Apple’s Grammy ads were all about Apple. Google’s was about the rest of us

The iPhone X has Animoji, if you didn’t know. … Google had stories of hope to tell instead.

I admit, I still have no idea what a Despacito is. I can’t tell if Khalid is a DJ or just a regular dude. The line blurs between SZA and Sia (though they both kick some serious ass) and Pink looked exceptionally blonde to me. (Those high notes, though.)

I’m a nearly 40-year-old white guy. The Grammys maybe aren’t for me anymore. (My pre-teen daughter loved it though, and that’s more than good enough.)

So I sort of approach it like a casual football fan on Super Bowl Sunday. While I can (and do) appreciate the music that isn’t part of my daily playlist (if you haven’t spun the Childish Gambino record yet, though, you need to Rich Purnell your ass to Mars and get out of my orbit), I also sort of pay more attention to the commercials than I might otherwise.

Apple had a couple of Animoji spots that were downright fun. An alien head Animojiing to Gambino was perfect. The unicorns gave it just the right amount of tripped out WTF. It was the perfect contrast to the otherwise buttoned-down Apple.

The Migos spot was messier. Maybe I’m just biased against the poop emoji in general, or that I think their “Middle Fingers” song was bad enough to make my suburban middle-class 14-year-old self wince a little at the forced rebellion. But whatever. Animoji are fun.

I was disappointed to read the fine print that the commercials were “professionally animated” — I very much wanted to picture some very serious Apple folks lip-syncing not-so-seriously into an iPhone X over and over and over, to get the faux-facial ticks just right. Alas, not the case.

But it was Google’s spot that really stood out to me.

Not every picture tells the whole story. If you’re in emotional distress, reach out: https://t.co/P5q9mFbDJP pic.twitter.com/Ok7yXJ4vB6

— Made by Google (@madebygoogle) January 26, 2018

I missed the very beginning. Didn’t even know it was Google’s doing, though I started to wonder once I saw all the bokeh in the photos. (Portrait mode in effect.) And then the phone number on the Google Play Music-style screen gave it away.

But it was the people who stood out. The stories. And, of course, the kicker.

It was reminiscent of the excellent “Be Together. Not the Same.” campaign from a few years ago.

The more cynical among us might think that Google only did a suicide prevention spot because of the Logan Paul backlash. And that’s probably not wrong. But it’s also the right message at the right time, given the suicides in the music industry over the past year, to say nothing of the 100-plus people in the U.S. who take their own lives every day. And with the popularity of the “1-800-273-8255” suicide prevention song, which also was performed live Sunday night with Best New Artist nominee Khalid and eventual winner Alessia Cara.

So I’ll forgive Google for maybe being opportunistic. Worse would have been to have ignored the opportunity altogether and instead focus only on itself. One tech company had already done that Sunday evening.

It’s not complete redemption for the black hole of decency that is Logan Paul and his ilk. But it’s a start. And it was the right thing to do.

But now, Google, we need to talk about Linus.

Modern Dad

• Subscribe on YouTube
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram
• Newsletter
• See the gear

Subscribe to the Modern Dad newsletter!

Check out the gear I’m using!

Best Android apps for following the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics

Stay informed during the Winter Olympics!

On February 9, 2018, the world is going to turn its eyes to PyeongChang, South Korea where the Winter Olympics are going to be held. You know what that means: 15 winter sports, including everything from figure skating to alpine skiing. If you want to keep track of everything going on, then having the right app is key.

These are the best apps for following your favorite teams and all the action in PyeongChang

• The Olympics – Official app
• NBC News
• PyeongChang 2018
• Team USA
• Olympic Channel

The Olympics – Official App

If you want the best overview of everything the Olympics has to offer, both in 2018 and in the future, then the Official Olympics app from the IOC is what you’ll want to check out. The main page gives you all of the latest news, even when it isn’t time for the games themselves. You can view results, see which countries are competing, check out photos and videos from during the competition, and even shop for official Olympics gear.

