Gangnam Style, the dance track by South Korean pop phenomenon Psy, has become Youtubes's most viewed video of all time.
It has notched up more than 808m views since it was posted in July.
The video pokes fun at the consumerism of Gangnam, an affluent suburb of the South Korean capital Seoul.
In it, the portly Psy dances as though he is trotting on a horse, holding the reins and spinning a lasso in a manner that has sparked a global dance craze.
The video also features the 34-year-old singer reclining on a sun lounger in tight pink shorts, gazing longingly at a girl dancing on an underground train in tight shorts and gesticulating at a woman working out on a beach - in tight shorts.
Gangnam Style, which won best video at this year's MTV Europe Music Awards, has also been number one in 28 countries.
It holds the Guinness World Record for the most "liked" song ever - currently with a little under 5.4m likes on YouTube.
Previously, Justin Bieber's 2010 teenybopper hit Baby held the record for the most YouTube views.
Monday 26 November 2012
Saturday 24 November 2012
Raspberry Pi contest - Time Lapse wins
Software that turns a Raspberry Pi computer into a time-lapse camera has won a contest for teenage programmers.
PySnap was written by 12-year-old Aaron Hill and took first prize in the 13 and under category of the Raspberry Pi summer coding contest.
The software allows Pi owners to connect a USB camera to the device and fine-tune the interval at which it takes pictures. For his coding prowess Aaron wins a cash prize of £627. The Raspberry Pi is about the size of a credit card but is a fully working computer created to help young people get started with programming.
The two-month long competition was run by the foundation behind the Raspberry Pi and intended to find the best young programmers working with the bare-bones computer. Entries were sought in two categories: 13 and under and 14-18.
The software allows Pi owners to connect a USB camera to the device and fine-tune the interval at which it takes pictures. For his coding prowess Aaron wins a cash prize of £627. The Raspberry Pi is about the size of a credit card but is a fully working computer created to help young people get started with programming.
The two-month long competition was run by the foundation behind the Raspberry Pi and intended to find the best young programmers working with the bare-bones computer. Entries were sought in two categories: 13 and under and 14-18.
Eurocom cuts 150 jobs
Computer games firm Eurocom, in Mackworth, Derbyshire is shedding 150 jobs from its 200-strong workforce after a steep decline in sales. Eurocom has designed a series of games including ones featuring James Bond, Harry Potter and the Olympic Games.
A spokesman said a number of projects had fallen through forcing it to make the redundancies.
The firm said it hoped to retain 50 employees and restructure the business.
A statement from the firm said it regretted having to lay off "very experienced, talented and highly skilled employees".
Founded in 1988, the company has developed dozens of computer and video games for most major platforms, including games based on Pirates of the Caribbean and Batman Begins.
The firm said it would now concentrate on developing games for mobile phones.
Friday 23 November 2012
Go Compare the Market
Trust lacking in price comparison websites
Consumers' lack of trust in some price comparison websites means that they miss out on potential savings, a regulator has said. A previous study by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) said that consumers could collectively save up to £240m a year by using these websites effectively.
But the OFT has now written to 100 leading operators asking them to make information on websites clearer. One consumer group recently called for comparison websites to be regulated.
The use of price comparison websites has grown significantly as more and more consumers gain internet access. For example, the majority of motor insurance policies are now bought by drivers who search through price comparison sites.
"Price comparison websites help busy shoppers find a good deal, but people might not realise that by being a bit savvier they can get even more out of these websites," said Clive Maxwell, chief executive of the OFT. "Not all price comparison websites have the same standards." Watchdog Consumer Focus, which runs an accreditation service, said that these websites needed to trade fairly and openly to be regarded as trustworthy brokers between consumers and markets.
"An open and honest relationship with customers is vital given the consumer distrust of many of the markets they use comparison sites to shop around," said chief executive Mike O'Connor. The consumers' association Which? has previously called for price comparison websites to be regulated because the information they provided was not always fair.
It said that initial prices could seem very cheap because sites automatically pre-selected certain options for insurance products.
That led to some quotes being misleading and could cause customers to spend more than necessary - a claim that was disputed by one comparison site.
Consumers' lack of trust in some price comparison websites means that they miss out on potential savings, a regulator has said. A previous study by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) said that consumers could collectively save up to £240m a year by using these websites effectively.
But the OFT has now written to 100 leading operators asking them to make information on websites clearer. One consumer group recently called for comparison websites to be regulated.
The use of price comparison websites has grown significantly as more and more consumers gain internet access. For example, the majority of motor insurance policies are now bought by drivers who search through price comparison sites.
"Price comparison websites help busy shoppers find a good deal, but people might not realise that by being a bit savvier they can get even more out of these websites," said Clive Maxwell, chief executive of the OFT. "Not all price comparison websites have the same standards." Watchdog Consumer Focus, which runs an accreditation service, said that these websites needed to trade fairly and openly to be regarded as trustworthy brokers between consumers and markets.
"An open and honest relationship with customers is vital given the consumer distrust of many of the markets they use comparison sites to shop around," said chief executive Mike O'Connor. The consumers' association Which? has previously called for price comparison websites to be regulated because the information they provided was not always fair.
It said that initial prices could seem very cheap because sites automatically pre-selected certain options for insurance products.
That led to some quotes being misleading and could cause customers to spend more than necessary - a claim that was disputed by one comparison site.
No really it's a Ford
1967-1968 Ford OSI 20M TS:
Ford ISO what? You’d be forgiven if you had never heard of this almost one off that combined Italian design flair with Ford’s technical and marketing savy. Unfortunatly, it had less technical savy and more design flair which meant it was easily overlooked in the crowded European marketplace. The car was shown as a concept at the 1966 Geneva Motor Show and was put into production the following year. It was only offered as a coupe, but one convertible was produced.
