Friday, September 23, 2011
It's tough with all of the changes in our digital world. Here are some highlights from this week
Facebook This week Facebook reached a milestone with a half a billion people using the site on one day. It seems with the changes of the homepage that each one of those 500 million people was complaining about the changes. The way that we process information so quickly is reflected in that by the end of the day you were already tired of hearing complaints. After rolling out these changes they announced a bunch of new changes coming to Facebook like Timeline and music sharing with Spotify. All of the changes are described on Facebook's blog. Netflix Complaints about changes to Netflix came in a close second to complaints about the new Facebook newsfeed. The physical DVD subscription is being rebranded as Qwikster to differentiate it from …
Friday, September 2, 2011
A few years after Amazon's Kindle was introduced, e-books have become more widely read and are changing how we buy and read books of all types
As a reader, I prefer physical books. They are easy to share, portable, donate-able, and perfect for a sunny day or a rainy evening. I believe in bookstores as community centers and value the assistance of the staff and the ability to discover new books by browsing the shelves and tables; all that being said, I am also a fan of e-books. And with the growing number of e-books sold, it is obvious that they have found many fans across the spectrum. My own first experience with reading e-books for pleasure was when I had finished the first volume in the Hunger Games trilogy at 9 pm on a Sunday and I just had to start the next book. Within seconds, I was reading Catching Fire. I have purchased the physical books for my personal library, but it…
Friday, July 22, 2011
Kindle textbook rental programs could keep money in your pocket
Starting your college career is a series of financial challenges. Even those who have scrimped and saved to pay for tuition and attend our excellent and relatively affordable state schools find that the tuition is just a starting point. Room and board are big tickets items but they are matched with a series of fees that quickly add up. Parking permits, various rentals such as dorm fridges or loft beds add to the tab. The biggest shock, however, often comes with the first trip to the campus bookstore with your textbook list in hand. You have options let's explore them. We'll use the textbook for George Mason's Government 319, Modern Principles of Economics by Cowen to compare options. The on-campus bookstore (a branch of the Barnes & Noble …
Friday, July 15, 2011
Netflix raising monthly costs as much as 63%. Do you know your options?
Netflix announced changes to its pricing structure. Some changes are minor, but they primarily focus on separating the DVD-by-mail option from the live streaming option. Netflix conjures ideas of DVD's shipped to private residences in red envelopes, where movies are chosen online and returned via US mail. Streaming is a newer option that allows Netflix subscribers to login via their computers, game console, TiVo, AppleTV, Roku or other device and watch the movies on the Internet. The DVD-by-mail portion of Netflix's business has changed the way many of us watch movies. Weekly runs to the local video store hoping to find something in stock that would please everyone has been replaced by a nearly limitless access to a wide range of movies. …
Suzanne L. Schaefer
3:19 pm on Sunday, July 17, 2011
We just terminated our subscription to Netflix even though we didn't know about all the changes afoot...Usually we don't have time to watch their movies or television anyway. Redbox (in the Shoppers Food Warehouse in Lorton) seems to be the closest movie treasure chest in Lorton, so we'll try to check out a few flicks here and there...Save us a couch seat! more ›