starbucks

Where we want to shout-out Blake; who's incarcerated

EPISODE 33

The day The 404 went insane. Today's show with guest David Carnoy gets out of hand real fast. First we talk about the Grammy's--specifically Amy Winehouse and Kayne West. Then, after the break, all hell breaks loose. Enjoy this rare episode while you can, because something like this probably won't happen again.

Listen now: Download today's podcast

Starbucks ditches T-Mobile for AT&T

Ubiquitous caffeine conglomerate Starbucks has ended its Wi-Fi partnership with T-Mobile in favor of one with AT&T.

Under the earlier plan with T-Mobile, Starbucks customers needed a paid subscription to access the in-store Wi-Fi service, and T-Mobile HotSpot subscribers will continue to have access to Starbucks Wi-Fi thanks to an agreement between AT&T and T-Mobile. But the new AT&T plan allows all customers 2 free hours per day, with a $3.99 fee for additional 2-hour chunks of time. Monthly subscriptions will cost $19.99 and will enable access to other AT&T … Read more

Mockup pics of rumored Starbucks iPhone QuickOrder system surface

Hot on the heels of the mysterious ordering patent that surfaced late last month, multimedia designer Phil Lu has put together some gorgeous mockup shots of what an ordering system for retail stores would look like using Apple's iPhone. According to Gizmodo, the shots were created before the patent was filed.

The design shows a variety of screens that let you design and customize a drink to order off Starbucks' menu. The system uses a mix of a credit account and a Semacode scanning system similar to the barcodes recently used at several airports to verify passenger boarding passes … Read more

First day at CES: A Hulu scoop?

If Hulu.com officially launches from its private-beta state this week, you can say you heard about it from me first. It's only the first day of CES, and I already remember what I love about it: the dish.

Here's what happened. I was in line at Starbucks this morning, bright and early, and this nice man started chatting me up. Turned out he was from NBC Universal, but the actual television side and not the technology side (so while he'd heard of CNET, he probably didn't know I was mentally blogging our whole convo). So, … Read more

The BMW of coffee makers (and matching price)

Lest our gentle readers get the impression that we consume only alcoholic beverages at Crave, we feel obligated to feature an appliance for this holiday season's designated drivers as well. And just because it's non-alcoholic, that doesn't mean it can't look good.

The "Sirena" is an espresso machine from the drafting boards of BMW Design Works created for Starbucks, according to Uber-Review. As addicted as we are to the bean, however, we can't see spending $600 for one of these even if it does have a "commercial-quality portafilter and patented back-pressure adapter … Read more

Video: Starbucks 'Now Playing' through iTunes on the iPhone

While at Starbucks this morning, I noticed some signs on the tables announcing that the "Now Playing" feature was live. This lets you log onto the iTunes music store from your laptop, iPod touch or iPhone and instantly see what song is playing in-store, plus browse and buy music on iTunes.

After adding two Sugar in the Raws and some half-and-half to my Grande drip, I decided to put that iPhone in my pocket to good use. I fired up the iTunes Wi-Fi music store by clicking the little logo and voila!

If only it was that easy...… Read more

What if Starbucks were your filling station?

The common wisdom is that gas stations make almost no profit off the gas itself (the gas companies make a ton of profit, of course) and must have side businesses like garages and, above all, snack shops to turn a profit.

What if you were to turn that equation on its head and add a "filling station" to, say, a Starbucks? That's the intriguing possibility raised by an article on SFGate about Hyatt Hotels and Tesla Motors, the Google-founders-financed electric car start-up. (It's also been written up on CNET News.com.)

"Hyatt will install Tesla … Read more

Adventures in music retailing

The Times Online reports that U.K. music retailer HMV is opening the first of a new type of store in Dudley, west of Birmingham. The highlight: in-store kiosks with USB ports that will allow users to download free music and video files to a memory stick, for later transfer to their computer or other device. There are lots of other ambient-futurist touches, like big plasma displays, a mini Apple store, iMacs to play with, and a juice bar. As well as old-fashioned CDs and DVDs for sale.

Combine this idea with the Apple-Starbucks partnership announced on Wednesday, and I … Read more

28 toy stores for cube dwellers

If your workplace is the couch at the local Starbucks, turn back now--this list is not for you. This guide is for those who work diligently at desks. This often small rectangle of space can become a canvas to display your personality to all. We've rounded up and categorized 28 places to buy things to take your barren desk to the next level.

Emporiums/Cornucopias, etc. Places to get several types of items in one place

ThinkGeek is one of the better "everything under one roof" sites. Especially great is their user picture section, which lets purchasers post pictures of themselves using the product in real life. Stock photography be damned.

Perpetual Kid is another solid directory of good office, and general fun items. My personal favorite is the robot calculator that doubles as a stapler magnet and Post-it Note holder.

Hammacher Schlemmer. You've certainly gazed lovingly at one of these catalogs while stuck on a flight. The online store is no different; there are a ton of useful and interesting office gadgets to make your desktop a playground (with taste, of course).

Dealextreme has a little bit of everything. What separates it from the pack? Their weird gadgets section. The name doesn't lie. For example, get one of these to take notes at your next meeting.

Geekstuff4u has a good, clear listing of geeky gadgetry to adorn your cube. I have trouble deciding between the USB squid drive, and pop-up pirate USB hub that requires stabbing a pirate with plastic swords to get him to appear. Charming.

Kleargear is another handful of amusing and/or interesting gadgetry to buy. Worth checking out is their entire section dedicated to cubicle decor. Get an early start on Halloween with this gaudy skeleton you can attach to the top of your computer monitor. When people ask what it is, be sure to make some lame "spreadsheet from hell got loose" joke.

Firebox. Not to be confused with the popular Web browser, Firebox is neither on fire, nor a box. It does, however, have a lot of cool gadgets worth putting on your desk. The best for lunchtime breaks and releasing steam? The Rock Beat Drumsticks, which let you do an air guitar--except with drums. Your co-workers will love you.… Read more