- BBC :
- CNN/AP :
- KCAL :
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Such as when done, it says Eggxactly! or Eggstraordinary! or D oeuf!
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I ll have the Bankshead Shank, gov ner! - Ananova :
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:com/AP
:- The Times :
Somehow, I can t entire muster the woohoo here. - Science Now :
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Robots, of course, might see it all. No hiding from them, dammit! - New Scientist :
. - Boston University Alumni e-Newsletter :
- USA Today :
or hoax.. or shellac.
- Ananova :
- Ananova :
So what does Apple decide to do? Start a new advertising campaign, this time with twice as many people per ad, for double the fun. Apple s idea for the Get a Mac advertisements was surely to get more of the general public to know more about Macs, and to consider them as options when they re next in the market for a new computer (that is, ).
But are they really effective? Overall, there are a few general virtues of running OS X that Apple wants trying to drill into the heads of PC users which are spread across multiple ads, such as the ability to run Office. Some of the other messages are that Macs are good at life stuff , they work easily out of the box, and they don t get malware.
Part of the essence of the advertisments is conveyed before a word is spoken. Justin Long, the Mac, is dressed very casually, often with a t-shirt or a hoodie, and jeans, with hands in his pockets and mussed hair, the stereotypical twenty-something, fresh out of college. John Hodgman, the PC, is dressed in a suit and tie, with big glasses and neatly combed hair, a cubicle worker through and through.
The first and foremost point of the different attire and image is to distinguish between the Mac and the PC, but the consumer might also think that it means the Mac is less mature, or that PCs are better for work. However, someone dressed in jeans and a t-shirt does not make me think Oh, he must be good at making photo albums or designing web sites. If anything, Long s appearance could send the viewer a message that Mac users have worse jobs than PC users, or that Macs are for those kids that won t get off the viewer s lawn.
Since the ads are targeted towards people who don t actively choose a PC over a Mac, rather, those who have a PC because they don t know what else to get, and could easily be swayed to the light side, it s pretty foolish of Apple to instantly bias the viewer against the Mac (unless they re trying to have the viewer relate to Long, but the problem with that is most people young and hip like Long already have strong preferences for either Windows or OS X.)
The mixed message continues in the content of the advertisments. One of the biggest things Apple is trying to get across is that Macs can run Microsoft Office, which makes a big difference for a lot of people, since that s probably the bulk of what they use their PC for.
Given that, how does saying in one commercial and or in others help? A prospective buyer might think that the Mac version of Office isn t as good as the Windows version, or that it even can t calculate numbers or use spreadsheets! There are much better ways to get the message across that Macs can run Office too, such as by telling the public that Office was originally for the Mac (which doesn t really matter, since the Windows version is still better, but at least it s not shooting yourself in the foot.
)
Conceding points to Windows computers doesn t make any sense at all. In two advertisments, Long blatantly states that PC s are better at some things than Macs are, and in many others, the message is that PCs and Macs are equal. Why not say that some Macs are than PCs, or tell the consumer that Microsoft s next operating system will likely require them to get a new computer?
I d much rather Apple have not made any of the wishy-washy advertisments, and spent the millions of dollars to make better computers to brag about in later advertisements.
Another multi-advertisement implication is that Macs don t have or . It s a good point, something that many people know, but could certainly make a difference for those who don t.
The advertisements target market isn t a geeky user, who would know more about viruses, and has likely made a conscious choice to buy a PC over a Mac. Rather, it s an average person, who probably has a PC at home to do some work on, and might not know about Macs, or might just not think about them when purchasing. However, an average consumer certainly has anti-virus software on their computer, and a lot of them haven t had problems, so their view is probably that viruses are just bad things that they can prevent by consistently updating their anti-virus software.
Obviously, Mac users don t have to do that, which does save considerable time and money, but the ads don t specifically state that, so the issue is moot. Of course, quite a few consumers have had problems with viruses, and could have had to take their PC in to be repaired, or reinstall their operating system. To those who have lost important data to malware, the sting is that much greater.
