Apparently the biggest reason the iPhone came with a virtual keyboard that was actually usable is because everybody at Apple Computer Inc. was scared to death of The Simpsons making fun of them.
In the early 1990s, Apple had come out with a PDA platform called Newton. Newton devices like the MessagePad were widely mocked for its less-than-stellar handwriting recognition, most notably by The Simpsons in this throwaway gag from “Lisa On Ice”…
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Smartphones! They’re all the rage now! The iPhone, the Android platform, and the upcoming Microsoft Windows Live Zune Phone 7 Series are all beautiful mobile operating systems that have dramatically raised the bar for OH GOD WHAT THE HELL IS THIS
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2009 was the year of “fixing” beloved Simpsons things that weren’t broke to begin with, starting with the godawful new HD title sequence and ending with an iPhone version of the Simpsons Arcade Game from 1991, one of the very few Simpsons video games that is still remembered fondly.
What’s different: The storyline (no more Smithers stealing Maggie for some bizarre reason), you can only play as Homer, you can slap him to revive him, new design (as far as I can tell, it looks like a modern episode and not all pixelated), and characters/locations that weren’t around or as iconic in 1991 (including the Republican Party Headquarters and Rich Texan).
What’s the same: The basic controls (I think?), and the dated Binky-with-a-ghetto-blaster level transistions (which I like). [United Simpsons]
Like fellow cast member Nancy Cartwright, Harry Shearer is also part of a cult – the cult of iPhone. [The Guardian]
Not to be outdone by TVs that look like Spongebob, Samsung has made some cell phones with The Simpsons Movie logo plastered on them, which probably also come with some annoying Simpsons ringtones. According to the reporter, “if done right, these have the potential to be the geek phone of the year.” He probably should have waited a day before making such a pronouncement. [The Inquirer]