Apple has released a new iPhone 4S commercial outlining how Santa uses Siri on the new iPhone 4S to help make his rounds on Christmas.

While Siri is still in beta, and still has plenty of rough edges, Apple continues to make it the staple feature in its advertising campaigns. Whether that troubles anyone or not, the ad itself is very well done. My favorite part is near the end when Santa asks Siri how how the rest of his day looks, to which Siri responds with... Well, watch it and find out!

Apple has just released another new commercial for the iPad 2, this one is titled "Learn". The ad, once again narrated by Peter Coyote, is based on using the iPad as a learning tool either from the comfort of your home or, as we have seen cropping up more and more often, in the school environment.

Are you curious about new ideas? Do you want to learn a new language, or just a new word? Maybe you want to know more about anatomy or astronomy? You could master something new or uncover a hidden talent. There's never been a better time... to learn.

Take a look at the ad below!

If this casting notice is accurate, Facebook is looking to throw some marketing muscle behind their upcoming Facebook for iPad app.

Lily . Lead. Female / 25 to 40 / All Ethnicities. Lead actor in a web commercial showing the benefits of a Facebook app by using an iPad. The character is stylish, moderately tech savvy, and sociable.

Quite the turnaround from Mark Zuckerberg saying iPad just wasn't mobile enough to warrant it's own app, isn't it?

[CastingNetworks.com, Thanks AE!]

Apple is continuing their series of Peter Coyote voiced iPad 2 commercials, this time with We'll Always, which shows why "We'll never stop doing the things we love, but with the iPad we'll do them in amazing new ways."

We'll never stop sharing our memories or getting lost in a good book. We'll always cook dinner and cheer for our favorite team. We'll still go to meetings, make home movies and learn new things. But how we do all this will never be the same.

No "magical" mentions but Photos, iBooks, a recipe app, MLB, a video conferencing app, iMovie, and an educational writing app get the spotlight. It's another solid spot, filled with "Kodak moments" that show why Apple is moving tens of millions of these devices through a combination of brand, build, and pitch-perfect advertising.

Video after the break.

Apple has released a new commercial titled "If You Asked". Interestingly, the word "iPad" is never used. Instead, the iPad is shown with apps relating to specific types of people while the narrator says what those people would call the iPad 2 if you were to ask them.

If you ask a parent, they might call it intuitive. If you ask a musician, they might call it inspiring. To a doctor, it's groundbreaking. To a CEO, it's powerful. To a teacher, it's the future. If you ask a child, she might call it magic. And if you asked us - we'd say it's just getting started.

To watch the commercial, follow along after the break!

Apple has released a new commercial for the iPad 2 called We Believe. In what feels like a sequel to the first iPad commercial, What is iPad?, it focuses on Apple's belief that "Technology Is Not Enough", and that you have to go beyond the technology (and specs!), to make the experience, more delightful (and dare we say it -- magical).

You can find the full advert after the break, and let us know what you think.

[Apple on YouTube]

Apple has aired yet another "if you don't have an iPhone" commercial, this time focusing on Game Center (or as Rene might call it, App Store part deux). It highlights Scrabble and Infinity Blade, and the challenging and multiplayer features of Game Center.

Official Apple video after the break. What do you think?

AT&T has aired their second iPhone 4 commercial since losing exclusivity and it once again pushes the concept of simultaneous voice and data. While the first one focused on a hapless husband who forgot his anniversary, this time AT&T features a man arguing with a friend over the phone and trying to use Safari to settle the argument during the call -- something that's not possible on the Verizon iPhone without Wi-Fi. (Which is admittedly a little easier to believe in this commercial's restaurant setting as opposed to the first commercial's office setting.)

Verizon for their part has been hammering at AT&T over coverage and reliability, while Apple is just happy to have them both.

Is AT&T sticking with a winner strategy here or will simultaneous voice and data only take them so far? If so, what's next? A business woman frustrated by the limited conference calling available of CDMA? And if so will Verizon retaliate with the "Pepsi challenge" of reception tests in New York and San Francisco?

