There’s nothing like a good blooper reel to start your Friday on the right foot, especially when those bloopers involve the Cookie Monster and Apple devices. The unlikely duo made for a pretty adorable ad last month, but as it turns out, even Sesame Street characters can make mistakes. Well, not mistakes, per se, just actions that are even more hilarious than usual. On Thursday, Apple published a number of outtakes from their shoot, and even if you were planning on having a bad weekend, you won’t be able to after watching this delightful reel.
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The 90 seconds of behind-the-scenes footage offers a charming juxtaposition of one of our most nostalgic childhood characters and true 21st-century technology. Cookie Monster speaks to Siri, which makes for two semi-imaginary, semi-real friends in a single frame. Much of the video focuses on the famous furry blue monster prepping himself before the camera starts rolling for real, offering Siri cookies, marveling over the fact that she “know me,” and being as impatient as ever for the cookies to bake.
The original ad has already become a viral hit among viewers, one of a number of Apple ads that have really hit home with audiences. Taylor Swift also cracked us (and her head) up with a commercial showing her falling off a treadmill while dancing and rapping along with Drake. Who knew ads could be so … enjoyable?
The outtakes from the Cookie Monster ad only have a fraction of the over 9 million views the actual commercial has already racked up, but 250,000+ views in under 24 hours is nothing to sneeze at. Given the enormous appeal of both the Cookie Monster and Apple products at large, though, it probably won’t be long until the bloopers catch up to, or perhaps even outstrip, the original. So if you’re in need of a laugh, check out both the Timer ad and its bloopers. It’s sure to make your day a bit better.
Google Play is borrowing one of the Nintendo Switch’s most useful little tricks. A new Sidekick tool called Playbacks captures a short clip after something interesting has already happened, sparing players from running a screen recorder throughout an entire game.
Playbacks is part of Google Play Store v53.8 and keeps saved clips on the phone. Google first announced it earlier this month, but the new Play Store update marks its arrival for players. Anyone who has watched a perfect win vanish because the record button came too late already understands the appeal.
Samsung’s scandal over its Game Optimizing Service, or GOS, has returned with a bill attached. South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission has tentatively fined the company 20.1 billion won, or about $15.1 million, over gaming claims made for the Galaxy S21, Galaxy S22, and Tab S8.
The regulator says Samsung promoted the devices as gaming powerhouses without disclosing that GOS placed preset CPU and GPU limits on certain demanding games. Samsung disputes that conclusion, calling GOS a legitimate way to manage heat.
Apple's next cheaper iPhone could get a brand-new processor while keeping its most stubborn display compromise. Digital Chat Station tips the iPhone 18e for a 2027 release with a 2nm A20 chip and a 6.12-inch OLED screen still limited to 60Hz.
The rumored camera setup includes a single 48MP rear camera and a possible 24MP selfie camera. There's new hardware to consider, but buyers hoping Apple would extend that upgrade generosity to smoother scrolling could be disappointed.