The interior and most mechanical bits were different in the concept. German by parantage, but Italian in spirit, the collaboration with Ghia would mark an on going fascination by Ford with Italian design and engineering that climaxed with Ford’s bid to buy Ferrari, the rejection and later revenge via GT40 in the years following. This Ford deal with the Italians would be a more friendly and less productive marrige. The production car would be based on the mainstream Ford Taunus platform, the Ford ISO was the end result of a collaboration with the Italian design studio Ghia’s production wing called OSI (Officine Stampaggi Industriale) and the Ford Motor Company’s European office in Cologne Germany.
Ford provided the parts from the Taunus including it’s 2.3 L OHV V6 to Turin and would get completed cars back. Those cars were unlike anything else in Ford’s European line up at the time and had a more American look than the tiny cars that made up Ford’s Euro based product lines. Graceful and powerful looking, it in some ways reminded one of the Mustang, but it’s overall proportions were less elegant (if not awkward) looking. In fact, it was suggested that Ford of Europe was developing the OSI to become a European Mustang of a sort. Ford USA was exporting the Mustang to Germany and called it the T5 and the two cars shared a similar profile, especially from the rear. The Mustang however outsold the OSI considerably. It was easy to see why. Despite the car’s racy Italian lines, the OSI V6 could only muster 90hp initially. Later cars recived a 2.3 L with 108hp. Many owners ended up modifying their cars for more power. The car might have been a bit sluggish, but it handled well with exotic sized 15 inch wheels and a very conventional live rear axel with MacPherson struts up front. Good looks were not enough to sustain it.
Even during it’s short production run of fewer than 2000 cars, there were quality control issues. Then suddenly OSI collapsed and production suddenly stopped. Ford was left without a sporty coupe to compete with Opel with and developed the Capri to fill that void. OSI’s are extremely rare today and are found mostly in Europe. Most did not fare well against the elements, as many are rusted out. If you can find one running, it most likely has been modified as the original engine was not set up to run on unleaded gasoline.
The OSI was an interesting footnote in the evolution of Ford of Europe’s product mix. Oddly enough, the graceful look of the OSI never found it’s way into any of Fords future European products. Ford’s American designs seemed to move into the direction of sporty fastbacks (as was the rest of the Big Three) into the 70′s. – a look inspired by the Mustang and prehaps the OSI 20M TS. Ford learned it’s lesson and was more succesful with it’s next attempt at Italian cross breeding which resulted in the DeTomasso Pantera by the mid 70′s. Success was a relative term as the Pantera was not the most refined of Anglo-Euro Exotics.
The interior and most mechanical bits were different in the concept. German by parantage, but Italian in spirit, the collaboration with Ghia would mark an on going fascination by Ford with Italian design and engineering that climaxed with Ford’s bid to buy Ferrari, the rejection and later revenge via GT40 in the years following. This Ford deal with the Italians would be a more friendly and less productive marrige. The production car would be based on the mainstream Ford Taunus platform, the Ford ISO was the end result of a collaboration with the Italian design studio Ghia’s production wing called OSI (Officine Stampaggi Industriale) and the Ford Motor Company’s European office in Cologne Germany.
Ford provided the parts from the Taunus including it’s 2.3 L OHV V6 to Turin and would get completed cars back. Those cars were unlike anything else in Ford’s European line up at the time and had a more American look than the tiny cars that made up Ford’s Euro based product lines. Graceful and powerful looking, it in some ways reminded one of the Mustang, but it’s overall proportions were less elegant (if not awkward) looking. In fact, it was suggested that Ford of Europe was developing the OSI to become a European Mustang of a sort. Ford USA was exporting the Mustang to Germany and called it the T5 and the two cars shared a similar profile, especially from the rear. The Mustang however outsold the OSI considerably. It was easy to see why. Despite the car’s racy Italian lines, the OSI V6 could only muster 90hp initially. Later cars recived a 2.3 L with 108hp. Many owners ended up modifying their cars for more power. The car might have been a bit sluggish, but it handled well with exotic sized 15 inch wheels and a very conventional live rear axel with MacPherson struts up front. Good looks were not enough to sustain it.
Even during it’s short production run of fewer than 2000 cars, there were quality control issues. Then suddenly OSI collapsed and production suddenly stopped. Ford was left without a sporty coupe to compete with Opel with and developed the Capri to fill that void. OSI’s are extremely rare today and are found mostly in Europe. Most did not fare well against the elements, as many are rusted out. If you can find one running, it most likely has been modified as the original engine was not set up to run on unleaded gasoline.
The OSI was an interesting footnote in the evolution of Ford of Europe’s product mix. Oddly enough, the graceful look of the OSI never found it’s way into any of Fords future European products. Ford’s American designs seemed to move into the direction of sporty fastbacks (as was the rest of the Big Three) into the 70′s. – a look inspired by the Mustang and prehaps the OSI 20M TS. Ford learned it’s lesson and was more succesful with it’s next attempt at Italian cross breeding which resulted in the DeTomasso Pantera by the mid 70′s. Success was a relative term as the Pantera was not the most refined of Anglo-Euro Exotics.
Wednesday 21 November 2012
Aston Martin DB6 - ex Paul McCartney
Iconic Aston Martin once owned by Paul McCartney and recently restored back to its former glory by Aston Martin Works Service. Here the car, LLO840D, is loaned to the Beatles Museum, Brescia, Italy.
The car is transported by Circuit2Circuit from the UK to Brescia and takes centre stage as part of the display.
http://www.circuit2circuit.com
Photographs courtesy of Roland Giambelli.
NPC
Thursday 15 November 2012
Steam Car Club Prescott 2012
Basil did his 2 practice and 2 timed runs in the Stanley Model R in its stripped down race trim!
