Open Letter to Buck's Pizza

Inspired by their "About Us" page, I emailed them the following:

Hey guys,

I saw that Buck's had opened a new restaurant in Valdosta, and, since I *love* pizza, I hurried out to the web to find out what makes you different than the other dozen or so places to get a pie here in town.

Imagine my disappointment when clicking on your "About Us" page to find you not passionate about food, and your pizza, but passionate about your business strategy.

You very well may have a passion for selling great food. You might have something that distinguishes you from the massive pizza delivery pack, but you're not letting us see that. Instead, your website reads like a prospectus, and that's caused me to decide to order from someone else.

Best regards,
Chris Vaughan

More on the HTC Advantage

Engadget has a nice hands-on article covering life with the aforementioned HTC Advantage.

A few things in the article caught my eye.

1. Telenav Map Updates: Telenav, the GPS software that comes with the Advantage, acts a lot like Maemo Mapper, the freely available GPS software that runs on my Nokia 770. It downloads maps as you need them, which leaves me in fear of being lost in an area with no phone or Wifi connectivity. Rather defeats the purpose of GPS if you have to stay within the network cloud.
2. The screen resolution is 320x240, with the ability to run in 640x480 badly, because while the screen supports it, the software doesn't. Compare that to my Nokia 770's 800x480 crisp, web-page-width screen. The HTC falls short.
3. Windows Mobile. Engadget says "Windows Mobile visibly struggles to fill the X7501's giant shoes, not unlike trying to run, say, Windows 3.1 on a 2007 spec desktop PC." Clearly, this device is closer to a PC than a PDA and deserves a richer operating environment.

So, I guess it's clear that the $140 Nokia 770 was the right device for me. No more technolust on the HTC Advantage, I promise.

Emergency Funds

Yanko Design shows us a clever new way to save money.

Thankfully, Bank of America gives me a better option for saving my loose change.

GPS is the Sexy

Technabob links us to this Korean GPS that, if real, shreds anything put out by TomTom or Garmin.

The Provia website is lacking any additional information, so take this pic with a big ol' grain of salt. If the rumors are true, though, this beauty will sport a 520Mhz Intel PXA270 processor and a positively lickable 7", 400x800 touchscreen.

Anyone want to give odds of it showing up at BestBuy anytime soon?

Vintage Robot Art

I grew up watching "Lost In Space" on WTCG (before it was TBS) every Sunday morning. I can't tell you how many times we were late for Sunday school because I had to be drug out of the house mid episode.

The best part of "Lost In Space" was the retro, campy robot. The 9 year old Chris loved robots. I wanted a robot more than anything. The 30-something Chris wants one of these robots.

The prices are staggering, but these Lawrence Northey art pieces are stunning. Brass and chrome mechanized characters brought to life, they wake up the robot love of my childhood and remind me that there are wonders yet to see.

Pocket Shots - Hard Liquor To Go

For those who like to imbibe on the go, Pocket Shots puts your favorite spirits in convenient glovebox sizeed pouches. Kid friendly, they use the same intuitive juicebox style interface that your young ones are already familiar with.

Rumor has it that a breast shaped model complete with NipplePort™ technology is in the works.

From the website:
Pocket Shot is a brand new way to enjoy your favorite hard liquor. No longer will you need to carry full size bottles. Gone are the breakable glass mini bottles. Now you can have it one shot at a time, any place, anywhere.

Each Pocket Shot is sealed in a near unbreakable, flexible, squishable, pocket stuffable pouch making them perfect for active activities, outdoor adventures, and glass restricting venues.

Pocket Shot is currently available in 5 flavors:

• Vodka
• Rum
• Tequila
• Whiskey
• Gin

Note: I really don't have a problem with their product, it's just more fun to pick on it.

Zombie Defense Bedside Table

If, like me, you're trying to prepare for the inevitable Zombie horde, you're always on the lookout for weaponry that is practical, effective and stylish. The James McAdam Zombie Defense Bedside Table fits that niche perfectly. Don't be fooled by McAdam's downplaying of the Zombie defense parts of the table. He's British. Stiff upper lip and all.






Simple and effective visual instructions will have you bashing in Zombie skulls faster than you can say, "I think Grammy's been bit."








Here you see the typical London flat-dweller shortly after being awakened by undead scratching at his windows. Even bleary eyed (and obviously hung-over), he is ready for action in seconds. In a Zombie outbreak, seconds may be all you get.

Ultimate Zombie Assault Vehicle

Found on Crave, this turrent-mounted-minigun equipped SUV is just what you need for cutting a swath through the undead horde when making a post-apocalyptic trip to the nearest mall.

A Movie about a Font

"A limited-edition package in a custom box that includes the retail DVD, three letterpressed mini-posters, a color C-print of a still from the film (one of ten different stills) signed by director Gary Hustwit, two love/hate Helvetica buttons, and a letter of actual Helvetica metal type! We might even throw more cool stuff in there too. Limited edition of 1,000 copies. Release date November 6, pre-order now and receive early shipping (a week before release date). This limited box will not be available in stores."



An 80 minute movie on the Helvetica typeface. How nerdy.

The best part of the limited edition is the letter of metal type that comes with it.

HTC Advantage Unboxing Video

Throwing gas on the fires of my digital lust is this unboxing video of the HTC Advantage. Any phone with VGA output is a force to be reckoned with.

A Version of the HTC Touch in Development for Sprint or Verizon

A Version of the HTC Touch in Development for Sprint or Verizon: "Like other devices, the Vogue will run Microsoft's Windows Mobile 6 Professional, but include a new way of controlling touchscreen-based devices developed by HTC called TouchFLO. Like the iPhone, this model will be capable of recognizing and responding to the sweep of a finger across the screen. This will allow users to launch applications without a stylus."

I'm sorry, but compared to the HTC Advantage (see below), this thing looks like a Garage Door Opener.

Brookstone: Digital Steam Laundry Press

Brookstone: Digital Steam Laundry Press: "Digital steam press lets you iron all types of clothing and linens in half the time, and with far less work. Pressing surface is more than 7 times larger than most hand-held irons. Its even heat and quick burst of steam option is great for stubborn wrinkles. Features digital temperature control for all types of fabrics, audible alert with auto shutoff, and safety lock. Locking handle makes unit portable. Includes pressing cushion, spray and water bottle. UL-listed."

I have to tell you, I hate ironing. Just this week, I was thinking of a buying a laundry press both to make the job tolerable and because my Hamilton Beach iron has decided to only heat for 3 to 5 minutes at a stretch before it shuts itself off. So, I can either invest in this $249 wonderiron or delve into the shady world of commercial laundry service.

I think I hear myself saying "I'd like extra starch on those" in the near future.

Yamaha introduces the Migrane Induction A/V Receiver.

Now, I love gadgets as much as the next guy, but the layout on the back of the new Yamaha RX-Z11 11.2 channel A/V receiver is cringe-worthy. For only $5,500, you can be the first in your neighborhood to have one this November.

Notable features include 5 HDMI inputs and two USB ports that can actualy read USB mass storage devices. No word yet on what file formats the receiver can read off those ports, though.

Crocodile falls 12 floors in escape bid | Oddly Enough | Reuters

From the article: "A crocodile survived a fall from the 12th floor of a block of flats in Russia after making an escape bid through a window, emergency services said on Wednesday.

Diving out of the window has become a habit for the crocodile, called Khenar, with concerned neighbours saying it was the third time he had used that method to flee, Moskovsky Komsomolets daily reported."

Can you imagine, while walking down the street, a crocodile comes flying out of sky at you?