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Keurig and Anheuser-Busch work on an in-home beer maker
Just because Keurig didn't succeed with its Kold soda machine doesn't mean it's giving up on the prospect of making cold beverages at home. It's partnering with Anheuser-Busch InBev on developing an "in-home alcohol drink system" -- in other words, a Keurig for booze. It'll build on the technological foundations of the Kold, and the plan is to eventually cover many types of drinks. Beer is the obvious fit given AB InBev's roots, but the companies would like to offer "spirits, cocktails and mixers," among other options.
Recommended Reading: Meet the attorney who's fighting revenge porn
The Attorney Fighting Revenge Porn Margaret Talbot, The New Yorker Carrie Goldberg started her practice to "be the lawyer" she needed after being harassed online by an ex. Now she's a pioneer is dealing with revenge porn cases, defending victims against hacking, leaking and other online attacks when relationships come to an end.
ICYMI: The alcohol creating energy and removing pollution
try{document.getElementById("aol-cms-player-1").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: The University of Colorado, Boulder is diving into a beer project with a surprising twist: Researchers have managed to use beer brewing runoff to grow a species of fungus that not only cleans the water but can also be used to create lithium-ion batteries. Meanwhile the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center is helping paralyzed people regain a sense of touch through a robotic arm, by implanting electrodes in the participant's brain. The flexible phone display for music is here, and the BMW concept motorcycle that had everyone talking is here. In case you're friends with someone on Tinder, they should know about this story. As always, please share any interesting tech or science videos you find by using the #ICYMI hashtag on Twitter for @mskerryd.
Deliveroo now offers booze-only drop-offs
Deliveroo has a made a name for itself delivering meals from restaurants that you wouldn't normally find on Just Eat and Hungry House. The company is far from content, however, so it's launching a different but not entirely unrelated service today: booze deliveries. It's teamed up wth Majestic Wines, BrewDog and other "top independent merchants" to offer the new option across the UK. Technically, it was already possible to order alcohol -- you simply chose from the selection available at one of Deliveroo's partnered restaurants. The options are usually limited, however, and offered on the basis that you're also buying some grub. Now, you can forget the food and just order a crate of beer, wine or similar.
On-demand food service delivers beer with your meal
There's no shortage of online food delivery services, and services that deliver alcohol. However, getting both at the same time is a challenge. How are you supposed to complement that burger with a tasty brew? DoorDash has an answer. As of today, customers in southern California (other cities are coming, at least in the US) can order both alcohol and food at the same time, whether the drinks come from a restaurant or a liquor store. Your options will depend on the relevant corporate partnerships, but it could save you the hassle of placing a second order or (gasp) drinking something tamer.
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.
Machine turns your Twitter posts into tasty cocktails
Ever wondered what your tweets would taste like if you could distill them into a drink? Probably not, but there's now a way to find out. Clément Gault and Koi Koi Design have whipped up Data Cocktail, an Arduino-powered machine that creates a drink based on Twitter updates. In its current incarnation, it looks for the five latest tweets mentioning keywords linked to ingredients, and fills the glass accordingly. The result is an original, spur-of-the-moment mix -- it'll even print out the 'recipe' (really, a ratio of the keywords) and thank the users who unwittingly contributed to the beverage.
Lovejoy is the galaxy's booziest comet
An international team of astronomers made a surprising discovery recently. They found that the Lovejoy comet is spewing a mixture of alcohol, sugar and 21 other organic compounds as it speeds through our galaxy. "Comet Lovejoy was releasing as much alcohol as in at least 500 bottles of wine every second during its peak activity," Nicolas Biver of the Paris Observatory, said in a press statement.
Fallout Beer is a real thing
Miss out on the special edition of Fallout 4? You know, the one that comes with a real-life, smartphone-enabled Pip-Boy? Never mind, you can always drown your sorrows with some Fallout Beer instead. That is, if you live in the UK anyway. Developer Bethesda has teamed up with Carlsberg for the promotional beverage, which it says is inspired by Vault-Tec Industries and the rest of the post-apocalyptic game franchise. A 12-pack will set you back £29.99 on Amazon, with delivery expected around November 5th. Fallout 4 arrives five days later, meaning you should have the perfect brew ready for your inaugural adventure in Boston. Bethesda describes it as a "pilsner lager, with a refreshing zesty hoppy taste and a floral aroma" -- we'll let you decide if that's better than an ice-cold Nuka-Cola.
Space whisky really does taste different
When Scottish distiller Ardbeg launched whisky into space to see whether or not the drink ages differently in microgravity, it came across as little more than a publicity stunt... which, admittedly, it still is. However, the company has finally published its results, and it's clear that this liquor was changed by its stay in the International Space Station. Going into orbit altered the ratios of acids and other chemicals, which had a pronounced effect on the taste. While the Earth-based whisky is dry, with notes of "woody" flavors" and "sweet smoke," the space whisky recalls "smoked fruits" and carries an aftertaste that reminds Ardbeg of "antiseptic lozenges" and "rubbery smoke." You won't be breaking this out to celebrate a special occasion, then, unless you like recalling the smell of burning tires.
