starbucks

I'll take my desktop to go, please

With speed being the defining characteristic of modernity, everything we value needs to require little effort, and be easily transferable and portable. And, of course, uber-personalized.

Which is why MojoPac is cool and kind of like Starbucks. Sure, it's a software platform, but it's really a way for you to get your own personal PC desktop wherever you want. You know, just like how I can walk down almost any street in America, find an establishment with green block-type letters and get a chai latte with 2-percent milk. It's magic, really.

Basically, when MojoPac is installed on … Read more

Thirsty for Starbucks? Send a text message

Coffee behemoth Starbucks has launched a new cell phone-based service that lets you efficiently locate the nearest store and feed your addiction get your caffeine buzz on. Starting today, when you send a text message with the ZIP code of your location to the number "MYSBUX" (697289), you'll receive another text with the addresses of the three nearest Starbucks locations. It won't cost you anything besides your cell phone plan's normal texting fees.

Only problem is, if you're wandering around in an unfamiliar city, you might not have any clue as to the exact … Read more

Mouse puts security at your fingertips

As fellow Craver Erica Ogg once noted delicately, leaving one's laptop unsupervised even for a necessary minute or two can be an exercise in anxiety. Yet we all must do it--at least a few times a day, depending on the number of lattes--and in the occasional rush we sometimes leave the most sensitive material on our screens.

Iogear has figured this out and come up with a way to secure a computer easily with its "Personal Security Mouse." It comes equipped with a fingerprint authenticator that obviates the need for passwords, according to Gizmodiva.

There are plenty … Read more

PC roasts coffee beans (not by fire)

We never thought we'd see the day when two of our passions--technology and coffee--would be combined. But that day has arrived, thanks to the brilliance of one Matthew Williams.

This obviously homemade contraption uses a Fuji temperature controller hooked up to a laptop's USB port and a fan to control the roasting process, according to Gizmowatch and Hackedgadgets. At the bottom of the cylindrical chamber, which is made of bakelite and glass tubes, is a screen that catches the beans as soon as they're roasted to perfection--ensuring a tailor-made cup o' joe, inventor Williams says. We'll … Read more

$26 Wi-Fi finder--take that, Starbucks

Rant against Starbucks Wi-Fi, Part II. To recap: The last time we checked, Starbucks charged $10 for a single day's Net access through a T-Mobile wireless connection. And unless you're planning to hide in the restroom all night, that probably means $10 for a few hours, not the full 24.

So a very viable alternative is to ditch Starbucks altogether and find another, friendlier coffee shop that offers free Wi-Fi. In our last episode, we offered the possibility of finding just such a caffeinated oasis via a $70 Wi-Fi detector. But now, Coolest Gadgets has found one much cheaper, … Read more