With brief, occasional, italicized and sometimes gratuitous commentary…
• The Fresno Bee reports that Costco is proposing a new 241,000 square foot store in Fresno, California, that would replace an existing 134,000 square foot unit there. The store, if approved by local zoning, planning and environmental oversight boards, would include 32 gas pumps and a car wash.
• Engadget has a story about the Autocado, a robot that "cuts, cores and peels avocados to be used in guacamole." The Autocado is being tested by Chipotle, which "expects to cut guacamole prep time in half — no mean feat when it usually takes 50 minutes to make a batch" of guacamole.
According to the story, "Kitchen workers only have to fill the bot with up to 25lbs of ripe avocados and choose a size. After the processing is done, they collect the fruit in a bowl, add remaining ingredients and start mashing."
I have a good friend in California who has an avocado farm, and he's very impressed by what he's seen of the Autocado. I'm waiting for them to come out with a consumer version of the robot, which will make it even easier to make guacamole at home.
