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Face-recognizing billboard ad identifies gender: no boys allowed (video)
A new face recognition ad will only reveal its full contents to women. It uses a "high-definition" camera to scan people's faces, detecting their gender with an apparent 90 percent success rate. The charity, Plan UK, is looking to raise funds to sponsor education for girls living in developing countries; the outdoor display will run the full advert for female viewers, while men will get a brief glimpse followed by directions to the charity's website. It's aiming to demonstrate the limits put on young women in some countries -- and is a pretty admirable use of facial recognition technology. Well, it's not withholding pudding from minors. Check the bus display in action on the streets of London right after the break.
Qualcomm Krait S4 SoC fully benchmarked, diagnosed as 'insane'
We've seen it, touched it and we fully expect it'll be turning heads in Barcelona next week, but until now Qualcomm's Krait chip has largely escaped the rigors of independent benchmarking. Fortunately, AnandTech has to come to our rescue once again with a characteristically thorough analysis at the source link. Those blue and green charts can speak for themselves, but if you're in a rush then here's the rub of it: the Krait truly is a next-gen SoC, with the dual-core 1.5GHz MSM8960-powered reference handset delivering an "insane performance advantage" of between 20 percent and 240 percent on CPU benchmarks. As we glimpsed recently, graphics performance is somewhat less ground-breaking but still very healthy, with the 28nm process allowing the Adreno 225 GPU to run at up to 400MHz, versus 266MHz on its Adreno 220 predecessor. Oh yes, this is going to be one mother of an MWC.
Vita's North American commercial has 'Bad Intentions'
For the Vita launch (psst, it's next week), the Europeans are receiving an extravagant big-budget looking ad, while North America gets something that could have been produced with handycams and a copy of iMovie. But, hey now, at least it shows off the Vita for more than 20 frames and promotes some functionality!Also, as stated earlier today, the North American Vita ad would have to feature the #gamechanger Twitter hashtag -- it's a cornerstone of modern American marketing!"You will find the television commercials featured during primetime programming on some of your favorite networks including Fox, Comedy Central and ESPN," Senior VP of PlayStation Brand Marketing Guy Longworth wrote on the PS Blog. "Residents of New York, LA, Chicago, Philadelphia and San Francisco will notice PS Vita on buildings and billboards. You'll find it on your favorite websites and on your favorite radio stations. Wherever you are, PS Vita aims to be."Sony plans to spend $50 million on Vita marketing, "the largest platform launch in terms of marketing investment" it's ever had. #gamechanger
ADZero bamboo smartphone prototypes hands-on (video)
We were so beguiled by AD's bamboo-bound smartphone that we had to track down the designer to get some hands-on time with these work-in-progress prototypes. We met up with Kieron-Scott Woodhouse (pun unintended) and he offered to bring along several of the latest prototypes for us to get to grips with. While the finished product will arrive in the bamboo material but smoked to the darker finish. The darker model's button layout is also closer to what we can expect on the final device. The ADZero is still set to launch between the end of 2012 and the start of 2013. Sustainable smartphone fans can browse through our gallery below, or read up on the phone's journey -- and our impressions -- right after the break.
Steve Jobs inspires Best Buy's Super Bowl ad
Last year when Best Buy was planning its Super Bowl ad, the retailer's US marketing chief, Drew Panayiotou had a revelation. Instead of getting a music or movie star for the commercial, Panayiotou suggested the company focus on Silicon Valley innovators. According to Bloomberg, he was inspired by Steve Jobs and all the tributes that came out after the Apple head passed away. The ad won't be about Steve Jobs, but it will include other tech innovators like Kevin Systrom of Instagram and Philippe Kahn, the man credited with taking the first camera phone picture. The Best Buy ad will appear in the first quarter of the February 5 game during the third commercial break. It will share the spotlight with an Anheuser Busch InBev beer commercial and an M&M candy ad. I love geeky commercials like this and will be watching for it on Sunday, how about you?
Comcast's extra ads ruin NFC championship game conclusion in some areas
It wasn't just RIM that had designs on the limelight during the football action last night. Comcast commercials appeared over the NFC Championship game last night, thoughtfully playing over the climax of the match 'twixt the Giants and the 49ers. Frustrated fans who missed out on parts of the fourth quarter and overtime promptly began voicing dissent on the company's support forums. The Washington Post has a quote from spokesperson Amiee Metrick indicating the problems were due to a possible "equipment failure" at a local Fox affiliate, WTTG, resulting in the ill-timed ads reported in Washington D.C. We've heard that of customers receiving a $10 credit and an apology, but it seems unlikely to soothe the brow of those -- like the person who recorded video of the incident you can see after the break -- thinking of switching to FiOS. Update: We've received a response from Comcast (included after the break), and updated the post to clarify the apparent breakdown was at local Fox affiliate WTTG.[Thanks, John]
KDDI putting ads in the notification bar on Android phones
Imagine you're walking down the block when, suddenly, your phone goes off. You take it out of your pocket, unlock that sucker and pull down the notification bar to reveal... an ad! The idea of such a travesty is enough to make our blood (which is primarily just liquid caffeine and taurine at this point) boil. Disturbingly enough though, this isn't some terrifying dystopian Android future -- this is the reality for at least some KDDI au customers. The Japanese carrier bundles the au one Market on many of its handsets as an alternative to the standard Google offering, and a recent update to the third party app outlet has it sending ads as push notifications to users. It's similar to Airpush, a service that offers both push notifications and ads as homescreen icons, which suffered a serious backlash shortly after launching. Of course, the carrier market can't be removed (at least not without a little bit of hackery) which makes this a practically unforgivable offense. Oh, and a quick message to any American carriers considering a similar move: don't even think about it.