New York is the latest state to ban powdered alcohol
Powdered alcohol has faced an uphill battle for legitimacy in the US, with 20 states having banned it up until now... and a new, 21st ban could represent its biggest defeat to date. New York Governor Cuomo has signed legislation banning the sale of Palcohol and other forms of crystallized or powdered alcoholic beverages in the state. According to him, it's a "public health disaster waiting to happen" -- it's too easy to create a dangerous mix (or worse, ingest it directly), and underage drinkers can sneak it around largely unnoticed. While there's no national ban yet, it's hard to imagine the tide turning in Palcohol's favor. [Image credit: Gavin Schaefer, Flickr]
Breathalyzing bike lock keeps tipsy cyclists from riding drunk
You'd be surprised by the amount of damage and havoc that an inebriated bicyclist can inflict just by swerving through traffic, ignoring stop signs or falling off their bikes into the paths of oncoming cars. To prevent this sort of thing from happening, the Alcoho-Lock from Japanese firm KOOWHO combines the functionalities of a breathalyzer and bike lock. It works on the same principle as the ignition locks DUI offenders are often required to install on their cars. You simply blow into a mouthpiece on the underside of the lock and wait for the device to measure the amount of alcohol on your breath. If it's below the legal limit, the lock releases and you can be on your merry way. If it's above the legal limit the Alcoho-Lock will totally rat you out, sending a warning text to a family member or friend telling them you're smashed. That contact will then have the option to remotely unlock the device on your behalf.
ICYMI: Keurig-like cocktails, handmade holograms and more
try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-101414").style.display="none";}catch(e){} #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-101414{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-101414, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-101414{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-101414").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: We break down the lazy man's cocktail machine, filling your bellies with machine-crafted designer drinks for your boozehound friends. An Australian stunt rider rigged a dirtbike to surf the ocean and the video is pretty astounding. And while you wait for Microsoft's HoloLens, you can make a DIY hologram display with little more than a CD jewel case. Doesn't everyone have about 20 of them in the corners of cabinets, no matter how many you swear you've recycled?
Recommended Reading: Kentucky distillery uses music to flavor its brandy
Recommended Reading highlights the best long-form writing on technology and more in print and on the web. Some weeks, you'll also find short reviews of books that we think are worth your time. We hope you enjoy the read. This Kentucky Distillery Is Blasting David Bowie Songs to Flavor Its Brandy by Ashlie Stevens Munchies Sounds strange, right? I thought so too, but it actually makes a lot of sense. The vibrations of the barrels triggered by subwoofers placed around the Copper & Kings distillery in Louisville, Kentucky, constantly circulate the company's brandy. This means that liquid spends more time in contact with the oak barrels, much more than the typical, stationary aging process allows.
This app reminds you to drunkenly buy stuff at 2 am
The best kind of Amazon deliveries are often the ones you were too drunk to remember ordering. And with the help of the Drunk Shopping app, you'll never miss another opportunity to do so...just as long as that opportunity occurs at 2am on a Saturday night. Developed by the same guy that brought us Troll The NSA and Unbaby.me, Drunk Shopping isn't an app in the traditional sense; it's really more of a service.
Amazon's grocery service stops delivering beer and wine
We hope you weren't counting on AmazonFresh to stock up on alcohol for your next big party. GeekWire reports that beer and wine have vanished from the internet grocery service without either a warning or any indication as to whether or not the booze will return. We've reached out to Amazon for an explanation, but it's possible that Amazon is simply playing it safe with regulations. Some states don't allow alcohol delivery, and those that do (such as Amazon's home state, Washington) have regulations that determine both who can make deliveries and how the goods reach your door. Whatever the reasons, you're going to have to either switch to alternatives like Drizly or else get your adult beverages the old-fashioned way. [Image credit: Andrew Hitchcock, Flickr]
One day, your voice could keep you from driving drunk
Smart breathalyzers have long tried to help people deal with the serious issue of drunk-driving. But, ultimately, those options won't physically prevent anyone from getting behind the wheel under the influence of alcohol -- much like the Ignition Interlock Device provided by some states in the US do. To aid with this deliberate problem, researchers from Germany have came up with the Alcohol Language Corpus, a database made up of drunk speech patterns, the first of its kind.
Spaceborne whisky returns to Earth
Interested in finding out what whisky matured in space tastes like? You may get a chance sooner than you think. Scottish distillery Ardbeg teamed up with the scientists at NanoRacks to put vials of whisky aboard the International Space Station three years ago, and those vials recently returned to Earth. The two companies are now analyzing molecules from the otherworldly beverage to see if they interact with oak any differently than otherwise identical samples that stayed on the ground. You'll find out the effects of microgravity on your stiff drinks when the research finishes up in 2015. Space may not have any significant impact on the flavor, let alone a good one, but it's easy to imagine distilleries eventually boasting of how long their whisky has remained free from the planet's clutches.
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.
