Cinch Jeans adds logo to medium-duty truck
Denver-based Rocky Mountain Clothing Co. has managed to get its Cinch Jeans name on just about everything Western – hats, knives and soon cologne. But the company’s latest licensing agreement will likely prove to be its biggest.
Cinch Jeans, General Motors and Monroe Truck Equipment have teamed up to develop a truck designed for Western enthusiasts. The medium-duty truck – designed for hauling horse trailers – includes a custom Cinch seat package with distressed-leather captain’s chairs, rear bench seat, the Cinch crest logo embroidered on the headrests, and “Cinch*Up” printed on the bottom of the rear window.
An upgraded edition of the truck features the logo of rodeo star Britt Bockius.
Denver firm to stream D.C. book exposition
A Denver company has been named the official podcaster of BookExpo America 2006. BurstMarketing will broadcast events and speeches during the annual expo in Washington, D.C., from May 19-21. Speakers include author John Updike, U.S. Sen. Barack Obama and CNN’s Anderson Cooper. BurstMarketing will post audio files of about 24 events on its website, bookexpocast.com, after the expo ends, said founder Rob Simon.
Simon – the “S” in Denver-based GBSM, which he left in 2004- also produces the free podcast show “Authors on Tour – Live” with the Tattered Cover Book Store in Denver.
In addition to listening to the free podcasts online, you can download them to your iPod or other portable media device.
Wal-Mart to offer custom PC parts
Retail behemoth Wal-Mart Stores Inc. plans to begin selling build-your-own-computer components in one-third of its U.S. stores. Previously, the company has sold only bundled systems to its customers.
Wal-Mart spokeswoman Linda Blakley said she did not know which stores would begin stocking the offerings, which will include CPUs, monitors, keyboards and accessories.
“This is about giving our customers options,” Blakley said. “You have the opportunity to purchase something at the opening price point or go with more bells and whistles.”
The decision follows similar efforts by the Bentonville, Ark.- based retailer to expand its offerings to include higher-end items. The company has recently launched the Metro 7 clothing line and plans to expand its organic-food offerings as well.
Software lets baby hack away at your PC
Living up to its name, Giggles Computer Funtime for Baby transforms a Mac or PC into a busy box. A baby sitting in your lap can bash, mouth or click the keyboard with few worries, other than a bit of drool.
Available for $20 as a download or CD from www.giggles.net, the program starts with a menu for adults offering 10 exploration zones.
There’s a farm where pressing any key makes an animal pop up on the screen, or a backyard scene where pressing any key makes a rabbit dance. When a child stops pressing, the action stops, too, helping children feel in control of a noisy, silly experience. A control panel lets parents toggle among five musical styles, from classical to bluegrass, and a screen-saver mode makes some select games available whenever the computer is on.
Unlike many technology products for babies, the packaging makes no claims of creating an Einstein. What this program does is create an informal setting where a child can sit in a lap and freely explore what used to be forbidden territory: a parent’s computer.
Just don’t be surprised when you find a raisin pressed into your numerical keypad.
