Entertainment

I finally got Disney Plus to Work and I’m Overjoyed

November 17, 2019 By Flanice Lewis Leave a Comment

I am one of 10 million people that signed up for Disney Plus. My sister and I spoke about breaking down and purchasing Disney Plus on the first day. We both said we wouldn’t do it because it would have issues, and we did it anyway. I almost immediately regretted it once I couldn’t log in and kept seeing error messages but I saw the light.

No Linux-based Devices

As with most streaming services, or highly-anticipated apps, there will be issues. For all the money and effort Disney put into its streaming service, it didn’t work for many of its millions of new users. It doesn’t work in android or Linux-based devices such as Chromebooks. As a Chromebook user that hadn’t read ahead, I was sorely disappointed when I kept receiving “error code 83.” Once I did a Google search, I realized that I wasn’t the only one. There are whole Reddit threads explicitly dedicated to that error. For those that stream on an android-based tablet or phone, this will be extremely frustrating because this will require security changes on Disney’s part. Luckily, I like all types of devices and was able to log in with my personal computer (PC) so I could finally watch “Endgame.”

Error Codes

For Apple, Amazon, Roku, and PC devices, they weren’t without their issues. There were issues loading content, streaming, and even log-ins given the lack of bandwidth. A quick google search reveals at least nine error codes were widely searched since the launch two days ago. Error code 83 means that your Linux device doesn’t meet the security requirements. Error code 73 means you’re in a region that is not currently supported, which is everywhere but the US, Canada, and the Netherlands. Puerto Rico, New Zealand, and Australia should have access starting November 19. Although Australia is about the same size as the lower 48, it has about 300 million fewer people, so hopefully, their launch will be much smoother.

Limited Titles

What’s even more unfortunate is the limited amount of titles available. I’m pretty sure that’s why Disney plus offered a bundle before it even launched. You need at least one other streaming service to have sufficient entertainment. It also explains the $6.99 price tag. Disney previously explained the limited titles by stating they would be released in the future. However, compared to streaming services like the bundled Hulu, or Netflix, the number of titles seems trivial.

Upgrade Your Hulu

Speaking of Hulu, my sister and I compared bundles, and it seemed like she was getting a better deal. I had Hulu with commercials for $5.99. She has Hulu without ads for $12.99. Once she added the Disney Plus Bundle, Disney credited her $12.99, so she’s only paying taxes and fees for Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+. I immediately switched to the ad-free Hulu package. You might ask why, and the reason is, I can have everything for the same price without the commercials. It is so annoying to get rid of cable and still have ads, but now, thanks to my little sister, I don’t have to worry about it.

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The Final Nail in the Coffin of MoviePass

September 16, 2019 By Amanda Blankenship Leave a Comment

We all saw this coming. MoviePass officially went out of business this weekend, marking the end of a very short life for the company. Earlier this year, it was reported that MoviePass subscribers had decreased by 90 percent after the company’s business practices turned out to be less than honest.

The Lifetime of the Business

Believe it or not, MoviePass made its debut in the marketplace in 2011. It did not rise to popularity until summer 2017 though. At that time, the company was offering unlimited movies each month for just $9.95. That wouldn’t buy a single movie ticket in most places, so it is no wonder the company blew up in terms of popularity. Upon announcing its pricing, subscriber numbers jumped from 15,000 to 3.2 million practically overnight. However, that price simply wasn’t sustainable for the business.

In less than one year after it debuted its services at this low price, the company began changing its offer without even alerting customers. Suddenly, you were limited in the number of movies you can view per month. Additionally, it began reopening closed or canceled accounts without the customer’s permission (talk about bad business practice).

Once theater chains like AMC and Regal saw the business failing, they began launching their own movie subscription services at more sustainable prices. Many of these also included family plans, which MoviePass never offered.

When the company went up for sale some pretty large investors showed interest, but no one bought in because the company was already so far gone. Fast-forward six months and MoviePass has shut its virtual doors for good.

What MoviePass Customers Can Do

If you were a customer, you may be wondering what’s next. The company has said it has not given up on looking for additional funding to keep the business running, but there are no sources currently available.

Company executives released a statement saying, “On September 13, 2019, MoviePass notified its subscribers that it would be interrupting the MoviePass service for all its subscribers effective September 14, 2019, because its efforts to recapitalize MoviePass have not been successful to date.”

It is a good idea to still keep an eye on your account. As mentioned above, MoviePass has done some less-than-savory things when it comes to closed accounts in the past. You will want to be sure you’re not continuing to be charged.

Previous customers have options, however. If you’re still interested in movie subscription services, there are a number of alternatives available. (See a list of alternatives here.)

Readers, are you surprised by MoviePass coming to an end?

