YouTube makes art out of ads at SXSW

Unless it’s during the Super Bowl, chances are not many actively look forward to watching ads. But the main reason people do enjoy those is because brands design them to have a cultural effect, rather than just feel like a simple product pitch video. At SXSW, YouTube is showing a form of that with “The Greatest Stories Retold,” an installation inside its Story HQ space that had 13 creative agencies turn classic fairy tales like Snow White into interactive, short-form stories. What YouTube hopes to accomplish with this is to show the power of its 6- and 15-second ads, as well as longer-form ones.

My personal favorite was Goldi’s Locks, though that was mostly because I found it hilarious to see a bear with a blonde wig trying to sell me a lock. While there wasn’t much of an interactive aspect to that particular piece, YouTube did have others where you could step into high heels to play a video, or another where you sat in front of a desktop computer, pressed some keys and then you’d watch the story unfold. The experience was fairly similar to Vimeo’s “The Decade” at SXSW, where it turned popular internet films into an art exhibition.

An interactive version of Jackie and the Beanstalk.

For YouTube, this was mostly a way to encourage advertisers to get more creative with their ads, and to let them know that all formats can be effective as long as your storytelling can resonate with consumers. Ben Jones, creative director and head of Unskippable Labs at Google, said that his team’s goal is to find the best way to target users regardless of how long an ad is, be it six or 15 seconds, or even longer. “The biggest challenge is that we have this muscle memory that says, ‘this is what an ad is,’” he said. “An ad is a thing that tells a story that has reasons to believe in supporting evidence and pays off for the brand. Well, that’s more time than you have in six seconds, so what can you do in six seconds?”

He said that having those time constraints also pushes advertisers to get their point across clearly. “I think it forces clarity,” he said. “It forces you, because especially after you do a lot of six-second ads, suddenly, 30 seconds seems like forever.” Either way, the truth is that ads aren’t going away anytime soon, probably ever. So if they can start feeling less like, well, ads (as they did at YouTube’s SXSW exhibit), then that’s a win-win for everyone.

Catch up on the latest news from SXSW 2018 right here.

L’Oréal’s Skinceuticals system makes lab-grade serums just for your skin

The rise of beauty tech has brought about hyper personalized care. From smart salons that cater to your hair type and color, to makeup you can apply virtually before buying, the use of tech in the cosmetics industry is designed to better address individual needs. In theory, anyway. At SXSW 2018, L’Oréal launched a new system under its Skinceuticals dermatological brand that can create skin serums tailored to your exact preferences.

I sat through a consultation with a Skinceuticals rep, answering questions about my skin type and concerns. I also had to indicate my preference for retinol in the product, which is a regulated ingredient that can cause flaking and peeling when used excessively. In fact, that’s part of what makes D.O.S.E unique — according to Loreal, you wouldn’t otherwise be able to find as comprehensive collection of active ingredients like retinol outside a lab.

Since custom D.O.S.E specifically targets discoloration and aging concerns right now, it doesn’t really need to have an extremely broad spectrum of ingredients anyway. It currently uses eight “highly concentrated key ingredients and counting,” which are dispensed via 24 canisters in the machine that was on display. After answering a series of questions, I would receive one of 48 possible formula concentrations for a serum that would treat my specific issues.

The consultation didn’t ask questions that were very different from those I had to answer when I signed up for similar services like Curology. But the Skinceuticals experience felt slightly more personal and guided, since I had the help of the rep, who advised me on things like the roughness of my skin. I had to pick from levels 1 to 3 (the bigger the number the rougher), and the consultant helpfully jumped in, saying, “Your skin isn’t Level 3.”

Unlike the Lancome Le Teint Particulier custom foundation demo that was happening alongside, Skinceuticals’ system does not use a scanner for your skin to determine what you need. You’ll rely on your own understanding of your needs and the consultant’s in-person assessment to fill out your questionnaire.

What’s neat about Skinceutical’s machine is how it determines how much of each ingredient to drip into your vial. According to the company rep, the device takes a relatively longer time to finish doling out your formula because it is constantly calculating how much your bottle weighs to figure out how much more to add. Once the machine is done dispensing all the components of your serum, the rep puts a stopper in your vial and sticks it in the centrifugal mixer at the top of the device. After about half a minute of shaking, your serum is properly combined and ready for you.

