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New Technology & Cookie For Girl Scouts

NORTH TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM) - With a fresh Girl Scout cookie season underway, the charity is also embracing new technology and a new cookie!

Last year, online sales were added as a way to boost lagging Girl Scout cookie sales.

Now, there's a free Cookie Locator app available for iPhone and Android users. The app uses GPS technology to direct customers to the nearest cookie sale location, which could be a new neighborhood booth that accepts credit cards.

And given that this year is the 100th anniversary of the Girl Scouts, they've also introduced a new cookie -- Savannah Smiles. The new sweet treat is a lemon-wedge cookie, dusted in powdered sugar, but is low in calories and fat. A serving of five Savannah Smiles cookies has only 140 calories.

It all began in 1917 when troops first baked cookies and sold them in high school cafeterias. Now, cookie fundraising generates millions for the Girl Scouts, with some 200 million boxes sold each year.

The Thin Mint is the biggest seller for the troops, accounting 25-percent of overall sales.

While there have been some price increase through the years, this year the cookies are still $3.50 per box.

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