Sree's Thoughts on Tech Troubles
Thursday, April 19, 2001

It's been brutal. And I am not talking about investing in tech stocks -- I don't have any money for that... I am talking about how some of the products and services we have discussed on my Tech Guru segments have gotten into trouble. Since it has been three months since I started to do these, I thought it was time to update you.

A graphic from the Audrey site. RIP.

AUDREY: My first segment, on Jan. 18, 2001, was about Audrey, a small Internet appliance. Here is a shot of me on the set with Audrey.

Back in January, when Audrey was still alive.

Just a couple of months after I did that story, Audrey's manufacturer, 3com (maker of the Palm handhelds), pulled the plug on her. Sluggish sales, the $500 price tag and the current economic climate were among the contributing factors. I still continue to believe that Internet appliances like Audrey loom large in our future, and will be the key to getting more people on to the Web. Stay tuned.

IF YOU OWN AN AUDREY: 3com says it will honor all warranties, and if you bought it within the last 30 days, will give you a full refund.

IF YOU WERE CONSIDERING AN AUDREY-LIKE APPLIANCE: I would wait till the fall to see some of the new Internet appliances slated for release.

KOZMO: A service I liked and used a lot -- Kozmo -- has gone out of business.

A graphic from the Kozmo site. RIP.

Kozmo allowed you to have a video or snacks or gifts delivered in several cities across the country -- in about an hour. It worked well for the most part, but over the last two years, we kept asking, how will they make money? They answer: they won't.

Last week, Kozmo shut its operations. If you still have a video rental out, you need to return it to the drop boxes or else your credit card will be billed.

IF YOU ARE A KOZMO ADDICT: No one else does what Kozmo does (as you may know, its main competitor, Urbanfetch.com went out of business in 2000). But you may want to try the following service -- though it's not as cheap or fast or convenient, it may last longer!

It's called HomeDelivery.com. The site offers mini-sites for various merchants you already know around the city -- everything from restaurants to pharmacies to groceries. HomeDelivery bought and merged into their services NYDelivery.com, a site I have used several times.

 

Sree's Site of The Week


Earth Day Network
http://www.earthday.net

In time for this weekend's Earth Day, it's EarthDay.net, the site of the worldwide campaign to celebrate Earth Day.

This is the best place to start learning about the Earth Day festivities -- but it is more than just fun stuff. Useful tips and suggestions to "take action for the environment."

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