Zippo lighter

Imagine all the storage you could ever use in a device the size of a small Zippo lighter or a box of Tic Tacs. The good news is that it's not your imagination; it's the WD Passport Pocket Drive.

Made by Western Digital Corp, the Pocket Drive accommodates up to 6GB and costs a mere $129.99. We covered the drive's arrival on the scene last month, and we simply couldn't wait to see what it can do. Here's what we found.

This marvel can hold as many as 5.5 hours of movies, 2,400 digital photos, 2,400 songs or tens of thousands of Word documents. As a result, you can go on the road with your entire digital library. No need to phone the office to ask someone to e-mail it to you in the middle of an interview.

The Passport Pocket Drive weighs 1.6 ounces and measures a scant: 0.37 x 2.41 x 1.80 inches. It houses a one-inch, 3,600 RPM WD hard drive inside with the rest of the space taken up by a flip-out, rotating connector that goes into one of the USB ports in a desktop or laptop computer. It's even Mac and PC-compatible.

Historical Note

It seems like only yesterday that a floppy disk held a LOT of data. At 1.44 MB, though, it soon became a casualty of the Internet-driven data explosion of the nineties. By the turn of the millennium, stories began to appear that said the end is in sight for the floppy. Manufacturers began issuing computers without floppy drives and today you rarely see a floppy drive in any new gear.

Try going to an office supply or computer store to buy floppies — it might well prove to be a fruitless task.

Today thumb drives have become the format of choice for storing and moving data. The first one we owned contained 64 MB and, at the time, carrying the equivalent of 40 floppies in a device about as long as a toothpick seemed incredible. Now you can buy 128 MB thumb drives for $16.99. The-top-of-the-line versions offer 4GB and cost anywhere from $150 to $250.

The WD Passport Pocket Drive, though, might signal the end of the line for thumb drive expansion. It's already cheaper in terms of total capacity and — since it's an actual hard drive — it's inherently more reliable. It also draws power from the computer; so it doesn't require a separate power supply, thus keeping its compact design.

Presto, It Works

How easy is it to install?

This ease of use is reflected in the instructions: there are none. Three simple diagrams show you how it works, mainly explaining that the connector slides out from the case and rotated ninety degrees to plug into any USB port no matter which direction the port faces.

At first, we thought we'd have to place our laptop on a book to give enough space underneath for the Pocket Drive. Instead, we just rotated the connector, and it worked perfectly.

The three basic installation steps include:

• Plug it in to the port at the side, back or front of your computer or laptop
• Reboot the computer
• You are ready to go

It took a few seconds for the laptop to recognize and prepare the device. Once we rebooted the PC, we could download or drag and drop files to it — or even play music from it. An activity light on the drive glows solid when the drive is connected, and it flashes while the drive stores data.

The "instructions" also contained a listing of compatible operating systems:

• Windows 98SE
• ME
• 2000
• XP
• Mac OS versions 9 and 10

Light cigarettes

Cigarette Marketing Increased 85 Percent In Four Years After 1998

The major cigarette companies increased their marketing expenditures to a record $12.5 billion – $34.2 million a day – in 2002, according to the annual Federal Trade Commission report on cigarette marketing and sales released today.

This represents a one-year increase of 11 percent from the $11.2 billion spent in 2001 and an 85 percent increase in the four years after the tobacco companies agreed to curtail some aspects of their marketing as part of the November 1998 legal settlement with the states.

This report contradicts the tobacco companies’ claims, repeated during their recent opening arguments in the federal government’s tobacco lawsuit, that they have made “profound and permanent” changes in their marketing since the 1998 settlement.

While the settlement restricted some forms of cigarette marketing effective at reaching kids, such as billboards and event sponsorships, the tobacco companies have simply shifted their resources and increased spending in other ways that appeal to kids, especially price discounts that make cigarettes more affordable to kids and high-visibility store displays.

The new FTC report shows that 63.2 percent of cigarette marketing in 2002, or $7.9 billion, was spent on price discounts paid to cigarette retailers or wholesalers in order to reduce the price of cigarettes to consumers. The tobacco companies spent another $1.06 billion, or 8.5 percent of their total marketing, on promotions involving free cigarettes.

These price discounts and free cigarettes represent an aggressive effort by the tobacco companies to undermine state cigarette tax increases and make cigarettes more affordable to kids, who are their most price-sensitive customers. In 2002, 21 states – the most ever in a single year – increased cigarette taxes. The tobacco companies are well aware that studies show every 10 percent increase in the price of cigarettes reduces youth smoking rates by about seven percent and overall cigarette consumption by about four percent.

The fact that the tobacco companies acted so aggressively to undermine the public health benefits of cigarette tax increases shows that they cannot be taken seriously when they say they do not want kids to smoke.

States should respond by further increasing taxes on cigarettes in order to counter price discounts and reduce their appeal to children. Voters in Colorado, Montana and Oklahoma can take immediate action by approving the initiatives on the November 2 ballot to increase tobacco taxes in those states.

