Actress Jessica Alba has joined the developer advisory team for the Apple-funded "Planet of the Apps" reality show, chronicling several teams of developers working on apps for iOS.
"As a mentor on 'Planet of the Apps,' I'm looking forward to meeting entrepreneurs looking to address a problem with an innovative solution, and to help them realize their vision," Alba said to Variety. "I can't wait to see the ideas the app developers bring to the table."
Besides Alba's history as an actress going back to 1994, Alba co-founded consumer goods firm The Honest Company with a focus on non-toxic household goods, diapers, and personal care products.
Other contributors to the show include actress Gwyneth Paltrow, musician will-i-am, and new media entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk. Alba will serve as an executive producer, alongside Paltrow and will-i-am.
Paltrow, in addition to her 20-year motion picture and television acting career, is a musician, and has a weekly lifestyle digital newsletter, with accompanying video content.
Musician will.i.am was named in 2011 as one of Intel's directors of creative innovation. In May 2016, a line of earphones debuted as an Apple Store exclusive. He is also the co-owner of an artificial intelligence startup in Israel.
Vaynerchuk launched VaynerMedia in 2009, to take commercial advantage of a nascent social media marketplace. He is a prolific author, and has started an investment fund that focuses on consumer technology.
The open casting call for "Planet of the Apps" was originally scheduled to end on Aug. 26, but has been extended through Sept. 21. To be eligible for the show, prospective candidates must agree to have an iOS, macOS, tvOS, or watchOS app in a beta or functional state by Oct. 21.
The premiere season will film in Los Angeles in late 2016 through early 2017. Developers who appear on the show are not required to give up equity in the app chronicled on the series unless they choose to accept an offer from a show advisor or investor.
8 Comments
This screams boondoggle.
I'm still missing the point of this. I'm sure she's very talented, but how many apps has she written?
What does that actress have to do with apps or app creation?
If they wish to get me interested, then she should probably be extremely scantily clad, and use the talents given to her.
I'm glad she escaped from Planet of the Apes :p