Archive for the 'Trendspotting' Category

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“Why so serious?”

The Dark KnightIt’s pretty hard to deny that director Chris Nolan’s iteration of DC’s superhero Batman, in his film Batman Begins was absolutely fantastic. It seems that the recent flux of comic book hero based movies are only getting better and more appealing to audiences besides comic nerds. While Marvel turned it’s popular Spiderman into a joke with Spiderman 3, it certainly scored major hits with lesser known Iron Man and Hulk remake.

The Dark Knight, the sequel to Batman Begins, looks only to continue the trend of super heros scoring big at the box office. In an effort to hype the film further, the producers created a website for Gotham Cable News which features Dateline style news clips from the metropolis of Gotham. They’re fun to watch and help set the story for those who may not have seen Batman Begins. Though unrelated to the film, the one bit if disappointing news is that Gotham Cable News is a Comcast network; but a clever marketing ploy for Comcast nonetheless. For those of you who just can’t get enough of Bruce Wayne and his alter ego, be sure to check out this Wired article about the making of the film. It’ll be interesting to see how the slated superhero films do once they’re released leading up to 2011′s Avengers film.

We’ll see if The Dark Knight can top my current superhero fav, Iron Man. What’re your favorite comic book to film adaptations?

Starbucks Rewards

A couple of mugs from StarbucksIf you’re the consumer whore that I am, you probably go to Starbucks. I know for me, Starbucks runs occurred at fairly regularly intervals (funded by the Starbucks Cards I received from my graduation party). While I’m not one of those people who necessarily believes in Starbucks’ superiority over other coffees, it’s a chill place to hang out. Well, Starbucks just got even better with their recently unveiled rewards program: Starbucks Rewards.
Continue reading ‘Starbucks Rewards’

Firefox 3!

Download Day

Surely most of you know and probably already use Firefox as your browser by now (for those who don’t know what it is, seriously…get with the times). While Firefox is undoubtedly an excellent piece of software, it has it issues. As you may or may not know, Firefox 3 is due out soon and boasts a number of advantages over the current version; namely a fix in system memory usage. The new version also packs a few new features including a more intuitive address bar and a visual refresh to match whatever operating system you use. In light of of this awesome browser becoming awesome-er, the Mozilla Foundation (the folks behind Firefox) has its sights set on attaining a world record for the most downloaded software in one day. Make sure you get in on the Firefox Download Day; you’ll get to be part of a world record and get a kick ass browser out of it too! Click the cool banner for more details from Mozilla.

Facebook is SO 2006

For a while now, I’ve been hearing and seeing a lot about Twitter in the blogosphere and the internet community in general. I didn’t have a sense of what it was aside from something involving text messaging (SMS – short messaging service). Seeing as my SMS on my prior cell plan was disabled, I never looked into it. Now as a new subscriber to an unlimited SMS plan as well as my never ending quest for distractions, I decided to take Twitter for a spin.The first question that people are quick to ask is: “What is Twitter?” The answer is slightly more complicated, but someone at some point coined the term “micro-blogging” to describe Twitter. and Cats.In general, it’s a different perspective on social networking that we have grown accustomed to with MySpace, Facebook, Friendster and the likes. The general premise is that there are lot of little things we see, hear or do throughout the day that our friends may be interested in, but we wouldn’t necessarily send an email or IM to announce. That’s where Twitter comes in. You submit a 140 character “tweet” via the Twitter website, IM or SMS where your message is then posted and sent to your friends (via SMS if the setting is turned on). Continue reading ‘Facebook is SO 2006′

Fpoon not included

Do you like Wendy’s Frostys? How about 10 Frostys. For the low low price of $1! (zomg!)

In a nutshell, stop by your local Wendy’s. Order yourself a Spicy Chicken Sandwhich or something so you don’t look weird. Don’t forget to say “yes” when asked if you would like to donate $1 and get 10 Frostys. Walk away happy with your shiny new coupon book redeemable for a cup of goodness.

thanks to the good people at justinhazen.com for pointing this out.

Coca-Cola Bl?K

In Minneapolis, I discovered and had the opportunity to try Coca-Cola’s newest productCoke Blak called Bl?K. This intriguing new product is targeted mainly at all you Starbucks addicts, but it’s not quite coffee. Coke has dubbed this new product a “carbonated fusion beverage“; a blend of premium coffee and cola. Normally, the health freak :shock: in me would not allow me to consume such a beverage. It contradicts my anti-pop (aka soda for you non-midwestern folks) and I rarely drink coffee. So what made me try Bl?K? That’s a question I had to ask myself and sadly I came to the conclusion that I’d given into Coca-Cola’s marketing tactics. The bottle was all pretty-looking but did it justify the $2 per 8 oz. bottle? Not even close. More importantly, the taste was unimpressive. It literally tastes like an even mix of coffee and Coke (it’s made with C2 actually). This drink hasn’t been extensively advertised and the general reaction of the public and the media as been less than stellar, mediocre at best. It’s hard to see this drink taking off and is one of those things that people will end up hating, or not caring about. Why do I like it? I’ll get back to you on that. Until then, if you’re in need of some serious caffeine, Bl?K will be glad to help you out.

If you’ve tried it, what do you think:?:



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