Nano is the new Turbo

The whole "nano-as-the-ultimate-modifier" marketing thing tipped last week with the release of the iPod nano.  While I don't (yet) own one of these iPods, I do own several shirts which supposedly feature a nanotechnology fabric treatment.  I believe we're now going to see "nano" applied to everything from cigars to Civics.  Which is fine, except that in few cases will the product actually contain, or be about, nanotechnology. 

Such is the case with the iPod nano, and that is why I believe that nano is the new turbo, another technical term appropriated by marketing people and applied in so many ways as to make it meaningless.

Nothing wrong with this, of course, for the truth is all marketers are liars.  But it really rankles the engineer in me.  And delights the marketer in me.

Comments

[Josh Hallett]

Something tells me the sex toy marketers won't be using 'nano' too much :-)

[garym]

If you're an engineer, you know that "nano" doesn't have a necessary connection to nanotechnology, but simply means smaller than "micro" (presumably by 3 orders of magnitude). Since the iPod Nano has a screen which I suspect is too small for normal humans to read, that seems appropriate.

But it's the "Nano Hummer" which really gets to me.

[Jacob Bøtter]

Reminds me of a link in your blogroll, Dan Pink's "Orange is the new Pink".

But I think nano has been the new turbo for quite a while, investors worldwide have been embrasing this stupid word for such a long time closing their eyes for other opportunities.

[Pat]

Buzzwords. Buzzwords.

Actually bought a iPod nano -- that product is off the charts cool, and the color screen actually is bright enough (and big enough) to read. You aren't going to be reading it from very far away, but it's good enough to hold it in your hand and look at it at normal distance.

The days of smaller are better are upon us. The days of bigger this, bigger that (SUVs, Computers) are beyond us because small is the new cool.

[Steven Ametjan]

Just wait till the Nano Coopers start coming out.

[Errol Smith]

FYI

What Separates Podcasters From Nanocasters? You'll Know It When You Hear It.

By: Errol Smith
Business Reporter, KTLA Los Angeles

Wondering what all this Nanocasting talk is about, and what separates podcasters from Nanocasters? Well...let me first offer a definition, and then draw a stark line in cyberspace.

"Nano" means very small and Nanocasting refers to the programming produced for the most narrowly but clearly defined target audience. This is the audience that is most interested in the type of programming, and from a marketing standpoint, the audience that is most likely to buy related products. Where the term podcasting casually evolved from vanity internet radio delivered via iPods, Nanocasting is an established model for commercial podcasting based on media and marketing science. Those interested in the marketing science behind nanocasting should read the TCI white paper.

More http://www.nanocasting.org/mediasavvy20.htm

[ryan]

mork's review of the nano...

"nano nano"

[Arun Sadhashivan]

I so agree..

Some time ago it was the "new improved", now they are techie terms...

Philips was ahead of this.. Ages ago they had an image processor for the medical field called "pico-bello"

Cute eh?

Arun

[Fate]

The 'Nano' word... following the tradition of 'Super', 'Ultra', 'Plus', 'Mini', 'Micro', 'Macro', 'Hyper' and so many others superlatives.

Marketers are liars, true, but they (we?) should be looking for fresher ideas instead of recycling clichés.

[Jon]

Perhaps your shirts are some dumb use of the word, but as somoone already posted - nano is simply a prefix indicating a physical size smaller than the iPod mini.

In physics you have meters, millimeters, micrometers, nanometers, picometers...

[David L]

Even Turtle Wax is embracing this, I saw a script for a forth coming television commercial they call their F21 car polish a "nanotechnology formula" though I don't believe it involved nano-bots. for more see: http://www.turtlewax.com/products/pages/t-26.htm

[David L]

Even Turtle Wax is embracing this, I saw a script for a forth coming television commercial they call their F21 car polish a "nanotechnology formula" though I'm not clear that this in technically clear or accurate. for more see: http://www.turtlewax.com/products/pages/t-26.htm

[John Clifford]

What about a nano intelligence ? ( a code word for the CIA )

[Michael]

All I know is that if they make nano-pants my wife will buy them. I always know a sale is going to be made when she picks up a pair of size 2 pants and they fit. They could be the ugliest things in the world...but darn it, they're a size 2. nano-pants would mean your are uber-slim and out comes the cash.

:)

[paul p-funk dicamillo]

nanotechnology stocks that show the most promise according to personal research:
ROBE
BIPH
MIVT
ENEI
EMFP
XDSL