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Picobrew takes a stab at automated counter-top homebrew beer
PicoBrew is hoping to do for homebrewed beer what Keurig has done for coffee. It tried previously with the Zymatic, but the $2,000 price tag, intimidating size and complexity limited its appeal. Really the Zymatic ended up being for professional brewers to experiment on and for people with deep pockets looking to dip their toe into homebrewing with the least amount of effort possible. The company's new machine, the Pico attempts to address some of those hurdles. First, off, it's dropped the price dramatically. If you move quickly to pick it up through the Kickstarter campaign launching today it will only cost you $500, though it will climb to $1,000 at retail. Second the Pico is roughly half the size of the Zymatic, and can actually fit on an average counter-top. Though, does still take up a significant amount of space and probably wouldn't find a permanent home next to your coffee machine.
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.
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.
Google-powered beer fridge translates thirst in 40 languages
Better brush up on your language skills... they might just get you a free drink. Google and Thinking Box have teamed up to create Molson's Global Beer Fridge, an appliance that depends on Google's real-time voice translation to serve cool refreshments. The refrigerator only opens once it detects people saying "I am Canadian" (Molson's classic slogan) in six of 40 languages, ranging from French to Hindi to Mandarin. That's ostensibly a nod to both Canada's cultural diversity as well as the country's July 1st birthday, although it conveniently guarantees a crowd for this not-so-subtle publicity stunt. It's not often that you see this much sophistication in a sales ploy, mind you, and it's clear that the underlying technology could be useful in everyday vending machines. Just be ready to book a trip if you're hoping to score some brews -- the fridge makes its next appearance in Toronto on July 10th, when the Pan Am Games start.
Fizzics countertop 'draught' system makes bad beer good
I like -- nay -- love beer. But I'll be honest, when I first heard about Fizzics and its promise to deliver the perfect pour of tap-quality beer from any can or bottle I dismissed it. It seems like the sort of silly snake oil you'd find in SkyMall or Sharper Image. But, I gave Philip Petracca, the CEO of the company the opportunity to convince me otherwise. He swung by the Engadget compound with a cooler full of beer and a pitch full of science. I'm convinced he's not just some huckster, but whether or not Fizzics truly makes beer better is a different question.
Hey ladies, this German billboard wants to sell you a beer
Here in America, women are far more likely to be featured in a beer commercial than actually targeted by one. However in Germany, Astra brand beer is focusing specifically on female drinkers with an unusual and automated billboard that speaks only to them. Developed by the Philipp und Keuntje ad agency and starring German comic star Uke Bosse, these billboards will only activate when women pass by. Each electronic sign is outfitted with a small camera and loaded with cutting-edge "gender detection" software that not only differentiates between the sexes, it also accurately judges their age. Once a lady does pass Bosse's gaze, the ad will activate and automatically play one of 70 pre-recorded snippets. However, when a man walks by, he's told to keep on steppin'. Check out the billboard in action below.
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]
Catching up with BioWare cofounder Greg Zeschuk
Greg Zeschuk, the man that co-founded BioWare and shepherded the development of now classic franchises like Mass Effect and Dragon Age, left the gaming industry for good more than two years ago. Yet, despite that apparent retirement, he was back on the show floor at GDC in San Francisco to show off Biba, one of his many part-time side projects. Don't worry. Zeschuk's main passion remains beer, beer and more beer. But he's also committed to using his influence and financial resources for more altruistic endeavors.
Daily Roundup: Apple outsells Samsung, Microsoft invests in Android and more!
Apple sold as many phones as Samsung did last quarter; Microsoft is investing in Android; and SkyMall might be saved. Head past the break to find all of today's top stories in the Daily Roundup.
SYNEK's countertop draft system brings fresh beer home this summer
SYNEK's method for bringing draft beer to kitchen counters everywhere first caught our eye last summer, and after nabbing $650,000 in Kickstarter contributions, the final product is on the way. For the uninitiated, SYNEK developed a self-contained tap system that allows you to swap out 128 oz. bags of your favorite brew (that's just under a dozen 12 oz. pours) so that you always have fresh beer at home. You'll notice the finished model looks a bit different from the original, but rest assured that handy thermostat is still employed despite the temperature display getting moved from the front panel. And the ability to adjust CO2 levels remains inside, too. The company says that the new design also features improved insulation and makes it easier to change out those bags. There's also a removable drip tray too, so you want have to worry about getting your counter dirty.
Bud Light delivery app keeps beer flowing in Washington, DC
It's always a bummer when you run out of beer during the big game. Thanks to Anheuser-Busch InBev, Bud Light drinkers in Washington, DC won't have to trek to the nearest store to replenish their supply. The company announced an app today that allows you to order up to 100 cases (!) of the brew, and promises that it'll arrive at your door in under an hour. AB InBev certainly isn't the first to offer suds delivery, as MillerCoors has already teamed up with Drizly for Miller Lite deliveries in Boston, New York, Seattle and DC. There are also services, like Minibar, that work with local alcohol shops to bring beer, wine and spirits to the front doors of thirsty customers. If you're worried about age verification, the app examines the buyer's credit card info and there's a manual check upon delivery. The app is only available on Android, but an iOS version is on the way. Now that you can get pizza and beer delivered to your house, is there really any reason to leave?
