Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Google Android 4.4 KitKat: What Does it Mean for Google and Nestle?

As we probably all know, Google has recently announced that the next version of their popular Android software will be called KitKat. This is a surprise, as many people had thought that it would be dubbed Key Lime Pie.
The use of the KitKat name also marks the first time that Google has tied up with an actual company’s brand to name their software after. Previous software editions have comprised of more generic sweet names, such as Cupcake, Gingerbread and Jelly Bean.
So what does this Android 4.4 KitKat marketing initiative mean for both Nestle and Google? How will this surprise move benefit these two brands?

KitKatBenefits of the Tie-Up

Big Coup for Nestle

Everyday, millions of people use Google – a big global brand name. This would create great brand awareness for KitKat and because no money has been exchanged in this deal, Nestle does not have to pay for it. This is therefore great publicity and a fantastic marketing opportunity on their part.

Nestle can sell more KitKat Chocolates

Nestle will be able to capitalise on the Google brand name and the Android logo to sell more KitKat chocolate bars.
Moreover, it is not just about simply selling chocolates. By tying up with Google, Nestle also has the opportunity to give away attractive prizes such as Nexus smartphones and tablets, and free credits for the Google Play store inside their KitKat chocolate packaging. So consumers just buy a “special edition” KitKat in order to stand a chance to win.
This will definitely attract more customers to buy KitKat chocolates, because people always love freebies and winning prizes. So in this case, Nestle will be a big winner here.

Google gets exposure in the chocolate section of the supermarket

By actually linking up with a very popular global chocolate brand, Google will get additional exposure too. Sure, they are a huge company and millions of people worldwide use their mobile software. But as we all know, having more publicity is always good for any business.
In Google’s case, with Nestle promoting the Android brand on their chocolate bars, it will give Google some publicity and exposure in the confectionary section of the supermarket – of all places. As well, it may also lead to new customers for Google, for example, if customers win a Nexus smartphone through the Nestle KitKat chocolate promotion, they may like the product so much that they will continue to patronise Google’s mobile software.

Makes more people aware of Google’s latest OS

To many people, owning the latest phone may be more important than the software that the phone is running on. Usually for Android software, it can take several months from the time that the software is released by Google, to the time that it is adopted and made available by major Android-based phone manufacturers such as Samsung and HTC. This is due to the respective manufacturers having to test the software with, for example, their in-house apps.
So by tying up with a major brand, this will help to spread the word of the latest Android software and people may start paying more attention to the OS as well as the phone that they are buying – thus benefitting Google.

Drawbacks of the Tie-Up

Negative publicity for Google

Nestle has encountered bad press numerous times in the past, for things such as trying to promote milk powder to developing countries and using child labour in cocoa production. So with any tie-up, when one company becomes victim to negative media, the other company involved will also be sucked into this, due to negative association.
As a result, any future bad press attacking Nestle – especially if it has something to do with Nestle chocolates may also suck Google into the funnel therefore resulting in bad press for Google too – and potentially affecting their business and profits.

SOURCE : http://www.prischew.com/techgames/android-4-4-kitkat/

Android 4.4 KitKat Contest Now Live! You Can Win The New Nexus 7 And Play Store Credit, Here Are The Details