[We'll replace with the official video once it's online]

Apple has added three new iPhone ads to its website and YouTube channel with the new hook, “If you don’t have an iPhone”. The three ads all focus on different features, first up is the App Store showing a flight check in app. The second ad is aimed at iPod and iTunes features and the final ad focuses on iBooks. All the ads end with “Yup, if you don’t have an iPhone, well, you don’t have an iPhone.”

The three videos are after the break, let us know what you think of them in the comments!

The new Verizon iPhone commercial tore into AT&T's network but AT&T loaded their own cannons with some simultaneous voice and data and just shot back with a commercial of their own.

Called Answer the commercial highlights a man who gets a call from his wife double-checking on their anniversary plans -- which he of course forgot to make. He promptly puts the call into the background and jumps onto the internet, something that couldn't be done on Verizon (unless the man's office had, you know, Wi-Fi...)

Video after the break, let us know how compelling the counter commercial is in comments!

[Thanks Kaled]

According to Verizon's second Verizon iPhone commercial, yes, they can hear you now. It's also beautiful, intelligent, even genius (though not magical, sadly). And they claim their network... works.

So what's next, will AT&T start airing simultaneous voice and data and international roaming commercials?

Check out the video after the break and let us know what you think!

[Thanks Kaled!]

According to Android Central this is Motorola's big Superbowl commercial for their new Android 3.0 Honeycomb-running Xoom tablet, and it's targeting Apple's iPad by once again trotting out the old canard of Apple fascism. I'm glad AC managed to sleuth that out because I'm not sure many mainstream football viewers are going to have any idea at all what this thing is about.

It sure would be fun to guess though. I'm going for Spaceballs sequel. Leave your funniest answer in the comments!

[Android Central]

T-Mobile has a new ad that pokes fun at the iPhone 4 on both AT&T and Verizon. It has the same flavor as the "I'm a Mac" commercials and the man playing the part as the iPhone 4 has both Verizon and AT&T with him, but he can't tell them apart because he is slow on both networks - they don't have "nationwide 4G" like T-Mobile.

Check out the ad after the break!

[YouTube]

It looks as if Motorola is trying to build some hype around their upcoming tablet which will be announced at CES 2011. This ad also pretty much confirms the fact that it will be running Honeycomb as well. The current teaser ad is quite humorous as it compares famous tablets through the centuries such as the Rosetta Stone, the Egyptian Hieroglyphic tablet, the Mayan calendar tablet, and you guessed it - the iPad. The video basically spans hundreds of years and weighs out the pros and cons of each tablet.

When the video reaches the iPad, it's only described as -

"It's like a giant iPhone, but... it's like a giant iPhone."

It then proceeds to pan out and look at the Galaxy Tab, which they list running a mobile OS as a con. The whole campaign is quite intriguing. Do you guys think the iPad is like a giant iPhone or do you think that's just the best Motorola could come up with? I still think a better comparison (read: fair) will be able to be made when the iPad 2 is announced.

Hit the jump to watch the ad for yourself!

[Android Central]

No the title isn't a typo -- Verizon has actually aired an iPad commercial called Breakaway. Since Verizon is now carrying the iPad Wi-Fi in a bundle with the Verizon Mi-Fi hotspot device, it makes sense they'd want to promote it. Still, feels weird. Like something is a changing...

Check out the commercial after the break and let us know what you think.

What do you do when you're an iPhone junkie and need to find an epic way to propose to your girlfriend? You make an awesome iPhone video your girlfriend with think is a commercial, coax the threatre you had your first date in to play it before a movie, and surprise the pants off your girlfriend!  That's what one of our readers recently did.  Who could say no to that?

Here's Chad's story:

I proposed to my girlfriend by creating a mock iPhone commercial and having that commercial play on the big screen in the Movie Theater. She was completely surprised once she figured out what was playing on the screen wasn't actually an iPhone commercial. I used a ton of apps in the making of the video such as: Google Earth, Skywriter, 3D Drum Kit, NLogFree, Animoto and others.

Congrats Chad and Vy! You guys have one heck of a proposal story to share with family and friends for years to come! Thanks for sharing it with all of us!

Video after the break...

