Week 4 EOC: There's an App for that

I think it would be a good idea if there was an app that can provide me with any virtual instrument I need. Not only that but it would be used as a MIDI controller that I can attach to my DAW (digital audio workstation) on my laptop.  This way I would be able to produce, sound design or soundtrack a project on the go. I can see it working because there are times where I don't want to bring my MIDI controller. It's too big and not easy to carry around. I like to keep it in my studio. On the other hand, If I had a portable MIDI controller downloaded onto my phone as an app, I can then just use that, in situations where I don't have access to my MIDI controller in the studio. It can get more in depth by including functions like a sound library, where you can record, or import sound. I was thinking of it possibly having a simple workstation display on it as well, so that you can create sequences without using your DAW (digital audio workstation) on your computer. You can create samples and loops, save them in your library and upload them into your studio when you get to it. Thinking about this, is making me wonder if there is anything out there like it. If there isn't this could be a million dollar idea. All engineers, students and people who are in the audio industry can all find this useful. For example, when I'm working in the studio, there might be some instances to where, I don't want to look for a certain MIDI instrument because it might interfere with my creative work flow at the moment. There could be a melody in my head that I don't want to forget and instead of me finding a MIDI instrument and getting it to work, I can just pull out my phone app, that contains hundred of MIDI instrument's, and plug it right in the computer. I'm going to put some more though into this one.

Week 3 EOC: My Demographics

I was born in 1984, which means I am categorized within the demographic group of millennials. I would be considered to be on the older side of Gen Y'ers. It states that by this time we have already started our careers. It also states that many of us are becoming parents for the first time leading to extreme life style changes. I agree with all of that so far. It says the no group was hit harder then the millenials. I did have a rough start with my career and had to change paths a couple of times due to the sudden economical drop within our country. The employment rate dropped dramatically and I had to think of ways as an entrepreneur to manage my life style and stay within the industry I wanted to be in. Right now we are starting to see a rapid growth in technology and we are considered tech savy so the future does look some what promising. On the bottom I copied and pasted the explanation on generation Y and millenials. I would say that It is pretty accurate.

MILLENNIALS Millennials, or Generation Y, 

Millennials are people born between 1979 and 1994. Initially, Millennials were a smaller cohort than baby boomers. However, due to immigration and the aging of the boomer generation, the seventy-seven million Gen Yers in the United States passed the boomers in total population in 2010. Millennials are currently in two different stages of the life cycle. The youngest members of Gen Y, born in 1994, are just entering young adulthood. In contrast, the oldest Gen Yers, born in 1979, turned thirty-five years old in 2014. They have started their careers, and many have become parents for the first time, leading to dramatic lifestyle changes. They care for their babies rather than go out, and they spend money on baby products. Gen Yers already spend more than $200 billion annually; over their lifetimes, they will likely spend about $10 trillion. No group was hit harder by the Great Recession of 2008–2009 than the Millennials. Many found their newly launched careers stalled or their jobs eliminated. By 2012, the employment rate for people ages twenty-one to thirty-five dropped to seventy-two percent from eighty-four percent in 2000. The lucky ones have been able to keep their jobs during the difficult economic times and are making major purchasing decisions such as cars and homes; at the very least, they are buying computers, MP3 players, smart phones, tablet computers, and sneakers.

Millennials people born between 1979 and 1994

   Millennials may be the most tech-savvy generation yet, spending more time surfing the Web and on social media than they do watching television, listening to radio, or reading newspapers, but they still use and value traditional media. Gen Yers expect brands to be on social media. Two-thirds say a brand being on social media shows it cares about their generation, and fifty-six percent think social media sites are a great way to find out what's new with brands they like. That may be why sixty-four percent have liked a brand on Facebook and follow an average of ten brands or companies. Younger Millennials who shop online for apparel rely mainly on price. They also look for positive brand reviews. They typically visit their primary apparel web site forty-two times a year and make seven purchases a year.

Week 3 EOC: Making Money Good

  Starbucks started a foundation that began in 1997. They started off funding into programs that focused on literacy within the United States and Canada. Now they're supporting communities all over the world. Starbucks gave $6.9 million last year in 2015, and gave 128 grants to organizations that were non-profit. Within those grants $3 million were given to the Starbucks Opportunity for Youth Grants. In the same year Starbucks corporation also gave $29 million in cash. They funded in community building programs. Starbucks emphasizes on building opportunities for the youth. They fund into programs that prepare the youth with skills that are necessary to change the global economy. Starbucks also funds into community service and takes pride in encouraging their employees to be active in volunteering. Starbucks also funds into projects that improve education and training within the agricultural field. They strive on helping the community with funding programs that increase health awareness, leading into nutrition and water sanitation. They are strong in funding programs that help people who don’t have access to clean water. Starbucks has funded, $13.8 million since 2005 into the Ethos Water Fund, helping more than a half million people around the world gain access to clean water. I think that there is a ethical rule and obligation that a business has to fulfill if it wants to become truly successful. When you give back to the community, not only will you be doing something positive for your community, but also getting appreciation from your clients and the people in the community. Your business will gain acknowledgment from your colleagues, co-workers, and clients. Trying to make a quick buck by shaving off your ethical obligation is only going to hurt your business in the long run. Here is the link to Starbucks website that elaborates more on their contribution to the community.

