Yesterday Microsoft had it’s big reveal where it showed off Xbox One to consumers.  I’m not much of a gamer (unless it’s Lego Harry Potter), but I am excited about this new Xbox.  I already use my Xbox to watch Netflix, HBO, Hulu Plus and sometimes ESPN, so I’m happy to see that TV/entertainment is taking a bigger role in the newest version of the system.  To access all the features, you’ll still need a subscription to Xbox Live Gold, which is about $40-50 for a year.

So, what’s new?  Well for one, it looks like Microsoft is planning on working with your cable provider to provide you with a better user experience while watching TV.  They showed off capabilities to watch live TV on the system, TV guides, and switching instantly between channels.  You can save favorites, or say things like, “watch Law and Order SVU” and Xbox will find it.  Since the Xbox One requires Kinect (more on that later), everything can be done by speaking to the Xbox.  Watching the reveal I thought, “What, Xbox is replacing my cable box?!  FINALLY!”  But that sounded too good to be true… because it is.  You’ll still need your ancient cable box from your provider, the Xbox will plug into it to access cable.  And all these features are for LIVE TV, meaning, if you normally DVR your shows, you’ll still have to use the cable box for it.  OK, I can live with that (for now).  I think even though you need still go through the cable box, it will make day to day TV watching better and more user friendly.

Because the Xbox will be connected to internet, when you’re watching live sports games, you can pull up your fantasy team on the side of screen.  And Microsoft teamed up with NFL to bring exclusive content to the Xbox and interactive experiences, although we don’t know what those are yet.  Since Xbox One’s UI is similar to that of Windows 8, you can actually use “snap mode” through the whole system.  Snap mode allows you to multi-task by docking one app on the side of your screen while another app takes over the rest.  You can use it watching sports, like I mentioned above, watch the game and have your fantasy team docked on the side.  Or you can watch a movie and have Internet Explorer docked on the side the screen and pull up the IMDB page.  Play a game and have Skype docked on the side so you can chat with a friend.  Oh, did I forget to mention now you can Skype via Xbox?  Silly me, because it’s awesome!

Much like the other features, Skype will work via Kinect.  Kinect used to be an optional add on to the Xbox for certain games and other features.  Now all Xbox Ones will require Kinect, which seems to freak some people out.  It’s basically a camera that can see the whole room, recognize your face and can be voice activated.  I think some people are afraid about invasion of privacy, since the Kinect is always listening (you can now turn the system on by saying, “Xbox on”).  Personally, I’m not concerned about it, I’ve actually had the Kinect since it first launched in 2010.  I’ve actually gotten so used to watching movies with Kinect, that sometimes watching TV I’ll say “Xbox, pause” when I have to get up.  We live in a world so integrated with technology, Kinect and items like Google Glass are pushing the privacy limits, it’s up to each individual if they want to embrace it or steer clear of it.  But if you’re OK with it, Microsoft has improved the Kinect features, which were already pretty good to begin with.  Now if you’re working out with Kinect (perhaps using the Nike Training “videogame”), Kinect can even monitor your heart rate.

Along with improvements to Kinect, the new Xbox hardware has been bumped up.  It’s much faster and boasts 8GB of RAM and a 500GB hard drive.  It has USB 3.0, and 802.11n Wi-Fi (if you know what that means).  The controller has been made sleeker and easier to hold, the directional (D) pad has been changed up a bit.  I just hope it still comes in pink!

Now, you’re probably thinking, “Wait a minute Ang, isn’t the Xbox for games?”  Yes, yes it is.  While Microsoft revealed a few games (another Call of Duty, big surprise…), they keep promising to reveal more at E3 in a few weeks.  The down side to gaming on the Xbox One, is that you can’t use all those Xbox 360 games you already bought (so much for Lego Harry Potter!).  Because they changed the hardware, the system won’t be able to run the games designed for the previous hardware.  BOOOO!  As E3 comes, I’m sure Microsoft will clear up questions consumers have about games.  Perhaps they will take the Playstation route of making those games available for streaming via the cloud.  Also, there has been confusion about whether you need an internet connection to play your games.  This is because Microsoft designed Xbox One to download the game in the cloud when you first insert the CD, so you never have to insert the CD again.  And since it’s storing it in the cloud, you’ll need internet connection to access the game.  They claim it will still work if your internet connection is dropped, but there aren’t any details as to how often your Xbox will have to connect to the cloud (once a week? day? hour?).

