First World Cup title for Puma

Germany : For the first time in the company history, a Germany sporting goods company Puma sponsored national team has won World Cup Final: The Squadra Azzurri from Italy.

The contract between Puma and the Italian Football Federation has been signed in 2003 and was renewed in November 2005 beyond the Football World Cup in 2014.

"Italy's victory is the glorious final of an incredibly successful World Cup for us“, said Jochen Zeitz, Puma CEO.

"We assume, that the football performance turnover rose by approximately 40 percent compared to 2005”, he comments. The brand visibility at this Word Cup not only strengthened, but cleary expanded Puma's position as one of the top 3 football brands in the world.
Puma will now produce new kits with four World Cup Stars, which will be available in Puma Concept Stores starting next Monday, July 17.

Furthermore, Puma will start an international advertisement campaign, congratulating the Italian team to their World Cup victory. The ads will be printed in high profile newspapers such as the "Financial Times", "Gazzetta dello Sport", "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung", "De Telegraf", "L´Equpe", "Neue Zürcher Zeitung" or "The Times"

"This is a great starting position in terms of the European Cup in 2008 in Austria and Switzerland, both guest hosts being sponsored by Puma, pushing through until the World Cup 2010 in South Africa where we will once again be the most dominant brand in African Football. With the Italians as one of the top favorite teams we will enter the World Cup in South Africa with a World Champion”, said Jochen Zeitz.

Puma AG is the global athletic brand that successfully fuses influences from sport, lifestyle and fashion. Puma's unique industry perspective delivers the unexpected in sportlifestyle footwear, apparel and accessories, through technical innovation and revolutionary design. Established in Herzogenaurach, Germany in 1948, Puma distributes products in over 80 countries.

Source: Fibre2Fasion
14 July,2006

MBT Shoes

The inventor called it “the smallest gym in the world” or “anticellulite buster”, other call it simply “wonder shoe”. It helps people to ease their back and joint pain. Its MBT shoes for Masai Barefoot Technology.

This shoe will change the way most of us use our muscles as well as reduce shock forces to the entire skeletal system. MBT is not just a shoe – it is an amazing therapeutic tool for everyone. Wearing MBT shoes is like walking in sand. Unlike more other sport shoes that only support your feet, MBT sole challenges the core strengthening muscles to be more active. This creates good posture and increase shock absorption for all the joints, reducing musculoskeletal compression.With just a few wearing, users begin to feel their core muscles really being worked and at the same time, experience a significant improvement in posture.

Instruction for wearing MBT shoes

There are some rules for wearing MBT shoes:

MBT Technique The correct application is essential to healthy and successful walking in MBT. Each pair of MBT comes with an instructional CD/Video to teach you the proper movements. Once you’ve mastered the technique, wearing MBT in your everyday life will make you feel and look younger as you walk your way to a strong and healthy physique!

Care Instructions Please hand-wash your MBT with an antibacterial powder in hot water. You can remove the foot bed in closed-toe models to wash and dry separately. Using a deodorizing spray occasionally can eliminate any unwanted odor.

Correct Size Choosing a pair of MBT shoes in the proper size is very important. As with any other shoe, you should have a snug and comfortable fit. Make sure your heel sits securely in the heel pocket, and there should be no more than a ½-inch space between your toes and the front of the shoe.

Do not kneel in your MBT shoes! There is a stiff fiberglass layer in the sole of the MBT that is imperative to proper function of the shoe. Flexing your toes while kneeling will break this layer. There is no guarantee to cover MBT shoes where the upper part of the toe is creased or the fiberglass layer is broken.

You can buy your MBT shoes right now at Zappos
Free Shipping BOTH ways on Shoes at Zappos.com!

Microsoft plans to kill iPod for Christmas

At the beginning there was the iPod. And the iPod was at Apple. And Microsoft couldn’t accept that.First the Cain-and-Abel-brotherhood in the IT world was disturbed by iTunes, which eventually turned into a mass phenomenon, leaving Microsoft far behind.And then came the iPod, compatible of course only with iTunes, which again turned not only into a huge market success, but into a fashion.

