As the internet knows, today is Cyber Monday, that time of year when anyone who forgot to fight their neighbor for a curved TV set at Target can go online and buy it there, no gladiator competition necessary. Over the last four days, my inbox has been flooded by a myriad of very tempting offers … Continue reading Cyber Monday
The Atlantic has a neat story about the increasing number of marathoners, and the corresponding increase in users of running apps. The apps can help runners find camaraderie with one another, but can also remove running’s stripped-down, essential nature. As a longtime MapMyRun user, I found that the article particularly resonant. Especially the following: “It has a … Continue reading Running with Tech
I’m an active runner, and I’m pretty committed to tracking my excursions. I’ve used MapMyRun for about two years, but just downloaded Strava in order to kick the tires a bit. There are dedicated running watches from Suunto, Garmin, and others, but, as I’ve written before, I’m hesitant about investing in one-use devices, especially when … Continue reading Running with the Apple Watch
Chinese billionaire Liu Yiquian recently purchased a Modigliani nude for a cool $170.4 million. The kicker of the story for me was that he put it on a credit card: There is another, more personal, benefit to the acquisition: airfare. Ms. Wang confirmed that, as in the past, she and Mr. Liu would be using … Continue reading Credit Cards
You can’t always get what you want. But if you try sometimes, you get trademark infringement. Here’s the origin story. Continue reading Jumpin’ Jack Lawsuit
Two days ago, I hit the 200-day mark in my journaling app, Day One. This number isn’t particularly impressive in and of itself – it’s only seven months worth of writing, and there are plenty of people who’ve written for far, far longer – but it is nice to have a record of consistency. I … Continue reading Journaling
Looks like Amazon is opening a bookstore in Seattle. The Seattle Times reports: The store, called Amazon Books, looks a lot like bookstores that populate malls across the country. Its wood shelves are stocked with 5,000 to 6,000 titles, best-sellers as well as Amazon.com customer favorites. Some interesting things here, starting with the exposure it … Continue reading Amazon Gets Physical
The Times ran an article this past weekend on the rapidly plummeting growth at Fairway Markets, a popular grocer in the tristate area. Fairway had planned to expand coast-to-coast, and go against larger national chains, but has faced serious headwinds. The article notes: Competition in the organic and specialty-food retailer space had intensified. Whole Foods … Continue reading Gourmet Food’s Race to the Bottom
Black Friday has become an opportunity for consumers to end their Thanksgiving meal early and mass at the entrance of their nearest big box store, in anticipation of a morning light that will bring with it discounted TVs and marked-down skinny jeans. In the race to be the place for customers, stores are opening earlier, as well … Continue reading Camp in the Outdoors, Not Outside Stores
The New York Times reports that the European Union regulatory division is looking into questionable tax practices by Starbucks, as well as other American firms. The highlight of the piece is the regulators’ contention that Starbucks’s roast technique wasn’t so much a recipe (and therefore intellectual property), as it was just a temperature instruction: The … Continue reading Roasting Regulations
Silicon Spatula 