Custom skincare isn’t new — services like Curology, which I mentioned earlier that I subscribe to, already offer tailored formulations and even from the comfort of your own home. What Skinceuticals wants to do is provide its system to licensed practitioners so they can formulate premium skincare products tailored to their clients’ needs, and do so with a range of ingredients that aren’t necessarily available via online alternatives. So far, I got a bottle of serum that’s designed for my skin all in less than a half hour. I haven’t tried it out yet, so I can’t tell you how effective the formula is, but I can already see the value in a quickly made product that addresses my individual concerns.

Catch up on the latest news from SXSW 2018 right here.

Philips introduces its first outdoor Hue lights

Philips Hue is a popular smart home lighting system, so it was only a matter of time before the company extended to the outdoors. Today, Philips announced its new outdoor range, which extends the light bulb system’s smart features from within the home to its exterior.

The products work seamlessly with existing Hue systems, just like any indoor lights. The lights come in white as well as white and color ambiance. The Philips Hue Lily ($279.99) is a new spotlight system that you can use to highlight your garden, while the Calla (starting at $129.99) is designed for path lighting. Other products in the outdoor range are called Lucca, Tuar, Turaco and Ludere and will start at $49.99. Phillips is hosting a press conference about its outdoor lights on Monday, March 19th. Presumably, we’ll have more information on products availability at that point.

Source: Philips

Alexa App on iPad Can Now Initiate Phone/Video Calls and Send Messages to Echo Devices

Amazon is now allowing users to make phone calls, video calls, and send messages from an iPad, Android, or Fire tablet to an Alexa-enabled Echo device. Previously, users had to activate calls or send messages using an Echo, so now it should be easier to communicate within Amazon’s Alexa ecosystem (via Engadget). To receive calls, users need any device with the Alexa app installed or an Echo speaker.

The update also introduces Drop In support for the Alexa app on iPads and other tablets, meaning that iPad users can quickly send a message to someone near an Echo in a different room. Engadget noted that the new features are easiest to access on Amazon’s own Fire HD 10 tablet, where Alexa is supported across the software, but iPad users will of course first have to open the Alexa iOS app to initiate calls and send messages.

Amazon’s Alexa assistant has been in the news recently for scaring some users after creepily laughing for no apparent reason. Amazon has acknowledged the events and said it’s working on a fix to roll out to affected users. Additionally, late last week Alexa gained a new “Follow-Up Mode,” which lets the assistant respond to multiple questions in quick succession, without requiring the user to repeat the “Alexa” wake up command.

Amazon Alexa is available on the iOS App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Tags: Amazon, Amazon Echo, Alexa
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Apple Seeds Fifth Beta of iOS 11.3 to Developers

Apple today seeded the fifth beta of an upcoming iOS 11.3 update to developers for testing purposes, one week after seeding the fourth beta and three weeks after the release of iOS 11.2.6, an update that addressed a bug causing iPhones and iPads to crash when a character from the Indian language Telugu was rendered improperly.

Registered developers can download the new iOS 11.3 beta from Apple’s Developer Center or over-the-air once the proper configuration profile has been installed from the Developer Center.

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iOS 11.3 is a major update that introduces a long list of new features, like Messages in iCloud for saving space and syncing messages across devices, and ARKit 1.5, a new version of ARKit able to more accurately map irregularly shaped surfaces, recognize images, and place objects on vertical surfaces like walls.

There are four new Animoji on the iPhone X (dragon, bear, skull, and lion), and in the Health app, there’s a new Health Records feature that aggregates all of your medical records in one easy-to-access place.

As of iOS 11.3 beta 2, the update includes a new “Battery Health” feature that’s designed to provide iOS users with more information about their batteries.

Battery Health offers details on maximum battery capacity and peak performance capability, and for devices with degraded batteries, it provides information on if and when a device is being throttled with performance management features. It also provides a way for customers who do have a device with a degraded battery to turn off performance management all together.

By default, iOS 11.3 disables performance management on the iPhone, and the feature is only re-enabled once a device experiences an unexpected shutdown.