Steam Car Club
Steam Car Club on Facebook
NPC
Wednesday 14 November 2012
Hi-Force Daventry - Exterior Signage and Logo Creation
A pioneering £4.5million purpose-built office and manufacturing headquarters for Hi-Force Ltd, a leading manufacturer and supplier of hydraulic tools.
The supplied logos were really small files so Nick Price Creatives were asked to redraw all the artwork to a high standard to suit the scale output of the finished signs. From which we then produced visuals to present how the finished signage would look on the brand new building. Once approved, the signage was fitted to the structure.
The entrance of the building features a subtle Hi-Force logo on the glass.
The supplied logos were really small files so Nick Price Creatives were asked to redraw all the artwork to a high standard to suit the scale output of the finished signs. From which we then produced visuals to present how the finished signage would look on the brand new building. Once approved, the signage was fitted to the structure.
The Hi-Force sister company H.E.S. logo was also redrawn to ensure the presentation was perfect.
Honeybourne Mouldings
With the Website Design by Nick Price Creatives Honeybourne Mouldings manufacture fully assembled hardtops for popular classic and modern cars from Jaguar E-Type, Triumph Herald & Vitesse, Frogeye, Mazda MX5, MGA, MGB, Midget, Spitfire, TR, Sunbeam Tiger & Alpine. Honeybourne Mouldings also also produce heavy duty glass fibre Wings, Bonnets, Spoilers, Valances, Boot Lids and Sebring Kits.
Honeybourne Mouldings supply both the trade and end consumers high quality, bespoke panels that will fit your car. Each panel is hand made in the workshop to order and can be supplied in a number of different finishes; panels ready for painting or hard tops ready to fit with our high gloss gel coats.
Honeybourne Mouldings collection of moulds is vast, with many classic cars catered for, from in particular the 60's to 80's. Honeybourne Mouldings supply lightweight panels for race and rally cars and are happy to produce bespoke new moulds from your pattern.
For a lightweight, accurate panel taken direct from a genuine factory unit - that's guaranteed never to rust; call Honeybourne Mouldings today!
NPC
Honeybourne Mouldings supply both the trade and end consumers high quality, bespoke panels that will fit your car. Each panel is hand made in the workshop to order and can be supplied in a number of different finishes; panels ready for painting or hard tops ready to fit with our high gloss gel coats.
Honeybourne Mouldings collection of moulds is vast, with many classic cars catered for, from in particular the 60's to 80's. Honeybourne Mouldings supply lightweight panels for race and rally cars and are happy to produce bespoke new moulds from your pattern.
For a lightweight, accurate panel taken direct from a genuine factory unit - that's guaranteed never to rust; call Honeybourne Mouldings today!
NPC
May the Best House Win - the Olive Tree
The Olive Tree country guest house is situated within easy reach of Alicante and Murcia airports, both approx 45 mins away and serviced by most major British airports. The Olive Tree is close to several large towns and villages all having a large variety of bars, restaurants, banks, pharmacies, shops and much more. The Olive Tree offer a ‘Walkers Package’ suitable for individuals or groups to include accommodation, guided walks, minibus and packed lunches.
The Olive Tree has six en-suite bedrooms, courtyard and a beautiful freeform swimming pool with a swim up bar. It also has central heating to add to the comfort for those visiting in the winter months and this in addition to the large wood burning fireplace in the cosy snug.
May The Best House Win - Filming Fun for The Olive Tree
ITV were looking for Spanish contestants for May The Best House Win and so I applied with photographs of The Olive Tree. Even though I didn't expect a response because they had had so many people contact them, I was delighted to hear back from ITV and, after a Skype interview with Neil at ITV, we were thrilled to have The Olive Tree feature on the program.
The May The Best House Win crew spent the first day looking around the house, deciding which rooms to feature, interviewing me and filming. I was really worried but they were a lovely group and it turned out to be great fun. The next day the other three contestants arrived to judge the the Olive Tree house. Each hostess had to put on a little entertainment with a snack for the other contestants and I served tapas by the pool bar and also arranged for a fantastic local singer, David Stanley, to come and entertain us.
Then we all piled into cars and were driven miles to film and judge the other three houses. The four houses were all quite different. All in all the filming took three long, hard days from 7am to 9pm in searing hot weather. Even the May The Best House Win film crew, who were used to working such long hours were fading in the high temperatures. They were a really fun crew and tried to make it as easy as possible for us contestants.
We were very pleased with the positive comments for the Olive Tree from both the contestants and the May The Best House Win film crew (Rebekah, Tom, Mark and Louis - camera crew and they also directed. Nick - logistics and driver and Maz administrator/driver)
Jenny Lock.
The Olive Tree
NPC
The Olive Tree has six en-suite bedrooms, courtyard and a beautiful freeform swimming pool with a swim up bar. It also has central heating to add to the comfort for those visiting in the winter months and this in addition to the large wood burning fireplace in the cosy snug.
May The Best House Win - Filming Fun for The Olive Tree
ITV were looking for Spanish contestants for May The Best House Win and so I applied with photographs of The Olive Tree. Even though I didn't expect a response because they had had so many people contact them, I was delighted to hear back from ITV and, after a Skype interview with Neil at ITV, we were thrilled to have The Olive Tree feature on the program.
The May The Best House Win crew spent the first day looking around the house, deciding which rooms to feature, interviewing me and filming. I was really worried but they were a lovely group and it turned out to be great fun. The next day the other three contestants arrived to judge the the Olive Tree house. Each hostess had to put on a little entertainment with a snack for the other contestants and I served tapas by the pool bar and also arranged for a fantastic local singer, David Stanley, to come and entertain us.
Then we all piled into cars and were driven miles to film and judge the other three houses. The four houses were all quite different. All in all the filming took three long, hard days from 7am to 9pm in searing hot weather. Even the May The Best House Win film crew, who were used to working such long hours were fading in the high temperatures. They were a really fun crew and tried to make it as easy as possible for us contestants.
