The Wall Street Journal's All Things Digital blog is reporting that Apple is having meetings with TV networks to see if they'd be interested in having their programs available on iTunes in a deal where viewers would pay a monthly flat fee to watch the shows.
Obviously, many networks already offer various shows on iTunes, but this would be a scenario where Mac and PC users of iTunes would pay a $30 a month subscription in order to watch TV shows. And that would be all shows, not just paying for each show that you want to watch.
Sesame Street did a Mad Men spoof recently, and now they're spoofing another contemporary pop culture icon: the iPod.
In this clip, the Muppets are seen wearing headphones and dancing in silhouette a la various commercials for Apple's iPod. Steve Jobs called and is going to sue PBS. Just kidding!
[via Mashable]
Fans of TV's Dexter have been clamoring for the release of the video game version for quite awhile, ever since news of the game's development first hits the stands. But just like the show's title character would say, patience and preparation pays off when you're trying to execute the perfect kill.
Dexter the Game would feel like just another run-of-the-mill TV to video game translation if it hit the Xbox Live Arcade or the Playstation Network. But this slice and dice retelling of the Showtime show's first season is special because it's on the iPhone and iPod Touch.
That's right, the touch screen manna from Steve Jobs' heaven now lets you cut up evildoers with a bone saw with the flick of your finger. Now you can fulfill the needs of your own "Dark Passenger" without having to max out your Home Depot card on visqueen and power tools or thin the pet population of your neighbors' backyards.
An iPhone software developer is trying to turn the "anybody can sing" craze triggered by American Idol and America's Got Talent into an online social networking craze.
And, I admit, the more I think about that, the more terrifying it becomes. Take the first couple weeks of Idol shows with all of the bad auditions and multiply them by the endless fool factor of the Internet.
iSing (created by Island Labs and available in Apple's iTunes store), enables anyone with an iPhone or iPod touch to record a 30-second audition. Singers then publish it and watch for their recording "to climb the charts as their 'fans' vote for (or against) it in this worldwide competition for stardom" (all according to an Island Labs release). You don't win anything but "stardom," should you do well.
Patrick Warburton has made a career out of playing the smug and clueless jerk everyone loves to laugh at on shows like Seinfeld, Less than Perfect and Rules of Engagement. I guess that's why Apple thought he'd be the perfect guy to play a "top of the line" PC in the latest Mac ad:
I love these simple and amusing Get a Mac ads, but this is probably one of my favorites of the bunch. I never imagined this before, but now I can see the hammy Warburton maybe playing a self-important '60s commercial actor on Mad Men, or at least starring in an SNL-style Mad Men parody.
Apple has left some fairly noticeable heel marks on the free throw lines of the computer, digital music and the cell phone industry.
So what technology business does Steve Jobs have next on his "To Dominate" list? Why TV, of course. What did you think I was going to say? Toasters? Did you not read the name of this blog?
Please note that this is the last time you'll ever read the above phrase on TV Squad. At least I hope so.
Are you aware that there's a battle going on over iPhone apps? There are two companies fighting over who gets the right to have an application that reproduces sounds made via a certain bodily function. You can pretty much guess what it is. Wyatt Cenac at The Daily Show talked to the two CEOs on Tuesday's show. It always amazes me that people will agree to do these interviews and then say something so inane, like this guy's comment about Jackie Robinson. (Video also here.)
The first 20 seconds of this video below could easily be mistaken for one of the real "I'm A PC" ads that Microsoft is currently running. Same filming style, same type of actress, the locations even look the same. But then it all goes horribly wrong (a few naughty words so a little NSFW).
These new ads are trying to say you shouldn't pay a lot for a computer, especially those damn Macs that, well, everyone who uses them really loves. (Disclaimer: yes, I'm typing this on a Mac.)
I know I've been asking this question a lot, but what the hell is going on here? Have we entered the bizarro world? Is up now down? Has black become white? Did Dr. Sanja Gupta accept Barack Obama's offer to be the next U.S. surgeon general after Dr. Pepper turned him down?
Last week, we reported on Apple's refusal to include a new South Park iPhone app. The white hot anger could be felt from coast to coast. We here at TV Squad were worried that the uproar it could have caused could have landed us in "Enemy Combatant Land" for disturbing the peace and inciting a riot, which technically would be Apple's fault.
Then an interesting little story popped into my view that seemed to contradict the claims Apple had made and as always, television helped show me the way.
Everybody knows an iPhone user who flaunts his phone to the world the way anyone of us would if we owned something that we believed contained the awesome power of God.
They are always checking their emails or giving you weather updates you never asked for. They always let their phone ring longer than necessary with some ridiculous sounds such as one of those dumb novelty "Pick me up!" chimes or the theme to Sanford and Son to make sure it grabs your attention. Pretty soon, every time they stroke their finger across that smirking touch screen, it subconsciously sounds like fingernails across a chalkboard.
