G1: Google gPhone and Android hit the market

The Android platform is a software stack for mobile devices including an operating system, middleware and key applications. Developers can create applications for the platform using the Android SDK.

Android is Google’s attempt to dominate the mobile advertising market, just as it has dominated the online PC advertising market, said Craig Wigginton, industry leader for Deloitte’s telecommunications practice. “Their number-one driver for pushing this is the advertising model,” he said.

The G1, the first Android phone introduced by T-Mobile, Google, and HTC on Tuesday, comes loaded with Google applications, including Gmail, Gtalk, Maps, and YouTube. The home screen includes just one item: a Google search bar. Each of those applications is an opportunity for Google to deliver advertisements to users.

There are 3.5 billion mobile-phone users worldwide; many more than computers users. Google, with their success at delivering advertising to desktop computers are looking to monetize this enormous opportunity.

LinkedIn To Launch Their Own Ad Network

While most social networks struggle to sell advertising due to lack of proper segmentation and totally irrelevant content for advertisers, LinkedIn has so much demand that they decided to launch their own ad network. LinkedIn claims 27 million registered users, according to comScore, 5.2 million from the U.S. visited the site in July (8.7 million worldwide).

Microsoft new ad: I’m a PC and I’ve been made into a stereotype

Microsoft’s new ads begin with company employee Sean Siller – who looks a whole lot like John Hodgman, the actor who plays the PC in Apple’s ads – saying “I’m a PC and I’ve been made into a stereotype”,  directly targeting Apple. It’s an interesting strategy attacking directly Apple’s implication that Mac is cool and PC’s are boring…

Microsoft + Seinfeld + Gates = FAIL

There’s a fine line between crazy and genius and CPB’s new Microsoft has drawn some attention and criticism at least in the advertising community. The common consensus is that it was a disaster, but is there more to it? As nicely said by nowpublic:

The widespread consensus: Microsoft + Jerry + Bill = FAIL. The result: Gates + Seinfeld = CANCELLED. The Microsoft version: it was all part of the plan.

Microsoft explains why the ad is so lame

“This first set of ads features Bill Gates and comedian Jerry Seinfeld. Think of these ads as an icebreaker to reintroduce Microsoft to viewers in a consumer context. Later this month, as the campaign moves into its next phase, we’ll go much deeper in telling the Windows story and celebrating what it can do for consumers at work, at play and on-the-go.” explains Microsoft SVP Bill Veghte, in an internal email to all employees.

Microsoft, Seinfeld, Gates; Apple beware!

Microsoft is launching a $300 million ad campaign starting September 4th, says the WSJ . The ad campaign will star comedian Jerry Seinfeld and Bill Gates, and it was developed to combat the negative image that many consumers have about Windows Vista and also to finally push back against Apple’s popular Mac vs. PC campaign. Really interesting move by CPB, which after winning Microsoft back earlier this year finally shows the big idea.

A new video featuring Jerry and Bill showed up yesterday in YouTube, and my first reaction was WTF! I’m sure CPB has something really good planned, they always do, and perhaps this is intentional, but seriously, what is this?