It aims to be your all-in-one spot for the best information about the Olympics, no matter what you’re interested in checking out. One of the few things it doesn’t include is streaming of the games themselves, although highlights are uploaded after the fact.

Download: The Olympics – Official App (Free)

NBC News

As in 2016 with the Rio Summer Olympics, the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics are being covered exhaustively by NBC News. This means that you can use the NBC app to get access to tons of awesome coverage as it comes in.

This generally includes things like the opening ceremony, coverage of the biggest sports, clips from behind the scenes, and of course sportscasters on-site at the games, taking everything in from the sidelines. If you like to catch up after the fact, the video coverage is a great way to do it.

Download: NBC News (Free)

PyeongChang 2018

The PyeonCchang 2018 app is the official standalone app for the Olympics this year, and to kick off, it’s available in five languages. For those who like to follow the Olympics closely, this is the best companion you could ask for. It’s already counting down the days until the Olympics properly kick off, and has tons of information down to the current weather conditions on the ground.

When you first set up the app, you’ll need to choose your preferred language and time before deciding what kind of notifications you want the app to send you. Once you’re into the app, you can check out recent news, find your favorite events on the schedule, take a look at the different venues, and plenty more to boot. There is even a special section if you’re going to be a spectator in person, including the ability to buy tickets and view accommodations.

This app does ask for location and storage permissions, but that’s for filtered content if you’re actually at the games or abroad, and it only stores your photos and preferences in its own folder.

Download: PyeongChang 2018 (Free)

Team USA

If you’re cheering on Team USA at the Winter Olympics then you’re in luck: the Team USA app is especially for American fans! The Team USA app focuses solely on news and accomplishments of America’s Olympic team as it competes.

You can look up specific athletes, view photos and videos, check on upcoming events, and even view their social media feeds. It’s for the folks who are all-in for Team USA and want every smidgen of intel they can get their hands on.

Download: Team USA(Free)

Olympic Channel

When it comes to seeing everything going on at the Olympics in PyeongChang this February, the Olympic Channel is the app to check out. Its content is separated into Features, Events, News, and TV, and there is tons of content here to feast your eyes upon.

You can view the full upcoming Olympic schedule so that you don’t miss an important match, see all kinds of awesome news as it rolls in, check out events while they’re happening, and even get feature-length stories on all sorts of things that are Olympics-related both for 2018 and years past.

Download: The Olympic Channel (Free)

Will you be watching?

The PyeongChang Winter Olympics are nearly here, and you know what that means: Amazing athletes from all over the world coming together to compete against one another in the snowiest of conditions. Are you excited for the Winter Olympics? Will you be watching? Let me know about it by dropping a comment below!

‘Final Fantasy XV: Pocket Edition’ may launch on February 9 for $20

The same Final Fantasy XV you know and love, just smaller.

Although I haven’t spent as much time with it as I should, Final Fantasy is one of the oldest gaming series around that’s fostered some pretty amazing titles. Final Fantasy XV is widely considered to be one of the better recent entries, and soon you’ll be able to bring that same adventure with you wherever you go with “Final Fantasy XV: Pocket Edition.”

Final Fantasy XV: Pocket Edition first appeared on the Play Store for pre-registration last August, but the Apple App Store now indicates that it’ll be released on February 9. We can’t say for certain at this time if that release date will be the same for its Android counterpart, but if I were a betting man, I’d say it launches on Google Play either on or near that same day.

There will be ten total chapters for Final Fantasy XV: Pocket Edition, and while the first one will be free to download, you’ll need to hand over $19.99 in order to play all of them. That’s a lot of money to pay for a mobile game, and while the character models are more cartoony than they are in the console version of the game, the gameplay mechanics, story, and more are essentially the same.

If you’re a Final Fantasy fanatic, do you plan on picking up Pocket Edition?

HQ Trivia gets rid of $20 limit to cash out your winnings

This $7 Aukey charger has two USB ports and looks like it’s built into your vehicle

It’s barely noticeable.

