With the launch of Windows 7 this week, we've seen a number of product marketing attempts that made us ask "what on earth does this have to do with anything?"
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EPISODE 159
Windows 7 Whopper marketing promotion
Pistachio ad campaign featuring Levi Johnston
Dolce & Gabbana Sony Ericsson Jalou
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(Credit:
Wilson Tang/CNET)
We then talk with Dan about various stories from around the Internet, including one out of Dublin, in which a student's fake Wikipedia edit actually wound up in newspapers as legitimate! This leads us into a a discussion of proposed legislation that would make it basically illegal to slander someone online. Isn't that what the Internet was created for?
All this and more, plus Calls from the Public on today's show! Also, make sure to check out Blogs With Balls if you're interested in the just-as-nerdy sports blogosphere.
Sorry to those looking for today's video stream--a few technically difficulties prevented us from uploading the video. We've got everything figured out and tomorrow we'll be back up on CNET TV!
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EPISODE 337
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(Credit:
Mobile Choice)
Paris-based phone designer extraordinaire ModeLabs continues to make its mark on the mobile landscape in Europe, with diverse handsets ranging from an MTV-branded slider to Tag Heuer's "Meridiist," with varying degrees of success.
Its latest offering is a new Levi's handset--not the dubious red tag version seen recently--to be marketed exclusively by French telecom Orange. Unlike the original steel-case model, the new version is a slider that claims to be the first mobile phone with a design that "combines a metal and soft touch finish," according to Gadgetizer (PDF). What does that mean? Who knows.
Other than that curiosity, it's a fairly standard phone with a 2-megapixel camera, Bluetooth, microSD card slot, and FM radio tuner that costs about $400. At that price, they should at least throw in a pair of jeans.
(Credit:
Luxurylaunches)
It's hard enough to distinguish a new product in the ridiculously crowded mobile phone market, and even more so when it comes from an outsider--such as a clothing company. But rather than just make another phone whose only difference is a logo, Levi's is at least trying something different that capitalizes on one of the trademarks of its jeans: the red tab. No, it's not a cloth tag sticking out of the keypad, but a red section of the limited edition "Red Tab" phone being sold by French retailer Colette for 550 euros (about $870).
Other than that, plus a few accessories and the option for custom engraving, it's the same handset that's been on the European market for a few months, with an MP3 player and 2-megapixel flash camera, according to Luxurylaunches. For that price, they should throw in a matching pair of denims.
Have you ever reached into your jeans pocket to skip a track on your iPod, only to be plagued with annoyance at how inconvenient it is to do so? No, us neither. But those style-crazed folks at Levi's did, and the creative response was the RedWire DLX Jeans--jeans with a built-in iPod dock and remote control "nipple."
(Credit:
Crave UK)
The four-way control nipple attaches to the leg of the jeans and mimics the iPod's Click Wheel--no longer do you have to put your hand inside your pocket! As an added bonus, the player's headphone socket is extended through the trousers (because headphone cables just aren't long enough to reach all the way down to your waist) and a docking cradle houses the iPod in your pocket. Happy times.
The controls are fixed to a panel of removable jeans material, so washing the trousers won't destroy any electronics. We'd like to see some Oakley Thump shades incorporated into the system, perhaps in a way that lets the iPod menu float on the inside of the glasses, so you can see what you're browsing with your trousers (now there's a sentence your grandfather never said).
Style-wise, the jeans are attractive and the material feels in line with the usual Levi's quality. We're just not sure there's any point to them, especially for a three-figure price. Still, fashion's always been expensive and maybe these are just the first of many 21st century fashion contraptions. Just cross your fingers and hope that when you're mugged for your iPod, you don't lose your clothes too.
The RedWire DLX Jeans are on sale now for around 100 pounds (about $200).
(Source: Crave UK)
He's cute, but the phone's a little clunky-looking
(Credit: Levi's)Not to be outdone by its higher-end fashion brethren like Prada, denim mainstay Levi's will be selling a mobile phone and marketing it to young, label-conscious technosexuals, the company announced in Paris this week. The original partnership was announced in October.
The steel-encased phone, manufactured by the French company ModeLabs, comes with a detachable chain that's reminiscent of vintage pocket watches. Buyers will be able to choose between metallic silver, brown copper, and black color schemes; for those with more feminine inclinations, "shiny silver" and "shiny sand" models will also be introduced, featuring "mirror" screens. (No word on whether those will cost more.)
Blogs have reported that the phone will come with Bluetooth and MP3 player capabilities as well as a two-megapixel camera, but none of those details were included in the official release from Levi's.
The new handset hits European stores in September.
(Credit:
Aving)
It's no secret that Levi Strauss has had its problems with competition, but the last company we would have suspected of eclipsing it is Samsung.
No, the electronics giant isn't going to make jeans. But it did come out with a denim-clad phone as part of its SGH-E490 line, along with several other jackets, according to Tech Fresh and Aving.net.
Back in October, Levi announced that it had contracted with ModeLabs to make a branded Levi Strauss mobile phone. The handset and accessories were supposed to come out in Europe this year but have yet to make their first runway appearance.
Levi Strauss wants consumers to dial 501, not just wear it. Levi Strauss Europe will be launching a line of mobile phones and accessories based on the iconic jeans brand. The line, which will be available in Europe in 2007, will incorporate the jean company's signature denim and rivets, according to the company.
Levi signed an exclusive agreement with ModeLabs Group, which will manufacture and distribute the Levi's brand mobile products in Europe, ModeLabs Group CEO Stephane Bohbot said in a statement.
As cell phones become just as much a fashion accessory as a communication device, more designers and brands are getting in on the action.
ModeLabs announced a similar partnership with Virgin Mobile in September. Dolce & Gabbana released a gold Motorola Razr V3i in June that came loaded with D&G ringtones and graphics. Elle Magazine released the GlamPhone for use with T-Mobile and Cingular in August (its screen doubles as a mirror). Disney has a line of children's cell phones, as well as a mobile-phone service for families in the U.S.
Not all mobile branding schemes, however, have met with success. Brands that stepped beyond the phone itself into other services, have had some problems.
In August, Disney postponed plans to launch a U.K. version of its U.S. family friendly mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) Disney Mobile, a service that includes the GPS tracking of children. Disney also closed its unsuccessful Mobile ESPN, an MVNO in the U.S. that was based on the ESPN sports cable channel brand.
(Photo: Levi Strauss)
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