YouTube Link

Apple's latest iPad ad keeps going with the apps and the verbiage, this time rounding off medical, live, musical, work, play, memories, social, magazines, and historic.

Not magical though, at least not like last time.

Numbers is just one of the apps highlighted. Can you name them all?

Video after the break!

Apple's latest iPad ad kicks up the apps and the verbiage, taking us through a delicious, current, learning, playful, literary, artful, friendly, productive, scientific, and -- you guessed it! -- magical journey. (Absent Peter Coyote this time.)

So while iPhone has left apps and headed back to feature-based (i.e. FaceTime-based) advertising, Apple is moving iPad firmly into the app space. Interesting.

iBooks is just one of the apps highlighted. Can you name them all?

Video after the break!

Apple has begun airing 4 new iPhone 4 commercials and once again, it's all about FaceTime, and heavy on the emotion and sentimentality. Titled Smile, Meet Her, Big News, and Haircut, each focuses on a moment of shared intimacy, of insecurity and anticipation, of surprise and joy. And they do it in a way that makes the visual integral to he communication.

Again, incredibly smart advertising on Apple's part, and another step towards mainstreaming video calling and the way they're doing it...

It's no longer about their being an app for that. Now it's about there being a phone -- specifically iPhone 4 -- for that.

Videos after the break.

[YouTube.com/apple via 9to5Mac]

The HD video featuring the Ducati Multistrada 1200 motorcycle was shot solely with a iPhone 4. The only trick that was used in post production was stabilization to give the appearance of using a professional camera. All of the very impressive footage was captured this past Sunday in the Pike's Peak International Hill Climb. If you are not familiar with any Pike's Peak events, they are simply races to the top of the mountain via some treacherous dirt road terrain.

Be sure to select the 720p option in the video when viewing from your desktop. Video after the break!

[Jalopnik]

Apple began airing their first iPhone 4 commercial last night, an extract of the FaceTime feature video they debuted at WWDC 2010. The original iPhone 2G focused on features, the internet in your pocket, music on your phone. After the launch of the App Store, iPhone 3G focused on disparate apps for (this and) that for a while, until later on in the iPhone 3GS cycle they shifted slightly into apps for specific use cases. iPhone 4 brings it back around to the beginning but with less blatant techno-wow and more sentimentality. It isn't about the cool feature, its about real people -- a new father, a graduate and her grandparents, a couple using sign-language -- making a real, visible, emotional connections.

Apple's already sold 1.7 million iPhone 4s. Ads like this might move a few more.

Video after the break.

Looks like Sam Mendes, director of American Beauty has been tapped to create some new iPhone HD/iPhone 4G commercials for Apple. Further, Engadget tipsters brings word that the device, known internally as the Mammoth N90, will have a mother and daughter highlighting its iChat video feature in at least one of the commercials.

While it's not unprecedented for cameras to disappear from final Apple release products (see iPod touch G3 and possibly iPad), the front-facing iChat video camera is looking like a surer bet every day.

Now will AT&T charge extra for it, and would you use it?

[Engadget]

Apple has released their second iPad TV commercial and it focuses on "what is iPad?". The voice is older and more gravelly. The music is slower and more deliberate. Just like the iPad, it takes its time. It also focuses the imagery on idealized use cases and puts the attention where it should be -- on the features.

iPad is thin. iPad is beautiful. iPad goes anywhere and lasts all day. There's no right way or wrong way. It's crazy powerful. It's magical. You already know how to use it. It's 200,000 apps and counting. All the world's websites in your hand. It's video, photos, more books than you can read in a lifetime. It's already a revolution and its only just begun.

It's an interesting direction for Apple advertising. Seems like smart one too.

Video after the break.

[Apple.com via MacStories, 9to5Mac, MacRumors]

YouTube link

UPDATED: And Arnold Kim from MacRumors realized it's direct homage to a Newton commercial. Awesome:

YouTube link

Apple recently just release yet another iPhone commercial and this one is called "Shopper". This particular commercial only highlights one 3rd party application, a barcode scanner app called RedLaser. [iTunes Link - $1.99]

The man in the ad is in search for a espresso maker for a gift for his wife. He first uses Safari to do a little research, then he shoots off a text message to seek advice on what color espresso maker to purchase, and finally he uses RedLaser to scan the barcode to check for cheaper prices.

