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Beer-fetching robot promises to make your significant other obsolete
The thing about the future is this: we'll still have to do menial things like answer the door, or take out the trash, or get up off our couches to get our own brews after a long, hard day at the office... unless we're smart enough to invent robots to do such menial things, that is. Well, Willow Garage has spent some time building a "Beer Me" application for its PR2 robot which gets at least one of these tasks under its belt. They added a four-holed foam block placed behind the robot's navigation laser so that it can safely carry four bottles across the terrain, and equipped their refrigerator with a tilted "self-stocking" shelf. Check out its operation in the video below.
Soda machine controlled by iPhone app
Recent MIT comp sci grad Chris Varenhorst found a cheap soda machine on Craigslist a while back, and he decided to do what any self-respecting computer science student would do nowadays: hook it up to the Internet. He created wiring to make the machine believe it had credits whenever a circuit was connected, and then wired that to an Internet service. He also created an iPhone app that sent messages to the server, so he could press a button from anywhere and make the machine dispense a cold drink. Unfortunately, he says he would sometimes press the button while out and about, and come back to his apartment to find a warm beer sitting in the machine. He's graduated now and moving out, so Varenhorst and his roommates decided to sell the machine on eBay, with part of the funds going to charity. It sold for just $76 (not too surprising -- who really needs a soda machine sitting around their house?), but the project itself is very cool.
Police launch probe into lost iPhone sale
It sure seemed like this whole "lost iPhone" saga might be over, but maybe things are just getting interesting: CNET is reporting that Silicon Valley police have launched a probe into the sale of the prototype iPhone left at a bar in Redwood City to Gizmodo.com. Apple has reportedly spoken to police about the incident, and a computer crime task force is on the case, currently investigating whether there's enough evidence of wrongdoing to file charges. It's possible that there isn't, and this really is over, but if police find that laws were broken with the sale of the unreleased property, charges might be filed. Jonathan Ballerano (via Daring Fireball) has a little more insight on Gizmodo's possible liability. If a case is brought against Gizmodo, says Ballerano, the question will be twofold: whether Apple took reasonable steps to protect their secret (as in, not leaving it in the hands of an engineer who might lose it at a bar), and whether Gizmodo had knowledge that the phone was a trade secret at the time. On the first point, Ballerano says that California law is relatively lenient, and given that Apple needs to field-test the phones, somehow, they could probably make a case for reasonable protection of their secret. On the second point, Ballerano believes that yes, Gizmodo willfully disclosed something they knew was a secret, and expects that if either a suit or a charge is brought, Gizmodo will pay. But at this point, it's up to the police and Apple to decide how far they can pursue Gizmodo and on what grounds they might go after them. We'll have more legal analysis coming up about the case -- stay tuned.
World's most costly beer: The one that led an Apple engineer to misplace his phone
More on the ongoing saga of the wayward next-gen iPhone. Gizmodo just posted their version of the story behind the story: They say that an Apple employee who works on the iPhone's baseband technology left the mysterious phone at the Gourmet Haus Staudt, a Redwood City bar and restaurant that's not far from Apple's campus. [Insert joke about German beer and engineers here.] Anyway, the gentleman who found the phone apparently waited for the phone's owner to return for some time, and was able to identify him from his Facebook profile on the phone. He intended to return the phone the next day, but it was bricked (or MobileMe deactivated) the next morning. That's when he began noticing ... strange things. Like the front-facing camera and the barcodes on the back. [Insert surprised wisecrack that Apple's prototype units don't have "lock with passcode after 10 seconds" turned on by default.] That was back on March 18. Gizmodo says they got the phone some weeks later, and today they confirmed it was a legit Apple item by calling the engineer at work. At Apple. Where he still apparently has a phone and access to a desk. [Insert shock and astonishment.] It's a fascinating read, and if nothing else, it more or less confirms that yes, we're looking at an official Apple prototype. Lesson of the day: Do not, do not, mix beer and priceless unreleased iPhones. Meanwhile, here's an obvious point: it's clear Gizmodo had few or no qualms about publicly announcing the name of the Apple staffer who lost the phone (which I originally reproduced in this post, but redacted based on feedback from readers). When should we expect the follow-up story announcing the name and employer of the person who found the phone and in turn provided it to Gizmodo?
