Category: Percolate

Two Things That Windows 10 Learned From Apple

Posted on by Lab Team

Microsoft has unveiled Windows 10, the next update of its operating system, oddly skipping Windows 9. Touted as the most comprehensive platform ever, Windows 10 aims to combine the familiarity of Windows 7 with the functionality of Windows 8. Looking closely, it seems Microsoft has learned a thing or two from Apple’s iOS.

Cross-platform continuum: While Apple added continuity feature in iOS 8 and OS Yosemite, helping users toggle between iDevices seamlessly with automatic sync-up, Windows 10 has taken it one step further, providing a unified user experience across platforms and devices ranging from the Internet of Things to servers.

Task View: Designed to help users navigate Windows’ multitasking feature (and looking suspiciously like the Expose Mode of Apple’s OS X), Task View allows users to set up different desktops for various usage scenarios and switch applications between them with ease.

Windows 10 is set to be released later next year.

Netflix To Release “Crouching Tiger 2” On Same Day As IMAX Theaters

Posted on by Lab Team

In a groundbreaking deal, Netflix has signed on to release the sequel to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Ang Lee’s Oscar-winning martial arts flick, simultaneously with select IMAX theaters around the world on August 28, 2015. And it won’t be a one-time deal—it would reportedly lead to several major films being granted a day-and-date release on Netflix and in theaters. In order to cope with the seismic shift in audience behavior fueled partly by rising OTT services, it makes sense for distributor Weinstein Co. to bring on Netflix to help position its upcoming specialized films outside of the usual frame of theatrical releases.

Why Facebook Is Relaunching The Atlas Ad Platform

Posted on by Lab Team

Kicking off Advertising Week here in New York, Facebook announced their plan to relaunch the Atlas ad platform next week. Updated with powerful new features like cross-device targeting and offline sales tracking, the Atlas platform is poised to give Google a run for its money on digital and mobile advertising.

Facebook also plans to pitch marketers on the concept of using Atlas to tie consumers’ offline behaviors to their online behavior—after all, more data equals more value. And while omnichannel shopping continues to take hold, it is about time that ad measuring tried to catch up.

Why SoftBank Wants To Buy DreamWorks Animation

Posted on by Lab Team

Japanese telecom conglomerate SoftBank is reportedly seeking takeover of DreamWorks Animation with a $3.4 billion bid. Buying the animation studio, which is responsible for hits such as the Shrek series and Kung Fu Panda but has been struggling in recent years, would give SoftBank ownership of content that it has been craving to further feed its telecom businesses.‎ If it goes through, this acquisition would serve as an endorsement of the value of content.

What You Need To Know About The Fight Between Google And News Corp.

Posted on by Lab Team

Last week, Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp sent an open letter to the European Union outlining anti-trust concerns it has about Google, mainly criticizing the search giant for exploiting its dominant market position to stifle competition while also being a “platform for piracy”.

This week, Google fired back with its own open letter, highlighting its efforts in constantly downgrading the search rankings of piracy sites. Google also rebutted the accusation of “speech domination” by citing the huge numbers of readers going directly to News Corp sites or via social network referrals.

In addition, Google claims to have plenty of competitors in many specialty areas, including Amazon for product search; Kayak and Expedia for flights; and Yelp and TripAdvisor for local information. The various claims and counter-claims highlight the rapidly shifting balance of power between technology companies and traditional media companies in digitally distributing media content.

Why AT&T Wants DirecTV

Posted on by Lab Team

AT&T has been in talks to acquire DirecTV for a while now. And considering the continuous rise of OTT services, it makes sense that a major telecom company like AT&T would take interest DirecTV’s subscribers. But that’s not the only reason that AT&T is going after DirectTV—reportedly the negotiation is also heavily depending on the “NFL Sunday Ticket” that DirecTV offers football fans. In this era of time-shifted viewing, live sport is practically the only dependable rating performer left. And now, with 99% of DirecTV’s stakeholders on board, it looks like AT&T may be able to have its OTT cake and eat it, too.

Apple’s HealthKit Is Finally Here

Posted on by Lab Team

Following an extensive five-month-long tease of the breakthrough potential of HealthKit, Apple’s software platform for collecting health data is finally here. Whether it will truly live up to the hype remains to be seen. But Apple seems pretty determined to make it the new standard in digital health, if the partnership it recently struck with Mayo Clinic, one of the biggest name in health care, is any indication.

Meet Ello, The Anti-Facebook That’s Blowing Up Right Now

Posted on by Lab Team

Facebook has done a lot to aggravate its users this year, so it’s not surprising to see that someone has finally come up with another anti-Facebook social network. Ello promises a business model opposite of Facebook, i.e. ad-free and no user data-collection.

First launched in July with little splash, Ello has been reportedly doubling in size every 3-4 days in the past few weeks. Already being hailed as the “Facebook killer”, Ello’s latest growth spurt is partially due to Facebook’s recent suspension of accounts of drag performers. The jury is out on whether such rapid growth will be sustained, but it does seem to signify a critical moment where a segment of Facebook users are looking to jump ship.

Is Vevo Morphing Into The Old MTV Channel?

Posted on by Lab Team

Besides its vast library of music videos and live performances, streaming website Vevo is betting big on original contents like artist interviews, news recaps, and more. Vevo claims that with pre-roll ads and branded content, original videos now accounts for about a third of the company’s revenue. At a time when MTV has long moved on from its music programming, it’s nice to see a new OTT service picking up the baton.