We were very pleased with the positive comments for the Olive Tree from both the contestants and the May The Best House Win film crew (Rebekah, Tom, Mark and Louis - camera crew and they also directed. Nick - logistics and driver and Maz administrator/driver)
Jenny Lock.
The Olive Tree
NPC
UK increases spending
Chancellor George Osborne has increased spending on space technology by £60m per year over the next two years.
The government hopes this will attract more hi-tech jobs and contracts to Britain.
Overall spending in civil research has, however, declined by 5% in real terms since 2010 - a reduction which is set to continue.
Mr Osborne made the announcement in a speech to the Royal Society, calling for a national debate on where the UK can lead the world in scientific excellence.
The European Space Agency (Esa) investment will lift UK's contribution to the Paris-based organisation by an average of 30% at a time when many other nations are struggling to meet their contributions or even reducing them.
Steven Sinofsky Pt 2
His exit, just weeks after the launch of Windows 8, raises questions about the future direction of the business, not least because he was seen as a credible successor to MS chief exec Steve Ballmer. A 23 year veteran of the company, he was a familiar figure to anyone who attended a Microsoft launch, a polished performer explaining just why we should be excited about the latest innovations in the Windows operating system.
The Windows 8 launch has been seen by the company as a great success, moving Microsoft into the new touchscreen mobile era, with Steve Ballmer celebrating the sales of four million copies in just three days. True, there have been some complaints from those who see the new operating system as an uneasy mix of the new mobile world and the old desktop environment, but Microsoft seems confident that all is going to plan.
But it seems likely that he decided that the completion of Windows 8 was a good time to review how the company was working. Now another company veteran, Julie Larson-Green, has been given the task of heading up Microsoft's most important division, running all of Windows software and hardware engineering.
Earls Court Caterham and GE Lighting
Circuit2Circuit were commissioned by Caterham to provide a car for GE Lighting for the Lux Live Event at Earls Court, London.
GE Lighting have illuminated Tower Bridge as well as numerous sites for the Olympic Games in 2012 – Lux Live offered the opportunity to talk about recent projects and to present recent innovations.
NPC
GE Caterham Display
Perks of the Job
Tuesday 13 November 2012
Daventry Autos
Typical! Driving today and a warning comes on the dashboard telling me of a problem. The message reads that the battery isn't charging and I must find a safe place to stop.
So it is the time to give Daventry Autos a call and speak to Tom Russo, the owner. I talk through the problem and the alternator is diagnosed as a possible culprit. With one on order, the car will head on down to the garage to get sorted. Tom comes highly recommended and offers a great, honest service.
NPC
So it is the time to give Daventry Autos a call and speak to Tom Russo, the owner. I talk through the problem and the alternator is diagnosed as a possible culprit. With one on order, the car will head on down to the garage to get sorted. Tom comes highly recommended and offers a great, honest service.
NPC
Asda Christmas Advert - Fail!
The competition for worst TV ad looked destined to be Morrisons, then Asda weighed in with its own epic fail. The depressed Morrisons mum makes was for the Asda mum who is destined for a divorce come the new year.
Here's the background:
The Saatchi & Saatchi created campaign, it features scenes based on what Asda says is “real insight from real
families”, from struggling to get the tree into the car to debating the
best toys for the kids. The ad uses real colleagues and the leading lady
is an Asda shopper.
Stephen Smith, chief marketing officer at Asda, adds: “Nothing made it
into the ad, unless it was real insight from real experiences. We have
spoken to thousands of Asda mums about what Christmas means to them.
They told us that Christmas doesn’t just happen by magic. A lot rests on
their shoulders; with people to feed, gifts to buy, and families to
keep happy, it can be a very busy time but the experiences they have
along the way are priceless. Despite the pressure, their big reward is
looking back at the end of Christmas day, at a happy and smiling family,
and thinking “I did that.”
Stephen Smith, chief marketing officer at Asda. I hope your CV is up to date for the new year! Here are some of the comments:
"Don't understand. Is it a 1950s style joke?"
"what about the dads?"
"What a load of sexist, misogynist rubbish. That Mum needs a divorce lawyer"
"Sexist twaddle. What a joke."
"Absolute sexist hogwash. I'm not sure who offends me more, Martyr Mum or Lazy Ass Dad. Bad move Asda!"
"Big fail both Asda and Saatchi & Saatchi - you've just offended your target audience......slow handclap........."
"I think Asda have badly misjudged their market with this advert. It
manages to offend mothers/women (you only find fulfilment in serving and
satisfying every need of your family,) and fathers/men (you are just an
incompetent spare part.)
The only "emotional levels" it seems
to connect on are frustration, defensiveness and anger. It doesn't give
the "warm fuzzies," and I can't imagine who'd be moved to shop at Asda
as a result of this ghastly advert."
"I watched this ad drop-jawed...how could the mum be lovingly smiling at
the family at the end of the day/week of slavery she has just endured.
"What's for dinner love" would result in a punch up from me,
personally!!"
"depressing..................................."
Morrisons Christmas TV advert
Fail!
We cited Morrisons christmas TV ad for 2012 as the worst we had seen over the launch weekend. It seems we are not alone in the conclusion this advert is heading for an epic fail.
Firstly the spiel:
Morrisons says the ad is a “huge departure” from its previous celebrity-led creative and aims to offer solutions to the traditional challenges of preparing Christmas, but with “added comic insights”.
Last year’s ad featured Freddie Flintoff and Bruce Forsyth.
Morrisons has aimed to dramatises the hard work mums do at Christmas and highlight the “comedy moments” that go with it rather than the “usual cliché of a perfect day”.
Scenes include a ‘turkey wrestle’ in a boxing ring, and mum needing three pairs of arms to get everything done. This Is England actress Jo Hartley stars as the mum.
