Typically, you'd think a pricey bottle of Veuve Clicquot champagne would be the star attraction on a night out, but we'd have to suggest otherwise if said container is being toted around in this thing. The Karim Rashid-designed apparatus, which is limited to just 500 pieces worldwide, is said to be a "modern reinterpretation of the traditional French chandelier." As for utility, it promises to keep your alcohol chilled for four solid hours, and considering the built-in LEDs will also flicker out after the same amount of time, we suppose that's a good indicator of when it's time to toss 'er back and get going. Here in the US, a handful of the Globalight's will be available exclusively at select W Hotels, but you're not unboxing one without laying down $4,500 first.

[Via Luxurylaunches, thanks Yoge]

Robots that assist in taking humans to their desired level of inebriation are far from new, but Chassis is just too darn likable to ignore. The beer pouring creature itself has actually doled out a few pints in its lifetime, but apparently, the latest spotting showed off a snazzy new paint job and a few additional lights. Heck, there's even a built-in microphone and speaker for "audience interaction." Best of all, however, is that the operator of this fellow can make it talk to party goers in the vicinity, and while we're currently unsure of its marital status, we have all ideas that it's a real hit with the ladies. Check out a few more snapshots in the read link below.

[Via UberReview]

At this point, it's hard to envision an object that hasn't been miniaturized for the purpose of creating yet another novel flash drive, so you won't color us wowed with BeWine Connected's latest. This wine bottle USB drive packs Open Cellar wine cellar management software, a screensaver / wallpaper and wine-influenced ringtones (saywha?) onto 1GB of internal storage, but we'd be tempted to promptly format the thing upon arrival. Nevertheless, those interested in expanding their weird-but-still-useful collection of thumb drives can hand over €35 ($50) and claim one more solid addition.

[Via Gizmag]

Granted, we've come across hordes of patent applications that were far from practical, but if it's the premise that counts, we suppose this one works out alright. The app calls for a "probe" which could then be inserted into a drink, and an indicator connected to a database that would enlighten you if your drink has indeed been injected with a noxious solution while you weren't paying attention. The process would also require that a blast of electricity be sent through the probe, and though it's not directly stated, it also entails that the user be sober enough to understand it and willing to bust it out whilst partying. We have our doubts about the last two ever truly working out.

[Via MedLaunches, image courtesy of BBC]

Sure, we've seen legions of automated bartenders and coffee machines that conjure up your preferred cup of joe each morning, but the Digital Beverages MyFountain takes things up a notch. Sporting a touchscreen LCD, an internet-linked Windows XP computer, and the ability to be "100-percent customizable," this mechanical drink slinger reportedly interfaces with a "dorm-style refrigerator" that holds a dozen types of alcohol and mixers along with a water line and carbon-dioxide cartridge. Furthermore, the grown-ups can even password protect the non-virgin beverages on tap, and while it would sure be nice to kiss tips goodbye and hold all of your parties in-house, this bad boy supposedly starts at a stiff $2,575. Click on for a couple snapshots of the interface.

[Via CNET, image courtesy of PopSci]

Just as expected, Nissan has indeed rolled out a concept vehicle that showcases its long-awaited anti-drunk driving technology. The vehicle sports "multiple preventative features" designed to curb inebriated operation of vehicles, and essentially detects the driver's state of sobriety and kicks into action if you've had a bit much. Amongst the detection agents are alcohol odor sensors built into the locking shift knob, seat-mounted sensors that can activate a voice and navigation screen warning, and a facial monitoring system that determines your "state of consciousness through your eyes." Regrettably, there's still no word as to when this system could actually hit showroom floors, but if the automaker has shelled out enough dough to craft a concept vehicle, we'd imagine it's not too far out.

[Via TheAutoChannel]

There's no shortage of gadgetry designed to keep your wine legit and chilled, but the Nuvo Vino infrared thermometer is hitting the market to ensure that your pre-drink rambling doesn't lead to you drinking an overly warm glass. The simplistic device sports a retractable sensor that purportedly measures the exact temperature of the wine itself, and there's plenty of accompanying documentation to inform you of what perfect degree you should look for before indulging. As expected, it also features a fairly attractive motif in order to catch the eye of the affluent, but until they add built-in aural cues that blurt out whether or not your beverage is ideal, we'll hold onto our $49.95.

While it's certainly debatable whether beer is to thank for the explosion in the consumer electronics industry, it looks like we'll be thanking the beverage without hesitation for making our world a little greener. Oddly enough, "scientists and Australian beer maker Foster's are teaming up to generate clean energy from brewery waste water by using sugar-consuming bacteria," and better yet, the University of Queensland will host a microbial fuel cell at a Foster's Group brewery near Brisbane. Essentially, the cell will consume brewery wastes such as sugar, starch, and alcohol, while producing clean electricity by harnessing the energy released from the organic materials coming in. The device is expected to produce two-kilowatts of power, and while hopes are to bring the technology to other breweries and wineries around the country, this iteration should crank up sometime in September.

