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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.
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]
Apple releases "Share the Fun" iPod touch ad
Apple released a new commercial that debuted right before the Thanksgiving holiday break. The ad showcases the iPod touch and all the fun you can have when you share photos, messages and more with your iPod-owning friends. It's obviously targeting younger people who don't have an iPhone and prefer the iPod touch because it doesn't come with a monthly cellular bill. This ad is a timely reminder of the capabilities of the iPod touch. iPod touch sales are declining, and the device could use a holiday shopping boost.
Parks and Rec's Aubrey Plaza stars in latest WoW commercial
Aubrey Plaza has made a name for herself in NBC's Parks and Recreation as the hilariously deadpan snarker April Ludgate. She channels that character in the latest Warcraft commercial recently posted by Blizzard, in which she tells the story of how her boyfriend disappointed her on her birthday with the gift of WoW. I swear that is the truth, I actually twittered a few days ago that I'd love Amy Poehler to do a commercial spot for World of Warcraft. It looks like they got the next best thing -- one of her awesome coworkers. I just hope this commercial isn't Parks and Rec canon though, because April and Andy are the cutest couple.
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.
World of Warcraft offers new in-game item, new TV spot for seventh anniversary
World of Warcraft is about to celebrate its seventh anniversary on November 23 next week (which means that some of its players have been alive for less time than the game's servers have been up), and to celebrate, Blizzard is giving everyone who logs in between this Sunday and December 3 a Feat of Strength achievement (which means it's only available during this time) and a "celebration package" item. The item will fire off a virtual fireworks display, and gives players a spiffy new tabard, as well as a 7% experience point and reputation bonus when used. The company will also introduce a brand new "What's your game?" celebrity TV commercial this weekend during the Bears/Chargers game on CBS. The star of the new commercial is set to be a surprise, so you can start guessing right now in the comments below. We have no idea who it might be, but considering all of the stars so far (William Shatner, Mr. T, Ozzy Osbourne, Jean Claude Van Damme, and Verne Troyer), a girl might be nice?
Ni no Kuni commercials offer a more realistic look at another world
Ever thought "Ni no Kuni looks nice, but I wonder what it would look like without all that Studio Ghibli art?" Neither have we, but you should watch these Japanese live-action ads for Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch anyway. In the brief clip above, and one more after the break, voice actress Mana Ashida explores realistic CG interpretations of locations from the game. She's almost certainly looking at green screens, but she looks suitably impressed! We're also impressed, but we have the benefit of actually seeing the impressive vistas.
New WoW ad airing during Sunday football
The official Warcraft Twitter account has teased a new World of Warcraft advertisement that will be airing during the Bears vs. Chargers game on Sunday. While we do not know the content of the advertisement yet, we know that it will potentially involve a foot, a hunter, someone's face, and a new Warcraft master. In the past, WoW commercials have featured celebrities attesting to their in-game personas, spelling out the awesomeness of their abilities. Who will be the newest WoW spokesperson? Not to be disrespectful to our European audiences, I've translated the post above for you below: Europeans, you'll be able to watch a new WoW commercial that aired during an American Gridiron game on YouTube this Sunday. We'll have a video of the commercial as soon as it is available. Brace yourselves for what could be some of most exciting updates to the game recently with patch 4.3. Review the official patch notes, and then dig into what's ahead: new item storage options, cross-realm raiding, cosmetic armor skinning and your chance to battle the mighty Deathwing -- from astride his back!
Apple launches three new iPhone 4S ads
Apple has kicked its iPhone 4S ad campaign into high gear with three new commercials featuring Siri, the new 8 megapixel camera, and integration with iCloud. All three ads are available on Apple's official YouTube channel, and they're also embedded below for your viewing pleasure. The new iCloud ad does a really good job of explaining the service in simple terms easy enough for the general population to understand, and the new ad for Siri does a better job than the first iPhone 4S ad in showing off what the "personal assistant" actually does. Expect all three ads to end up in heavy rotation over the next couple of months as Apple pushes sales of its latest device through the busy holiday season. It's pretty amusing (although undoubtedly coincidental) that the final Q&A in one ad is of a young boy asking "Do you think it will snow today?" with Siri answering in the affirmative. Of course Apple's ad agency couldn't possibly have known about the freak early Eastern US snowstorm this weekend... but then again...
New Samsung Galaxy Note ad: freedom's just a stylus away (video)
Ever wanted to soar majestically through the clouds? Good news, freedom from your earthly ties is a 5.3-inch display and S Pen away. All that and more in the Galaxy Note ad after the break -- though as we can attest, the whole creating beautiful landscapes thing isn't quite as easy as Samsung's simulated images make it out to be. No one ever said freedom was simple.
First iPhone 4S TV commercial features Siri
The first iPhone 4S ad has aired on TV and very prominently features Siri, the voice-activated personal assistant exclusive to Apple's newest handset. The ad shows several people talking to their iPhones, asking questions, looking up directions, setting up reminders -- all in very natural language. Siri itself doesn't appear until near the end of the video, though, so people who've never heard of the feature before may find this commercial somewhat confusing at first. We've embedded a version of the commercial below (hat tip to Engadget) that someone filmed off their TV. The official ad hasn't shown up on Apple's site or its YouTube channel as of this writing, so we'll update this post later on when it does.
