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Coca-Cola's A011 vending machine keeps drinks cool without using (much) power
So maybe that self-chilling soda didn't pan out, but Coca-Cola is working on another method for keeping its beverages cool without using power. In partnership with Fuji Electric Retail Systems, the company has developed the A011 vending machine, which is capable of keeping drinks frosty for up to 16 hours a day without using energy. The A011 works by shifting the cooling process from mid-day, when energy use is higher, to nighttime, when there is a higher power capacity. Even after the machine stops powering the chilling, the unit's temperature only rises slightly, thanks to vacuum insulation and an airtight design. Great in theory, right? Well Coca-Cola Japan will put the product to the test this summer with a two-month pilot program in two of Japan's toastiest areas, Tajimi City in Gifu Prefecture and Kumagaya City in Saitama Prefecture. If things go well, the company will tweak the A011 to extend the amount of time it can go without power. Room-temperature soda is the worst, so here's hoping it works.
Some video game cocktails to ring in the new year
Christmas has come and gone (did you get that Radio Flyer you asked for?), but that only means that the march to New Year's Eve has begun. And that, of course, means festive libations. The Guardian has your party planning covered with six delightful video game-themed cocktails, from Portal 2 shooters to the flaming Uncharted 3 spectacle seen above. Just remember, the only achievement you'll unlock for "beating" all of these games is alcohol poisoning. [Image: The Guardian]
Android-powered bar bot makes a mean Rob(ot) Roy (video)
iZac doesn't want to hear your sob stories. No, this Arduino-crafted bartender just wants to make cocktails, ordered through a tablet-based drinks menu. The bar patron can then place a glass on the digital scales, and iZac will measure out in the prescribed quantities necessary for the meatsack's choice of poison. The liquids are handled by aquarium pumps and laser-cut pinch valves, with accuracy to within one gram (0.035 ounces). Sadly, the bar bot's repertoire is limited by six bottles, arranged on two turntables. Risky drinkers can plump for the 'I'm Feeling Lucky' option, which creates a randomized drink of three (possibly identical) liquids. See how it all comes together in a loud, appropriately shady-looking bar after the break.
TUAW's Daily App: What Cocktail
What Cocktail is a stylish app with a simple concept: what kind of cocktail do you want to drink, right now? By inputting your mood and location, then shaking (not stirring, of course) the app, you get a drink suggestion with a well designed logo and the recipe to go with it in case you're making your own. Sure, there's not a lot to it, but the design of the app is a great example of form meeting function. If you're at a bar and in a state where you can't choose your own drink, What Cocktail seems like a perfect solution. As of this writing, the app is on sale for US$0.99, so you can go grab it for just a buck. If there's a downside, it's that the drink choices are somewhat limited. Not only will you probably know the drink that comes up, but it might not quite fit the mood you're in. That's to be expected, though; you definitely want something simple to make and order, and if you're ordering drinks selected by an app, you have to know that they won't always be the right thing no matter what. I have one thing to say to that: Cheers! Drink up anyway.* *Of course, always drink responsibly and safely. And stay away from tequila -- that stuff is trouble.
Japan takes vending machines to their logical, 47-inch touchscreen extreme
Time for us to admit another entrant into the hall of unnecessary, but cool inventions. Installed at Tokyo's Shinagawa Station yesterday, this latest spin on the vending machine dispenses with those silly windows unto what you're buying and furnishes its user with a 47-inch touch panel from which to make his (or her) selection. An embedded camera will recognize your gender and age, allowing the machine to recommend a beverage suitable to whatever stereotype is attached to your particular circumstances. And don't worry, it'll store your purchasing history too, so you can be freaked out by tailored ads every time you use it. 500 more of these WiMAX-equipped units are planned to be installed in and around Tokyo over the next two years, with operating company JR East expecting them to tally up 30 percent more sales than their analog brethren. More bling equals higher revenue? Sounds about right. [Thanks, Kyle]%Gallery-99194%
Preparing for BlizzCon: Money -- you're going to need it
BlizzCon approaches! Preparing for BlizzCon is your regular source for tips on how best to prepare for Blizzard's gaming extravaganza.If you have the resources to pick up some extra cash or the space in your budget to save some more over the next couple months, I recommend that you do. The ticket is paid for, but that is just the tip of the iceberg. You already know you need money for lodging and getting there, but here are a few more things for which you are probably going to want to have extra cash in the bank: Food: It really isn't practical to bring your own and in some cases, not allowed by Blizzard. For example, anything in glass, large containers or cans are a no go for the convention. Many hotels consider a tiny box of cereal or a couple slices of toast a "free breakfast", so don't count on them either. The food in the Anaheim Convention Center is convenient but overpriced, as is normal for conventions. In the evenings, most people will be dining at one of the many delicious Downtown Disney eateries, which are great fun and usually pretty expensive. All in all, your food bills will likely be far greater than your normal food budget.
