Digital City

Share

The places where one can light up a smoke is dwindling. First it was bars and restaurants, then public areas and parks, and now it is Apple computers.



Apple has recently been accused of voiding Applecare warranties belonging to two different customers because of second-hand smoke. One of the users took it to another Apple service center who told the owner that the repairs were not possible due to smoke residue.

Share

Going beyond the reach of KFC, more and more upscale establishments are offering fried chicken for their cash-strapped patrons. Despite dining in a fancier ambiance, the comfort food is seen as a more affordable dish than other meat entrees listed on the menu.



While it's not a brand new fad, several restaurants have been trying to be different by serving different versions of the crispy batter-fried chicken. One Sixty Blue in Chicago has a weekly bar special that pairs their chicken with flutes of champagne.

Share

The holidays are all about giving back to the community. This season, several celebrities are taking the lead by participating in various charities.

For the fourth year in a row, Kirk Douglas and his wife Anne will be hosting a Thanksgiving dinner today at the Los Angeles Mission. Other celebrities like High School Musical's Corbin Bleu and Glee's Naya Rivera will also be helping out. Previous dinners included celebrities Cindy Crawford and Minnie Driver, and the event is expected to feed over 3,000 folks.

Share

There was a time when the lounge piano ruled the lounge. It was a time when you could eat, drink and smoke to songs like "Feelings" or the "Theme from Love Story". In the '60s and '70s, guys like Phred Meller tickled the ivories, delivering banter between songs at the longstanding Duplex.



The songs may have changed since then, but the piano players never left. Franca Vercelloni has taken the torch, playing lounges all over the city, including The Duplex. Next month, she's performing a show there entitled Franca Vercelloni: Classically Trained, Practically Broke which tells the story of being a piano player in the bars of New York City.

She's telling me some of it first:

Share

Some of the God's of Rock and Roll are getting into the wine business. A company called Wines that Rock features a slogan that states: "Great Tasting Wine that is Inspired By Music." The buzz all started with Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon Cabernet Sauvignon and there's also a Woodstock Chardonnay.

Then last week at the 25th Anniversary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the company debuted their new Rolling Stones-themed wines. Get ready for The Rolling Stones Forty Licks Merlot. It's a 2007 Merlot with the taste of black cherry, with hints of plum, brown sugar, cinnamon, cedar, black cherry.

Share

James Kromer of Minneapolis thought the FBI was trying to control his mind with their computers. Last Thursday, he decided to do something about it and drove his truck into the building that housed the supposed mind-controlling computers.



He drove his truck into a building located at 1110 Washington Avenue South. However, his plan failed as he had the wrong address – the FBI office is located at 111 Washington Avenue South. The building that he hit was the Minnesota Public Health building and he caused an estimated $20,000 in damage. Officers also found a shotgun in his truck.

Share

When the temperature drops, there's no better way to warm up than with a drink in hand. Bars with fireplaces can be hard to come by, so that's why we've compiled a little black book of our favorite hearth-warming watering holes. Grab your date, get cozy with a glass of vino and let the sparks fly.



Beechwood - Venice, Calif.
This Venice Beach bar and restaurant exudes that laid-back vibe that Californians love. On the outdoor patio, you'll find a crackling fire pit surrounded by smooth polished wood furnishings. As you sip on specialty cocktails, order up one of their three different types of fries available with ten different dipping sauces.

Share

Big Macs, big-screen TVs and even free WiFi? That's what you'll find at a new upscale McDonald's in midtown Manhattan. The makeover is the first of its kind in the United States, following in the footsteps of thousands of McDonald's restaurants throughout France and the United Kingdom.

The newly-renovated Euro-chic McDonald's is equipped with modern Danish furniture, upholstered vinyl chairs, outlets for plugging in laptops, flat-screen televisions and gentler lighting. Add to that employees dressed in sleek all-black uniforms and you've got a fast food eatery with a hip, lounge-like feel.

Share

If you've never had the extravagant scent of shaved white truffles on your dinner entree, here's your chance to do so before prices go up again. At $2,000 per pound, the rare and fragrant mushroom is not quite affordable for most folks but you might be able to get a taste at a lower price.



The good news: you can order up a little truffle at your next dinner. To stay afloat during the holidays, several high-end restaurants known for truffle specialties are offering lowered prices to tempt more diners with a lower budget.

Share

Fable Doe is an artist who has taken on the venture of podcasting on her own Vulcan News Network. It's an ambitious work, one that she does without help from anyone else.

Like the Jedi Chef, she has been inserting herself into the world of the sci-fi conventions as her character, Fable Doe. In addition to the podcasting, she has finished her first novel, The Holy Booger.

Doing what you love and supporting yourself is a real challenge but she's managed to be pretty successful with it. She took some time out to talk to me about her work.