The "Kool Kreme" will make its debut complete with a topping bar in new, smaller stores that hide all the donut-making eye candy in the back.

Bob Goldin, a food industry enthusiast, explains the shift is an attempt to "reposition [Krispy Kreme] as more of a treat concept that offers consumers desserts and indulgences." We don't know what that means either, but soft-serve ice cream is a terrible idea. If Krispy Kreme really wants to bait America's cadre of healthy-in-mind-if-not-in-body consumers, they should install juice bars. Waist-minders won't travel for ice cream, but they might pick up an artery-strangling donut if they think it would nicely complement a healthy shot of wheatgrass juice.

Health Craze Has Hurt Doughnut Chain [WDSU]
Krispy Kreme hopes to heat up sales with ice cream [AP]
(AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

Hmm. Maybe if we do that last one we'll be hot enough to offer bland, generic advice and get away with it.

[GOOP]

Verizon will charge $17.88 per year for their service, a bargain compared to AT&T's $35.88 fee.

Rob Hyatt, executive director of premium content for AT&T's wireless division, said a service like "My Communities" would be helpful for novice users who are not as familiar navigating the mobile world as they are online. The new services also give much needed exposure to sites that might otherwise be overlooked, he added.

Translation: We're going to overcharge ignorant people to access unpopular social networking services.

To us, it's just another sad example of cellphone companies trying to beat cash out of consumers in exchange for half-baked features that kinda resembles what they want, but still manage to entirely miss the mark.

We're not sure why anyone would pay to access services like AsiaAve, BlackPlanet and MiGente, Faithbase, or GLEE, when they could access more popular services through their web-enabled phones.

Be social and tell us what you think in the comments.

AT&T and Verizon Wireless Offer New Services for Friends [Bits]
(Photo: Getty)

Through our extensive research and development, we believe we have hit the mark with the protein and fruit-blended beverage we have developed, which is made from simple ingredients that provide the benefit of sustained energy that our customers want.

This new beverage will initially be available in two flavors and will include fresh fruit and a proprietary whey protein, with no artificial sweeteners, delivering 15 or more grams of protein with no more than 270 calories.

On a recent trip to Italy, we found a unique beverage platform that we believe to be a perfect complement to our overall beverage business. This exclusive, proprietary opportunity was developed through a partnership with our Italian supplier and represents a brand new category of beverage, which is both refreshing, low calorie, and indulgent at the same time. It offers a unique frozen, smooth texture, distinctive taste profiles and options ranging from fruit-based to dairy-based to yogurt-based ingredients...

And we believe customer acceptance of this new distinctive beverage category will create a new demand, drive incremental traffic to our stores much like Frappuccino did 10 years ago.

So even if Starbucks rolled out literally the best smoothies available in America, wiping Jamba Juice off the face of the earth and converting every last one of their customers, that would still increase revenue by just 11 percent. And the reality, of course, will be far more modest.

Not only is the impact of the new beverages likely to be minimal, but they also seem at odds with C.E.O. Howard Schultz's stated intention to bring the focus at Starbucks back to coffee.

The labor intensity of making the drinks, the added blender noise, and the new task of sourcing fruit all add up to distractions from that core concern.

No Smoothie Sailing For Starbucks [Portfolio]
Starbucks F2Q08 (Qtr End 3/30/08) Earnings Call Transcript [Seeking Alpha]
(Photo: artnchicken )

Some reporters from the Chicago Tribune stumbled into a few cups of the mythical new brew a day early. Their description of the experience is weird and gross, but enlightening:

We felt like spies ordering it, photographing it, sniffing it, cupping it, gargling it and finally gulping it down. So here's the scoop: Pike Place delivers a pretty great cup of joe. It's got a light fruity and nutty aroma, a smooth feel on the tongue but nice body and no wimpy finish. This lighter roast (clearly a response to widespread complaints about Starbucks's penchant for over-roasting) allows a broader spectrum of flavors and aromatics to emerge, things that can sometimes be burnt away in a darker roast. Starbucks might not like this, but it kind of reminds me of Dunkin' Donuts' house coffee.