However, the only time those who have had problems with viruses are really susceptible is very soon after the problem. Those who have lost data now keep backups, those who experienced other kinds of problems now run better anti-virus software, or keep it updated more often. The virus issue isn t a reason to switch unless the consumer has had problems recently, it s just an advantage to a choice spurred by other reasons.
One thing the ads employ pretty gratuitously is humor. Humor is good, right? It probably makes the ads more memorable, and therefore more effective, as well as potentially allowing the campaign to spread by word of mouth to those who haven t seen the ads.
Most aren t laugh out loud funny, however, some, like , come close. That is, if you re a Mac user. For the uninitiated, it might be somewhat funny, but not in a way that matters.
The virtue of Macs which that ad extols, the ability to run Windows, should be the number one point of the campaign, since Boot Camp and Parallels are pretty new. Who cares if Macs can use Office if they can run every single other program you re used to running in Windows. Other ads manage to be humorous and drive in another virtue of Macs into the consumer s head at the same time, so why can t this one?
The ability to run Windows in mentioned in two sentences, and, in trying to make the ad humorous, Apple pretty much gets rid of that point entirely. The only thing a viewer would get out of that ad is a better knowledge of the English language, because of Long s use of over half the ad to explain the proper usage of the word touch, only to have Hodgman fumble it up again. Come on, Apple, you could have at least sneaked in the fact that every Mac comes with a 250,000 word dictionary.
The biggest reason for someone to get a Mac is deemed less important than, say, a . The consumer still has no idea that running Windows on a Mac is just as fast as on their PC, or that, for more professional users, a Mac Pro is cheaper than a comparable Dell, making it a better Windows computer at a better price. Every time someone who has seen the ad buys a is just another potential customer lost, in hopes of higher literacy rates.
One message the advertisments convey that might have some effect is that Macs are better at life stuff. Sure, more people probably make pie charts than home movies, but there s still a large potential market. However, the extent to which Apple talks about iLife can be conveyed pretty well in one quote, What else does Apple talk about in terms of iLife?
Well, they say that iLife is , that it can (of course, without mentioning you have to pay Apple for them), and that it can make home movies that don t . Three specific points, and a lot of vague references to life stuff and creativity. Although Apple could have definitely worked more in there, I think the three specific mentions of iLife s capabilities are definitely the strongest of any ads in enticing consumers to get a Mac.
The first mention of iLife s capabilities falls a bit short by talking about how integrated all of the iLife suite is (including iTunes). Too bad the Windows user watching the ad doesn t have any idea of the integration iTunes has with anything. He doesn t know that you can, with a few clicks, make a song with GarageBand, import it into iTunes, make a slideshow with that song playing in iPhoto, import that slideshow into iMovie, add some effects, then burn that to DVD with iDVD, or publish it to the web with iWeb.
Comparing the extent of the integration of the iPod and iTunes on Windows doesn t come close to conveying the kind of integration which iLife offers. Hm, iTunes and my iPod can both listen to my music, which must mean I can listen to my music in all those other iApps! Not exactly a very beneficial thought process in terms of enticing the viewer to switch.
Apple should have made one advertisement talking about iTunes and the iPod, and another one solely for iLife.
The other two ads specifically talking about what iLife can do are much more effective, to an extent. I m sure there are quite a few Windows users who have a movie making application that works perfectly well for them.
The same could be true for photo album creating. Who the ads can target, therefore, are people who haven t yet started to create either movies or photo books, but have an interest, or those who are unsatisfied with the options to do so on Windows. Those are the people who the Get a Mac ads could actually inspire to switch.
In conveying the ease of photo album creation, however, Apple completely alienates those who are interested in , which many leading analysts have concluded to be the vast majority of those switching to the Mac, and whose rejection could bring about the end of Apple, iPod or not.
