This past weekend was definitely one to remember for Penn State football fans. Students either traveled to Indianapolis or stayed on campus to watch the game. Many people who went to the game likely would say it was worth the money and 16 hour round trip in order to experience the atmosphere. Since the game was shown on Fox, there was still a way for people to sit on their couch and experience the atmosphere of the game.

Fox and LiveLike, a virtual reality company, agreed to a partnership this season to broadcast a few college football games. With the high viewership expected for the Big Ten Championship, Fox decided to broadcast the game through the Fox Sports VR app. The founder of LiveLike said “Having a seat in the stadium that moves with the line of scrimmage is something no one else can get.” This is what makes the concept of VR extremely appealing to users. With the technology, you are guaranteed the best view of the game. Sitting in the nosebleed sections of stadiums where it may be difficult to see does not compare to a 360 degree view from the 50 yard line.

I discovered that the game was available in VR during the pregame show on Fox. Since one of my friends has a VR headset, we decided to test the game out. The view was incredibly good and allowed the user to even see the highlights being displayed on the jumbotron. As we had the game on television as well, the VR stream was severely lagging behind the television broadcast. The quality of the graphics was also fairly blurry which devalued the viewing experience.

In conclusion, VR seems to be a very innovative way for users who do not want to leave the comfort of their home to watch the game. As the concept of VR continues to grow, it will likely be used to broadcast other sports such as basketball and hockey. In the Big Ten Championship, referees also had cameras attached to their hats which allowed viewers to see a completely different angle of certain plays. Football is one of the most viewed forms of entertainment and we will likely see VR and other technologies change the sport in the future.

http://www.si.com/tech-media/2016/12/02/big-ten-championship-game-broadcast-virtual-reality

In a video shown in class this semester, Scott Galloway spoke about his predictions for many of the most successful companies. His advice for Amazon was to start to add retail locations in order to continue to prosper. Since Amazon has been an online retailer for a long time, no person knew how long it would be before the company tries to start constructing physical locations to sell products. After Amazon introduced Amazon Go, it seems like they may have listened to Scott’s advice for their company.

Amazon Go is not your everyday grocery store slapped with Amazon’s name on the front. Amazon Fresh has been an online feature that allows users to buy certain groceries and get them sent to their home. On the other hand, Amazon Go is a physical grocery store that allows people to quickly and efficiently purchase items. Users simply login using their Amazon account as they enter the doors. Once in the store, advanced technology is able to track what items you have taken with you. These technologies include computer vision, deep learning algorithms, and sensor fusion. Once you have collected all the products you want and need, simply walk out of the store and your Amazon account is charged for the items you have taken with you. There is no waiting in line or even waiting for the self checkout as all you need to do is exit the store.

In our culture that has evolved into extremely busy lives where people do not enjoy spending a lot of time buying food, Amazon has exploited this opportunity and will likely see great success. As of now, it seems like Amazon will continue to experiment with the location in Seattle before commercializing the concept. There are many issues that Amazon will have to address before being able to run the store without issues. In the article, the author states shoplifting and purchasing alcohol could be problems for the company. Another issue is staffing employees. Since this technology may seem like a job killer, it is unknown how many employees will be active in the store for assistance and for restocking items. Unfortunately many technologies turn into disruptive innovations. If this technology becomes mainstream, will it begin to kill jobs in the retail industry and hurt our economy? When does technology go from a positive to a negative?

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/05/technology/amazon-moves-to-cut-checkout-line-promoting-a-grab-and-go-experience.html?_r=0

Netflix has seen significant growth as it continues to be viewed as a disruptive innovation to cable companies. By combining a wide range of shows including hit originals such as “Stranger Things” with a very simple user interface, Netflix seems to be taking steps in the right direction. Although there have been some current issues surrounding a tax on Netflix services, the company is hoping a new feature will overshadow the scrutiny they have started to receive in the past few weeks.

Today, Netflix announced they will release a new feature that allows users to download shows and movies. Since video streaming can make a big dent in a family’s data plan, many users only use the service when connected to WiFi. Downloads allow users to watch the show while their device is on airplane mode. This provides user with more convenience such as watching a show on a plane or in an area with poor reception. An example of the feature is shown in the image below.

As a company with a subscription model, Netflix including downloads to their service could be very important to their long term success. Spotify, a music streaming service, also utilizes a subscription model that allows paying users to stream music as well as download songs for offline listening. It seems that Netflix is adopting a similar approach.

Unfortunately, the offline mode on Netflix will not include every video in its library. One of the main issues people have had with Netflix is the limited library of titles. Some users may be upset if their favorite shows or movies do not have the option for offline viewing. Since Netflix just launched offline viewing, people should give them time to continue to improve the feature by adding more titles. How much time does Netflix have to enhance the feature and allow every title to be viewed offline before users become upset?

http://www.businessinsider.com/netflix-launches-video-downloads-2016-11

Fitbit has been a key contributor in the growth of the fitness device market over the past year. Many people rely on the devices to track their fitness statistics such as steps and to have some friendly competition with their peers. Unfortunately, Fitbit’s stock has fallen by around 30%. If stockholders only saw the percentage, they would most likely be scared. Is Fitbit on the downfall?

The stock price is very misleading when it comes to Fitbit. The company believes that an early release of two of their products, the Fitbit Charge 2 and the Fitbit Flex 2, caused stockholders to see the drastic decline. Due to high customer loyalty and anticipation of the new products, a good portion of the Q4 expected revenue was collected in Q3.

Fitbit has claimed problems with the supply chain, poor foreign marketing performance, and early release of the new products as their excuse for their stock. With Apple releasing the Apple Watch 2 recently, that could be seen as an external force affecting Fitbit’s market performance. Fitbit relies on simplicity with their user interface to attract customers interested in tracking their fitness results. With Apple Watches being a prime example of technological convergence by turning a watch into a mini iPhone, Fitbit might have trouble keeping up. Good news for Fitbit is they currently hold 25% of the wearables market and studies show that the market will continue to see significant growth in the future. Will Fitbit run away as an industry leader or slowly falter to similar products being introduced? Only time will tell.

https://www.yahoo.com/tech/why-fitbits-stock-is-crashing-232120710.html