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Apple begins marketing the iPhone 5s in magazines
MacRumors tips us off to the fact that Apple has begun advertising the iPhone 5s in various magazines. Up until recently, there hasn't been much advertising in the way of the iPhone 5s. Indeed, most iPhone advertising over the past few weeks has focused on the iPhone 5c with a series of really great and delightful commercials. Apple has also been advertising the iPhone 5c heavily via billboards in large cities like Chicago, San Francisco and New York. As for the 5s, MacRumors notes that the following ad appears on the back of this week's edition of The New Yorker. The tagline reads: Your finger is the password. Touch ID was created not only to protect all the important and personal information on your phone, but to be so easy to use, you'll actually use it. Its state-of-the-art technology learns your unique fingerprint, so you can unlock your phone or even authorize purchases with just a simple touch. Touch ID. Only on iPhone 5s. It stands to reason that with the holiday shopping season slowly creeping up on us, Apple will soon begin to ramp up its iPhone 5s marketing. This is admittedly nothing more than speculation, but perhaps Apple has been slow to roll out iPhone 5s ads because supply continues to remain strained across the country. After all, if you take a look at the fine print in the advert above, you'll note that it says "Limited Availability" -- though perhaps that's in specific reference to the gold model. Similar ads have reportedly been spotted in other high-circulation magazines such as Entertainment Weekly and Sports Illustrated.
Entertainment Weekly print edition comes with a 'smartphone-like Android device'
If there's one advantage a print magazine still has over an online publication, it's the ability to offer all manner of crazy freebies glued to its pages. Maybelline samples, CDROMs packing the latest version of WinZip, or -- in tomorrow's edition of Entertainment Weekly -- something that actually looks pretty enticing. Flick it open to the right page and you'll spot an LCD display that magically displays video ads and live Tweets from the CW Network. Intrigued by how such a thing could function, Mashable did a teardown (literally) and discovered all the ingredients of a budget Android smartphone, including components which aren't strictly necessary for the task at hand: a 3G modem with T-Mo SIM (which seems to have some degree of voice connectivity), a full-sized battery, USB port and even a partially-built QWERTY keyboard. Suddenly, that $50 myTouch doesn't seem so cheap.
The October 5th edition of Entertainment Weekly has a built-in Twitter feed (really)
Youth-oriented TV drama factory The CW is hoping that Entertainment Weekly readers are interested in taking Twitter from smartphones and computers to the printed page -- er, at least a printed page with an LCD insert attached. The October 5th issue of EW features a miniature LCD display with the six most recent posts to its Twitter feed (@CW_Network), as well as a "short video showing stars of new CW shows," according to The New York Times. Yes, seriously -- an LCD screen with some form of internet connection embedded directly into copies of a physical magazine. "Emily Owens M.D." -- a new show on The CW -- is the first to receive direct promo treatment via the magazine's LCD display. It's unclear if all issues of the Oct. 5 edition will contain the embedded video screen (only 50,000 issues of a 2009 EW issue ran an embedded Pepsi video ad, for instance). CW executive VP Rick Haskins said the company's social media team overseeing the project will only filter out "profanity or other unacceptable language." As for negative tweets, however, those are fair game. Not that we'd encourage such things, but this setup sounds all too ripe for exploitation by the denizens of the internet. Do with the information as you will, unscrupulous readers.
Spotify launches Play Button in bid to become the web's default music player
The music streaming wars have been heating up a good deal, as of late, thanks in no small part Spotify's long-awaited US launch. Since then, Rhapsody bought its one-time chief competitor Napster, both Pandora and Rdio underwent major redesigns and Mog finally launched a Windows client. Naturally, all of this has proven good news for the consumer, as services have a features arms race of sorts, gunning for the top spot. None of the contenders are quite perfect, of course -- when Spotify launched, for example, we couldn't help but note the absence of a browser-based option of the sort employed by Rdio and Pandora. Today's announcement still leaves open that possibility, but it does mark a new web-focused strategy for the company -- on that could arguably have a much larger impact on Spotify's fortunes than a simple browser-based UI.Today marks the launch of the Spotify Play Button -- a name we assume the Swedish company settled on before Google announced the whole Android Market rebranding thing. The button is, essentially, a widget that allows site owners to embed songs and playlists directly from Spotify's massive catalog of songs. It's a simple idea, sure, but well executed, it could prove a major win in the service's attempt to stand out in the ever-more competitive world of music streaming. After all, embedding music on sites has long been a fairly haphazard deal -- unless you happen to have a deal with a proprietary player, it means snapping up something like a YouTube video, which often live in, at best, a legal gray area.