Overall, the Xbox One looks pretty cool and I know I’ll have one pre-ordered when it becomes available.  As a non-gamer, casual Xbox consumer, I love all the entertainment stuff they’re doing with the system.  As for gaming, I’m sure I’ll still hold on to the Xbox 360 to use for all my old games and hopefully Microsoft will clear up some of the confusion surrounding games soon.

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This isn’t the first time there’s been a noticeable shake-up in Netflix’s library, back in 2012, they opted to not re-new their contract with Starz.  They lost a significantly less amount of movies (including Toy Story 3 ), but people kept subscribing and watching what they did offer.  I don’t think this most recent dropping of titles will be anything close to the 2011 “Qwikster” disaster, when the company lost 1 million customers.  As long as Netflix doesn’t try that again (in the near future), I’m pretty positive customers will stick with it.  When new titles are being added, it’s hard to notice the random one that went missing.  As it is, everyone’s Netflix experience is already slightly different since suggestions often cater to what you like.  Usually, my suggestions are pretty spot on with what I will like (thank you for introducing me to Sherlock, Netflix!), so if Netflix’s move to become more a programmer than distributer, I think I’ll like it.

If you’re wondering where you can go to watch all the older movies being pulled, you may have to look elsewhere or rent them individually.  Although you can sign up for WB Archive Instant, available online and with a Roku box, they’ve already announced that since there are no WB titles being pulled from Netflix, they will not be streaming any of the movies being pulled.

And if you never got around to watching all the seasons of Deadliest Warrior or The Chappelle Show, you better get to it, you only have until May 22nd!  TV show seasons are going to be a bit harder to legally find and stream (“for free”), so get them in while you can.

You can check out the full list of what’s to expire here.

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I resisted the game for awhile, every so often I’d see something on my news feed that told me so-and-so beat a level.  Whoopity-do!  It wasn’t until I was home with my sisters and Candy Crush became the conversation, “Jenny, send me life!”  “Ok, but can you give me moves and a life?” “Sure, just let me beat this level.”  “UGH, I’ll never get past this level, I can’t clear the jelly!”  As I sat there, my eyes starting to hurt from rolling them so much, I casually glanced at my sister’s screen.  It looked like Bejeweled (a game I always enjoyed playing, just not posting about how far I’ve gotten) but with candy.  What’s not to like about that?  I asked for more explanation, “Why do you need lives and moves?  What’s clearing the jelly?”

My sisters explained the game to me this way, “It’s like Bejeweled, only you have challenges you have to complete.  You only have a certain amount of moves and if you don’t clear the challenge, you lose a life, but your friends can send you lives.”  Oh.  Well, that sounds kind of fun.  I didn’t admit it then, but I knew when I got back to my apartment I was going to download it for the iPad.  I could’ve put it on my phone, but in the chance that I get addicted, I knew having it on my phone would be bad news.  I played my first game and I was instantly hooked.  I quickly ran out of lives and had to beg for more.  Not wanting to seem desperate, I would only ask my sisters for lives.  But alas, they’re not responding to me fast enough!  Who else can I ask?  Good friends that play, they’ll understand.  Still, crickets.  Ok, now it’s time swallow your pride and ask that girl from high school you haven’t spoken to in 10 years.  Finally!  A response!  I can play again!  Otherwise, I’d be doomed to checking the game every 10 minutes hoping the countdown clock dwindled down (you get a new life every 30 minutes).  I quickly progressed through levels until I got to level 27.  I can’t forget it, I was stuck for DAYS.  When I finally beat it, I did a Tiger Woods fist pump and yelled out, “YESSSSS!”

