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by Sean
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August 12, 2007
Apparently, this whole “new media†thing is really catching on.
This is a pic I took with my BlackBerry (you know, that thing I’m addicted to?) in the nearest Starbucks to my apartment in New York City. (Of course, I could easily find three or four more without venturing
more than 5 blocks, but that’s not the point.)

This, however, isn’t
one of those annoying screens trying to sell you something. At least, not directly. The screen displays, much like a screen of an iPod, the title and artist of the song currently playing in the
Starbucks store. It also shows the time elapsed, time remaining, and the cover art. To be honest, I’m still convinced the thing runs on iTunes.
Regardless, it’s visually appealing, and fits naturally into the environment Starbucks works so hard to create. It connects with the customer on a non-intrusive level, and contributes to the
atmosphere of the “modern†coffeehouse.
So I’m taking bets: how long until we start seeing ads on these things? (Other than the indirect advertisement for the music playing,
that is.)