Coupon clipping is not a sport to be taken lightly. It used to be that coupons were easy to find and clip, then were even easier to double or triple by shopping on certain days. Today, coupons are a bit less common in newspapers, but can still be found online, at cash registers and other locations as well – they just aren’t all in one section of the paper the way they used to be. But it looks as though finding coupons to clip may quickly be becoming a thing of the past. Coupons are going digital.

Digital Coupons
Kroger and Proctor & Gamble have teamed up to try a new digital coupon field test. Digital coupons can be downloaded onto the loyal member card most grocery stores now offer, and then used at the cash register. The only drawback to these digital coupons, other than the public’s fear of anything new, is that they are not eligible to be doubled or tripled.

Leave the Mess
Digital coupons are simple to “clip.” They are available online through the grocery store websites. Currently, digital coupons are limited, but that won’t last too long. Traditional coupons require hours of sorting, cutting and organizing only to have to reorganize and shuffle the little pieces of paper at the cashier while shopping. Coupon clipping can be rewarding, especially on double or triple days, but the work involved is offsetting to many would-be clippers. (more…)

Streaming video and video downloads have gained significantly in popularity and now two major news items in online movie rentals have made the industry more attractive. Steve Jobs announced that iTunes would begin renting movies for a twenty-four hour period. This is expected, but welcome news nevertheless. Netflix, one of the leading websites for online rentals of traditional DVDs and streaming videos has recently announced that there will be no limit to the amount of streaming video and television shows available from the site.

iTunes
Apple has revolutionized music thanks to the iPod, and now music has given way to movies, music videos, television shows and more that can all be downloaded and enjoyed on your computer and on your iPod or iPhone. Movie and television episodes have had strong sales through Apple’s iTunes for years, but the new streaming video available from the site will heat up competition with others such as Blockbuster and Netflix. iTunes is already a household name associated with music. Expanding downloads to movies is a logical step.

Neflix Video Streaming
Netflix launched its video streaming service last year. In the first six months the service delivered five million movies and television shows. In the six weeks following that time period, sales doubled to ten million. Netflix hasn’t released the official statistics for all of 2007, but early signs are pointing up for video streaming. Of course, Apple’s new service may present some heavy competition as much of the Netflix video streaming clientele are using iTunes already for music, but only time will tell.

As Netflix is the most notable pioneer into video streaming, much of the industry’s data can be gathered from its renters. Video streaming is most popular with individuals under the age of thirty who are comfortable on the internet and watching video on the computer. There are simple ways to transfer video to the television, but many streaming video subscribers watch their movies or shows directly on the computer. (more…)