Overall I found this year’s collection of Super Bowl commercials to be stale.  Super Bowl commercials are supposed to be top notch, big budget, and make you fall over laughing by surprise.  In fact, there are some people out there who watch the Bowl just for the commercials.  The smorgasbord of reusable ads from GoDaddy and the beer companies simply didn’t cut it this year.  Anyhow, I’ve collected this year’s favorite ads and pasted them below.  At least Megan Fox was featured in one of them!

Motorola, featuring the Motorola Devour with MOTOBLUR w/ Megan Fox

Vizio, featuring Vizio Internet Apps w/ Internet memes & Beyonce

Bud Light, autotune with T-Pain

Look after the break for more Super Bowl commercials, including those from Bud Light, Snickers, Doritos, Audi, Coke, FLO TV, Cars.com, Intel, and Google. (Click here for more…)

Quite possibily the cutest rocker baby I have ever seen.  OK he’s the cutest.  And the skull pacifier is the cherry on top, really.

[Thanks, Steve D.]

“Ke$ha must act like a drunken whore at all times.”  Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh!

If people are crazy enough to smuggle contraband in their underwear, what’s stopping them from shoving things inside their penises?  Right!?

[Via Landline.tv; Gizmodo]

Common Projects is a collaboration between designers Flavio Girolami and Prathan Poopat.  Inspired by the lines and shapes of everyday objects, they design their pieces with tailored approach, using the finest materials and techniques.

Common Projects sneakers will be available this spring in a number of styles and colorways.  Pricing details have not been disclosed.  Check ‘em all out in the gallery below.

[Via KanyeBlog; TheCorner]

123►

From TAK Studio comes the latest innovation in green roadways–the attractive Turbine Light.  Here’s how it works: These wind-powered lights line up highways and streets and illuminate when cars pass by them.  If enough energy is generated by the passing cars, the lights will shine the path to your destination.  Problem is, the keyword here is IF.  Would such implementation promote faster driving?  It would make sense for something like this to be installed in windy cities that already generate enough energy for illumination. For all the rest, what about solar powered lights, hm?

[Via Inhabitat; Gizmodo]

Molded by Hungarian designer Alexander Christoff, this lounge chair is inspired by the Ferrari Formula 1 racecar.  It’s made out of fiberglass and features chrome legs and an adjustable headrest.  Me likey.  Check out additional images (and a shot of it next to its inspiration) in the gallery below.

[Via Gizmodo; BornRich]

For years Heinz has been experimenting new methods to give their customers a way to consume ketchup on the go, and they think they’ve finally done it with the ’Dip & Squeeze’.  H.J. Heinz Co. unveiled a brand new ketchup packet that features a top that can be peeled back for dipping and an end that can be torn off for squeezing.  By keeping the squeeze method onboard, Heinz has made sure not to neglect ketchup traditionalists but at the same time they are breathing new life into the long established ketchup packet found at fast-food restaurants all around the world.  In fact, the new packet/container holds three times as much ketchup as the regular tear-and-squeeze packet.  Heinz is pushing out the new ketchup packets to fast-food restaurants nationwide.  They will continue manufacturing the traditional packets until the new ones prove to be a success.  If I were given the option to squeeze or dunk, I would always take the latter.  But it certainly doesn’t hurt to have both!

[Via ABCNews]

On Friday Facebook received a facelift; what else is new, right?!  It feels like the Facebook devs are constantly updating the site’s user interface.  Though having to re-learn how to navigate the site every few months is an annoying task, you have to remember it’s all being done to make the experience more streamlined and faster to get around.  So what does this latest redesign bring with it?  The Top Menu is the area where you’ll find your newest notifications, friend requests, and inbox messages in drop-down menu form.  The Left Menu brings together Messages, Events, Photos, and Friends all in one space.  An extension of your Friends List is also found here; it lists the people you chat with most and can be expanded to its usual spot in the bottom right-hand corner.  There have also been updates to the Applications and Games dashboards, making it easier to discover and play new apps.  The center of the page prominently features your News Feed.  All in all, since the redesign only affected the home page (your profile and friend’s profiles look and function the same) there isn’t much to re-learn.  In fact, I find the new look freshing and definitely a step up from their recent upgrades.  But that’s what it’s all about, right?  (Side note: This redesign comes on the heels of Facebook’s 6th birthday.)

