Programmable Liquid Container lets you customize your cola

We used to think it was pretty sweet that we had two flavor options in each package of Nerds candy, so the idea of a customizable soda with an almost infinite combination of fragrances, flavors, and colors has us understandably excited. Massachusetts-based IPIFINI (the bold is part of the branding) has exceeded our wildest dreams with their Programmable Liquid Container, which contains small, flavor additive-filled (or paint-filled, for the home improvement set) "buttons" around the periphery of the plastic container. Consumers press the appropriate buttons to create different flavors from a common base, such as cherry vanilla cola or raspberry tangerine lemonade, or get even wilder with aroma and food coloring options. IPIFINI claims to already be licensing the technology around various industries, so don't be surprised to see sodas and coffees (and probably some alcopops too) in the near future that let you choose your level of buzz.

[Via The Raw Feed]

[south @ Mar 27th 2006 8:48AM]

Damn, I think I just had my first 'old man' moment -- you know, the first time in your life when you wonder, "are things just becoming too unnecessarily complex?"

it's all downhill from here...

[Tom Boucher @ Mar 27th 2006 8:50AM]

But you'd have to encase these things in lucite to stop the local asshole from walking down the isle and creating some noxious combination by smashing the case in an effort to 'ruin' it.

[Mog @ Mar 27th 2006 8:58AM]

Obvious problem - what happens if the buttons get bashed while in transit....

[alfa01 @ Mar 27th 2006 9:00AM]

That is funny because I proposed a very similar design almost a year ago in an Art Center Product Design studio except that mine had the flavor capsules inside the cap (so as to prevent tampering before purchase). I really need to get on that American Inventor show.

[oshean @ Mar 27th 2006 9:00AM]

And the unwanted flavors go to waste. :(

[Chris @ Mar 27th 2006 9:12AM]

Diabetes, here we come!

[Lee @ Mar 27th 2006 9:30AM]

You could always use a utility knife to cut out the unused flavors once you've finished drinking it... and squeeze a nasty combo of flavors into a friend's coffee... these have great prank potential.

Also, it might just be possible to utilize the pressure that's in the bottle from the carbonation to cause it to be ultra difficult to mash the flavor pods in, thus you'd have to open the bottle and release the pressure to mash the flavor pack into the soda... who knows...

[Harold @ Mar 27th 2006 9:43AM]

Right. And it's just a coincedence that April Fool's day is this coming Saturday.

H.

[deadlight @ Mar 27th 2006 9:50AM]

they mention caffeine additive as one of the bubbles......anyone else thinking of dumping a 12 pack getting all the caffeine pods and making one super drink? that would be the first thing I try.......

[Rutch @ Mar 27th 2006 9:56AM]

lol, "good till your heart goes pop!"

[Gr1zz @ Mar 27th 2006 10:55AM]

I can see this as a sucessfull product if sold out of vending machines.

The vandalisim of kids reaching into coolers and pushing buttons would be a menace.

Can i get a caffene button, to make caffene optional? =-)


This could save soda distributors a lot of money in carrying multiple products. But would the additional cost of the fance bottle increase prioduction costs..

[chay @ Mar 27th 2006 11:04AM]

#4 (alfa01)
Flavour capsules in the cap of a fizzy drinks bottle was the theme of a short story in a great book by Jeff Noon.
It was designed so you could choose one flavour, but kids found out you could make weird combinations by mixing the flavours together and one kid spends years trying perfect the twists required to get a mix of all 6.

[chay @ Mar 27th 2006 11:12AM]

The book is called Pixel Juice by Jeff Noon (1998)

as if anybody cared.

[cap'n @ Mar 27th 2006 12:49PM]

People right now could just as easily go into a grocery store and open drinks and pour BAD stuff into them. So what's the difference? Okay, so I admit having buttons makes me want to push them, but it would get old after awhile.

[neale @ Mar 27th 2006 1:20PM]

some sort of plastic shield that is a cylinder, with each end cut out, one end the same diameter as just before the bottle goes super wide to stop it sliding down, and one small enough to fit on the neck at the top under the lid (this would also stop it sliding down). make the cap slightly wider, and it forces u to open it, remove shield, then punch the buttons. of course, the shield would have to be thick enough that u couldnt push through it

[John Stracke @ Mar 27th 2006 1:30PM]

It may not make much sense for an individual (just buy what you want), or a family (buy a base and the additives you want), but it's great for a party. No more trying to guess what people are going to want to drink!

[nemi @ Mar 27th 2006 1:42PM]

The last thing i want to do to a CARBONTATED drink is shake it to ensure that the flavor got mixed evenly....

[illingist trooper @ Mar 27th 2006 1:52PM]

"...has exceeded our wildest dreams with their [COMPUTER RENDERING OF AN IDEA FOR A] Programmable Liquid Container"

I'll drink it when I can buy it...

[hessam @ Mar 27th 2006 5:03PM]

wouldn't you have to shake the bottle to get the liquid mixed well enough to taste good? This has to be a joke... no way would it be successful.

[Mike (aka Liquidon @ Mar 27th 2006 5:33PM]

who cares? has any one heard of GoogleGulp?
http://www.google.com/googlegulp/

PS. IF YOU GO ON THE ABOVE URL - make sure that you do not forget about the '/' sign at the end of the url. its just something about google's servers....

[sarah @ Mar 27th 2006 6:23PM]

stupid idea. stupid. many reasons...

[Joe Hatfield @ Mar 27th 2006 7:38PM]

Chemistry geeks have known for years that the best and easist way to mix fluids in a bottle is to simply invert the bottle (slowly!) a few times...no shaking is actually needed. That has been shown to mix the contents even better than shaking.

[Galley @ Mar 27th 2006 8:01PM]

If it allowed me to create my beloved Pepsi Blue, then I'll take it!

[m13a8 @ Mar 27th 2006 9:04PM]

Holy crap...Pepsi Blue...forgot all about that stuff lol. I loved that stuff!

[Lee @ Mar 28th 2006 9:01AM]

I love it how this jabroni said, "stupid idea. stupid. many reasons..." and then didn't bother to give any reasons...
Whether or not these are a good idea, they'd make someone tons of money because people DO love gadgets like this.

And, just to state once again -- with the pressure in the bottle created by the carbonation, you'd have a hell of a time mashing in any of the little blisters on the side of the bottle... it's an inherently good design.
And don't try the "you'd have to shake it so it'll never work" line; that's crap, as all you'd have to do is invert the bottle two or three times - slowly - and all would be well with the world.

[Arthur @ Mar 29th 2006 9:37AM]

Wait until they make tonic like this. Let's see... Vodka or Gin

[Manuel @ Mar 31st 2006 10:47AM]

Great idea!
I would also like a button to refill the bottle with gas...

[Tod Woolf @ Apr 28th 2006 11:02PM]

I work at IPIFINI, and I just wanted to note that we have several design features to guard against kids pushing the buttons on the store shelves. For carbonated beverages the pressure of the carbonation make the button difficult to press until the cap is removed. We also have designs in which the buttons are protected by the outer packaging, as well as other designs which only allow the buttons to pressed after the cap is opened.