Ubuntu

No, it’s not a Zulu war cry. Ubuntu is a free Linux operating system for PCs. I just installed a copy on a USB drive and setup the office PC so it can easily boot into either Windows Vista or Ubuntu. The PC boots quickly and performance is snappy. It comes with a version of Firefox so it’s completely familiar. Also has OpenOffice versions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. It’s like having a new speedy PC!

So, why would I waste time doing such a geeky thing? Well, mainly because since upgrading to Vista two years ago the PC had gradually slooowwweed down substantially. You could cook eggs in the time it takes to boot. This does not happening with Macs in my experience. Ubuntu fixed this. I have the option  to boot into a quick speedy system (Ubuntu) for basic web surfing or to Windows when I need to do something there.

I’ve never understood why Windows gets clogged up from use over time, but it definitely does. There are a couple of solutions involving optimizing the disks, cleaning the registry, getting rid of all spyware, etc. I ran across a couple of good free tools so I’ll mention them here. Advanced System Care tunes your system and optimizes the registry. CCleaner removes unused and temporary files from your system and cleans the registry.

The only real solution to a Windows slow-down seems to be reinstalling the operating system and applications. When I did that to install Vista two years ago it took me just a couple of hours for Vista, but the apps took forever – even though I just did them pretty much when I needed them. I’d rather buy a new PC than do that again.

The whole open software movement is fascinating. Power to the people!

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I recently got a head-ups from a friend in Toronto about this marketing breakthrough. Post – famous for bringing good whole wheat Shreddies cereal to Canadian breakfast tables for 67 years, has launched a major innovation.  For the first time in seven decades Shreddies is changing its shape, for a limited time, with new Diamond Shreddies cereal.

After a whirlwind of debate over which is better – the diamond or the square – and some controversy over square Shreddies appearing in Diamond Shreddies boxes, The President of Shreddies reflected on the Canadian Shreddies craze:

“When we introduced 45 degree rotational technology to put a new twist on Shreddies – an old family favourite – we had no idea the widespread excitement and discussion that would erupt within Canada and beyond our borders,” says The President of Shreddies. “We found ourselves amid a flurry of debate and discussion. Everyone from Canada’s leading media to bloggers to regular people got in on the Diamond versus Square debate.” According to online voting at www.diamondshreddies.com, Diamonds are in the lead with 66 per cent of the vote trailed by Squares with a mere 34 per cent. However, it has been confirmed that although the Square minority may be small – they’re vocal.

Sales are apparently up considerably since this product innovation was announced in March of this year. Commercials and focus groups (definitely worth a look) are available on the website.

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Obama Logo

Much has been said about the marketing by both Presidential candidates this year. Obama was successful in creating a beautifully integrated campaign. From the TV commercials, to the great logo, it was very well done. I was at the ANA conference in Florida where he was voted Marketer of the Year. This Ad Age article is a great writeup.  Here’s a snippet:  “Change — and Positioning — You Can Believe in. Take a relatively unknown man. Younger than all of his opponents. Black. With a bad-sounding name. Consider his first opponent: the best-known woman in America, connected to one of the most successful politicians in history. Then consider his second opponent: a well-known war hero with a long, distinguished record as a U.S. senator.”

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Tired of emailing your friends, then calling, then emailing again, then wondering who’s going to show up for your soccer, football, or tennis game? Try Nike Playmaker. Interesting way to enable something online that’s always a pain to do – and extend the Nike brand.

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Uniqlock Widget

From a funky Japanese clothing maker comes this incredible viral marketing effort. A clock with syncopated dancers shows every 5 seconds.  It’s energizing and hypnotic (in a delightfully weird pop-Japanese way) that it earned the Grand Clio in Interactive at last week’s Clio Awards.

As with most interactive entries, you really have to experience, the “Music. Dance. Clock” action, as it’s called, with that translated-from-the-Japanese locution, for yourself. You’ll see it in the side bar on this blog at the top. It’s very absorbing in a strange way. It’s a world-wide viral marketing campaign, maybe one of the best.

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