Saturday, January 2, 2016

Product Idea: The Unshareable Blanket

For the person in your social group who only takes selfies, consider the gift of a triangle blanket. Optimized for today's baggage-free lifestyle, this cozy blanket has just enough coverage for one. Try sharing it and see how well it works--it doesn't. Your wanna-be friends on the sofa next to you will assume the blanket is crooked. But there is no easy way for them to grope for it without being discovered. And if they try to pull it over to share, they will have to pry it out of your cold dead hands. It doesn't share. The unique unpatented design offers all the benefits of a snuggy, except the arm holes.

Looking to start your next company? Look no further. Create "The Selfie Blanket".

Possible variants include a single hole just large enough for your selfie stick to poke through.



Disclaimer: All product ideas are presented without any due diligence and have no warranty implied or otherwise of fitness for any particular purpose other than amusement.

Friday, January 1, 2016

Nerd Shopper Review: University Mall, Orem --Worst Mall Ever


In the town where legendary science fiction writer Orson Scott Card (Ender's Game) grew up, in the valley where Stephanie Meyer (Twilight) learned to write about sparkling vampires, where you can sign up to take writing classes from fantasy legend Brandon Sanderson (Mistborn), there is a mall where you can get...

Nothing.

University Mall (Orem/Provo, UT) Nerd Shopper Scorecard

Game Stores: 0
Toy Stores: 0  (Correction: Disney Store = -1)
Lego Store: 0
Arcades: 0
Creepy Used Book Stores: 0
Hobby Stores: 0
Comics Shops and Collectibles: 0
Stores with Swords for Sale: 0

Total Nerd Shopper Score: -1

But there's always overpriced khakis at Banana Republic.

Shame on you Utah Valley. Shame.

If your shopping partner insists on going to this big overpriced fashion bazaar, hop across the street to the nearby hobby store, where you can pick up copies of the free magazine Utah Geek and buy motors for your rockets. Or, take a drive down the road to Provo Towne Centre, where although they apparently don't know how to spell short words like town and center, you can find a game store with a backroom, buy Arduino parts at Radio Shack, find cool out of print Star Wars books at a used book store and generally enjoy your dweeby self without being accosted by lotion peddlers. :)

In fitting irony, it appears that University Mall, with the first-ever negative Nerd Shopper Score, was where Studio C's epic mall parody sketch was filmed.