However, besides the C++ programmers, there are other people whom the ads could have the opposite of a desired affect on. Some people don t want overbearing statements such as Macs are better at life stuff without some sort of backing.
Can Apple prove that iLife offers a better solution for life stuff than any package of applications for Windows? Not a chance. Then, there are the hardcore Windows fanboys who would never switch and love any excuse to flame Apple, who would, in finding ways to diss Apple over the ads, fuel their hatred even more.
Other segments of the market Apple ignores entirely, and whom the ads have no affect on. Gamers, for example, don t particularly enjoy making home movies, and probably know enough about computers to protect themselves from viruses. Surely Apple has room in their advertising budget for Long to headshot Hodgman in a fierce game of Halo or Unreal Tournament, which Hodgman would blame on his graphics card, and Long would go on to say that (some) Macs have fairly good ATI graphics cards.
Overall, the Mac ads are pretty effective. Will they entice more people to switch? Sure.
Not a lot more, since 50% of Mac buyers are already switchers. Maybe that number will increase to 55% with the Get a Mac campaign. Apple could definitely have been a lot more effective with the ads, but they do a pretty good job of explaining the major benefits of Macs, while not being too overly presumptuous .
They could easily talk about many of the other virtues of the Mac, which could be effective as well, but Apple did a good job of picking out most of the major benefits of being a Mac user. The ads are humorous, but at the expense of what they re trying to convey, it d not worth it. I mean, what in is going to make someone want to switch?
(It is pretty funny, though.) Apple certainly got a lot of people angry with the Get a Mac ads as well, but that only added to the overall media coverage. Thankfully, the Get a Mac advertising campaign isn t over yet, so hopefully Apple can continue to improve on the ads, get more switchers, and rule the computer industry.
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Perhaps they produced other wondrous technologies, too? - The Guardian:
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I really, really want this. And since Christmas is coming . - eBay:
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Rhona Mitra may have left the highly successful TV series Boston Legal last year, but her career certainly hasnt slowed down since giving up her high-profile character on that show.
She has just signed up to be the female lead in director Neil Marshalls follow-up film to his horror flick The Descent.
In this next installment, called Doomsday, the story picks up some 30 years after the lethal virus, known as the Reaper, has decimated and reaped havoc throughout one particular country. Regardless of the worlds efforts to curtail the spread of this deadly killer, it resurfaces in another country, to which an elite group of medical, scientific and para-military professionals are dispatched to find a cure.
Mitra will portray the leader of this elite group who soon find themselves battling in a nightmarish landscape of horror, disease and fear.
MoviePulse.net Movie Review: Brandon Hill from drops by to give us a review of Darren Aronofsky s latest, The Fountain
TV Talk:
Peter Krause stars in the upcoming SCI FI Channel miniseries The Lost Room, due to air on the cable network beginning on December 11, 2006.
He plays a detective named Joe Miller who gets his hands on a hotel room key that opens the door to a bizzare, yet compelling world full of the unimaginable. On the other side of the door are worlds where more than 100 different, seemingly ordinary objects, hold untold powers and there are others who wish to use these objects to either do good or evil.
Interview:
This week, Michael and Summer talk with Michael Stein, editor-in-chief and publisher of and .
Filmfax is the magazine of film and unusual television. In every issue, you ll find interviews and features on horror, science-fiction, and B-movies from the silent era through the 1970s.
Since 1986, Filmfax has been the source for behind-the-scenes stories on classic monster movies, sci-fi, comedy, Westerns, and the golden age of TV.
Outre focuses on Retro Pop Culture, and the world of Ultramedia preserving the great Pop Culture from the last half of the 20th century, and show what about it s relevant to today, and tomorrow.
Mr. Stein tells us all about his history in genre magazines, some of the great cover art, columnists and features from FilmFax and Outre, the influences of horror and other genres on science fiction over the years, and much much more.
Future Talk: What s Coming Up?
