

Tesco enters the tablet fray with Hudl - stehat
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-24203271

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jpswade
I don't really understand why this is being considered technology news. This
isn't Tesco entering into the technology sector.

This is just a classic case of a retailer maximising their profits in a
particular sector.

It doesn't matter what it is, if it's popular and profit margins, they'll sell
it. This is no different.

~~~
TheAnimus
>I don't really understand why this is being considered technology news

Tesco have been hiring a lot of Silverlight and similar discipline developers.
They have been working on their own TV streaming service like Netflix, but
this one is free. It is supported by advertisements.

For those not from the UK Tesco has a very popular loyalty card system called
ClubCard. They where pioneers of it in the UK market IIRC. They know what a
lot of people shop for, when they shop for it, and often can guess very
accurately what will be a conversion to a sale, and what won't. They do this
at the moment with vouchers.

But now they have the streaming TV. They can charge (or they hope!) more for
an advert than a competitor. It doesn't matter that Google knows you searched
for xxxx or that in an email your friend mentioned that you liked yyyy. Tesco
know what you actually bought.

They can measure the effect of showing the same person 10 impressions, and if
it results in a conversion. Google and their ilk can not say if it worked. Did
more people buy your nice brand of soup because of that slick new advert? Or
was it just because the weather was a bit gray that week? Tesco will be able
to tie up those exposed to adverts and those who then convert.

They can get a beachhead in your digital life, when for many they already
control most of their physical.

This isn't just about selling a tablet, it is about moving advertising in a
way we've never seen before in the digital world.

I am very impressed by them for doing this. Rather than re-act to the _digital
world_ by using their _physical world_ tactics, or buy just buying some trendy
startup. They've taken the best bits of both creating a platform to allow them
to fully exploit it.

However, I absolutely hate targeted advertisements, so they won't be getting
me near their damned ecosystem (or ClubCard!)

~~~
JonoW
The free TV streaming service has been live for some time - www.clubcardtv.com
. There's an Android app of course for the Hudl

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dade_
From Engadget: Hudl features a 7-inch (1,440 x 900 resolution) display for
watching those Blinkbox titles in 720p, a quad-core 1.5GHz processor, stock
Android 4.2.2, a microSD slot for supplementing the 16GB of internal storage
and, according to Tesco, a battery that'll last around 9 hours on a full
charge. Some of the specs, such as dual WiFi antennae and stereo speakers on
the rear

~~~
regularfry
Can't see how much RAM it's got anywhere.

~~~
ZeroGravitas
Some more techy info here e.g. it's made by Archos, Rockchip RK3188 processor,
Mali400 graphics and benchmarks but still no mention of RAM

[http://www.modaco.com/page/news/_/android/tesco-unveil-
the-%...](http://www.modaco.com/page/news/_/android/tesco-unveil-
the-%C2%A3119-hudl-a-low-cost-archos-built-tablet-r1243)

------
WilliamMayor
An interesting direction for Tesco, I wonder how they'll do.

I'm certainly not going to buy one, not after the fiasco with their password
security ([http://www.troyhunt.com/2012/07/lessons-in-website-
security-...](http://www.troyhunt.com/2012/07/lessons-in-website-security-
anti.html)).

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antr
I'd really want to see the moment when management makes these decisions. I'd
like to understand their thought process, business rationale and expectations.
A food retailer going into tech.

~~~
Nursie
Have you been into a Tesco lately? Hardly just a food retailer.

Hell, here in Southampton they have a dedicated "HomePlus" (home wares,
electrical and electronic) store near the city centre.

~~~
pm90
Also, the second largest retailer in Korea

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeplus](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeplus)

~~~
Nursie
You know, what happens in Korea continues to surprise me, and I'm not even
talking about the crazy North.

Last week it was the discovery that they have problems with fundamentalist
christians trying to take evolution out of school books (I had no idea
Christianity was a major religion over there) and now I find out that Tesco
are a major player in their retail market too. How odd!

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macca321
Think Huddle are going to have something to say about the name...

~~~
LCoder
I was thinking the tech startup Hudl would have a bigger issue:
[http://www.hudl.com/](http://www.hudl.com/)

~~~
jonaldomo
/concurs

