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Ahhh, the holiday season is upon us, so put on those stretchy pants and get ready to gorge!
While some people prefer to look back and reflect on all the many things that happened in
2006, others turn their attention to the coolest new tech gifts and gadgets that they can give
(and hopefully receive) for the new year.
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Let's face it, capitalism is still strong and so far this holiday
shopping season is going great. Try, just try to ignore the buzz over the
Sony PLAYSTATION® 3, the ultra-cool Motorola Q phone and the thousands
of other innovations du jour. We doubt you'll be able to succeed.
If you're still wondering how you're going to impress the in-laws, check out
one of our favorites, CNET's Holiday Gift Guide, for some great ideas.
Happy holidays!
Steve
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by Nancy George
As the holidays roll around, we are bombarded with advertising. Being in the industry, I'm always amused to see how my children react to all the selling messages. Since they have grown up in a digital world, it amazes me how they can receive so much information all at once. Sitting at the computer, they are instant messaging, checking e-mail, donning an iPod®, playing World of Warcraft online with friends, and somehow watching TV all at the same time...while snacking!
So, asking them what they want for Christmas is always interesting. My 13-year-old has a running list of a remote control helicopter, a new Tempur-Pedic® mattress (don't think he's not affected by advertising!), and a Firedog HP Pavilion Entertainment Notebook PC, complete with AMD Turion™ 64 X2 Dual-Core Mobile Technology.
My 14-year-old, Taylor, is a tougher sell since I can't seem to get him off of the computer long enough to tell me what he wants. But, I do know he'd be happy with a place on the "new release list" for the World of Warcraft Expansion Pack due out on January 16, and of, course, a new "Windows Vista™-ready" laptop. |
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I'm not so sure Santa will be putting those laptops under the tree, especially
considering they already both have their own PCs. Now Dad, he just wants
a new Weiser Lock® door handle for the front door!
Isn't it interesting how your needs get smaller and smaller as you get older?
And for me...I'll be perfectly content with diamond dangle earrings.  |
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By Diane McKinnon
The TV coverage has begun. The makeshift tents. The blankets, sleeping bags and lawn chairs. The bleary-eyed stares. Is it a throwback-to-Woodstock music festival? Citizens fleeing from a natural disaster? No. It's the campout to be one of the priviledged few, the lucky 400,000 people across North America with the chance to buy the Sony PLAYSTATION® 3. And finally, with its release, the real battle for next-generation game console dominance has officially begun. Microsoft Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii are armed and ready.
Industry tongues are wagging about who will gain the upper hand in this lucrative market. But the reality is that this is about much more than games. Both Sony and Microsoft have a stake in "owning the living room," which is to say that the game consoles can become the hub of a home entertainment system. Connected to an HDTV and the Internet, they can deliver ultimate gaming or other digital content such as movies, downloaded via broadband or played on a next-generation high-def disc player. Blu-ray is the high-def disc technology built into PLAYSTATION 3 (PS3), while Xbox 360 has an add-on component for a competing format called HD-DVD. While Microsoft has the first-mover advantage, I believe the PS3 will ultimately dominate and help establish Blu-ray as the winner in the high-def disc category, with more popular entertainment content and greater disc capacity.
Now you might be inclined to think that those hearty souls waiting in line at Best Buy are
just the 18-24-year-old male techno-junky gamer. But here's a couple of nuggets for you:
according to a report issued by publisher Ziff Davis in September, among 113 million
U.S. households, 83.7 million play video or computer (including online) games. The
average gamer is 41 years old and earns $55,000 a year. 52 percent of gamers are
female. And 35 percent of American parents report playing games — mostly with
their children. The gaming market and the advertising and promotional ecosystem
that it creates — from PCs to HD televisions to home furnishings to apparel and
beyond — is something that any marketer needs to keep top of mind. After all,
making the transition from niche marketing to lifestyle marketing around gaming
today potentially becomes the mass market success of tomorrow.
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At SicolaMartin, we're all about promoting our clients. So when we are the client, we have to do the same thing, right? Well, we're pretty proud of the fact that our yearly holiday greeting has cleaned up at award shows locally and nationwide for many years running. We expect this year to be no different.
In the meantime, here's a few of our award-winners from years past:
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As the next-generation format for high-def entertainment, Blu-ray Disc certainly has the capabilities to capture the hearts and minds of viewers anywhere. And we're doing our best to make sure you see it all. On November 17, our long-awaited high-def broadcast TV spot for Blu-ray Disc launched on channels such as HDNet, INHD and Discovery HD. Filled with eye-catching high-def movie clips, cool, original music from Tequila Mockingbird and incredible special effects from MatchFrame, we think this spot will definitely capture the attention of viewers. Take a peek here. |
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Who says South Congress eateries get all the respect? These days, increasing numbers of Austinites are heading to the east side to experience the culinary delights of Manor's Restaurant Row. From the long-standing excellence of Eastside Café, to the watch-your-waistline comfort food indulgence of Hoover's and cool, contemporary vibe at Vivo, there's plenty of tastes to go around. We highly suggest you check these fabulous restaurants out as soon as possible!
The Grand Dame of the east side. Always worth a visit.
 A cool, contemporary twist on Austin's Tex-Mex scene.
 Try the Michelada! Or two.
 The meatloaf is legendary. Dieters beware! |
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Admit it, there's something you hope shows up in your stocking this holiday season. We asked a few of our employees what they just can't live without. Here's what they said:
New skates and pads — Evelyn Hurley
More sleep — Cristina Blanco-Adams
Snow — Jennifer Wilson
Winning Lotto ticket — Zach Redler
Peace...and a PS3 — Nada Saidi Smith |
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Visit us online : http://www.sicolamartin.com | Feedback : epfeedback@sicolamartin.com | Telephone : (512) 343-0264
SicolaMartin is committed to respecting your privacy. For specific information, read the SicolaMartin Privacy Policy. If you would like to be removed from our e-newsletter list, click here. If you received this from a friend or colleague and would like to register to join our monthly e-newsletter mailings, click here. Copyright © 2006 SicolaMartin. All product and company names are trademarks of their respective owners. SicolaMartin, 701 Brazos St., Suite 1100, Attn: E-newsletter Team, Austin, TX 78701
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