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Samuel L. Jackson and Siri Star in New iPhone 4S Commercial (Update: Zooey Deschanel Too)

As noted by The Next Web, U.S. carrier Verizon Wireless aired a new iPhone 4S commercial featuring actor Samuel L. Jackson and Siri, the company’s virtual assistant for the iPhone 4S. Remarkably similar to Apple’s own ads in terms of style and message, the ad places Siri front and center, showcasing various functionalities of the software. Samuel L. Jackson asks his assistant to cancel appointments, create reminders, look up locations, and convert units to prepare for his “date night”. At the end of the commercial, the actor ironically asks Siri to take the night off, to which Siri replies “if you say so”.

Even more ironically, as depicted in the screenshots above, Siri really does reply to that command with a series of different answers.

Verizon Wireless’ official YouTube channel hasn’t been updated yet with the new commercial, and it’s not clear whether Apple’s official ad agency Chiat\Day may have been involved in the creation of the ad. You can check out an official embed after the break.

Update: It appears a full “Siri and celebrities” ad campaign is going live today. Another ad featuring actress Zooey Deschanel just aired as well, for carrier Sprint. It also seems like the same ads are airing with different carriers logo at the end, confirming the Samuel L. Jackson ad wasn’t simply a Verizon Wireless commercial, as initially suggested.

Update 17/4: Apple just posted the official versions of the ads on its website and YouTube channel. Find them below, or on Apple’s website (Date Night, Rainy Day).
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Mockups of 16:9 and “Bigger” iPhone→

Mockups of 16:9 and “Bigger” iPhone

Dan Provost addresses recent speculation of a 4-inch iPhone with two interesting mockups of what a 16:9 and a 3:2 iPhone with bigger screen could look like:

The image above shows the current iPhone, a mockup of the alleged 16:9 phone, and a mockup with a bigger 3:2 screen at 300dpi, which measures 3.84” diagonally. I estimated that the physical size of the phone would need to increase slightly, getting taller in the 16:9 version and wider in the 3:2 version. I don’t think either of these size increases are deal breakers. The 3:2 version is actually still narrower than the iPhone 3GS.

Changing the aspect ratio of the iPhone would ultimately change the device’s experience, and developers would have to rework their apps for 16:9. Keeping the existing 3:2 ratio, lowering the pixel-per-inch count to make for a bigger screen, would still see some developers needing an optimization of their apps, but it’d have less consequences on the iPhone experience users are now accustomed to. And, aside from apps, let’s not forget that many websites have created custom mobile layouts specifically built for the iPhone’s 3:2 ratio.

The same question I asked for the rumored 7.85-inch iPad applies here: why would Apple want to change the iPhone’s screen? Apple doesn’t “have to” consider bigger screens just because its Android and Windows Phone 7 competitors are doing it, so unless Apple finds value in having a bigger iPhone screen, they won’t do it.

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OS X Abstract Art→

OS X Abstract Art

Emilio Gomariz uses OS X to create abstract animations. With a combination of applications, window animations, keyboard controls, and QuickTime, he assembled a mesmerizing collection of digital art that mixes graphics and music for a unique result. For the “alternate gradients” animation, he wrote:

The “Spectrum” screen saver from Mac OS X is alternated by the use of five Quicktime video players which also reproduce the own screen saver in different times and sizes, following a decreasing and centered composition.

In the “ctrl tab torus” animation, on the other hand, he used the CTRL+Tab action of Photoshop to create a rotating spiral of windows with different colors. Or, again, in “Open_Close.txt”, he used dozens of open items with colored backgrounds to create a virtual accordion for the standard open/close animations of OS X.

The whole collection of videos shows great creativity and willingness to experiment with the digital graphics of our computers. Check it out here. [TUAW via Today and Tomorrow]

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Apple II’s 35th Birthday→

Apple II’s 35th Birthday

Harry McCracken reports on the original Apple II’s 35th birthday:

You probably weren’t paying attention when a tiny company called Apple Computer introduced its second product, the Apple II microcomputer, at the West Coast Computer Faire on April 16 and 17, 1977. (I wasn’t.) You may never have owned an Apple II. (I didn’t.) But it’s still easy to get fascinated by the machine and its legacy. (I sure am.) And there are many ways to explore its world — many of which you can do without getting out of the chair you’re sitting in right now, thanks to the Web.

Make sure to check out McCracken’s post for a cornucopia of facts, anecdotes, and videos about the Apple II. Pictured above (via) is the Apple II Plus, a successor to the Apple II introduced in 1979, featuring improved graphics and disk-booting support in the ROM. Wikipedia is a good resource to learn more about the Apple II series today.

Also, don’t forget that registrations are open for the KansasFest 2012, an annual convention dedicated to the Apple II. Check out the schedule and list of presentations and workshops here.

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Gemini Lovingly Finds Duplicates Of Your Files

Spring-cleaning is not much fun to do. Especially when talking about cluttered hard drives like mine. We all know with big hard drives comes big responsibility, but let’s be honest, just a few of us are constantly paying heed to delete useless duplicates. This problem can’t be tackled with apps which just provide good functionality — the task of decluttering your computer is that boring, you need great pixels as well to keep up the user’s interest and motivation.

