Fun Topic: Hello Android Kit-Kat 4.4 (aka. Goodbye Key Lime Pie)

(Photo via TechCrunch)

Ok, so if you haven't heard already, Android 4.4 won't be called Key Lime Pie after all. Ironic because often Google isn't good at keeping it's name a secret and *everyone* I knew thought it was going to be Key Lime Pie. The photo via TechCrunch is Google lawn sculptures, which each represents a different Android version. It goes all the way back to original Android and first "dessert/junk-food" name in Cupcake (after that Donut, E-Clair, Froyo, Gingerbread, Honeycomb, Ice-cream Sandwich and Jellybean).You can read about it on the Android Blog here. (Yes, Android with "A", but there is no "B". Cupcake was the next real release...)

Until now, I only heard a really good story that ICS was in-fact "what do you get when you mix Gingerbread and Honeycomb?" However, KitKat "takes-the-cake" as it's an actual license deal with a trade-mark with Nestle. What is even tastier is that this statue actually represents real KitKat bars that Nestle will produce in the near future (50 million branded packs and a smaller number of actual Android KitKat bars according to the press release).

Nestle Press Release

Talk about very cool promotion! If you want to know more, Google & Nestle have created a site to promote the new Android 4.4 O/S here:

Why You'll Love KitKat 4.4

Another really cool idea is that no money changed hands during this promotion. It's basically a "like-for-like" deal, so basically win-win for both Google and Nestle. 

We’ve reached out to Google for more information on exactly what the deal is here and it confirmed that no money changed hands between the two companies. This is apparently a like-for-like cross-promotion deal.

Bartering is one of the oldest forms of payment and often the most economical. Not sure when the last time I saw two super-brands come together like this and no money changed hands. Is this the first of new "super-deals", which are much like comic-book cross-overs which two brands come together for short-run promo or gimmick? 

A year ago could this have been Android 4.3 Jello-O, and we've seen Bill Cosby sporting the latest Android device? Eventually could there be Android 10 Twinkie? 

Bottom line, I wonder if in the future O/S versions may be up for naming rights like football stadiums? Or at least up for some co-marketing, cross product campaign. Would Apple even name the new Mac O/S after another product line?

We live in interesting times.

Hope that helps...

Wayne Pau.

p.s. Talking about Twinkies, turns out someone has a 36 year old Twinkie. 

Maybe because it's out of it's wrapper, but it's not as it was portrayed on Wall-e. The article states that it had the texture of Styrofoam and Hostess representative "who strenuously suggested that nobody eat the thing". However the *most* disturbing things was apparently there was mold on it, and eventually even the mold died off. 

It would be a mistake to say this Twinkie looks none the worse for wear. It reportedly has the consistency of Styrofoam, not to mention having acquired a fine coating of dust during its decades on top of the intercom. It even grew mold at one point, despite all the preservatives, although that’s long dead now.

Not sure I'll ever look @ Twinkie the same ever again.