From the Editors
New Size, New App from Starbucks
In addition to changing its logo, Starbucks just announced that they're expanding their mobile payment system to all their US stores. "Those craving coffee can enter their Starbucks Card number onto their Apple device or BlackBerry Tour, Curve or Storm. Baristas then scan the bar code that appears, which is linked to the customer's credit card," explains the LA Times Technology Blog. "The circle of life, as it were," Engadget describes it. Andy Beal's Marketing Pilgrim notes that 1 in 5 purchases at Starbucks are now made with the cards, and "that loyalty translated into a 21% increase in how much money was loaded onto cards last year with that number hitting $1.5 billion. That's a lot of mocha frappa half calf double decaf no whip thingamawhatzits for sure." You can also now drink those thingamawhatzits in a much larger size: Starbucks has also introduced a new size that is even larger than Venti, the Trenta, for iced drinks only. The National Post shows just how much iced coffee the cup holds: 916 mL, while the average human stomach holds 900 mL: as Gizmodo says, "enough caffeine to stand in for a defibrillator."
Why is Steve Jobs Leaving Apple?
Apple has announced that CEO Steve Jobs, who had a liver transplant in 2009, is taking a medical leave of absence (read the official press release here). Silicon Alley Insider is worried about one sentence of the official statement, "I love Apple so much and hope to be back as soon as I can": "In our opinion, those are not the words of someone taking a short leave who is confident he will be back at the company soon (or ever)." Ad Age writes, "Announcing his departure on Martin Luther King Day, a day when financial markets are closed in the U.S., will protect Apple's stock from wild fluctuations as the markets sort out the news. Apple is expected to be rolling out both a second-generation iPad and a fifth-generation iPhone later this year." Still, Apple stock is down on foreign exchanges following the announcement, The Unofficial Apple Weblog notes: "Apple has been criticized in the past for failing to have a clear and public plan of succession should Jobs leave the company or be incapacitated for health problems (although, in fairness, few public companies make their succession plans a matter of record)."
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