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Engadget editors share their current YouTube obsessions
Engadget editors share their favorite YouTube guilty pleasures during quarantine.
Can an app stop you from drinking on a work night?
A new app, likened to a "nagging cyberparent," has been designed to help drinkers moderate their boozing. The snappily-named Mobile Intervention for Drinking in Young People (MIDY) pushes notifications to your phone during your nights out. So, as you eye the delights nestled behind the bar, you'll be asked questions like "Do you have work tomorrow?" and "What time are you going home?" Of course, party animals can choose to simply ignore their phones. But the app's creators, from Australia's Victoria University, say MIDY has been well-received. A pilot program saw an 89 percent response rate to the app's hourly-communication, and now the researchers are about to embark on a two-year project involving 300 students.
McDonald's has re-engineered drinking straws
Of all the tech innovations coming out of McDonald's, we never would have expected the humble drinking straw needed a redesign. But that's exactly what a team of robotic and aerospace engineers did as part of a marketing push for the burger chain's new Chocolate Shamrock Shake.
This bag of Tostitos doesn't want you to drink and drive
Super Bowl Sunday celebrations typically include two things: snacks and drinking. To discourage partygoers from drinking and driving after this year's big game, Frito-Lay and ad agency Goodby Silverstein & Partners teamed up on a limited-edition Tostitos bag with some added features. The so-called Party Bag is equipped with sensors that can detect alcohol on your breath. This isn't a breathalyzer that analyzes blood alcohol content and it will switch from green to red if you've had just one drink.
SYNEK's wine system makes personalized suggestions
Nearly two years ago, SYNEK launched a Kickstarter campaign to crowdfund its countertop beer system to keep fresh suds available on tap at home. After raising $650,000, it launched successfully and received a warm reception for that product. Now the company is tackling another vice: wine. As you probably guessed, the Somm by SYNEK is also a countertop system that holds 2.25-liter canisters of vino -- that's about three standard-size 750ml bottles worth. Somm, which we'd guess is short for sommelier, adjusts temperature and aeration to fit the wine being poured in an effort to give your a perfect pour every time.
Computers can tell when you've been drunk tweeting
In case the rambling string of misspelled words and incoherent thoughts weren't dead giveaways, scientists have developed a method of machine learning to sniff out drunk tweets. Researchers from the University of Rochester collected 11,000 geotagged tweets over a year from two areas: New York and Monroe County, filtering the 140-character notes containing "drunk," "beer," "party" and other libation-related words. From there the school employed Amazon Mechanical Turks to decide whether the person sending the tweets was simply talking about booze or were actually drinking it while tweeting.
Beer-tracking app Untappd gets barcode scanning, hails an Uber
If you're a dedicated beer geek, chances are you're using the app Untappd to track your libations. For the unfamiliar, the mobile software allows you to log and rate beers while following what and where your friends are drinking. With a new update to the iOS version, the app is getting a load of new features. First, there's a new barcode scanner that'll make searching for beers you're drinking a breeze. Rather than having to manually search, all you'll have to do is point your phone's camera at the barcode on a bottle or can.
NASA's Space Cups help astronauts drink like they do on Earth
Astronauts can't really enjoy beverages the way you do here on Earth. They have to drink from a pouch through a straw, which is about as glamorous as sipping from a juice box. NASA and IRPI are giving those spacefarers their dignity back, however. They're experimenting with Space Cups that, as the name implies, let astronauts drink as they would at home. The vessels use a mix of their unique geometry, surface tension and wetting to keep the liquids headed toward your mouth. As you'll see in the clips below, it's very hard to spill anything... at worst, you can shake loose a couple of globules that are easy to recapture.
One South Jersey town calls a free Uber if you're too drunk to drive
A southern New Jersey town of 45,000 is testing out a new kind of ride-hailing program, this one targeted at people who've had a bit too much to drink. Uber has partnered with New Jersey's Evesham Township to provide free rides to people who are too inebriated to drive themselves home, Reuters reports. The service is available to patrons in at least 19 bars and restaurants in the area. Another free-ride service, BeMyDD, also went live in Evesham on Friday, and both programs are funded via donations from local nonprofits and businesses.
