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The Mojave Experiment is Microsoft’s latest marketing ploy. Participants—who are said to have never used or apparently even seen Vista—are asked what they think about the operating system. Afterwards, they’re shown a 10-minute demo of Microsoft’s “newest” OS, codenamed “Mojave”. It’s only after the presentation’s done are the participants told that Mojave is actually Windows Vista. They’re asked once again to rate Vista.

The campaign makes use of videos, which show with full detail the reactions of most of the participants as they’re wowed by what they’re seeing. It’s clear that Microsoft thinks that the numerous challenges faced by Vista aren’t caused by real issues, but by a widely held perception that the OS is plagued by bugs, slowdowns, and incompatibilities. Not surprisingly the experiment paints a very positive picture for Vista.

A New Approach for Microsoft

Mojave represents a new step for Microsoft, in terms of marketing. Its personal approach and reliance on traditional customer testimonials is very different from the software company’s usually business-like methods. At the very least, it attempts to address the widespread view that it’s simply not worth upgrading to Vista, and the relative popularity of downgrading to XP.

Vista is Still Vista

Granted, recent experiences have shown that Vista features a lot of improvements that make navigating and browsing through your information a lot easier. A wonderful example is the “breadcrumbs” explorer address bar.

And of course, you also have the vastly improved eye candy. The problem with Vista has always been its performance—how fast it does things. Recent experiences have also shown that even relatively powerful computers, advertised as designed for Vista, don’t really let users maximize their computing experience.

Microsoft Needs to Get its Act Together Fast

It’s easy for Microsoft to blame customer error, the failure of hardware vendors to provide the proper hardware, and even Apple’s Mac OS X advertising campaigns for the negative reputation Windows Vista suffers today.

The fact remains though that Vista represents a step backward for Microsoft, and actually threatens to weaken its dominance in the operating system industry, as frustrated users look for alternatives from competitors. It’s good that Microsoft is trying to craft the presentation of its message to be more relevant to John Q. Public, but it needs to back-up this with action. Here’s to hoping that the Windows Vista SP2 upgrade really fixes things.

Tags: Advertising, marketing, Microsoft, The Mojave Experiment, Windows Vista, XP downgrades

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Original post by Rico

Filed under: Displays, Misc. Gadgets

2008 has been somewhat of a banner year for 3D, but the brilliant minds at MIT are already working up a system that’ll put U23D to shame. Hailed as a “super-realistic image system,” the invention produces “6D” images that not only have a full three-dimensional appearance, but also “respond to their environment, producing natural shadows and highlights depending on the direction and intensity of the illumination around them.” Without relying on electronics or active control, the process could be used to produce images with an “unprecedented degree of realism” — resulting in something associate professor Ramesh Raskar calls the “ultimate synthetic display.” As expected, initial applications for the ultra-pricey ($30 per pixel, currently) system revolve around digital signage / advertising, but it’s really just a matter of time before Six Dimensions of The Jonas Brothers hits a cinema near you. Save us.

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Original post by Darren Murph

Google are ever-keen to merge their services — but in a subtle way — so you don’t realise that they are taking over the world.
The latest trick along this path that we’ve noticed is them putting Google Maps into Google Text Ads.

Original post by Simon Perry

Filed under: Displays, Misc. Gadgets

Apparently July is a hot month for ad trials in Japan, as just weeks after a number of 65-inch digital posters were installed in a Tokyo train station, in flies word that yet another consumer-luring installation is being tested. Recruit and NTT Communications are delivering Scent-emitting LCD Display Systems to an underground mall in the heart of Japan, each of which rely on a 42-inch LCD and a scent-sprayer that emits delightful odors to correspond with the on-screen imagery. The goal is to attract onlookers and get them to grab a nearby coupon book, but considering that the experiment shuts down on August 1st, you should probably get your nose down there in a hurry if you’re looking to score some savings.

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Original post by Darren Murph

Filed under: Storage

We’re not too sure how the advertising director that green lit Hitachi’s bizarro perpendicular recording video is still on staff, but sure enough, he / she has been cut loose again as evidenced by the latest spot. We knew the outfit was pushing this whole “Dawn of the Tera Era” slogan with the introduction of its Deskstar 7K1000.B, but this is just taking things entirely too far. Fair warning: the video hosted after the jump contains cartoon scenes that could easily be used by D.A.R.E. officials looking to keep kids from trying drugs, but somehow we get the impression its just a plug for having lots of (Hitachi-branded) storage space. Hmmph.

[Thanks, Frederick]

Continue reading Hitachi promotional video highlights Tera Era, effects of hallucinogens

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Original post by Darren Murph

Filed under: Wireless

For better or worse, targeted advertising isn’t going anywhere. Seemingly, it’s not getting any more discrete, either. NEC’s Digital Signage Solution combines a camera, a large display and a FeliCa contactless IC card reader / writer in order to dole out advertisements that cater to certain demographics. The system includes the innate ability to determine “gender, generation and other attributes” of a person in order to serve up advertisements that will cause him / her to spend some dough. From there, the individual can scan their phone in order to access related content on their mobile internet browser. That’s all and fine and dandy we suppose, but how on Earth do you convince busy citizens to stop by and have a look at an otherwise uninteresting flat-panel?

[Image courtesy of NEC]

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Original post by Darren Murph

Filed under: Tablet PCs

The launch of the next-generation Vectra (or Insignia, as it has become) has been a long time coming, and Vauxhall is making good and sure everyone notices now that its time has arrived. As part of an elaborate marketing scheme, the automaker crashed a UFO in Potters Fields Park in London, and there was even a fence, men in dark glasses that were evidently mute and copious amounts of smoke to set the scene. Just how this relates to a new motorcar? You’ve got us there.

