Jezebel: pink annoyed

The Do's And Don'ts Of Chick Gadgets, According To 'Wired'

Dodai — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 14:00:00 EDT

Here's another one to file under "duh": Women like technology, they just don't need it to be pink, reports Wired. 91% would prefer something sleek and sophisticated to something "feminine." Says Belinda Parmar, planning director at Saatchi, "Most women feel cheated when they walk into stores or see ads with baby-pink, diamante-encrusted products." "Empowered women" — 37% — own an average of six devices, including a digital camera, desktop or laptop, multimedia mobile phone, MP3 player, and digital TV. In the UK, women own only slightly fewer tech items than men. And yet, reports BBC News, women are "put off" by gadget shops.

More often than not, tech stores assume females are uninformed and oblivious to technology, Blow says. The result? Women buy less tech. The survey says "daunted" women spend 35 percent less.

Here's where I tell you that I visited the Apple store last week, in desperate need of a USB hub, and was talked out of buying one by the salesman. That's right: A salesman convinced me not to buy something. "You don't need one," he said. (Please be assured that I do and I am getting a really nice one online, where I don't have to explain myself.) Anyway, in addition, instead of pink, women would like technology that works. Says Dr. Genevieve Bell, resident anthropologist at Intel, "If you wanted to design technology that would appeal to women, it needs to work flawlessly the first time out of the box and every time thereafter. They don't have time to faff around."

What Do Women Want? Less Pink, More Tech [Wired]
Women 'Put Off' By Gadget Shops [BBC News]

Pink Is The New Flog

Anna — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 11:27:30 EDT

Make it stop!!! The trend of marketers thinking that anything remotely 'masculine' — cars, airplanes, pro-baseball caps, guns — has to be pink in order to be attractive to female consumers, continues apace. Today's NY Times "Thursday Styles" reports that Taser International will be offering a more compact, female-friendly (women have such small hands!) version of its self-defense device later this month, which the company has named "C2". And, of course, it's colored pink!

The new C2, as the weapon is called, looks more like a large disposable razor than a gun, comes in a variety of colors and is $350, all of which Taser executives believe will persuade women to add the weapon to their checklist for the evening: lipstick, wallet, keys, Taser.

Sounds perfect for those roving gangs of killer lesbians!!!

Interestingly, however, it was a woman who, way back in the early '90s, inspired the creation of the Taser in the first place (they do say that behind every great man is a great woman).

Tom Smith, a founder of Taser International, said he and his brother heard their mother say that she worried about protecting herself. She tried a stun gun, Mr. Smith said over sandwiches in his desert office compound here, but it has to be pressed against its target. "She said, 'This isn't something I am comfortable with.' She had pepper spray, and she sprayed herself in the face. She ended up buying a Doberman.

Awesome: We hear those come in purse-sized versions too!

Feeling Secure With A Little Shocking Pink [NYTimes]
Related: Cease And Desist — The Pink Hats Have Got To Go [Batgirl]
Earlier: Girls Who Like Girls Who Like Guns
Real-Life Barbie Dolls Get Their Own Airline
How To Drive In High Heels

How To Drive In High Heels

Anna — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 12:50:59 EDT

Glad to know that the world is on the lookout for women drivers. Sheilas' Wheels, a "car insurer for women" in the UK, has developed a shoe that makes it possible for women to drive in heels... even if they, uh, can't actually walk in them. Like a certain recently-launched American predecessor, the CamiLeon, the Sheila Driving Heel is said to turn from a heel to a flat with the push of a button, but, unlike the CamiLeon, the Sheila comes with a tread for easier grip on an accelerator, brake, or clutch. (Apparently more than 11.5 million female drivers in the UK are wearing the wrong footwear!) The shoes look comfy enough as flats, and we'd even try them out... but for the pink detailing. Do marketers really think that everything that smacks remotely of testosterone — professional sports, technology, cars themselves — have to have a touch of Paris Hilton in order to appeal to women?

Sheila Driving Shoe Makes High-Heel And Toeing A Reality [Autoblog]
Related: New Weapon In War On Breast Cancer: Pink Trimmed Mustangs! [Jalopnik]