Now, you can one-up your personal iPhone a-hole with this comforting fact: Their almighty cell phone from God won't let them watch South Park because it thinks it's too offensive for their delicate sensibilities.
You would think from the comments at the link above that past seasons have had stars like Tom Cruise and Meryl Streep on the show. They think the entire cast for this new season is disappointing, a bunch of nobodies. Hey, Wozniak pretty much invented the home computer industry! And I would say that Denise Richards, David Alan Grier, Jewel, and Lil' Kim are pretty well known. There are always some unknowns or fringe celebs in the cast too (though not always the ones we want to see).
I don't watch the show, but as a Mac user I kinda have to tune in at least once to see how Woz does. This is the second time that Woz will find himself in the reality-show spotlight (I know, DWTS is more of a competition show). He dated My Life on the D-List star Kathy Griffin not too long ago. I wonder if Steve Jobs will be watching?
That it aired for the first and only time (at least as an ad, not a cultural icon) 25 years ago today, during the broadcast of Super Bowl XVIII (when the Los Angeles Raiders crushed the Washington Redskins, for you sports fans); and
That the Super Bowl was once played as early as January 22.
The NFL season has slowly gotten longer and longer, hasn't it? Anyway, Rovell has an interesting interview with Mike Murray, Apple's marketing manager for the then-brand-new Mac. The best thing to come out of the interview was the fact that Apple's board of directors hated the completed ad, which was inspired by George Orwell's novel 1984, and never wanted it to air. But they couldn't sell back their 60-second spot and had nothing else to put there.
So, basically, a lack of productivity on the part of Apple's marketing department allowed us to see what became the most famous Super Bowl ad ever. You can see the ad after the jump.
As MacWorld opens today in San Francisco, people are talking about the statement released by Apple CEO Steve Jobs yesterday concerning rumors about his health. Jobs has gone through a rather obvious loss of weight and people have speculated that he had a serious health problem, perhaps related to the cancer scare he had a while back. But in the statement, Jobs says that the weight loss was caused by a hormonal imbalance and that he is undergoing treatment to solve the problem.
Also, he doesn't have PMS.
That's the little joke that CNBC anchor Dennis Kneale made on the network yesterday, in a report about Jobs' statement and the price of Apple's stock. While throwing to another reporter, Kneale asked if "all of this was about PMS, something like that?" Kneale apologized for the remark (which he called "word play") after the report. I don't think Jobs should be offended, though I bet some women will be.
It seems like something weird happens on CNBC every day now.
On this Tuesday morning, we've got an Apple iPod Nano and a Frank TV-branded talking bottle opener for one lucky, random commenter. The prize package comes courtesy of Frank TV, which airs Tuesdays at 11 PM ET on TBS.
To enter, leave a comment below before 5:00PM Eastern, Friday, November 21 simply telling us why you'd like to own this prize package. As always, we'll randomly choose one winner amongst the eligible entries. Some other details:
To enter, leave a confirmed comment below stating why you'd like to own the Frank TV prize package (the iPod Nano and talking bottle opener).
The comment must be left before November 21, 2008 at 5:00PM Eastern Time.
You may enter only once.
One winner will be selected in a random drawing.
One winner will receive an Apple iPod Nano (valued at $149) and a Frank TV-branded talking bottle opener (valued at $4).
Open to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia who are 18 and older.
The Wall Street Journal's All Things Digital blog is reporting that Apple is having meetings with TV networks to see if they'd be interested in having their programs available on iTunes in a deal where viewers would pay a monthly flat fee to watch the shows. 
An iPhone software developer is trying to turn the "anybody can sing" craze triggered by 
Apple has left some fairly noticeable heel marks on the free throw lines of the computer, digital music and the cell phone industry. 
How about you?
I know I've been asking this question a lot, but what the hell is going on here? Have we entered the bizarro world? Is up now down? Has black become white? Did Dr. Sanja Gupta accept Barack Obama's offer to be the next U.S. surgeon general after Dr. Pepper turned him down?
Everybody knows an iPhone user who flaunts his phone to the world the way anyone of us would if we owned something that we believed contained the awesome power of God.
This is probably only logical, since Macs are all you see on TV shows when a character owns a computer: Apple co-founder 
Two things about Darren Rovell's CNBC.com story about the famous 
As 
On this Tuesday morning, we've got an Apple iPod Nano and a Frank TV-branded talking bottle opener for one lucky, random commenter. The prize package comes courtesy of 
Six Mad Men characters who are in limbo after the finale
Fact or Fiction: Big Bang, Brothers & Sisters and CSI
The TV Squad Podcast: Linda Purl talks about The Office, we talk spoilers, and more
