August 14, 2008
“Different” Dell to downgrade XPS brand
Register Hardware
Tony Smith writes about Dell’s decision to downgrade its XPS brand to a sub-brand.
“Mark Jarvis, head of Dell’s worldwide marketing, said: ‘You’ll soon see high-end Inspiron XPS [laptops] and high-end Studio XPS machines.’ This brand work is part of a strategy to create what Jarvis called a ‘different Dell.’ That plan will see the PC giant roll out more machines – with new Vostros coming in a couple of weeks, he said, and the company’s eagerly anticipated entry into the mini laptop market. The Vostro refresh will see the number of machines in the range ‘virtually double.’”
Do you own your social networking friends? Or does your employer?
Techdirt
Mike Masnick raises the issue of who really owns contacts on social networking Web sites, you or your employer?
“ For many users of social networks from LinkedIn to MySpace to Facebook, the connections you make blur the lines between professional and personal — and the questions of who actually ‘owns’ those contacts will become a legal issue that the courts will decide over and over again. Of course, the truth is that this is a silly debate. No one ‘owns’ a contact in the first place. If the company has a rule requiring employees to hand over contacts to the company, then it should employ a CRM system which the company controls.”
Best Buy first outsider to get iPhone
ZD Net
Jason D. O’Grady reports that effective Sept. 7, Best Buy will begin selling Apple’s iPhone 3G. Hopefully it will also be available at Best Buy stores here in Canada too.
“Best Buy will (be) the first independent retailer to sell the device. The announcement gives Minneapolis-based Best Buy Co. the rights to sell the iPhone in its 970 full-size stores and 16 smaller Best Buy Mobile stores. Best Buy currently sells Macs and iPods.”