Crude and even a bit juvenile, granted. Some underlying truth, too. Brand trumps technical arcana. We drown in a simulacra of Brands. And by the power of Grayskull, that’s one awesome brand.
The website at the end might be worth a peek. This clip’s authors used that site’s pre-made templates. All they did was type in the dialogue they wanted. The vocal translator seems to be the same engine that AT&T Labs released as a partial freebie to the general public years ago. It’s got limits. So if you start to make your own movie – and why not have fun? – expect to have to tailor your text a bit to overcome the vocalizer’s limitations.
anxiousmodernman says
Meme victory!
Dr Leo Strauss says
Best Buy caves to the spotlight. http://techcrunch.com/2010/07/06/best-buy-htc-iphone-videos/
Dr Leo Strauss says
And the Apple PR train wreck careens forward:
http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2010/07/03/the-entire-steve-jobs-email-story-its-real/
Dr Leo Strauss says
@anxiousmodernman
Agree that Best Buy blew it.
Interesting to hear about EVO’s coverage in D.C. An acquaintance at a Vast Right Wing Conspiracy get together raved about his. Showed the bigger screen and ability to turn the device into a mobile hot spot.
Am not unhappy with the iPhone but am waiting to compare the Evo, new Droid and Apple trinket. AT&T coverage in D.C. is satisfactory but the new data limits bring back memories of the dark ages of constantly monitoring use. Apple’s handling of the antenna issue doesn’t inspire one. At least so far.
anxiousmodernman says
Thoughtcrime detected!
Ungh. Big corporate “professionalism” is more like the old Stalinist “DiaMat” every day. Agree that it could only be positive press for Best Buy…if they did nothing. There is zero chance that this video damages iPhone sales. Think of all the debate and bad press over the iPad. They’re selling like hotcakes. Apple sits on a pile of cash they don’t know what to do with.
Best Buy, here’s what you should have done. Ignored the video completely. Apple, too. Just let each team’s rabid fanboys in the Android/iPhone game dig in and fight it out on YouTube.
I was up for renewal on Sprint, so I bought an Evo and I love it (although I’m waiting and waiting for my “rebate”. They have a website set up to track it. I can expect a check in 6 weeks, they say.). I get decent 4G coverage in the District, as well.
Dr Leo Strauss says
The video’s author was correct, Best Buy is trying to fire him.
http://techcrunch.com/2010/07/01/best-buy-iphone-4-evo-4g/
Funny, but learning a Best Buy employee made this was a positive brand thing for us – until the termination news. Who knew what lurked behind that Big Box store? It’s a shame Apple is so notoriously vengeful and BB so predictably ham fisted.