Web marketing 101: Use lasers

While Microsoft, Nokia, and others paid untold sums of money to have the biggest and brightest booth at the Web 2.0 Expo, in a quiet part of the show floor, one of my favorite DIY sites Instructables.com essentially stole the show.

Ignoring boring pamphlets or forgettable swag, the company brought a laser etching machine and offered up free custom-designed laser etching to anyone who brought a laptop, iPhone, or other portable device that they were willing to have burned with warranty-voiding goodness.

Word spread like wildfire around Blogtropol.us' blogger lounge that this was going on downstairs, the geek equivalent of hearing that there's an ice cream truck outside on the hottest day of summer. Throwing caution to the wind I had my iPhone etched with the Webware logo, no doubt solidifying my nerd cred while simultaneously destroying any sort of warranty I had from Apple in case of the need for repair.

Oh well, it was totally worth it.

I grabbed the video below off my digital camera, so I apologize for the noisiness--but I hope it captures the awe and wonder of having an electronic good customized in one of the coolest ways possible. Don't forget, if you're at the Web 2.0 Expo tomorrow, Instructables will still be there.