Apple has released an official trailer for Schmigadoon!, a vibrant parody musical comedy series debuting this July on the streaming service and coming from the mind of Barry Sonnenfeld.
Described as a parody of iconic Golden Age musicals, the six-episode season of Schmigadoon! stars Emmy Award nominee Cecily Strong and Emmy Award winner Keegan-Michael Key as a couple on a backpacking trip designed to reinvigorate their relationship when they discover a magical town in which everyone is living in a studio musical from the 1940s. They then discover that they can’t leave until they find “true love.”
Apple has released a full-length trailer for the animated feature film titled Wolfwalkers, the latest project from acclaimed Irish animation filmmaker Tomm Moore, co-directing with concept artist Ross Stewart.
In a time of superstition and magic, a young apprentice hunter, Robyn Goodfellowe, journeys to Ireland with her father to wipe out the last wolf pack. While exploring the forbidden lands outside the city walls, Robyn befriends a free-spirited girl, Mebh, a member of a mysterious tribe rumored to have the ability to transform into wolves by night. As they search for Mebh’s missing mother, Robyn uncovers a secret that draws her further into the enchanted world of the Wolfwalkers and risks turning into the very thing her father is tasked to destroy.
Hike up your glasses and pick your favorite case everybody! The iPhone 5 is almost here – Apple fans have already been rejoicing for months now and I definitely wanted to be in on this new product because it seems that news about the iPhone 5 is everywhere. So now it’s time for me to review this news-maker. Will it meet the hype that dedicated Apple fans have created over it, or will it fail to deliver?
Wrong kind of ‘deliver’
First of all, the bigger screen is pretty impressive. The first time I held the phone and looked at the screen I could have sworn I was looking at a netbook instead of a phone. Apparently, people want our phone screens to keep getting bigger like our TV screens have and Apple definitely delivered on this aspect. I tested out the screen’s size by pulling up a picture of a pizza (because I was really hungry at the time) and I could have picked the entire thing right off the screen, it was so real and life-sized. I was shocked. How awesome would it be if the next iPhone could be even bigger and I could look up even bigger food items, like a foot-long Subway sandwich?
I can’t wait until they’re this size!
I’m also pretty stoked about the new charger for the iPhone 5, a cable called the Lightning. The connector is really small and fits perfectly into the small spot allotted for it on the new, slimmer iPhone 5. I think Apple was trying to go along with the whole diet mentality because everything about the Lightning seemed based on smaller proportions to produce greater effects in the end, except for the screen of course. Not a bad strategy if you ask me. I read that apparently a lot of Apple products are going to start using this charging cable, which is pretty awesome that I’ll get to throw away my perfectly good iPod to buy a whole new one just so it will be compatible with the new charger.
I wish mine looked like this.
A few final notes about the iPhone should be covered before I wrap this up. I simply adore the fact that the iPhone 5 has faster memory and therefore functions a lot faster. Now I don’t have to wait the excruciating 1 second for a website or app to load anymore – it only takes half of a second now! Holy crap, how did I ever deal with dial-up? Also, the lighter weight means that I don’t have to lug around the stupidly heavy iPhone 4S in my purse anymore. The difference in weight between the previous iPhone and the new one is like an elephant to a mouse, which is WONDERFUL for my shoulders to deal with now. Sure, I guess nothing else much has changed besides what I already mentioned, in addition to the new operating system, the iOS6, and an improved camera. But really, it’s the newest and greatest from Apple, and that is good enough reason for me to own it.
But I guess now would be a good time to let you know that I’m not one of those “lucky” writers in the tech industry who was able to get their hands on an iPhone 5 for review. In fact, I’ve never owned any iPhone, or any other smartphone, for that matter. My review was based on me imagining that I was an Apple addict who shells out money for everything my beloved company produces because I must remain a part of their cult. So I hope this article at least entertained you, because there’s no way I’d ever actually want to review an iPhone 5 for real. For as long as I can, I’d like to avoid people telling me that I’m becoming a follower of Apple-ology, Apple-anity, or any other way you want to describe the worship of all things Apple.
On September 12, 2012, the worst secret in the field of technology was released into the wild. Yes, the iPhone 5 was coming out and yes, millions of people want to love it and have millions of its babies. It also exposed an interesting fact about our society. With estimates of up to 10 million iPhone 5s sold by the end of September – NINE DAYS mind you – this is obviously going to be one of the most anticipated products launches in recent memory. But the question is this: do we actually need an iPhone 5?
Let’s start off with the facts. The iPhone 5 is going to carry a larger screen, have access to the LTE network, and be more powerful than previous iterations of the phone that revolutionized the industry. It will still have a retina display and with the new A6 chipset, the phone will run faster, smoother, and more efficient so that your battery life will be extended (or so we’re promised). The price points are the same as the previous versions with the 16gig going for $199, the 32gig going for $299, and the 64gig running for $399. The preorders began on September 14th with phones being available in retail stores and shipping on September 21st.