Making cocktails with video for iPhone
The App Store has some very nice apps with instructions for making cocktails. Type "cocktails" in the search field and you'll see a nice selection. Now, developer Unowhy from France has put together a very nice app with video, social features, and even information on the history of cocktails. iVideoCocktails [App Store link] is $3.99US and has detailed instructions for creating 50 cocktails. The video has to be downloaded to the iPhone or iPod touch, so 3G or Wi-Fi is a must.You can let the app know what you have on hand, and it will suggest what you can make with your ingredients. You can also get a random suggestion, or just explore the database for something that interests you. You tell the app how many people you are mixing the drink for, and it will adjust the ingredients list. It also contains a nice list of non-alcoholic drinks that should please those so inclined.The videos are very well produced, and obviously not the work of amateurs. I did notice that sometimes the videos were a bit slow to load, and a couple of times they stopped in mid-play, but eventually they picked up. The videos are not required to make the drinks, but they are a nice instructional touch.Although not the only iPhone app that helps you make cocktails, it is well organized and visually attractive. My only gripe was the 'send to friend' function. I thought it would allow you to email a recipe for a drink to someone, but instead sends a pre-formatted email suggesting they go to the App Store and buy this program. Boo. You can also get ten more cocktail recipes by filling out a brief form and providing your email address, and answering some marketing questions about other services the developer might provide. Double boo. Otherwise, this is a solid app that does what it advertises, and does it with visual style. A handy thing to have in your pocket when you want to drink something different, or see what you could create with what you have on hand. I'll drink a toast to this clever app.If you want to spend your money on drinks rather than iPhone apps, here is a link to Cocktails, and Cocktails + which are free. (Note: Although the icon on Cocktails+ notes that it is free, it is still apparently $2.99US. It was free for a limited time last week, and Apple apparently did not update the icon.)Screen shots below:%Gallery-50575%
WoW Moviewatch: Powerthirst
Hey! Do you want to feel so energetic? Try Powerthirst! Energy drinks for people who need gratuitous amounts of energy!You're gonna be uncomfortably energetic!So the video above, by Thesoultorn, leaves a bit to be desired in the animation department, but in reality it's just a mock advertisement for a World of Warcraft in-game energy drink, Powerthirst. The video gets its jobs done quite well, because I now want to go and grab some Powerthirst.The video reminds me of the (alcoholic) energy drinks high I had during my powerleveling trip I took when Wrath released. I made plans with The Girlfriend for some rather extended and uninterrupted playtime, and I managed to get to 80 in a few days. Of course to accompany me on my journey I had two cases of Red Bull, a one-seven-five of Grey Goose, and an ample supply of tumblers.I want more Gnomergy!Edit: The video is a parody of the original Powerthirst by Picnicface.
First Look: Got Your BAC for iPhone/iPod touch
If you frequent the bar, or just like to have the occasional drink, then a new iPhone application has Got Your Back. As a matter of fact, that is the name of the application; except it is spelled BAC (as in Blood-Alcohol Concentration). With this application you will know exactly when you should call a taxi.When you first launch the application, you'll enter some personal information, like age, weight, and gender, so the application can calculate your BAC correctly. The main display shows four drinks on a table. You can change the type of beverage by double-tapping and selecting a different one -- the icon will also change. Each time you drink a beverage, you drag the icon off the table and onto the screen. The BAC, Carbs, Calories, and number of drinks will be updated in the top-left corner of the screen. As you add drinks, these numbers will increase. The red line across the screen indicates the legal limit -- when you're above this line, a new button will appear called "call a taxi." When tapped, this button will launch the Maps app and search for taxis. I love subtle UI features, and this application definitely has some: from the icon sets for beverages, to the sloshing liquid when you tilt the iPhone. The application is really great, and I would love to see the developer create a caffeine calculator that does the same thing. I would like to see the ability to input a number for a designated driver, that way you don't have to fumble through your contacts or call a taxi. Got Your BAC is available from the App Store for $2.99 (US). And, remember, the best thing to do is to not drink and drive. %Gallery-37758%
BlizzCon 2008: WoW Insider's second annual BlizzCon Reader Meetup
We had our second annual Reader Meetup last night here in Anaheim at The Lost Bar, and it was a blast. Tons of people showed up (maybe 200?), and every single reader we met was completely awesome. We introduced all of our bloggers (Adam Holisky, Daniel Whitcomb, Alex Ziebart, Krystalle Voecks, Elizabeth Harper, Dan O'Halloran, and myself were all there), we drank plenty of libations (the bartender, unfortunately, wasn't moving as fast as we would have liked), and we gave away a bunch of swag, to all kinds of readers, for everything from answering trivia questions to just saying hi.The Horde, I have to say, seemed to have the higher population, but Alliance made a good showing as well. And a few full guilds came out to see us: shoutouts to Thee Unforgiven on Destromath (the good folks above), Keine Neuen on Malganis, and Dread Pirates on Blackrock, not to mention all of the other awesome readers and guilds that stopped by. They're all in our gallery below -- thanks to everyone who came out for making it such a great time.%Gallery-34196%
Kungaloosh drink honors Disney's Adventurers Club
This one's just for the Disney World fans out there -- down in the Orlando resort, there's apparently a club on "Pleasure Island" called the Adventurers Club that offers shows and drinks every night for Disney's adult visitors. Just like most of the stuff at Disney's theme parks, the club has quite a following, and apparently Blizzard devs are part of it. One of the Club's signature drinks, the Kungaloosh, has made its way into the Wrath of the Lich King expansion. This unofficial Disney newsletter has more -- apparently the drink is a cooking recipe that's similar to the real-world recipe. Definitely a fun little Easter egg for Disney and Adventurers Club fans (and a nod to the sad closing of the club -- Disney announced in July that they plan to close it later this month).Unfortunately, there is no Adventurers Club at Disneyland (located in Anaheim, where Blizzard is and where BlizzCon will be held), which is too bad, because we here at WoW Insider are in the middle of looking for a location for our BlizzCon meetup. Last year, we held it at The Lost Bar, and that worked pretty well, but if anyone knows of a better location around the Anaheim Convention Center (or even better, if anyone works at Disneyland and wants to offer up a great location for us to bring a bunch of WoW Insider readers), definitely drop us a tip. It would be great to find a place where we could actually drink Kungalooshes (or any other drink, really, we're not too picky) while meeting up with all of our favorite readers during BlizzCon.
