TechBytes: Rent Top Designs Online
In today's TechBytes, the Nook on back order, the Litl Webbook, texting nation.
Nov. 9, 2009— -- Rent the Runway is the Netflix for designer dresses. The Web site rents high-end fashions from top designers such as Diane von Furstenberg for about a tenth of what they would cost to buy. Customers receive the dress by mail and return it in a pre-paid envelope already included in the deal. A four-night loan runs $50 to $200 and it includes dry cleaning. For an extra $25, renters can even choose a second style as a back-up.
Customers looking to pre-order Barnes & Noble's new electronic book reader are going to have to wait a little longer to get it. The retailer says demand for The Nook has been so strong that it has had to push back the delivery date for some buyers. Initial pre-orders will ship Nov. 30 as promised, but anyone ordering the e-reader now will have to wait until at least Dec. 11.
The $259 device was introduced to compete with Amazon's Kindle.
A new computer brings us closer to managing our entire lives online. The Litl webbook is designed for easy access to the Web, viewing online video and photos and connecting to your TV. The 12- inch laptop connects you to Web sites for e-mail, word processing and photos instead of offering large storage space for your files.
The computer also has a screen that folds over into easel mode to make it easier to look at pictures or videos. The Litl Webbook sells for $699.
A new report concludes that the number of text messages transmitted in the United States jumped by more than 80 percent for the 12-month period ended in June. That percentage adds up to more than 135 billion messages sent or received in June alone. On average, about 14 texts are sent everyday from every cell phone user in the country.
