• Home
  • popular
  • EVENTS
  • submit-new-event
  • CHARITY GUIDE
  • Children
  • Education
  • Health
  • Veterans
  • Social Services
  • Arts + Culture
  • Animals
  • LGBTQ
  • New Charity
  • TRENDING NEWS
  • News
  • City Life
  • Entertainment
  • Sports
  • Home + Design
  • Travel
  • Real Estate
  • Restaurants + Bars
  • Arts
  • Society
  • Innovation
  • Fashion + Beauty
  • subscribe
  • about
  • series
  • Embracing Your Inner Cowboy
  • Green Living
  • Summer Fun
  • Real Estate Confidential
  • RX In the City
  • State of the Arts
  • Fall For Fashion
  • Cai's Odyssey
  • Comforts of Home
  • Good Eats
  • Holiday Gift Guide 2010
  • Holiday Gift Guide 2
  • Good Eats 2
  • HMNS Pirates
  • The Future of Houston
  • We Heart Hou 2
  • Music Inspires
  • True Grit
  • Hoops City
  • Green Living 2011
  • Cruizin for a Cure
  • Summer Fun 2011
  • Just Beat It
  • Real Estate 2011
  • Shelby on the Seine
  • Rx in the City 2011
  • Entrepreneur Video Series
  • Going Wild Zoo
  • State of the Arts 2011
  • Fall for Fashion 2011
  • Elaine Turner 2011
  • Comforts of Home 2011
  • King Tut
  • Chevy Girls
  • Good Eats 2011
  • Ready to Jingle
  • Houston at 175
  • The Love Month
  • Clifford on The Catwalk Htx
  • Let's Go Rodeo 2012
  • King's Harbor
  • FotoFest 2012
  • City Centre
  • Hidden Houston
  • Green Living 2012
  • Summer Fun 2012
  • Bookmark
  • 1987: The year that changed Houston
  • Best of Everything 2012
  • Real Estate 2012
  • Rx in the City 2012
  • Lost Pines Road Trip Houston
  • London Dreams
  • State of the Arts 2012
  • HTX Fall For Fashion 2012
  • HTX Good Eats 2012
  • HTX Contemporary Arts 2012
  • HCC 2012
  • Dine to Donate
  • Tasting Room
  • HTX Comforts of Home 2012
  • Charming Charlie
  • Asia Society
  • HTX Ready to Jingle 2012
  • HTX Mistletoe on the go
  • HTX Sun and Ski
  • HTX Cars in Lifestyle
  • HTX New Beginnings
  • HTX Wonderful Weddings
  • HTX Clifford on the Catwalk 2013
  • Zadok Sparkle into Spring
  • HTX Let's Go Rodeo 2013
  • HCC Passion for Fashion
  • BCAF 2013
  • HTX Best of 2013
  • HTX City Centre 2013
  • HTX Real Estate 2013
  • HTX France 2013
  • Driving in Style
  • HTX Island Time
  • HTX Super Season 2013
  • HTX Music Scene 2013
  • HTX Clifford on the Catwalk 2013 2
  • HTX Baker Institute
  • HTX Comforts of Home 2013
  • Mothers Day Gift Guide 2021 Houston
  • Staying Ahead of the Game
  • Wrangler Houston
  • First-time Homebuyers Guide Houston 2021
  • Visit Frisco Houston
  • promoted
  • eventdetail
  • Greystar Novel River Oaks
  • Thirdhome Go Houston
  • Dogfish Head Houston
  • LovBe Houston
  • Claire St Amant podcast Houston
  • The Listing Firm Houston
  • South Padre Houston
  • NextGen Real Estate Houston
  • Pioneer Houston
  • Collaborative for Children
  • Decorum
  • Bold Rock Cider
  • Nasher Houston
  • Houston Tastemaker Awards 2021
  • CityNorth
  • Urban Office
  • Villa Cotton
  • Luck Springs Houston
  • EightyTwo
  • Rectanglo.com
  • Silver Eagle Karbach
  • Mirador Group
  • Nirmanz
  • Bandera Houston
  • Milan Laser
  • Lafayette Travel
  • Highland Park Village Houston
  • Proximo Spirits
  • Douglas Elliman Harris Benson
  • Original ChopShop
  • Bordeaux Houston
  • Strike Marketing
  • Rice Village Gift Guide 2021
  • Downtown District
  • Broadstone Memorial Park
  • Gift Guide
  • Music Lane
  • Blue Circle Foods
  • Houston Tastemaker Awards 2022
  • True Rest
  • Lone Star Sports
  • Silver Eagle Hard Soda
  • Modelo recipes
  • Modelo Fighting Spirit
  • Athletic Brewing
  • Rodeo Houston
  • Silver Eagle Bud Light Next
  • Waco CVB
  • EnerGenie
  • HLSR Wine Committee
  • All Hands
  • El Paso
  • Houston First
  • Visit Lubbock Houston
  • JW Marriott San Antonio
  • Silver Eagle Tupps
  • Space Center Houston
  • Central Market Houston
  • Boulevard Realty
  • Travel Texas Houston
  • Alliantgroup
  • Golf Live
  • DC Partners
  • Under the Influencer
  • Blossom Hotel
  • San Marcos Houston
  • Photo Essay: Holiday Gift Guide 2009
  • We Heart Hou
  • Walker House
  • HTX Good Eats 2013
  • HTX Ready to Jingle 2013
  • HTX Culture Motive
  • HTX Auto Awards
  • HTX Ski Magic
  • HTX Wonderful Weddings 2014
  • HTX Texas Traveler
  • HTX Cifford on the Catwalk 2014
  • HTX United Way 2014
  • HTX Up to Speed
  • HTX Rodeo 2014
  • HTX City Centre 2014
  • HTX Dos Equis
  • HTX Tastemakers 2014
  • HTX Reliant
  • HTX Houston Symphony
  • HTX Trailblazers
  • HTX_RealEstateConfidential_2014
  • HTX_IW_Marks_FashionSeries
  • HTX_Green_Street
  • Dating 101
  • HTX_Clifford_on_the_Catwalk_2014
  • FIVE CultureMap 5th Birthday Bash
  • HTX Clifford on the Catwalk 2014 TEST
  • HTX Texans
  • Bergner and Johnson
  • HTX Good Eats 2014
  • United Way 2014-15_Single Promoted Articles
  • Holiday Pop Up Shop Houston
  • Where to Eat Houston
  • Copious Row Single Promoted Articles
  • HTX Ready to Jingle 2014
  • htx woodford reserve manhattans
  • Zadok Swiss Watches
  • HTX Wonderful Weddings 2015
  • HTX Charity Challenge 2015
  • United Way Helpline Promoted Article
  • Boulevard Realty
  • Fusion Academy Promoted Article
  • Clifford on the Catwalk Fall 2015
  • United Way Book Power Promoted Article
  • Jameson HTX
  • Primavera 2015
  • Promenade Place
  • Hotel Galvez
  • Tremont House
  • HTX Tastemakers 2015
  • HTX Digital Graffiti/Alys Beach
  • MD Anderson Breast Cancer Promoted Article
  • HTX RealEstateConfidential 2015
  • HTX Vargos on the Lake
  • Omni Hotel HTX
  • Undies for Everyone
  • Reliant Bright Ideas Houston
  • 2015 Houston Stylemaker
  • HTX Renewable You
  • Urban Flats Builder
  • Urban Flats Builder
  • HTX New York Fashion Week spring 2016
  • Kyrie Massage
  • Red Bull Flying Bach
  • Hotze Health and Wellness
  • ReadFest 2015
  • Alzheimer's Promoted Article
  • Formula 1 Giveaway
  • Professional Skin Treatments by NuMe Express

