The BBC reported on a UK based company who had created a ‘top secret phone’ which would revolutionize the industry with the worlds first “truly handsfree mobile”.
The company, IA Technology of Hereford England, promised a new mobile phone device which fits in your ear and can be operated solely by voice recognition. The phone, designed by a Dean McEvoy (right), is likely to be such a success that it would bring more jobs and investment into the industry.
Where did the BBC possibly get fooled? Well, a little digging by an Engadget commenter discovered a link between Zumba CEO Dean McEvoy and a group of party promoters. Whether this is true or not is unclear, however it does immediately trigger off alarm bells which lead to a re-examination of the video (below).
What’s immediately odd is that the ’Zumba Phone’ is so secret that the BBC can’t even show us how it works. Not only that, but the entire set up seems fishy, from the odd name/poor design, the extremely well dressed “designer”, the screen behind the designer in the video and through to the extremely poor website for the new “revolutionary” gadget.
Anyway, enough talk, here’s the video…what do you think? Did the BBC get punk’d?
I picked up on the dire logo, appalling product design (I’m a qualified product designer, so I was to be heard softly sobbing at the ear piece thingy) and the too-kool-for-skool top secret crap when I watched the video myself, but just put it down to me probably falling behind the times.
If the BBC did get “punked” (not another new word, please!) then it’s likely to end up in Prime Minister’s question time…
It’s not April is it?
Well, normally you can’t get BBC content embedded anywhere, so I think someone’s been oddly busy to get this out.
Definitely punk’d, I’d say.
I vote for “punk’d”
First, comes SOFTWARE that does voice rec. “perfectly.”
Then comes HARDWARE. Like a chip thingy.
Then you can make it tiny and put it in a Hello Kitty doll or a “magic disc” that you shove up your nose.
They skipped a few steps I think!
If they got punked, remember you’ve heard it here first… rofl
I think IA Technology thinks it is the real deal, the question is whether and how fast they can actually get it into production.
This guy looks so much like the “Yes Men” character, do you think it’s him? Would fit the profile… and the obviously fake phone in the video.
http://www.theyesmen.org/
It’s real :)
Been following it for quite a while (through a CS major friend who got involved on the fringe of the project through his uni).
The voice rec is, apparently, not all that good. I think they are hoping ot push the “link to the website” and totally secure rubbish to cover that up :)