It's all about the apps...

Video after the break!

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

Apple's latest iPhone commercial, "Commute", emphasizes everyday use with the iPhone. Three applications are highlighted:

• MassTransit [iTunes Link - $3.99] for when the man misses his train,
• Here, File File! [iTunes Link $9.99] when he receives a call from the office when they can't find his sales report, and
• The Wall Street Journal [iTunes Link - Free] to enjoy a news video clip on the train.

Video after the break!

Sprint now joins Verizon in taking jabs at AT&T's network and the iPhone, offering an "iPhone 4G" in their latest TV spot via their Overdrive WiMax hotspot (think 4G MiFi).

Sprint claims the best solution to AT&T's supposedly slow 3G speed is not the next generation of iPhone (which won't be called the iPhone 4G due to LTE networks not being deployed for a year or two yet), but rather your current iPhone connected via WiFi to their beefed up 4G WiMax network.

So, with Verizon targeting the iPad via MiFi and now Sprint going after the iPhone via WiMax (when they could be focusing on their own devices like the Droid and the Palm Pre) are they hoping to prop up the modem business by surrendering device mindshare to Apple?

Thing is, last we checked AT&T has the fastest 3G data speeds available on any US carrier and that's good enough for us. But for those unfortunate souls out there with less than desirable AT&T service is this something that you would ever be interested in? And if you're already tethering your iPhone to a Sprint Overdrive, what kind of speeds are you getting?

Watch the ad after the break!

[Via BGR]

YouTube link

While I was busy enjoying the subtler UI details, AppleInsider noticed that last night's iPad commercial debut showed what might be some of the pricing inside the new iBooks Store:

The commercial showed Sen. Edward Kennedy's "True Compass: A Memoir" for $14.99, the novel "I, Alex Cross" by James Patterson for $12.99, and "Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Journey to Change the World... One Child at a Time" by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin for $7.99.

For comparison, "True Compass" currently sells for $19.25 for the Amazon Kindle, "I, Alex Cross" costs $9.99, and "Three Cups of Tea" costs $7.19.

Whether or not that was final, or merely mocked up pricing for the commercial, remains to be seen.

TUAW also notes a New York Times button at the bottom, presumably to access a special New York Times Bestsellers section of the iBooks Store.

Lastly, 9to5Mac notes the My Documents button at the top left of of the Pages iWork touch app (good for PC users?). And -- gasp! -- another smudge that's likely still not a camera.

So, did the iPad commercial do it's job and make anyone more interested in picking up a magical, revolutionary new piece of gear on April 3?

It looks like the iPad did indeed decide to join Steve Jobs at the 82nd Academy Awards, at least in the for of Apple's first official commercial. Is the Oscar setting fitting for a media consumption power house, or was it just the huge audience?

It featured a song like iPod touch commercials, rather than music like the iPhone. In this case, There Goes My Love by The Blue Van [iTunes link via TUAW]. Visually, it showed a variety of features, point-of-view on iPad's held on a variety of laps. You can watch it now via Apple.com [Thanks Swiftman!].

It ended with the US shipping date of April 3rd.

UPDATE: Video after the jump:

YouTube link

It seems like "On hold" and "First steps" weren't the only new, activity-focused commercials Apple had ready for the iPhone as "Family Travel" has now made its Olympic debut as well.

"Family travel" highlights Southwest Airlines [Free - iTunes link] for pre-checkin, Gate Guru [Free - iTunes link] to find the kids a snack, and the built-in iPod app to play them a little Finding Nemo while they wait. Oh, and some Schlage LiNK [Free - iTunes link] to make sure the lights were off at home. End line: "That's why I don't go anywhere without my iPhone."

So the transition from "App for that" and "App for just about anything" to focused, lifestyle-specific "look what you can do with your iPhone" ads is now complete. Interesting to see how they go about step-by-step educational strategies even in their commercials...

