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A Bruce Willis deepfake could appear in his stead for future film projects (updated)
Bruce Willis may have retired from acting following a diagnosis of aphasia, but a version of him will live on in future projects.
NASA explores product endorsements and rocket naming rights
NASA's new leader is gung-ho on privatizing spaceflight, and that could lead to some new approaches to branding... like it or not. Administrator Jim Bridenstine has unveiled a NASA Advisory Council committee that will explore the feasibility of commercializing the agency's operations in low Earth orbit to lower its costs while its eyes turn toward the Moon and Mars. Some of these plans could include product endorsements from astronauts and even selling the naming rights to rockets and other spacecraft. You could see an astronaut on a box of Wheaties, or a Red Bull mission to the Red Planet.
Twitter tries to fix verification of people 'we in no way endorse'
Sure, being verified on social media isn't always as good as people think, but after a recent blowup, Twitter says it's addressing the "perception" of endorsement a blue checkmark confers. While the network has notably verified the accounts of self-proclaimed white supremacists and Nazis, it appears to be reversing that policy. One item on the new list of reasons an account can lose verification cites promoting hate against certain races/nationality or supporting groups that do. Loss of verified status Twitter reserves the right to remove verification at any time without notice. Reasons for removal may reflect behaviors on and off Twitter that include: Intentionally misleading people on Twitter by changing one's display name or bio. Promoting hate and/or violence against, or directly attacking or threatening other people on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, religious affiliation, age, disability, or disease. Supporting organizations or individuals that promote the above. Inciting or engaging in harassment of others. Violence and dangerous behavior Directly or indirectly threatening or encouraging any form of physical violence against an individual or any group of people, including threatening or promoting terrorism Violent, gruesome, shocking, or disturbing imagery Self-harm, suicide Engaging in activity on Twitter that violates the Twitter Rules.
Facebook would like you to endorse political candidates
You don't have to run a big media outlet to endorse a candidate this presidential election... or other elections, for that matter. Facebook has introduced an endorsement feature that lets you back a political candidate beyond tapping a "like" button, letting others know where you stand. Mercifully, though, you won't have to endure the wrath of less-than-sympathetic friends if you don't want to. While you can certainly make a public endorsement if you want to share your views with the world, you can limit the audience so that only your more open-minded (or like-minded) friends will see it.
Ed Hardy headphones hope to ink up your ears
Celebrity headphone endorsements are very à la mode right now, and we've seen Ed Hardy's trademark tattoo stylings defacing gadgetry before, so, if you were the one lamenting the glaring omission that was Hardy-branded cans, then he obviously got your letter. The new "Stereo" range evidently refers to the two designs available thus far: Skull and Bones for the over-ears ($66), while your in-ears get some Tiger power ($29). The in-ears also feature a microphone, presumably so you can call for help from the fashion police. Both are available now.
WIREDoo search engine gets running man stamp of approval (video)
MC Hammer already proved that you only need one hit record. But can you get by with just one search engine? Not if you believe his pitch to the Web 2.0 Summit this week, which promoted a "deep search" technology called WIREDoo. The rapper-approved tool emphasizes relationships rather than keywords, which yields very different results to Google's. Type in 90210, for instance, and instead of pages of links about the TV show, the pre-beta WIREDoo brings up stuff about the neighborhood -- schools, homes, the crime rate and other supposedly useful information. You'll find the full presentation after the break, but don't expect any nostalgic dance moves -- Hammer is serious about this, just like he was about those revolutionary tablets.
Lady Gaga trapped in an Android smartphone, we wish she'd stay there (video)
NTT DoCoMo has Darth Vader selling its Android wares, so what could KDDI au possibly counter with? Why, a force even darker and more heinous than the Sith Daddy himself: Lady Gaga. Yes, the music fiend we love to hate has remixed Poker Face just to make sure we take notice of Sharp's IS03, and the kindly Japanese carrier has taken care of inserting her into the phone for maximum promotional value. Yes, au, now that we've seen Lady Gaga strutting around inside it, we totally want to own one of these handsets! See the video promos after the break. [Thanks, machine]
Luke, I am your smartphone (video)
NTT DoCoMo recently launched the Samsung Galaxy S in the Japanese market and now we've come to discover that it's chosen a very forceful personality to represent the product to its discerning audience. Darth "roundabound" Vader has been starring in the carrier's latest round of "always with you" ads, wherein he serves as a (sort of) human representation of the phone, thus lending some anthropomorphic qualities to the cold slab of technology awaiting you in the shops. This whole outlandish idea really shouldn't work, but somehow it does -- we want a little Vader in our lives too now. Video after the break.
T-Pain tells Toshiba 'it ain't hardcore unless its hexacore' (video)
Judging by its most recent sales numbers, Toshiba's doing pretty well for itself in the US market, but you and we both know there are always more demographics waiting to be tapped up. Such as the hardcore hexacore lovers or those whose megagigabytes are terrorizing their... sorry, T-Pain, prosation isn't even a word. Anyway, it's a video, it's funny, and it's after the break.