    Food for Thought

    Crazy iPhone cases reach a new foodie high: Technology that looks good enough to eat

    Marene Gustin
    Marene Gustin
    Aug 10, 2013 | 2:45 pm

    “I’ve always been a foodie,” Laura Mitchell says.

    It kinda runs in the family. She’s the daughter of Phillip Mitchell, co-owner of Phil & Derek's Restaurant & Wine Bar. Mitchell works at the restaurant as a part-time bartender.

    But she’s been spending a lot of time lately making smart phone cases instead of pouring wine.

    “I just woke up one day and said I’m going to make a new phone cover,” Mitchell says. “And then I made more and then I started selling them.”

    She’s working on a website, but right now you can contact her at lauramitchell222@yahoo.com.

    These cases will make talk time so tasty you might want to bite into your phone.

    Now, some of these cellphone cases are really cool and complicated, but the ones I most love are the ones dressed up as food. Mitchell's got 3-D candy cases and a really cool one that turns your iPhone into a plate of cheese and crackers, which is perfect for a wine bar environment. And she just got some new foods items in.

    “I just think it’s cool walking around with a hamburger on your phone,” Mitchell says when asked why she makes food phone cases.

    And apparently, it is. At least in Japan and Hong Kong, which is where the company she buys the little food items from is based. If you Google foodie phone cases you’ll find about five million sites. And the ones from Japan are pretty amazing. These cases will make talk time so tasty you might want to bite into your phone.