Students throw real Mario party, with matching drinks
Graduate students at the IT University of Copenhagen take over their local bar Scrollbar (great name!) every Friday night, and recently decided to deck the place out with a Mario theme. More than just decorations and music, however, the theme also included a cadre of customized cocktails and shots, all appropriately inspired by the Mushroom Kingdom and its denizens.Drinks included the Princess Peach (a modified Southern Peach) and the Mario and Luigi Shot (half grenadine, half kiwi Bols). The Yoshi cocktail was popular enough to be added to the bar's standard repertoire, and patrons downing the 1UP Shot were treated to that all-too-familiar sound effect upon completion.Nintendo fans can check out the site for more details about the event, and recipes for mixing every cocktail and shot (assuming they're of the legal drinking age). Now all they need is some Tetris ice.[Via DS Fanboy]
A real Mario party, with drinks to match
Have you ever wanted to try a Yoshi cocktail? If so, you probably should have hit up the Scrollbar in Copenhagen on February 15th.A bunch of students attending Copenhagen's IT University decided to deck out the Scrollbar in Mario goodness, and topped it off by serving original Mario themed drinks.If you're looking to make some of these alcoholic beverages for yourself (assuming, of course, that you're the proper age to do so legally), you can check out the recipes for drinks like the Goomba or the 1up shot here.Too bad -- it looks like we missed out on the video game party of the year.[Via Tokyo Mango]
Running out of juice? Pop a Mana Energy Potion
Sometimes, your heart is all for a late night gaming session, but your body is just saying no. Well what are you going to do, just give in to your body's desperate pleas for rest? Nuh-uh! Reach into your RL inventory and pull out a Mana Energy Potion. According to the drink's website, this sexy little bottle will provide you with 160 mana, whereas a regular human usually only has 100. That will surely give you the edge you need push into the wee hours of the morning.The site advises that one tiny bottle has caffeine equivalent to two 8-ounce Red Bulls, and will provide "5-8 hours of smooth, jitter-free energy". Know what else is cool? A look at the Supplement Facts page for the energy shot shows that each serve (40ml bottle) contains 6667% of your daily required Vitamin B12, or over 2 months worth. You can currently order packs of Mana Energy Potions from the website, and a small number of retailers will be stocking them soon too. And one last thing -- a possible indicator of how awesome your Mana replenishment process will be is the fact that the contact page lists a dedicated death threats email address.
Just for the taste of it: Sengoku Basara 2 Heroes
Capcom is continuing the cavalcade of insane promotional items for Sengoku Basara 2 Heroes (Devil Kings 2), with a series of character-themed sodas. Date Masamune's image adorns cans of "sports drink," Katakura Kojuro gets oolong tea, and Sanada Yukimura is represented by blackcurrant and orange drink (which sounds great).The drinks are produced by Applis, who seem to have quite a tidy little business in the field of limited-edition promotional beverages in Japan. These will be available in limited quantities for 157 yen each, only in Animate stores across Japan. Don't expect to sample any of these deliciously synergistic flavors outside Japan anytime soon.
Breakfast Topic: What drink is your class?
Over at Shadow Gaming, Dahis tackles a simple question: what alcoholic beverage corresponds to each class/spec? Here are some of my favorites that he came up with: MS Warriors are like Hamms, a dime a dozen. They're also like that 40oz of Old English in your fridge because it's probably better to leave it alone than to try and down it. Warlocks (any kind) are like NIGHT TRAIN, kicks your ass almost for free. Bear Druids are like Everclear, because you think you can take one but you regret it almost immediately. Holy Priests are like Andre Champaign [sic] since everyone's happier when you have one. Hunters are like Old Crow because your grandpa (early WoW) liked it but nobody your age does. I especially enjoy the last one for implying that early WoW players were two generations behind the current players (which certainly feels like the case sometimes). So how about it? If your class was liquid, what would it be? Personally, I'd say my holy priest is like a mint julep: far more trouble than it's worth if you're alone, but fun in a party.P.S. Don't drink if you're underage, etc. You can still play along in the comments though.
