All posts by Scott Meisner

Apple squeaks out record 2016 Q1 results, braces for revenue decline

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On January 26, Apple reported its 2016 first quarter financial results. Apple posted a record quarterly revenue of $75.9 billion and record quarterly net profit of $18.4 billion. Compare this to one year ago, that’s up from revenue of $74.6 billion and net profit of $18 billion. Says CEO Tim Cook in a press release: “Our team delivered Apple’s biggest quarter ever, thanks to the world’s most innovative products and all-time record sales of iPhone, Apple Watch and Apple TV. The growth of our Services business accelerated during the quarter to produce record results, and our installed base recently crossed a major milestone of one billion active devices.”

It was another “record quarter” for Apple, but there were some startling yet inevitable declines across its product sales. Let’s break it down by product category and then discuss. Apple sold 74.8 million iPhones in the quarter (compared to 74.5 million in the year-ago quarter); 16.1 million iPads (compared to 21.4 million); and 5.3 million Macs (compared to 5.5 million). As for iPod, Apple TV, and Apple Watch, the company stuffs these products into a single category called Other Products and does not disclose how many units of each were sold. However, what we do know is that this division accounted for $4.4 billion of Apple’s revenue this quarter (compared to 2.7 million in the year-ago quarter).

A quick look at those numbers and you’ll come to realize that Apple’s finally hitting a plateau with its innovative product lineup. The iPhone is the company’s most profitable product today, and yet its sales were up just 0.4 percent compared to last year’s first quarter results. The iPad and Macs didn’t fare so well either. Tablet sales dropped 25 percent compared to last year, and computer sales went south by 4 percent. Apple CFO Luca Maestri addresses these significant slumps when predicting 2016’s second fiscal quarter revenue to fall between $50-$53 billion; if that happens, it would mark a year-over-year decline in revenue for the company for the first time in 13 years.

It isn’t all bad news for (still) one of the most profitable companies in the world. Apple’s touting a 63 percent jump in sales in its Other Products category that now includes hot holiday gifts like the new-and-improved Apple TV and Apple Watch. In addition, its Internet-connected Services jumped 27 percent year-over-year; iTunes, the App Stores, and Apple Music helped rake in $6.1 billion in revenue this quarter.

Despite the declines due to “the overall [economic] malaise in virtually every country in the world” and in particular the economic “softness” in China, Tim Cook is bullish on Apple’s future. With an active install base of 1 billion devices (that is iPhone, iPad, Mac, iPod touch, Apple TV and Apple Watch devices that have been engaged in Apple’s services within the past 90 days) and strong customer service and retention rates that are “second to none” in the industry, Cook is unwavering in his belief that Apple will continue to grow as new hardware, software, and services will push his company into the future. It’s just a sad thought knowing that the next quarter will likely be the first one in awhile we won’t be calling a new record.

[Via Apple; Engadget 1, 2; Deadline]

Letter from the editor: The future is brighter

[experience-it-all],

Dear readers, this April marks the blog’s seventh anniversary. Can you believe it? I hardly can; time flies when you’re doing what you love, I guess. Way back in 2009, I started experience it all as a hobby of sorts. At the time I was interning at G4’s Attack of the Show (RIP), and I found its premise completely fascinating; it was a program that smashed together technology and pop culture. I grew up taking apart and building computers with my Dad. In high school, my utter obsession with TV began thanks to 24, Lost, and Prison Break. When I was young I was always dumbfounded by my parents when they could list off every actor on screen at the movies, and now my brain somehow manages to process, store, and regurgitate everything pop culture. In sum, my creative outlet was an inevitability.

A spark was ignited the summer of ’09. From AOTS I ventured to 30 Rock working at Today, SNL and Late Night when Jimmy was there. And then I moved my life to Los Angeles to work in TV production and development at Nickelodeon and 20th Century Fox. Throughout it all, across all seven years, experience it all never wavered. A single day hasn’t gone by since its inception that I haven’t thought about making it better. It has been rewarding to see it transform from a hobby into a professional destination for the latest industry coverage. My blog stands for everything I am so passionate about: entertainment, technology, and pop culture collide here, under my terms and in my own words. From CES in Vegas to E3 in LA and San Diego Comic Con, it’s been a wild, exhilarating ride covering these ever-evolving industries for you. And I’m happy to report that there’s no end in sight. To celebrate seven years, I’ve updated the site with a brighter theme featuring colors that pop and text that’s easier on the eyes. It plays nicely on mobile devices now, too. I’ve maintained the minimalism, because at the end of the day it’s always about the content, front and center. I’m always open to feedback, of course.