Apple began airing two new iPhone ads last night during the Olympics (what hockey game?), one going after boredom by showing what you can do with your iPhone while you wait, and the other going after the hearts of parents (and grandparents) everywhere. Interestingly, neither featured the "app for that" or "app for almost everything" tag lines Apple has been using since 2008.

"On hold" starts off with the male caller being placed on hold, though he doesn't mind because his iPhone means he can use the internet while he waits. He checks email, uses the Bank of America app [Free - iTunes link] to pay bills, and then the App Store to buy, download, and play Monopoly [$4.99 - iTunes link]

(Also interesting, they show the iPhone on Wi-Fi and not 3G, and don't take any more swipes at Verizon for not being able to handle simultaneous voice and 3G data. Then again, Monopoly is too large to be downloaded over 3G even with the new 20MB limit ) He finishes with "I need my iPhone for, well, everything".

"First Steps" has a new mom use Camara to video record her baby son's first steps, then Messages to MMS the video to everyone. Next, she uses Phone to easily set up a conference call to discuss said first steps. It ends with "we would never have shared all that without the iPhone".

The battle of TV attack ads between AT&T and Verizon continues on as AT&T has just released two more commercials taking aim at Big Red.

In the first commercial, named "Secret Switch", Luke Wilson is at a dinner party and he secretly switches the attendee's AT&T smartphones for Verizon devices. Once they realize they've been bamboozled by tricky Luke and are using "dumb phones" all hell seems to break lose. Notice the Motorola Droid highlighted when they mention "dumb phones"?

There's no mention of the iPhone specifically (Apple doesn't share screen time), but one diner does complain that all her apps are gone...

The other commercial is titled "Share AT&T" and this time Luke concentrates on educating the viewers about how AT&T provides a better overall 3G experience than Verizon. Some of the key points he touches on are the faster speeds for downloading songs and videos, and the ability to talk and surf at the same time, etc...

Check out the videos after the break, and let us know what you think about them!

According to AT&T's latest commercial, their 3G network covers over 230 million people in the U.S. Finally they have addressed what they failed to address in any of the other countless commercials.

The last few AT&T TV spots seem to be getting a bit better than the previous ones but still in limbo is the commercial where they boast how they are improving their network similar to O2's network. While I personally have no complaints here in Chicago regarding the quality of AT&T's 3G, I have to ask, how is your AT&T 3G network?

Fire away in the comments below!

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

Apple has hit pause on their "100,000 apps for just about anything" ads, turned the other cheek on "can your network...?" counter-commercials, and debuted a new, merrier bit of marketing for the holiday season -- 12 Apps for Xmas. Care to sing along?

On the twelfth day of Christmas my iPhone gave to me:

• 12 cookies cooking
• 11 cards a sending
• 10 gifts for giving
• 9 songs for singing
• 8 bells for ringing
• 7 slopes for skiing
• 6 games for playing
• 5 gold rings
• 4 hot lattes
• 3 flights home
• 2 feet of snow
• And an app that can light up the tree

Check it out on Apple.com. However, unlike previous commercials, other than Betty Crocker right at the top, individual app icons and titles aren't shown but Apple's "as shown on TV" page on iTunes should collect them up for us...

If you know any of the apps, however, please do point them out in the comments!

It's sure getting entertaining to watch AT&T and Verizon duke it out, commercial after commercial. Today we have the latest from AT&T to show you and this one is all about download speed. It seems AT&T has given up on the fact that Verizon covers more of the U.S. in terms of 3G reception, and is now concentrating on the claim that AT&T has the faster 3G speeds.

We've said it before and we will say it again, AT&T just does not seem to get it and they are obviously ignoring most of your comments as a significant amount of our readers feel they should be spending all of these advertising dollars on some more 3G towers...

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

Actor Luke Wilson and AT&T are at it once again and this time they want you to know all about AT&T's rollover minutes. Yes, it is true that AT&T lets you use your unused monthly minutes but keep in mind, they eventually do expire after a year if you do not use them. We do not mean to keep beating the same drum but come on AT&T, quit spending money, time, and effort on these mediocre commercials and spend time on making your network better for everyone.