Admittedly, the reaction has ranged from excited to apathetic. The excited usually revolves around the bigger screen and the added functionality of LTE. The unimpressed concentrate on it being just another smart phone with a longer screen and the fact that it doesn’t make breakfast for you. “Yay, we have an extra row for apps! *fart sound*” Legitimate and sarcastic concerns indeed, but the more glaring concern I get from this is our expectations of our “phones”. I’m not a fan of excessive air quotes but I feel it is deserved in this case because how much do we actually use our phone for calls? I have an exorbitant amount of rollover minutes because quite frankly, I don’t like talking on the phone and if I can deliver a text to get my point across, boom, problem solved. And all without the awkward silences. It’s really an organizer, toy, time waster, camera, however you want to define it. It’s the do-it-all to end all do-it-alls. It’s the symbol of our generation that relies on convenience to be an arm’s reach away.
Before I got an iPhone, I had a Motorola Q which was complete and utter garbage. The reason I got the iPhone was because I needed a new phone that didn’t make me want to reenact Office Space and take a bat to it. I didn’t realize that I would get sucked into the world of “there’s an app for that.” All of a sudden, I had instant access to the internet, my music from my iPod synced into my phone, my calendars and contacts at my fingertips… it was pretty much the perfect phone to keep me organized. Then came the iPhone 4. Now I had Facebook, Facetime, Final Fantasy Tactics (alliteration much?), Angry Birds, Words with Friends, Instagram…these apps that I never would’ve used in 2006 that now dominate my life in 2012. It was ironic to have an device that can keep me on an organized path and then ruin it with distractions at the same time. The fact that I can go to the airport and check my work e-mails, check my gate with my scan-able boarding pass on my phone, with my headphones on listening to Spotify, and then walk to Starbucks and have them scan my Starbucks gift card off my screen…it’s not only a testament on how far we’ve come with technology, but also how absolutely screwed I am if I ever lose my phone.
As much as I am a fan of technology, I’m curious as to the turning point when I became a slave to it. Obviously it’s not just myself as many people suffer the same dilemma. Of course, there is a segment of the population that looks to the iPhone as a status symbol. Which is understandable because it is probably the trendiest technology out there, which Apple smartly marketed its products to be since the release of the first iPods a decade ago. However, while I try to take advantage of all the features on my phone, there are others that just want to purely show it off, not unlike a new outfit or accessory. It also doesn’t help that some people can’t even tell the difference between the iPhone 5 and 4s as evidenced in the video below.
I get it, it’s the new big trendy thing so not everyone is going to get on board with it. Especially when it should not be such an essential part of living and breathing that some people make it out to be. Unfortunately, in this day and age, for those handcuffed by technology, it might as well be the second coming of Jesus. I did get up at 3am in the morning to pre-order the iPhone 5 just like all the other ‘crazies’ on the east coast. It’s a valued piece of technology for me and while I can most definitely live without, I just choose not too because it simply makes my life easier to organize and also, from an ego standpoint, I like to have the new big thing to show off. That and my old iPhone looks like to got into a fight with the Expendables.
It really just depends on the perspective on the user. While I wish I can say this will be the end all be all of all phones, but it won’t. There will be an iPhone 6 or 7 that I’m sure will boot this phone and its features back into the stone age. The iPhone 5 is very evolutionary and will provide souped up features that will enhance your experience as a smart phone. That being said, this is not the game changer people are making it out to be. I think hardcore Apple users will champion its cause out of loyalty. The general public will probably identify this as an unnecessary device that only adds features that promote gimmicks as opposed to functionality. This phone is far from a necessity to the regular person but if you need to upgrade from an iPhone 4, or heaven forbid, a 3 or 3s, it may be worth a shot. We will find out on Friday and hopefully I’ll get a review up to see if the iPhone 5 will match the hype. Spoiler alert: It never does.
Let me start by saying that I think South Park is one of the smartest and funniest shows on television. It fearlessly attacks and satirizes everything and everyone. In a culture so disgustingly obsessed with being ‘politically correct’, South Park is a beacon of reason since they seem to try their hardest to buck that trend. So I was quite excited that the premiere of the 15th season had snuck up on me. It was a pleasant surprise to check my DVR after Justified and find a new episode. What was less pleasant was the episode itself…
The focus of the episode was around the Apple iPad. Cartman pretended to have one (of course) and obviously made fun of all the kids who didn’t have one. When he gets called out for his lies he turns to his mother for help. At this same time Apple shows up to abduct Kyle, which is a result of him clicking things before reading them. Apparently he agreed to an entire litany of things in the last update Apple sent him…which he did not read.
So Cartman convinces his Mom to forgo the waiting period before his birthday and take him to get an iPad right then. However, upon learning she cannot afford one, he proceeds to let everyone know she is ‘f–king him’. It’s metaphorical, but people then start to believe that she is actually molesting her son.
At this time Kyle is being prepped for surgery…Human Centipede style.
So while Cartman is telling everyone that his mom is f–king him (including Dr. Phil), Kyle is being made to eat a man’s poop. The Steve Jobs then explains why this is gonna be the next best thing. Apple users eat it up.
Overall though, I didn’t get it.
I liked how smug and gullible they made Apple users seem (since I use a PC), and Cartman dropping F-Bombs was funny the first few times, but I just didn’t laugh. Not the way South Park normally makes me laugh. It addressed how dependent some people are on their Apple products, and how useless some of their innovations are, but that people will run out to buy the stuff anyways.
The Human Centipede stuff just missed for me. And don’t get me wrong. I wasn’t grossed out by the episode, and it was actually a nice nod to Human Centipede which is a movie that I kind of, sort of enjoyed.
Something just didn’t click for me here though. I give it 2 Bears.
Grizzly Bomb 