Slacker's Coffee Break

Beer Mainstays Move Over

2007-01-30T17:26:00.000-06:00

Looks like the old beer companies are finally starting to understand what most of my friends grasped years ago, the country wants beer variety damn-it! That means boatloads of imported beers are being brought over by the old fashioned slow moving brewers, none-other than our old friends Miller and Anheuser-Busch. If you can't beat em, buy em. Anheuser and Miller are now becoming the exclusive importer of several popular foreign beers such as Becks, Tyskie, Stella Artois.

The big downside is this might kill some little importers who hopefully have the sense to band together.

Original Story Courtesy of the Chicago Tribune

Deal Web site round up

2007-01-26T13:39:00.001-06:00

I was just killing some time at work, and had run out of sites to check news on(I know I need to branch out, but that is best left to a different post) and decided to check the ever so popular Woot. They were selling a Roomba for a pretty good deal, so I forwarded the link to a few friends. Then I was thinking about the other deal web sites I had visited in the past, back when eCommerce was pumping up the DotCom bubble with great expectations and odd Christmas gifts could be found for near-zero cost after mail in rebates and promotional codes...ok here' s a link after that trip down memory lane that has a good list of the best deal sites around:

Deal Site Roundup

Wii News for Gamers

2007-01-25T12:20:00.000-06:00

From CNN:

"SEATTLE, Washington (AP) -- Rabid video gamers could get some help keeping in touch with the outside world this weekend as Nintendo Co. launches an online news service through its popular Wii console.

The Wii News Channel, scheduled to debut Saturday, will primarily feature top news stories and photographs from The Associated Press"

Wii News for Gamers(CNN.com)

Gizmodo's Complete iPhone Coverage

2007-01-15T15:05:00.000-06:00

Complete coverage via Gizmodo

City Wine Maps - Chicago

2007-01-05T10:43:00.000-06:00

Google map utilities are so last year, I know, but this one I think will come in handy:

Chicago wine shops and stores, a map from Dr. Vino

New Toy A Little Too Real

2007-01-02T11:54:00.000-06:00

Apparently, this fantastic toy for little kids wanting to act like police officers drops the F-Bomb.

"[Expletive]!" a child's recorded voice seems to shout. "I don't want to have to use my nightstick." Seems like it is supposed to say "Stop!" The toy's mistake actually makes it more realistic but parents tend to frown on their little ones running around shouting F#*K so some people are complaining that it be pulled from store shelves. Party poopers.

There is also a military edition. I can't wait to hear what creative one-liners come out of the Military: Abu Ghraib Special Edition...

"Keep it up A--hole! I want to have to use my nightstick"

Complete Story from the Chicago Tribune

I can't believe this...Noah's flood created the grand canyon

2006-12-29T13:06:00.000-06:00

Just saw this post on Digg...it is incredibly unbelievable

Grand Canyon Created by Noah's Flood

Grand Canyon Skywalk Nearing Completion

2006-12-29T11:21:00.000-06:00

Imagine stacking the Taipei 101 building (current tallest building in the world) on top of the Sears Tower, going to the top and looking straight down.... Amazingly, the Grand Canyon is 4000 feet deep at parts and they are currently constructing a glass walkway that cantilevers out over the cliff. Since it is made of glass, visitors will have to wear protective booties when walking on it as to not scratch the surface. While neat, this exemplifies the difference between America's overprotective, insurance fearing society and our friends down under. If this thing was in New Zealand, they would be bungee jumping off the sucker.

And it won't fall down anytime soon

Venture Capital Discussion/Interviews on Web 2.0

2006-12-29T09:58:00.000-06:00

To Bubble or not to Bubble? That is the question that many journalists are yapping about lately. I am on the side that yes we have been in a good place as far as web startups are concerned, with great innovations happening at a rapid pace, the rise of social networking sites, etc. There will inevitably be a slowing down of new businesses as the market matures. Here are a couple of articles that I have found as of late that provide some good commentary:

Is 'Web 2.0' Another Bubble?
An interview with investor Paul Graham of Y Combinator

David Pogue on Windows Vista

2006-12-18T22:03:00.000-06:00

David Pogue of NY Times tech fame has posted a great video on Windows Vista.

nuff said:

David Pogue on Windows Vista(NY Times, no registration required)

digg keeps on rollin' - cool feature

2006-12-18T21:05:00.000-06:00

digg rolled out some new features today, of which many are already covered throughout the blogosphere. When I finally got around to exploring today, I was impressed with the effect for the videos section shown below. It reminds me of a recent article on css dashboard effects for a more application like feel for your web applications. Check it out..digg is my hero!(Can a web site be your hero?)

digg videos
css dashboard like effect

Unboxing videos the new kings of content

2006-12-07T20:26:00.000-06:00

All the technolust in America and around the globe has begun to go mainstream as unboxing videos are enjoying unhealthy amounts of traffic.

Emily Steel comments on unboxing sites/videos
Gizmodo posting - "WSJ Still Hung up on Unboxing"

Is it just meet or is Emily Steel cute in a dorky kind of way?

8 Things Women Suck at in Bed

2006-12-01T14:53:00.000-06:00

yes, finally someone has attempted to put the ball(no pun intended) in the women's court by saying what they can do to improve.

8 Things Women Suck at In Bed

AllofMP3: We're not going anywhere - Awesome!

2006-12-01T11:02:00.000-06:00

A recent article from the good ol' folks at ArsTechnica talks about the recent trade agreements between the US and Russia, specifically indicating that Allofmp3 is an illegal site and that all sites considered illegal will be shut down. From the article:

"Legality is not decided by a legislative branch or an executive branch. It's decided by a court,"

I hope this site stays around personally. Don't get me wrong, itunes is great and all, but there is no way it should cost that much for each song.

Ars Technica Article

Van Wilder: Rise of Taj

2006-11-30T22:30:00.000-06:00

I have to say that I think the first Van Wilder was highly under rated as a comedy. I will definitely be seeing this movie in theatres....

Nintendo OK with Third Place..

2006-11-30T16:04:00.000-06:00

A recent post on the New Yorker Web site talks about Nintendo not only being ok with being third place in the gaming space but also enjoying a healthy level of profitability. From the article:

"You might expect, then, that Nintendo would be struggling to stay afloat.....Nintendo, though, has not just survived out of the spotlight; it has thrived. It has five billion dollars in the bank from years of solid profits"

This is a great example of why you should never get too caught up with what your competitors are doing. You would be wise to know what is out in the marketplace, but also make sure that it makes sense for your strategy. I am just hoping that they will reinvent Robbie the Robot and make a game that actually makes use of him!

Nintendo Ok with Third Place