Apple Expands Animated iPhone 5c Ads Beyond Tumblr
After debuting a range of playful iPhone 5c ads on Tumblr in early March, Apple has expanded its campaign to the The New York Times and the front page of Yahoo.com. The Yahoo homepage currently features an ad block on the right side hand of the page that houses eight different iPhone 5c ads with the tagline “Find your colors.”
Each ad features a short animation, mirroring some of the original Tumblr ads. There’s a spot called “Catwalk,” for example, which features a series of lens flashes, “Baaaa,” which mimics a herd of sheep, and “99 Luftballoons,” which offers floating red dots with music from the popular song.
In each video, a series of dots are depicted in different arrangements that eventually come into line as the same dots on the back of the iPhone 5c case, which then zoom out to show the full iPhone 5c. Apple has approximately 17 different animated iPhone 5c ads that are being displayed on the web, both on Yahoo’s properties and on The New York Times site earlier this week.
According to a Times representative, Apple’s grid-based ad was a customized format offering “a transparent overlay to depict a rich brand experience” that was indeed designed by the company though it featured a Sprint logo.
Apple has aggressively advertised the iPhone 5c since its release, but the move to social media sites like Tumblr is new territory for the company, which typically sticks to billboards, television commercials, and other types of traditional advertising formats. Web ads are not new for the company, however, as Apple has recently shown its Your Verse ads on a range of websites.
It appears that the campaign on the Times website may have ended, but it is likely that Apple will expand the animated advertisements to other websites as well in an effort to further market the iPhone 5c to a wide range of consumers.
During the company’s Q1 2014 earnings call, Apple revealed it had seen lower than expected sales of the iPhone 5c due to high demand for the flagship iPhone 5s. Some reports indicated that the iPhone 5s was outselling the iPhone 5c by a two-to-one margin and Apple scaled back production of the mid-tier phone shortly after launch.
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Standard Plex app Updates with Chromecast Support
Until today you needed a Plex Pass to utilize Plex through your Chromecast device. Plex Pass members get new features as a sort of trial before a general public release. For many the added benefits of Plex Pass is well worth the price tag that it carries, for other, they are happy to wait for a new feature to make its way to the general public app, which I might add does cost $4.99.
Those of you that waited patiently are in for a treat today. The regular Plex app has been updated to include Chromecast support for everyone. The Chromecast support also is capable of casting your music and photos from your Plex server too. As with all updates, it also includes fixes around remote controlling the Chromecast and lots of bug fixes.
Be sure to go update the Plex app if you aren’t a Plex Pass member and check it out on your Chromecast. If you are totally clueless, you should head over to Plex.tv and take a quick read. It could very well be worth your time and the cost of the $4.99 app.
Bing finally supports image matching in search
You know Google’s Search by Image feature? Well, Bing now offers the same functionality — albeit more than two years later. Microsoft’s search engine will now let you search for a particular picture, as Google has been doing since mid-2011. While Google’s Search by Image works by dragging and dropping a photo into the text box, Bing’s version uses an Image Match button to pull up different sizes for a given picture. It’s definitely a useful feature, especially if you need a particular resolution or are looking for a particular source. Better late than never, Microsoft, but you certainly are tardy on this one.
Filed under: Internet, Microsoft, Google
Via: The Next Web
Source: Bing Search Blog
FCC approves AT&T’s acquisition of Leap Wireless, with some strings attached
AT&T’s buyout of Leap Wireless is clearly going more smoothly than its failed bid for T-Mobile. The FCC has just approved the Leap acquisition, leaving only the Department of Justice’s A-OK between AT&T and its dreams of additional spectrum. However, the carrier will have to abide by some conditions if it wants all that extra bandwidth. AT&T will have to launch LTE on Leap’s unused airwaves no later than a year after the deal wraps up; the provider must also roll out LTE in parts of Texas within 18 months, offload some spectrum in the state and maintain roaming deals while Cricket’s network is running. These kinds of requirements are par for the course in wireless mergers, though, and we suspect that it won’t be long before AT&T has yet another company under its belt.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, AT&T
Via: Phone Scoop
Source: FCC
Daily Roundup: Garmin Vivofit review, Amazon raises the price of Prime, and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours — all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Garmin Vivofit review: a truly fitness-focused activity tracker
Garmin’s new Vivofit activity tracker is a truly fitness-focused device. The wearable is waterproof up to 50 meters, lasts a whole year on a pair of removable batteries and has an interchangeable strap. But at $130, would you be better off with a similarly priced Nike FuelBand or Jawbone Up24? Read our review to find out.
This list is brought to you by 25 years of the world wide web
What do GIFs, live animal streams and crowdfunding all have in common? They wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for Tim Berners-Lee’s desire for an interconnected network of information. Yesterday was the 25th birthday of the World Wide Web, so to celebrate, we made this list of 25 things made possible by the internet.
Report: This is what iOS 8 looks like, at least right now
What you’re looking at is reportedly a leaked screenshot of Apple’s iOS 8 mobile operating system, according to the Chinese microblog site Weibo. And if you look closely, you’ll notice the image features the expected Healthbook app, as well as three interesting new additions: TextEdit, Preview and Tips.
