Gadget Links: 13 Miles Away Isn’t Close Enough Edition

Reading Time: 2 minutes
  • Ode To A Burrito — Chipotle Mexican Grill on Fast Company: “Good food wrapped in a socially responsible message has created legions of Chipotle fans — and a superhot business. Acquired by McDonald’s in 1998 when there were only 14 Chipotles, the company went public in 2006 with 500 stores and watched its stock rise from $22 to $110 in 18 months. The now-independent outfit is enjoying an 80% revenue run-up over three years….

    “Chipotle has achieved these impressive stats by spurning fast-food orthodoxy. Workers make each burrito by hand, which leads to long lines of customers waiting far beyond the four-minute industry standard. Turns out, that’s not a problem for many customers.” There aren’t many Chipotles in Pennsylvania, but one just opened in Warrington, in the same complex with one of our two closest Wegman’s. Why can’t we eat there more often? [ via 37signals SVN ]

  • Forwarding voicemails? on 37signals SVN: “Visual Voicemail on the iPhone is a huge step forward for voicemail, but it still feels a bit last generation. It’s still about the static message that sits in your box. You can’t forward it along, you can’t email it to yourself, you can’t even play it to someone else who’s on the phone with you.” Great points.
  • 15 Features of the Perfect Work Space on LifeDev: “8. No clutter – Clutter is an aesthetic problem as well as a mental problem. Cluttered work spaces give create cluttered thinking. Your mind will never be as clear as it could be with a messy, unorganized environment. This also includes your desktop clutter as well.” My only question about the article is: why is “no clutter” feature number 8 and not higher on the list?
  • Household: De-Clutter with a Six-Month “Maybe Box” on Lifehacker: “I can vouch for the power of hidden non-necessities. My garage has served as a de facto “Maybe” space for most of this winter, leading my house toward a serious garage sale this spring.”
  • The Cost of Working In a Digital World on LifeDev: “A very important article has been written by The New York Times showing the hazards of being a web worker. Without boundaries and carefult attention to our Internet usage, we can quickly find our health declining. Prolific blogger Om Malik, who suffered some life-threatening health problems late last year, shares some insights his doctor gave as to why web workers have health problems.”
  • #1 Song on This Date in History from Josh Hosler: “What was the #1 song on … the day you were born? the day you graduated from high school? the day you were married? the day your child was born? the approximate date you were conceived?” Awesome site. [ via Pogue’s Posts and Alltop Gadgets ]