[Via Physorg, thanks Michael T.]

Beer has certainly found its place in worldwide culture, but claiming that it's the foundation for all of the consumer electronics that we enjoy today is probably stretching it. Nevertheless, the controversial (or just plain sarcastic) Charlie Bamforth proclaims that "beer is the basis of modern static civilization," touting his three decades at Anheuser-Busch as a knowledge base. Essentially, Charlie insinuates that beer spurned innovation in ages past by making the early brewers think outside of the box, which subsequently led to tents, then cities, and by extension, iPods, laptops, and USB-powered oddities. Granted, the man's linkages make entirely more sense when inebriated (or at least tipsy), so if you're looking to prove just how important alcohol is to your gadget collection, grab a few cans and hit the read link below.

[Via Inquirer]

It's one thing to lose track of all the peripherals you need to gank whilst stealing a gaming console, but to leave behind digital snapshots of yourself at a crime scene is on an entirely different level of dumb. In a case filled with Darwin award nominees, a team of self-incriminating thieves managed to break into private property and jack about "$5,000 worth of expensive alcohol, including $800 bottles of wine and high-dollar scotch," only to forget a digital camera filled with photos of the party in progress. Interestingly, game designer Richard Garriott (Ultima Online, anyone?) actually owns the property, and has stated that he'll probably install a swank video surveillance / security system to prevent such an annoyance from happening again. But if you've been wondering how to make a quick buck in order to snag a few new pieces of kit flowing out of CeBIT, Texas police are offering "up to $1,000 in reward money" for leading investigators to the less-than-intelligent criminals.

[Via Fark]

Considering that we've all some of us have been enjoying online chats, poker, and dating for quite some while, it's not too shocking to see the Russians utilize the power of the web to bring alcoholics and social drinkers together in inebriated harmony. Sergey Mikheev, head of e-generator, has devised a USB shot glass to allow lonely, alcohol-needing individuals to get their drink on while safely at home. While we don't consider ourselves experts in Russian culture, it's apparently not tactful to get plastered solo, and while online drinking might be stretching the rules just a bit, we're sure those vodka-lovin' internet dwellers aren't complaining. The idea is to join a group of drinkers in an online lounge, where the USB shot glass levels are shown on each person's screen; once the go-ahead is given, the folks turn up their glasses and chug it down, ideally showing an empty glass after a random smashing of keys somehow spells out congratulatory phrases. As interesting and novel as this may be, let it remind us all how "getting a life" should be taken oh-so-seriously.

[Via ChipChick]

Just days after most everyone in the world celebrated (read: ingested alcohol) the new year, Toyota is hitting us up with news declaring that drunk driving won't be tolerated in its future fleet of vehicles. Although Nissan has already considered an add-on option that would prevent inebriated individuals from motoring around on a whim, it looks like Toyota is following suit with its own anti-drunk driving approach. Reportedly, the automaker is developing a "fail-safe system for cars that detects drunken drivers and automatically shuts the vehicle down if sensors pick up signs of excessive alcohol consumption." Utilizing "sweat detectors," the steering wheel automatically sniffs out the driver's BAC and can restrict the car from cranking if it deems necessary; additionally, it can recognize "abnormal steering" or take advantage of the "special camera installed to monitor your pupils" in order to slow your vehicle to a halt if you're smart aware enough to wear gloves when taking the wheel. While we've no idea how much Toyota will inflate vehicle prices to account for this, um, luxury, the firm purportedly hopes to outfit its cars with the system "by the end of 2009."

[Via The Raw Feed]

Although third-party options have long been available to interfere with the poor decision to start a car while inebriated, a recent string of alcohol-related accidents in Japan has led Nissan to begin mulling over a factory installed system that prevents intoxicated individuals from cranking up their own ride. The technology would utilize "breathalyzer-like devices" to detect the blood alcohol content when you got behind the wheel, and if it finds that you're over the legal limit, the hopes of turning that engine over are squashed. Potential "solutions" included a straw-like device which you'd have to puff on before ignition could ensue (sanitation concerns could become an issue here if you share your car with someone), or an automated system that would require drivers to enter a series of numbers (presumably difficult if you're not sober) before being granted access to cruise. While we don't know when these anti-drunk driving vehicles will start popping up at dealerships, we highly doubt folks that are careless enough to toss a few back before getting behind the wheel would have the presence of mind to pay extra for something like this when they buy their car -- besides, we'll all be using autopilot before too long, right?

You know that people are trying to jump on the iPod bandwagon when someone releases a breathalyzer that connects to the ubiquitous music player. Yes, David Steele Enterprises (no, not that David Steel) has just released an iBreath ($50, black or white color), a small device to plug into the dock connector of your iPod. Sticking out of the side of the device is the breathalyzer tube, and within five seconds it'll read out your blood alchohol content level, accurate to within 0.01 BAC -- oh and if that wasn't enough, it doubles as an FM transmitter for your car stereo. That just leaves us with one burning question: will Mr. Steele be sending one to recently DUIed Paris Hilton?

[Via iLounge]