Twitter’s update is not as drastic but it still brings a few welcome features.  Hovercards give users a new way to access profile information without having to leave the homepage to visit someone else’s profile page.  Twitter Spokesperson Jenna Sampson explains: “Hovercards are cards which appear when you hover over a username or avatar.  The cards display additional information about the person and allow you to interact with them while staying within the context of your page.”  Hovercards reveal the person’s name, profile information, location, and whether or not you follow the person.  You also get an options panel with follow, block, mention, or report buttons.  Less clicks and page redirections are the result.  A welcome update indeed.  Twitter is also giving users the ability to narrow the range of the Trending Topics list.  Instead of being forced into watching worldwide trending news, users can specify their country or US city.  They are currently working on adding more locations to the list.

For those of you who have not received the Facebook or Twitter updates yet there’s no need to worry.  It takes time for such updates to reach all users.  (I was one of the first to receive the Facebook redesign, but I have yet to play around with Hovercards in Twitter.)

[Via FacebookBlog; Mashable]

On April 15, 2010 access to Xbox Live on all original Xbox consoles and games will come to a grinding halt.  Microsoft is flipping the switch to the off position, so to speak, so if you own an original Xbox console and/or play Xbox Originals games on the 360 you will no longer be able to access Xbox Live features, ie. multiplayer and achievements.  Why is Microsoft doing this, you ask?  Xbox Live GM Marc Whitten: “…we need to make changes to the service that are incompatible with our original Xbox v1 games.”  In other words, original Xbox content is becoming stale and simply cannot forge its way into the new generation of gaming.  If you happen to be living in the past (or still can’t afford an Xbox 360, oh come on!) Microsoft has plans for you: “We will contact the Xbox LIVE members directly impacted by this change and if this includes you, I encourage you to check your LIVE messages and associated e-mail account over the coming weeks for more details and opportunities. We view you as a partner in this process.”  All you Halo 2 fanboys better get your multiplayer gaming on before it’s too late!  Soon you’ll be stuck with playing Halo 3 and Halo 3: ODST; what a shame!

[Via Engadget; Microsoft Gamerscore Blog]

When Sling released the $29.99 Slingplayer app for the iPhone back in May, AT&T restricted it from streaming live TV over its 3G service because they were worried the overload of data would bring its cell service to its knees.  Poor AT&T.  This week AT&T has come out and stated they have been working closely with Sling to optimize Slingplayer’s streaming capabilities so that it would not hurt AT&T’s customers.  As soon as Apple approves it, a free update will allow Slingers to stream their content over 3G, in addition to WiFi.  With news of AT&T approving VoIP calls and now Sling streaming over 3G, it seems as if AT&T at long last has come to accept the fact that restricting significant features on its most popular device is a major no-no.

[Via Engadget]

When the iPad was announced, Steve Jobs hinted that app developers would have the option to port their apps as they are from the App Store (aka do nothing) or they could rebuild their apps to support and take advantage of the large screen, faster processor speeds, and better graphics.  Comic book app maker Panelfly is going to do just that.  Panelfly, along with developer team SugarCube, plan on reinventing the way comics are purchased and read with a new comics app made specifically for the iPad.  Here’s how the app works on the iPhone: You download the Panelfly app from the App Store for free and you add comic books to your library with in-app purchases.  According to Stephen Lynch, CTO and designer at Panelfly, the iPad version will experiment with different purchasing models (subscription-based possibly?) and also commented that the app UI will be very reminiscent of Apple’s native UI, and that’s a good thing.  Though he couldn’t spill the beans on pricing and go into much detail about the UI, at least we have these images to glaze over until the app likely releases alongside the iPad in late March.  If developers follow in Panelfly’s footsteps the iPad will quickly generate a whole new market for app devs and will certainly make the iPad a desirable product.

[Via Gizmodo]

Watch as Pee-wee shows his new Apple iPad to the Playhouse Gang!

[Via Nerdist]

The laugh track is something we all take for granted in today’s sitcoms.  (Although it is worthy to note that a handful of shows like The Office, Parks & Rec, and Modern Family are taking a different route.)  Watch how things quickly become awkward for Sheldon Cooper in this scene from an episode of CBS’ The Big Bang Theory that’s stripped of a laugh track.

