Sunday, October 2, 2011
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Google opens its first retail store, located in London
Watching how Apple has made such a big success of its retail stores, it appears that Google now wants a piece of the action.
The Internet giant has taken over 285 square feet of space inside a computer store in central London, though it’ll only be there until Christmas.
The Chrome Zone store opened for business on Friday inside a PC World store on Tottenham Court Road and, according to an Evening Standard report, “only sells Google’s Chromebook laptop and a few accessories such as headphones.”
Its opening was, by all accounts, a low key affair, and certainly a far cry from the commotion usually associated with the opening of Apple stores.
Google UK’s head of consumer marketing Arvind Desikan told the Standard: “It is our first foray into physical retail. This is a new channel for us and it’s still very, very early days. It’s something Google is going to play with and see where it leads.”
Desikan went on to say that the Chrome Zone would give consumers a chance to try out a Chromebook for themselves and help them better understand what the device is all about. Up until now UK consumers could only buy the Chromebook online, so Google will be hoping that giving people the opportunity to get hands-on with the machine will boost sales.
A post on the company’s Chrome blog by Google product marketing manager Laura Thompson said: “Many things in life, like football and rock music, are best experienced in person. Chromebooks are no exception.”
Google’s Chromebooks, which launched in June this year, are supposed to offer users a quicker, simpler and more secure computer experience. The laptops have no hard drive, and all software and data is stored in the cloud – so an Internet connection is essential for its operation.
A second Chrome Zone is set to open in a major shopping mall close to London next week, with more stores planned for other countries in the coming months.
Commenting on the new store, a spokeswoman told the Standard: “We’ve put a lot of effort into making it feel welcoming, homely and, dare I say it, ‘Googley’.”
Reebok to pay $25 mln for toning shoe claims
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Reebok International Ltd has agreed to pay $25 million to settle charges that it made unsupported claims that its "toning shoes" help wearers get fit faster, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission said on Wednesday.
The money will go toward consumer refunds.
Reebok advertisements said the shoes strengthened hamstrings and calves by up to 11 percent more than regular sneakers, and toned the buttocks up to 28 percent more, the FTC said.
"To its credit, Reebok pulled these ads sometime in the middle of our investigation," David Vladeck, head of the FTC's Consumer Protection Bureau.
Toning shoes are designed to be slightly unstable. Manufacturers say the instability requires the wearer to work harder, thus strengthening muscles.
"We did get consumer complaints. We watch TV. We read the newspapers," said Vladeck. "There is no such thing as a no-work, no-sweat way to a fit and healthy body."
Adidas, which owns Reebok, said it disagreed with the FTC and stood behind the shoes.
"The (FTC) allegations suggested that the testing we conducted did not substantiate certain claims used in the advertising of our EasyTone line of products," Adidas said in a statement. "In order to avoid a protracted legal battle, Reebok has chosen to settle with the FTC. Settling does not mean we agreed with the FTC's allegations; we do not."
The company added: "We stand behind our EasyTone technology -- the first shoe in the toning category that was inspired by balance-ball training."
Reebok brought out a toning shoe in early 2009 and has sold "millions" of pairs in the United States, said Katja Schreiber, an Adidas spokeswoman in a telephone interview from Adidas offices near Nuremberg, Germany. She declined to be more specific about sales.
Despite the Adidas statement, much of Reebok's advertising has already changed, and other changes are coming, said Dan Sarro, a Reebok spokesman.
A variety of companies advertise toning shoes, including New Balance, Skechers, Ryka and Avia. The shoes range in price from $12 to nearly $300.
Jaime Bianchi, an expert in consumer class-action lawsuits with the law firm White & Case, said these other manufacturers could become targets of the FTC if their advertising makes unsubstantiated claims.
"They normally go after the biggest player and work down," said Bianchi.
Skechers said in an August filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that the FTC was looking at its advertisements for its Shape-ups and other toning shoes.
Private lawsuits alleging deceptive advertising have been filed against Skechers, New Balance and Reebok.
News from - http://in.finance.yahoo.com/news/Reebok-pay-25-mln-toning-shoe-reuters-3544367278.htmlKapil blasts Tendulkar's 100th ton hype
New Delhi, (AFP): Former India great Kapil Dev has slammed the media's obsession with Sachin Tendulkar achieving 100 international centuries, saying the focus should be on the team's performances.
During India's recent tour of England, speculation reached fever pitch about Tendulkar reaching the landmark figure. But the star failed to fulfil his fans' hopes and was left stranded on 99 hundreds - 51 in Tests and 48 in one-day internationals.
India were blanked 4-0 in the Test series, conceding their number-one ranking to the hosts, and also lost the one-dayers 3-0. "You seem more keen about Sachin's 99 hundreds and not about how we are going to win the next series," Kapil said while delivering the Dilip Sardesai lecture in memory of the former Test batsman in Mumbai on Thursday.
"I am not saying don't give credit to individual performances, but the country should come first. Everyone knows Sachin has 99 centuries, but how many know which of those have ended in victories? Out of Sachin's 99 hundreds, 60 have ended in wins. If anyone reports that I'll be happy. We have to change our mindset. If we lose the match, what's the use of statistics? To hell with that!"
Kapil, 52, regarded as one of the best all-rounders of his era, claimed a then-world record 434 Test wickets, besides taking 253 one-day wickets, before quitting the game in 1994. He also scored 5,248 runs in Tests and 3,783 in one-dayers.
Kapil, who became India's first World Cup-winning captain in 1983, also blamed tight scheduling for the team's disastrous show in England. The Indian players figured in the lucrative Twenty20 Indian Premier League (IPL) a few days after winning the World Cup in April before leaving for the West Indies and England tours.
"The players did not get time to unwind and enjoy their World Cup victory. They had worked four years for it. But they just got four days before the IPL began," Kapil said.
"They should have got more time to enjoy the moment. If you don't give time to unwind, you lose the passion to play. That's what happened in England." Kapil also wanted players to be paid more for representing the country than their IPL franchises. How can you give more money to play for a club and not for playing for the country?" he said.
Kapil, who played 131 Tests and 225 one-dayers over a 16-year career, wanted the burden on seamers to be reduced in order to avoid injuries, like the ones to current spearheads Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma and Munaf Patel.
"The cricket board should understand how much burden the fast bowlers can take," he said. "They can't bowl for 365 days."
News from - http://cricket.yahoo.com/cricket/news/article?id=item/2.0/-/story/cricket.yahoonews.com/kapil-blasts-tendulkars-100th-ton-hype-20110930/
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