I have a strange habit of checking the price per unit of the things that I buy, partly because I like to examine the motivation that companies think they need to give you in order to entice you to buy a bigger size.
On a recent trip to Wendy’s, I was waiting for my order (Spicy Chicken Meal and a Small Chocolate Frosty) and staring at the menu when I noticed something strange: Wendy’s doesn’t entice you to buy a bigger size at all. In fact, they actually price the Frosty so that the biggest size isn’t the best deal.
Here’s how it brakes down:
Small Frosty (12 ounces) = $1.19 (9.92 cents per ounce)
Medium Frosty (16 ounces) = $1.69 (10.56 cents per ounce)
Large Frosty (20 ounces) = $1.99 (10.05 cents per ounce)
Though a Large Frosty does cost less than a Medium Frosty, the Small Frosty costs less than either of them, which means if you’re looking for the best deal, you should actually just buy two Small Frostys and pay $2.38 for 24 ounces of Frosty goodness! (At 9.92 cents per ounce.)
I don’t know if this is the case at all Wendy’s, or if each Wendy’s has some choice over how they price their products (let me know in the comments if you’ve noticed the price of a Wendy’s Frosty lately) but it sounds like someone needs to take a repeat course in Frosty-nomics!
Amazon’s Kindle brought the eBook to the masses, and with the Kindle 2, they’re hoping an evolution of the design will help even more people discover the convenience of digital reading.
At just over 1/3 of an inch thick, and weighing in at just 10.2 ounces, it’s much smaller and lighter than you would expect, and with free 3G wireless connectivity, you can enjoy a book whenever and wherever you happen to be.
The Kindle 2 also features a new display that can show up to 16 shades of gray, 25% longer battery life, enough storage for 1,500 books, 20% faster page turns, and even a new text-to-speech feature that reads your content to you if you’re feeling particularly lazy.
Since just about every blog in existence has already profiled and reviewed the Kindle 2, I thought I’d just gather together a few of their thoughts so that you can see what everyone thinks of this device:
Engadget: “It really does feel great in hand. The brushed metal back is great, the device is incredibly light and comfortable to hold, and the keyboard is fairly usable. We’re not convinced the five-way joystick is the best they possible could’ve worked into this space- a d-pad seems much more logical – but it’s responsive and comfortable enough to twiddle with for what it is.”
Gizmodo: “The overall handfeel is a lot nicer. While part of me loves the snowspeeder original, this just feels better in your hand, and it obviously looks a lot slicker. Though at the same time, that iPod-like slickness is a bit less daring than the original.”
CrunchGear: “The difference in size is absolutely the most striking aspect of the new Kindle. Text-to-Speech is cool, but this is day and night when it comes to size.”
Ars Technica: “Overall, I have to say that the Kindle 2 is a far superior device to the first iteration, and really shows an attention to detail that, based on the earlier device, it wasn’t clear that Amazon had in it. More significantly, perhaps, is the fact that the company has clearly made sensible fixes to many of the problems, which demonstrates a clear commitment to listening to its customers. The changes give me hope that, when the hardware’s ready, the remaining issues (primarily the keyboard and the small screen) will be fixed. It makes me anxious to see what’s in store for Kindle 3.”
LPE Power makes pneumatic LEGO engines that you can build yourself that are very small, powerful, and capable of speeds in excess of 2000 RPM!
Currently, an inline 3 and inline 4 engine are available, though plans are in the works for a full V8, and they’re perfect fits for any of your LEGO models – trial trucks, cars, construction machinery, etc.
Think you’re ready for scale model power like never before?
ThinkGeek’s Black Stealth 3-Channel R/C Helicopter is a fun way to start flying, but if you really want to be in control, then check out their Micro R/C 4-Channel Flying Saucer.
Described as “the smallest, most sophisticated R/C flying vehicle around”, it gives you control over altitude, direction and rotation, and features a solid-state accelerometer that senses tilt on two axes and adjusts the power of each propeller to keep the Flying Saucer rock solid in the sky.
In addition, a built in automatic trim means no trim dials or buttons to adjust, so you just power-cycle the remote before you begin to fly, and the Flying Saucer references the accelerometer to auto trim itself.
Dell calls it the “Ideal Internet Buddy for Surfing, Shopping and Chatting” (and “Your New Best Friend”, and a “Light, Highly Mobile Device Built For Easy Online Browsing and Entertainment” and an “Internet Companion” and a “Small, easy-to-carry device” that’s ready for “teens, tweens, travelers and Tweeters”, so I guess even Dell can’t figure out [...]
I’ve played with one of these small R/C copters before, so I can vouch for the fun that can be had with one of them, but ThinkGeek’s Black Stealth 3-Channel R/C Helicopter looks like it opens up a whole new world of possibilities with full 3-channel control.
Unlike most small R/C copters (like the one that [...]
