Volkswagen Returns to the Super Bowl With Two Spots

HERNDON, Va., Feb. 2, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Volkswagen of America, Inc. announced today it will premiere two :30 second spots during the 2nd and 4th quarters of Super Bowl XLV.  This marks the second consecutive year Volkswagen has advertised during the Super Bowl after a nine-year hiatus.  The ads will showcase two new vehicles, the all-new 2012 Passat and the 21st Century Beetle, months before they arrive in dealerships this fall.

“The iconic shape of the Beetle and its place in pop culture gives us creative license to take a bold and unconventional approach in this spot where viewers only see the silhouette and not the car itself,” said Tim Ellis, Vice President of Marketing, Volkswagen of America, Inc.  ”Additionally, we’ve partnered with Lucasfilm for the all-new Passat ad, leveraging the emotional heritage of both Star Wars™ and Volkswagen to create a memorable moment on an unparalleled platform for two of the vehicles most important to Volkswagen’s growth strategy.”

Kicking off months before the vehicles are available, these spots are part of a robust pre-launch advertising and marketing campaign that includes television, digital, experiential, and retail activations to maintain momentum throughout the year. Additionally, throughout pre-launch, Volkswagen will continue to dominate the nation’s most prominent events, with buys and integrations that include The “Oprah” Show, the NBA Finals as well as the NFL, among others.

With its all-new 2012 Passat ad, Volkswagen brings Star Wars™ to one of TV’s most talked about events.  Accompanied by John Williams’ iconic “The Imperial March,” the spot features the most infamous villain in the galaxy, a pint-sized Darth Vader who uses the Force when he discovers the all-new 2012 Passat in the driveway.  The two iconic brands leverage humor and the unforgettable Star Wars score to create an emotional spot and make Super Bowl ad history.

In “Black Beetle,” the first spot for The 21st Century Beetle, cutting-edge CGI creative goes etymological, creating a photo-real lush kingdom where the Black Beetle rules, runs, navigates and out performs all the other creatures. The ad is an homage to some of the greatest car chase scenes in the history of film and TV. With the fast-paced and explosive song “Black Betty,” rerecorded by Jon Spencer and the Blues Explosion, the Beetle ad revs to life even though it does not feature any actual images of the car, a bold move for any automotive brand.  The iconic shape of the Beetle and its performance attributes are prominently showcased in the spot, further building anticipation of the reveal.

“Both spots show the creativity and innovation that people expect from an iconic brand like Volkswagen,” added Mike Sheldon, CEO, Deutsch LA, Volkswagen’s Agency of Record.  ”The Super Bowl is unlike any other media platform in the world in terms of its reach and cultural influence.  It is tailor-made for big announcements and is the perfect way for VW to engage the American public.”

Both ads will have extensions that live beyond the game.  Immediately following the Super Bowl, Volkswagen will execute a digital and social media campaign, including an ESPN mobile takeover, VW.com blog, and Facebook activations, as well as a YouTube homepage takeover for the recently launched walk-around webisodes “Inside the VW Academy.”

The Super Bowl ads were created by Volkswagen’s creative Agency of Record Deutsch LA and follow the 2010 Punch Dub Super Bowl spot, which starred superstar musician Stevie Wonder and comedian Tracy Morgan.

Via By: blogs.vw.com

AirFrame Allows You to Use AirPlay Between iOS Devices

The introduction of AirPlay in iOS 4.2 was the start of something big. Over the last 6 months developers and hardware designers have been integrating AirPlay into their apps and products in unique ways.

Of course we know AirPlay allows us to stream video and other content to your Apple TVs. We also know that AirPlayer will let us stream content to our Mac computers. But what if you wanted to share content from your iPhone or iPad with a friend directly on their iDevice?

AirFrame was released just a few days ago and aims to answer that very question. The app will advertise your iDevice as an AirPlay capable product (such as an Apple TV2). Then using the typical AirPlay function on another iOS device, connect to it. It should be just as easy as connecting to your Apple TV.