As most of you will know by now, the next version of Android is to be called KitKat, and the maker of the popular sweet snack has just unwrapped its contest as part of the promotional collaboration. Hitherto, the landing page has simply displayed a KitKat themed page, but now, the competition is very much up and running. With one thousand Nexus 7 2013 tablets to be won, and a plethora of other prizes including Google Play Store credit and KitKats, it’s definitely not a competition to be missed.
To get involved, competitors must purchase KitKat bars featuring the Android mascot (as pictured below), inside which will be a special code. By entering the code into the special landing page over on the Hershey’s Web site, entrants then find out if they have won something.
kitkatandroid
Of course, most will be looking to grab the new Nexus 7, which is by far the most appealing prize on offer. But still, $5 of Google Play credit is not to be baulked at, and with some 150,000 lots of credit available to competition winners, you could tot up quite a handsome sum for use to purchase apps, games, music, and other such niceties found over at the Big G’s content portal.
KitKat contest
The decision to name the next version of Goolge’s mobile OS as Android 4.4 KitKat is rather bizarre, to say the least, and with the mobile industry completely fooled into thinking it was about to tuck into some Key Lime Pie, Android KitKat represents another bump containing perhaps rudimentary updates. At this point, Google hasn’t released any details aside from the release bracket, but it will certainly be interesting to see what the search giant has in store – especially so soon after the roll out of Android Jelly Bean 4.3.
The Nexus 5 is also the subject of much coverage at the moment, and is expected to be announced very soon, but until we hear anything official, you’re best off picking up few KitKat bars and hoping to get in among some of the good prizes available. Plus, KitKats are good. Not as good as the all-new Nexus 7 with its uber-sharp display, I grant you that, but still delicious nonetheless!
Coming back to the contest; once you’ve grabbed hold of the aforementioned Android-themed KitKat bar, head over to: hersheys.com/kitkat/android/ and enter your code to see if you’ve won anything or not.
Good luck!

SOURCE : http://www.redmondpie.com/android-4.4-kitkat-contest-now-live-you-can-win-the-new-nexus-7-and-play-store-credit-here-are-the-details/

Friday, September 6, 2013

Nexus 5 Will Feature 5in Screen, 4G and Android KitKat

Google's next flagship Android device, expected to be called the Nexus 5, will have a 5in screen and run Android 4.4 (KitKat).

Google Nexus 5 5in Screen Android KitKat
What is expected to be the Google Nexus 5 shown off 'accidentally' in a promotional video for Android 4.4 or KitKat. (YouTube)
Following a brief appearance in a promotional video for the latest version of Android - to be called KitKat - new details of the Nexus 5 have emerged in a filing which has reappeared on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) system in the US.
The filing, first seen by AnandTech, appears to confirm that the Nexus 5 will have a 5in screen, a slight increase on the Nexus 4 which featured a 4.7in display. The phone is set to measure 132 x 68.2mm meaning it will be very slightly shorter and narrower than the current model (134 x 68.7mm) despite the increase in screen size.
What many believed to be the phone was 'accidentally' shown off in a promotional video for the KitKat version of Android, with Google having set the video to private once the leak was revealed.

In the documents there is also reference to Key Lime Pie, which was the internal codename for the latest version of Android, which was earlier this week reveal to be called KitKat, in a commercial tie up with the Nestle chocolate snack.
Partnership
In the filings the phone is codenamed NFD820, or the LG-D820 model, which confirms rumours this week that LG would continue as Google's partner in the Nexus programme, having had major success with the Nexus 4.
Nexus 5 FCC filing Screenshot
A screenshot of the FCC filing for what is thought to be the Nexus 5 from Google (AnandTech).
IBTimes UK reported exclusively back in February that LG was indeed negotiating with Google to continue the partnership, with the search giant having previously worked with Samsung, HTC and Asus on various Nexus devices.
The Nexus 5 is also set to incorporate support for the faster 4G networks currently being rolled out across the UK and the rest of the world. The one major complaint critics had of the Nexus 4 was its lack of 4G support.
Exactly which frequencies the Nexus 5 will support is still unclear.
A release date and price for the Nexus 5 remain elusive however, though some commentators have speculated that Google could launch the phone next month to coincide with Halloween as it is the holiday most associated with sweet treats.

SOURCE : http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/articles/504250/20130906/nexus-5-details-5in-screen-android-kitkat.htm

9 Rejected Android OS Food Names

Google broke Android users off a piece of KitKat, the latest dessert-themed Android OS name, on Tuesday.
If the new name left you sobbing into a key lime pie (Google’s former name for Android 4.4), don’t worry. There are plenty of other foodstuffs that might never know the beauty of being a part of the Google family.
We gave a couple of less likely dishes their moment in the limelight. Of these, Nutella seems the most plausible — after all, is it any stranger than KitKat?
Android 4.4 Quinoa
android-QUINOA
Android 4.4 Kale
android-kale
Android 4.4 Kinder Surprise
android-kinder-surprise
Android 4.4 Butter
android-butter
Android 4.4 Double Down
android-double-down
Android 4.4 Limburger Cheese
android-limburger-cheese
Android 4.4 Nutella
android-nutella-better
Android 4.4 Hot Dog
android-hot-dog
Android 4.4 Mary Jane

android-mary-janes  

SOURCE : http://pctechmag.com/2013/09/9-rejected-android-os-food-names/

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Break Me Off a Piece of That: Kit Kat Will Be the Name of the Next Version of Android