The iPod and iTunes now control 80% of the digital music market, which is growing exponentially. Microsoft cannot accept that its dominant position can be threatened, even if it deals with an area that is not exactly linked to software. So they first launched MSN Music, which did not manage to attract many users and it certainly did not shake the iTunes giant. So Redmond officials thought of a partnership, even if that would mean losing some money in the benefit of the partner. This in this case is MTV, the well known music television. The result of such alliance was the URGE music download service, launched simultaneously with the new edition of Windows Media Player.Up until now, URGE didn’t exceed expectations and let’s not forget that Apple is not standing still in front of the concurrence (rumors have circulated about talks that Steve Jobs was having with big movie studios to begin video download on iTunes).
These are probably the reasons for which Microsoft is allegedly taking into account the final solution against iPod: a new MP3 player built entirely under Microsoft’s brand.
Gadget-oriented site Gizmodo reports that the new device is due for Christmas and that, unlike the iPod, it boasts with wireless fidelity capabilities. Another iPod-killing feature is the possibility to receive a bonus of some kind if the owner of the gadget agrees to watch entirely an advert presented on the screen, bonus that ranges from a discount coupon to voucher. The gadget shall receive an ad from an “Ad-Node”, through a sensor integrated into the MP3 player.

Another thing that Microsoft hopes to attract users with is the possibility to share songs with those detaining the same Redmond-built device, using the wireless capabilities. You like a song, mark it for download and the rest is done by the MP3 player.
Moreover, iTunes should fear Microsoft’s cunning plan to cut from its market share.
A piece of software integrated into the small device will examine your current iTunes library for songs you've already bought and let you download them from the Microsoft store for free.
This idea to smash down iTunes because of its lack of interoperability might actually work (don’t forget that France is already working on eliminating this exclusivist feature from iTunes) but it will cost Microsoft a huge amount of money, which it will pay to the music producers.
Rumor has it that Microsoft is already in talks to secure licenses to sell digital content for its future MP3 player. Speculations have also been made about a larger screen than the current iPod’s and a serious orientation towards "Connected Entertainment", with interoperability between the device and X BOX Live or Windows Mobile-powered handhelds. It should be available before Christmas to compete with the new products that rivals are planning to sell for this important shopping period of the year: Sony’s PS3, Nintendo’s Wii and, of course, Apple’s revamped iPod.

For its part, updates to the iPod are among things that Apple is expected to show off at its annual developer’s conference in San Francisco next month. While wireless downloading is one possibility, analysts have speculated about an iPod cell phone or a new video iPod with a larger screen. Until now, the Redmond software giant said it did not "have anything to announce at this time". Nate Elliott, digital home analyst at Jupiter Research, said that if Microsoft were planning an MP3 player it would be because of "frustration".
"Microsoft and its partners have made no significant headway into Apple's dominance of the market."

by Cyberlord,Playfuls, 07 July.2006

Get run with Nike+ iPod Sport Kit

With the launch of Nike+ iPod slated for mid-July, the “Nike” and “Apple” prepare their channels to sell more shoes and apparel, more devices, music, and pod casts. But that's just the beginning. The partners between the companies regard it as a "great start" to an increasingly evolving collaborative plan aimed at developing new markets defined by lifestyle interplays and driven by digital convergence.

Run for Your Lifestyle

Start with the basic equipment: You will need to buy the new line of digital-ready Nike running shoes,
the Air Zoom Moire ($99/pair) designed with a built-in insole pocket to house an accelerometer that comes with the
Nike + iPod Sport Kit
The package includes the MEM sensor for tracking a runner's performance data in three axes (space, temperature, direction), and a wireless receiver that connects to the iPod nano ($149-$249). Once you put the sensor in your shoe you are ready to run. The receiver connects to your iPod nano, collecting run data with every step.
The iPod works in conjunction with the Internet to make full use of input and output functions. It will automatically sync and store your workout data on a personalized log at nikeplus.com.