I like the possibilities here. Friends and family can share funny YouTube videos with each other. You can even share vacation photos with a friend just by using AirPlay to stream them to their iDevice. While I really love the concept, AirFrame still has some limitations.

The biggest drawback is that the current version of AirFrame does not support audio, so you will be watching your videos in silence. Also as typical with AirPlay software, both iOS devices need to be on the same Wi-Fi network.

AirFrame is available now in the Apple App Store for $1.99. Honestly I need to see audio support before I’m a believer, but so far it has gotten good reviews in the App Store.

Have you tried this new app out? Do you do something similar with a different app?

Via By: iphonedownloadblog.com

iPhone 5 Probably Won’t Be Seen at WWDC This Summer

[Note: The above image is a concept and not an actual image of the iPhone 5.]

A series of new developments has shed some light on Apple’s product roadmap for the coming year. First, we thought that Apple would be holding a media event in April for iOS 5 and MobileMe. 

TechCrunch followed up on those rumors by saying that iOS 5 would bepushed back to the fall, and that the iPhone 5 would be released this summer running a version of iOS 4.

Today, Apple announced the dates and information for their annual World Wide DeveleporsConference this June. Apple’s focus for WWDC this year will clearly be on software, and, unless they’ve got a big surprise up their sleeve, we probably won’t see the iPhone 5 launch during the expected time frame…

Apple has always done something with the iPhone during June, but this year looks to be a change-up from Apple’s typical announcement cycle. The Verizon iPhone launched in February, which is something totally new for Apple’s typical release schedule.

The white iPhone 4 is suspected to ship very soon as well, which could make Apple feel comfortable with holding off on the release of the next gen iPhone. It doesn’t make much sense for Apple to release a white iPhone 4 less than three months before an iPhone 5 announcement.

The Loop corroborates that we won’t see any hardware announcements from Apple this summer,

“Apple’s apparent focus on software in its WWDC announcement backs up what my own sources are saying about the annual conference. That is, expect a software show in 2011, not a hardware event.

At past WWDCs, Apple might show off a new piece of hardware, but Gartner analyst Michael Gartenberg warns about getting too caught up in the past.

“You get caught up in patterns, and it holds true, until it doesn’t,” Gartenberg told The Loop.

“There is no reason for Apple to follow a predictable yearly pattern, and it keeps their competition off guard a little bit.”

Japanese site Macotakara (via Google Translate) claims that the iPhone 5 won’t ship until much later in the year,

“According to sources in China, fourth quarter 2011 (July-September) had been rumored to be announced on the iPhone 5, from things that do not begin manufacturing parts in 2011 (to September) of seems to be lost sale.”

So, news from China says the iPhone 5 won’t ship until late 2011 (September at the earliest).

All Things D agrees that we won’t see the iPhone 5 at WWDC this summer, and they think the reason could be 4G,

“I’m just guessing here, but I think postponing the unveiling and release of the device could be an indication that its next iteration will run on 4G LTE networks. Remember, AT&T is expected to launch its LTE network by the middle of the year and Verizon’s is already up and running. And what was it China Mobile Chairman Wang Jianzhou said earlier this month? “[Steve] Jobs has expressed his interest in an LTE iPhone and is willing to start the development at an early date” …

TiPB makes a good point that Apple wouldn’t gain much from releasing the iPhone 5 after June. Android handsets are already offering advanced hardware that can easily compete with what the iPhone 4 has to offer. Apple will need to pull out the big guns to blow the competition out of the water when they finally unveil the next iPhone.

When you think globally, it doesn’t seem like the Verizon iPhone or LTE would cause Apple to push back the iPhone 5 announcement. In case you’ve forgotten, Apple is very much a global company. And the Verizon iPhone was a US-only release. LTE is primarily a US-only story too, so does it globally make sense for Apple to skip their normal announcement date for either of these primarily domestic issues?

All reasons aside, Apple has never been a company that’s known for its predictability. I wouldn’t put it past Steve Jobs and team to surprise everyone this summer with “One more thing…”

Do you agree that we won’t see an iPhone 5 announcement at WWDC this June? Why do you think Apple would wait for a later date?