I kept going and am still playing.  I conquered the Chocolate Mountain and am now in the Minty Meadow.  Now when I see people beat a level in my news feed, I’m slightly jealous, “how did they get to level 101?!”  As I move along the game board like levels, I pass other Facebook friends and my competitive side comes out.  Ha ha ha suckers!!  This game is crazy addicting and fun.  The challenges get harder (obviously) and you feel more successful when you beat them.  And the social/Facebook aspect of it isn’t too bad.  In fact, if you really wanted to, you can never ask people for lives or even send any.  But good luck, you must have patience if you’re willing to do that.

The other social/Facebook aspect of the game, is it posts to your wall.  I feared becoming what I hated for so long.  If you block this aspect, you don’t have access receiving/sending lives.  What’s a girl to do?!  And then the solution hit me.  In the application settings, you set it so only you can see the posts from the app.  DUH!  Now, no one will know that sometimes when I need a quick break from work, I log in and get a few games in or that I played until I beat level 60 on Sunday, a length of time I’m not willing to admit.  So go ahead, change those privacy settings and go for the candy.  You’ll actually be surprised when you see just how many of your Facebook friends are already playing.  Oh, and can you send me a life while you’re at it?

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The newest “second screen” experience I’ve started to notice, incorporates tablets and phones with apps (and some websites) that sync with the show to allow the viewer to find out more information or in some cases answer polls and see the results in real-time.  The Walking Dead does a great job with this, but it’s really at it’s best when you’re watching the show as it airs (it even syncs the commercial breaks!).  But really, who does that anymore?  Almost everyone I know DVRs, watches on Hulu or downloads episodes of their shows the next day.  You can view the data that would’ve come up on the show, but from the bottom of the screen and be careful to not look to closely because you may pass a spoiler to get down to the beginning!  It’d be great if they could find a way to manually sync the website for when the viewer presses play.  A show/app that DOES happen to do this, despite missing the real-time polls, is Game of Thrones on HBO.

First, let me say, I don’t pay for HBO.  I cheat the system and use my parent’s Verizon Fios log-in information so I can access HBOgo on my Xbox.  If HBOgo was a stand alone service, I’d be more than happy to pay for it, but alas, it’s not, and I’m forced to “steal” it.  So really, the only way I CAN watch Game of Thrones (“GoT”) and other HBO shows, is with the HBOgo app on Xbox.  But to be honest, I wouldn’t watch it any other way.  As soon as you go to watch GoT in the app, it brings you to screen suggesting that you open up Xbox Smartglass.  Personally, I use it on the iPad, but you can use it on other tablets or smartphones as well.  When you open the app, it automatically syncs with your Xbox and you’ll see the play, pause, rewind, etc. buttons appear, along with a clock, and card that says the episodes name.  You’ll also notice a different menu on the top of screen which offers you the option of seeing a map of the GoT world and cast of characters.

Map of Westros:

Cast of Characters:

Fighting for the throne:

As the show begins, the slides move to the left and open up as you approach the appropriate part of the show.  (You also have the option of also unlocking slides before that part of the show if you really want to know what’s coming.)  Ah, “but what’s in these slides?” you ask.  Well, all sorts of things!  Below are some screenshots I took (no spoilers!).

A reference is made to Brans’ archery skills, help remember that reference:

Remeber that exchange between Catelyn and Jaime?  Oh you don’t?  Here you go:

Learn more about how the creators envisioned the story and scenes from the set:

I personally think GoT is the perfect show to try such an in-depth second screen experience with.  There a so, so many characters, locations, and storylines, it can be hard to keep track (ahem, unless you read the books, like me).  To give the viewers the option of pulling up a character’s house or who they fight for while watching the show allows them to get more into the show.  Instead of taking you out of your viewing experience by adding a distraction, it works the other way around.  The only feature I don’t really pay attention to are the interview-type slides.  Often I skip over these while I’m watching the show and if anything, go back and watch them later.

Right now this experience is only with Xbox Smartglass and HBOgo, but I can only hope that second screen experiences similar to this can be brought to regular cable viewers, or even that more Xbox TV apps take advantage of it.  They need to capitalize that most people now multi-task and usually have some other device on hand/nearby by when watching TV.  The way Twitter became a norm with news and reality shows, I think second screen experiences has the potential to become a norm for serial drama TV shows.  At least I can hope!