    The most popular cases are sushi and sashimi and they look so real that you’ll be wary of setting your phone down on a sushi counter in case someone nearby snatches it up to eat.

    But rice and noodle dishes are also popular as are some sweet treats. Maybe you want your iPhone to look like melting chocolate or an ice cream sandwich? If there's not an app for that, at least there are phone cases to do the trick.

    So what do I want on my foodie phone case?

    First thought would be chips and a bowl of chili con queso. Because it’s the national food of Texas and about, I’m sure, to be considered by the USDA as one of the major food groups.

    But how cute would that really look on the back of my iPhone?

    Hmmmm.

    Local Restaurant Connection

    Following up on the sushi trend, I think a fish dish from Eleven XI’s hot chef Kevin Bryant might make the perfect case.

    His flounder has its midsection skinned before being topped with an apricot sauce, head and tail flattened, then baked. It’s a delish fish dish, one of the most gorgeous presentations I’ve seen lately and it would make a very cool iPhone case.

    But then there are Bryant’s grilled oysters with a crusty pecan topping. Oh, wait, I’ve been on a steak tartar tear lately (I’ve had it four times since this article was posted). And Eleven XI’s has a perfect sunny side up quail egg in the mix so maybe that would be cool looking on a case.

    Or maybe Eleven XI’s decadent peanut butter tower? A whipped peanut butter confection sprayed with Valrhona French chocolate that is to die for. It’s like a gourmet Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup.

    But then I’d probably wind up chewing on my phone in the middle of the night.

    Maybe I’m not ready for the foodie iPhone case, but I’m working on it.

    Maybe you want your iPhone to look like melting chocolate or an ice cream cone.

    Laura Mitchell cell phone case
    Photo courtesy of Laura Mitchell
    Maybe you want your iPhone to look like melting chocolate or an ice cream cone.
    unspecified
    news/innovation

    most read posts

    Iconic Houston Tex-Mex restaurant will reopen in new Third Ward project

    Parking problems shutter Houston restaurant after less than a year

    Heights restaurant celebrates Lunar New Year with epic barbecue collab

    flexible learning

    4 Houston-area universities have the best online degree programs in U.S.

    Amber Heckler
    Jan 28, 2026 | 3:00 pm
    Rice University
    Rice University/Facebook
    Getting your degree doesn't mean having to go to class in-person.

    Four Houston-area universities have earned well-deserved recognition in U.S. News & World Report's just-released rankings of the Best Online Programs for 2026.

    The annual rankings offer insight into the best American universities for students seeking a flexible and affordable way to attain a higher education. In the 2026 edition, U.S. News analyzed nearly 1,850 online programs for bachelor's degrees and seven master's degree disciplines: MBA, business (non-MBA), criminal justice, education, engineering, information technology, and nursing.

    Many of these local schools are also high achievers in U.S. News' separate rankings of the best grad schools.

    Rice University tied with Texas A&M University in College Station for the No. 3 best online master's in information technology program in the U.S., and its online MBA program ranked No. 21 nationally.

    The online master's in nursing program at The University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston was the highest performing master's nursing degree in Texas, and it ranked No. 19 nationally.

    Three different programs at The University of Houston were ranked among the top 100 nationwide:
    • No. 18 – Best online master's in education
    • No. 59 – Best online master's in business (non-MBA)
    • No. 89 – Best online bachelor's program
    The University of Houston's Clear Lake campus ranked No. 65 nationally for its online master's in education program.

    "Online education continues to be a vital path for professionals, parents, and service members seeking to advance their careers and broaden their knowledge with necessary flexibility," said U.S. News education managing editor LaMont Jones in a press release. "The 2026 Best Online Programs rankings are an essential tool for prospective students, providing rigorous, independent analysis to help them choose a high-quality program that aligns with their personal and professional goals."

    A little farther outside Houston, two more universities – Sam Houston State University in Huntsville and Texas A&M University in College Station – stood out for their online degree programs.

    Sam Houston State University

    • No. 5 – Best online master's in criminal justice
    • No. 30 – Best online master's in information technology
    • No. 36 – Best online master's in education
    • No. 77 – Best online bachelor's program
    • No. 96 – Best online master's in business (non-MBA)
    Texas A&M University
    • No. 3 – Best online master's in information technology (tied with Rice)
    • No. 3 – Best online master's in business (non-MBA)
    • No. 8 – Best online master's in education
    • No. 9 – Best online master's in engineering
    • No. 11 – Best online bachelor's program
    universitiesus news & world reportrankingshoustonrice universityuniversity of houston
    news/innovation
    Loading...