Jun Ji-hyun, one of South Koreas fastest rising starlets, is starring in famed director Ronny Yus new blood-sucker called Blood Vampire. The film s concept is a live-action re-imagining the 2000 Japanese animated film called Blood: The Last Vampire.
This live-action remake will be an English-language flick. Shooting begins on locations set in China and Argentina in March 2007 for a 2008 release.
Listener comments: If you have any suggestions or comments, please let us know.
(Our Voicemail Number: 206-339-TREK). We ve got plenty of voicemail from fans to listen and respond to, but you ll hear that in a fresh, separate show.
See you next week with fresh, new content!
Microsoft s readying a new music site and new operating system. And Mac users are avoiding the Macarena a harmless virus that some say is a wakeup call to Mac owners. It s the first Tuesday of the month The Computer Guys are back to keep you up-to-date on the latest news from the world of computing, and answer your questions.
Macs are the safest computers for protection against viruses, but it doesn t matter what operating system you re using when when it comes to phishing.
Did you know that the computers at my local bank, and the entire Federal Reserve, were crashed by a virus a few weeks ago? Neither did I, until I was told just that by the teller at my local bank.
Of course, the teller was wrong, but imagine the response a less tech-savvy patron might have upon hearing such news. It probably wouldnt cause a run on the bank, but in this era of fear, uncertainty and doubt, such broad pronouncements about technology can cause big problems for your company and you. [ ]
Career Opportunities LIVE! - Fri, Sept. 29, 2006 - 1pm
In the booth on the show floor
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Summary: After 17 consecutive quarter-point rate hikes the Fed has now paused in its last two rate decision meetings keeping its fed fund target at 5.25% but still signaled a bias toward raising rates. In its accompanying statement the Fed attributed (continued) moderation in economic growth partly (to) a cooling of the housing market.
It commented that it sees inflation pressures likely moderating over time due to reduced impetus from energy prices as oil futures have fallen 22% since mid-July. There s no consensus among economists regarding the Fed s next move but in their eyes the Fed appears more comfortable pausing even though it still mentioned some inflation risks remain over the longer-term. The Fed next meets on Oct.
24-25. There s growing market speculation it will cut rates once by June. Summary of economists reactions: 1) Economic Outlook Group: Bernard Baumohl says the soft landing outlook persists but warns growth could quicken, which will have significant implications for interest rates, stock prices and currency values.
2) BNP Paribas Market Economics: Expects housing decline induced economic slowdown forcing Fed to cut rats rapidly (from) around the turn of the year. 3) MFR Inc.: Joshua Shapiro cites the similarity of the last two Fed accompanying statements.
Sees monetary policy on hold unless there s a big change in either direction in economic growth or more stubborn core inflation readings. 4) RBS Greenwich Capital: Stephen Stanley expects another rate hike by year s end due to increased consumer spending from lower energy prices. Views early- 07 monetary easing as aggressive versus Fed s outlook.
5) Insight Economics: Steven Wood says the Fed could be on hold for an extended time. He says further tightening would require several months of worse-than-expected readings. 6) Morgan Stanley U.
S. Economics: Expects recent plunge in fuel prices to cause reacceleration of growth bringing the Fed back in the game by year end. Says even if economic growth continues to slow it s hard to conceive of the Fed easing before mid-2007.
7) Bear Stearns U.S. Economics: Forecasts eventual Fed rate hike with target of around 5.
75%. Cites Fed s consistent view of elevated core inflation and some risks of inflation remaining. 
Global Insight: Brian Bethune says it s very likely the Fed holds at 5.25% through summer 07.
Also says there s a very high probability of rate cuts late next year to 4.75% target rate.
Related links: The Wall Street Journal: FRB: ,
Summary: Royal Dutch Shell ( ) and Exxon Mobil ( ) are among several oil companies determined to retain the terms of contracts signed with oil-producing nations in the early 1990s, despite the wrath of governments that expect to be compensated for the subsequent rise in oil prices.
