geekosystem

It's rare that a TV commercial rises to the level of high art, but damned if Audi didn't just nail it right here. In nearly three minutes of Spock on Spock action, we've got the following: Chess, swearing, Leonard Nimoy singing "The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins," a 'hand against the glass' gag, and even a Vulcan nerve pinch for good measure. And if you're wondering which one ends up being the one true Spock...just kidding. You weren't really wondering that, were you? Don't feel bad, though, Mr. Quinto. Leonard's just been at this a lot longer than you have.

Because of Jaws and plenty of real-life attacks, we're afraid of sharks. We should be; they're top predators, they've got sharp teeth, and they can smell you from miles away. But we as a species don't really wish them any harm, except for the ones that come after us -- and really, a good punch to the face or a friendly neighborhood dolphin could do the trick. So it's sad to learn of one dying because of something stupid people did. Specifically, a white-tipped shark died after being placed in an above-ground tank for a Kmart commercial in California.

The Super Bowl is this Sunday, and I couldn't care less. It's not even worth watching for the commercials any longer, because they're all online the next day.Some -- like this one -- leak out early for one reason or another. I also don't like inadvertently helping with the marketing for companies, but this video is too adorable to not share with the world. The commercial shows a father answering his young son's question of where babies come from. He sounds misinformed, but the resulting barrage of CGI baby animals is too much to withstand. It's just so adorable. Also, keep your eyes peeled for some great sperm/egg rocket/planet imagery, and capital use of the word "penetrate."

Commercials being too loud is the kind of problem you tend not to realize is a problem until someone points it out to you, but once you notice it it's hard to ignore, and it's been a major complaint from consumers for decades. That's why Representative Anna G. Eshoo introduced the Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation (CALM) act back in 2010. The bill was signed into law December 15, 2010 and went into effect yesterday. We're glad lawmakers didn't eschew the problem any longer.

Apple tends to feature various apps that their products can run in their commercials. Since this is pretty much the only function these devices provide, it's a common occurrence. Developers love it when the company does this, because the general public really isn't that discerning. Thanks to a recent iPad commercial featuring a piano being used in GarageBand, piano apps across the board seem to be doing exceedingly well.

You've all seen commercials for Apple products. When they're not featuring silhouettes dancing about to seizure-inducing backdrops, they're busy pretending their new slightly-upgraded computer with a better screen (for which most programs are not yet optimized) is a gift from the tech gods, the likes of which we've not yet seen. Stride Gum, on the other hand, realizes that a new flavor of a product doesn't redefine the entire genre of said product. They also have a pretty good sense of humor about it, if you aren't Apple. Check out where Stride got their inspiration for the parody after the jump.

Currently, the Samsung Galaxy S II is seen as the iPhone's biggest competitor. So, instead of getting the edge over their rivals by showing everyone whatever unique features the Galaxy S II sports, Samsung decided to insult Apple consumers -- not even Apple the company, but the people who buy their products -- for the length of a commercial.

Though this unaired Apple commercial narrated by Steve Jobs has been viewable on the Internet for some time, it suddenly holds a new level of significance after Jobs' passing. The narration, music, and black and white visuals provide a somber backdrop for Jobs' speech describing the innovative and unique minds in our society. The quote the commercial ends with, "The people who are craziest enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do" will surely gain a revived and new level of prominence now that Jobs is gone.