So what do you think? Does the new Pike Place Roast still "taste burnt?" Or is that sad chapter in our nation's history finally over?

Starbucks' new Pike Place Roast drips out early in Gold Coast [Chicago Tribune]
(Photo:Travelin' Librarian)

Exact terms of the deal and details about the new site, like prices for downloaded music tracks, were not disclosed. But MySpace did say the site would offer songs free of digital rights management software or D.R.M., which is used to prevent illicit copying but can create technical hurdles for buyers. The songs would be playable on any portable music device, including Apple's iPod.

MySpace and Record Companies Create Music Site [NYT]

Our personal favorite is the "Foreign Language Antique Leather" collection. It's cheaper than the "top shelf" leather books because it's "the same beautiful antique leather books as above with books mostly in French, Spanish, and German."

Perfect for the stingy polyglot?

Get ready to repeat the following: "No, I don't speak French, those were my great-great grandmothers. Or something."

Some of the collections do seem kinda neat, however. We love books.

Books By The Foot [BuzzFeed]

Reader Shan, who is in the United States Marine Corps, forwarded the following communication with Zubaz HQ:

Why would you guys bring these pants back? -Shan

From: info@zubaz.com [mailto:info@zubaz.com]
Sent: Wednesday, February 27, 2008 15:01
To: [redacted]
Subject: Re: Question

why not?

Sorry, I didn't realize it was "Hammer-Time"

-Shan

From: info@zubaz.com [mailto:info@zubaz.com]
Sent: Wednesday, February 27, 2008 15:25
To: [redacted]
Subject: RE: Question

no problem. we should have a camo version out sometime this summer - stay tuned!

Zubaz

Yes, Camaro-driving guy I saw at a gas station in Rockford, IL, I'm talking to you.

Zubaz

Traditionally, Pepsi contains fructose corn syrup, sugar, artificial colourings, phosphoric acid, caffeine, citric acid and natural flavours.

In comparison, Pepsi Raw has only natural ingredients including apple extract, plain caramel colouring, coffee leaf, tantaric acid from grapes, gum arabic from acacia trees, cane sugar and sparkling water.

It is paler in colour and less fizzy than other cola brands.

Pepsi launch new 'healthy' drink [Metro via BuzzFeed]

"We're filling that black box of uncertainty — 'Has my pizza been forgotten?' — with information and entertainment," says Chris McGlothlin, technology chief at Domino's.

The system goes up Wednesday at 3,400 Domino's outlets and will be in all stores by June 30, he says. It even gives folks the first names of the workers who take their phone order and deliver their pizza — and asks customers to rate them.

Any customer comments about inappropriate behavior by order takers or delivery staff will be investigated, spokesman Tim McIntyre says.

Pizza Tracker
Where's your Domino's pizza? Track it online [USAToday]

Apparently, a "Strawberry Cheeto" is a plain cheeto dipped in some sort of strawberry frosting and is "actually very good," according to one brave soul who tried them.

There are also Chocolate Cheetos, if you're into that. They're probably the perfect snack to wash down with an ice cold Cucumber Pepsi.

Say hello to sweetened Cheetos [Japan Marketing News via Fark]
(Photo:Japan Marketing News)

Peter writes:

I was shopping at Macy's in Chicago today to return a baby blanket. I was near the children's toy section and noticed this unusual toy. I'm not sure if I want my 3 year old daughter to play with a stuffed Ebola doll.

Here is the verbiage from the giantmicrobes.com website. They don't mention e-coli but I have a picture of one.

