extra texture :: marketing news + trends

Intel has turned stylish with ultrafashionable concept laptops in sexy suede, as the company see virtues — and maybe profits too - away from ‘monotone greys and blacks’. (more)

Sprint is trying to get a hand up on its competition with a fat tongue and a thin phone. (more)

If the buzz among car tuners is any indication, your future ride may double as one huge Xbox or PlayStation. That’s because one of the specialty show cars was the Five Axis Scion ax Speedster. (more)

A day after Xbox 360’s release last Tuesday, reports began to surface about systems crashing, reshaping the Tickle Me Elmo storyline that Microsoft had hoped would emerge. (more)

Microsoft Corp. is releasing preview versions of its new Windows Vista operating system about once a month in an effort to get more customer feedback than usual ahead of next year’s launch. (more)

Microsoft Corp. said it is readying an online marketplace, code-named Fremont, which is apparently in response to a similar feature that rival Google Inc. introduced a few weeks ago. (more)

A collection of online videos for the Honda Element were such a hit, they became the cornerstone for a broader integrated campaign. (more)

Swedish home furnishings giant IKEA says it will open its first Utah store in early 2007. (more)

Workers at Starbucks shops across Auckland have walked off the job in the world’s first strike against the global coffee chain. (more)

With modest upticks in market share and sales to retailers heading into the end of the year, Anheuser-Busch Cos. confirms it will boost prices on most brands in 2006. (more)

Looking to gain another edge on its rivals, Internet powerhouse Yahoo Inc. today will begin testing a new e-mail folder designed to make it easier for people to track the latest information posted on their favorite Web sites. (more)

A new breed of luxury playhouses is being forged by wealthy families who want to pamper their children, builders said. The playhouses are bigger, more elaborate and cost tens of thousands of dollars or more.
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Businesses need to embrace the benefits that blogging can deliver, according to Harvard Business School. (more)

It’s only a matter of time before there is a Skype-related casualty aboard an airplane. (more)

TiVo will soon offer subscribers a way to customize some of the ads they receive — and offer advertisers a way to make sure they’re targeting consumers who want what they’re pitching. (more)

An exhibition in Boston highlights how music, particularly jazz, influenced African-American art. (more)

By gathering an elite group of widely read bloggers, a young media company hopes to make them more attractive to advertisers. (more)

Targeting Americans concerned about exposure to mobile phone and electrical infrastructure, online retailers are selling a growing selection of protective gear. (more)

We live with the illusion that behind every face is a self. It is the essential quality that we impose upon each other. But science tells us that it is an illusion and nothing more. In reality, the self is a story we are told by our brains. We are a fiction. (more)

From Lord Byron to Dylan Thomas and beyond, the famous philanderers of the art world may have had a touch of mental illness to thank for their behaviour. (more)

Among the 11 contenders for the prize this year are some of the biggest names in literature, including Salman Rushdie, Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Paul Theroux. (more)

The brand name is “HUGE.” They’re not really any bigger than the standard variety. (more)

A dozen Geordie pensioners have formed what they believe is the world’s oldest hip hop collective. (more)

A flock of singing sheep have launched a bid for pop glory with a new version of Jingle Bells. (more)

Peru’s Drug Czar claims Coca-Cola buys tons of coca leaf every year, while the nation’s cocaleros gain ground in their ongoing battle to grow their sacred crop. (more)

A phrase you might not thought that you would ever hear, but Adidas has announced that it is updating the firmware for its intelligent running shoe The Adidas 1. (more)

A new marketing initiative between the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority and South Florida McDonald’s restaurants will highlight tri-county mass transit programs. (more)

L.L. Bean has formed a new advertising alliance, partnering with agencies with greater online marketing expertise, the company said. (more)

A new chip set will be designed to support next-generation mobile handsets featuring high-speed Web browsing, music downloads, and streaming video. (more)