Photo: Flickr: jenvargas

Here’s Why You Shouldn’t Mix Business With Pleasure

August 29, 2019 By Susan Paige Leave a Comment

Mixing business with pleasure is a term that’s used to describe business partners who are romantically involved with each other. Mixing business with pleasure usually involves dating a fellow professional, especially one you work closely with. This would include people in your department or in a department you’re associated with.

We’ll be looking at the major reasons why mixing business with pleasure is such a bad thing and the unique cases where they can actually work. First, we’ll consider the downsides:

It’s bad for business.

The primary reason why you shouldn’t date someone you work with is that it’s bad for business. It’s simply too distracting. You’ll never be able to get any work done because you’ll be too busy doting over each other. This is especially true if your relationship is new or you’re really in love with each other. This lack of focus can reduce productivity, and even slow down the entire business’ operations.

Besides derailing the vision of the organization, dating your co-worker can also encourage the behavior, especially if you’re in a position of authority. You essentially endorse the act and give your employees or subordinates the right to do the same. Once this happens, it’s only a matter of time before all the emotional heat snowballs into an avalanche of chaos (and probably lawsuits).

It’s bad for pleasure.

As counterintuitive as it may sound, mixing business with pleasure is also bad for pleasure. Dating your co-worker means you always take a piece of work home with you. Even if you have a good working relationship, you’ll have to set new ground rules for when you’re not in the office. It’s going to be even harder trying to keep the two of them (relationship life and professional life) separate because the office demands strict and professional relations while life at home demands more compassionate relations.

You can see that this topic can lead to some major problems, both for the organization and the individuals involved. But then, now, we’re going to look at the situations where mixing business with pleasure might actually work out.

You have high emotional intelligence.

Having high emotional intelligence means being able to keep a lid on your feelings, no matter how strongly you feel at the moment. With high emotional intelligence, you can compartmentalize your emotions and keep them from interfering with your work. That way, you can avoid all the pitfalls that come with dating a co-worker.

You work from home.

Working from home is great because you can set your own hours and make as much money as you want. It all depends on how much time and energy you put into it. It also means you can date your co-worker, or work with your partner (depends on how you want to look at it.) For example, imagine that you trade on Bitcoin future, and your partner could also be in the same business. It wouldn’t matter much since there isn’t that much professional interaction involved.

The job is a temporary assignment.

If you’re both working on a very temporary arrangement, then mixing business with pleasure may not be such a dangerous thing. Since you’ll both stop working together soon, it’s unlikely that your relationship is going to affect your work and vice versa.

More often than not, it’s better to put off dating until after you’ve completed your business because it’s very rare to keep romantic affairs from spilling into work relationships.

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Image Credit: Pexels.

Universal Studios Announces New Theme Park “Epic Universe”

August 23, 2019 By Flanice Lewis Leave a Comment

Comcast NBCUniversal will open a new theme park and resort in Central Florida named “Epic Universe.” It is the fourth Universal theme park in Orlando. It joins Universal Studios Florida, Volcano Bay, and Islands of Adventure. Epic Universe will be the first new American theme park in almost twenty years. Universal opened Islands of Adventure in 1999 and Disney opened California Adventures in 2001.

Epic Concept

Universal Studios proudly announced that Epic Universe would change the way we view theme park entertainment. The design concept art features a large hotel overlooking what appears to be four pools or water features, several smaller buildings, fireworks, rides, and slides. Currently, the design of the resort is reminiscent of the Atlantis resort in the Bahamas, minus the distinctive pink color and beach access. However, this could very easily change by the time construction starts. Also, the announcement mentioned restaurants and shops to go along with the park and hotel. Universal will provide transportation between the locations.

Themes and Rides

Epic Universe will sit on 750 acres in the Orlando area within a few miles of the existing parks. No specifics were given regarding rides or characters. The patent drawings suggested the use of virtual and augmented reality. Perhaps there will be rides related to Nintendo, “How to Train Your Dragon,” and “Minions.” They are all popular Universal properties not already represented at the theme park. The latest attractions have been the “Wizarding World of Harry Potter and “Fast & Furious” extensions. However, the company refused to divulge details due to the competition among the theme parks.

Doubling Park Size

Epic Universe is the largest theme park investment by Comcast to compete with Walt Disney World. Currently, Disney has four main theme parks, water parks, restaurants, and shopping in Orlando. It is about the size of San Francisco or roughly 43 square miles. Conversely, Universal is currently only about 840 acres. This new park nearly doubles the size. Hopefully, the bigger size increases the number of annual visitors. In the past year, Universal has seen a third of the visitors that Disney had.

The current size of the Universal theme parks is attractive for families that can’t stay for a week exploring a vast location. Epic Universe hopes to change that. Boldly, as a professor at the local university stated, the goal is to extend those short trips, so customers never want to leave. Additionally, the existing hotels at Universal Studios Resorts are expanding and will reach 9,000 rooms by December 2020.