Beer bottles deliver your video message through QR codes
You know how a bottle of beer can help make some particularly bad news easier to swallow? Argentinian beer brand Andes doesn't only believe that, it's taking that idea to the next level -- by letting people record themselves using its app and digitally attach the video to a QR code printed on its bottles' labels, which any recipient can scan. The company joined forces with ad agency Del Campo Saatchi & Saatchi to make this "message in a bottle" idea happen and to launch two rather amusing video ads (below the fold) to go along with it. While Andes wants to present the concept as a way to say something you can't in person, we can only imagine the number of, um, unsavory and drunk videos that could be recorded on Friday nights. Good thing the whole system is similar to Snapchat: videos are stored in the cloud and get deleted once they're viewed.
This beer tells you how much to drink to boost your creativity
When you've been stuck on a problem or that creative spark just won't come, the chances are you've turned to a cup of coffee to get things moving. A quick java infusion can certainly help, but studies also suggest that alcohol can also have a positive impact on your creative cognition. University of Illinois Professor Jennifer Wiley determined that a person's "creative peak" comes when their blood alcohol level reaches 0.075, lowering their ability to overthink during a task. Medical Daily reports that marketing agency CP+B Copenhagen and Danish brewery Rocket Brewing wanted to help drinkers reach their imaginative prime, so they decided to create their own beer to do just that.
Brewie's smartphone-controlled system makes homemade beer easier
We've seen connected gadgets for homebrewing (and serving) beer before, and now there's another gadget looking to do the heavy lifting for you. This is Brewie: a self-contained brewhouse that will have your next batch started in minutes. For the novice beer maker, pre-portioned kits and an RFID card sorts all the settings and measurements -- all you have to do is toss in the ingredients, scan the recipe card and hit start. Of course, the machine also allows for more advanced tweaking, serving up 23 separate parameters (water levels, boiling temps, hop additions, etc.) for further fine-tuning. Once you've dialed in that Double IPA, Brewie saves the settings to produce the same results for the next batch. Looking for something new? There's 200 recipes programmed already, should that need arise.
Drinking a pint from an espresso-inspired beer tap
I'm tired of walking into musty pubs and ordering pints that are bland, poured incorrectly, or twice the price of the nearest off-licence. If I weren't meeting friends, I'd be out the door faster than Road Runner. Of course, more than a few social drinkers share my apathy, so a surge of public houses are starting to change tack. They're embracing top-notch craft beers and employ bartenders that put genuine care into your order. You feel like they want your business, and what you're getting in return would be difficult to replicate at home.
Next Glass takes the guesswork out of beer and wine shopping (update)
Have you ever walked into a beer or wine store only to be overwhelmed by the vast selection, including many options you'd never even heard of? We've all been there, but there's a new app that should help recommend options you've yet to taste. Next Glass uses your phone's camera to scan a bottle before offering you a score as to whether or not you'd like it. Based on ratings submitted the first time the app gets fired up, and scores continually added along the way, the software uses its so-called Genome Cellar to sift through a beer or wine's chemistry and predict your taste preferences. While you're browsing the shelves, the app can be used in beer, wine or a "both" modes for targeted queries, should the need arise. Once a bottle is scanned, you can also peruse to your friends list to see if others will dig your selection at dinner, add specific tasting notes and leverage the GlassMatch tool to find similar beverages. Ready to give it a go? Next Glass is free in both iTunes and Google Play. Update: When I mentioned chemistry, I meant actual science. Here's how the folks at Next Glass explain the inner workings: Next Glass has developed the world's first Genome Cellar, an extensive database that contains the chemical makeup -- or "DNA" -- of tens of thousands of wines and beers. By looking at each bottle on a molecular level, Next Glass defines a unique taste profile for every bottle by analyzing thousands of chemical elements. To arrive at a personalized score, Next Glass bring in some heavy duty chemistry equipment that analyzes the composition of various wines and beers.
Belgian brewery to reduce truck use with underground beer pipeline
In order to cut down on the number of trucks it puts on the streets, Brouwerij De Halve Maan is working with the city of Bruges to construct an underground beer pipeline. While the brewing still happens at its original site, filtration, bottling and shipping operations were moved outside of town in 2010. To get the tasty beverages from point A to point B, dozens of trucks go back and forth each day, but not for much longer. Folks familiar with the Cleveland, Ohio-based Great Lakes Brewing Company may recall that it uses an underground system to send its suds from a production facility to a taproom/pub across the street. The effort in Belgium will be much more elaborate though, replacing the 3-mile tanker route with 1.8 miles of polyethylene pipe, and cutting transit time to between 15 and 20 minutes. De Halve Maan claims the system can send out 6,000 liters per hour -- on top of cutting traffic and reducing emissions. What's more, the brewery (er, brouwerij) will foot the bill for installation and road repairs, reducing the financial burden on the city. [Photo credit: Bernt Rostad/Flickr]
These domains are making me thirsty: .beer options arrive for suds sites
New top-level domains have been popping up on the regular for quite a while, and now there's an option for breweries and other suds-focused operations. Starting today, .beer is an option for those looking lock down a new web address thanks to registry outfit Minds + Machines. In fact, US-based Elysian Brewing Company and Bear Republic Brewing Company have already opted in. If you'll recall, .london, .nyc, .scot and many more options are already available as a part of ICANN's internet naming overhaul. Sadly, ilove.beer has been snatched up. [Photo credit: Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images]
Making a beer selection at happy hour has never been easier
Even the most experienced beer drinker comes across selections they aren't familiar with, especially when traveling to a new locale. To help analyze the selections on a bar's suds list, just snap a picture with your trusty smartphone and let SipSnapp do the rest. The app will sift through the available selections and provide you with a list of crowd-sourced ratings and reviews from RateBeer. Now, you'll have little excuse when that IPA you ordered isn't quite up to snuff.
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.