Chevron ( ) and France s Total S.A. ( ), on the other hand, have expressed a willingness to share profits.
Russia has indicated its displeasure at existing contracts by revoking an environmental permit for Shell s $20 billion Sakhalin-II project a move that could shut down the project completely. Developing countries are unilaterally increasing royalties and taxes on oil revenue, and companies that balk, like Italy s Eni and France s Total, are seeing their fields confiscated.
Related links: Conference call transcripts:
Summary: Two software companies, Adobe ( ) and Symantec ( ), have appealed to the EU to take antitrust actions against Microsoft s ( ) new operating system, Vista.
The companies claim features in Microsoft s Vista system, which will likely run 90% of the world s computers, will serve to directly undercut their own products. In Adobe s case, Vista will include an XML document reader which it feels will steal market share from its Acrobat pdf reader. In Symantec s case, the company feels Microsoft has built in security measures that will make it impossible for its own virus protection software to operate properly on a Vista-run system.
Microsoft counters in the latter case that the security features are necessary to provide users the safest possible computing and web-surfing experience. Microsoft was fined $600 million by the EU after its last operating system was released in 2004 for antitrust violations - charges the company is still fighting.
Related links: Wall Street Journal: Conference call transcripts:
Summary: McDonald s is trying to send a new message to its Chinese consumers: it s all about the beef.
As it shifts from a chicken-heavy menu and tries to emphasize its upscale Western image and the appeal of beef which is considered a luxury McDonald s is promoting beef burgers such as the recently introduced Quarter Pounder on TV commercials and print advertising using an obvious sexual theme that plays on Chinese views that beef is manly, boosts energy, and increases sex appeal. McDonald s is in the middle of an expansion as it eyes an additional 230 restaurant openings by 2008 for a total of about 1,000 locations. Also, it recently signed a deal with the nation s largest gasoline retailer to open stores at existing and future gas stations.
Although McDonald s still wants to incorporate local tastes in its menu, it also wants to diverge from rival Yum! Brands KFC, which has twice as many restaurants but caters more to local tastes. McDonald s chief marketing and corporate-affairs officer in China comments, People want McDonald s to be a Western brand.
When people come to us, they want an alternative to what they can get everywhere else.
Related links: (Windows Media) Conference call transcripts:
Summary: Besides telco giants like ATT ( ) and Verizon ( ), there are about 1,100 small local telephone companies that have been upgrading their networks in order to provide television over their fiber-optic lines. Equipment suppliers that target these small telcos are also much smaller than major equipment provider such as Lucent ( ).
APA Enterprises ( ) and Occam ( ), niche suppliers to the local telcos, had sales last year of $15.7 million and $39 million, respectively (Lucent had $15.44 billion in sales).
While spending on fiber upgrades and Internet protocol television (IPTV technology to provide television over high speed Internet) equipment has been flat this year, analysts are expecting sales to at least double by 2010. Nevertheless, there are doubts whether these small equipment vendors can grow profitably over the long haul. According to Patrick Pfeffer, chief network architect for telecom consulting firm Detecon, Telco TV is a game of numbers Because of the scale issues, the suppliers will never be able to make money serving the rural companies alone.
Related links: Wikipedia:
Summary: Thailand s bloodless military coup earlier this week may actually help the Thai economy, according to investors familiar with the matter. A new government could be the incentive that has long been lacking in this market, said Shane Oliver, chief economist at AMP Capital Investors. As a result of the coup, Hong Kong research-and-securities firm CLSA Ltd.
raised its recommended Thai holdings in an Asia portfolio to 4% from 3%, another indication investors believe the coup may indeed have a positive effect on the Thai economy. After being closed yesterday, Bangkok s stock exchange reopened today down 2.8%.
Related links: CNN:
Summary: With daytime TV pulling in lower and lower ratings, broadcast TV companies are looking to new measures to reel in larger audiences. There s no question that the business has changed dramatically, says Roger King, chief executive of King World, a unit of CBS Corp. ( ), which distributes such hits as Oprah and Wheel of Fortune.