Morrisons has focused on food preparation to highlight its fresh food proposition and its Market Street range.
The supermarket is also launching an interactive Facebook app called “Crimes against Christmas” which invites users to share real images of their own Christmases.
Music for the campaign was created for Morrisons by the Oscar Nominated American movie composer John Debney.
And some early comments:
Certainly is a departure from the norm, but as Christmas is all about the tradition, would this fall short?
Hugely offensive. Not in the slightest bit funny. Any men or kids helping at all? Is it only women who worry about these things?
The mum in this ad looks depressed!...the whole surreal execution feels like xmas is more of an real life nightmare than a fun time with the family. (yes, xmas is a busy time for all the family and mums do work particularly hard, but you like to think they don't hate it) The ad doesn't inspire me to shop at morrissons it steers me well away...if what i have to look forward to is wrestling with a turkey! FAIL.
Humour?? I must've watched something different! I found it to be the most depressing Xmas advert in along time. Very strange choice in my opinion.
The advert is truly awful, miserable and depressing. If Christmas is that much hard work, then why not go out for dinner and not buy Morrisons food?
Terrible, terrible, terrible. An epic fail. Morrisons must work quickly to pull this awful advert and do something that isn't depressing or sexist. Failure to act now will ensure depressing results for the chain due to this ill-thought promotion. What were they thinking?!
New jobs on offer in the marketing dept of Morrisons in the new year then?
We cited Morrisons christmas TV ad for 2012 as the worst we had seen over the launch weekend. It seems we are not alone in the conclusion this advert is heading for an epic fail.
Firstly the spiel:
Morrisons says the ad is a “huge departure” from its previous celebrity-led creative and aims to offer solutions to the traditional challenges of preparing Christmas, but with “added comic insights”.
Last year’s ad featured Freddie Flintoff and Bruce Forsyth.
Morrisons has aimed to dramatises the hard work mums do at Christmas and highlight the “comedy moments” that go with it rather than the “usual cliché of a perfect day”.
Scenes include a ‘turkey wrestle’ in a boxing ring, and mum needing three pairs of arms to get everything done. This Is England actress Jo Hartley stars as the mum.
Morrisons has focused on food preparation to highlight its fresh food proposition and its Market Street range.
The supermarket is also launching an interactive Facebook app called “Crimes against Christmas” which invites users to share real images of their own Christmases.
Music for the campaign was created for Morrisons by the Oscar Nominated American movie composer John Debney.
And some early comments:
Certainly is a departure from the norm, but as Christmas is all about the tradition, would this fall short?
Hugely offensive. Not in the slightest bit funny. Any men or kids helping at all? Is it only women who worry about these things?
The mum in this ad looks depressed!...the whole surreal execution feels like xmas is more of an real life nightmare than a fun time with the family. (yes, xmas is a busy time for all the family and mums do work particularly hard, but you like to think they don't hate it) The ad doesn't inspire me to shop at morrissons it steers me well away...if what i have to look forward to is wrestling with a turkey! FAIL.
Humour?? I must've watched something different! I found it to be the most depressing Xmas advert in along time. Very strange choice in my opinion.
The advert is truly awful, miserable and depressing. If Christmas is that much hard work, then why not go out for dinner and not buy Morrisons food?
Terrible, terrible, terrible. An epic fail. Morrisons must work quickly to pull this awful advert and do something that isn't depressing or sexist. Failure to act now will ensure depressing results for the chain due to this ill-thought promotion. What were they thinking?!
New jobs on offer in the marketing dept of Morrisons in the new year then?
Featured Website - Classic Assessments
With the Website Design by Nick Price Creatives, Classic Assessments are Specialists in assessing and valuing Vintage, Classic and Thoroughbred vehicles. We cover any location in the UK and almost everywhere worldwide. We provide independent vehicle inspections including Pre-Purchase Inspections, Vehicle Valuations, Modified Vehicle and Engineers Reports, Accident Assessments and Restoration Estimation and project management services. We have a wide range of experience with many makes and models, in fact anything from simple sidevalve Austins and Fords to V12 Ferraris and almost anything in between.
We are owners of a small collection of interesting vehicles and our work is either recommended or recognised by numerous vehicle clubs and societies and leading insurance brokers and companies. In fact Classic Assessments is often commissioned for Vehicle assessments by various Motoring Publications and Auction houses. We manage vehicle inspection schemes with the TR Register, MG Car Club and Club Triumph, and are registered Consultants by the Jaguar Enthusiasts Club, Daimler and Lanchester Owners Club, Austin Healey Club, The Morris Register, Mercedes-Benz Club (GB), Porsche Club (GB) and the Rover P4 Drivers’ Guild. We have also inspected and assessed various Historic Commercial Vehicles and Passenger Service Vehicles. We offer discounts to members of various Vehicle Clubs.
Classic Assessments was established in 1993 and has carried out over 2,000 vehicle inspections throughout the UK, and have clients from all over the world including Austria, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, USA and Zimbabwe.
Steven Sinofsky
Steven Sinofsky, the head of Microsoft's Windows division, has left the company with immediate effect.
Microsoft did not offer any reason for Mr Sinofsky's departure.
The company said Julie Larson-Green would be promoted to lead all Windows software and hardware engineering.
"This is shocking news. This is very surprising," said Brendan Barnicle, an analyst at Pacific Crest Securities.
He added that many observers saw Mr Sinofsky as a potential successor to Steve Ballmer, Microsoft's chief executive.
Monday 12 November 2012
SEO is dead
Here's a recent email I received - seems quite an extensive list - and the price $300 per project.
Hi There,
SEO is dead as we know it. The old math of increased backlinks and stuffing keywords is now a target for Google to identify your site and bury it in the search results.