Amazon raising Prime subscriptions by $20 to $99 a year
After Amazon acquired Lovefilm and its database of over 70,000 movie titles, we suspected that US Prime customers were subject to a price increase. Now, the announcement is official. Brand new customers have seven days left to lock in their first year of Prime for $79, after that renewals will cost $20 more.
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Filed under: Misc
LG Made Google Watch Specs get Some Leak Attention
Leaks and rumors are always a fun way to get conversations rolling. A new leak from infamous leakster, @evleaks, has pump out a bit of information regarding the upcoming and fairly anticipated, Google Watch. We have known for a while that LG would be the manufacturer of the device.
The leaked specs outline a Google (LG) Smartwatch with a 1.65″ IPS LCD display with a resolution of 280 x 280. Internally it houses 512 MB of RAM and 4GB of storage. The processor manufacturer and speed are still to be determined.
More Google (LG) smartwatch specs: 1.65″ IPS LCD @ 280×280, 512MB RAM, 4GB internal storage, processor TBD.
— @evleaks (@evleaks) March 13, 2014
The watch is said to be heavily KitKat and Google Now orientated. I am sure it will be compatible with any android device that is running a minimum of KitKat with the best experience being with a Nexus device.
It sounds like we can expect a square watch display with the 280 x 280 mention. Rumors peg an announcement this month with a release in June at Google I/O. The early announcement would be aimed for excitment, but more so for the release of the SDK. It would give developers a few months lead to create new apps and update current ones to work with the new watch.
Personally I would prefer a round display, but I know that is trickier and also limits the amount of information that can be displayed on the screen.
What do you guys want to see happen with the Google designed smartwatch? Will it need to hit the sweet spot price tag to be considered, or will you shell out top dollar for it?
Via Evleaks Twitter
img via 9to5Google
Barnes & Noble to drop its Nook app for Windows in revised Microsoft deal
We hope you weren’t too attached to the Nook app for Windows, because it’s going away — well, sort of. Barnes & Noble’s Nook Media subsidiary and Microsoft have amended their partnership with terms that let Nook Media stop distributing its Windows e-book software. The company won’t leave bookworms completely stranded, though. Instead, it will steer them toward “Microsoft Consumer Reader;” ZDNet believes this is a previously rumored e-reading app that will support both Nook content as well as generic text. The updated pact also lets Nook Media scrap progress on a Windows Phone app, although that’s not as big a loss when the client hasn’t reached the public. We don’t yet know how the revised deal will affect Windows-bound Nook fans, but let’s hope that Microsoft does a good job of picking up any slack.
Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Microsoft
Via: ZDNet
Source: SEC
Target reportedly knew about data breaches for 12 days before taking action
Foreign data thieves may be responsible for stealing Target’s customer data late last year, but it now appears that the retailer played a large part in its own misfortune. Sources speaking to Bloomberg Businessweek claim that Target not only shut off an automatic malware removal tool, but sat on breach alerts for 12 days — long enough for attackers to both grab card info and cover their tracks. While the store chain isn’t confirming what happened at this stage, it notes that it’s already revamping its security system and speeding up plans to accept chip-based payment cards, which are slightly more trustworthy. If true, though, the scoop suggests that Target could have easily prevented the theft and spared millions from the financial headaches that followed.
Filed under: Internet
Via: TechCrunch
Source: Bloomberg Businessweek
Prepare yourself: Facebook video ads are headed your way soon
Get ready: video ads are set to become a permanent fixture in your Facebook feed by late April or early May. The social network has been testing 15-second spots since December and, after a few delays, officially started offering them as an option to select advertisers today. Both mobile and desktop ads will autoplay in your feed, but won’t have audio unless you click on them (so you won’t have to worry about disturbing your cubemate when you’re Facebook stalking your ex). On mobile, those ads will download only when you’re connected to Wi-Fi, so they won’t gobble up all your mobile data, but you’ll still see them when you’re on the move. There’s no way to opt out of seeing the ads. Though, legend tells of a magical browser extension that can “block” all ads online (not that we’d ever endorse such a thing). Our quick solution? Treat them like the million baby pics your college roommate posts and scroll by as fast as possible.
[Image courtesy Flickr/mkhmarketing]
Filed under: Internet, Mobile, Facebook
Via: Bloomberg
Republic Wireless rings up Moto G for April
Republic Wireless on Thursday announced the upcoming availability of the Moto G smartphone from Motorola. Priced at $149, the 8GB version of the handset is free of contract obligations and can be paired with plans that start as low as $5 per month. Those who need more storage can double down at 16GB for $179; same rate plans and options apply. Without divulging an exact date, the carrier promises the Moto G will be available starting in April.
The Moto G is the Republic Wireless of smartphones – proof that a world-class experience can come at a low price. The reviews are nearly unanimous in their praise, and the G is enabling millions of people around the world to experience the mobile internet for the first time.
To help kick things off Republic Wireless is hosting a giveaway which sees a Moto G & 12 months of FREE 3G service awarded weekly.
The post Republic Wireless rings up Moto G for April appeared first on AndroidGuys.
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