[Via Black-Night-Sky]

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Original post by Darren Murph

Filed under: Displays, Wearables

Not that London isn’t the unofficial home to weird ads or anything, but this one is just taking things way too far. Reportedly, deodorant manufacturer Right Guard has created an armpit-based method of advertising which has cleverly been dubbed “pitvertising.” We’ve no idea if the trial will turn into anything permanent, but unless garb with these displays are given away for free, we can’t imagine too many self-respecting Londoners becoming walking stare magnets just because.

[Via textually]

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Original post by Darren Murph

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

It seems like the endless legal struggle to be allowed to compete in the Olympics took its toll on cyborg sprinter Oscar Pistorious — he didn’t qualify for the South African Olympic team on Wednesday, after failing to run the 400 under the 45.55 second minimum required to make the trip to Beijing. Interestingly, Pistorious’s 46.25-second time was his best ever, even though critics claimed that the double-amputee’s “Cheetah” prosthetics allowed him to use only 25 percent of the energy used by traditional runners. That’s not the last we’ll see of Oscar, though — he says he’s happy with his season’s results, and he’ll be back to try out for the 2012 Games in London.

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Original post by Nilay Patel

Filed under: Wearables

Good news for the cyborgs in the crowd: the ruling by the International Association of Athletics Federations that barred double-amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorious from a shot at the Olympics has been overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Detractors from Oscar’s entry into the Olympics have cited a suspect study that says Oscar could be using as little as 25% of the energy of other sprinters, thanks to the mechanical advantage of his “Cheetah” prosthetics, which basically act as springs. Others feared that this could set a dangerous precedent for the entry of bionics into athletic competition, but the ruling was rather tightly worded, and if related cases come up they will be tried individually. Of course, Oscar still has to qualify, and his personal best in the 400 is about a second off the qualifying time for Beijing. Even if he can’t make it, he plans try for the world championships and the London Olympics in 2012.

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Original post by Paul Miller

Filed under: Laptops

After a fire at LG Chem, li-on batteries have been hard to come by for companies like Asus and Quanta. But fear not, laptop lovers, because it looks like the battery plant is getting things back in order. According to Sung Fu-hsang at Simplo — a battery manufacturer that relies on LG Chem — the li-on supply will return to normal by Q3 2008. So how bad is the current shortage? Asus CEO Jerry Shen noted that his company could have sold a lot more than 5 million Eee PCs were it not for the problem.

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Original post by Joshua Fruhlinger

Need to add some color to your optical mouse? Today Microsoft revealed its special-edition versions of the Wireless Notebook Optical Mouse 3000, now in five fashionable new colors. The new mice will be offered in delectable colors Pomegranate (red), Dragon fruit (dark pink), Aloe (green), Milk chocolate (brown), and Creme brulee (khaki).

“Buying a tech product these days is a declaration of personal style, and these special edition mice allow consumers to make the ultimate statement,” said Sean Butterworth, product marketing manager for Microsoft Hardware. “The Wireless Notebook Optical Mouse 3000 has always been a fan favorite, and these color updates will keep it in the forefront for years to come.”

The number 1 best-selling notebook mouse in the U.S.&#151according to Microsoft&#151 the Wireless Notebook Optical Mouse 3000 features high-def optical technology, a compact shape and ambidextrous form, and a snap-in wireless receiver to conserve battery life.

Look for the special edition colors pomegranate, dragon fruit, aloe, and milk chocolate in May at Best Buy stores for an estimated retail price of $29.95. The full line of mice (including the fifth color, creme brulee), will be available at more retailers in June.

Original post by Jen the Weird Hunter

Today at the Virtual Worlds Conference in New York, 3Dconnexion announced that in mid-April its line of 3D mice–including the SpaceNavigator–will be compatible with Second Life. For users, this means better control and coordination with 3D objects within the 3D virtual world of Second Life.

For the most part, the SpaceNavigator has been used by designers in such programs as PhotoShop, AutoCAD, and so on. But I’ve used it in Google Earth and loved the ease of movement it gives. So this partnership seems like a natural.

Moving your avatar around will become much more fluid and seamless; you merely push, pull, and press on the device instead of fooling around with keyboard commands. For those who are into building objects within Second Life, you’ll be able to use the SpaceNavigator there too: “Users can pan, zoom and rotate 3D objects to view designs from multiple angles.”

Prices for the devices range from $59 for the SpaceNavigator Personal Edition up to $399 for the SpacePilot. Check them out at the company’s site.

Original post by Carol Mangis

Filed under: Cellphones

We’re sure there have been some really great Java Micro Edition apps developed over the years, we just haven’t been fortunate enough to find any that aren’t a Bejeweled variant run into many of them. But that could very well change with the news that Sun is using that fancy new SDK to develop a Java Virtual Machine for the iPhone, which it expects to have ready “some time after June,” and which will allow iPhone users access to the vast libraries of existing JME apps. We suppose the real conundrum now is which Java ME app we’ll grab first: Harry Potter, or MapQuest Mobile. These choices, they overwhelm us.

[Via Mac Rumors]

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Original post by Paul Miller

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Spray-on liquid bandages aren’t a new idea by any means, but a company called BioCure has just received FDA approval for a gel-based version designed to treat combat wounds. Developed in conjunction with Rutgers University and the Army, the GelSpray Liquid Bandage is applied with a dual syringe that combines two different polymers that combine into a gel, spreading to cover and protect the wound. The gel only sticks to intact skin, not the wound itself, and it’s hard enough to resist abrasion. BioCure is already talking about medicated versions that will treat infection and stop severe bleeding, and the prospect of civilian applications are also on the table — but no dates have been given, sadly.

[Via Medgadget]

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Original post by Nilay Patel