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Daily Tech: Starbucks Debuts Two Handy iPhone Apps

GeekSugar — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 12:05:41 -0700

Starbucks now has an iPhone app that will help you view store locations and menus and another one that lets you use your iPhone as a Starbucks card - The Wall Street Journal
Check out some video game deals and steals for this week - Green Pixels
Oh wow. Pee-Wee Herman has resurfaced and he now wants you to follow him on Twitter - Mashable
A company in Tokyo is starting to sell apartments with built-in solar panels - CrunchGear
Facebook could very well be that high-school reunion you didn't want to attend, but had no choice - Switched
What what? Microsoft is creating a tablet-like device called the Courier? - Gizmodo
It's giveaway and game time on GeekSugar! Be sure to log in and play our Best Video Game Ever bracket! - GeekSugar

Free WiFi Arrives at Starbucks

GeekSugar — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 10:03:12 -0700

It's been a long time coming, but it has been well worth the wait because Starbucks is kicking off their AT&T free WiFi service today!

According to USA Today, customers that register online for the Starbucks Rewards Card program and purchase a $5 prepaid card will receive two (consecutive) hours a day of free WiFi.

Double bonus - new members will also receive a voucher for a free drink! By the sounds of it, Starbucks is rolling out the free WiFi across 7,000 stores in the US. But stay tuned for more info to come!

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Website of the Day: My Starbucks Idea

GeekSugar — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 13:00:41 -0700

Any Starbucks regular can attest that it must be doing something right, but that doesn't mean they are doing it all. The company has created a virtual idea and complaint box of sorts: My Starbucks Idea allows customers to share ideas, ask questions, and learn about what they're doing behind the scenes.

It's a PR stint in most senses, but it does allow you the satisfaction of knowing you're putting your genius ideas out there. Sorry, folks, but a user named CustIdea has already suggested offering customers a free drink, after purchasing a set number of them. You can go ahead and mark that one off your list.

To learn how to post your favorite websites to our Website of the Day group, read more.

I know that this long list looks scary, but trust me, once you get the hang of it, it'll be a snap the second time around.

First of all, join the Website of the Day group.
Click the pink "Share" menu on the top left side of the page.
Choose "Blog" and “Regular Post.”
Give your story a “Title.”
Fill in the “Body” with a link to your favorite website and the reasons why you love it.
Click “Next."
Choose the audience for your story to “Website of the Day” in the drop-down menu
Add keyword(s) (for example mine for this photo was "Website of the Day").
Change channel to “Technology and Gadgets.”
Fill in tag field with relevant tags.
Click “I’m done” to submit content.

So join the Website of the Day group and share information about all your favorite sites! Yours just might end up on the geeksugar homepage!

Starbucks to Offer Free WiFi This Spring

GeekSugar — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 10:40:15 -0800

Talk about a great way to start the week! Starbucks has just announced that they plan to deliver free WiFi to 7,000 Starbucks across the US by early Spring.

Starbucks Card holders (basically just prepay cards for coffee, tea, etc., purchases), will be entitled to two hours of free WiFi a day, while current AT&T broadband users will have unlimited free access to the WiFi service. AT&T is also allowing current T-Mobile customers to keep using hotspots at no extra cost.

Considering the current price is $4 for two hours of WiFi, I think it's fair to say that this is a glorious day in the tech world.

McDonald's and Starbucks to Both Offer Free WiFi?

GeekSugar — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 09:00:39 -0700

With more than 15,000 WiFi enabled McDonald's around the globe (including the one across from Sugar Headquarters), Computer World is predicting that Starbucks will start rolling out free WiFi access within a year to compete with McDonald's growing fan base. Although Starbucks already offers free WiFi access to iTunes music stores, you still have to pay for the music download and any additional Internet surfing.
The competition between Starbucks and McDonald's is definitely apparent, with Starbucks adding more variety to their breakfast menu and McDonald's offering upscale coffee. As much as I love a good Mickey D's run now and then, I can't say I'd want to spend hours on my laptop inside a McDonald's. Now Starbucks? That's a whole other story...