In addition to increasing their tobacco taxes, states must also allocate more of their tobacco settlement and tobacco tax revenues to tobacco prevention programs that can counter the industry’s aggressive marketing. In Fiscal Year 2004, the states cumulatively have allocated $541.1 million for tobacco prevention programs, which amounts to just four percent of cigarette marketing expenditures as reported today by the FTC.

In fact, the tobacco companies spend more to market cigarettes in a single day ($34.2 million) than all but four states (California, Pennsylvania, Ohio and New York) currently spend in an entire year on tobacco prevention.

It is unconscionable that the states have been cutting back on programs proven to protect our kids from tobacco addiction at the same time that the tobacco industry is spending record amounts to market its deadly products.

The states collect nearly $20 billion a year in revenue from tobacco taxes and the tobacco settlement. It would take only about eight percent of this revenue for every state to fund tobacco prevention programs at the minimum levels recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Cigarette ads from the 1920-1950

Cigarette Advertising in 1998

This four-page advertisement for Camel cigarettes was taken from the November 2, 1998 issue of Sports Illustrated magazine.

Much like the cigarette tag, this ad uses cartoon imagery to sell the product. Goldberg's cartoon carried a political message, which is somewhat different from what is found in this cartoon. The ad sends a cultural message valuing wealth, beauty, and, quite blatantly, gluttony.

Something else inseparable from cigarette advertising, the Surgeon General's health warning, is also found in this ad, showing a greater concern for health than was found during the cigarette tag's day. The overall campaign that this ad markets has a similarly collectable aim.

There are more ads in this same campaign, indirectly encouraging the reader to search for others in the series.

Imperial Tobacco Buys Davidoff Brand

Cigarettes of Gitanes and Gauloises brands are to be sold for 22 billion dollars

British company “Imperial Tobacco” that possesses such cigarette brands like Davidoff and west negotiates about acquisition of it European competitor “Altadis”. Company “Altadis” holds Gitanes and Gauloises cigarette brands.

Evaluated sum of the deal is said to be about 22,4 billion dollars. British company has started negotiations in March 2007. But European company wasn’t satisfied with price – 15 billion dollars and “Altadis” refused this offer. After that, sum was increased up to 16, 1 billion dollars.

But, even this sum didn’t satisfy the company.
But despite that the third sum variant has satisfied committee of directors they announced that they will support fusion with Imperial Tobacco until other profitable offer appears.

British Imperial Tobacco is the fourth world biggest manufacturer of cigarettes. The company dominates on the British market and occupies second place on the German market.

Altadis Company, in its turn, is number one world cigar manufacturer and major cigarettes manufacturer in Morocco and second largest manufacturer in Spain and France.

The companies’ alliance will permit them to catch up to their principle competitors – Philip Morris, Japan Tobacco and British American Tobacco which has formed huge coalition previously.

Imperial Tobacco’s shares has jumped from 1,6 percents up to 22,45 percents of pounds at London Stock Exchange this morning

Pall Mall Filter

"BAT Russia" launches Pall Mall Super Slims Aromatic cigarettes

"BAT Russia" launches Pall Mall Super Slims Aromatic brand that will be 4th version of Pall Mall in slims format.

The launch of Pall Mall Super Slims Aromatic cigarettes will take place at the global level. Russia will be first country where these cigarettes will appear. The next market place where this brand will appear will be Ukraine and Byelorussia.

Pall Mall Slims Aromatic with activated coal filter contains 7 mg mugs and 0,7 mg nicotine. The launch of aromatic slims Pall Mall has several causes.

"Interest of customers to super slims Pall Mall cigarettes and assured growth of aromatic segment inspired us to produce new line of Pall Mall brand. Pall Mall Super Slims Aromatic are aromatic cigarettes with charcoal filter and exactly this combination makes its taste soft and keeps aroma brightly" –say Mark Herman, manager of consumer goods marketing department "BAT Russia".

This new aromatic cigarettes are produced in factory "BAT - YVA" in Moscow.
Advertising support for these cigarettes began at the end of June and it was realized on the market of 500 big cities of Russia, in media and also with help of other promotions methods.

Try to combat stress by smoking

Cigarettes and chewing tobacco help to discard stress

Workers of Harvard University carried out tests in India and as result they concluded: smoking has positive proprieties.

In particularly, this harmful habit represents a powerful means of control with intense stress.
Authors of this analysis announced that smoking and illness that it offers kills 800000 Hindu yearly.

In India, 29% of men and 3% of women smoke, and 20% of men and 12% of women use chewing tobacco.

Scientists supposed that the cause of abundance of smoking constituted the stress, which is caused by home violence.

The original package is left inside

A package as a symbol of life

We want to explain how special studies are helping to create or select from the proposed version is the package, which will reach its addressee-consumer.

Sending correspondence, we know the rules on which is written a detailed address: index, where, to whom and by whom.

This is a guarantee reach the addressee. The form, appearance, color and packaging material have the same function.

