| Sony patent wants to make advertising more interactive Aug 24th 2012, 17:04  We all know adverts are a necessary evil, which is why different companies are trying to make them more personalized, more engaging or just plain get rid of them. In a recently granted patent, Sony outlines its ideas for next-gen advertising on network-connected devices -- essentially to make it more interactive. Many of the instructional diagrams involve PS3 accessories in the home setting, but the focus isn't just on adverts as mini-games, which itself is nothing new. Other suggestions for keeping your interest include in-ad purchasing, casting votes or selecting the genre of commercials. To speed up, or get ads off your screen, Sony would have you performing small tasks or -- more sinisterly -- shouting brand names when prompted. Whether such immersive advertising will ever be employed is anyone's guess, but we're sure you're smart enough to know they're just tricks. So who's up for a McDonald's then? Filed under: Internet Sony patent wants to make advertising more interactive originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 24 Aug 2012 13:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink  Joystiq |  USPTO | Email this | Comments | | Engadget's back to school guide 2012: docks and clocks Aug 24th 2012, 16:00 Welcome to Engadget's back to school guide! The end of summer vacation isn't nearly as much fun as the weeks that come before, but a chance to update your tech tools likely helps to ease the pain. Today, we have speaker docks in our sights -- and you can head to the back to school hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the month. Be sure to keep checking back -- at the end of the month we'll be giving away a ton of the gear featured in our guides -- and hit up the hub page right here.  If there's any post-adolescent period that deserves its own soundtrack, it's your college years. Sure, our portable audio picks will let you jam on the go, but the best collegiate experiences are shared with friends -- and listening to music should be no exception. Even if you'd prefer to keep your playlist out of your friends' feed, be it in person or online, you'll still need to wake up each morning, and what better way to ease into the waking world than with your favorite tracks? These speaker docks offer more functionality than your average smartphone clock, and they're certainly better equipped to play DJ when it comes time to close the books. Join us past the break for our 2012 picks. Continue reading Engadget's back to school guide 2012: docks and clocks Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Household Engadget's back to school guide 2012: docks and clocks originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 24 Aug 2012 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | |
