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Easy As Pie: Soon You Could Push A Button And Get A Pizza

MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:

Here's another way the Internet is replacing the phone: ordering a pizza.

ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:

The old way, call the restaurant, tell them what you want.

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: (Unintelligible)

SIEGEL: The new way: go to the website, type your order, type in your credit card number and so on.

BLOCK: Well, if that's too much typing, there's now a new, new way: ordering pizza with the touch of a single button.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

SIEGEL: That music comes from an ad for Red Tomato Pizza in Dubai. It offers this one-touch service. Press a button on their refrigerator magnet, it activates an app on your cell phone, which, in turn, orders your favorite pie.

BLOCK: And a similar concept has been taken up stateside by Washington D.C.-based iStrategy Labs. Still being tested, their prototype is meant to communicate directly with the website of your favorite pizza place. They call it the Pie Pal.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: First, turn the dial to select the number of pizzas you want to order. Then, press the center button to lock in your order. And when the LED lights up, your order has been confirmed.

BLOCK: That's from iStrategy Labs' demonstration video.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Now, just chill out because your pizza's been ordered and you didn't have to talk to a single person.

SIEGEL: Press a button, get a pizza. You can check out the video at NPR.org/AllTechConsidered. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.