle is "the most difficult vendor to deal with.
IBM wants to own your IT strategy.
IBM wants to take over your IT strategy. IBM bills itself as a thought leader, but its real business is selling consulting services. To thrive, IBM account managers try to take control of a company's IT strategy so they can keep pushing new products. Gaughan recommends taking a collaborative or partner approach
SAP confuses users with its pricing.
SAP confuses customers with pricing. A lot of SAP customers ask Gartner for help figuring out SAP's pricing and licensing, as SAP has unusual terms for billing data going into and out of systems. Gaughan also said that a big technology transition that was driving SAP revenue for the last few years -- moving existing customers from the old R/3 system to the newer Business Suite -- is almost done, which means SAP will have to be more aggressive with maintenance fees. He recommended locking in maintenance prices now.
And, the author closes with
Overall, Gaughan said that most of the innovation being done in these companies is in their research arms. Their real goal is protecting the status quo for as long as possible.
claiming the companies want to protect the status quo.
Facebook has posted on their achieving LEED Gold Certification.
Prineville Data Center Receives LEED Gold Certification
by Prineville Data Center on Thursday, November 17, 2011 at 4:30pm
When we first envisioned our Prineville data center a couple of years ago, we knew we wanted it to be one of the most energy efficient in the world. To achieve this goal, we redesigned our entire physical infrastructure, from grid to gates, with a focus on squeezing out every possible efficiency. The end result: a data center that requires 52 percent less energy to operate than a comparable facility built to code requirements. And now we’re excited to share that all our hard work on the first phase of our Prineville facility has been recognized with LEED® Gold Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.
Some of the details are shared.
In addition to its energy efficiencies, the Prineville data center includes many other environmental conservation features, both in its construction and in its use. Twenty-seven percent of building materials used came from recycled products, and 30 percent of materials used were locally sourced and manufactured. Ninety-one percent of the wood used was FSC-certified from sustainability-managed forests, and 83 percent of construction waste was recycled or reused, preventing 530 tons of waste from ending up in a landfill.
At the completed facility, 100 percent of rainwater is captured and reused for all irrigation and toilet-flushing needs, a savings of 272,000 gallons of municipally treated water per year. A solar energy installation generates an estimated 204,000 kilowatt hours per year, providing electricity to the office areas. The offices are even heated through reuse of heat created by the servers.