Via By: iphonedownloadblog.com

Apple Could Sell 100 Million iPhone 5 if Trends Continue

Apple’s products couldn’t be hotter right now. Almost 3 weeks into selling the iPad 2, and the lines can still be seen outside of marquee Apple stores around the country. Even their rumored iPhone 5, which has yet to be made official, garners up to 1.5 million results from your favorite search engine.

What does all this mean? Apple had a record breaking 4Q last year; the holidays were very good to the Cupertino giant. Even 2011 Q1 results were impressive, and Apple doesn’t show any signs of slowing down. In fact, if this report by asymco gives us any indication, it’s quite the opposite…

We are about to witness history. Apple is set to launch its fifth iteration in the iPhone series in record numbers. This could be the largest launch of any consumer electronics product ever. Why is it destined to be so huge?

This graphic shows the sales of iPhones by volume, since it was introduced in the summer of 2007.  Keep in mind that analysts typically make their predictions based on previous sales patterns. From this chart, we can see that each iPhone model has sold roughly twice the amount of units than that of its predecessor.

Asymco is predicting that the iPhone 4 will sell between 60 and 65 million units. I say they’re spot on, pending a spring time white iPhone 4 release. Not to mention the fact that it sounds like we won’t see an iPhone 5 this summer. So we have a number, let’s say 60 million (we’ll low ball it). If the iPhone 5 sales double the units of the iPhone 4 sales, the pattern suggests we could easily see iPhone 5 sales top 100 million units.

Now I’m not the kind of person to be wowed by the numbers so let’s look at the facts. The smartphone scene is as hot as it’s ever been. CEO Steve Jobs just made headlines as theworlds top CEO, and Apple’s brand recognition rating couldn’t be higher. Apple just added over 100 million Verizon Wireless customers to their list of possible iPhone 5 purchasers.

You also have to factor in the folks in both AT&T and Verizon markets that held out on the iPhone 4 because the iPhone 5 release was expected this summer. Now mix in the die hard Apple fans that will be in line for the iPhone 5 regardless of whether or not they just bought the previous version, and you have a recipe for something epic.

To put things in perspective, Apple has sold a combined total of about 100 million iPhones in the past 3 and a half years. People are expecting iPhone 5 sales to double that number.Is it possible? Anything’s possible. If you ask me the question isn’t can they sell 100 million units, it’s can they make 100 million units fast enough?

What do you think, can Apple sell 100 million next-gen iPhones? Sound off below!

Via By: iphonedownloadblog.com

New Video Shows Purported iOS 4.3.1 Untethered Jailbreak

It looks like an untethered jailbreak for iOS 4.3.1 might not take as long as people might have thought.

This new video shows off an iPod touch that’s running iOS 4.3.1 with an untethered jailbreak.

If you’re still unsure what the benefits of an untethered jailbreak are, check out this article.

Does this mean that the author will release a jailbreak tool themselves? Well, not exactly, but this is still great news for jailbreakers…

In the description of the YouTube video showcasing the untethered jailbreak, the author explains his position:

a. I repeatedly stated that I will not release a jailbreak tool – I will only give out the untether. I did not try yet, but if it is feasible the untether could be a cydia package.

b. While the vulnerability I use is in the iPad 2 kernel my untether will NOT SUPPORT the iPad 2, because there is no way to install it there (bootrom exploits fixed). – however Comex is working on that part.

c. I am not giving out any ETA again, because the Jailbreak community is simply nuts. Last time I gave an ETA and even before that had passed I got constantly insulted by people that were demanding an immediate release. Sorry guys the more you insult people with the knowledge to actually do what YOU WANT the less motivation there is to use our free time to give it to you.

So although we won’t be receiving a jailbreak tool with untethered capabilities from the author — his video uses the latest version of Sn0wbreeze to showcase the untethered possibilities — it is possible that we could see it in Comex’s future jailbreak solution or as a package on Cydia.

Either way, definite progress is being made, which is a great thing for the community.

Via By: iphonedownloadblog.com  & [xpl0n1c]

iOS 5 to Make Its Debut on June 6th, iPhone 5 as Well?

