GeekSugar

AT&T vs. Verizon: Who Will Back Down First?

GeekSugar — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:35:33 -0800

AT&T and Verizon clearly don't get along - after several commercials and one lawsuit, the feud doesn't look like it's ending anytime soon. Today in AT&T vs. Verizon drama: a new AT&T commercial features a checklist of reasons AT&T is better than Verizon, and why you, too, should believe that AT&T is the best wireless network in America.

Verizon's response:

"AT&T did not file this lawsuit because Verizon's 'There’s a map for that' advertisements are untrue; AT&T sued because Verizon’s ads are true, and the truth hurts."

I'm curious if Verizon will launch another counterattack, but at some point, one of these companies will have to give it a rest.

More Verizon Commercials Bash AT&T Service

GeekSugar — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 01:44:10 -0800

Fresh off the heels of the Droid launch last week, Verizon just released its new holiday ads, featuring the same 3G coverage maps that appeared in previous ads.

The latest anti-Apple commercial features an iPhone banished to the "land of misfit toys." While Verizon did add a disclaimer at the bottom of the screen explaining the illustration (highlighted in the image), I'm wondering if AT&T will have similar issues with these ads. Not only are they showing the map in question from previous commercials, they're also taking a direct hit at the iPhone - and ending the commercial by showcasing their brand new phones.

To watch the controversial commercial, just read more.

Daily Tech: Verizon's Latest DROID Commercial Surfaces

GeekSugar — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:16:46 -0800

Verizon is really going all out with their ad campaign for the Motorola Droid. Here's the newest commercial which will air this week - The Boy Genius Report

France will soon be getting their very first Apple retail store - MacRumors

Production of the Facebook movie is already underway - The Silicon Alley Insider

The BlackBerry Curve 8530 will be available from Verizon on Nov. 20 for $100 - CNET

Here's how you can download an entire Flickr set at once - Switched

It's giveaway time on GeekSugar! Log in for your chances to win one of these AT&T Smartphones - GeekSugar

AT&T Sues Verizon Over a TV Commercial

GeekSugar — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 01:44:00 -0800

Who didn't see this coming? AT&T is suing Verizon over their recent ad campaign, playing on Apple's iPhone catchphrase "There's an app for that," and laying into AT&T's supposed lack of coverage. According to AT&T, the side-by-side view of maps showing each network's 3G coverage areas is confusing to consumers, leading them to believe that there are large parts of the country where AT&T doesn't provide service.

I can see how the side-by-side view of the maps could be misleading, but Verizon isn't fudging any numbers. The maps in the commercial show 3G network coverage for both providers. The difference is, where there are holes in Verizon's maps there isn't coverage. On the AT&T map, much of the white areas not covered by 3G, AT&T's 2G network is offered. Apparently Verizon did add a disclaimer to the ad, but AT&T is still dissatisfied.

AT&T's main goal seems to be to get these commercials off the air. . . Do you think they have a case?

Taylor Swift, Travis Barker, and Pete Wentz Talk Band Hero

GeekSugar — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:40:05 -0800

Available in stores today, Band Hero is Activision's latest game, which lets friends and family members rock out with their Guitar Hero instruments to favorites like "ABC" by the Jackson 5 and "Wannabe" by the Spice Girls. You can even sing along with other famous singers including country superstar Taylor Swift who performs some of her most popular hits like "Love Story," "You Belong With Me," and "Picture to Burn."

Here's some footage from the making of the Band Hero commercial, which includes mini-interviews with Taylor and her musical heroes including Travis Barker, and Pete Wentz.

Band Hero for the Wii costs $60.

Bing Debuts a Spooky Vampire Commercial

GeekSugar — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:43:22 -0700

Just in time for Halloween and the New Moon premiere, is the latest Bing commercial from Microsoft. Set to air for the first time tonight, the popular new search engine - which Rachel Zoe can't get enough of - is used in this dramatic clip, which stars two characters that closely resemble Edward and Bella. Although it's too bad her Bing search wasn't for something a little bit more Twilight-esque!

Fun New "There's a Map For That" Verizon vs. AT&T Ad

GeekSugar — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 05:47:56 -0700

Ha! Verizon is really getting cheeky. Not only has it copied Apple's "There's an App For That" ad campaign, but it's also gone head-to-head with AT&T saying that it has five times more 3G coverage in comparison to AT&T's spotty service. Ironically, when I asked you if you had ever experienced dropped calls because of bad cell phone reception, those of you with Verizon said that you haven't had any service problems, so maybe Verizon is on to something after all!

Good News: Watching Live TV Will Soon Get a Little Quieter

GeekSugar — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 01:44:30 -0700

I'm addicted to skipping through commercials via TiVo, but when I do watch live television, my eardrums get a major blast whenever ads come on. At first I thought it was just me, then I noticed the lack of volume control while at a friend's house watching a Sex and the City marathon. What gives?

Apparently advertisers think that screaming at us about their products will make us want to buy, buy, buy. But all it ever really makes me want to do is mute, mute, mute. Thankfully, us apartment dwellers who can't handle a lot of neighbor TV noise at one in the morning have the government on our side - a new bill is making its way through congress that requires broadcasters and operators to normalize the volume of commercials on TV.

I guess doctors have known for years that excessive TV volume can damage your hearing, so soon, your ears will be saved from early retirement due to insane TV volume. What about you - do you notice the change in volume when commercials come on?

Sprint Debuts Cheeky New Desperate Housewives Ads

GeekSugar — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 09:05:22 -0700

Companies and TV networks are getting quite clever when it comes to creating commercials that blend well with the show it's airing with. We already know that people aren't watching commercials during popular shows, so it makes sense that companies are using some smart tactics to get people to watch - and not fast forward through - its commercials. Sprint is doing just that by teaming up with Desperate Housewives to launch seven commercials that were actually written and directed by Desperate Housewives employees. Here's the first one, which I actually saw because I was fooled to thinking it was apart of the show! Gotta love the racy text message and Palm Pre cameo.

People Aren't Watching Commercials During Popular Shows

GeekSugar — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 01:44:23 -0700

TV networks, don't hate me - but I barely ever watch commercials. This is probably because my DVR is always full, so whenever I do watch a show, I feel the need to quickly get through it as fast as possible so I can delete it and move on to the next one!

A majority of you said that you occasionally watch commercials even with a DVR, but did you know that nearly all shows that won Emmys this year are more likely to have their commercials skipped over? That's right, according to the New York Times, 30 Rock was the only exception among the group (which was blamed on NBC's creative ad placements).

Why does this happen? Well, Todd Juenger, TiVo's vice president for research and measurement, seems to think that people don't want to sit through commercials of hit shows they are really wrapped up in. . . which totally makes sense.

Where do you stand on this? Do you fast-forward through commercials during shows that you are completely sucked into? And if you don't have a DVR - but hate commercials - here's how you can skip over ads using a standard remote.

Photo courtesy of NBC