Cingular Brings Really Fast Food to the Ball park

Stats and instant replay delivered to your cell phone are great, but how about not standing in the beer line for half an hour and missing the big play? Cingular has teamed up with the NBA Atlanta Hawks and National Hockey League Thrashers to test out NFC (near-field communication), which will provide season ticket-holders at Phillips Arena with a way to beat the lines. Right now, the technology is limited (you need a specific Nokia phone and a Chase Visa account), but it is being tested, and the idea is ingenious: Point your phone at a vending booth, order your food, and pay for it with your phone; then all you have to do is pick it up–instead of wasting time standing in line or fiddling with your wallet or purse. Perhaps, it’s not as easy as walking to your fridge and grabbing a cold one, but it’s a start—-and your fridge isn’t in the tenth row or mid court, is it? – Kevin Geter