Crushing it?

We’re all familiar with the viral hydraulic press videos that hypnotise us during our midnight doomscrolls. Apple’s new ad uses this trope to illustrate all the amazing stuff that can fit into their skinniest iPad yet. So, what exactly were they violently crushing to prove this point? Pianos, cameras, and tchotchkes. In doing this they’ve accidentally and metaphorically crushed creativity. Many saw it as a symbolic representation of how modern technology eclipses traditional artistic expressions.  

Despite the controversy, the ad was beautifully simple, memorable, and even amidst criticism, their message resonates. Think about what ads could be made with a simple hydraulic press metaphor, like crushing a huge speaker for a headphone ad or a medley of food squished for a meal replacement ad.  Who knows if these would get the same sort of backlash? Probably not, and in fairness there is something deeply creepy about Apple’s ad. Seeing beautifully imperfect objects, instruments and our physical reality crushed into a post-modern, soulless piece of technology produced by a multi-trillion-dollar corporation really leaves a sour taste. Apple has since apologised for the unintended offence caused. No problem, Apple – just don’t do it again. 

Portal Pranks.

The physical and virtual are interacting in unexpected ways with street art portal sculptures. These camera portals live-stream from one street to another, bridging connections between cities. A recent addition linking New York and Dublin, was turned off after just a few days due to “inappropriate behaviour”.   

The thrill of interconnectedness had people acting up. In Dublin we saw a prankster hold up an image of the 9/11 disaster to be broadcast live in New York. On the other side, we had an Only Fans model in New York flash unsuspecting Irish spectators. Maybe this is what happens when you connect two slightly unhinged places? And wasn’t the whole point of the portals to highlight the raw essence of human behaviour? Maybe this is just who we are… sexually depraved, sick jokesters. I say keep the portals running.  

Beyond inappropriate behaviour these portals do offer the possibility of unity and provide real-time glimpses into the daily lives of people from diverse cultures. Please give us a chance to have nice things, we will try to keep the tits and terrorism to a minimum. 

The Bumble Stumble.

Another unintentionally offensive ad has hit the scene. Dating app Bumble has been accused of shaming women for not sleeping around by asserting that “celibacy is not the answer”. The app’s rebrand saw some drastic changes, with them ditching their founding premise of women having to initiate conversation.  

The rebrand initially generated excitement and intrigue, but the anti-celibacy campaign quickly soured public perception, prompting a swift apology from the company. This campaign is a surprising move considering many women have expressed how toxic, degrading, and dangerous they find hook-up culture. Although, I think Bumble were just trying to go for a sex-positive message.  

This branding refocus comes amidst young people’s disillusionment with modern dating, with many logging off the tiring, overly addictive and money driven apps with too many paid features. People want real connections, not gamified swiping, and maybe they’re suspicious that ultimately dating apps benefit from us being single. Maybe they don’t have our best interests at heart after all. 

Blast Off Blunders.

Just when we thought things couldn’t get any worse for Boeing…  A failed rocket launch is the last thing they needed after a part of a plane came off mid-flight early this year and nearly sucking a child out of his seat. They should probably stick to sorting out safe air travel before tackling space.  

The eagerly anticipated launch from Boeing and NASA was halted due to a faulty valve that was discovered just hours before lift-off. It has since been delayed again due to a helium leak. Get it together Boeing… it’s not rocket science. 

Two brave astronauts have been rescheduled to fly in about a week. I certainly wouldn’t be volunteering to be the guineapig for this particular mission. If it’s successful, Boeing will become the second private firm able to provide crew transport to and from the International Space Station, alongside Elon Musk’s SpaceX. Let’s hope for the astronaut’s safe journey into the abyss… Oh and in other Boeing news, another whistle blower for the company has been found dead… they are really working up quite the reputation. 

Extra-Ordinary.

Sometimes less is more. In a world saturated with elaborate marketing gimmicks and flashy celebrity endorsements, simplicity is the refreshing take we didn’t know we wanted. The Ordinary has proved that all you need to sell skincare is a lot of negative space and a few words. Embracing science over celebrity, the minimalist campaign highlights the scientific integrity of their products and their no-bullshit, transparent approach to skincare. 

Their products don’t have silly names like “glow water illuminating swamp mucus” or “flesh toning buoyancy essence spray”. The Ordinary simply state “Hydraulic Acid” or “Glycolic Acid” in clean bottles that mimics a laboratory aesthetic. It’s just good old-fashioned science in a bottle. 

‘Her’ is Here.

OpenAI has essentially created their version of Samantha from the movie “Her”. The new model, GPT-4o, can reason and interact through text, audio, and vision in real time. Its tone of voice has way more emotion than before, although I doubt it’ll compare to Scarlett Johansson’s soothing and raspy tone. That’s probably for the best though, wouldn’t want anyone to get seduced by a computer – although that’s definitely where this is headed.  

It’s even able to pick up on your feelings through analysing facial expressions. The world is just getting more and more ‘Black Mirror’ by the day. Soon we will have no reason at all to interact with each other.  

Although this technology will have some very real benefits like helping people learn new languages, I can’t help but wonder about the delicate balance between technological advancement and preserving the essence of human connection. Because at the end of the day, no amount of AI wizardry can replace the warmth of a human hug. Yet…