Future of Everything? Amazon Fire TV Launch.

For all of you that have been waiting, today Amazon launched their new Amazon Fire TV. Fire TV is set to revolutionize the TV experience by turning your flatscreen into a multi-media maverick. Watch any show, play games, listen to music and more…all thanks to a small, black box.

What Can I Watch?

Netflix will be a partner as well as HBO GO, SHO Anytime, Pandora, Hulu, ESPN and more. Amazon has its own media streaming service (like Netflix or Hulu) that will run on the Amazon Fire. Plus, movies and original content from Amazon Studios will also be available.

Amazon Prime features nearly every movie available but only some are free to watch with an Amazon Prime account. This little black box will let you watch anything you want if you’re willing to pay extra.

You’ll also have access to other games and services. The Amazon Fire is HTML and Android Based so it can support both web and mobile apps.

Other Perks

Amazon has really made some exciting changes to the world of online streaming by combining so many services together with the addition of newer features. You can search by either voice or text. Plus, there is a mic on the remote to avoid shouting across the room at your TV.

Another exciting feature is the photo app that grabs photos from your phone and automatically loads them to your Fire Tv. Great for sharing the vacation photos with family.

X-Ray will give you info about what you’re watching such as actors, directors, release dates and more. Talks of including music lyrics in the future.

You’ll have access to all your favorite music like Pandora, iHeartRadio, TuneIn and other music services.

Gaming

Amazon Fire is also planning on competing against game consoles. It makes sense, with cloud based technology, the hard disc game seems obsolete. Also, why pay so much money for a product that can do just one thing if you can get an all in one product like the Fire TV?

Thousands of games are set to be released next month according to amazon. There is also a game controller that will be selling for $40.

You can by Fire TV today for only $99. Other services (Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu Plus) are all additional.

The Tech Stuff

Amazon Fire runs from a tiny, black box that has a quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM and dual band WiFi. It comes with a small remote that has 7 buttons and a click wheel to navigate easier. If you have an Xbox, you know how difficult it is to watch online tv with the controller. This remote is designed to be much easier to use.

What are your thoughts about Amazon Fire Tv?

Elizabeth Becker - Marketing Manager at PROTECH.

Photos courtesy of Amazon.

Nailing the Interview

You have an interview coming up, now what? The interview is often how employers choose between equally qualified candidates. How do you set yourself apart?

Confident but not Cocky

More and more companies are realizing the importance of team players. An employee may be perfectly capable of performing tasks but if they don’t work well on a team, it’s a no-go. If you come across as being cocky rather than confident, it could blow your chances at your dream job.

Never Oversell

When it comes to hard skills, never oversell yourself. If you’ve only worked with atechnology for 6 months, tell the employer rather than claim expert status. Even at your current job, make sure to be careful when estimating your ability. I know a consultant that was hired by a Fortune 500 company to do staff reviews. He asked each of the staff to give him a list of what they would be able to accomplish that week. At the end of the week, the staff that did not accomplish their own task list were fired. The reason? Being able to gauge your own ability level is a critical. The same goes for interviews. If you oversell yourself and can’t prove it, you most likely won’t be offered the position.

Admit if You Don’t Know

Employers don’t just ask tough question on interviews to see if you know the answer. They’re also trying to see how honest you are. If you don’t know the answer and give an incorrect one, it will look worse that simply admitting you don’t know the answer. If it is a hard skill, they may test you on it so being realistic about your abilities is key.

Come Prepared

Just because you’ve emailed in your resume does not mean it ended up in printed copy in the hands of the hiring manager. Make sure to print and bring a professional copy.

Be Professional

I once interviewed someone for an office position and did not hire her because she was not professional. For the interview, she came in on a motorcycle with her boyfriend. I might not have minded except they both came into my office for the interview and he answered many of the questions. I could have made it clear he wasn’t supposed to be in the interview but there was no need. Employers won’t likely tell you if you’re doing something wrong in an interview. Just from the candidate coming into my office with her boyfriend in tow and letting him answer questions was all the info I needed to know she was not a good fit for the position.

What about you? What are your tips for nailing the interview?

-Elizabeth Becker, Marketing Manager of PROTECH.