As AT&T keeps pumping out the commercials Verizon/Motorola are not sitting quietly on the sidelines. They've gone and released another Droid commercial that takes aim at, you guessed it, Apple's iPhone. This latest commercial caters to the male consumers and pretty much paints the iPhone as being nothing more than "pretty". Smart move as Motorola continues to beat Apple in brand loyalty with males 18 years old and up.

[Thanks to matrix2004 for the tip!]

View the new Droid commercial after the break!

It seems as if Apple has taken some offense to the latest Verizon ad attacks that have targeted the iPhone as well as the AT&T network. BusinessWeek (via Engadget Mobile) points out that Apple has fired back with two commercials of their own and really rubbing in the fact that on the Verizon network you can not be on a phone call while checking your email, browsing the web, etc...

So if you were not a fan of the latest AT&T commercials what are you thoughts on these released by Apple?

Yes, we know if you are reading this on your iPhone you will not be able to view the videos, we feel your pain but as soon as there is a YouTube link we will update the post.

Commercial number 2 after the break!

AT&T has responded to Verizon's latest commercials that depicts their network as small and to put it nicely, garbage. As you can see above AT&T takes some shots of their own at Big Red.

This particular commercial is just one of a series that will begin airing tonight. AT&T not only mentions a few valid points but they even scored Luke Wilson to do the dissing. Bonus points...

So, the big question remains, how long will it be before Verizon files a lawsuit of their own? Only kidding... we think?

Update: Also be sure to check out www.truthabout3g.com (screenshot after the break!).

Saw these last night while watching the show that used to be House MD, new Apple iPhone "App for That" commercials focusing on Gift and Song. Of course, the tag line has been bumped from 75,000 to 100,000, and they continue with "apps for just about anything", which is likely legal cover in case "app for that" confused someone into suing over that still-missing Apple Glass Trackpad app...

• Gift features Target [Free - iTunes link], ColorChange [$2.99 - iTunes link], The Snow Report [Free - iTunes link], Monopoly Here and Now [$4.99 - iTunes link], Hotel Pal [Free - iTunes link], and Zipcar [Free - iTunes link]
• Song features Jaimie Oliver's 20 Minute Meals [$7.99 - iTunes link], Credit Card Terminal [$0.99 - iTunes link], Facebook [Free - iTunes link], The Sims 3 [$6.99 - iTunes link], Redfin Real Estate [Free - iTunes link], Shazam [Free - iTunes link]

Again, Apple is sticking to apps to sell iPhones, and showing off some great variety, and killer good looks while doing so. If it ain't broke don't fix it, or time for Apple advertising to switch it up?

Apple, evolving on the "App for That" theme that's been the centerpiece of their iPhone commercials for over a year, has released 3 new ads called Dine, Nature, and Pass with the tag line "75,000 apps for just about anything".

• Dine features Trip Case [Free - iTunes link], New York Subway '09 [$4.99 - iTunes link], Epicurious Recipes [Free - iTunes link], Zagat to Go '09 [$9.99 - iTunes link], QuickOffice Mobile Office Suite [$9.99 - iTunes link], GAP StyleMixer [Free - iTunes link]

• Nature features iXpenseIt [$4.99 - iTunes link], DailyFinance [Free - iTunes link], Guitar Toolkit [$9.99 - iTunes link], Lonely Planet Mandarin [$9.99 - iTunes link], iBird Explorer Plus [$19.99 - iTunes link], Pizza Hut [Free - iTunes link]

• Pass features Fandango [Free - iTunes link], G-Park [$0.99 - iTunes link], VocabWiz College Vocabulary [$4.99 - iTunes link], 365 Crosswords [$4.99 - iTunes link], Classics [$2.99 - iTunes link], ABC Animals [$1.99 - iTunes link]

Phew! We get it, Apple is turning up the dial on the app platform promotion. And why not? It's their killer competitive advantage at this point.

Apple has begun airing another in their long line of "App for That" iPhone ads, this time with "Avid", targeting sports fans. The ad shows off:

• Golfshot GPS [$29.99 - iTunes link]
• MLB at Bat 2009 [$9.99 - iTunes link]
• TouchSports Tennis 2009 [$0.99 - iTunes link]

Apple typically releases these spots in batches, so we'll keep our eyes peeled for more, and if you see any, let us know.

