Items tagged with Super Bowl
If you looked away for a split second, you might have missed it, but Reddit ran its first Super Bowl (or "Superb Owl") advertisement yesterday. Within a flash, a text box that looked something like a Reddit post appeared. During the short five-second timeframe, the ad hailed the /r/WallStreetBets escapades and explained what Reddit is to the millions of watchers. The advertisement shared on social media opened with a stereotypical running herd of horses video with a narrator talking, but it quickly “glitched out” and went to a panel that looks like a Reddit post with an orange background. The first lines read, “Wow, this actually worked. If you’re reading this, it means...
Read more...
If you want to see an example of a popular company throwing away years of goodwill with its customers over a short span of time, look no further than Robinhood. The company says that it's on a mission to democratize finance for its users, but its recent actions flew in the face of those claims. Robinhood has just aired its upcoming Super Bowl commercial, entitled "We are all investors." In it, the company champions the everyman; the very people that it has always catered to and embraced during its 7 years of existence. After all, the company's mission statement reads, "At Robinhood, we believe the financial system should be built to work for everyone. That’s why we create products...
Read more...
Football fans rejoice, the big day is finally here! We're of course talking about Super Bowl Sunday, and this time around, the San Francisco 49ers will face off against the Kansas City Chiefs (feels weird for the New England Patriots to not be participating, right?). While the game is just a few hours away (at the time of this writing), there is still time to tweak your TV's settings to ensure you're do sell your eyeballs short. Before we get to those tips, take note that Super Bowl LIV starts at 6:30pm Eastern (3:30pm Pacific). There will be plenty of pre-game content, a halftime show featuring Jennifer Lopez and Shakira, and the usual round of humorous commercials, all broadcast on Fox. And...
Read more...
The big game is tomorrow, with the Kansas City Chiefs facing the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LIV. For those that are looking for some streaming hardware to add to your big screen TV to watch the game in 4K, there's still time to order. The Super Bowl will be broadcast on local Fox channels over-the-air (OTA), or you can watch it in 4K streaming glory via the Fox Sports app. Amazon is currently discounting both its Fire TV Cube (2019 version) and the Fire TV Stick 4K (2019 edition), and is offering same-day shipping on both. The Fire TV Stick 4K comes in a dongle form-factor and plugs directly into an HDMI port on the back of your television. As its name implies, it supports 4K streaming,...
Read more...
For the past 16 years, Electronics Arts has been simulating the Super Bowl using the artificial intelligence (AI) engine in its Madden NFL video game series, and as you might imagine, the results are not perfect. Madden NFL does have a winning record, though, and the latest release, Madden NFL 20, will look to add another win to its resume by simulating Super Bowl LIV. Sadly, this year's Super Bowl does not feature Bill Belichick (greatest coach ever), Tom Brady (greatest quarterback ever), and the New England Patriots (greatest NFL team ever). I say all that as a slightly (heavily) biased displaced New England native. Fortunately, however, the match up between the San Francisco 49ers, led by...
Read more...
Super Bowl Sunday is right around the corner, and even if you're not into sports (or seeing Tom Brady add to his legacy with yet another championship ring, no matter what Madden NFL 19 says), one reason to watch is for the commercials. The Super Bowl is when companies blitz the world with humorous ad campaigns. However, Microsoft is planning a commercial that will hit you right in the feels instead of the funny bone. Microsoft's upcoming Super Bowl ad is an extended version of its Xbox Adaptive Controller commercial that you might have already seen. Normally a game controller is not cause for getting emotional, but this is a different type of controller—it is designed for people with various...
Read more...
In Super Bowl XXXVI, a young quarterback named Tom Brady led the New England Patriots over a seemingly improbable victory over the St. Louis Rams, an opponent that was otherwise known at the time as 'The Greatest Show on Turf'. Now 17 years, the Rams, having since relocated to Los Angeles, will exact its revenge by defeating the Patriots and the league's oldest quarter (still Tom Brady) in Super Bowl LIII, according to a simulation run by Madden NFL 19. I call hogwash, but as a native (and now displaced) New Englander, I'm also incredibly biased. That aside, though, I do have cause for concern. It has nothing to do with Tom Brady's age—sorry Max Kellerman, but the cliff you speak of is...
Read more...