Good for the Neighborhood

Epic Universe estimates hiring 14,000 employees, starting at $15 per hour. Currently, Florida’s minimum wage is $8.46. A $15 minimum wage is expected to be on the ballot in 2020. If this is true, it will stimulate the local economy and make it easier for Epic Universe to find talent.

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Disney Plus Offers Bundle With ESPN and Hulu

August 21, 2019 By Flanice Lewis Leave a Comment

The Walt Disney Company released more details for Disney Plus. The streaming service is offering a bundle with ESPN+ and Hulu for $12.99. For consumers that are fed up with the increasing number of streaming services, this may present a needed reprieve. They will be able to watch all of Disney’s content, plus sports and popular television shows.

Disney+

Disney Plus is a streaming program set to launch November 12, 2019. It will host the Disney catalog, including Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, Fox, theatrical releases, and television series, and other original content. Perhaps, the most impressive is that the stated price is $6.99 per month.

It will offer all 30 seasons of “The Simpsons” and movies such as “The Sound of Music.” It will also stream “Captain Marvel” this year and “Frozen 2” next year after its release. There may even be a “Home Alone” reboot. It is assumed that all of the previously released and classic Disney movies will be available on the first day.

“Netflix Killer?”

Some are calling it the “Netflix Killer” since it will remove all of the Disney-owned programs from Netflix. However, it is likely that consumers will use both services since Disney Plus’ initial price is so low, and Netflix’s catalog is so vast. An executive for Netflix stated that the most-watched shows are original content. Disney Plus and its projected success do not threaten him, and he plans to subscribe.

Apple TV+

Apple also announced it’s video-on-demand service earlier this year. It increases the existing Apple TV service. Unlike Disney, Apple hasn’t provided much detail as far as the launch date or the introductory price of the service. What is known is that the service will be available in the fall and on more than just Apple products. Newer Samsung models will be able to use the service when it’s launched this year. Other Android phones will be able to use the service after that, all via the Apple TV application.

Many believe that Disney’s low price will set the bar for Apple vice Netflix. Netflix’s most subscribed plan is $12.99, but it has the history and the catalog to support that pricing. Apple will be licensing the majority of its offering while creating original content. The licensing fees may drive the cost of the service higher than Disney’s $6.99 but may not justify $12.99. We will have to wait and see.

Other Streaming Services

Additional streaming services, such as Amazon Prime and HBO Go, may fill any television and movie gaps. However, those premium services are pricier and may not be worth it. Most users have cut the cord and use streaming to replace cable television. Too many services will raise costs and decrease the value.

Stock Market Reaction

Disney stock passed $140 per share on Tuesday but had settled around $138 at the end of the week. Netflix stock has been steadily decreasing since it missed it reported that it fell short of its subscription forecast last month. It has dropped over $60 per share, from $373 to $308, in a month. Apple stock dived on Monday to $193 but recovered to $200 at the end of the week.

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TV Shows About Money: Docuseries and Reality Shows About Finances

August 14, 2019 By Kathryn Vercillo Leave a Comment

I love watching television. Some people consider it low-brow but I think that there are some great educational, informative shows on the little screen, especially coming out in the past few years.

I’m the first to admit that I love reality TV and docuseries. Yes, they can be over-the-top and ridiculous. I don’t necessarily think that they’re “true” in the sense of being unedited or exact. However, I do think that they give us an overall true picture of a variety of different topics. Money is one of those topics.

There are so many great TV shows about money. These are not your Dave Ramsey and Suze Orman educational shows about money management, but you’ll be surprised to discover that you can learn a lot from them anyway.

TV Shows About Financial Crimes

These are TV shows about money and how it can go wrong. More specifically, they’re about how greed can lead people to commit financial crimes that ruin not only their lives and the lives of those closest to them but also unsuspecting victims. These television shows can teach us about how to avoid problems with money by sharing the warning signs of scams.

American Greed

Somehow I had gone years without hearing about American Greed. My brother had the show on at his house and as soon as I saw it, I was hooked. I headed online and watched all eleven seasons in short order. This is about the dark side of money. It’s a true crime show and each episode shares 1-2 stories about someone whose greed has caused them to commit scams, fraud, or even violent crime.

Many of us want “a little bit more” or occasionally feel the pull of a “get rich quick scheme.” American Greed shows us what can happen if we give in to those urges. Watching it can help keep our own greed in check. Plus it can make us aware of the most common types of scams out there so that we can avoid them. That may help protect our own finances. After all, if you know the warning signs for Ponzi schemes, religious investment scams, and other types of financial fraud, then you’re less likely to become a victim.