The future is brighter at experience it all, and you can expect even more fun and unexpected content to make its way here (hint: it’s about time I fired up YouTube again). From me to you, thanks for going on this journey with me. I can’t wait to see what’s around the corner. -sm

The villains come out to play in new ‘Suicide Squad’ trailer

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It’s been awhile since we’ve seen footage from David Ayer’s supervillain film Suicide Squad. In fact, the only real footage we’ve been privy to up to this point has been the first-look teaser that Warner Bros. let loose shortly after debuting it to fans at San Diego Comic Con last summer. I’m happy to report that the wait has been so worth it.

Late Tuesday, the first official trailer for Suicide Squad hit the ‘Net and it’s a doozy. The whole team is showcased here in this two-and-half-minute clip: Deadshot (Will Smith), Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman), Boomerang (Jai Courtney), Enchantress (Cara Delevingne), Killer Croc (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), Katana (Karen Fukuhara), El Diablo (Jay Hernandez), Slipknot (Adam Beach), and last but certainly not least The Joker (Jared Leto).

The first-look teaser was a relatively quiet affair, so if that didn’t get your blood pumping, official trailer #1 surely will. In a nutshell, Viola Davis’ character assembles a task force of the most dangerous people on the planet who she thinks “can do some good.” Set to Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” this new snapshot of Suicide Squad is brimming with insane action sequences and undeniably fun character introductions. Whereas everybody’s amped to see how Leto embodies The Joker, I’ve got a gut feeling that Robbie is going to kill it as Harley Quinn. Who’s your favorite villain going into the movie?

Suicide Squad opens August 5. Skip after the break to eye the theatrical poster. Continue reading The villains come out to play in new ‘Suicide Squad’ trailer →

DC unveils first looks at Justice League heroes including Wonder Woman & Aquaman

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On Tuesday evening, The CW–the network best known today for its superhero genre fare like Arrow and The Flash–aired a DC Films special documenting first looks at major players in the Justice League. Moviegoers already know so much about Superman and Batman, but little’s been shared about Woman Wonder, Aquaman, and others. Of course, the upcoming Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice will formally introduce those two superheroes played by Gal Gadot and Jason Momoa, respectively. And in 2017, director Zack Snyder will lead a Justice League movie that will invite even more heroes into the mix, Avengers style, including The Flash and Cyborg. In sum, it’s a great time to be a nerd.

Now, go on and jump after the break to see first looks at DC Films’ versions of Wonder Woman (Gadot), Aquaman (Momoa), The Flash (Ezra Miller), and Cyborg (Ray Fisher). You’ll hear from the actors, directors, and producers and sneak a peek at actual footage and conceptual artwork from upcoming DC movies. According to Warner Bros., standalone origin stories for all of these superheroes will begin to roll out starting with Wonder Woman in 2017.

Update (1/21): Warner Bros. has carved out official release dates for Wonder Woman and Justice League: Part 1. The Amazonian superheroine soars into theatres June 23, 2017, and DC’s version of The Avengers assembles November 17, 2017. Continue reading DC unveils first looks at Justice League heroes including Wonder Woman & Aquaman →

Surprise! Bad Robot presents ’10 Cloverfield Lane’, a “blood relative” to 2008’s found-footage monster movie (Teaser inside)

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J.J.’s done it again. Seemingly out of nowhere comes some thing; it’s a new Bad Robot-produced film titled 10 Cloverfield Lane. When I first stumbled upon this deliciously mysterious teaser trailer I thought to myself along with everybody else, “IT’S A SEQUEL TO J.J.’s MONSTER MOVIE CLOVERFIELD!” Not quite. Though the word “Cloverfield” is in the title and the teaser certainly alludes to some thing scary existing in the outside world, the Star Wars director released the following statement to Collider that attempts to clear that up:

“The idea came up a long time ago during production,” explained Abrams. “We wanted to make it a blood relative of Cloverfield. The idea was developed over time. We wanted to hold back the title for as long as possible.”

