oscars

Samsung took top ad honors during Oscars, firm says

Samsung ruled the roost with its advertising during last Sunday's Academy Awards broadcast, analytics firm Ace Metrix said today.

According to individuals polled by the firm, two of Samsung's advertisements came in with top honors: one for the Galaxy Note, and the other for the company's SmartTV product line.

Trailing in third place was Google for its Google+ commercial. And further down the list were other tech companies like Apple, Sprint, and AT&T, and non-tech companies like retailer JC Penney and Subway sandwiches. … Read more

Hashtags on TV: The right way... and the wrong way

With big brands, entertainment companies and everyone else frantically trying to figure what really works on Twitter, we're in a stage of hashtag experimentation right now.

I wrote recently about Sports Illustrated putting #SILinsanity on its cover story about NBA shooting star Jeremy Lin. A student of mine said that someone complained that using hashtags on the cover meant the magazine was "taking advantage" of a public phenomenon. In today's world, that's like complaining that the New York Times is "taking advantage" of the 2012 elections by covering the heck out of them.… Read more

Why 'Rango' and 'Hugo' won at the Oscars

If there's been one thing you could count on every year since the Academy Awards started honoring animated features, it's that Pixar would walk away with the Oscar. Through last year, six of the studio's eight films won golden statuettes.

But Pixar's 2011 entry, "Cars 2," a box office success but a critical failure, not only didn't win on Sunday, it wasn't even nominated. And that meant a golden opportunity for a slew of other animated filmmakers.

In the end, it was "Pirates of the Caribbean" director Gore Verbinski's &… Read more

Crave 73: Let's not turn this into a Warcraft thing (podcast)

This week, we have a giant NES controller perfect for Donald's purely hypothetical furry party. Plus, the creepiest robot baby yet, a turntable that plays trees, and a uncut "Star Wars" along with a cut-worthy Stormtrooper cake. In Geek news, Eric confesses that Star Wars: The Old Republic may be his new World of Warcraft.

Subscribe in iTunes SD Video | Subscribe in RSS SD Video … Read more

Familiar names dominate Oscar visual effects nominations

When the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences unveiled its Oscar nominations this morning, there were some very familiar names among the honorees.

Joe Letteri, for example. And Tim Burke and Scott Farrar.

These may not be people that appear regularly in the pages of "Us Weekly," but to those who follow the visual effects industry, they're on par with Meryl Streep and George Clooney.

Only one film can win the Oscar for best visual effects, but today, five films were nominated.

As usual, George Lucas' Industrial Light & Magic was honored, this year for its … Read more

The 404 978: Where you're today's lucky winner (podcast)

Since Jeff can't attend the 26th annual Game Developers Conference on March 5 in San Francisco, we're doing the next best thing and bringing part of the show to him!

General Manager Meggan Scavio is our guest today and we're getting all the details on the upcoming show, like the split among console, PC, and mobile gaming, the rise of independent game developers, and sequelmania! We'll also rant about 3D games and the convergence of the film and gaming industries.

She'll also join us in the second half of the podcast where we'll run … Read more

Nine Android apps for movie lovers

The road to the Oscars is well under way, with the winners of the Critics' Choice Awards and the Golden Globes having been announced already.

In anticipation of the Academy Awards, here are nine Android apps for movie lovers:

Android apps for movie trailers, showtimes, rentals, and more

1. IMDb IMDb is almost as old as the Internet and has been an Amazon.com company since 1998. The Android app provides a plethora of information on movies and TV shows. You can look up cast bios and photos, watch trailers, check ratings, look up showtimes, and create news alerts on … Read more

The 404 883: Where the PATH to success is paved with delays (podcast)

Why are schools no longer teaching typing? Typing class used to be a sanctuary for nerds, but now that everyone has a smartphone and a Facebook profile, some school districts are making a case against teaching standardized touch-typing lessons.

But before we dive into the technology lessons we think should be taught in all grade schools, we start today's episode of The 404 Podcast with a recap of the past week's metaprotesting in San Francisco and the flames that ignited Anonymous to shut down public transit.

The 404 Digest for Episode 883

SF subway closes stations during Anonymous protest. Why are schools no longer teaching typing? A video voice mail from Andrew in Ontario!

Episode 883 Subscribe in iTunes (audio) | Subscribe in iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

Netflix scores David Fincher-Kevin Spacey series

As Netflix faces increased competition from rivals like Amazon, and even Facebook, one of its chief differentiators as a leader of streaming TV shows and movies is its roster of content. And now, add Netflix to the Hollywood studios and others who provide that content.

On Friday, Netflix announced that it has signed a deal with Oscar-nominated director David Fincher--who made "The Social Network" and "Fight Club," among other films--for an original series called "House of Cards" that will be available exclusively to its subscribers. Rumors of the deal had been swirling for days. … Read more