Hasta La Gadget!

For some people, the Super Bowl isn’t about the game, but about the commercials. We saw a lot of them during this year’s game, and there was no shortage of advertisements relating to technology, cars, and movies. We decided to round up all of the Super Bowl commercials that we thought SlashGear readers would enjoy most, including ones from Samsung, Best Buy, GoDaddy, and even BlackBerry. We’ve embedded some of our personal favorites right in this post, with links to all the other ads that are relevant.

Samsung ended up going all out this year for their Super Bowl ad, taking up a full two minutes of airtime, costing them around $16 million after it was all said and done. Actors Seth Rogen and Paul Rudd, as well as NBA all-star LeBron James made appearances in the commercial, and discussed some ideas on what Samsung’s “next big thing” could be. BlackBerry (formerly known as RIM) aired their first-ever Super Bowl ad, spending a few million dollars on an ad showing off the new BlackBerry Z10, which according to the ad, will light you on fire, so be careful.

Best Buy ended up airing their own Super Bowl ad as well, and it features SNL alum and Parks & Recreation star Amy Poehler, who is pretty much the most adorable and funniest woman in show business right now, so we have to give it up for Best Buy for pulling off such a cute and witty ad.

We knew GoDaddy would make an appearance at the Super Bowl, as they do every year, but this time they aired two ads, one featuring the typical sexy theme that you know and love, and then there was an ad that actually wasn’t that bad. The company advertised their .co domain names, and the ad rings true of anyone with an original idea these days.

As far as the automotive commercials, it was a hit or miss mostly. Audi’s “Prom” ad was probably our favorite one out of the bunch, with Dodge’s “Paul Harvey” commercial at a close second. Other car ads included VW’s semi-racist Jamaican ad, Hyundai’s adorable “Team” ad featuring kids with super powers, Kia’s “Hotbots” ad, Mercedes-Benz with their celebrity-filled commercial (as well as one featuring Kate Upton), Lincoln’s Jimmy Fallon ad and “Phoenix” teaser, and an awkward Toyota ad featuring Big Bang Theory star Kaley Cuoco.

Movie trailers were also hot stuff during Super Bowl commercial breaks. The Iron Man 3 trailer caught our eye the most, with Star Trek: Into Darkness also showing off a quick teaser for us. World War Z also made a quick appearance, and we also saw an extended teaser for Johnny Depp’s upcoming movie, The Lone Ranger.

Now we want to hear what you think. We know not every ad this year was amazing, and some were iffy at best. What was your favorite commercial from the Super Bowl? Which tech company blew it out of the park? Which one could’ve been better? What suggestions would you make to the creators of the ads? Sound off in the comments below!

SlashGear’s Super Bowl XLVII ad spot roundup is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Apple’s iPad mini could get itself a huge new ride, if Volkswagen green-lights production on the six-seater CrossBlue SUV concept shown off at the North American International Auto Show today. Coupling ample interior space with surprising efficiency given the bulk, thanks to a diesel-electric hybrid engine capable of 35mpg combined – or 89mpge in all-electric mode, albeit with a maximum range of just 14 miles – the CrossBlue looks to Apple’s tinier tablet for its rear passengers, with dual docks for a pair of the iPads in the back of the front-row headrests.

They’re piped through the Fender audio system, as is the front-passenger entertainment kit. That centers on a 10.2-inch touchscreen with 3D navigation, while touch-sensitive keys control HVAC. Volkswagen even changes the color-scheme of its dashboard lighting depending on whether you’re in Eco or Sport mode, the illumination switching between blue and red accordingly.

It’s what’s under the hood that’s likely most important, however, for Volkswagen’s mid-sized SUV plans in North America. A combination of the new Modular Transverse Matrix (MQB) front and rear suspension, and the 190HP TDI Clean Diesel engine, paired with the twin electric motors pushing out 133 lb-ft at the front and 199 lb-ft at the rear, and a Li-Ion battery hidden in the center tunnel, the company says there’s a good chance they’ll show up in future SUVs.

Unsurprisingly, there are compromises to be made in full-electric mode. As well as the paucity of range, Volkswagen limits the CrossBlue’s top speed to 75mph (from 127mph when the diesel engine is active), and you only get rear-wheel drive. Should the power run out, the diesel engine kicks in automatically. On the flip-side, it’s possible to run the CrossBlue solely on the TDI engine, or in an Offroad setting Volkwagen calls “propshaft by wire” where, with the front wheels driven by the diesel plant, the front electric motor is repurposed as a generator to power the rear motor, allowing for all-wheel drive even if the batteries are depleted.