SEO is no longer a math problem, it’s a human one. Social indicators are becoming key to ranking and link algorithms are being retired. It’s time for you to see the truth about SEO… and adjust accordingly.
So, here we got a customised Internet Marketing Proposal for you.
Here below are the content marketing activities "Monthly Task and responsibilities"
1. 200 Press Release Submissions (20 press release x 10 press release websites)
2. 20 Press releases, 400+ words written
3. 5 Unique Articles will be written
4. 5 Web 2.0 Properties will be made
5. 5 Unique “how to Articles” will be written
6. 5 Facebook Pages will be created
7. 5 Twitter channels wiil be created
8. Will increase twitter followers
9. 1 Youtube channel will be created
10. 10 Youtube videos will be created by Animoto.com
11. Will likes, shares, tweets, reddits, and 1+ in order to get natural backlinks
12. Anchor text diversity (will not use Exact keywords for backlinks).
13. Will get Natural backlinks by link worthy articles
14. Will draft & submit 5 articles to Ezinearticles.com
15. Will create Google+ page for your business
16 Will distribute 15 post daily via Google+ Page
17. Will participate in Forum
18. Will create blog for your website
19. Will make 1 post daily on your blog
20. Will bookmark real content to leading 150 Social Bookmarking sites as digg, delicious
21. Will submit your website to 10 leading Webdirectories as Dmoz.org
On-Page work activities "Follow only first month"
22. Meta tags/Title tag changes
23. Keyword research/Analysis
24. Competitor Analysis
25. Analysis by our Paid SEOMoz Program
26. Heading tag changes
27. Alt tag changes
28. Interlinking wherever required.
29. Keyword density in site content.
30. HTML Site Map
31. XML site map and Submission in webmaster tool
32. Ror.XML File creation
33. Robots.Txt File creation Extra work activities
34. Google Webmaster tool
35. Google Analytics
36. Html to text ratio optimization
37. Keyword Prominence
Our Best rates for this are: - $300 per month per project.
Please let us know in case you are interested.
Ferrari 250 Lusso
Covered Car Transport by Northamptonshire based company Circuit2Circuit, provided the sanctuary for this amazing car - a 1963 Ferrari 250 Lusso. Transported from Essex to Heathrow, this rare and beautiful car would cost you and I around £670,000!
Background:
The Ferrari 250 GT Lusso is a GT car which was manufactured by Italian automaker Ferrari from 1963 to 1964. Sometimes known as the GTL, GT/L or Berlinetta Lusso, it is larger and more luxurious than the 250 GT Berlinetta. The 250 GT Lusso, which was not intended to compete in sports car racing, is considered to be one of the most elegant Ferraris.
Keeping in line with the Ferrari "tradition" of that time, the 250 GT Lusso was designed by the Turinese coachbuilder Pininfarina, and bodied by Carrozzeria Scaglietti. Although the interior was more spacious than that of the 250 GT, the 250 GT Lusso remained a two-seat GT coupe, unlike the 250 GTE. The car was manufactured for only eighteen months, from early 1963 to mid 1964, and was the last model of Ferrari 250 GT generation.
Nick Price Creatives
Background:
The Ferrari 250 GT Lusso is a GT car which was manufactured by Italian automaker Ferrari from 1963 to 1964. Sometimes known as the GTL, GT/L or Berlinetta Lusso, it is larger and more luxurious than the 250 GT Berlinetta. The 250 GT Lusso, which was not intended to compete in sports car racing, is considered to be one of the most elegant Ferraris.
Keeping in line with the Ferrari "tradition" of that time, the 250 GT Lusso was designed by the Turinese coachbuilder Pininfarina, and bodied by Carrozzeria Scaglietti. Although the interior was more spacious than that of the 250 GT, the 250 GT Lusso remained a two-seat GT coupe, unlike the 250 GTE. The car was manufactured for only eighteen months, from early 1963 to mid 1964, and was the last model of Ferrari 250 GT generation.
Nick Price Creatives
Something a little bit different
The Nissan Deltawing that was transported by Circuit2Circuit prior to Le Mans this year for some exhibition work. This car then raced at Le Mans.
It is some 2300mm wide so had to be moved in a truck rather than a trailer.
The DeltaWing is a racing car designed by Ben Bowlby debuted at the 2012 24 Hours of Le Mans. The entry will run under the Project 56 name, composed of Ben Bowlby's DeltaWing Racing Cars (design), Dan Gurney's All American Racers (constructor), Duncan Dayton's Highcroft Racing (racing team) and International Motor Sports Association owner Don Panoz (advisor). Nissan's NISMO division is also assisting in the development of the car.
In June 2011 it was announced that the car would fill the 56th garage at the 2012 24 Hours of Le Mans, reserved for experimental vehicles. As with all Le Mans cars, the DeltaWing was be a two-seater. Marino Franchitti, Michael Krumm and Satoshi Motoyama drove the DeltaWing at Le Mans.
It qualified 29th with a time of 3:42.612, which was 18.825 behind the lead car. The car was retired after 75 laps following an accident in which the DeltaWing ran into a concrete barrier at the Porsche Curves after being knocked off the circuit by Kazuki Nakajima's Toyota TS030 Hybrid. The DeltaWing recorded a best race lap time of 3:45.737, rivaling some of the LMP2 teams. Nakajima later apologized for the incident.
It is some 2300mm wide so had to be moved in a truck rather than a trailer.
The DeltaWing is a racing car designed by Ben Bowlby debuted at the 2012 24 Hours of Le Mans. The entry will run under the Project 56 name, composed of Ben Bowlby's DeltaWing Racing Cars (design), Dan Gurney's All American Racers (constructor), Duncan Dayton's Highcroft Racing (racing team) and International Motor Sports Association owner Don Panoz (advisor). Nissan's NISMO division is also assisting in the development of the car.