This Aukey dual USB car charger is one of the most popular options out there for several reasons. First up, the price. Right now you can pick one up for just $7.03 when you enter the coupon code AUKEYCS5 during checkout at Amazon, a savings of just over $3. Second up, the size. It’s small enough that it looks like it’s built right into the cigarette lighter and it has two ports that can charge at 5V 2.4A simultaneously. The charger has built-in safeguards to prevent overcharging, excess current, and even overheating. All you have to do is plug this in, grab the two USB cables that you use the most, and you’re ready to charge on the go.

Aukey backs its products with a 24-month product replacement warranty, and at this price, you’re going to definitely want one of these in every car that you own. Remember to use the coupon code above to get the discounted pricing.

See at Amazon

Every Merge Cube owner should check out 57º North

With all the new games available for the new Merge Cube 57º North is something unique.

If you haven’t seen the Merge Cube yet you are missing out on an amazing little gadget. Using the camera of your phone to create an augmented overlay of a soft foam cube, the Merge Cube creates endless different apps, from games to Education, all from one cheap accessory. For only around $15 in most places, the Merge Cube is well worth owning.

Most of the games are made by Merge themselves and have a lot of variety but 57 Degrees North is pretty unique in its execution.

Buy a Merge Cube at Amazon

57 Degrees North sets itself up as a narrative storytelling device rather than a full-fledged game from the outset. When the cube in your hand opens up you see beautiful artwork designed in an almost 3D, layered design with a parallax motion as you turn it. Each frame of the story is lovingly detailed like a young adult novel, and even the text feels like part of the story.

As a game, there is very little to physically do in 57 Degrees North. This is in no way a traditional game, unless your traditions go way back to the early nineties, maybe even the eighties. This game is very much a choose-your-own-adventure book for the modern age. You remember those books, don’t you? Gather round children and let Grandpa James tell you about a different time.

Suffice to say the story is an enjoyable and beautiful adventure taking place in the Canadian wilderness.

We had books that instead of going from beginning to middle, to end, they rambled all over. The only way to get any sense out of them was to follow instructions. “Hit it with a sword! (turn to page 8) or Run away! (turn to page 32) were at the bottom of the pages and the choices you made determined the outcome of the book. For a child like me these books gave endless amounts of fun as each time you could have a different story. That is, essentially what 57 Degrees North is.

Each page of the story is narrated by a very talented voice actor. I have no idea who he is but I enjoy his voice immensely, it’s soft, melodious and conveys the drama of the situation wonderfully. Along with an excellent score, the narrator’s voice turns 57 Degrees North into a work of art. All you need to do is follow along with the story until you are given the choice and then make it. Most of the time your choice seems to plunge your protagonist cousins into more and more and more dangerous but hey, that’s what makes it a good story.

Normally I would explain a little about the story and what you are supposed to do but doing that would only ruin the wonderful narrative that the makers of 57 Degrees North have tried so hard to weave for us. Suffice to say the story is an enjoyable and beautiful adventure taking place in the Canadian wilderness.

I have been a big fan of the Merge Cube from the start and I’ve been waiting patiently for the 3rd party apps to catch up with the fantastic offerings from Merge themselves. 57 Degrees North not only catches up but surpasses anything I’ve seen on the platform so far. It isn’t a furious adventure game or a mind-bending puzzle, it is, at its heart, a wonderful story told in a unique and enjoyable way. For $2.99, this game should be in everyone’s Merge library.

Grab 57 Degrees North in the Google Play Store

‘Final Fantasy XV: Pocket Edition’ launches February 9th

It looks like Final Fantasy XV Pocket Edition, the mobile version of the console and PC game, is just around the corner. According to an App Store listing, it will hit iOS on February 9th for players who have an iPhone 6s or later, late model iPad or iPad Pro. The game also appeared on Google Play back in August last year, and while the release date isn’t mentioned there, you can pre-register to find out when it arrives.

The mobile version of the game follows console, PC and, most recently, a multi-player DLC. So far, the title has been a marketing extravaganza for Square Enix, spawning branded merchandise like a smartphone and even an Audi R8.