A couple of day ago, Alex told you about the rumors surrounding iOS 5, the iPhone 5, and more. Now it looks like some of those rumors are beginning to materialize.

Apple announced today that their annual Worldwide Developers Conference will kick off just a couple weeks shy of summer: June 6th.

The five day conference is a gathering of some of the biggest and brightest minds in the Apple development world, and in the past it has been ground zero for some of Apple’s biggest hardware unveilings as well.

This year, the big focus will of course be on Mac OS X Lion and another little release that goes by the name of iOS 5.

Check inside for the full press release…

Apple Worldwide Developers Conference to Kick Off June 6 at Moscone West in San Francisco

CUPERTINO, California-March 28, 2011-Apple® today announced that it will hold its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) June 6 through June 10 at San Francisco’s Moscone West. At this year’s five-day conference Apple will unveil the future of iOS and Mac OS®, including exciting demonstrations of the new kinds of apps that developers can build using Apple’s advanced frameworks and more than 100 technical sessions presented by Apple engineers.

“At this year’s conference we are going to unveil the future of iOS and Mac OS,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “If you are an iOS or Mac OS X software developer, this is the event that you do not want to miss.”

Mobile developers will be able to explore the latest innovations and capabilities of iOS and learn how to greatly enhance the functionality, performance and design of their apps. Mac® developers will see and learn how to develop world-class Mac OS X Lion applications using its latest technologies and capabilities. Developers can even bring their code to the labs and work with Apple engineers, applying development techniques and best-practices to enhance their apps.

Activities at Apple’s WWDC 2011 include:

more than 100 technical sessions presented by Apple engineers on a wide range of technology-specific topics for developing, deploying and integrating the latest iOS and Mac OS technologies;

over 1,000 Apple engineers providing developers with code-level assistance, insight into optimal development techniques, and guidance on how they can make the most of iOS and Mac OS technologies in their apps; the opportunity to connect with thousands of fellow iPad®, iPhone® and Mac developers from around the world; and

Apple Design Awards which recognize iPad, iPhone and Mac apps that demonstrate technical excellence, innovation and outstanding design.

Go to the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference 2011 website (developer.apple.com/wwdc) to purchase tickets, as well as for updates and more information.

Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and has recently introduced iPad 2 which is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices.

Unfortunately this means that we have to wait over two months before we get any details about iOS 5. But hey, at least we know when we can expect it to be unveiled.

The big questions remain; will Apple go ahead and show off the iPhone 5 as they did with the iPhone 4 last year? Will iOS 5 be delayed until fall as rumors suggest?

Via By: iphonedownloadblog.com  & [Engadget]

Sn0wbreeze Beta Updated to Jailbreak iOS 4.3.1 [Tethered]

iH8Sn0w has released Sn0wbreeze 2.4b1, and the Windows jailbreak tool will now jailbreak iOS 4.3.1. There’s already been a tethered jailbreak for 4.3.1 uncovered in PwnageTool, and both available jailbreaks are still tethered.

Sn0wbreeze is now the more stable option for jailbreak iOS 4.3.1, but there is still no untethered solution available. Jailbreak devs are working hard to release an official untethered jailbreak for the latest version of iOS, but there is no exact ETA set.

We recommend holding off on the latest Sn0wbreeze beta until an untethered solution is available. If you’re still itchy to jailbreak 4.3.1, RedmondPie has put together a tutorial on how to jailbreak iOS 4.3.1.

Here are the release notes for Sn0wbreeze 2.4b1:

• ultrasn0w now works for basebands (01.59.00 / 04.26.08 / 05.11.07 / 05.12.01 / 05.13.04 / 06.15.00)
• ultrasn0w is NOT compatible with the folllowing basebands! (02.10.04 / 03.10.01 / 04.10.01 / 05.14.02 / 05.15.04)
• iOS 4.3.1 is now supported. • iPhone 3GS users can upgrade to 06.15.00 baseband now under Unlocks section in Expert.
• Upgrading your iPhone 3GS baseband to the 06.15.00 iPad baseband hack to unlock MAY cause you to lose your GPS!

