EU begins anti-smoking campaign with NicoMarket

Category: , By Bor DE ALTOLAGUIRRE
Last October 25th, the European Union started an interesting anti-smoking campaign. Via NicoMarket.com several spoof products, which will stimulate the negative side effects of smoking, are promoted.

My personal favourite is NicoClean, a face cream enriched with tobacco extracts. "With Nicoclean, you can add ten years to your look in less than one week." :)

1 Comment
 

Google in Black

By Bor DE ALTOLAGUIRRE
Google decided to be a part of the "Lights Out San Francisco" event that invites "the entire city of San Francisco to install one compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL) and turn off all lights for one hour, from 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm PDT" today, October 20. To promote this event, Google's homepage changes its background color from white to black. You should see the change during the day if you are in San Francisco.

"Given our company's commitment to environmental awareness and energy efficiency, we strongly support the Lights Out campaign, and have darkened our homepage today to help spread awareness of what we hope will be a highly successful citywide event," says Google in a page set up for the event.

Google also explains that, contrary to other opinions, permanently changing the background to black would not save energy. "To the contrary, on flat-panel monitors (already estimated to be 75% of the market), displaying black may actually increase energy usage."
0 Comment
 

Why... iPod?

Category: , , , , By Bor DE ALTOLAGUIRRE

¿Digital Culture, branding, massive fidelity? I am not sure about the huge-true reason that is pushing me to buy my 3rd iPod... the all-new Apple iPod Nano.

Apple announced just some weeks ago the new line of iPod products with the launch of one new model (iPod Touch) which is a lower version of the original iPhone (same design and user interface), but without the big thing of the iPhone (the phone, obviously..) but with WiFi ennabled. A long-awaited skill that will allow Apple to sell songs via iTune WiFi Store.

The rest of the product line will continue with the same branding and, relatively, pricing. iPod Shuffle maintains the same design and capabilities, and iPod Classic will be the new name for the old iPod Video, with no big changes.

But, now... We talk about all-new iPod Nano: the same concept, idea, pricing, but with some new features which -in my opinion- will push this model to heaven. I am talking about same concept because the model has the same target as its predecessor. Obviously we must consider the price as the most important fact to separate the models, but the skills and design that this new model brings to the audience will break the segment where Nano is 'competing'.

On one side, Apple is selling a 4Gb version of iPod Nano in EU for €139,00 only available in silver. The second option is to improve x2 the device memory until the 8Gb and choose between silver, blue, green, red and black for €189,00. There is also a PRODUCT RED version of this model, in red of course, for the same price. Just note that buying this last one Apple will pay a little quantity to some anti-AIDS organizations, like is already doing Giorgio Armani or American Express.All this lead by Bono (U2) Find out more at www.joinred.com


But, going back the main reason of this entry... I have no words to explain why, after having bought an iPod Mini in 2005 from Palo Alto, CA and another iPod Video in 2006 from Miami, FL (both lost..) I am going to buy a black 8Gb iPod Nano at home, here in Madrid.

I have compared with the lastest models of Samsung, Sony and Creative... even I have considered import a Microsoft Zune from the States, but... finally... the Apple charming-brand, the iPod massive culture, the iTunes Store and the fidelity I am demostrating now, I will.

Anyways, after having wrote all this, I am still asking myself: Why... iPod?
0 Comment