So if you haven’t heard yet, GMail has launched a new feature called “Priority Inbox”. Its targeted at heavy users of mail and helps sift out the important mail from the less important mail.

In short, it keeps track of all the mails that you reply to, star, read, delete, etc and ranks the mail’s importance.

Here is a short video released by the GMail team to describe the service:

It then teaches itself based on your interactions with the system to become smarter in its predictions.

I might have my doubts about the algorithm’s success rate, but I love that it is now possible to group all unread mails into a single view without having to search using, “is:unread label:inbox”

In what I hope is a website bug, the Audi USA website A4 configurator has the new B8 Audi s4 sporting one of the most expensive paint jobs cashing in at a whopping $46 000 for the “Imola Yellow”. I’m a massive Audi fan and while I totally dig this colour, I highly recommend you check out the “Lava Grey”. I just bought my second A4 in that colour and I’m still totally in love with it!

Pls click on the pic to view larger image

Good marketing is all about creativity & simplicity
Excellent marketing is all about stirring emotion
Drop dead brilliant marketing is all about timing it right.

Here is another product of excellent timing:

Nando’s have always had witty ads and tend be super quick with their campaigns. Their latest print ad screams advertising genius and again their marketing agency, whoever they are, need to patted on the back for the brilliance of the ad.

It is based on the fact that Paris Hilton was arrested in Port Elizabeth for possession of weed while she was in the city to watch the 2010 World Cup Quarter Final game.

I recommend that you click on the image to few in full screen and view the fine text at the bottom as well.

I have been in the mobile industry for a short while now & even though I do my best to stay on top of innovation in this sector, its tough because this world turns itself on its head every few weeks or so. Innovation is rife and users’ demands for more services, better hardware, applications and better operating systems have grown exponentially in the last 3 to 4 years.

With iPhone 4 rumoured to launch in SA in September 2010, Nokia N900 and the Nokia X-range doing well in Europe & the massive uptake of Android, its no surprise that South African users have become so demanding.

But on the flipside of all of this hardcore innovation, sometimes it is critical that we sit back and remind ourselves that the best ideas are often the simple ones. Flexicell capitalises on this and offers a super solution to an everyday problem.

Many mobile users in South Africa use prepaid airtime. Many reasons exist why it is so popular and a few of the most common ones are:

• Monthly income and expenses don’t allow affordability of predefined contracts
• Signup criteria requires minimum salary, proof of address, clear credit record, etc and is often a barrier to entry for many South Africans.
• Users prefer the flexibility afforded to them of not being tied into a 24 month contract.

Whatever the reasons are, Flexicell has come up with a brilliant solution to bridge the gap between users who would like a monthly commitment of airtime to be credited to the phones by setting up a monthly debit order based on users affordability. They sell themselves with a mission to “convert prepaid product users to month-to month contract.”.

The service allow for users to opt out with one calendar months notice with no penalties, unlike post-paid offerings from the voice networks like Vodacom, MTN, Cell C & Virgin Mobile.

I’m impressed. Well done for finding the simple solution to the complicated problem, Flexicell.

If you use Flexicell, I would love to hear about your experience.

This is a really good advert by VW for the launch of the VW Polo Vivo. I could be wrong, but I think that Ogilvy manages the VW account. Well done guys!

I was recently invited by Audi Cape Town to join them on their MVP Day by the great Chris Rawlinson of HuddleMind. The basic promise of the day was that a few of us would be given a few cars, we would drive out somewhere and stop for breakfast, relax, chat and then drive back in time to arrive for lunch. All the while swopping cars on the way ensuring that we get to drive each model of Audi that was on the trip with us.

We arrived at 9am (some of us at least, @CapeTown_girl showed up late!) and offered coffee and tea while we were briefed on the days plan. We were welcomed by Chris, Grant and Wernich of Audi Cape Town.

We were then introduced to the cars:

• Audi Q5 2.0T
• Audi A3 2.0T
• Audi A5 3.2 Quattro
• Audi A5 3.0 TDi

I paired up with Athol Price of BrandScape and jumped into the Audi A5 3.0 TDi passengers seat as we took off from Audi Cape Town in the Waterfront to our first meeting point, the Shell garage at the foot-end of Sir Lowry’s Pass. We stopped on the N2 highway to swop seats and I took the helm of the A5 from there all the way through to meeting point.

The A5 is a beautiful car! It’s a dream to drive and the comfort levels inside the car are well specced. I love the driving position, the centre console setup, the steering responsiveness, the MultiTronic gearbox and the ease of which this car goes from 100km/h to 160km/h to overtake slower traffic.

We were the first to arrive at our meeting point and relaxed while we waited for the other 3 teams to arrive. We quickly swopped cars and headed toward Betty’s Bay for breakfast. The only place in Betty’s Bay that was open at the time actually. A small, quirky tea shop!