Yale demos NFC-enabled residential locks, germaphobes rejoice (video)
Assa Abloy has already brought NFC-based door locks to some Swedish hotel rooms, but one of its subsidiary companies is now looking to bring them to your doorstep, as well. Earlier this month, Yale Locks & Hardware unveiled what it hopes will be the first NFC-enabled residential lock to hit the US market. With this system, all you'll need to do is wave your smartphone in front of one of Yale's Real Living line of motorized locks, which will then automatically open (as long as you've been authorized to do so). Demoed at this year's CEDIA Expo, these revamped locks are also compatible with either Zigbee or Z-Wave home automation technologies and support Assa Abloy's Mobile Keys software, which allows users to securely load all of their digital keys on their handsets. Pricing and availability remain unclear, but you can unlock more details in the brief demo video and full press release, after the break.
New RIFT Ascend-a-Friend commercial offers players strong incentives
Do you play RIFT? Are you familiar with the Ascend-a-Friend promotion? Of course you are; it's not uncommon for MMOs to offer rewards for recruiting new players after all, and RIFT's program's main advantage is that it's lucky enough to have a clever rhyming scheme. But perhaps you're not convinced that you should be worried about the ascension of your friends or lack thereof. Trion Worlds is taking a big step toward rectifying this with its latest commercial. What's in the commercial? Well, we'd rather not say. But you can trust us when we say that it's a short watch that should prove quite convincing -- not only in displaying the rewards you get for recruiting your friends, but in convincing you of the inherent desirability of these rewards. So jump on past the cut to watch the commercial, and you may very well want to watch it even if you're not currently playing RIFT. [Thanks to Joemamma for the tip!]
Uncharted 3's premise crammed into 23 seconds
While you watch the Packers and Saints take each other out during tonight's NFL Kickoff game at 8:30PM EDT, you'll easily pardon this action-packed interruption from Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception. Team Marlowe, if you recall, plays dirty.
Apple posts new iPad ad, "Learn"
Apple has released a new video in its iPad 2 ad campaign. The ad is called "Learn" and it, as expected, focuses on using the iPad as a learning tool. This particular usage is on the rise with educational institutions around the country providing iPads to students. Schools from Yale Medical school to a kindergarten in Maine are now using the Apple tablet in the classroom. Outside the classroom, adults and students alike have a variety of learning applications that teach you everything from tying a knot to playing a piano.
Droid Bionic ad has pretty much everything but a phone (video)
The new Droid Bionic ad sure has it all: a Portman-esque lady in an illuminated leather blouse, brandishing a giant sword against a Terminator-looking 'bot shooting lasers from his hands, all taking place in some crazy sky coliseum thing. As for the actual handset? Not so much on that front, save for a name at the end and a promised September release date -- oh, and the implied promise that the phone will literally slice the heads off of its Android brethren. Video after the break.
New iPad ad: 'We'll Always'
Apple has released a new iPad ad, "We'll Always," that demonstrates some of the iPad's many use cases and insists that the way we'll go about doing everyday tasks has been changed forever. We'll never stop sharing our memories. Or getting lost in a good book. We'll always cook dinner and cheer for our favorite team. We'll still go to meetings, make home movies, and learn new things. But how we do all this will never be the same. Whether you agree with the sentiment or not, it's hard to argue against the effectiveness of this ad and the other iPad commercials Apple's come out with so far. Apple is definitely pushing the device as something that can enhance people's lives, and as a thoroughly addicted iPad user myself, I certainly can't contradict them. Check out the video below.
Sony's latest tablet teaser plunges deeper into the rabbit hole, still tells us nothing
Ready for yet another S1 / S2 teaser video that tells you more about the marketing team's potential extra-curricular indulgences and absolutely nothing new about the tablets? Well, drop those tabs and strap in for some doll-voiced la la la's as Sony leads us even deeper into the late-night realm of desktop toys and the tablets they love. Shots of the stylish slates displaying video and gaming functionality are all but hidden in a "filled with fun" maze of booby-trap triggered contraptions. It's a romp through the sort of endearing Tim Burton-esque, high-art nightmare Sony's dabbled in for past Playstation campaigns -- so we're not too surprised. Hit the break to hitch a ride on this video wonderland.
Nokia prepping $120 million ad campaign ahead of Windows Phone launch?
With the dust from its Microsoft partnership having somewhat settled, Nokia is reportedly looking to kick off its forthcoming line of Windows Phones with a major marketing campaign. According to Marketing Magazine, Elop & Co. have already devoted some £80 million (about $127 million) to the six-month ad endeavor, which is expected to launch in October. Considering all the job cuts and downwardly revised corporate forecasts, an advertising refresh would seem like a logical way for Nokia to embark on a new era. But the company is remaining rather mum on the subject, saying, "We are excited about the Nokia with Windows phone, but it's not our policy to comment on specific campaigns for unannounced products." Awkwardly executed "leaks," on the other hand, are an entirely different matter. [Thanks, John]
