Skip navigation

There Must Be A Pony In Here Somewhere


Current DateTime: 09:20:18 10 Feb 2012
LinksList Documentid: 28897362
Expiration DateTime: 2/10/2012 9:21:42 AM

CONTRIBUTORS


Current DateTime: 09:20:18 10 Feb 2012
LinksList Documentid: 43857646
  • Cindy Perman

      News Editor at CNBC.com and the author of The Pony Blog (ponyblog.cnbc.com). She has also written a book, “New York Curiosities,” and does stand-up comedy.

  • Jane Wells

      CNBC business news reporter, based in Los Angeles, covering the defense and technology industries. She writes the CNBC.com blog Funny Business.

#PONYBLOG ON TWITTER

ABOUT THIS BLOG

The news can get a little heavy sometimes, with debt crises, vicious markets and crappy earnings reports. So, we dispatched our crack reporters, Cindy Perman and Jane Wells, to find some levity amid all this seriousness. May we offer you a Keynesian cocktail with a side of bacon?

Why a Pony? To be clear, there were no ponies harmed in the making of this blog. The blog’s name, “There Must Be a Pony In Here Somewhere,” comes from an old joke, a favorite of Ronald Reagan’s, that essentially means, with a pile of you-know-what this big, there MUST be a pony—a bright side—in here somewhere!

Subscribe


Current DateTime: 09:20:18 10 Feb 2012
LinksList Documentid: 43860133
Email the Pony Blog

Apple Fan Alert: The iPhone Costume—And It Works

Published: Thursday, 29 Oct 2009 | 2:14 PM ET
Text Size
By: Cindy Perman
CNBC.com Staff Writer

Apple fans have been creating Halloween costumes based on Apple products for years. But two guys in Florida came up with the ultimate Apple costume: an iPhone—that works.

Source: YouTube.com
I'm a phone, I'm music player—Girl, you know I got it all going on. Come over sometime and we'll play Pac Man on my screen.

They created a sandwich-board type frame using wood and metal, then inset a 37-inch LCD screen on top of that. The iPhone is connected at the top, where they choose which app to display on the screen. It’s all powered by a car battery strapped, um … between their legs. (If that's not dedication, I don't know what is.)

They keep three batteries on them at all times, delivering 4.5 hours of battery life total. They can even charge their iPhones using the USB port on the television.

The only downside: The costumes weigh 85 pounds, which means they have to take breaks when wearing them. And, the LCD screens aren’t touch screen — yet. It’s all controlled by the iPhone mounted on top.

Reko Rivera (left in the photo above) is an actor and DJ who’s currently getting paid to scare guests at Busch Gardens. He started making iPod costumes four years ago, but this is the first one that works. His partner in iCrime is John Savio (right), an unemployed former Apple employee, who used to teach people how to use their Macs. He also used to work for a local late-night show.

They combined their tech and show-biz skills, plus the carpentry skills of their friend John Matthews, to create the costume that has Apple fanboys salivating all of the Internet.

And, of course, they draw attention wherever they go: Wednesday night Riko created a stir in a Florida nightclub by playing Pac Man on the screen across his chest.

The two costumes cost $2,000 total to make. That’s no chump change — especially for someone who’s unemployed. So, they’re trying to win back their money by entering costume contests. They’ve actually made $1,000 already by winning two local contests in Florida. They’ve got another big one on Halloween, plus they’ve entered at least a dozen contests on the Internet.

“This is my job!” Savio said — only half-joking.

Their ultimate goal is to catch the attention of Apple.

Since Apple [AAPL  Loading...      ()   ] already uses humans in their wildly successful “Mac vs. PC” commercials, Savio said, “Why not have two iPhones talking about how amazing the apps run on themselves?”

Whether Apple offers them a job or not, someone will probably hire them. They’ve already marketed themselves brilliantly.

Watch the Video:

More From CNBC.com:

© 2012 CNBC, Inc. All Rights Reserved


Current DateTime: 05:18:53 10 Feb 2012
LinksList Documentid: 29778428

Current DateTime: 04:15:11 10 Feb 2012
LinksList Documentid: 29779196

Current DateTime: 09:12:37 10 Feb 2012
LinksList Documentid: 29779197

Current DateTime: 04:16:04 10 Feb 2012
LinksList Documentid: 29779199
CNBCCNBC
About CNBC  |  Site Map  |  Video Reprints   |  Advertise  |  Help  |  Contact
Privacy Policy  |     |  Terms of Service  |  Independent Programming Report
  Data is a real-time snapshot  *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes
Global Business and Financial News, Stock Quotes, and Market Data and Analysis

© 2012 CNBC LLC.  All Rights Reserved.
A Division of NBCUniversal
Thomson ReutersThomson Reuters