2016 Starbucks Opportunity for Youth Grants

“The Starbucks Foundation believes in creating pathways to lifelong opportunity for young people. We are proud to partner with organizations who are providing the training and experiences needed to help opportunity youth become job ready.”

http://www.starbucks.com/responsibility/community/starbucks-foundation

Week 2 EOC: Boston Consulting Group - Video Games

Star: Pokémon, Phone Game Apps

“Mobile gaming revenues are expected to outstrip the money generated by console and PC games in 2016 for the first time, a new report shows. Games from tablets and smartphones will generate a total of $36.9 billion in revenues or 37 percent of the total market which is expected to reach $99.6 billion this year, according to research firm Newzoo.In comparison, PC games will bring in $31.9 billion while console gaming will generate $29 billion in revenues. The overall games market is seen growing 8.5 percent year-on-year to hit $99.6 billion in 2016 reaching $118.6 billion in 2019 with mobile continuing to increase its overall share of revenues over the next few years.”

http://www.cnbc.com/2016/04/22/mobile-game-revenue-to-pass-console-pc-for-first-time.html


(www.cnbc.com)


Cash Cow: PS 4, X Box 1, Phone Game Apps
“The PS4 Pro can output not only 4K, but also HDR video, both possible thanks to the upgraded GPU featured in the high-end console. And the 4K resolution isn't limited to video playback like the Xbox One S, although Sony has said many games will be up-scaled”.


 http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/buying-advice/game/best-console-2016-3647133/ 

(www.pcadvisor.co.uk)


“It's smaller and lighter than the Xbox One and the power unit is built-in which is also a nice touch. The launch edition has a whopping 2TB of storage, too. Although the Xbox One S supports 4K resolution, it's limited to video playback so you'll have to hold out for Project Scorpio for 4K gaming (or get the PS4 Pro).”

Question Mark: X Box 1 S, Virtual Reality
“Sounds like a slam dunk, right? Unfortunately, it's never that simple. The One S doesn't get an across-the-board "buy it now" recommendation for two reasons. First off, it doesn't deliver huge improvements for anyone who already owns an Xbox One. But more importantly, Microsoft has already promised that the next Xbox -- dubbed Project Scorpio -- will be arriving in late 2017 with the seriously amped-up graphics and VR-ready hardware that audiences are clamoring for”.

https://www.cnet.com/products/microsoft-xbox-one-s/ 

(www.cnet.com)


Dog: Nintendo Wii, PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii U, Nintendo 3DS XL, Nintendo 2Ds, PC games, Sony PS4 Slim, 
There aren’t too many gaming devices I see as a star at the moment. These here would be the only three. Game Apps on mobile devices are statistically showing better numbers then consoles, PCs, and handheld this year. This seems to be the new wave of gaming these days. As far as cash cow right now, I would say the PS4, Xbox 1 and Phone game apps. The PS 4 at this moment in time I would say is also a cash cow along with the X Box 1 with Phone App games being the most. The X Box 1 has great graphics, and a wider selection on media apps, vs. the PS 4 but, the PS 4 has quicker installation time, graphics and a wider variety of indie games. Even though I feel virtual reality, will take off soon and be very successful, right now its still a question mark but I see so much potential in the near future. The experience is amazing and very innovating. You can kind of see where it can trickle down to all avenues of the industry including audio applying 5.1-surround sound to VR gaming.  The X Box 1 S is the new and improved X Box 1 but I still don’t see it being a cash cow. It is a lot smaller then the X Box 1 and it can display 4K video with other advanced graphical capabilities along with blue tooth controllers. If everyone starts buying 4k television then I can see this console being a cash cow, but for now not everyone has a 4K television and if they don’t have one, then why buy a X BOX 1 S?

Week 1 EOC: Great Customer Service

The last time I remember having good customer service, was when I had to bring my iPhone into the Apple store for a possible repair service. The touch screen on my phone was not working properly. It was getting to a point where I just couldn't type anything at all. The first thing I did was find contact information to the nearest store. They were easy to find on my google search engine. I was directed to their website and from there I was able to find a convenient location closest to me. I didn't even have to call them. I was able to schedule an appointment,  through their virtual booking page. It was quite simple; I was able to see what days and times they had available for me and used that information to work around my schedule. As the time got closer to my appointment I began driving to the location. I was about fifteen minutes early, and as soon as my time came up, someone was there to assist me immediately. I was a little surprised, to get immediate attention because the store was really busy. They were still able to assist me in a timely matter. The employee, was very polite and knowledgeable. He kindly told me to wait in the store while he took my phone to the back in order to diagnose the problem properly. The experience was not frustrating to me at all. I literally waited in the store while he was in the back for about another 15 minutes. It was not a big deal to me because I was able to walk around the store and check out the new products. By this time the employee whom was helping me, came out from the back and came up with the conclusion of having to get me a whole new phone. This problem apparently was a manufacture defect. At the end of my appointment, I walked out the store with a brand new phone, and was informed on how these problems can be prevented in the future. I also had the opportunity to check out the new products. Even though I was frustrated that my phone was broken, the experience of them diagnosing the problem and explaining to me what went wrong was informative. I was very happy and satisfied with the customer service that I received from the Apple store. I can relate this particular experience to what our course book (Marketing 9th Edition) states, (chapter 1, page 8 paragraph 1, failure to meet needs and expectations results in dissatisfaction with the goods or service). Even though the phone needed to be replaced I was still satisfied with how the employee was able to explain why, and made it comfortable enough for me to make a decision on reordering another phone.

Week 1 EOC: My Voice

I consider my self as a creative person. At this moment in my life I feel like there is no better way to embrace my creativity then working as a multi media professional. I use these skills and gear them towards my clients on a daily basis. I approach my projects with the intention to create an above satisfactory experience for the audience, and to keep my clients satisfied in the work I do. I study at the Art Institute of Las Vegas obtaining a Bachelors of Science degree majoring in Audio Production. I apply these skills, mathematically, acoustically, and scientifically in my daily procedures. With my experience and expertise in audio and video, I can assure you that my production is met above standard with the highest of quality.