Pink Collar Crimes

If you like American Greed then you’ll probably also like Pink Collar Crimes. They’re similar tv shows about money in many ways. This one, however, focuses specifically on the stories of average women who end up committing financial crimes. This is another true crime TV show that reveals what led up to the woman committing the crime, how the crime played out, and what happened next. In one episode, a financial planner convinces almost everyone she knows to let her “help” them with her money only to end up stealing it from them. There are also stories about embezzlers, fraudulent psychics, and coupon scams.

Dirty Money

This is a Netflix Original and each episode reveals one striking example of corporate corruption. For example, one episode tells the story of how big pharmaceutical companies, including Valeant Pharmaceuticals, immorally hike the rates of important medications up to exorbitant prices that regular people simply can’t afford. Watching shows like this can make me angry sometimes. However these TV shows about money help me better understand important national and global issues related to finances. With more information, consumers can call for change.

TV Shows About Finding a Deal

There are a lot of docuseries or reality TV shows out there that involve spending money, usually in an effort to get a really good deal on something. Each one takes its own slant on the topic.

Storage Wars

People store their things in storage lockers. Then they fail to pay the bills. When they do, the items inside those bins go up for auction. There are people all around the nation who go to those auctions. They implement a variety of tricks to figure out what to bid on. Sometimes they get great deals. On the other hand, sometimes they end up with a bunch of junk. This reality TV show lets us see all aspects of that.

Pawn Stars

When people need money, sometimes they pawn their items. If you’ve never thought much about this before, the history of pawn shops is actually a pretty interesting aspect of finance. It’s basically a form of credit. This particular TV show is about one family-owned pawn shop. They come across some interesting things, and we as viewers get a chance to see what different material items are “worth.”

Antiques Roadshow

Thinking about Pawn Stars automatically makes me think about Antiques Roadshow. It’s probably the longest-running TV show about money out there. Like Pawn Stars, it’s about the worth or value of things. Specifically, this one is about antiques. People dig into their attics or buy things at estate sales hoping they are worth a lot of money. The folks at Antiques Roadshow appraise the items.

Extreme Couponing

These people take grocery shopping with coupons to the next level. They stockpile. They buy hundreds of items and barely spend a penny. It’s astounding. And although most of us won’t make couponing a full-time job, we can certainly learn a few tips about money-saving from each episode.

Extreme Cheapskates

If you want to learn about taking frugal living and minimalism to the extreme then this is one of the best TV shows about money for you. From dumpster diving for wedding decorations to using test-ride equipment at sports stores to forego the gym, these people do everything possible to pinch a penny.

TV Shows About Rich People’s Lives

I don’t watch too many tv shows about how rich people live. However, there are a lot of them out there. If you’re interested in seeing how people with wealth and status enjoy their money then there are plenty of options out there. Almost any reality show about celebrity lives will show you that.

The Real Housewives of New York City

I will make note of one specific show in this category because it’s one I’ve watched: The Real Housewives of New York City. I mention it because what I like isn’t just that it’s about their fancy lives. It’s also about how these women earn their own money. Several of the women start or run their own businesses during the duration of the series. While they certainly have connections and opportunities that not all of us may have access to, I do think it provides insight into some aspects of entrepreneurship. I haven’t seen the other Housewives shows but I assume some of them offer this type of insight as well.

Other TV Shows About How Rich People Live

Just a few additional examples of these types of shows include:

Keeping Up with the Kardashians and all of the family’s spin off shows
Vanderpump Rules
Shahs of Sunset
Southern Charm
Basketball Wives and WAGS (about people married to famous athletes)
#RichKids of Beverly Hills
Below Deck

Plus, of course, we can’t leave this category without going old school and mentioning the 1980’s show Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.

Other TV Shows About Money

Some tv shows about money don’t fall into any of the above categories.

Hoarders

Hoarders isn’t about money per se. However, it touches on money in several ways, not the least of which is the problem of consumerism. Hoarding is a mental health issue, and the people in this show are severely mentally ill. They literally hoard themselves out of their homes because they can’t bear to get rid of their stuff. Sometimes they are compulsive shoppers so there is a debt element to the show. Other times, they have plenty of money, but they simply can’t ever let go of anything. It speaks to important questions about material items, consumption, what we consider valuable, and so forth. It also digs into the psychology of “stuff” and how that impacts (and is impacted by) our closest relationships.

Marrying Millions

This is a new reality TV show. It somewhat falls into the category above because it does showcase the lives of some very rich people. But it’s really more of a relationship show so it’s not quite the same as those other reality TV shows. This show is all about people who are super rich and are in relationships with people who aren’t. Usually the poorer person is also much younger. So, this reveals a lot about the power dynamics of money in relationships and what our culture values in terms of money in marriage.

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