Amazon has been gearing up for the Super Bowl all month with special deals on big screen TVs, and you still have time to get a new TV ahead of big game on February 2. Amazon has now posted a series of teaser videos that show some famous people that the online giant invited to be part of a "Top Secret" beta test for Alexa technologies. We have no idea what the Alexa tech is from the videos, they reveal no information on what Amazon is supposedly cooking up. All the videos show are the famous people opening a case with a blue glow; the Alexa voice speaks and the celebs make various comments. You can watch the videos on this page, or see them embedded below. Harrison Ford is part of the series,...
Read more...
Are you looking to channel your inner Tom Brady? Well, Microsoft is giving you a chance to get in on some TB12 action with a new Madden NFL 19 contest. Now through February 12th, you have the opportunity to win a Xbox One X console that is decked out with Super Bowl-themed accessories. For starters, there's a custom Xbox One X console that features G.O.A.T (Greatest of All Time) monikers emblazoned on it and green trim. The console comes with a black Xbox One wireless controller with matching green trim and triggers. Microsoft is also throwing in an Xbox G.O.A.T ring made from 10-carat gold, which has been plated black. The ring is dotted with 188 black diamonds and 46 green tsavorite stones....
Read more...
Over the past weeks, we've seen a number of excellent deals on big screen TVs as we gear up for Super Bowl LIII, which will feature the Los Angeles Rams doing battle against the New England Patriots. The weeks leading up to the Super Bowl are perhaps your last best time to score a smoking deal on a TV until Black Friday and Cyber Monday to close out 2019. Best Buy is definitely getting into the gridiron spirit with a magnificent deal on the Hisense 55-inch 4K Roku TV (55R7E). The television has a regular MSRP of $499.99, but the retailer is currently selling it for a low $299.99. Delivery is free depending on your location (putting in my zip code in central North Carolina showed no...
Read more...
It feels great to stick it to the cable (or satellite) company and cut the cord once and for all, rather than continue to pay for bloated TV packages with a handful of channels you actually watch, and a whole bunch more that you don't. That's all well and good, but what if you want to watch Super Bowl LIII? Good news, cord cutters, you won't need a traditional cable package to watch the 2019 Super Bowl. Of course, that's still the easiest route. If you subscribe to a cable or satellite TV service, then you probably have access to local channels through your package. This year's Super Bowl will air on CBS on Sunday, February 3, at 6:30 pm ET. The game will take place at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in...
Read more...
Each year for the big game, hordes of people around the U.S. that care nothing about football watch the teams fight it out. The people aren’t watching out of some fascination with which team will win; they watch for the commercials. The big game is probably the only time people want to see commercials when watching TV. If you fall into the camp that cares nothing for the football game but want to see the commercials and you have a TiVo with SKIP enabled, you will love this. TiVo has a feature called GameSkip that will let you playback the recorded game and skip the actual game and only watch the commercials. GameSkip won’t show up until the game is finished and when watching that...
Read more...
For over a decade, Electronic Arts has been predicting a Super Bowl winner by running the two participating teams through its Madden NFL game. One would think the results would be hit or miss, but the simulation has proved remarkably accurate over the years, with the AI-controlled game correctly amassing a 10-4 record. Will that record improve to 11-4 with Super Bowl LII? That depends on whether the New England Patriots can stave off quarterback Nick Foles and the Philadelphia Eagles. Madden NFL 18's prediction is in, and according to the sim, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (known as the GOAT around these parts) will collect his sixth Super Bowl ring in yet another gritty nail biter, this time...
Read more...
Amazon has a history of releasing some rather hilarious Super Bowl commercials, and this year is no different. Amazon’s Alexa AI voice assistant is at the forefront of this year's commercial, and in this case, the digital voice assistant seems to have lost her voice. Amazon's energetic CEO, Jeff Bezos, is visibly concerned about losing one of his most famous stars and inquires if any potential voice actors have been lined up as a replacement. After a half-hearted confirmation that Amazon has a rather deep bench of voice talent, the commercial starts cranking up the laughs. We won't give away the rather humorous bits that follow, but we will say that Gordon Ramsey heckles with his typical...
Read more...
You can always count on Super Bowl commercials causing a few laughs (along with some uncomfortable moments) and Super Bowl LI over the weekend was no exception, though not all of the giggles were as intended. One of the came when Google ran an ad for its voice-activated AI speaker called Google Home. The 60-second ad spot featured several demos, which amusingly caused Google Home speakers in the wild to respond. About 16 seconds into the ad, an actress opens the door to her home and exclaims, "Okay Google, turn on the hall lights." It was one of half a dozen times the words "Okay Google" were spoken during the commercial, each one followed by a specific command. Google was attempting to demonstrate...