If it makes it to showrooms, Volkswagen says the production CrossBlue would likely have a trio of seats in the middle row, making for seven altogether. The eye-catching 21-inch alloys would probably get smaller, too. No word on when that might happen, nor how much it would be, though the company predicts it would fall in-between the Tiguan (from $23k) and the Touareg (from $43k).

Volkswagen’s CrossBlue SUV is one huge iPad mini dock is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

If I’m being honest, the only time I ever thought of the Volkswagen Beetle as cool was when I was eight and Herbie the Love Bug was popular. VW continues to sell a lot of the new Beetle and if you own one you need to beware of a new recall. Volkswagen issued a recall on some 2012 and 2013 Beetle coupes.

The recall covers about 2471 cars from those two model years with specific options. If your car doesn’t have leather seats, you’re free and clear from this recall. However, if your car does have leather seats and was built between February of 2012 and August 2012 you need to have your vehicle and to the dealership as soon as possible.

VW says owners can check the build date by looking on the driver side door jam sticker. According to the NHTSA, if the right front seat in these vehicles gets wet, the sensor in the seat may not detect the presence of the child and deactivate the airbag. The sensor is called the occupant control module. I’ve never owned a Volkswagen vehicle, but every vehicle I have owned or driven has had a light to show when the airbag was on or off.

Volkswagen and the NHTSA fear that a faulty sensor may not realize a child is in the seat and in an accident, the airbag could deploy and injure the child. Volkswagen is replacing the faulty module at no cost. The automaker recommends children ride in the backseat and more information on the recall will be forthcoming from VW.

[via USA Today]

Volkswagen recalls some new Beetles over airbag concerns is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Volkswagen has outed the 2013 Golf, the seventh generation of the company’s bestselling hatchback, now lighter and almost a quarter more fuel efficient than before. Although outwardly similar to the model it replaces, the 2013 Golf is in fact redesigned completely, using VW’s “Modular Transverse Matrix” platform; it also gets new engines, offering from 85 PS to 150 PS of power and fuel economy improvements of 23-percent over the 6th-gen Golf.

Outside, the new Golf is 2.2-inches longer, while the wheelbase has stretched 2.3-inches over the old car. That not only improves internal space, VW says, but benefits the crash-protection structure and gives the car a sportier stance; you’d have to be a real Golf obsessive to notice that it’s 0.8-inches lower and 0.5-inches wider, however.

Despite the size change, the 2013 Golf sheds 220 pounds through a culmination of dieting. The air-con unit is six pounds lighter than before; the seats a full 15 pounds less. 80-percent of the car is high-strength steel (versus 66-percent before), and of that 28-percent is ultra-high-strength. For the Euro models, that means a 140 HP 1.4-liter turbo good for 49mpg, or 62mpg (EC figures, not EPA) from the 105 HP TDI Clean Diesel.

Inside, it’s another clean sweep for Volkswagen. Shoulder, leg, and cargo room are all bigger, with the hatch now opening for a more-easily accessible load area. Kit is yet to be confirmed, but there’s a 5-inch touchscreen infotainment system even on base-spec Euro models, while the top-end blows that up to an 8-inch unit with navigation.

Not all of the specs of the European 2013 Golf – the model VW showed off this week – will necessarily make it over to the North American version, though any design changes should be minor. Pricing will be announced closer to launch.

2013 VW Golf makes official debut is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Since those of us living in the northern hemisphere are in the full swing of summer at the moment, you might want to consider bringing your kids out to the great outdoors for some camping fun instead of being stuck at home, repeating the same old cycle of you asking them to get out and bask in the sun instead of remaining cooped up at home all day long in front of the video game console. Take the more proactive approach, and as part of your persuasive efforts, then the £54.99 Kids VW Camper Van Tent might just be able to do the trick.

It will be a whole lot more hygienic and comfortable sleeping in this instead of in an old, beat up Volkswagen, don’t you think so? Even better is, the Kids VW Camper Van Tent is considered to be an officially licensed product by Volkswagen that is modelled after the iconic T1 Camper Van. It is good enough for sleep or play, as it houses up to three of your progeny at any one time. You can use this indoors, outdoors, or even by the beach, the Kids VW Camper Van Tent will hold up since it is waterproof and boasts of UV protection. Each tent measures slightly more than a meter and a half long, so adults can snuggle up inside too if they want.

[ Kids VW Camper Van Tent copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]