Samsung's master plan: the AdHub platform for Smart TVs
Cunning move, Sammy! Taking advantage of your Smart TV prominence to start up your own global ad platform is pure textbook, and calling it 'Samsung AdHub' is equally shrewd. It'll enable both mobile and big-screen smart TV app developers to embed ads that exploit features like HD and 3D, and Samsung -- never shy of talking money -- hopes it'll become a "lucrative new business model." The logical next step? A Kindle-style discount on that nice little TV set in the picture, please.
Vizio flashes a sleek new HDTV design in Rose Bowl ad, we'll see more at CES (video)
For the second year in a row, it looks like Vizio has taken advantage of its sponsorship of the Rose Bowl to tease a new product -- last year it was an Android tablet, and the 2012 game brought this new display design. It flashes around :25 into the ad (embedded after the break), and while there's no details on exactly what it might be, we know Vizio had plenty of Google TV tech to show off last year, and after a year of development plus the release of Google TV 2.0, it may have decided to match Sony's funky TV setup with an interesting stand of its own. Whether there's Android, OLED or any other new tech to be found in the flat-panel we'll surely find out more in just a few days once CES 2012 gets underway.
Google outs two new Galaxy Nexus commercials, touts Face Unlock and Hangouts (video)
Go figure -- it's Galaxy Nexus day. Again. And as such, Google has just pushed out two new commercials in its "Calling all..." series. The new spots tout the new smartphone's Face Unlock feature as well as Google+ Hangouts, where Ice Cream Sandwich is proudly showcased. We'd bother explaining more, but we're pretty sure the two play buttons after the break are more than sufficient.
Samsung takes aim at Apple with Australian Galaxy Tab ad, credits Cupertino for its popularity
Now that the Galaxy Tab 10.1 has been cleared for sale in Australia, Samsung is taking the opportunity to publicly celebrate its courtroom victory, at Apple's expense. Exhibit A: a local newspaper ad that flatly brands Sammy's slate as "the tablet Apple tried to stop." The spot, which ran in the Sun-Herald this week, came just a few days before Samsung Australia's mobile head openly credited Cupertino for making the Galaxy Tab a "household name." Speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald, Samsung Australia's vice president of telecommunications, Tyler McGee, declined to say how much his company lost in sales revenue due to Apple's temporary injunction, but was more than willing to laud the iPad maker for inadvertently turning the spotlight on the Galaxy Tab. "At the end of the day the media awareness certainly made the Galaxy Tab 10.1 a household name compared to probably what it would've been based on the investment that we would've put into it from a marketing perspective," McGee explained. The exec went on to say that the manufacturer is bringing to market "as many units as we can," since it expects the device to be in "short supply against the demand." To the courtroom victor go to the spoils -- including, apparently, bragging rights.
Apple airs new Beatles-themed ad: Covers
Apple recently aired a new iTunes ad called "Covers." It's an animated compilation of The Beatles album covers set to the song "Magical Mystery Tour." The ad presumably is celebrating The Beatles one-year anniversary on iTunes. Last week Apple also released the free Yellow Submarine animated ebook on the iBookstore. Yellow Submarine was also released to celebrate The Beatles one year anniversary on iTunes (which was actually back on November 16th).
Ads will possess your phone using subliminal sound waves
Er, we don't want to sensationalize this or anything, but your phone could soon be at the mercy of inaudible sound pulses that trigger location-specific ads, sales promotions and other potentially demonic notifications. Unlike normal advertising within apps, and also different to sound-responsive apps like Shazam and Shopkick, a new platform called Sonic Notify is meant to work discreetly in the background, without the need for any user activation. Its creators, NY-based digital agency Densebrain, plan to attach small high-frequency sound-emitting beacons to store shelves, which will "set people's phones off" when they stand in front of a particular product. It's not clear how the platform might affect your battery life, or why you wouldn't just disable it at the first inopportune alert, but drug stores, TV networks and big players like Proctor & Gamble are nevertheless said to be gripped by the concept.
Kogan advertises Samsung LCDs in its HDTVs, Samsung would rather not take credit
It won't be shocking to most in the electronics industry, but the rest of the world probably doesn't realize that many products use components from other manufacturers and even direct competitors. So much like most hard drives are made by one of only a few companies, there are only about four LCD panel manufacturers. But just because it's Samsung inside doesn't make it the same, and in that vein Samsung took pause with the Australian value-minded brand, Kogan, when its commercial very plainly exposed just who makes the panels in its TVs . The cease and desist notice didn't sit well with Ruslan Kogan, who claims his company never agreed to obscure that fact and that he wouldn't "conceal the truth from the public." While we usually wish everyone could just get along, we can totally see where Samsung is coming from on this one, as there is far more involved in making a quality TV, beyond sourcing a great panel.
Samsung teases flexible, transparent display in concept video
Samsung's flexible display technology isn't slated to hit the market until 2012, but the Korean manufacturer is already giving us a glimpse of how it may transform our lives, with a freshly released concept video. Yes, it's just a concept ad, and a relatively brief one at that, but it still paints a pretty mouth-watering portrait -- one full of transparent, flexible screens, smartphone-tablet hybrids, and augmented reality. Check it out for yourself, after the break.
Best Buy touts its Apple store within a store
Best Buy is an authorized Apple reseller, and it wants its customers to know that this holiday shopping season. The retailer's latest ad focuses on a customer who just discovered Best Buy sells all the hottest Apple gifts. The edgy commercial pits the customer who purchased all her gifts from Best Buy, against Santa who arrived too late to put anything under the tree. Not all Best Buy locations carry Apple products, but those that do are a valuable resource for Apple owners. Best Buy carries most Apple products including the iPhone, iPod, MacBook Pro and the iMac. The retailer also lines its shelves with Apple-compatible accessories for those in a pinch who need a case or screen protector right away. It's also a launch partner and carried both the iPhone 4S and the iPad 2 on the first day of sales. Best Buy may not be your first place to go for all things Apple, but it should be on your short list. [Via AppleInsider]
Verizon's LTE-enabled Galaxy Nexus priced at $200?
We're still not sure when the Samsung Galaxy Nexus will arrive on Verizon, but a new flash ad may have just revealed its price. Spotted by Smart Keitai, the above ad has reportedly been making the rounds on sites like Android Police, Phandroid and Droid Forums, offering an LTE-enabled version of Sammy's new handset at a price of $200 on a two-year contract -- notably lower than previously rumored, and well below Verizon's price points for its other high-end devices. At the time of this writing, the page's "Learn More" link isn't activated, but its URL appears to include an inexplicable November 29th dateline, suggesting that the ad, if indeed legit, may have leaked earlier than intended. We'll obviously have to wait a bit longer before we know whether this rumored pricing holds up, but we'll be sure to keep you abreast of the latest. [Thanks, Eagon]
World of Warcraft 'law enforcement guide' leaked, new commercial released
Have you ever wondered what kind of dirt law enforcement officers would be able to dig up on you if they went to World of Warcraft developer Blizzard for information? Well, wonder no more. An 18-page document has been leaked to the internet thanks to the notorious organization known as AntiSec. The document is two years old, but it outlines what information Blizzard will disclose to law enforcement officers under given stipulations. And in completely and utterly unrelated news (well, Chuck Norris played a Texas ranger, so I guess there's some kind of connection), the game has revived its celebrity-laden advertisement series with a new commercial featuring none other than the hero of Barrens chat himself, mister Chuck Norris. As expected, the short clip is full of WoW-modified Chuck Norris jokes because apparently that horse hasn't been sufficiently flogged yet. To see the ad for yourself, just click on past the cut.
Massively mammillary online: Evony hires model to be the... face of the game
Quick -- what's missing in your life? No, not your dog; that beast is never coming back and you might as well get used to it. We're talking about Evony's tasteful, classy, and omnipresent chest-centric ads that had absolutely nothing to do with the gameplay itself. While Evony eventually replaced those ads with ones that showed elements from the actual game, it was only a matter of time before the bosoms of glory returned. To solve the crisis of the irrelevant breasts, the game studio hired a model to portray an in-game character, Eva, in a new series of ads. According to the press release, Eva was chosen by the game's players to find the right look for the person to represent the game. Eva will be displayed as both a real model and cartoon version. Undoubtedly, this is the high point of civilization as we know it, and everything will go downhill from here.
Google promises 'greater transparency' for targeted ads, gives users more control over them
Chances are you've visited at least one Google site or another today, and chances are you were delivered some ads tailored just for you while you were there. Exactly how those ads got from the advertiser to you hasn't always been clear, but Google's now announced a new effort that it promises will provide "greater transparency and choice" regarding the ads you see. The most immediate change is a new "Why this ad?" link that will be displayed in search results and on Gmail -- click on it and Google provides a brief explanation of how that particular ad came to appear on your screen (based on your current search terms, your location, etc.). You'll also soon be able to access a new Ads Preference Manager, which will let you block specific advertisers or opt out of personalized ads entirely. Google says those options will be appearing "over the coming weeks," but you can get a peek at what's in store in the video after the break.