Bud Light's connected fridge ensures you never run out of beer
There's no good time to run out of beer. And if it's going to happen, it's usually when you have friends over or your team is in a close game. To ease the frustration of drinking up all of your suds, Bud Light has the Bud-E Fridge. The mini fridge for folks who are #UPFORWHATEVER monitors the number of bottles inside (it holds 78, by the way) and lets you now when they hit the "optimal temperature" for drinking. There's also a display on the outside, so a quick glance at the door lets who know how many beers you have. Those stats are beamed via WiFi to a mobile app on both iOS and Android which will also alert you if the game day supply is too low when your favorite NFL team is getting ready to take the field. It also has a countdown timer so you'll know the exact moment those beers hit the proper temp.
Uber's breathalyzer kiosk gets you a ride home if you're drunk
Uber sees its ridesharing service as an ideal way to get you home safely when you're drunk, and it's trying out some relatively unique technology to prove its point. The company recently set up an Uber Safe kiosk in Toronto that gave sloshed Canadians a free ride if they blew into a breathalyzer -- much safer than stumbling on foot or struggling to hail a cab, if you ask us. The Toronto device was largely a promotional stunt, but Uber tells us that it's "thrilled" with the early response and to "stay tuned" for the possibility of more kiosks going forward. We can't imagine that Uber would continue to offer the Safe service free of charge if it catches on, but it's easy to see systems like this popping up in bar-heavy neighborhoods.
Smart liquor bottles can keep tabs on your bourbon collection
A close friend of mine returned home from vacation to discover his house sitter -- his brother-in-law -- had downed an entire bottle Pappy Van Winkle 20 year bourbon. A tragedy, really. However, if an alcohol tech duo in Europe has its way, keeping tabs on your stash while you're away could become much easier. Diageo (an alcohol company) and Thinfilm (a printed electronics maker) teamed up to create a "smart bottle" that serves up cocktail recipes and can detect when a bottle has been unsealed. Thinfilm's OpenSense label sensor tags pair with a smartphones NFC chops to run the system that's also capable of tracking supply chain, in-store stock and promotional offers for brands and retailers. The pair constructed a prototype Johnnie Walker Blue bottle that'll be on display at next week's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, but there's no word on when a similar solution could make its way to your local liquor store. Maybe the final version will be able to determine how much is left in a bottle, keeping sneaky house quests at bay.
New app tells you if you're too drunk to drive, helps call a cab
If you need your cellphone to decide if you've had one too many, that's probably a sign you should call a cab or car service. Nevertheless, the state of Maryland has just launched an app (funded by the federal National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), that will tell you your approximate blood alcohol content (BAC), test your reflexes and even help get you home safely. If you're a 130-pound woman who had a glass of wine, for instance, it'll show about a .04 BAC -- one drink below the limit, and already an unsafe level for the road. It'll also test your reaction time with memory games and a simulator that makes you brake for pedestrians. When the app determines you've had too many (or any, for that matter), it'll get you the number for a cab or preset designated driver. An official said the goal is to take the "brainwork" out of drinking and add some common sense to situations where none may exist. [Imaged credit: Charly Triballeau/AFP/Getty Images]
The Big Picture: Mix precision drinks with this delightful CAD drawing
Being the bartender sounds fun, until you realize you have to crack a cocktail recipe book. Engineering to the rescue! This drawing -- originally used to test plotters -- was converted into an AutoCAD file by Florian Römhild, who later colorized it. You can see it contains all the info needed to mix classic drinks -- the volume of each ingredient (with a handy key), type of glass, garnish and whether to shake or stir. It also lets wannabe drink-slingers visualize each libation at a glance. The best part? You can stick it up on your bar for reference and a touch of geek chic. For a PDF version, hit the source. [Image credit: Florian Römhild]
Ozz takes the guesswork out of mixing cocktails
It takes time to hone your cocktail craft. Thanks to Ozz, the learning curve isn't quite so steep. The device visually guides pouring and mixing so that you don't have to worry about eyeballing the notches on a shot glass. A companion app for iPhone and Android sorts recipes and ingredients lists, allowing you to fine-tune proportions to fit your taste. Once you've settled on a beverage, the geometric Ozz base lights LEDs around the rim of a glass to let you know when you've added enough of that particular ingredient. Load sensors and lights are guided by that smartphone via Bluetooth, and after a marathon martini session, a built-in micro-USB jack handles charging. Ready to opt in? Early Kickstarter backers can secure one for €69 ($87), but those who hold out will have to fork over €99 ($125). Of course, if you choose to make that Old Fashioned with Old Crow and cheap bitters, you'll still end up with a shitty drink.