A fair amount of skepticism thus greeted the pocket edition version, as it seemed like another potential cash grab. However, Engadget got a look at it at last year’s Gamescom and to our surprise, liked it. That’s because, for the most part, the game stayed faithful to the original in terms of characters, gameplay mechanics, battles, etc. At the same time, the developers went for a simpler character design that should work well on on low-powered smartphones while being adorable at the same time.

Bear in mind that Square Enix hasn’t confirmed the date, and an App Store listing doesn’t mean it’s set in stone. We already know other details, though. According to the Final Fantasy XV Pocket Edition portal, all 10 chapters will cost $19.99, for one thing. If you’d rather do things piecemeal, the first chapter will be free, the next two will run $0.99 each, and then (by the time you’re hooked), chapters four through ten will cost $3.99.

Via: MCVUK

Source: Apple Store

WhatsApp is the first third-party messaging service on CarPlay

Today, WhatsApp introduced a new app update that adds compatibility with Carplay. The additional functionality was first noted on the Dutch site iCulture, and it’s automatically available who those who update to version 2.18.20 of the app.

WhatsApp users who have a vehicle that is CarPlay enabled can now see unread messages, ask Siri to read them messages and use the voice assistant to send new messages. Users will also receive notifications of new messages with the name of the sender. The ability to scroll through a list of messages is not available, however.

It’s worth noting that this is the first third-party messaging app to work with CarPlay, but its functionality is pretty limited. Apple puts heavy restrictions in place on what developers can and can’t do with CarPlay apps, so until it allows more flexibility, this is likely as good as it will get. WhatsApp has been available in Android Auto for some time; with this new development, hopefully we will see more messaging apps on CarPlay.

Source: iCulture

FCC chairman opposes Trump’s proposed state-run 5G network

It turns out former Verizon lawyer turned FCC chairman Ajit Pai’s loyalties reside not with the president, but — surprise! — with the telecom industry. Pai has come out against the proposed government-run 5G network that’s been floating around lower levels of the Trump camp. In a statement this morning, Pai said:

“I oppose any proposal for the federal government to build and operate a nationwide 5G network. The main lesson to draw from the wireless sector’s development over the past three decades — including American leadership in 4G — is that the market, not government, is best positioned to drive innovation and investment.

What government can and should do is to push spectrum into the commercial marketplace and set rules that encourage the private sector to develop and deploy next-generation infrastructure. Any federal effort to construct a nationalized 5G network would be a costly and counterproductive distraction from the policies we need to help the United States win the 5G future.”

This echoes his stance for repealing net neutrality, as a refresher. And really, this shouldn’t come as a surprise. Seeing how deep Pai’s loyalties run with his former cronies, rather than the person who appointed him though, is somewhat unexpected. Given the current administration’s stance toward “disloyalty” and opposing viewpoints, maybe we should expect a new FCC chairman in the near future too.

Source: FCC

Apple Working on Trio of New Macs With Custom Co-Processors That Could Launch This Year

Apple is developing at at least three new Mac models integrated with custom co-processors, including updated notebooks and a new desktop, according to Mark Gurman, reporting for Bloomberg News.

The report claims the new models could be released as early as this year, but it doesn’t specify which ones they’ll be. Of course, Apple’s notebook lineup includes the MacBook, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro, while its desktop lineup includes the iMac and iMac Pro, Mac Pro, and aging Mac mini.

In terms of notebooks, the MacBook and MacBook Pro are the most likely candidates for a refresh this year, as the MacBook Air has not received any meaningful updates since March 2015, nearly three years ago, and it seems like Apple is only keeping it around for its $999 price tag at this point.

MacBook Pro with Touch Bar models released in 2016 and later are already equipped with Apple’s custom T1 chip that authenticates and secures Touch ID and Apple Pay respectively, and it’s possible the notebook could be updated with a newer chip that offloads even more tasks from the main Intel processor.