[Via EW]

Just before ABC’s FlashForward went on its lengthy hiatus in December, a number of production-related changes came to light.  Namely, co-creator and co-showrunner Marc Guggenheim (Eli Stone) dropped out to focus on other projects.  Today brings news that fellow co-creator and head showrunner David S. Goyer (The Dark Knight) is also stepping down from his top position.  A new showrunner has yet to be announced.  There’s no need to fret, FlashForward fans.  Goyer will remain behind the scenes in some form, and he assures that the show will be put into “great hands:” “As my feature projects have started ramping up again, I felt I was being pulled in too many directions. I’m proud of the show and excited about the relaunch. It’s in great hands.”  I am excited about the relaunch, too.  During its first run of episodes, FlashForward proved to have much potential and this reshuffling of showrunners might just add a pinch of freshness the show needs to step things up to whole new and exciting level it certainly can achieve.

FlashForward returns March 18 on ABC.

[Via IGN]

Andy Samberg joins Fred Armisen as the second Saturday Night Live alum to guest star on the NBC comedy Parks & Recreation.  According to the NYPost he is going to play ”Carl, the head of park security who butts heads with Leslie (Amy Poehler) after someone gets mugged in one of their parks.”  And it gets even better.  Parks’ Aziz Ansari (he plays Tom Haverford) twittered that the Samberg episode is going to be “a great Jerry heavy episode.”  Let’s just say I’m already in knots.

[Via IGN]

Lost: The Finale Season premiere event lived up to the hype and proved to be a mind-bending good time.  The premiere captured an average of 12.1 million viewers, and according to EW, this “is 1 million more than the series’ average audience for season 5 and less than 1 million more than the audience for its season 5 premiere. About 6 percent more people tuned in at 9 p.m. than finished the two-hour episode at 11 p.m.”  This is interesting to say the least…you’d think that Lost would maintain a steady viewership this far into its lifespan, especially because it’s a highly serialized show.  (You can thank the marketing blitz for the recent upsurge.)  Anyhow, I’m glad it fared well.

The Lost series finale (I can’t believe I just said that) will air May 23 from 9PM to 11PM.  Note the 23rd is a Sunday, not a Tuesday.  Though it won’t really matter for Lost fans, the move to Sunday was likely decided so that the finale does not pit itself against part one of American Idol’s season finale.  On Sunday there’s virtually no competition.  Sunday, May 23 will be LOST DAY.  Per usual, a special one hour recap episode will lead into the finale starting at 8PM.

Lastly, on the night of the premiere Lost fanatic Jimmy Kimmel had Darlton (that’s Lost exec producers Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof) on his show.  Jimmy framed his questions looking for “coincidence or fate” answers, and Darlton did their best to answer them appropriately without giving away too many spoilers.  Check out the interview in the video below (there are two parts).  Also, look after the break for a comedy sketch where Jimmy places himself in the Hurley-Jacob scene from the premiere.

[Via EW, here, here & here; IGN]

(Click here for more…)

This year’s Oscar nominations are in!  Let’s have a look see…

Best Picture: Avatar, The Blind Side, District 9, An Education, The Hurt Locker, Inglourious Basterds, Precious, A Serious Man, Up, Up in the Air

A bunch of these films deserve the win.  However, there can be only one, and my prediction lies with The Hurt Locker.

Best Director
Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
James Cameron, Avatar
Lee Daniels, Precious
Jason Reitman, Up in the Air
Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds

As much as I want Quentin Tarantino to take this category for Basterds, I have a feeling James Cameron will reign once again.

Best Actor
Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
George Clooney, Up in the Air
Colin Firth, A Single Man
Morgan Freeman, Invictus
Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker

You know who deserves a big win here?  Jeremy Renner.  And he will get it.

Best Supporting Actor
Matt Damon, Invictus
Woody Harrelson, The Messenger
Christopher Plummer, The Last Station
Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones
Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds

Christoph Waltz.  Period.