In a nutshell, writers Josh Campbell and Matt Stuecken collaborated on penning a script a few years back tentatively titled The Cellar. It followed a woman who, in the aftermath of surviving a car wreck, finds herself trapped underground in a bomb shelter with a man who claims to have saved her life from a nuclear attack that destroyed the surrounding area above ground. Nuclear attack or… the Cloverfield monster! J.J. and his Bad Robot production house got involved with The Cellar when Paramount bought the script. The movie’s code name changed to Valencia to keep a lid on J.J.’s Cloverfield connection plans that apparently started to brew shortly after he signed on to executive produce it. It’s massively impressive how Paramount & Bad Robot were able to keep all of this a secret until the trailer dropped.

The teaser for 10 Cloverfield Lane (embedded after the break) first surfaced in front of Michael Bay’s Benghazi film 13 Hours, in an eerily similar fashion to the way Cloverfield‘s found-footage trailer debuted in theatres with Bay’s Transformers in 2008. It stars John Goodman, Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World), and John Gallagher, Jr. (The Newsroom). Abrams produces with Lindsey Weber. Dan Trachtenberg, the massive talent behind the viral short film Portal: No Escape, makes his directorial debut. Despite their enthusiasm for making a direct Cloverfield sequel at some point, the original movie’s director Matt Reeves and writer Drew Goddard are not involved in this project.

I’ve been waiting for a true sequel to Cloverfield ever since I walked out of theatre in 2008 and got lost down the rabbit hole online trying to piece together clues pertaining to The Monster’s origins. Do Slusho and Tagruato ring any bells? Anyway. I find this whole “blood relative” idea to be incredibly intriguing. New survivors, new location (look at the poster pasted above; I don’t think we’re in New York City), new shooting style (it appears as though Trachtenberg is ditching Reeve’s found-footage shaky cam presentation here). The idea that 10 Cloverfield Lane is not a direct sequel to the original but rather set in the same universe as it offers the creative team a new avenue to explore the intensity of it all. If this teaser is any indication of what to expect, we are going to be getting an intimate character piece dealing with themes of trust and manipulation.

“Don’t open the door! You’re going to get all of us killed!” screams Goodman’s character as Winstead’s female protagonist unlocks the bunker’s door. What does she see? A nuclear wasteland? The Monster? Some thing entirely new? “Monsters come in many forms,” reads the poster’s tagline. The Mystery Box just arrived on your doorstep.

10 Cloverfield Lane opens March 11, 2016. Continue reading Surprise! Bad Robot presents ’10 Cloverfield Lane’, a “blood relative” to 2008’s found-footage monster movie (Teaser inside) →

‘Walking Dead’ actor Ross Marquand lets loose spot-on celebrity impressions

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Who knew The Walking Dead‘s Ross Marquand (he plays Alexandrian native Aaron) is such a gifted impressionist? Well, if you watch TWD‘s companion after-show Talking Dead, you only glimpsed at his arsenal of celebrity impressions when he teased his take on Matthew McConaughey. Thanks to Vanity Fair, you can now experience Marquand’s remarkably vast range; from Michael Caine to Aaron Paul he nails it. Hear all 17 of his “nano-impressions” in the video embedded above!

YouTubers mashup Obama’s SOTU address into fun, catchy tune

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Schmoyoho (“accent on the yo“), the musical YouTube troop behind viral sensations like “Auto-Tune the News” and the “Double Rainbow” and “Bed Intruder” songs, is back with their latest autotune-infused single and this one came out right on the heels of President Obama “dropping the mic” at his final State of the Union address. It’s got that classic Schmoyoho charm, from the twisted crowd reactions to the inclusion of a remarkably catchy tune with fun lyrics that remix parts of the President’s speech. The best part? The seamlessly choreographed dancing paired with Speaker Paul Ryan’s absurd facial reactions; watch out for those! Now get it like it’s 1999! Continue reading YouTubers mashup Obama’s SOTU address into fun, catchy tune →

TV teasers: ‘Bates Motel’ spins out of control & ‘Orphan Black’ journeys down the rabbit hole

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Psycho prequel series Bates Motel has been airing on A&E for three years now and it gets better and better because each season viewers are witness to Norman Bates (Freddie Highmore) sinking deeper and deeper into his insanity. His obsession with his mother Norma (Vera Farmiga) is worsening as he continues to lose grip on reality. This brand new season 4 teaser is the best metaphor; Norman is spiraling out of control as we inch closer to the Norman we know from Alfred Hitchcock’s classic film. Plus, the all-to-brief clip brings back into focus themes like Norman’s peeping tom, Norma’s gun, Miss Watson’s pearls, and it culminates in a familiar setting that I wouldn’t dare spoil.