In June 2011 it was announced that the car would fill the 56th garage at the 2012 24 Hours of Le Mans, reserved for experimental vehicles. As with all Le Mans cars, the DeltaWing was be a two-seater. Marino Franchitti, Michael Krumm and Satoshi Motoyama drove the DeltaWing at Le Mans.
It qualified 29th with a time of 3:42.612, which was 18.825 behind the lead car. The car was retired after 75 laps following an accident in which the DeltaWing ran into a concrete barrier at the Porsche Curves after being knocked off the circuit by Kazuki Nakajima's Toyota TS030 Hybrid. The DeltaWing recorded a best race lap time of 3:45.737, rivaling some of the LMP2 teams. Nakajima later apologized for the incident.
Christmas? Already?
When do you start promoting for Christmas?
It seems earlier and earlier each year. The large stores seemed to all start this weekend with John Lewis' snowman advert undoubtably being the best advert on this year with Morrisons taking the gong for the worst!
Adverts were also on for Halfords, Aldi, Debenhams and of course DFS.
Waitrose offering this year is to state they are saving the money of an expensive production (the John Lewis ad cost £1 million) and instead donating 'more' money to charity. We'll see if this ploy works.
So with that in mind Christmas has begun and here at Nick Price Creatives we are now officially in festive mode. We change a lot of our customers websites to show festive cheer and the first one (remember its only the 12th November) is now online. Check it out Wine wholesaler - Olivin Online.
It seems earlier and earlier each year. The large stores seemed to all start this weekend with John Lewis' snowman advert undoubtably being the best advert on this year with Morrisons taking the gong for the worst!
Adverts were also on for Halfords, Aldi, Debenhams and of course DFS.
Waitrose offering this year is to state they are saving the money of an expensive production (the John Lewis ad cost £1 million) and instead donating 'more' money to charity. We'll see if this ploy works.
So with that in mind Christmas has begun and here at Nick Price Creatives we are now officially in festive mode. We change a lot of our customers websites to show festive cheer and the first one (remember its only the 12th November) is now online. Check it out Wine wholesaler - Olivin Online.
British Engineerium
The British Engineerium is a Grade II listed old Victorian steam pump station currently under renovation to become an education and entertainment centre celebrating British engineering. Although currently closed we will be opening this Sunday (18th November), Sunday 6th January and after that every last Sunday of the month.
All money raised from these open days will go towards the British Engineerium Trust and the continued renovations. We are not financed by any official bodies so your support would very much appreciated! The Pump House and engine will be under full steam so visitors will be able to view the Victorian machinery as it was working over one and a half centuries ago. We will also have great local food served by Spade and Spoon plus Victorian actors, and a load of other exhibits and engines.
website: www.britishengineerium.org
Fox bid to block ad-skipping
A bid to block a TV service that allows viewers to automatically skip adverts on recorded shows has been rejected.
Fox had called for a preliminary injunction on Dish Network's Autohop ahead of a copyright ruling.Broadcasters Fox, Comcast, NBC and CBS have each sued Dish Networks, saying the show recordings are unauthorised.
Fox said it would appeal against the ruling. It says Autohop is "destroying the fundamental underpinnings of the broadcast television ecosystem".
But Dish called the decision not to grant a preliminary injunction a "victory for common sense".
Its Hopper digital video recorder can record and store prime-time content from the four major networks for up to eight days.
And the Autohop feature lets viewers skip advertisements completely - rather than fast-forwarding through them - at the press of a button.
Copyright infringement
Fox had sought a preliminary injunction on Autohop ahead of a ruling on whether the Hopper service was infringing copyright by enabling unauthorised copies of the shows to be made.
The ruling has not been released publicly in order to give the companies involved time to remove confidential commercial information.
However, according to a statement released by Dish Networks, Judge Dolly Gee ruled that Fox was unlikely to be able to prove that it had suffered irreparable harm from the copies Dish's service made.
Fox said it was "gratified" the judge had ruled that the stored programmes did constitute copyright infringement.
"Dish is marketing and benefiting from an unauthorized [video on demand] service that illegally copies Fox's valuable programming," it added.
Dish, which has 14 million customers, argued that Autohop was simply making it easier for viewers to do something most do already - fast-forward through unwanted adverts.
Apple and HTC settle patent disputes
Apple and Taiwanese phonemaker HTC have settled all their outstanding disputes over patents, ending a fight that began in March 2010.
Unlike its rivals, HTC's sales have been in decline since the second half of 2011, despite having become a major global phone company by aligning itself to Google's Android platform.
The firm has upgraded its HTC One flagship phone and introduced two new models running Microsoft's Windows Phone 8 software.
"HTC is pleased to have resolved its dispute with Apple, so HTC can focus on innovation instead of litigation," said Peter Chou, the head of HTC.
The firm said recently it expects sales will be lower than had been expected at the end of the year as the Taiwanese smartphone maker has been finding it hard to emulate the success of its rivals.
HTC and Apple were fighting more than 20 cases in the world, according to the AFP news agency.
Apple won an order almost a year ago from the US International Trade Commission, which issued a "limited exclusion order" directing that HTC stop bringing offending smartphones into the US from April.
And in May, the US mobile carrier Sprint had to delay the introduction of a smartphone using Google's Android operating system after the devices were blocked by US customs due to an Apple complaint.
Friday 9 November 2012
Millions in UK lack basic online skills
Some 16 million people in the UK lack basic online skills, a survey suggests.
Go ON UK, a charity chaired by the UK digital champion Martha Lane Fox, commissioned the report.
The organisation aims to do more to improve digital literacy in the UK.
It will start by looking at how to improve skills in the workplace.
"We need to make the country fit for purpose through the next decade and ensure everyone and every organisation has basic digital literacy," said Ms Lane Fox.