(Mac fans can also check out the new Get a Mac ads, one of which just might "tick" people off -- haha!)

[Video via Ben.at]

Apple Insider picks up a Sierra Sun story about Apple filming a top secret commercial for a new product at a restaurant called Jax at the Tracks in Truckee, California. Said owner Bud Haley:

“Apple found us, they're trying to show us as a hip and cool spot for the 20-something crowd.”

Indeed? So what was it for, folks? The upcoming third generation iPod touch? The mythical iTablet? Steve Jobs' revolutionary iVeggie Smoothy cup? Sound off in the comments and let us know what you expect!

Apple really, really thinks the iPod touch is the funnest ever, and just so they're sure we know it as well, they've released a second 2nd gen iPod touch gaming music video TV commercial.

TUAW's commenters pointed out Apple has even gone to the trouble of setting up a special App Store gaming page just for the games shown in the Franz Ferdinand covered commercial.

Will these commercials help sell iPod's to more gamers? Take a bite out of the upcoming Nintendo DSi pie? Or, like with the iPhone, is focusing on apps taking away from the core purpose of the devices (media + internet)?

This is a huge coincidence since we just had our App vs App: Shazam vs Midomi on TiPB. I love these commercials since they are so simple and really show what the iPhone can do. Well, since I think most carbon-based life forms know what the iPhone is, it is time for Apple to show how the App Store's apps can make a difference in your life. 

Apple has had a recent sting of new ads from baseball to finding a place to eat. This ad deals with [iTunes link] Shazam, a free app that allows you to hold your iPhone up to a music source, and Shazam will tell you what the song is and give you links to videos and even a link to the song on iTunes.

How cool is that?

Apple is still heavily promoting the App Store in their latest iPhone ad -- and given the staggering number of Apps and even more staggering number of downloads, with good reason.

The latest focuses on restaurant random-finder Urban Spoon, and perhaps to appease the UK overseers, the ad now cops to having the "sequence shortened". Dieter finds this "disappointingly normal":

...what was so awesome about the initial commercials is they showed some speed, instruction, and fun just by showing you the interface.

So scratch the speed, but you can still shake some fun.

If anyone checked out ESPN.com late last night they would have been smacked right in the eye with quite possibly the biggest iPod Touch Banner Ad Ever. After releasing the new iPhone "game changer" commercial during the baseball playoffs, it looks like Apple is focusing on expanding the iPhone/iPod Touch product line by reaching sports fans. Good idea? I don't know maybe Apple is thinking they can turn sports fans into Apple fanboys..

Either way, that thing was BIG. Dare I say life-size. There was no way anyone going on to ESPN.com could miss it (unless you have ad blockers). Effective? Yes. Annoying to scroll down to read the news? You betcha. Newsworthy? Hey it's the weekend..

Casey already told us about how an iPhone ad was banned in the UK for "misleading consumers" about providing "just the internet", and based on how many ZOMG! No Flash Vidz! comments we get, I'm going to go out on a limb and say most people probably share the belief that MobileSafari - ( Flash + Java) != the internet.

Fine.

But allow me to retort. As a long time web (and Flash) developer, however, I'm calling shenanigans on that, and on the UK Advertising Standards Authority. Flash and Java are factually and empirically NOT part of the open, standards based Internet (i.e. HTML, CSS, Javascript/AJAX). Flash and Java, along with things like SilverLight, Real, ActiveX, and a host of other proprietary add-ons are plugins, extensions, and otherwise additions to the Internet -- with all the benefits and drawbacks that go along with that.

Like what? Read on after the break!

Okay, so Flash, Java, et. al. allow for some neat multi-media effects and interactivity (though HTML 5 and CSS are catching up), and some measure of portability (though never as much as they claim), but they bring in additional security and cross-platform problems as well.