Enjoy, and anticipate the return of Bates Motel coming March 7 to A&E.

Jump after the break to see the latest Orphan Black teaser. Continue reading TV teasers: ‘Bates Motel’ spins out of control & ‘Orphan Black’ journeys down the rabbit hole →

Fox: Jack Bauer is out in new ’24: Legacy’ & the brothers are back in ‘Prison Break’ revival

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When people ask me what shows turned me on to television in the first place, my go-to is and always will be: 24, Prison Break, and Lost. These are the pivotal franchises that made me fall in love with the box in my living room, and, well, the rest is history. Fast-forward so many years later, and two of the three are making major comebacks and I couldn’t be more excited.

Let’s start with 24. It debuted on Fox way back in 2001 and lasted for eight seasons and a TV movie. And then just last year, it resurfaced with star Kiefer Sutherland for limited event series 24: Live Another Day. Now, the network wants it to return again, but this time with an even bigger twist. In addition to forgoing the 24-episode format and skipping around some hours of one chaotic day, the newest incarnation of 24 bids farewell to Sutherland’s iconic hero Jack Bauer and introduces a new lead to save the day. That actor hasn’t been cast yet, but Fox says they are looking to fill the role with an African American actor.

Dubbed 24: Legacy, the tenth season in the ever-expanding counter-terrorism franchise serves as a reboot in that it doesn’t plan on incorporating familiar characters or settings. Jack and his right hand Chloe are off-limits this go-around. Here’s the official logline provided by Fox:

The pilot will feature an all-new cast of characters and retain the real-time, pulse-pounding, fast-paced format with split screens and complex interweaving storylines, with each episode representing one hour of an eventful day. The project will revolve around a military hero’s return to the U.S. and the trouble that follows him back – compelling him to ask CTU for help in saving his life, and stopping what potentially could be one of the largest-scale terror attacks on American soil.

“We wanted [the star] to be as different from Jack Bauer as possible, whether that’s an African American or a Latino actor,” elaborated Fox head Dana Walden at the Television Critics Association winter press tour. Co-head Gary Newman added, “As envisioned, the lead character would be diverse, so that will be our first effort in casting. As always, we’re going to cast the best actor we can find for the role. As you can imagine, bringing 24 back, we want to really try to create some distinction and make this feel different than Jack Bauer’s 24, so having a diverse actor in that lead role I think would be helpful in doing that.”

Another change coming to 24 is that the new hero will be sharing the day’s burden equally with a female co-lead. This female lead is a former head of CTU, and thus will serve as connective tissue to 24‘s past. Walden went on to briefly discuss Legacy‘s timely plot and how it plans on distancing itself from the 24 we know.

“It’s a new CTU, a new cast of characters,” she said. “It’s a completely different story in terms of the special ops groups that we’re focusing on. It’s a very contemporary feeling story about the potential to activate new sleeper cells in the United States and radicalizing Americans. It’s a whole new story. There are nods in the pilot to prior CTU agents, there are a couple photos that will feel reminiscent of the original, but no ongoing [returning] characters.”

Howard Gordon, Brian Grazer, Manny Coto, and Evan Katz, executive producers who worked on all previous seasons, return to EP Legacy. The pilot is on track to film this winter.

Update (1/18): Kiefer Sutherland responded to 24: Legacy at a Q&A panel hosted by TIFF Live and he had nothing but kind words to say about the series reboot. “I have said from the beginning that the real star of 24 is the idea, and I mean that wholeheartedly,” he gushed. “I have every faith they’ll do something cool and clever.” Later, when a fan asked about getting closure on Jack Bauer (at the end of Live Another Day he surrendered himself to the Russians), Sutherland admitted he doesn’t know if that will ever happen. “I have no idea if the [24] movie will ever happen, or Jack Bauer might end up finding his way into an episode one day and clarifying all of that, or ending all of that.” He promised he’d pass the sentiment along to 24 EP Howard Gordon the next time they meet. Watch Sutherland talk 24 here; the clip is cued up and ready to go.

Jump after the break to learn more about Prison Break‘s return. Continue reading Fox: Jack Bauer is out in new ’24: Legacy’ & the brothers are back in ‘Prison Break’ revival →

Status update #5 on your favorite new and returning shows

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New year, more status updates coming your way in the TV department. If you’re keeping count, this is our fifth look at the current status on your favorite new and returning TV shows this season. This next batch is nominated by renewals, but some of you might want to brace yourself as there are some cancellations in the mix.

