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Friday, 8 November 2019

The Philips Hue Sync Box Turned My Living Room Into a Whirlwind of Color

I’ll admit it, there’s something about RGB lighting that just makes everything better, whether its glowing gaming peripherals that pulse with the action, or just thoughtfully placed smart lights to enhance the mood. However, up until recently, the only way to get Philips Hue’s Sync system to work in your living room…

The Virtuous Circle of Product Placement in Apple's TV+ Shows

Apple products are visible in an average of 32 camera shots in each episode of "The Morning Show," and an Apple logo is visible in roughly one-third of those shots, based on a tally count by The Wall Street Journal.

Reese Witherspoon's character sleeps beside her iPhone and MacBook in 'The Morning Show'
In one four-second scene in episode one of the flagship Apple TV+ series, nine Apple products are shown as two characters walk and talk through a newsroom, according to WSJ's report.

As far as product placement goes, it's an impressive count for the newsroom drama, which debuted last week to a mixed critical reception but a generally favorable audience reaction, according to review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.

"The Morning Show" stars Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon and Steve Carell, and reportedly costs more than $15 million per episode, but as a vehicle to push Apple's own products, it could be worth tens of millions of dollars. WSJ:

"The Morning Show" wastes little time giving Apple screen time. The first scene of the first episode opens with the character of executive producer Chip Black, played by Mark Duplass, sprawled on the floor of his office in the dark, feet away from a Mac computer, when the iPhone next to him lights up with an incoming call. About 20 seconds later, Steve Carell's soon-to-be-disgraced anchor, Mitch Kessler, is awakened by his iPhone. In total, there are 31 shots of Apple devices in Episode 1, including eight with the company's logo.

Other Apple products that get decent screen time in the series include MacBooks and iMacs, iPads, and AirPods and Apple Watches. Even the HomePod speaker makes a cameo on a producer's office desk.

Spending on product placement has doubled since 2012 to about $10 billion, according to PQ Media, a media research firm that tracks the industry. However, Apple has said it doesn't pay for product placement, and people close to "The Morning Show" told WSJ that producers weren't under pressure to include Apple products in the shows.

Of course it helps that Apple products are very popular – the iPhone has a 35 percent share of the U.S. smartphone market – so it stands to reason that Apple products will appear in shows depicting modern life. Apple products often show up in other TV series not affiliated with Apple, too. But as WSJ notes, the iPhone appears in "The Morning Show" so much that it can seem like an appendage.

The office of 'The Morning Show' character Chip Black, played by actor Mark Duplass
Some viewers may consider the flagship series to be overzealous in its product placement, but the very fact that Apple is able to promote its hardware in a subscription service that was designed to help lessen the company's dependency on its iPhone business at a time of slowing sales, is a sweet sort of irony. If the service is a success, it could well be a virtuous circle for Apple's long-term product revenues.

"In a changing world where people watch less traditional television, especially younger audiences, how do you reach them?" said Patrick Quinn, president of PQ Media. "One way to do that is to launch your own streaming service and show off your product. Not everyone can do that, but Apple can."

Apple is providing customers with a free 7-day trial for ‌‌Apple TV‌‌+, which is priced at $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year. Apple is also offering all customers who purchased an ‌‌Apple TV‌‌, iPhone, iPad, Mac, or iPod touch after September 10 one free year of access to ‌‌Apple TV‌‌+.

Tags: The Wall Street Journal, Apple TV Plus

This article, "The Virtuous Circle of Product Placement in Apple's TV+ Shows" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Razer's Fantastic DeathAdder Elite Is Down to Just $30

Razer DeathAdder Elite | $30 | Amazon

Apple Watch Sales Grew to 6.8 Million Units in Q3 2019, up 51% From Last Year

Apple shipped an estimated 6.8 million smartwatches in the third quarter of 2019, according to research firm Strategy Analytics.

Apple doesn't disclose Apple Watch sales in its earnings reports, grouping the wrist-worn device under its "Other Products" category, so we have do go from estimated figures, which can vary between research firms.

If Strategy Analytics' figures are accurate, ‌Apple Watch‌ shipments are up 51 percent compared to the third quarter of last year.

Apple shipped 6.8 million smartwatches worldwide in Q3 2019, rising an above-average 51 percent from 4.5 million in Q3 2018. ‌Apple Watch‌ remains a long way ahead of the chasing pack and its global smartwatch marketshare has grown from 45 percent to 48 percent in the past year. ‌Apple Watch‌ continues to fend off strong competition from hungry rivals like Fitbit and Samsung. ‌Apple Watch‌ owns half the worldwide smartwatch market and remains the clear industry leader.

The figures suggest Apple's closest wearables rival remains Samsung, which shipped 1.9 million smartwatches in Q3 and took 13.4 percent of the global market share. Fitbit, which was recently acquired by Google, dropped to third place, losing just under 4 percent of its market share (11.3 percent).

According to the report, the global smartwatch market grew considerably, with shipments reaching 14 million units in total, up 42 percent year on year. Notably, ‌Apple Watch‌ growth outpaced overall market growth, indicating that Apple is eating an increasingly bigger slice of the burgeoning wearables sector.

Related Roundups: Apple Watch, watchOS 6

Tag: Strategy Analytics

Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Buy Now)

This article, "Apple Watch Sales Grew to 6.8 Million Units in Q3 2019, up 51% From Last Year" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Disney+ to Launch in Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and the UK on March 31, 2020

Disney+ is coming to Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom on March 31, about four months after it launches in the U.S. on November 12.

Disney CEO Bob Iger the launch date for European markets yesterday during an earnings call, the same day it was revealed that the streaming service would be available on Amazon Fire TV streaming devices.

Disney+ will also be on LG and Samsung smart TVs, Roku's streaming devices, Apple TV, iOS, Android, Xbox One, and PS4 at launch.

Disney+ is already available in the Netherlands, where it launched as a free pilot trial back in September. Iger said on Thursday that Disney+ is coming to more countries and additional launch dates will be announced soon.

Just announced: #DisneyPlus will be available in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain (and more to be announced soon) starting on March 31st. Please note: Titles may vary by territory. pic.twitter.com/lE6nzBeaXy
— Disney+ (@disneyplus) November 7, 2019

Iger didn't mention how much European customers would have to pay to access its 500 feature films and over 7,500 shows, including the entire Pixar library and a raft of original content.

The service will cost $6.99 per month in the U.S. and will cost 6.99 euros per month in the Netherlands from November 12.

Tags: Disney, Europe

This article, "Disney+ to Launch in Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and the UK on March 31, 2020" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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