The Droid: Serious iPhone competition

Just in time to rain on Apple's (AAPL) 2009 earnings report, a prime-time TV ad and a series of well-timed leaks have put the spotlight on Motorola's (MOT) Droid — a yet-unreleased smartphone that is being described by sources who have played with a prototype as the iPhone's first serious competitor.
The ad, which premiered Saturday during the Yankees-Angels pennant game, is pasted below the fold. The challenge to Apple couldn't be less subtle; it's a series of "iDon't" screens listing key features the iPhone doesn't have — from a physical keyboard to interchangeable batteries — that the Droid does.
The leaks are being funneled primarily through the Boy Genius Report, a blog with unusually good sources in the telecommunications industry. On Friday the site published an illustrated walk-through of Google's (GOOG) Android 2.0 — the new and reportedly much improved version of the open-source operating system that powers the Droid. Then, overnight Monday, Boy Genius posted a hands-on review — complete with photo gallery — that describes it as "the Android device to beat, and easily the most impressive."

"From what we’ve been told," BGR writes, "Google had a direct hand in the Motorola Droid. Something to the point of almost dictating every move Motorola made when designing and making the phone."

The Droid is still vaporware; no release date has been set, although Verizon (VZ) said two weeks ago that it would release two Android phones before the end of the year, and the cryptic clock on a new Verizon/Motorola Droid promotional site has been decoded and appears to be counting down to Oct. 30.
Verizon, meanwhile, seems to be playing both sides of the latest smartphone war. Several blogs reported over the weekend that Apple has begun testing the iPhone on Verizon's so-called LTE (Long Term Evolution) 4G network, scheduled for initial deployment this fall and broader rollout in 2010.
The same sources suggest that Verizon Wireless CEO Lowell McAdam, who is said to have flown to Mountain View, Calif., every other week in recent months for meetings with Google executives, may have also been making secret visits to Apple's Cupertino headquarters, less than 9 miles away.
Below: That "iDon't" Droid ad.

BOSS 'Chester' Wool & Cashmere Coat

 

A soft blend of wool and cashmere shapes a cleanly styled, shorter-length coat with a tonal button-front closure and side-seam pockets.

• Two interior slip pockets.
• Approx. length from shoulder: 31 1/2".
• Wool/cashmere; dry clean.
• By Hugo Boss; imported.
• Men's Sportswear

Check it out HERE

This jacket could be worn with either a business suit or casually with jeans and a t-shirt. The quality of this jacket and the cashmere material makes this considerable at $295

How True Religion jeans got started

To build his brand, founder Jeff Lubell gave pairs of his True Religion jeans away.

(Fortune Magazine) -- My dad was in the clothing business and moved to L.A. with a New York apparel company when I was 20. I asked if I could work for him. He said, "Why don't you get a job in textiles first and learn the industry?"

So I got a job at a swimwear company, which was fitting because I was captain of my high school team. I ended up staying in the textiles industry for 25 years.

Don't be afraid to approach powerful people.
When I decided to launch True Religion, I went to industry leaders like Mickey Drexler, who was then at the Gap, seeking backing. I couldn't find private money, but I eventually found a jeans manufacturer to help me get my brand started.

Skip the prototype.
I had a concept to create a unique line of jeans with colored stitching and lower pockets. I designed a myriad of styles, and I produced about 14,000 pairs before I sold a piece. Usually you do it the other way around -- you make a sample line, go to market, get orders, and ship your production.

Comp the sales staff.
I went to Fred Segal on Melrose and showed the jeans to a guy who was running the jeans bar. He hated them. I knew his boss, so I showed her the line, but she said, "I don't get it. I don't think my customer is going to get it."

It took me an hour to wear her down, but she finally took 24 pairs. A month went by, and I went back, and they'd only sold two pairs. I asked the sales guy if I could give him a pair free. He and the other workers came out to my truck and I gave them the jeans.

Four days later I went back and couldn't find my jeans. I asked where they were, and he said, "People would come in and ask, 'What are those that you're wearing? I want those.'" They sold out.

Secrets of my success
Manufacture locally
It's expensive to make jeans in L.A., but there's a value to doing it locally. We can produce small runs and then gauge the market reaction before we make larger investments. It allows us to be flexible when introducing new styles.

Protect your name
We combat counterfeiters daily, both online and on the street. We hire experts to seek out the source of the problem, and we work with government agencies around the world. It costs a lot, but you have to be really vigilant.

Outsource everything
I didn't want to own anything, so I depend on my contractors to do everything. They've already made significant investments in fixed assets. By working with them, we benefit from their experience.

Ralph Lauren Bradford Pinstripe Suit

 

Bradford Pinstripe Suit

Price: $1595.00
Sale Price: $1119.99

Style #373576

Polished pinstripes and slim lapels lend sleek sophistication to our handsome, classic suit, expertly tailored in Italy from extra-fine wool for stylish comfort and a refined finish. 

Polished pinstripes and slim lapels lend sleek sophistication to our handsome, classic suit, expertly tailored in Italy from extra-fine wool for stylish comfort and a refined finish.

Check it out here

I know RL is expensive as hell, and I usually don't like pinstripes, but this is both classy and new school.