Everybody’s business

Islands in the stream
Sure, all that new-fangled Internet “streaming” of music and text is great. But what if you’re not that technologically savvy, or don’t have a computer?

Dave Perras of Chico-based Streamit.us has partnered with a firm in The Netherlands to market stand-alone Internet audio products in the United States, including the Lukas MP3 Internet Radio.

The company first used the device to get Dutch church services to the housebound. The product—essentially an MP3 player—just needs to be set up once, remotely selecting from up to 100 online “channels,” and then all the user has to do is work it like a regular radio. Prices start at $229.

“We like to keep it simple,” Perras said. “Turn it on and it starts listening. It’s the new family of Internet appliances.”

Perras explained how it works, very succinctly, but I still got confused. Apparently, MP3 digital files are compressed on a big server somewhere, and when a computer logs in, the files “stream” in.

Turns out this technology has been around for 15 to 20 years. “It had always been kind of a geeky thing,” Perras said.

I feel old. My first Internet connection was in 1993. I had to get my college dean to OK an account for me through Humboldt State’s science department, and then use a 2400-baud modem to dial up to a server in, I think, Palo Alto. And everything was text.

Selling the Farmers’
For sale: Farmers’ Café in Durham. It’s a cute spot with great breakfasts and you can buy it for only $79,900.

The building used to be the train depot, and while it’s only open for breakfast and lunch now, there are pizza ovens there, and a wine and beer license is pending.

You can also buy a 18-washer, 12-dryer coin laundry in Chico for only $15,000, according to www.bizben.com.

Lots o’ luck
Pacific-West Properties is at work on the former Chevy’s building, with representatives telling neighboring businesses that in addition to splitting it into restaurants, they want to build an office building in the parking lot.

I don’t know how they can squeeze that in, but the company hasn’t returned my phone calls so I’ll ferret out the details another way.

This is why we can’t have nice things
The hot light is off at Krispy Kreme in Chico—permanently. I guess it didn’t live up the media hype. Oh, wait. I am the media hype.

We went by Sunday, Oct. 30, which was the donut chain’s last day, to enjoy one last Original Glazed, but at 4:30 p.m. it was already closed. We joined a few other people in the parking lot staring wantonly at the papered-up windows. Why, oh why, did we not appreciate its tasty goodness when it was here? Now we’ll have to get them cold in the supermarket, or drive to Sacramento.

All sarcasm aside, my condolences go out to all the Krispy Kreme employees who lost their jobs. Being laid off is a huge bummer.

Speaking of Sacramento, I was there Saturday at Trader Joe’s. Now, people, let’s appreciate this one so it will stick around. The clerks there say the scheduled opening date for the Chico TJ’s is Dec. 2.