Apple turns to animated ads for the Apple iPhone 5c

With one recent report showing inventories of the Apple iPhone 5c at over 3 million units and rising, Apple has decided to turn to an animated ad campaign for the handset that was seen on the landing pages of both the New York Times and Yahoo websites. On the latter site, the ad stays inside a box, while on the former's web page, the ad takes over the entire screen with dots before returning to the normal size for a web ad.

The ads, which are interactive, show the Apple iPhone 5c screen covered with the same 35 dot pattern that appears on the phone when it is safely nestled into one of Apple's silicone cases made for the device. Eventually, the ad shows 6 video clips with popular tunes playing in the background. In one clip, Nena's "99 Luftballons" play as images of balloons turn into the dot pattern.

Apple normally doesn't resort to using this style of advertising, but some desperation might be settling in at Cupertino. With a huge number of units taking up space at Pegatron, and retailers and carriers still holding a large number of unsold units, Apple will soon need to clear some room for its new models. Speculation has Apple delivering a 4.7 inch Apple iPhone 6 and a 5.5 inch phablet sized version of the device. Soon, Apple might be forced to turn from pretty animated ads to drastic price cuts as a way to get buyers to remove the iPhone 5c from the shelves.



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Google Redesigns Hangouts For iOS, Adds Video Messages And Animated Stickers

Hangouts for iOS app. This new version is the first to be fully optimized for iOS 7, with a new loading screen and menus, cleaner look, different typography and a couple of new features, too.

You can now, for example, attach a map with your current location to your conversation, something that’s been available in the Android version for a while. The new version also features about three dozen animated stickers. None of them, however, look especially interesting. In addition, the app now also lets you record and send video messages of up to 10 seconds long.

The new version is also fully optimized for the iPad, Google says, and now includes picture-in-picture video calling on Apple’s tablets.

It’s no secret that Hangouts is now one of the more important products in Google’s portfolio. While it grew out of the Google

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Xbox One exclusively debuts FX animated series 'Chozen' for some cable customers

Now that Eastbound & Down is over, the creative team behind that show is launching a new animated series on FX called Chozen. Microsoft has snagged an exclusive for the premiere episode, so owners of the Xbox One can load up their FXNow app January 6th and watch a week before it airs on TV. We don't expect the cable companies to be too upset though, since, like the Fox Sports Go NFL Playoffs streaming setup you'll need a subscription with participating TV providers to actually view the episode. AT&T U-Verse, Comcast, Cablevision, Suddenlink and WOW are all on the list, while everyone else will have to wait until the 13th when it comes on after a new episode of Archer.

This could be a sign of the growing relationship between Microsoft and traditional TV providers, or it could just be Fox snagging some extra promotion before its new show hits. The title character Chozen is a fresh-out-of-prison gay white rapper voiced by SNL's Bobby Moynihan, taking on the music industry, while other characters are voiced by the likes of Method Man, Hannibal Buress, Michael Peña, and Nick Swardson. Either way, we'll see how close the two sides are after Microsoft debuts its own original content later this year.

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Source: Xbox Wire

Tags: chozen, fox, fx, fxnow, hdpostcross, microsoft, premiere, xboxone Next: Acer's new Liquid Z5 smartphone is more expensive than it should be (hands-on)
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Meatspace, A World Of Animated Gifs, Human Robots And The Ephemerality Of Snapchat-Like Apps

Meatspace, an addictive new web service and mobile app is part Snapchat, part Twitter and part animated gifs. It works like this: You write an update in 250 characters or less and then pose for the camera on your computer or phone. The service then records and makes a two-second animated loop.

Meatspace shifts the conversation into a different space than a conventional chat service, news feed or shared video stream. Instead, it’s an ephemeral app, similar to Snapchat or Blink. There is no archiving as with Twitter or an enterprise platform like Yammer. Updates disappear after ten minutes. There is no unique URL — the updates just go away like most conversations do when people talk over a beer or cup of coffee. Like the conversation you might have with a friend over dinner, the memories are of the highlights you recall and person’s expressions.

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Animated Avatar Messaging App Zoobe Monetises With Shop Featuring Smurfs

Next StoryTaxibeat Raises $4M From Hummingbird To Scale Its ‘Marketplace’ Taxi App

Avatar messaging applications have had some successes. The Talking Tom apps for kids have been a smash hit for Outfit7 and spawned many off-shoots. Others like Headcast created bespoke apps for celebrities. Xtranormal, sadly, closed this year. But Zoobe, a startup which has come up with the different approach of creating of animated avatars for mobile messaging, continues to evolve. The new version 2.0 of its app has gone live on Android today (iOS is already out) introduces a range of new features, including the Zoobe Shop, where famous 3D characters from The Smurfs and the Street Fighter games can be bought. More are coming, but this is an interesting evolution of the in-app purchases model. Certainly stickers are all the rage in messaging apps, but avatars may be a new wave to watch.

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