Early betas of iOS 11.3 and tvOS 11.3 included support for AirPlay 2 features, allowing audio to be played to multiple Apple TVs, but these features were removed in iOS 11.3 and tvOS 11.3 beta 3.

Other features in iOS 11.3 include a “For You” section in Apple News that displays the top videos of the day, support for Advanced Mobile Location (AML) for more accurate location when placing an emergency call in a supported country, more information about app size in the Updates tap in the App Store, software authentication for HomeKit, and a new Privacy screen and icon that will show up whenever Apple asks you for info.

The privacy screen is reflected in several new splash screens that pop up when you first open apps. The App Store also now lets you sort reviews by most helpful, most favorable, most critical, and most recent, a handy change for better finding the app info you’re looking for.

Business Chat, which will let you interface with businesses like Wells Fargo, Delta, Hilton and Lowe’s right in the Messages app is coming when iOS 11.3 is released, and improvements to Apple Music will bring better support for music videos.

iOS 11.3 will be released to the public in the spring. Spring kicks off on March 20, so the update will be in testing for at least another couple of weeks.

Related Roundup: iOS 11
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Apple Seeds Fifth Beta of macOS High Sierra 10.13.4 to Developers

Apple today seeded the fifth beta of an upcoming macOS High Sierra 10.13.4 update to developers, one week after seeding the fourth beta and three weeks after the release of a macOS High Sierra 10.13.3 Supplemental Update to address a bug that could cause apps to crash when receiving a character from the Indian language Telugu.

The new macOS High Sierra 10.13.4 beta can be downloaded from the Apple Developer Center or through the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store with the proper profile installed.

macOS High Sierra 10.13.4 includes bug fixes and performance improvements for issues that weren’t addressed in macOS High Sierra 10.13.3.

The update offers support for some features that are available in iOS 11.3, like Messages on iCloud, which uploads all of your iMessages to the cloud. It will also support Business Chat, a feature coming when iOS 11.3 and macOS 10.13.4 are released to the public, and it includes improved support for eGPUs.

The macOS 10.13.4 update also brings the smoke cloud wallpaper that was previously only available on the iMac Pro and it introduces a warning when opening up a 32-bit app as part of an effort to phase them out.

In the future, Apple plans to phase out 32-bit Mac apps, just like it did with 32-bit iOS apps. Apple says macOS High Sierra is the last version of macOS that will support 32-bit apps without compromises.

Related Roundup: macOS High Sierra
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Apple Seeds Fifth Beta of tvOS 11.3 to Developers

Apple today seeded the fifth beta of an upcoming tvOS 11.3 update to developers for testing purposes, one week after seeding the fourth beta and three weeks after releasing the tvOS 11.2.6 update.

Designed for the fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV models, the tvOS 11.3 developer beta can be downloaded onto the Apple TV via a profile that’s installed using Xcode and Apple Configurator.

Early tvOS 11.3 updates introduced support for AirPlay 2, allowing the Apple TV to be added to the Home app as part of a HomeKit setup and enabling multiple Apple TVs in separate rooms to play the same song, but that functionality was removed in tvOS 11.3 beta 3.

It is not yet clear if Apple plans to re-add AirPlay 2 features ahead of the release of tvOS 11.3, but it’s a possibility because there are still several betas to go.

Other new features in tvOS 11.3 include enhancements to Match Content support, automatic frame rate switching on the fourth-generation Apple TV (a feature that was added to Apple TV 4K in a past tvOS update), and automatic mode switching for AirPlay video sessions.

Related Roundup: Apple TVBuyer’s Guide: Apple TV (Buy Now)
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iTunes Chief Eddy Cue: ‘We’re All In’ on Original Content

Apple iTunes music chief Eddy Cue is at the SXSW conference today, where he sat down for an interview with CNN’s Dylan Byers to discuss media, entertainment, and why curation matters.

The major announcement of the event was Apple’s pending acquisition of magazine subscription service Texture, which will be integrated into Apple News, but Cue also shared some insight into Apple’s original content plans, and much of what he said has been shared on Twitter.