Gemini is the first app I ever saw solving this necessary combination of design and usefulness with ease and bravour. The guys at MacPaw did a great job with it. When firing it up, Gemini is just a input screen on which you can simply drop folders or whole drives to let the app analyze and scan them. Unfortunately, this process takes some time but at least it’s subtitled with entertaining words (e.g.; “I, Gemini, am actually a duplicated file magician”). Afterwards the found duplicates are presented in a Finder-like, slightly modified window. Besides a list with the file names and paths it contains a pie chart showing up the media types of the useless files. The app comes with Quick Look support as well. Browsing your files is very intuitive, and I literally laughed when I saw the animation after finally deleting all my futile used data - it rushes through a virtual paper shredder falling down as shred.

The rest of Gemini’s look has got the same intuitive, almost magical touch to it. The rounded edges, warm colours and simple UI structure immediately appealed to me. It’s modern, minimalist, functional and — most important — it works. The design concept ends exactly where functionality begins, something I like very much. I could not find any unpolished detail in it, maybe the path information shown with the Quick Look preview is implemented a bit improperly, but I am sure that if there’s something you can not polish in order to make it beautiful, then it’s path information, as I think you’ll agree.

Apart from that, Gemini is a pretty good example of how good design can be both intuitive and functional. It really simplifies the process of cleaning up your computer, making it accessible for everyone from laymen to expert. And besides that, the price of $7.99 is more than just inexpensive when it comes to free hard drive space, it’s an excellent value for the money, so purchasing Gemini should be a no-brainer.

Apple Removes iWork, Aperture Trials From Its Website

The trial version of iWork ‘09, Apple’s productivity suite that includes Pages, Numbers, and Keynote, is no longer available on the company’s website for download. The company has replaced the former iWork trial webpage with a message informing customers that iWork is available on the Mac App Store.

The trial version of iWork is no longer supported. But you can easily purchase Keynote, Pages, and Numbers from the Mac App Store to start creating beautiful presentations, documents, and spreadsheets today.

On the Mac App Store, the iWork apps are available as standalone purchases priced at $19.99 each. The iWork trial webpage is still available on some international Apple.com websites, such as the Italian one, although we are hearing reports that the download returns an error, reloading the webpage and displaying the same message about the Mac App Store. The iWork trial briefly disappeared last year, but came back shortly after. In March, Apple also announced the beta of iWork.com (which iWork ‘09 supported) will be discontinued in July.

Similarly, the company has removed the trial of Aperture 3 from its website, with users on Apple Support Communities noticing the change at least more than two weeks ago (recent Apple support documents still instruct users on how to remove the Aperture trial). Aperture is available on the Mac App Store at $79.99.

The trial version of Aperture is no longer available. If you currently have a copy of the Aperture 3 Trial installed on your Mac, you must delete it from your Applications folder before downloading Aperture 3 from the Mac App Store.

The removal of trials from Apple.com shouldn’t come as a surprise. The company has been gradually shifting all its software releases to the App Store, including major releases of OS X and Final Cut Pro. In July 2011, Apple also shut down the Mac OS X Downloads webpage, redirecting customers to the Mac App Store. Apple, however, still has a trial of Final Cut Pro (which is sold at $299.99 on the Mac App Store) available on its website, suggesting that more expensive software may still receive support for trials in the future.

Apple has been rumored for over a year to be on the verge of releasing a new version of iWork, although such rumors never materialized in a finished product with substantial new features. Apple released compatibility updates to introduce Lion support and bug fixes, but avoided implementing direct iCloud integration back in October, requiring users to manually upload and download documents to sync through iCloud.com. According to more recent speculation, Apple may release an updated version of iWork with Mountain Lion, which is on track to become available sometime this summer. [Thanks, Luca]

iPad Launches In 12 Additional Countries This Week

With a press release published this morning, Apple confirmed the new iPad will launch in 12 additional countries this week. The April 20th launch countries include South Korea, Uruguay, and Venezuela. On April 27th, the device will become available in 9 more countries including India and South Africa.

In addition to South Korea, the new iPad also will be available beginning on Friday, April 20 in Brunei, Croatia, Cyprus, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Malaysia, Panama, St Maarten, Uruguay and Venezuela. Beginning on Friday, April 27, the new iPad will be available in Colombia, Estonia, India, Israel, Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro, South Africa and Thailand.

The third-generation iPad has been the company’s fastest rollout to date; after the April 27th release day, the new iPad will be available in 56 different countries worldwide since its launch 42 days ago.

Below, a recap of the iPad’s launch dates and units sold until Q1 2012.

March 16 (10 countries): United States, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Switzerland and the UK.

March 23 (25 countries): Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Macau, Mexico, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.

April 20 (12 countries): South Korea, Brunei, Croatia, Cyprus, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Malaysia, Panama, St Maarten, Uruguay and Venezuela.

April 27 (9 countries): Colombia, Estonia, India, Israel, Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro, South Africa and Thailand.

On March 19th, the company confirmed the iPad had sold 3 million units in 4 days. The April 20 and April 27 international launches won’t be included in the company’s Q2 earnings, which ended on March 31. Apple will hold its Q2 earnings call on April 24.

MacStories Reading List: April 8 - April 15

The MacStories Reading List is back, and it features the best articles about the most important news of the past weeks. From the Instagram acquisition to renewed interest in bigger iPhones with different screens, the Apple blogging machine picked up steam after the release of the new iPad and is now looking forward to WWDC ‘12, which Apple is rumored to be announcing soon.

Until then, put on your favorite reading glasses, and follow us after the break for this week’s best Apple-related writing. Read more