The web is supposed to be a structured container (CSS) through which content flows (HTML), which is why MobileSafari can subtly reformat font sizes, line wraps, and other elements to suit the smaller screen and multi-touch interface. As an open standard, Apple can also integrate their own containers and attributes to, for example, define the screen size for rendering.

Flash? Kinda sorta sometimes if the developer puts the effort in. Being proprietary (even "open" proprietary), however, Apple can't exactly make changes to the source to, you know, make a version that's not as bloated and greedy as Adobe has long allowed the Mac OS X version of Flash to remain. To prove that point, Apple has significantly developed the plugin they do own, Quicktime, creating Quicktime X to better fit their mobile vision of the future.

All this to say that there are several very good reasons why the iPhone doesn't support Flash, Java, and the other plugins. They may be reasons that can eventually be overcome with newer/better technology, or reasons some people may even disagree with, but for the UK to randomly pick those two plugins as being "the internet" just because they happen to be ubiquitous (compared the aforementioned Silverlight, for example) is as capricious as it is wrong headed.

Apple, as they themselves rightly point out, is delivering the full standards-based Internet to the iPhone. Any site coded to conform to those standards will work just fine on the iPhone. Any site deviating, or depending on plugin extensions won't (as anyone whose ever tried to get a secure installation to "just add this Java widget" or "just download this ActiveX control" to enable some web conferencing or like utility will all too readily tell you).

Bottom-line, the UK is showing ignorance of the real web. Sure, I wants my vidz as much as the next Viddler, but I understand the issues behind these technologies, which is something the Advertising Standards Authority might want to do before banning commercials, right?

The Advertising Standards Authority, which we at TiPb are going to (foolishly) assume is the executive power of advertisements across the pond, has deemed an iPhone Advertisement as misleading in the UK. The sticking point? When Apple said:

"...all the parts of the internet are on the iPhone."

We think to please the guvnuhs on the other side, Apple will probably throw in one of them fine prints across the bottom of the page that specifies on what technology you 'really' do get. Does anyone know if Apple makes the same claim on the US commercials? Methinks yes.

Thanks Lee Richards!

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Apple has posted 3 new iPhone 3G ads. We've been seeing them on TV here and there (fast-forward-TiVo-style), but it's nice to see that Apple's posted them fully. Two of them focus on 3G speeds (with a tiny, gray "3G not available in all areas" at the end) and the third talks about "work" without specifically mentioning that it's discussion Exchange support. All in all, they're not all that compelling, truth be told, but "Unslow" at least falls in the iPhone commercial tradition of advertising-through-education: "What exactly is 3G?" It's fast, baby. It's also apparently GPS too, though again Apple doesn't specifically drop that apparently unhip series of letters in the commercial.

Check them out at Apple, here.

Remember the iPhone 3G ad that they were reportedly filming at the Fifth Avenue Apple Store? Well it came to fruition at WWDC and it's pretty slick. Not quite as epic as the 1984 commercial or as flashy as those iPod dancing ones, but the iPhone 3G "hallway" ad has its own appeal.

It starts with two security guards handling a silver lockbox and walking through an uber-modern, top-secret hallway. As the security guards walk, a voiceover says, "It's finally here. The first phone to beat the iPhone." As they set the safe down and it opens, the voiceover goes on to say "...introducing the NEW iPhone...3G"

How do you guys like it? Click the Read Link to watch the new ad.

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24 hours. 7 days a week. 365 1/4 days a year.

That's how often the Apple Store on 5th Avenue in New York City is open. Don't know which one I'm talking about? The big glass cube on the most expensive street in the world! This flagship store is perhaps the brightest jewel in Apple Retail, often hosting performances from the likes of Maroon 5 & Linkin Park and becoming a new landmark for tourists to visit in the city that never sleeps. It's open all day, everyday.

Well, if you don't count today.

The Apple Store on 5th Ave. is closed from Thursday, May 29 3:00 p.m. to Friday, May 30 9:00 a.m. Apple Store Employees have been telling customers that a commercial is being filmed and reports are floating around saying its a 3G iPhone commercial. Remember, Apple doesn't close this store for any old reason, the only times it has been closed before: the original iPhone launch and the release of Leopard. Hmm..

What do you think?

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