MacBook models do not feature a custom co-processor, but unless Apple is planning to extend the Touch Bar to the 12-inch notebooks, it remains to be seen if there would be much necessity for a T-series chip.

There’s also a single rumor from DigiTimes, which doesn’t have the most reliable track record, claiming Apple will release a new entry-level 13-inch MacBook in the second half of this year. It’s unclear if this model would be a potential MacBook Air replacement, or where else it would slot in Apple’s notebook lineup.

Shifting to desktops, the iMac Pro is already equipped with Apple’s custom T2 chip for enhanced security and integration. The co-processor integrates several previously separate components, including the system management controller, image signal processor, audio controller, and SSD controller.

The T2 chip has a Secure Enclave that makes the iMac Pro even more secure with new encrypted storage and secure boot capabilities. It’s possible Apple could extend this co-processor to standard iMac models this year.

Apple has also confirmed it is working on an all-new modular Mac Pro, although it only revealed that its release date would come at some point after 2017. And the Mac mini has gone over 1,200 days without an update, according to the MacRumors Buyer’s Guide, and the portable computer could sorely use a refresh.

Much of the Bloomberg News report is focused on Apple’s shift towards in-house chip design, reducing its dependance on companies like Qualcomm and Imagination Tech, so further details about the new Macs are scant.

Related Roundups: iMac, Mac Pro, Mac mini, MacBook Pro, MacBook, iMac ProTag: bloomberg.comBuyer’s Guide: iMac (Neutral), Mac Pro (Caution), Mac Mini (Don’t Buy), MacBook Pro (Caution), MacBook (Neutral), iMac Pro (Buy Now)
Discuss this article in our forums

‘Final Fantasy XV: Pocket Edition’ Now Up for Pre-Order on iOS App Store Ahead of February 9 Launch

A new card on the iOS App Store today confirms that Final Fantasy XV: Pocket Edition will launch on compatible iOS devices on February 9, a few months after being announced last September. Players interested in the game can use the App Store’s new pre-order ability and tap “Get,” and when the game releases it will download onto their device and notify them that the game is available.

Final Fantasy XV: Pocket Edition is an episodic game, with Chapter 1 up for pre-order today for free. Chapters 2-3 will be available for in-app purchases of $0.99 each, and Chapters 4-10 will cost $3.99 each. There will also be a combined bundle of all chapters to download for $19.99 (via TouchArcade).

In terms of gameplay, the game is a mobile-friendly version of the mainline Final Fantasy XV game, which launched on PS4 and Xbox One in the fall of 2016. To fit on iPhone and iPad, Final Fantasy XV: Pocket Edition includes tap controls to move, talk, and fight, as well as a more stylized, “cartoonlike” art style.

During PAX West in Seattle, TouchArcade spent about 20 minutes playing the mobile game, and described it as “surprisingly one to one with the ‘full’ console version of the game.”

The game is everything we’d hoped it would be, and the first playable episode seems surprisingly one to one with the “full” console version of the game. All of the dialog is there, the quests seem the same, the level-up system feels identical, and overall it looks as if they’re delivering on the promise of having a full-featured version of Final Fantasy XV for mobile. Details are still few and far between regarding when it’ll specifically be released, but, it’s going to be a premium episodic game with the first taste that we played given away for free.

Just like the console version, the iOS game follows the story of Prince Noctis and his friends Gladiolus, Ignis, and Prompto as they face enemies and danger en route to Noctis’s wedding to Lady Lunafreya. Although the graphics and combat system in the iPhone game are pared down in comparison to the console title, Square Enix said that Final Fantasy XV: Pocket Edition “contains all of the main characters and main story of the console and PC versions, with the freedom to play whenever and wherever you want.”

Final Fantasy XV: Pocket Edition will run on iOS devices with iOS 11.1 or later, including iPhone 6s or later, iPad Pro, 5th generation iPad or later, iPad Air 2 or later, and iPad mini 4 or later. The game will also take around 5GB of space or more on each device.

Tag: Final Fantasy
Discuss this article in our forums