Distiller builds a social network for whiskey lovers
If you're a whiskey drinker, finding the perfect bottle can be a daunting quest; just because something is well-rated doesn't mean that it suits your tastes. You're about to get some help from your friends, though, as Distiller has turned its recommendation service into a full-fledged social network. You can now follow others with similar palates to see what they say about that Colonel E.H. Taylor or Lagavulin you've been meaning to try. You can also leave comments, and everyone has a "top shelf" in their profile to reflect their absolute favorites. Distiller can't promise that others will share your love of Bulleit Bourbon, but it should be easier to find that like-minded connoisseur. Swing by Apple's App Store or Google Play to give this social spirit service a try.
Researchers teach a computer to predict teen binge drinkers
Intervention during someone's teenage years is frequently the key to preventing alcohol abuse in adult life. It's good to know, then, that a group of scientists has found a way to predict that abuse at an early age using computer modeling. The approach teaches the computer how to spot a likely teen binge drinker by weighing 40-plus biological and social factors that include brain structure, any enabling genes, past events and personality traits. If a 13-year-old is already smoking because of an addictive personality or family influences, for instance, it's more likely that this child will pick up a dangerous drinking habit a few years later.
Forget shots, Palcohol turns vodka into a powdered condiment
Why sip on a nice glass of scotch when you can get tipsy on salad instead? A new product called Palcohol takes the pesky liquid out of your favorite drinks; turning them into a potent powder you can just sprinkle on your hamburger for an extra "kick." The company doesn't recommend snorting it (be honest, we know that's what you were thinking), but says it can be used most anywhere else. Powders are available in straight liquor form as well as premixes like Lemon Drop and Margarita, and if you'd rather drink your booze (as if!), Palcohol can be liquefied with water and consumed just like a bottle of Jack Daniels.
Livr is my most fav app 4va LOL im drunk (update: sober up, it's fake)
If you've heard one too many gripes about your boozy postings, don't fret -- there'll soon be a like-minded social app for you. It's called "Livr," and you won't even be able to log in without a smartphone breathalyzer confirming you've tippled enough. In fact, the higher your BAC, the more app features are unlocked. Those include a crowdsourced "truth or dare" game and hotspot map that shows the location and sobriety of other users. You'll even be able to drunk-dial random Livr folks, simulating the types of encounters you'd normally have at a bar (sans the possibility of getting punched). After a questionable evening, whatever happens on Livr can stay on Livr, thanks to the "Blackout" button that deletes all evidence of your misdeeds. We're not sure if this is one of the best or worst ideas in recent memory, but in any case, prepare your actual liver -- the app will arrive to Android and iOS sometime in the spring. Update: Gizmodo's knocked the beer goggles off our faces, revealing that Livr is almost certainly a hoax. We'd apologize for the misinformation, but we're going to blame this one on the alcohol -- we told you we were drunk.
WoW Archivist: What has never changed?
WoW Archivist explores the secrets of World of Warcraft's past. What did the game look like years ago? Who is etched into WoW's history? What secrets does the game still hold? With WoW's tenth anniversary fast approaching, one thing is clear: virtually everything in this game has been changed, updated, or replaced at one time or another. The UI, the stats, character creation, raid systems, class abilities, questing -- all have undergone necessary overhauls to keep the game relevant and modern. A question for the Queue last month asked a very interesting question: What in WoW has never, ever changed? You might think so, but no Many aspects of the game seem like they have never changed, but they have. The act of gathering: Sure, Blizzard added bonuses to the professions in Wrath such as the crit bonus for skinning or the HoT from herbalism. And as of Cataclysm, you can now earn XP by gathering. Gathering no longer requires tools. Yet the fundamental mechanics have always been the same: you right click stuff, get the stuff, and skill up so you can click on better stuff. Right? Back in classic, gathering actually had a chance to fail. Orange difficulty nodes would not cough up their resources to anyone who wandered past with the minimum required skill. Failing three or four times on a node before a successful gathering attempt was not unheard of. This led to some interesting "PvP" gathering scenarios, even on PvE realms. If two players converged on the node, the first to click it didn't necessarily get the goods. This situation sometimes led to a hilarious "duel" in which both players failed at gathering over and over again. It became a matter of luck, persistence, and rapid clicking. Mining was especially bad, because it used to take multiple strikes to clear out a node. Two players could spend minutes trying to outmine each other on a single rock. Racial bonuses, enchantments, and items that boosted gathering skills all mattered much more, not just to save time from the failed attempts, but to beat other players to the punch.