We drove the Audi A3 2.0T next, and oh boy did I drive it! If you know the route, you’d know that its pasted up against the side of a mountain with sharp cliffs dropping into the sea on the other side. It’s a tight bending, single lane, windy road that is any driving enthusiast’s dream. I was not shy with the A3. It does have the same setup as the VW Golf GTi which has a reputation of being a boy racer. I hammered the car into corners hard and held nothing back on the short straights with quick hard gear changes on the 6 speed manual gearbox. It was nothing but the most exhilarating, fun drive that I have EVER had. The Audi A3 2.0T stands out for me as the most fun car that I have driven yet!

On the last stretch, I went up against @AmandaSevasti in a straight shootout run to the finish in the A5 Diesel and the A3 did its job of making the task tough for the lady!

Breakfast was a scone and tea. We sat around and chatted for a bit. Chris and Grant then had a lucky draw of two prizes, an Advanced Driving Course in an A5 and a day with an R8 out on the streets of Cape Town.

The truth is that I don’t remember who won the R8 drive, but what I do remember is ME winning the Advances Driving Course ) #Buya

I drove the Q5 back to Gordons Bay and while everyone else enjoyed driving the SUV, I didn’t. I guess that I’m too much of a boy racer and wanted to plough the lumpy beast into corners under heavy breaking and pull it out of corners as quick as possible to plough it into the next corner. I hated the body roll but totally enjoyed the superior driving position of being so high up.

I didn’t get to drive the A5 petrol due some chop smashing into the back of it coming down Sir Lowry’s Pass while @JohannSchwella was at the helm, so I had another go at the best car of the day, the Audi A5 3.0TDi.

It’s completely convinced me to upgrade my A4 to a A5 on my next Audi purchase.

To Chris, thank you dude. You are a royal legend and I have mad love for you. I have the utmost respect for you and your work and your most notable humility.

To Grant, thanks a mil for spending the day with us out on the road and explaining the cars so well.

To Wernich, this was all you. You are a real champ to recognise the value of leveraging social media and you have a great guy to back you up on that front. Chris won’t let you down. You run a smooth operation there and your coolness about the little accident did nothing less than impress all of us. Thank you for the treat and a HUGE thank you for the Advanced Driving Course, I’m stoked about it.

The Audi MVP Day rocked and I REALLY hope that I get invited back!

Be sure to join our Audi Run, which is a group of us that get together every now and again for a breakfast run in and around Cape Town. Our Facebook Group has more details.

Last night, I posted an article about a looming Nokia Navigation Announcement which is expected later today at an exclusive event in Cape Town. I have done some snooping and have figured out what the announcement is and it’s really WOW!

I’m excited to show you pre-announcement screen shots of the latest version of Ovi Maps with 3D view, 3D Buildings and Routing and Navigation for both Car and Walk mode.

Here are a few screen shots that I just took using the service for the first time, with my first impressions:

Ovi Maps Homepage defaults to Cape Town. This must be done by using my IP as I have not set up any other profiling information regarding my location.

Ovi Maps requires a browser plug in to be installed.

Ovi Maps Map View Options, include the standard that we have to come love on Ovi Maps on Mobile, Map View, Satellite and Terrain.

Check after the break for more screen shots, including the 3D Landmarks of Cape Town.

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It was a sad day for South Africa when FIFA slapped Kulula for the “You Know What” campaign. Details can be found on this TimesLive article.

Today, Kulula strikes back with another brilliant mockery ad that will once again give Kulula the edge in humorous advertising that we have come to love from them.

Click on it to make it full screen.

With the massive collapse of the motor industry last year, Lamborghini found itself in a spot of bother when demand for their cars dropped substantially throughout the year and the value of the US Dollar was slapped around with a trout. One can not ignore the value of the US market for the Italian luxury super car manufacturer and the hit to the US economy had the Italians eating crackers and cheese for dinner to save costs.

With last years turnover down to 281 million Euro from previous years 478.8 million Euro and reduction of manufactured cars by a whopping 37.7% which saw 1 515 units being built instead of the 2430 built the previous financial year, the Italian super car manufacturer definitely did feel the financial crunch.

Now if you know anything about the way these guys decide how to roll their cars out, you would know that when it comes to super cars, they always manufacture less cars than the general demand. This helps maintain its prestige, keeps pricing high & creates a shortage which drives demand even further. It’s a trick out of the late great Enzo Ferrari’s playbook and one worth keeping in mind if ever you get into any kind of business.

BUT, and this is a huge but… while Lambo turnover dropped, car sales plummetted and the Americans all moved out of their picket fenced houses into motor homes, the Italians have thrown more money at R&D and will increase their spend again this year from last years increase of about 33%.

Lamb will continue to kick out a new model a year and will remain committed to being a long-standing prestigious brand that represents brutal power. Expect the Lamborghini to roll out the Gallardo LP570-4 Superleggera, which will help them balance their Galardo and Murcielago ranges with a drop-top, coupe and high performance model in each stable.