In today's remainders: Apple hints at an LTE iPhone, augmented reality finds a new niche, Thomas Edison brings down the house, and Microsoft comes clean about its cryptic ads.
Ye Olde LTE iPhone
An Apple job posting for a Cellular Technology Software Manager got the hens-a-cluckin' today in regards to Apple developing an LTE phone. The listing specifically looks for someone with experience in "R&D of new protocol and standards" and "expert knowledge of one or multiple cellular technologies: WCDMA/UMTS, HSPA, HSPA+, LTE etc." This more than likely points to Apple creating an LTE compliant iPhone, and why wouldn't they? It's the next logical progression towards a 4G standard on both AT&T and Verizon, and Sprint is betting all their marbles on it. Apple developing an LTE phone is no greater a shock than El Jobso hinting at new MacBooks. It's inevitable, just be patient.
Augmented Reality Fashion Show
Augmented reality is turning up everywhere nowadays, so it's no surprise that these UK designers are using it to churn up some trippy and surreal designs. The fashion consortium Cassette Playa have used the medium to demonstrate its early potential by embedding digital codes on clothing to allow an overlaid virtual projection layer. The video may not be the best thing to watch if you recently licked some toads since it contains some admittedly bizarre imagery. Regardless, I'll be eagerly awaiting the Tron themed episode of Project Runway where the designers are forced to program their pieces instead of stitch them. [DesignBoom via Dvice]
Thomas Edison: Jerkbag
If Drunk History can't convince you our oft-cherished inventor was kind of a son of a bitch then this excerpt from one of his papers—describing how he set W.H. Vanderbilt's house ablaze—probably won't either, but it's still pretty funny:
About 8 o'clock in the evening we lit it up and it was very good. Mr. Vanderbilt, his wife and some of his daughters cam in and were there a few minutes when a fire occurred. The large picture gallery was lined with silk cloth interwoven with fine metallic tinsel. In some manner, two wires had got crossed with the tinsel, which became red-hot and the whole wall was soon afire ... [the fire is put out] ... Mrs. Vanderbilt became hysterical and wanted to know where it came from. We told her we had the plant in the cellar, and when she learned we had a boiler there, she said she would not occupy the house; she would not live over a boiler. We had to take the whole installation out.
Well played, Mr. Edison. [BoingBoing]
Microsoft Seinfeld Ads
Mediamemo revealed that all those confusing as hell Microsoft ads from 2008 featuring Jerry Seinfeld were intentionally hard to follow. Microsoft CTO David Webster explains:
"We figured that that sort of obscure nature of the communications would make people lean in a little more closely to see what we were going to next," he says. "And that part certainly worked, in the sense that everybody leaned in, and they paid a lot more attention to our subsequent work than I think they might have had we just started with it."
Makes sense, I guess. But if you're going for the confusing route in advertising you might as well go full bore and hire David Lynch to direct some ads. I know I'd certainly be paying attention if Bill Gates and Jerry Seinfeld were talking backwards while a midget in drag skipped around wielding a new Windows phone. They might be a huge failure, but who cares? You'd have my full and undivided attention, Microsoft. [Mediamemo]