Time Inc. aims to please advertisers and your eyes, making all mags tablet-friendly by year's end
Do you love reading Time magazine on your tablet, but wish you had the same luxury with all of its related offerings? Oh boy, do we have fantastic news for you. As it stands, select Time Inc. publications are supported on the iPad, Android Marketplace, TouchPad, and Next Issue Media's store, but now the company has announced plans to make all 21 of its mags available on tablets by the year's end. Furthermore, support for the Nook Color will be added by the end of August with digital versions of Time, Sports Illustrated, People, and Fortune. Current subscribers to the print editions won't be left out either when it all rolls out, as they'll be able to opt-in for free upgrades with digital access. The decision is apparently tied to increasing "digital reach" for advertisers, but hey, ad-support isn't totally lame. Right? Full PR just past the break.
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception coming in 2011
Great, as if we're not already jealous of Entertainment Weekly for the easy access to the hunkiest actors and sexiest starlets of today and tomorrow, now we have to hate them because they've seen Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception. The game, due in 2011, will feature Drake and partner Sully on a hunt for a lost city, a journey that leads them to the Arabian Peninsula and Rub' al Khali Desert. (Note the sandy "Exhibit A" above.) The story not only lifts from the life of Sir Francis Drake but also British Army officer and archeologist T.E. Lawrence (yes, as in "of Arabia"). EW's preview later reveals a few new gameplay tweaks, most notably the ability to fight several enemies at once, and an expanded multiplayer offering. They've even got the teaseriest of teaser trailers, the practical upshot of which is that we'll have to wait until Saturday's VGAs to get a good look at the thing. We can't wait. %Gallery-109626%
Christopher Nolan confirms Inception video game in development
Inception director Christopher Nolan has been considering putting together a video game based on his mind-bending film for a while, but it looks like those plans have gone one level deeper: He now tells Entertainment Weekly that the project is a go. Nolan says he's working with a full team on the game as "a longer-term proposition" and that he's excited to "explore" the medium of gaming by creating a new story set in the world of the movie. EW suggests an MMO, but we have a better idea (that we wouldn't mind planting in the back of Nolan's brain, if someone out there has the means to do it, wink wink): a spinning top simulator. Call us, Nolan -- we've got Dark Knight ideas, too!
CBS's video ad for print not much better than its video ads for TV
Call us crazy, but this whole idea of embedding video in magazines (just like e-ink on the cover of Esquire) seems rather callous. Really, what better way is there to rub publishers' noses in the "death of print media" than by taking a perfectly good magazine and embedding a TV commercial? Apparently CBS doesn't see it that way, so they're taking Americhip's "multisensorizing" technology to an ad insert that will run in the September 18 issue of Entertainment Weekly. The ad, which will only be seen by subscribers in the New York and LA markets, plays about 40 minutes of video and, presumably, some crappy audio. We've tracked down a YouTube demo of the device (or similar), and although it does little to change our ornery opinion of the matter, we suppose that if it results in one more Ghost Whisperer fan it'll be worth it. Decide for yourself after the break.
Pin Jake Gyllenhaal to your waal, first official shot of Prince of Persia
You know that empty spot on the wall, right above your bed? It's time to fill it. We've seen behind-the-scenes images of Jake Gyllenhaal as the Prince. We've even seen him in motion. But this, this is the first official shot from the upcoming Jerry Bruckheimer action extrabonanza, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. The photo appears in the current issue of Entertainment Weekly in glossier, more tangible form, presumably accompanied by an article as well.If you want a copy for yourself, and we know you do, look for the issue with Iron Man on the cover.
The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes confirmed, trailer released
After rumors last week claimed Krome Studios to be working on an upcoming multiplatform Star Wars game, tentatively titled The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes, Entertainment Weekly has since confirmed the game's existence. In the same aesthetic vein as the Star Wars: The Clone Wars, the trailer focuses on a poorly voiced Yoda and -- big surprise! -- the possibility that failure means "all will be lost." Dare we say it? The graphics just aren't that impressive, especially compared with last year's The Force Unleashed. Still, the game's only out (on every system ever) by September 15th. Perhaps it'll catch our eye before then!
TiVo + Entertainment Weekly suggested recordings = ?
Look TiVo, it's not like we enjoy having you on deathwatch, so the next thing we want to hear about is HD Amazon Unbox rentals, or a do everything tru2way box or...something. Direct marketing via our set-top box and this latest announcement -- automatic recordings based on suggestions from Time Warner's (the parent company of this blog) Entertainment Weekly -- just aren't cutting it. Broadband-enabled TiVo users can subscribe to EW's "What to Watch" picks and download EW.com video clips to watch on their TV. As much as we enjoy telling ( and being told) what to watch, most of us have a good idea of what we'd like to see on TV already. As part of a strategy it claims as a way to differentiate itself from generic cable & satellite DVRs it's already regarded as being significantly better than, it's not very inspiring.