Read more...
There are certain uncomfortable moments that trigger an awkward feeling in your belly. One of them is walking in on your parents when they're doing the horizontal mambo. While perhaps not quite on that level, it feels a little weird watching two wireless carriers go back and forth on Twitter in a feud over the erotic foreplay known as BDSM. At this point, we wish T-Mobile and Verizon would get a room already. It all started with a T-Mobile ad during the Super Bowl. The commercial is a spoof of 50 Shades of Grey featuring actress and comedian Kristen Schaal (from The Last Man On Earth and Bob's Burgers). She gets aroused while standing in front of several Verizon phones in chains while a man in...
Read more...
Given how popular drones are nowadays, it's becoming more common to see them put to use in new and imaginative ways. Unfortunately, folks don't always know where and when it's safe to fly them. In some cases, users might know, but still disregard the rules put in place for safety in the skies, and instead just take their chances anyway. And it just so happens Lady Gaga is a performer known for taking chances... We learn today that the NFL might betray a no fly order from the FAA (as the organization has put in place in the past) at tonight's Super Bowl Half-Time show, though something tells us they probably have pre-clearance. Regardless, earlier this week, the Federal Aviation...
Read more...
New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is the greatest of all time (GOAT) at his position and it's not up for debate. Haters will hate and I'm fine with that. Deflategate was nothing more than a smear campaign by media outlets desperate for hits (I'm looking at you, ESPN), and a blatant power grab by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, otherwise known as Satan in New England. Pats nation will have an opportunity for revenge this Sunday and if EA's Madden NFL 17 simulation is any indication, there's going to be a lot of celebrating and partying throughout the Northeast US. After trailing 17-10 at the end of the first half, Madden NFL 17 has Brady connecting with wide receiver Julian Edelman for...
Read more...
It’s no secret that the iPhone has long had a pretty good camera onboard, snapping fast and highly detailed photos. Apple is so proud of the iPhone’s camera that it launched a “Shot on iPhone 6” series last year which showcases the shooting capabilities of the iPhone’s camera (when handled by a skilled photographer). However, Apple CEO Tim Cook proved last night that the person actually taking the picture is just as important as the actual camera hardware. A lucky Cook found himself on the field at Levi’s Stadium following the Denver Broncos’ 24-10 win over the Carolina Panthers, and whipped out his iPhone to take the following picture, which he posted to Twitter: Colorado Rocky Mountain High...
Read more...
There are many reasons to watch the Super Bowl, and that's true of today's Super Bowl 50 in particular—it could be Peyton Manning's last game ever, Cam Newton has a chance to cap off one of the most successful seasons in NFL history, the commercials, and halftime entertainment sponsored by Pepsi, to name some of the highlights. But one thing you won't see are drones. Nobody tunes into the Super Bowl to see drones anyway, but lest anyone in California has any wild ideas of flying unmanned aircraft in the vicinity of Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, the Federal Aviation Administration has declared the airspace within a full 32-mile radius of the stadium a "No Drone Zone." The restriction goes into...
Read more...
Sorry, not sorry Denver Broncos fans, but your battered team led by Satan Manning is going to lose the Super Bowl. Yes, that's a prediction of a bitter New England Patriots fan (me), but also that of Electronic Arts' Madden NFL 16 simulation. Before you dismiss it as just a video game, consider that there are plenty of reasons why you should take the prediction seriously. EA's Madden franchise has a favorable history in predicting the Super Bowl winner. How favorable? Try 9 out of 12. That's right, out of 12 attempts at predicting a Super Bowl winner by way of a game simulation, EA's Madden titles have gotten it right all but three times. If you're a gambling man or woman, a 75 percent success...
Read more...
It’s hard to believe that an e-commerce company that was started over 20 years ago has yet to take part in Super Bowl festivities. But such its the case with Amazon, which has instead poured its money into building out its infrastructure, padding its vast streaming video library, and adding additional perks for its Prime subscribers. But now is the time it seems for Amazon to go after low-hanging fruit with its first Super Bowl commercial, which will air on February 7th when the Carolina Panthers go head-to-head with the Denver Broncos. Not one to go off half-cocked, Amazon has enlisted some two big stars for its commercial: actor Alec Baldwin and Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino. In the commercial,...
Read more...
