Microsoft has announced that they will be introducing Xbox music to its Xbox consoles, which is comparable to Apple’s Itunes and Amazon’s Cloud Player. They have found that 60% of Xbox users use their consoles for entertainment purposes, such as streaming Netflix, ESPN and other channels, rather than gaming. Music is such an integral component of entertainment, therefore it only makes sense to include such a feature.

Microsoft will provide the choice of obtaining a free ad-supported music streaming service or the premium ad-free version with unlimited streaming for $9.99 a month. Some of the features are quite impressive, with over 30 million songs in its catalog and carries over 70,000 music videos only available to the Xbox console. It also has the cloud storage feature similar to its competitors and a radio function based on your favourite artist, which is similar to the likes of Pandora. Microsoft also expects to take the service to Apple iOS and Google Inc Android devices next year.

With that said, Microsoft has successfully identified that their target market uses their system  overwhelmingly for other functions than its main purpose, which is gaming. The Xbox console has gradually shifted from video gaming, to carry TV functions, and now to music, which will establish Xbox as a central entertainment hub that all households can enjoy. There really is something for everyone to enjoy, which should boost their sales from the 67 million units they have already sold since 2005.

Up until recently, Youtube’s search rankings were based on the number of clicks a video received; the more hits your video got, the higher it ranked. Now, its search algorithms are programmed to rank videos based on “time watched,” which should reward those Youtube superstars that create engaging content and keep you watching to the very end. I personally really like this new change, given that i’m one of those Youtube freaks that can watch video after video for hours on end. This new feature will make searching for interesting and relevant videos that much easier and hopefully will provide a more enjoyable overall experience while on the site. Recent data backs up this notion, as they’ve found people are doing more watching and less clicking, which translates to higher engagement.

To help video creators adjust to the new ranking system, YouTube has added a ‘time watched’ metric to YouTube analytics. Youtuber’s now have the ability to track which of their videos are getting the most attention and be able to make improvements based on the collected data. Not only do viewers benefit, but the video creators as well – sounds like  a win-win situation to me.

Experimenting with wearable technology has recently become a budding trend. I have been completely oblivious to this notion, but after coming across a project called the “Like-A-Hug” vest, i’ve discovered that this has not been the first attempt at integrating technology into something more physical. Ok, so let me explain. The Like-A-Hug vest is a project by Mellisa Chow, which inflates to create the sensation of a hug when someone “likes” something on your Facebook. Ideally, both users on either end would wear this inflatable vest. When a person receives a like their vest inflates simulating a bear hug from their friend. In order to return the hug, all that needs to be done is the recipient must squeeze their vest thereby deflating it, which consequently inflates the vest of the “liker.” I know you must be feeling a little weirded out right now, I know I was upon discovery, but this is just the beginning  of how social media may start to get real personal…literally!

The project was initially conceptualized after thinking about long distance relationships and the limitations of video chat. With that in mind, I can kind of make sense of the direction they’re going in and its almost excites me to think of all the possibilities, but at the same time i’m still left a little unsure.

This project, alongside other initiatives such as the Google Glass Project and Smartphone Watches may be the future of social media and technology in general. After all, people are always looking for new ways to stay connected and to create a more personal experience. As of now, this is still a bit far stretched as something people would actually adopt, but I guess only time will tell.

This is supposed to feel like a hug…

After seeing a commercial on TV for Mcdonalds newest campaign “Our Food. Your Questions.” I was immediately intrigued and wanted to find out more. If your unfamiliar with this, it is a social media campaign which encourages consumers to ask any question and receive a personalized response either through a post or video. This got me excited as I too had scepticism about some of their products and processing methods, and wanted to find out the truth on some of the less than appetizing myths that exist out there. Not to my surprise, all the questions I ever had had already been posted and answered, easing some of the worry I may have had in the past. As I like to indulge in a little Micky D’s every so often, I feel a bit more comfortable knowing whats going into my food and how its made.

What really impressed me were the video responses, which gave viewers a behind the scene look into the factories where their food is processed, photo shoots for advertisements, and provided visual proof against urban myths. Talk can be cheap, so receiving that visual component provided credibility and soundness to their responses.

This interactive platform is as far as I know the first of its kind, which is setting the bar high not only in the fast food industry but for all types of industries. Creating this transparency is what customers expect and have been craving. This campaign allows McDonald’s to connect with their consumers and creates a human like quality which is something people can relate to and interact with. The most important element is the dialogue created between customer and company, bridging the gap, which is something most companies struggle with. Here McDonald’s is a leading example on how to keep customers engaged and at ease.