Look after the break for all nominations and more predictions.  The 82nd Academy Awards, hosted by Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin, airs March 7 at 8PM on ABC. (Click here for more…)

PhD student Fabian Hemmert asks, “How can we make digital content graspable for us, for humans?”  How do we get from the physical to the digital?  He introduces three conceptual cell phone models (“mobile-shaped phone boxes,” really) that could theoretically help bridge this gap that has yet to be conquered.  The “weight-shifting mobile” uses a iron weight that moves around, giving the user a sense of physical mass.  For example, when you’re exploring your way through a city using Google Maps, the weight can direct you in the right direction as it shifts the center of gravity inside the phone, making you feelwhich way to turn.  Next up is the “shape-changing mobile.”  Say you have a wide collection of eBooks on your device.  If you’re reading a short twenty page story, the device will make itself thin; if you’re reading a lengthy Harry Potter novel, the device will expand, making the experience more realistic, as if you were holding a thick book.  It can also change it’s shape to customize the grasp, have the device lean towards you when in use, etc.  The “living mobile phone” is downright strange: this model has a “breath” and “heartbeat.”  It’s meant to make the device seem organic in your pocket.  In standby mode, the phone “breaths” up and down; when you receive an alert, it’s “heart rate” increases and the up and down motions speed up.  To calm it down?  “Pat it behind the ears.”

Hemmert’s ideas are innovative andinteresting, though I feel the implementation of such technologies will remain far-out research assignments for the forseeable future.  He ends the demonstration with this postulation: “Not humans should get more technical in the future; rather than that, technology a bit more human.”  Intriguing, intellectual, and plain ‘ol creepy if you ask me.

[Via InformationAesthetics; Engadget]

A “tag” is a multicolored barcode that can be placed on (or in) a number of products and services, such as product packages or magazines.  The Microsoft Tag application (which will be available for download on a number of handsets, including Windows Phones, the iPhone, and others) takes a picture of the unique barcode stamped on a product and relays all kinds of information about the particular item at hand back to you.  Tags can push all types of information to you including websites, pictures, and video.  “It’s the hyperlink in the physical world,” says a Microsoft rep.  He also says MS will not charge for the app or for companies to place barcodes on their products.  This is fun and all, but Microsoft is late to the game.  I understand that the technologies are different (Tags can lead you to specific videos and other info), but heck–Google Goggles can search for a product’s information without barcodes!

[Via CNET; Engadget]

Watch out, iPad.  Google Chrome OS-inspired tablets are on the way and they are (conceptually) looking real good.  On Monday Glenn Murphy, Google Chrome’s designer, posted this UI concept video and a handful of stills on Google’s Chromium site.  Though it’s only a mockup of sorts, it proves the Google is working hard to make Google Chrome OS (and devices they will eventually run on) a fully functional, multi-tasking beast of an experience.  Since Chrome OS is at least one year away from deployment, this is essentially Google showing us how they are experimenting with several different UI manipulation techniques and appearences.

[Via TheChromeSource; Gizmodo]

12►

Logitech has gone ahead and turned all iPhones into portable keyboards and mice for computers.  Sure, it’s not the first company to do it, but it’s here and the execution is top notch.  And there’s this: it’s absolutely free.  It uses WiFi to wireless connect to your PC or Mac, and the text you type is displayed on the screen, removing the annoyance of looking up at the computer every second.  Additional features include:

Multi-touch trackpad with the option for two or three mouse buttons

Two-finger scrolling

Keyboard with Control, Alt, Command/Windows keys

On-screen text display while typing

Show or hide the keyboard at any time

Trackpad and keyboard are available in landscape and portrait modes

It’s available for the iPhone and iPod touch at the App Store.  And did I mention it’s free?

[Via Logitech; Engadget]

It is very rare for a commercial to make me laugh as much this one does.  It’s subtle, short and sweet, but the comic effect is there and gets me every time.  And you’d never guess what company the commerical was made by…oh, it says it in the title, doesn’t it?

We can only blame ourselves for being master procrastinators.

[Via Gizmodo]

Created by Glen Forrester for Global Game Jam 2010, GNILLEY was originally intended to be a video game concerned with “pitch and color” but instead it became “all about yelling at everything.”  I’m going to save my breath and just have you watch the video demonstration for yourself.  It’s wild.  (Team Forrester ended up winning Most Original Game at the competition!)

[Via Engadget]