Tonight, Apple released two new iPhone commercials in the standard iPhone-esqe style -- Facebook and Cars. In these two commercials, Apple expounds on features that have already been introduced in older commercials. This is the first time that Apple has shown a web application on the iPhone in a commercial. Apple announces in the commercial, "If you love Facebook so much that you check it all the time on your computer, just think how great it would be to check it every time... you're, well, nowhere near your computer."
Oddly enough, with the two new iPhone commercials, there is no mention of the new 16GB model that was just released today.
The Mac web can be a pretty serious place, and that is why I was a little melancholy when I first heard that Crazy Apple Rumors would be going on hiatus for awhile. CARS, as those in the know call it, has been consistently funny for a good long time (feel free not to comment if you don't agree with me. Humor is a tricky thing, and it is highly personal) and the Internet will be a slightly less funny place without it.
Given the hiatus Brent Simmons, of NetNewsWire fame, suggested that a few folks link to their favorite CARS moment. I was all for it, because it would give me reason to link to the one and only time I appeared in CARS. The story was about the delay of Leopard (remember that?) and how it warped my tiny little brain. Still funny, if you ask me.
Here's hoping John Moltz, the man behind the site, will rest up quickly and be back to mocking Apple rumors in no time.
Over at AutoBlog, John Neff writes about why you should put Apple TV into your car. He has a point. Plug it in and you go straight into the Front Row interface. You don't have to log in, you don't need a keyboard, you don't need a mouse. Its small form factor means that it's even easier to embed than a Mini and with its built-in WiFi you can probably sync from your garage. What more could one ask for?
Although many newer cars now ship with integrated iPod audio and, sometimes, video playback, retrofitting an older car can also be an easy and not-too-expensive option. Sure you can drive over to Car Toys and pay large sums of money to have a roof-mount video display system installed, or you can put your video system together on the cheap. Here's how I retrofit our minivan for relatively small amounts of money.
Playlist magazine reports that about half of all new 2007 automobiles support iPod integration. Telematics Research Group calls it "the most sought after feature" for customers. This number is way up from the 12% iPod support in 2006 model year cars. You can only imagine how our Internet-addicted lifestyle (aka our "crackberry-style living") will continue to grow and develop over the next few model years. I fully expect standard in-seat video integration and wireless Internet consoles to join iPod support as standard options.
Although I'm getting older and grayer by the day, I'm still really a kid at heart. That's probably why I love the movie Cars. I love it so much that it's about to become the very first full-length movie that I personally purchase on iTunes.
Cars was released today in the iTunes Store [iTS link] and Apple has made it even more appealing with their special pricing of $12.99 for new releases. That makes me, as Mater would say, happier 'n a tornado in a trailer park!
Brian at FreeMacBlog writes in to point out an Apple easter egg he spotted in Pixar's Cars. During the opening race, one of the cars that is briefly on screen has an Apple logo on the hood, and is fittingly numbered "84." Pretty cool, Brian! Did anyone else spot this car?
Who doesn't like Pixar movies? The latest effort from our favorite part of Disney is 'Cars.' I know, I know this isn't exactly breaking news but the fine folks at Pixar have created a video podcast chronicling different parts of the movie, and it is available via iTunes.
Oh, Crazy Apple Rumors how you amuse me! Since I am a self proclaimed
Apple pundit, I think it necessary to link to CARS reaction to the
latest drama about Steve's presentation yesterday. Dubbed 'Dvorak’s Razor,' 'Apple Cubism,' or 'Lazy Apple
Pundit’s Disease' it is the propensity for people to declare that a new Apple product is over priced and doomed
to fail (as many people said about the original iPod).
Luckily, we here at TUAW are invariably correct and
even handed in our assertions which can be backed up by the number of glowing comments we receive on our posts.