Page 687 of 790

Netflix backs down and keeps DVD service

October 10, 2011 /

Netflix responded quickly to the backlash surrounding their recent announcement to split their traditional DVD subscription business from their streaming business by reversing their previous decision. The announcement to create “Quickster” as a new service that would handle DVD subscriptions going forward was a PR disaster for Netflix, partly because it was handled poorly and seemed to come out of nowhere. Customers were blindsided, and this followed very unpopular price increases.

Here’s the email that Netflix sent out to subscribers:

Dear ____________,

It is clear that for many of our members two websites would make things more difficult, so we are going to keep Netflix as one place to go for streaming and DVDs.

This means no change: one website, one account, one password…in other words, no Qwikster.

While the July price change was necessary, we are now done with price changes.

We’re constantly improving our streaming selection. We’ve recently added hundreds of movies from Paramount, Sony, Universal, Fox, Warner Bros., Lionsgate, MGM and Miramax. Plus, in the last couple of weeks alone, we’ve added over 3,500 TV episodes from ABC, NBC, FOX, CBS, USA, E!, Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, ABC Family, Discovery Channel, TLC, SyFy, A&E, History, and PBS.

We value you as a member, and we are committed to making Netflix the best place to get your movies & TV shows.

Respectfully,

The Netflix Team

Many analysts and tech experts actually liked the move, since the streaming and DVD businesses are so different. Yet the stock has lost more than half of its value since July of this year.

While the whole episode, including today’s reversal, seems like a case of bad management decisions, it also highlights the difficulty companies are facing with the constantly changing landscape surrounding content delivery. With new tablets, smart phones and consoles, consumer behavior evolves rapidly, and business models can see significant success followed by the threat of obsolescence. Netflix helped put the final nail in the video store business, and now streaming is shaking up the DVD by mail model. The brain trust at Netflix can’t seem to stick with a strategy, but it’s hardly surprising given the uncertainty out there.

Meanwhile consumers have tons of options, and the next few years should offer a dizzying number of new options. For many of us, that’s part of the fun.

Gadgets, News, Television

Breaking Bad 4.13 – Lily of the Valley

October 10, 2011 /

In last week’s blog, I wrote of Walt sitting poolside, “We see a man who’s spinning both his firearm and his wheels, waiting to figure out how little future he has left. When the pistol spins toward one of the potted plants, however, it’s clear that Walt has gotten an idea.” If only I’d recognized that plant as a Lily of the Valley, I could’ve been a hero among my peers. Damn my insufficient knowledge of botany! Damn it all to hell!

Ahem.

When we first see Walt this evening, he’s making a mad dash through the parking garage to remove the bomb from the underside of Gus’s car, which he promptly carries into the hospital and up to the waiting area. It’s an unabashedly slapstick moment when the magnet on the bomb sticks to the elevator door, followed by a hilarious back-and-forth between Walt and Jesse about the decision to bring the bomb with him (“What, was I supposed to leave it on his car?”), but things get serious immediately thereafter, with the ABQ police showing up and requesting an audience with Jesse about his statement. As the boys with badges walk away with Mr. Pinkman, Walt looks positively pale. Is it just from being in close proximity to the cops?

The conversation between Jesse and his new friends is predictably tense. “We’re just talking.” “So if I get tired of talking, I can get up and leave?” Sure, that’s how it always works. Jesse’s being seriously grilled over the fact that he offered up a very specific poison as what was causing Brock’s illness. His explanation? “I musta seen it on ‘House’ or something.” Awesome. Time to call Saul, but there’s so much shredding going on that his secretary can’t hear the phone when he calls…or when Walt calls, for that matter, as we discover when he busts through the bottom pane of the front door in a desperate effort to find Saul. It’s an unexpectedly hilarious scene between Walt and H.T. (as Saul dubbed her last week), particularly when Walt is initially completely oblivious to the fact that the $20K pricetag for the repairs ain’t nothing to do with repairs. Okay, so it was a little slapstick-y when Walt left the office the same way he came in, but that didn’t keep me from laughing, anyway.

