STORES Magazine - December 2008 - (Page 86)

POSTSCRIPT thelastlaugh IF YOU had to nominate a toy for the National Toy Hall of Fame, which one would you choose? Keep in mind that longevity is a key criterion; the toy you nominate should be widely recognized and enduring in popularity. It should foster learning, creativity or discovery through play. Are you thinking about those Rock ’Em Sock ’Em Robots you loved way back when? Maybe you had something more like Lincoln Logs in mind. Neither of these made it into the Strong National Museum of Play – but the stick did. Yes, the common stick, described as a universal plaything powered by a child’s imagination has finally received the recognition it so richly deserves. Other 2008 entrants include the baby doll and the skateboard. Curators praised the all-purpose, no-cost recreational qualities of the stick, noting its ability to serve as raw material or as an appendage transformed in myriad ways by a child’s creativity. “It’s very open-ended, all-natural, the perfect price . . . there aren’t any rules or instructions for its use,” says Christopher Bensch, the museum’s curator of collections. “It can be a Wild West horse, a medieval knight’s sword, a boat on a stream or a slingshot with a rubber band. . . . No snowman is complete without a couple of stick arms, and every campfire needs a stick for toasting marshmallows.” Honoring the stick follows in the spirit of a 2005 inductee, the cardboard box. Still, you can’t help but wonder if the curators at the museum received a special memo from Santa Claus asking for their support in promoting low-cost/no-cost toys. After all, Santa’s 401(k) ain’t what it used to be – and he’s not getting any younger. And the Winner Is . . . simple math questions in less than one minute. If he can’t complete the questions, the email sits in the Outbox until he can. This presumably gives the sender time to sober up and reconsider the missive he wanted to fire off to his boss, mother-in-law or ex-girlfriend. Goggles can be auto-set to work late on Friday nights and weekends or at other user-specified days and times. The difficulty of the math problems can be adjusted, too – a feature that the “drinking makes me sharper” crowd may want to consider. Next up, Google should consider partnering with cell phone suppliers to save the world from drunk dialing. LINGERIE maker Lucia Iorio of Brazil says her latest design targets the “modern, techno-savvy woman.” Feminists around the world have an entirely different view. That’s because Iorio’s newest lingerie creation comes with a GPS tracking device nestled inside the waistband. The “find me if you can” lingerie set consists of a lace bodice, bikini bottom and faux pearl collar. Lorio describes the lingerie as “a wink to women and a challenge to men because, even if she gives him the password to her GPS, she can always turn it off.” Maybe so, but the designer is having a hard time turning off the controversy that’s been brewing since the item debuted. “It is outrageous to think that men can buy this, program it and give it to their partners and then monitor them,” says Claudia Burghart, leader of a Berlin feminist group. “It is nothing more than a chastity belt for insecure men.” It’s not a modern chastity belt, the designer says, but instead could become a lifesaver — a safety device on a night out. Given that the lingerie costs between $800 and $1,000, we’re thinking most women will opt to stick with pepper spray. WWW.STORES.ORG No Secrets Lingerie E-mail Breathalyzer THERE are a lot of inventions that have made the world a better place. But the newest application from Google just may take top honors. The “Mail Goggles” application is intended to prevent people from drunk e-mailing — making fools of themselves (or worse) by sending nasty or incoherent notes. The application works by refusing to send a Gmail e-mail until the user is able to answer five 86 STORES / DECEMBER 2008 http://WWW.STORES.ORG

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of STORES Magazine - December 2008

STORES Magazine - December 2008 Contents Executive Editor's Page President's Page Wrap Rage Unraveled What Shoppers Think Courting a Comeback 10 Things You May Have Missed Numbers Worth Counting Full Price/Markdown Retail People Cover Story: Navigating the Road Ahead Website Strategy Concept2Watch Online Customer Service International Marketing Green Retailing Online Merchandising Signage Operations Online Strategies Pricing Strategy Kiosks RFID Human Resources Loeb Retail Letter ARTS Update Point of View NRF News Retail Crossword Retail Industry Calendar Last Laugh

STORES Magazine - December 2008

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