Successful found the combination of all these characteristics of the package should help sort out the rights plenty of goods and find something to his individual reflecting personal characteristics, in other words, the product should reach its addressee.

The answer to the question: "What people expect from the package?”.

Seemingly rests on the surface but actually answered every time we begin to research from scratch. We can only say for sure that the design of the package is most often fail not because the design could not convey his creator, but because of the said product is not what it expects real consumer.

One of the successful promotions of human social ladder is the ability to lodge itself, create a certain image in the eyes of others. This important role played by his appearance, so to speak, "packaging". As is an ancient folk proverb says: "For appearance met".

This maxim with the same success can be attributed to the product.
From happily found images package depends on the success of the product market.

The buyer, taking in the hands of the stack of new washing powder, tea, cigarettes, or any other product, should make sure its superiority over already familiar products in the same category, and it must convince the packaging buyer the right choice.

Marketing of Cigarettes

Increase the number of buyers!!!(Part II)

Actively using a discount to revive interest customers in other areas of the economy. For example, in aviation with enviable regularity offered special conditions that give the opportunity to visit almost any world city for a pittance.

"Special offers carriers calculated to offset the lower price of high loading voyage," agreed Director of Marketing "Sky Express Valery Fatkullin.

Another forced discount is a reduction in prices for shipment of new products. In this case it is a mediator of risk compensation for their cooperation. It is not known whether the product will enjoy demand.

People always prefer a proven commodity, or a well-known brand to ensure a quality product.

Most managers agree that the future is for those rebates, which help us overcome the current difficulties. Bring attention to the product and can be normal advertising. Special price should be only one of many ways to recall their customers and competitors. If so, in the next few years to truly save consumers will only take one-time financial difficulties seller. Only then can it become a truly generous.

According to the price of cigarettes?

Method allowances to the cost of each product adds premium, a standard for the industry rate of return or desired revenue from traffic. His use, for example, construction companies or companies involved in R & D, just adding to the cost of the project average industry profit.

The method of capital income is very similar to the previous one. The company is trying to set whatever price, which will provide the planned income invested capital. Used by large corporations.

Consumer assessment method. Companies set prices based on consumer evaluation, and not on the cost of manufacture.

They also have the potential for customer value compared with a competitor and persuade him to the superiority of its brand, if necessary.

Method for the leader of the competition: With this method businessman guided price competitor, and self costs and demand plays a subordinate role. Follow could mean establishing equal, high or low prices in relation to the screens of the market.

A Review of Cigarette Marketing

Increase the number of buyers!!!(Part I)

Another option is psychological pressure on customer-set price of a comprehensive set. In product provides basic element, which is appointed by the price acceptable to the buyer, but additional elements are sold separately.

An example of this approach - is selling cooking combines low cost and the appointment of several high prices for tips to it. Gillette sells machines to shave below or near cost, and replacement units to them for very high prices for cigarettes.

Automotive lower cost machines, but increased the price for additional equipment and impose future customers fairly expensive maintenance. Additional elements can not only goods but also services (for example, delivery of large household appliances). Chief account of this approach, consumers should take only the price of basic elements, and the remaining waste seen as inevitable necessity.

Some are using discounts to resolve its internal challenges. For example, mediation services often are more price if seizes cash or electronic payments. Thus the company can simply focus reduce money.

Finally, there are special to be a seller primarily reputation benefits. In addition to benefits for buyers to the firm (about 5 - 8%) or special offers beginners (those who first requested the services provider), you can be here and holiday discounts, say, to the New Year.

In Europe actively used "time shares". In bars Germany or England to buy beer at a third less is the normal price.

Only so can you be for 15 - 20 minutes. Russian businessmen are adopting this reception is not too active.

Where heavier when the decision to appoint a discount to be taken at short notice. In an uncomfortable situation at the beginning of this year were electronics manufacturers. The previous season ended on "Hooray." Many dealers had brought a record number of televisions with plasma panels.

Only since January have to refocus partners on the technology in LCD monitors (LCD). Act quickly accounted for since the end of the year projected loss of wealth LCD.

Only dealers are taking new products could not have their warehouses were flooded "plasma". Set too high a discount to unload partners, too - but not potential purchasers LCD benefit proposal for the old model and postpone the purchase of new items for the year or another.

The result was discounted price of the "plasma" gradually while doing so mainly in the regions, to maintain the interest of the Moscow customers.

Usually reduction policy is to build a less extreme condition. Typically, for the company is to offset the seasonal drop in demand. Best-known acts such sales. In Russia still can be found in 1970-80% by lowering the cost of basic goods. In most European countries to reduce the price at the time of sale is not more than 30-50%. Using this trick, however, advised caution.

If prices are too low in comparison with normal, the company may "fall" of its price segment and target consumers lose. In many ways, therefore, suppliers and premium exclusive products such actions do not in principle.

As soon as the opportunity to buy expensive things appears to the masses, they are no longer interested in the target consumer. However, the problem arises overstocking with goods store them infrequently.