Continue reading »

Entertainment, Television

Rockport Lux Lodge Boots Review

October 9, 2011 /

Rockport Lux Lodge Boots

With winter fast approaching, it’s about that time to get your gear ready for the freezing lements. One key component to not only staying warm in the colder months but also keeping a sense of style is having the right winter boots. Well, we have good news for all of our readers out there searching for warm and stylish boots as we just reviewed the new Lux Lodge boots from Rockport, and we were impressed. These great looking boots will be worn by the staff at the Aspen Snowmass ski resorts this winter season and Bullz-Eye.com can certainly understand this choice after testing the Lux Lodges. The Lux Lodge boots sport a padded collar and tongue to help prevent blisters and lace bruising; upper reflective details that promotes safety in the dark (ideal for nighttime walking); and waterproof full-grain leather that helps keep your feet dry and makes them easy to clean and extends product life.

These are also very comfortable boots, and part of the reason why is technonolgy including EVA with adidas adiPRENE, which is a highly shock-absorbent cushioning that protects the heel at impact, CMEVA which provides lightweight shock absorption for reducing foot and leg fatigue, and a rubber outsole that provides a durable grip on a variety of surfaces. Keeping your feet warm and dry is something Rockport invested in the new Lux Lodge’s with 3M Thinsulate lightweight insulation that helps keep feet warm in cold weather, and the impressive Hydro-Shield waterproofing substances that are tanned into the leather consisting of a special seam sealant which helps keep feet dry in wet weather.

Now, what was also impressive is the reaction from folks who commented on the sleek styling of the Lux Lodges, which is basically a huge bonus when you consider how effective they are in keeping your feet warm and dry and extremely comfortable while in the cold. Looking good is always important, and though staying warm is number one when you’re in freezing conditions, style was obviously still very high on the list at Rockport with the Lux Lodge. Go to www.rockport.com for more info on purchasing the Lux Lodge boots.

Gear, Stuff to Buy

Drink of the Week: The Scotchsicle

October 7, 2011 /

The Glenrothes ScotchsiclePreviously on DOTW, we discussed the phenomenon of the manufacturers of theoretically mixing-unfriendly single malt scotches promoting actual cocktails made with their brands. Still, while last week’s choice was traditionalist and severe enough for the most exacting cocktail classicist or even, perhaps, some Scotch purists, this drink is sweet. Very sweet.

In a way it’s fitting because the brand that’s promoting the Scotchsicle, the Glenrothes, is not only blessed by a marketing department ingenious enough to send me a bottle, but a kinder, gentler, sweeter sort of brew than most other Scotches of my acquaintance. The smooth, critically acclaimed liquor is actually more to my own slightly sweet-leaning personal taste than most Scotches when served on the rocks or with a bit of water or soda.

For those who like their sweetness on steroids, however, the Glenrothes have provided us with another way to go. I doubt Sean Connery, Groundskeeper Willie and some cocktail fanatics I can think of would approve, but those with big, big sweet tooth’s just might. It’s definitely a drink you have for dessert.

The Scotchsicle

2 ounces Scotch whisky (preferably the Glenrothes, naturally)
1 ounce triple sec
3/4 of an ounce fresh squeezed orange juice
3/4 of an ounce vanilla syrup
Cinnamon powder (garnish, very highly recommended)

Combine Scotch, triple sec, orange juice and vanilla syrup in a shaker with plentiful ice. Shake vigorously and strain into chilled martini glass. Top with a fairly generous sprinkling of cinnamon powder and prepare for the boozy sugar rush.

****

A few words about ingredients. I used inexpensive Bols triple sec for my Scotchsicle, but feel free to experiment with a more high end product like Combier, suggested in the Glenrothes’ original recipe, or perhaps Cointreau. I suspect it’ll be an improvement. As for the vanilla syrup, you can use the Torani or Monin vanilla syrups that are standard in coffee houses as well as some bars. However, if you want to save a few bucks, you can simply combine 1/2 cup of water, 1/2 cup of superfine sugar and 1/2 a teaspoon of vanilla extract — or, if you really want to get fancy I understand half of an actual ground vanilla bean will work — to make roughly a cup of syrup, which you can refrigerate and use at will. (Whatever you don’t use, you can then combine with soda water to make your own home-made cream soda.)

Finally, don’t forget the cinnamon sprinkling. As if I haven’t emphasized this enough, this is a very sweet drink and a healthy sprinkling of cinnamon is essential to take the edge off. If you want to take the edge off a bit further, you can do what I tried and add 1-3 dashes of some orange bitters.

Food & Drink, Lifestyle

« Older posts Newer posts »

BULLZ-EYE INFO

© 2026 Bullz-Eye Blog

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