Symantec mobilizes Snoop Dogg's cybercrime unit
You know what? Snoop has really done more than any technology company has to bring products to new audiences. Back in fifth grade we had no idea what indo was or why anyone would ever want to combine gin and juice; 3 weeks after "Doggystyle" came out we were hooked on both. At the beginning of last year we couldn't fathom our Grandpas asking Snoop for directions in the Caddy...but it happened. So why not make the leap to, you know, hawking desktop and internet security to urban markets? Symantec's Hack is Wack campaign aims to "bring the attention level up...just try to make people aware that these [cyber] crimes are happening." Snoop invites you to "raise awareness by making a rap song about cyber crimes" and uploading a video for judgment on "originality, creativity and message." The winner gets a pair of tickets to see Snoop, a chance to meet his "mgmt/agent" and a Toshiba laptop. It's been a while since we hit the mic or had any antivirus software installed, but he's got us thinking pretty hard about throwing down some rhymes and our credit cards for a copy of Norton 360 v4.0.
Canon brings out Jackie Chan-branded Rebel T2i / 550D for Chinese market
"Eye of Dragon" must be Chinese for "better kit lens, fancier neck strap, a branded photo album, and a leather case." Because that's the totality of substantive changes you'll be getting if you opt for the upgraded Jackie Chan variety of Canon's Rebel T2i. Of course, there's also the knowledge that you'll be one of only 2,010 owners of this exclusive kit, which will set buyers back an unenviable 10,000 Yuan ($1,467). If you ask us, we'd rather just buy the body and add on the EF-S 18-135mm lens ourselves, but then we were always more partial to Bruce Lee anyway.
Packard Bell Dot VR46 gets the endorsement of Valentino Rossi, nobody else
Wow. You know a product's reached its tipping point when the only way to freshen it up is to go ultra-glossy and get a celebrity to spill some inspired paint upon it. Valentino Rossi, for those of you who don't know, is a nine-time motorcycle racing champion, which means he's not suffering from impaired vision and therefore lacks a valid excuse for the abomination above. Internal specs aren't yet finalized, not that they really matter, though you'd be safe to look at Acer's current lineup and cherrypick a suitable set of components. If you've been a bad boy or girl today and feel the need to be punished, there are two more snappy snaps of the VR46 after the break. [Thanks, Sal]
Nintendo sponsors UK Gladiators
To tell you the truth, we never knew you folks in the UK got your own version of American Gladiators. Growing up, we would catch the show after our usual dose of Saturday morning entertainment, as the sugar would take effect from all of the Lucky Charms we had while catching our toons, fueling our thirst to see folks get knocked into the water during Joust or tossed down several flights on the gigantic pyramid. Oh, to be young again.But, hey, with the show's revival here in the States, it kind of feels like that again, if only a little. And now, with some thanks to Nintendo, our friends across the pond can partake in bulky men and woman tossing around scrawny participants, too! Nintendo has shelled out £1m to make sure you can get your Gladiator fix, ensuring that those of you watching in the UK won't get the annoying ads that we do in between the carnage. Instead, you'll see ads for Wii and other Nintendo-related goodies. Better, no?
DS Daily: Who should it be?
We can't stop thinking about who should do commercials for the Brain Age sequel in the U.S., and we think we've happened upon the perfect sponsor. Go forth, Nintendo, and get Mr. T. He can scare people smarter. Think you can come up with someone better? Let's just see you try!On a serious note -- hey, we can be serious sometimes! -- what about Jessica Alba? She apparently actually plays DS. Wouldn't that be a refreshing change in celebrity campaigns?
Former Olympian joins Nicole Kidman in promoting Brain Age 2
When we think Brain Age 2, we think swimming*. Well, maybe not so much, but for Australians, former Olympian Kieren Perkins is probably a great choice as the face of Brain Age 2. Perkins, who medaled in three consecutive Olympic Games, will be promoting the game (along with his wife, Symantha) in an expansive media campaign. So we've got Nicole Kidman in the U.K., Kieren Perkins in Australia ... will we have a designated celebrity for Brain Age 2 here in the U.S.?*We do not recommend swimming and playing Brain Age 2 at the same time, for, y'know, obvious reasons.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. signs endorsement contract with Sony
Sony recently announced that one of NASCAR's most popular drivers, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., has signed a personal endorsement contract with the company. According to the vice president of marketing and brand development for Earnhardt's JR Motorsports, Sony was an easy choice, as the driver loves racing games, high-tech gadgets, and computers. "We're evolving with him ... as he matures, we have to grow his brand with companies that are authentic to who he is.".Earnhardt will focus on promoting high-def products such as TVs, cameras, and Blue-ray disc players, but Sony promises he'll be pushing games as well.[Thanks, Chris]