Entertainment Weekly lists the classic games from the last 25 years
In its historic 1000th issue, Entertainment Weekly made a point to name the new classics of the last 25 years. While EW took everything from movies to tech to task, writers Geoff Keighley, Wook Kim and Gary Eng Walk clawed through the last 25 years of gaming to list the industry's most important releases. Two Xbox-exclusive titles landed in the top 25 of the 50 title list, at number 11 the classic 2001 Xbox launch title Halo: Combat Evolved from Bungie and ranking in at number 20 was Epic's Gears of War.Other strong Xbox released titles on the list included Grand Theft Auto IV (#9), BioShock (#28), Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (#30), Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (#38), Psychonauts (#43), Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (#45), Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (#47) and Madden NFL 2005 (#50).What are the most important titles in your gaming life and how do you think this list stacks up as a collection of gaming's new classics in the last 25 years? The full 50 title listing can be found after the jump.
Stephen King speaks out against violent video game bill
The oft-proclaimed "Master of Horror" never was much of a gamer -- he'll be the first to admit that. That's probably for the best; it would be hard to consistently produce the pants-soiling stories he's known for if he spent his days wasting away in front of his computer, looking for a PUG for the Hellfire Citadel. However, that doesn't mean he'll sit idly by as the gaming industry gets remorselessly hassled by The Man.In a recent column for Entertainment Weekly, Stephen King decried HB 1423, a pending bill in the Massachusetts state legislature, which would outright ban the sale of "violent video games" to minors -- effectively circumventing the ESRB ratings system altogether. King, who knows a thing or two about violence, dissects the bill as eloquently as you'd expect, saying that politicians use pop culture as a "whipping boy," to illicit a passionate response from fans of the beleaguered medium, and to ignore "the elephants in the living room." Wait, you mean the popularity of violent video games isn't the biggest crisis facing the country? Get out of town!
Entertainment Weekly console Thunderdome
Four Entertainment Weekly writers pitted the three consoles against each other Thunderdome style: Three consoles enter, one console leaves. Yeah, we wish it were that cool, but they pretty much did a standard in-depth breakdown of the consoles and what it means to the average Entertainment Weekly reader. Here are the highlights:PS3 -- Other than saying that the machine is gorgeous like Darth Vader, they pretty much go the softer route of the New York Times bashing. If you don't have a HDTV, which is still a majority of people, than you "can't fully appreciate" what the $600 system has to offer. They also say you get what you pay for with the online service which is a "work in progress." They say to resist temptation and wait until there is a "practical" reason to purchase. After all they say about the system it still got a grade of B.Wii -- The B+ rated system gets the grade for every tired reason mentioned in the past. The graphics aren't pretty, "clueless companies trying to shoehorn existing franchises onto a radically different control scheme aren't doing anyone any favors," the wii-mote might get old fast and playing games actually requires you to move. The almost identical ratings for the Wii and PS3 are quite telling. It shows that gamers must truly be divided on what is more important: Tech specs or gameplay?Xbox 360 -- EW likes the 360. "Hands-down your best game console option at the moment." They say it already has some must-buy titles like Gears of War, Ghost Recon, Dead Rising and Viva Piñata for the "family-friendly" set. The gushing over the system continues until it culminates in an A-. They also make sure to say it's in "bountiful supply" now.It'll be nice to revisit this in a year when we can watch some blood be spilled. Giving such close grades to systems seems more like a cop-out. Hopefully by this time next year we'll get a real verdict from EW.
Entertainment Weekly honors Joystiq in top 25 list
While we're physically unable to pat ourselves on the back (freak DDR accident, y'know), we thought there might be some interest in seeing your favorite game blog (read: that's us, guys) in dead tree format. We've been selected by the good people at Entertainment Weekly as one of their "25 favorite online entertainment sites!" Part of the gig required us sending in a handful of our favorite online entertainment sites. We chose: the superlative Game Politics, the entertaining and promising GameVideos.com, and the more entertaining than it ought to be Wikipedia. Other notable sites we chose that didn't make the cut included The Escapist, Gamasutra, Gamerankings, and YTMND; some of our choices, namely Wonderland and Penny Arcade, were already chosen by other sites (thankfully); and still others, like Clive Thompson's excellent CollisionDetection.net, we mistakenly left off our list entirely. (Disclosure: Entertainment Weekly is published by Time which is owned by Time Warner who were purchased by AOL to create AOL Time Warner; of course, AOL owns Weblogs, Inc. who in turn own Joystiq, so if you really wanted to be cynical you could follow that corporate trail to a gray, lonely place we call Nepotism. Us, we're going to keep trying to be the best gaming blog on the internet regardless!)
