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I NEED AN IPHONE 2.
Via Tyler Cowen, anything that can do this needs to be in my pocket:
Yet another [new iPhone program], Urbanspoon, is “a cross between a magic eight ball and a slot machine:" you shake the phone, and it randomly displays the name of a good restaurant nearby, using the iPhone’s G.P.S. and motion sensor.Oh god yes.
COMMENTS (10)
No, you don't. Get a Blackberry, like all the Wall Street folks.
You know you can't trust a randomly selected restaurant for being right on taste quality, freshness, price and ambience. They likely use last week's fish, or Salmonella Cilantro.
The correct solution is your very own version of Zagat's made by experience (yours and friends), stored on that Blackberry.
And AT&T is really the devil, you know.
Posted by: JimPortlandOR | July 9, 2008 12:58 PM
Eh. This should be possible on an iPhone 1, too.
(says the guy who owns an original iPhone and is desperately trying to stave off gadget lust)
Posted by: Tom | July 9, 2008 12:58 PM
I was skeptical about how accurate their definition of "good" would be, but having looked at their Top 100 selections in the Twin Cities I have to say I'm favorably impressed.
I haven't dined in DC nearly enough to say whether the local list there is any good, though.
( http://www.urbanspoon.com/best/7/Washington-DC.html )
Posted by: Midwest Product | July 9, 2008 1:20 PM
ADD: Having now noticed that a PF Chang's in the suburbs is in DC's Top 10, I'm unable to decide whether Urbanspoon is worthless or if DC is just a shitty place to eat.
Posted by: Midwest Product | July 9, 2008 1:23 PM
JimPortlandOR gets at the dilemma, for me at least: which is that i *like* the iPhone but I hate AT&T. I know all cell phone companies are evil to a greater or lesser degree, but AT&T really seems like the worst of the lot. I switched from them to T Mobile a couple of months ago (brought my own, unlocked phone, so no contract now either) and am happy I did so.
But don't get a blackberry. It's web browser is a slow, ugly, crippled piece of junk. Feels like web browsing during stone age of the WWW, circa 1996. http://www.zagat.com/ looks fine on an iphone, BTW.
Posted by: James | July 9, 2008 1:37 PM
Ugh, they have listings for Richmond, Hartford, OK City for chrissake, but not New Orleans? Do these people think we are still underwater?
Hell, Lafayette should have a listing over OK City.
Posted by: alli | July 9, 2008 2:13 PM
And yet blog "progressives" (sic) decry telecom immunity and all the sleazy dealings of AT&T so you can wonk off to a shiny new toy. Puh-lease.
So it's other people that have to take a stand Ezra? Not "progressives" like you and Kos?
Disconnected much?
Shame shame.
Posted by: christian | July 9, 2008 2:43 PM
Oooh, Applebee's tonight! ^_^
Posted by: Glenn Fayard | July 9, 2008 4:17 PM
@ Midwest Product: Given that the first restaurant on their DC list that is actually in the District comes in at #19, and is Circa, I can pretty much assure you that the DC list is garbage.
Posted by: Neil | July 9, 2008 4:45 PM
You're actually not supposed to shake a Magic 8 Ball, just turn it over. Shaking it leads to little bubbles that can make it hard to read.
Don't get me started on Polaroids.
Posted by: tps12 | July 10, 2008 10:02 AM