"We make stuffed animals that look like tiny microbes—only a million times actual size! Now available: The Common Cold, The Flu, Sore Throat, Stomach Ache, Cough, Ear Ache, Bad Breath, Kissing Disease, Athlete's Foot, Ulcer, Martian Life, Beer & Bread, Black Death, Ebola, Flesh Eating, Sleeping Sickness, Dust Mite, Bed Bug, and Bookworm (and in our Professional line: H.I.V. and Hepatitis).

Each 5-to-7 inch doll is accompanied by an image of the real microbe it represents, as well as information about the microbe.

They make great learning tools for parents and educators, as well as amusing gifts for anyone with a sense of humor!"

Giant Microbes

The service caters to people who like dogs but just don't have the time to take care of them. The customers ABC interviewed seemed happy, but the ASPCA thinks it's not healthy for the dogs.

Buchwald [senior vice president of the ASPCA Pet Adoption Center and Mobile Clinic Program] said it's not healthy for dogs to live transient lifestyles and bounce between owners. She said dogs that don't form a strong bond with one family often end up becoming aloof and self destructive.

"I think it's great that they understand marketing, and I think it's great that they try to fulfill that need, but it's not good for the dog," Buchwald said.

"It's a little unfair for people to not have the opportunity to own a pet, and this is a nice way of doing it," she said, "I feel like I'm being a more responsible pet owner by doing this and not leaving a dog at home alone."

"I was a bit leery at first, and I had my questions," she added, "But I'm definitely going to stay a member."

Love on a Lease: Renting Man's Best Friend [ABC News]
(Photo:FlexPetz)

Will we be buying this? No. Are we happy the it exists? Yeah. Actually, we are.

The service, which is set to start in November after a test period in October, comes less than three weeks after NBC Universal said it was pulling its programs out of the highly successful iTunes service of Apple Inc. That partnership fell apart because of a dispute over Apple's iTunes pricing policies and what NBC executives said were concerns about lack of piracy protection.
...
NBC makes many of its popular shows available online in streaming media, which means that fans can watch episodes on their computers. Under the new NBC service, called NBC Direct, consumers will be able to download, for no fee, NBC programs like "Heroes," "The Office" and "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" on the night that they are broadcast and keep them for seven days. They would also be able to subscribe to shows, guaranteeing delivery each week.

But the files, which would be downloaded overnight to home computers, would contain commercials that viewers would not be able to skip through. And the file would not be transferable to a disk or to another computer.

The files would degrade after the seven-day period and be unwatchable. "Kind of like 'Mission: Impossible,' only I don't think there would be any explosion and smoke," Mr. Gaspin said.

Anyone interested in these downloads? Too much DRM?

NBC to Offer Downloads of Its Shows [NYT]

Apparently, the drink is stored in special custom vending machine that keeps it at a certain temperature. When the drink is opened, some sort of "mechanism" inside causes the drink to form ice out of the Sprite inside. We do not understand this, but if its successful, expect to see Coke and Diet Coke as well.

Coke plots 'Sprite with ice' with help of new technology [Marketingweek via Buzzfeed]
(Photo:Abandoned In Place)

Oh, apparently. Martha will be slapping her name onto some Gallo wine, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Although Ernest & Julio will be producing the wine, the Gallo name won't be on the label.

From the WSJ:

Dubbed Martha Stewart Vintage, the $15-a-bottle wine — in chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon and merlot — will be produced and distributed by closely held E.&J. Gallo Winery, of Modesto, Calif., and made from grapes grown primarily in Sonoma County, Calif., these people said. A rosé version is under consideration for future releases in the line.

Martha Stewart and Gallo Set Wine-Marketing Pact

Anyhow, according to an announcement from Crocs, we'll soon be left behind on the whole "plastic shirt" thing, too.

Yes, Crocs will soon being manufacturing clothing out of something called "Croslite rt." It's similar to the substance that the shoes are made out of, but more "relaxed."

The material will come in colors that complement your Crocs. Won't you be sexy?

Plastic fantastic: Crocs launch clothing range [Daily Mail]
(Photo:Daily Mail)