CBS is ready to say goodbye to Chuck Lorre’s sitcom Mike & Molly. Its sixth season, which currently airs Wednesday nights, will be its last. The show served as a strong comedic vehicle for Melissa McCarthy who has gone on to become a mega movie star. The Bridesmaids and Spy star can next be seen in Paul Feig’s Ghostbusters.

NBC cancelled Heroes. Then it came back as a limited “event” series dubbed Heroes Reborn. And now it’s bidding farewell to the world once more. Peacock head Robert Greenblatt elaborated at the Television Critics Association winter press tour that Reborn was always envisioned to be a one-and-done “event.” Though the upcoming 13th episode of Reborn will likely serve as the series finale for the comeback franchise, Greenblatt isn’t calling time of death just yet. He’s leaving that up to creator Tim Kring’s discretion; if Kring comes up with a new idea worthy of resurrecting the series for a second time, NBC will hear him out, reports TVLine.

For more, jump after the break. Continue reading Status update #5 on your favorite new and returning shows →

‘The Revenant’ & ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ lead Oscar noms

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We’re in the swing of awards season, people! Days after the Hollywood Foreign Press Association praised The Revenant and Mr. Robot at the Golden Globes, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced this year’s Oscar nominees. The Revenant continues its hot streak leading the charge with 12 Oscar nominations including nods for star Leonardo DiCaprio (will this finally be his year?!) and director Alexandro G. Iñárritu. If you recall, Iñárritu is also on a roll having swept the Oscars last year with big wins for Birdman.

The following flicks are in the running for Best Picture: The Big Short (landed 5 nods total), Bridge of Spies (6 nods), Brooklyn (3), Mad Max: Fury Road (a whopping 10!), The Martian (7), The Revenant (12), Room (4), and Spotlight (6).

As per usual, there are snubs galore and here are some of the most frustrating. Ridley Scott (The Martian), Quentin Tarantino (The Hateful Eight), and Steven Spielberg (Bridge of Spies) were left out of the Best Director race. They were undeservedly overlooked when the Academy selected Adam McKay (The Big Short), George Miller (Mad Max: Fury Road), Iñárritu (The Revenant), Lenny Abrahamson (Room), and Tom McCarthy (Spotlight). Elsewhere, and somehow, someway, Aaron Sorkin was not nominated for his impeccably adapted screenplay for Steve Jobs. And then there’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Though you might not agree that North America’s highest-grossing film of all-time deserved a Best Picture nom, it certainly warrants recognition for more than its brilliant Original Score, Visual Effects, film editing, and sound mixing and editing. Still, sci-fi diehards have Mad Max to root for come the telecast.

And then there’s #OscarsSoWhite. For the second consecutive year in a row, the AMPAS is showering decidedly white actors and filmmakers with nominations and neglecting incredibly talented African Americans. Director F. Gary Gray and his box office hit Straight Outta Compton…Ryan Coogler’s Creed and its star Michael B. Jordan…Samuel L. Jackson for The Hateful Eight…Will Smith for Concussion…Idris Elba for Netflix’s Beasts of No Nation. All snubbed. This simply isn’t fair, and let’s hope that it doesn’t become an annual trend.

The 88th Academy Awards, hosted by Chris Rock, airs Sunday, Feb. 28 at 7pm (est) on ABC. Click here to view the full list of nominees.

Ylvis, makers of “What does the fox say,” returns to take on a cappella

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The Norwegian brothers who answered the longing question, “What does the fox say?” and attempted to explain “Stonehenge” are back with a new trancing music video that takes on the a cappella craze that’s still storming the nation (see: Pitch Perfect and its sequel, The Sing-Off, Pentatonix). In it, Vegard and Bård Ylvisåker are members of an a capella group whose apparent sole mission is to stave off bullies by making pit stops along their tour route at schools where children need a helping hand, er, voice. This latest viral parody by Ylvis includes the tried-and-true ingredients they’ve used before: it’s very silly while simultaneously wanting to be somewhat serious as it makes fun of a cappella tropes and takes down bullies in the most non-violent manner possible. Oh, and no surprise here–the song happens to be extremely catchy so I’ll save you a step in finding the tune for keeps. Catch a funny behind-the-scenes look after the break.

Boodelooap! Continue reading Ylvis, makers of “What does the fox say,” returns to take on a cappella →