If you want to keep your unlock, make sure your baseband is compatible with the latest beta of Sn0wbreeze.

You can download the latest beta here. The developer’s page contains the release notes.

Via By: iphonedownloadblog.com 

Thousands flock to see image of Steve Jobs on French toast

Pomaire, Chile — By mid-morning, the line was already snaking through the narrow streets of Pomaire, about 85 miles west of Santiago, Chile. Hundreds of people — young and old, locals and foreigners, rich and poor — waited patiently for their turn to see the miracle now known as “The Toast.”


It was just days before that Andrés Alvarez, a local potter, gazed at the French toast his wife Martina had prepared for his breakfast. He couldn’t believe his eyes.


“‘I say to Martina, I know this man,” Alvarez recalls, “this is the famous American computer man. I wonder why he is on my toast.”


The man, of course, is Apple CEO Steve Jobs.


Word of the miracle spread like wildfire on the Internet, and from all over the world, the pilgrimage to the Alvarez kitchen began.


The Vatican, hopeful that the image might actually be that of Jesus, quickly dispatched Special Envoy Adolfo Rizio to the scene. Rizio, however, confirmed that the face is that of Steve Jobs. “Jesus did not wear glasses like these,” he explains.

Andrés Alvarez: "I wonder why he is on my toast."

The story took an unexpected turn yesterday when The Toast was found to have healing powers. Martha 
Masonowitz, media planner from New York City, reported that the non-functional wi-fi on her iPhone miraculously started working again when she stepped up to The Toast.


Since then, The Toast has been healing maladies in all kinds of Apple devices. In addition to the worshippers drawn to the miracle, many are now arriving with crippled iPhones and iPods, or even lugging defective desktop computers and displays.


“This is awesome,” says John Luppert, Austin-based graphic artist. “My Mac Pro died and the Genius Bar was booked for a week. So it’s actually quicker for me to hop the plane down here and let The Toast fix it.”

Via By: scoopertino.com

AutoResponder Will Automatically Respond to Your Text Messages

AutoResponder is a Cydia tweak that automatically replies to incoming SMS messages. If you’re in a situation where you can’t immediately respond to a text, AutoResponder can reply for you with a list of preset messages you assign.

If you’re the kind of person that doesn’t like to leave your friends hung out to dry, AutoResponder is great for notifying someone that you’re busy or unavailable…

Official description,

“AutoResponder will make it so no one who texts you ever feels ignored again! Have you every gotten texts while in a meeting, in school, in a movie, or even while in deep sleep? AutoResponder will make sure that anyone who texts you knows that you are unable to respond and will get back to them as soon as possible. AutoResponder has built in messages for common activities, or you can write your own response!

AutoResponder will reply to any text that you receive while it is enabled and send the selected message to the person and you don’t even have to do anything or hit any send button! Make sure your friends and family never feel ignored again!”

AutoResponder essentially acts like a voicemail greeting for text messages. Instead of having to wait on your response, someone can be instantly notified that you are away or unavailable at the time.

There’s no app icon for AutoResponder; you can find the tweak’s preferences in your iPhone’s Settings. Once AutoResponder is enabled, incoming texts will be replied to with the message you have set in the tweak’s preferences. You can choose from a list of generic responses, such as, “Driving,” “Meeting,” “Sleeping,” etc. Or you can set a custom message.

Once AutoResponder is enabled, it’s on. Incoming texts will be replied to, and the tweak must be completely disabled for the instant replies to stop. To use AutoResponder effectively, you have to turn it on and off repeatedly.

Tutorial For FREE AutoResponder:-

Step 1 ~    Search AutoResponder in Cydia 

*Add This Source Before u search: cydia.xsellize.com

Step 2 ~  For Cydia U have to Purchase

Step 3 ~  Get it FREE by cydia.xsellize.com

*So Add Source: cydia.xsellize.com

Step 4 ~  Install Confirm and Dowloading

Step 5 ~  DONE !!! Enjoy ur AutoResponder (Free)

Article via:  iphonedownloadblog.com