Starbucks To Give Away Millions Of iTunes Tracks

GeekSugar — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 09:00:34 -0700

In an effort to get the ball rolling following Steve Jobs' announcement that Starbucks will offer free access to the iTunes store, Starbucks has just announced that it will give away over 50 million free iTunes downloads to customers with "Song of the Day" cards. According to Switched, these cards will be distributed between October 2 and November 7 and customers will have until the end of the year to redeem them.
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Starbucks and Apple To Offer Free Wi-Fi Access to iTunes Music Store

GeekSugar — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 09:00:37 -0700

With so many exciting Apple announcements yesterday like the hot new shuffle colors, a thin new nano, 80/160GB iPods and an iPod touch, I almost let the huge Starbucks news slip through the cracks! Thanks to Engadget's live blogging, we were able to learn that on October 2nd, 5800 wi-fi enabled Starbucks stores nationwide will be offering free access to the iTunes store, with many more to follow in the upcoming months. So whenever you have a wi-fi powered Apple product like an iPhone, the new iPod Touch or a laptop, a pop-up will appear allowing you to play songs recently played in that Starbucks, or purchase songs from iTunes, with no hotspot login required!
Source

Need A Cup Of Joe? Text Starbucks!

GeekSugar — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 07:00:23 -0800

Apparently, Starbucks receives thousands of calls each year from thirsty coffee drinks in search of the nearest coffee spot. Now, the caffeine-craving masses can send a text message with the area's zip code to MYSBUX (or 697289), and a list of nearby Starbucks stores will pop back. Customers using mobile devices with Web access will find a store locater by typing Starbucks.com.

I suppose this would excite me more if I were a coffee fan or if I lived in a rural place where coffee shops were few and far between (seriously, there is a Starbucks in my building). As it stands most of the Starbucks cafes I've been to while on the road have looked at me like I was insane when I asked for a nonfat chai with only two pumps. Not to judge, just my experience people. Just my experience. If you're mad, just text them and see if they'll make it for you. It's deliciously light and delightful. read more

Here's more:

Starbucks says it will not capture customers' cell phone numbers or offer incentives to use the new feature. Last year, the company sent $5 gift cards to customers who played a text messaging quiz game that was hard to lose.

McDonald's, Starbucks, and Jack in the Box Offering Free WiFi?

GeekSugar — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 11:46:44 -0700

Starbucks has yet to roll out its free WiFi across the country, but in the meantime, it looks as though other franchises are jumping on board the free WiFi initiative.

With over 15,000 McDonald's already offering free WiFi, the competition between Starbucks and McDonald's is growing stiffer, and it doesn't seem to be ending there. Although there hasn't been an official announcement, Jack in the Box restaurants across California and Arizona now have free wireless Internet.

Rumor has it that it's only the recently remodeled restaurants that are wired, so if you're in need of some free net surfing, plus you're craving a big burger, your local Jack in the Box may be able to deliver the goods!

Source

Daily Tech: Funny Geeks Take Their Own Desktops Into Starbucks

GeekSugar — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 12:35:04 -0800

Three pranksters took giant desktops into Starbucks to see people's reactions as they surfed the web. - Gizmodo
With HDTV, stars put their best "face" forward at last night's Academy Awards. - Switched
Yahoo! is set to launch its own Digg competitor, called Yahoo Buzz tomorrow. - Valleywag
A couple in Peoria, Ill., is facing first-degree murder charges after neglecting their baby for eight days while they played video games. Forewarning: This story is beyond horrific. - PJ Star
Specialty electronics retailer Sharper Image files bankruptcy due to declining sales. - CNN Money
Log in and take the Centro quiz to win a sleek white GSM quad-band Centro by Palm! - geeksugar

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