Shows are coming out that are just bombing. 
Ray, a personality on cable s Food Network, reflects King World s belief that new shows need careful introduction and marketing to a broad daytime audience and a perfectly suited personality to attract a diverse audience. Ms. Ray has frequently popped up as a guest on Oprah to gain her added exposure and is considered to have a down-to-earth style suited to younger audiences.
So far, Ms. Ray s ratings have been the strongest for a new talk show in four years.
Related links:
Summary: The market for flat panel televisions is currently dominated by electronics retailers such as Best Buy ( ) and Circuit City ( ), with flat-panels accounting for up to 25% of their sales.
Competition is about to increase for these retailers; many more stores are starting to sell flat-panels as prices decline and the number of manufacturers increase. Store chains who have recently entered or are planning to enter the market include Office Depot ( ), Home Depot ( ), Kohls ( ), Radio Shack ( ) and Wal-Mart ( ). Wal-mart, which entered the market two years ago, now carries six different Philips flat-screen models.
Not everyone will succeed: While Costco ( ) had $1 billion of flat-panel sales for the 44 weeks ending September 3 (up 60%), Dell ( ) and other on-line retailers have not done as well as was expected.
Related links: Business Week:
Summary: Advanced Micro Devices ( ) is taking an open source-like approach with its Opteron microprocessor that differs from rival Intel s approach ( ), which doesn t help companies connect their products with Intel s chips. By creating a common socket for connecting chips and sharing the technology with other companies, AMD expects the cost of using Opteron will decline and thus, likely expects an increase in its sales.
AMD will also charge undisclosed licensing fees. An AMD executive said he doesn t think it s risky to lower costs for competitors and rather sees the opposite. So far it has received a warm welcome from the likes of International Business Machines ( ), Sun Microsystems ( ), Cray ( ), and Fujitsu Siemens Computers, a Fujitsu ( ), Siemens ( ) joint venture.
Related links: Conference call transcripts:
Now, say some, he is in serious negotiations with Yahoo to sell-out for close to $1B.
Concerns: 1) Networking sites users are a fickle bunch - sites can flame out as fast as they ignite. 2) Facebook management has been accused of sophomoric behaviour; Zuckerberg reportedly refused to meet with MSFT because 8 a.m.
was too early. Facebook is debating whether to sell out or stay independent in the hopes of becoming another Google. Zuckerberg: I would never say that at no point in the future would we go public or become part of a larger company but what I would say is, it s not our priority.
There s so much more to do here. Insiders say Zuckerberg holds a roughly 30% stake. Venture capitalists who funded Facebook include Accel Partners, who invested around $13 million in Facebook in 2005.
Insiders say Facebook will soon top $100M in annual ad revenue, which is considered the minimum for a high-tech IPO these days.
Related links: WSJ: The Crimson White: Conference call transcripts: .
Summary: Dell s ( ) new XPS 700 is not shaping up to be the revenue booster the company had hoped for.
The product was specifically developed to crack the burgeoning gaming market, which has consumers willing to pay up to $5000 for a new PC. Sales of customized gaming PCs are expected to approach 1.9 million units, up 45% from last year, according to Endpoint Technologies Associates.
However, Dell s new PC has left many consumers more rankled than satisfied. Many features that are common to high end PC s are missing from Dell s, including automatic memory capability, called SLI Memory, dual ethernet connections and Raid 5, a software-based storage technology. These are all standard features of the Nvidia ( ) chipset used in the Dell computers, however Dell has disabled them due to technical problems.
The lack of these features and other problems has significantly disappointed consumers, some of whom doubt that they will ever buy another Dell product. Dell currently lags behind Apple ( ) and Hewlett Packard ( ) in consumer PC sales, and had hoped that this product would be its ticket into that market.
Related links: CNET Review: ?
Conference call transcripts:
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