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I’ve been in a steady relationship with my boyfriend, Doug, for five years, we have lived together for just about 3 of those years, he’ll be 29 in July, I’ll be 28 in April.  So, why aren’t we married?  Well, it’s not like we don’t talk about, but there are other factors…. oh wait, that’s none of your business!

I can’t tell you how many times I get asked when I’m getting married or why I’m not married or, my favorite, “are you guys going to get serious?”  If it comes from a close friend or family member, I usually chuckle and then talk about how getting married, at the least the way we picture our wedding, is pretty damn expensive.  At this point in our lives, we’re enjoying our time together, going on trips, being NYC foodies, getting drunk and spending too much money at happy hour.  Is it wasteful?  Sure, probably.  It is it a smart investment in our future?  Nope (unless you look at time spent enjoying each other’s company as an investment into our emotional future, but that’s not what people are usually looking at).  But the thing is, it’s what we want right now.  I love knowing that if Doug and I end up on LES eating Crif Dogs on a Sunday afternoon, and we happen to find our way into PDT (this happened btw, it’s pretty easy to get in w/o a reservation on Sunday at like 5pm) that we really don’t think twice about buying a few $15 cocktails.  Had we been planning a wedding, I’m sure we would’ve just gone home after eating some hot dogs after a discussion going something like this, “that $60+ spent on drinks could go towards ____ at our wedding.”   BOOOOOO, who wants that?!

“But Angela, once you’re married you can still do those things, and you’ll get money with all the wedding gifts!  You can still enjoy each other’s company without spending money!”  Yes, I know those things are true, Doug and I have had the same discussions.  If you think I’m living with my boyfriend for 3 years and the discussion of marriage hasn’t come up, you trippin!  Doug and I want to get married.  We talk about that, along with where we’d like to buy our future home, how many children we want, potential names for those unborn children, and even child rearing strategies.  We know we want to and are going to spend our life together, which is why neither of us sees the rush to get married.  What’s the difference if we get married next month or 2 years from now?  We’re still together, still living together, still building our life together.  So while the whole “weddings are expensive!” conversation provides a lovely and real excuse to family and close friends when they ask, the real response (that I’m too nice to ever say) is, “why does it matter to you?”

But really, why does it matter to you?!  Do you think Doug loves me less because he hasn’t put a ring on it?  Or maybe you think that as soon as I get married, I’ll get knocked up and have an adorable baby for you to play with.  Or maybe you’re insecure about being single at our age and you want to live vicariously through me.  Or you’re engaged/married and now feel like you can only do things with other engaged/married friends, you know, since people instantly mature when planning a wedding.  Or maybe you just want a reason to get dressed up and get drunk on our dime.  Ok, I’ll give you that last one, weddings are fun!  I know, I know, I’m being harsh and to be honest, most of my friends really only fall into that last category.  Those other categories more accurately describe people that ask me about marriage that I’m NOT close too.  Which also makes me question not only the reason they are asking, but why they think it’s ok to ask me that.  It’s a personal question about our relationship.  Unless we put it on the table for discussion, it’s not ok to ask about.  It’d be one thing if I updated facebook status to “still waiting for Doug to prove he loves me with a diamond,” but I don’t, nor will I ever.  Do people not realize it’s rude and intrusive to ask us about the future of our relationship?  I mean, do I ask you when you’re going to get serious with your job and start making more money?  Or come to your work happy hour and ask your boss when he’s going to give you that promotion, all while you’re standing next to me (I think that’s equivalent to people asking Doug when he’s going to propose while I’m standing right there)?

Perhaps social media has made us less aware of boundaries and/or have made our convos IRL a little ruder (I totally think this, and don’t get me started with people being on their phones when hanging out with friends).  When people share every detail of their life on the internet, they tend to think that others not only want to know those details, but are willing to share their lives in the same way and want comments on it.  Well not everybody is that way and people should recognize that.  And recognize that I’m not in my relationship for your comments or approval.  My relationship is between Doug and me and decisions about marriage are ours to make.  If one of us wants your opinion on it, we’ll ask you.  Until then, mind your own business!

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