The charity has worked with organisations including Age UK, the BBC, the Big Lottery Fund, EE, E.ON, Lloyds Banking Group, the Post Office and TalkTalk, and each has pledged to train its employees in the four basic skills identified by the report.
The report estimates that only one third of small and medium-sized companies in the UK have a digital presence and only 14% sell their products and services online, missing out on the potential for billions of pounds more revenue.
"If the UK can supercharge itself, it could add a lot of value," said Ms Lane Fox.
Twitter resets 'hacked' passwords
Thousands of Twitter users have received emails warning their account has been compromised by a third party.
Some accounts had been compromised, but other users had
received the emails after Twitter had unintentionally reset unaffected
passwords, the company said.The mass email coincided with incidents involving several high-profile accounts, including at least one account belonging to the BBC.
Other media organisations, such as the TechCrunch blog, reported being warned.
Twitter gave no indication of the cause or source of the compromise, and would not share details of the size of the issue.
In a statement, it said: "When we believe an account may have been compromised, we reset the password and send an email letting the account owner know this has happened along with information about creating a new password. This is a routine part of our processes to protect our users.
"In this case, we unintentionally reset passwords of a larger number of accounts, beyond those that we believed to have been compromised.
"We apologise for any inconvenience or confusion this may have caused."
Logo design
We have now produced over 100 logos, each and everyone different to each other and yet, so relevant to what the company offers. So for example, a company called Blue Box, it would make perfect sense to design a logo featuring a blue box within the design. With that in mind, we design bespoke logos to suit you, so a mechanic would perhaps feature a spanner, a painter a brush or a gardener a spade. We like to tell you visually what the company does without having to read what the logo is - or the strap line underneath.
With this mentality, our logo designs are so unique to you. You will never see our logos reused on another company or service which sounds obvious but it does happen by others. Rather a lot!
So if you are looking for Logo design drop us a line today!
With this mentality, our logo designs are so unique to you. You will never see our logos reused on another company or service which sounds obvious but it does happen by others. Rather a lot!
So if you are looking for Logo design drop us a line today!
Rugby Driving Instructor
With the Website Design by Nick Price Creatives this website offers reviews of Rugby Driving Instructors
The site offers independent Driving Instructor reviews by people who have used the services of a local Rugby driving school. Helping you choose the best driving instructor in Rugby for you.
Reviews are from genuine users of each driving school, saying how much they liked or didn't like the service they received from each particular driving instructor. You can click on each driving instructor below to see the reviews and leave a review yourself.."
Website Feature - Olivin
With the Website Design by Nick Price Creatives Olivin are a wholesale wine distributor located near Southam in Warwickshire.
Heres what Olivin have to say:
"There is something for everyone from our eclectic mix of country and grape variety. Mix and match your own case or choose from our pre-mixed cases.
We are trying not to be a wine wholesaler who stocks only fine wines and expensive vintages, but a wine merchant who can offer fantastic quality wines at entry level prices, delivered to your door whether within Warwickshire or nationally. We stock many wines not generally available in the high street, and are always on the look out for that right wine at the right price, or indeed a special wine with that certain something.
We offer discounted rates for delivery within Warwickshire and will endeavour to use our own scheduled transport were possible whilst using reliable couriers for delivery further afield.
So why not browse through our collection, choose your favourites and we will deliver it to your door. "
Featured Website - Steam Traction World
With the Website Design by Nick Price Creatives Steam Traction World offer fully machined model kits
Here's what Steam Traction World have to say:
"We manufacture a superb range of fully machined, large scale models in kit form, ready for you to do the final assembly, paint and add your own personal touch to 'make it your own'. We all have a fixed amount of time. Our goal is to provide you with a product that would otherwise take years to produce from scratch. In other words we are selling time. Time that will enable you to have fun with your product rather than spending thousands of hours in the workshop with the possibility that you may never see a completed project.
All Steam Traction World parts supplied are fully machined ready for assembly after final de-burring, sanding and paint. Most models may be purchased over a fixed period of time with kits arriving at regular intervals to enable the customer to 'build as he/she buys'.
All Steam Traction World parts supplied are fully machined ready for assembly after final de-burring, sanding and paint. Most models may be purchased over a fixed period of time with kits arriving at regular intervals to enable the customer to 'build as he/she buys'.
Building and painting your model is a significant accomplishment, a source of pride for years to come. It could be regarded as an heirloom to be passed on to future generations."
Featured website - Circuit2Circuit
With the Website Design by Nick Price Creatives Circuit2Circuit offers the opportunity to see some of the most cutting edge race cars and specialist vehicles available. Based in Northamptonshire, Circuit2Circuit offer covered car transport to transfer your vehicle from one destination to another, securely and efficiently.
Heres what Circuit2Circuit have to say:
"Circuit2Circuit is recognised for its strength in operations and service excellence, which is reflected by the number of blue chip companies that continually look to us to provide their logistics solutions.
Heres what Circuit2Circuit have to say:
"Circuit2Circuit is recognised for its strength in operations and service excellence, which is reflected by the number of blue chip companies that continually look to us to provide their logistics solutions.
We provide comprehensive range of covered car transport delivered with exceptional service. Our knowledge and range of vehicles ensures we provide the most efficient freight method to suit your requirements. We aim to streamline your time and optimise your operation by taking care of everything from initial customer liaison and collection to final delivery. With Circuit2Circuit you’re in safe hands and our experience ensures a professional service every time.
Whether it’s single trips or seasonal contracts, we can provide you with the best cost effective covered car transport and the highest calibre drivers in the industry."
NPC
Whether it’s single trips or seasonal contracts, we can provide you with the best cost effective covered car transport and the highest calibre drivers in the industry."
NPC
Thursday 8 November 2012
Website design
Our website design continues to flourish with over 100 bespoke Website designs now completed.
Rugby Website Design
A while since the last post, I guess I have been busy with new design work Rugby Website Design keeps me busy!
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