Give me a break, give me a break, break me off a piece of that … Android. No, that's not quite how the jingle goes, but the next version of Android is in fact going to be named Kit Kat.
Android chief Sundar Pichai announced Tuesday via Twitter and Google Plus that Android had hit 1 billion activations and also added a little treat. The next version of the operating system -- Android 4.4 -- won't be named Key Lime Pie, as rumored, it will be called or codenamed Kit Kat. And don't worry, that's a fully licensed name and partnership too.
Google has worked with Nestle and Hershey, the makers of the chocolatey and crunchy candy bar, to go even further. Nestle will make a number of Android-themed Kit Kat bars. They even made this website to promote it.
According to the company, more than 50 million specially branded chocolate bars will be available in 19 markets, including the U.S, U.K, Canada and the Middle East. When you buy the bar, you will be able to enter to win Google prizes, including the Nexus 7 tablet. According to Nestle's press release, they will also make a limited number of robot-shaped bars. Just like a real-life Willy Wonka.
Nestle did not immediately respond to ABC News' questions about the limited edition bars.
Google has also erected a Kit Kat statue in the shape of the Android robot in front of its Android headquarters in Mountain View, Calif. to join the other Android statues. Google has named each of its Android versions in alphabetical order after desserts, starting with Cupcake, Donut, Eclair, Froyo, Gingerbread, Honeycomb, Ice Cream Sandwich, Jelly Bean and now Kit Kat.
Google has launched a website about Kit Kat -- the software, not the candy -- though it doesn't reveal much beyond the fact that its goal with the next version of the software is to "make an amazing Android experience available for everyone."
Google's Pichai did not reveal anything specific either in his social media updates, but it's a good bet that he thinks that whatever is coming is pretty sweet.

SOURCE : http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/android-44-kit-kat-google-teams-nestle-version/story?id=20146239

Android KitKat is the next version of Google's mobile operating system

Google's Sundar Pichai, head of both Android and Chrome, has confirmed that the next version of Android will be called KitKat. Yes, you've read correctly, KitKat, as in the trademarked name of the chocolate candy bar made by Nestle (and licensed by Hershey in the US). A splash page for the new operating system reveals that KitKat will be the codename for Android 4.4, not the long-rumored Android 5.0. The name keeps the company's long-standing tradition of naming each version of its mobile operating system after desserts.
To date, Google has internally referred to the release as Key Lime Pie, but the company decided to go for another name after realizing that "very few people actually know the taste of a key lime pie," director of Android partnerships John Lagerling tells the BBC. Late last year, someone suggested naming the upcoming version KitKat — apparently a favorite snack of Android coders — and the company "decided to reach out to the Nestle folks." Within 24 hours an agreement was made, though it's apparently "not a money-changing-hands kind of deal," according to Lagerling.
Screen_shot_2013-09-03_at_12
Google says that "it's our goal with Android KitKat to make an amazing Android experience available for everybody." That's certainly a bit vague, but the statement does line up with earlier rumors that suggested Google plans to use its next Android release in smartwatches, gaming consoles, low-cost smartphones, and even laptops.
Pichai says in a Google+ post that he's just returned from meeting with hardware partners in Asia, and he adds that there are now over 1 billion Android activations. He goes on to say that he "can’t wait to release the next version of the platform that is as sweet as the candy bar that’s one of our team’s favorites." To promote the partnership, a new Willy Wonka-style contest offers buyers of specially-marked KitKat packages a chance to win either a free Nexus 7 or a Google Play credit. If you're really lucky, you might even get a KitKat bar in the shape of an Android robot.

Read next: Android KitKat: the story behind a delicious partnership

SOURCE : http://www.theverge.com/2013/9/3/4690214/android-kit-kat-is-the-next-version-of-googles-mobile-operating-system