Archive for August, 2009

Fight or Flight

Friday, August 28th, 2009

The application in actionYou’re racing to the airport to catch the first flight out. You’re running through the terminal, bumping into strangers and spilling coffee on your newly pressed shirt. Finally you reach the display screens that hold the status of your flight’s fate and…DELAYED!? Where’s the airline representative!? You’d like to have a few words with them—after you’ve washed the mocha latte out of your shirt of course.

If you’ve ever had to suffer through the effects of an ill-timed flight delay, then there’s a new application for you. Flightcaster’s delay predictor brings you flight updates six hours before the airline alerts tell you that your plane has stopped in Texas for a “short period of time.”

Bringing alerts straight to your Blackberry, iPhone or the web, Flightcaster not only factors in information from the airlines – it also considers the weather conditions, air-traffic info and more. It then takes that data and calculates the odds that your flight will arrive/leave on time.

So, put down the stain remover and pick up your portable device—your fight with the gal behind the counter has been delayed.

Techno-tainment Weekly

Friday, August 28th, 2009

Entertainment WeeklyIf you subscribe to Entertainment Weekly and you live in New York or Los Angeles, then you’re in for a special technological surprise this September. The EW issue will include a small video display developed by Americhip that is 2.7 millimeters thick. This nifty gadget will play ads for both Pepsi Max and the CBS fall prime-time lineup.

It should be pretty neat. We’re wondering what the next phase of interactive inserts will include. Food samples in Bon Appétit? On second thought, maybe that’s not such a good idea. The poor mail carriers already have enough dog issues. Carrying a magazine around that smells like steak and gravy probably wouldn’t help.

Where did this $20 come from?

Monday, August 24th, 2009

Sneaky!Frequent visitors of Leicester Square, Oxford Street and the Tube should check their pockets—they may be in for a pleasant surprise.

A British telecom firm, the TalkTalk Company, has enlisted 20 former pickpockets for an unusual promotional campaign. Wandering the streets, the “put-pockets,” as they are coyly named slyly put money into the pockets of unsuspecting citizens along with a business card for the firm. The company will be giving away more than $150,000 during the campaign.

Not Your Average Cup of Joe

Thursday, August 20th, 2009

lockcupTired of people borrowing your favorite mug in the morning? Well then why not look into some premium, anti-theft technology—presenting the Lock Cup.

Sure, it’s ridiculous. Yes, it looks silly. No, nobody is going to lay a finger on this thing. Now only you hold the key to that delicious morning cup of java—enjoy!

A Dollar a Day Keeps the Budget Okay

Thursday, August 20th, 2009

Skip the lobsterA pair of school teachers decided to embark on a challenging journey through the world of “frugal gastronomy.” In a series that began on TIME’s Cheapskate Blog, readers were challenged to eat on a budget, but Christopher Greenslate and Kerri Leonard kicked it up a notch and pared down the allotted amount to just one dollar per day.

The ground rules:

1. All food consumed each day must total $1 for each of us.
2. We could not accept free food or “donated” food unless it is available for everyone in our area (i.e. foraging, samples in stores, dumpster diving).
3. Any food we planted, we had to pay for.
4. We would do our best to cook a variety of meals; ramen noodles could only be prepared if there is no other way to stay under one dollar. (We had six packages and would buy no more.)
5. Should we decide to have guests over for dinner they must eat from our share; meaning they don’t get to eat their own dollar’s worth of food.

It’s a fascinating experiment that may inspire you to take another look at how much you spend on groceries and dining out. A dollar a day may be little too extreme for you, but why not try to cut back on those weekly lobster dinners?

Buy One, Waste One Free!

Friday, August 14th, 2009

Grocery_StoreAt least that’s what the U.K. government thinks. A new government plan is looking to banish the popular marketing ploy in grocery chains, claiming such deals are contributing to Britain’s massive food waste problem.

An initial reaction to the news might be: WHAAAAAAT?! NOOOOO, I need 15 cartons of eggs! What if I have to make a giant cake for some impromptu celebration! But after further reflection, maybe it’s not such a terrible idea. Yes, the economy is in the dumps, but does two tubs of ice cream make that any better?

If this new plan goes into effect, maybe our side of the pond should consider taking a look at some of its waste-inducing marketing campaigns. After all, when was the last time you baked a four-story soufflé?

Alibaba Says "Open Sesame" to U.S. Market

Thursday, August 13th, 2009

alibaba

You may not know much about Alibaba (in fact, you may have never heard of it), but that’s all about to change. China’s massive e-commerce company, Alibaba.com, is hitting the States and preparing to take on its rival eBay.

“The site has about 32 million registered users inside China, including more than 400,000 domestic suppliers. It has another 8.6 million international users from more than 240 countries, including 1.4 million in the U.S.” —AdAgeChina.com

So what does the new global campaign mean? Many people are skeptical, claiming that the timing is less than ideal. Others are excited about the new option and look forward to seeing what happens when these two online titans face off.

401(ok!)

Thursday, August 13th, 2009

401kIn the midst of our struggling economy, it looks like more and more people are starting to re-invest in their future. A new report showed an increase in 401(k) investments by both employees and employers.

“For the first time in a year, more workers increased the amount of money they put into their 401(k) accounts during the second quarter than decreased their contributions, according to a report issued Wednesday by a retirement fund manager.” —CNNMoney.com

Now THIS is resourceful…and patriotic!

Wednesday, August 12th, 2009

Before last Saturday’s Washington Nationals baseball game, National Symphony Orchestra violinist Glenn Donnellan performed a virtuosic rendition of the National Anthem…on a violin crafted out of a baseball bat!

Using an ordinary Lousiville Slugger purchased at a sporting goods store, Donnellan built the electric violin himself and posted his handiwork on YouTube. When the clip went viral, it caught the attention of one of the Nationals’ owners–and the rest is history. Way to take your creative–and resourceful–spirit to all new heights!

Consider This: In-Theater Advertising

Monday, August 10th, 2009

Movie theaterWhy do they play an advertisement recommending that people arrive on time to the movie theater during the First Look (the local pre-preview entertainment program)? Aren’t the people watching the ad the ones who get there on time already?!