Image via @JohanTrouve
According to Cue, Apple News is a unique service because it isn’t focused on advertising, so it’s not solely providing the news you want to read – it’s also sharing news “you should be reading.” Cue says Apple can do that because advertising isn’t the focus. “We’re not trying to get you to read so we can serve you more ads,” he said. “We want to give you a bit of serendipity to see all of what’s out there,” he added.

On the topic of Apple’s content plans, Cue said the company is “all in.” “We’re completely all in,” he said. Apple isn’t going to buy a company like Netflix or Disney, though, because the focus is not quantity, it’s quality. “You need to have a great story,” he said, while also teasing technology that will be a “surprise” to users.

Apple searched for the right people to run an original content team for two years before finding former Sony executives Zack Van Amburg and Jamie Erlicht. Cue says Apple was after someone who “really knew the business but was also willing to think about it differently.” Since hiring Van Amburg and Erlicht last year, Apple has inked deals for more than 10 TV shows, many with high-profile actors, producers, and directors.

“We’re making big investments,” said Cue. “Money isn’t an issue.” Apple’s original content team has grown to about 40 people over the course of the last year.

When asked about sports, Cue said that Apple wants to “augment the experience” rather than own sports content, doing things like sending out notifications when a game stats to enhance the viewing experience. “We think there’s a huge opportunity,” he said, referring to making sports watching a more interactive experience.

Cue also shared new details on Apple Music. The subscription service has grown to 38 million subscribers, with more than 8 million people using the trial service.

Cue commented on the HomePod, which went on sale in February. He said Apple is happy with the initial sales of the device, which is the “best musicologist there is.” Cue said Apple is “very proud” of the device.

Echoing statements Apple CEO Tim Cook has made several times over the course of the past year, Cue said Apple is “very, very optimistic” that AR is going to be huge. It’s going to be a mainstream product that everyone uses every day.

He declined to give specifics on the topic of AR hardware outside of the iPhone, though, citing a desire to continue working at Apple. “I’ve worked for Apple for almost 30 years and hope to work for Apple for another 20 years, so I’m not going to answer questions on future products,” he said.

Related Roundup: Apple TVTags: Eddy Cue, Apple MusicBuyer’s Guide: Apple TV (Buy Now)
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Apple Maps Now Displays Nearby Bike-Sharing Stations in 175 Cities

Apple Maps recently inked a deal with Ito World, which adds bike-sharing data to Apple Maps in more than 175 cities across 36 countries, reports TechCrunch.

The feature went live this morning, and Apple Maps users can now type “bike sharing” or a specific service name like GoBike into the search bar to get results for nearby bike sharing options.

Apple previously had some available bike-sharing data in a few cities in Apple Maps, but with the Ito World partnership, it’s more widely available. Ito World has signed deals with dozens of companies to license bike sharing data.

Bike sharing information is somewhat limited at the current time, as all Apple Maps lists is the location of the bike sharing stop rather than information on available bikes or empty docks for dropping off a bike.

According to TechCrunch, Apple Maps supports a wide range of services like Citi Bike in New York City, Ford GoBike in San Francisco, Biketown in Portland, Santander Cycles in London, Bicing in Barcelona, BIXI in Montreal, and more.

Tag: Apple Maps
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Apple Updates Made For iPhone Licensing Program With USB-C Ports, Lightning to 3.5mm Output Cable

Apple recently updated its Made for iPhone/iPad/iPod (MFi) licensing program to include specifications for USB-C ports and a Lightning to 3.5mm output cable (via 9to5Mac).

With the new specifications, accessory makers will be able to include USB-C ports on MFi-certified charging accessories designed for the iOS and Mac, with those accessories able to use the USB-C cables that ship with new Macs.

Third-party MFi accessories that include Lightning ports are able to offer passthrough charging, but Apple’s new specifications do not allow the USB-C port built into an accessory to be used for passthrough charging or syncing of an iOS device.

Apple’s documentation suggests speakers and battery packs could benefit from the use of a USB-C port for charging purposes.

As for the Lightning to 3.5mm stereo output plug, it is designed to let users connect to a 3.5mm input using a Lightning port on an iOS device, something that was previously only possible with adapters.

Apple also recently revamped its Made for iPhone/iPad/iPod logos, introducing support for the San Francisco font and replacing device icons with standard Apple logos.

Tags: USB-C, MFi Program
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