Heineken Bot does what it says on the keg, soon to be man's new best friend (update: new video)
If you ask us, our theory is that the Daleks are rather huggable by nature, but they probably partied a tad too hard with these beer-toting fellas before trashing the world. One such "Heineken Bot" -- crafted by the geniuses at Middlesex University -- turned up at Kinetica Art Fair in London. Daring humans can stop this drifting bot by hovering their hands above its sonar-sensing head, and then place a cup in its holder for some bevvy spat out of its keg. When you're served, the lonewolf continues to wander along its pre-programmed path, probably waiting for the assassination signal from Skynet. See for yourself after the break while you're still alive. Update: Chris Barlow from the project team has just hit us with a video of the upgraded Heinken Bot. Check it out after the break.%Gallery-84842%
Ask Cryptic about Klingons in STO
Do you have burning questions about Klingon play in Star Trek Online? Cryptic is more than aware that people are going to have questions, and so they've put up a new thread (hit it up right here) where you can use a Cryptic account to post all the questions your heart could ever possibly desire to ask. We're sure to see the answers sooner rather than later, but with holidays occurring next week, it may take longer than usual. Also, in case you need some help with your questions, here are some keywords we'd suggest you consider using when asking questions about Klingons: booze, battle and bat'leth.
It came from the Blog: Brewfest 2009 recap
We came. We saw. We drank. Well, actually, most of us just put Synthebrew Goggles on. Elizabeth Harper and Mike Schramm both attended, and we had a lot of fun with those who were able to make it at that late hour. Some Achievements were achieved, some tokens were earned and some quests were completed. I have chronicled the festivities in the gallery below.Stay tuned for more It came from the Blog events in the near future!%Gallery-74356%
Reminder: It came from the Blog Brewfest event tonight
Don't forget that the members of It came from the Blog are Brewfesting together tonight: When: 11:30pm EDT (8:30pm PDT, 9:30pm Server Time) Tuesday, September 29 Where: In front of Orgrimmar on Zangarmarsh (U.S.) Who: Any Horde character How: Send a tell to Robinella or any It came from the Blog Lurker to join the guild Much fun will be had and all are invited. Unfortunately, we don't have the funds for an open bar, so bring enough cash for food and drink. If you are planning to attend, please read the event guide after the break.
TurpsterDoubleVision: Mounting Your Squire
We can't believe it either – Turpster has been let loose on WoW.com to bring you videos from in and around the World of Warcraft! You've heard him on the WoW Insider Show, and now see him on TurpsterVision right here on WoW.com.Drinking alcohol might make you feel big, but you wont be clever! Don't do drugs kids! Now I've got that out of the way, I can leave you all to enjoy the video and to get in game and complete the achievements. If you need any help then make sure you check out Allison Robert's fantastic guide on the Brewfest 2009 achievements!Also, as some of the less filthy minded of you out there might have guessed from the title, this week's TurpsterVision features the Argent Tournament reward and the achievement of Pony Up! And I have it on fairly good word that this is indeed THE Pony that Ghostcrawler promised us -- well at least that is how I am treating it in-game (RP ftw!). Check out more of Turpster's work, from his WoW parody songs to TV previously on Massively.com, not forgetting everyone's favorite podcast 'The WoW Insider Show' and of course, TurpsterVision right here on WoW.com!
Happy Fourth of July from WoW.com
It's that time of year again -- Summer is in the air, baseball is well underway (I'm still pulling for the Cubs, even though it's a rollercoaster as usual), and things are grilling on the, um, grill. Here in America, today is Independence Day, and we're celebrating our independence from you EU folks -- don't take it personally, but we'd had it up to here with your taxation without representation, and we just wanted to spend some time on our own for a while. So while most of our bloggers are relaxing and lighting explosives on fire, posting might be a little slim around here today. Just in case you need something to read, you can always catch up on all the amazing Patch 3.2 details, dream about going to BlizzCon (or just ogle the costumes), or finish up your Midsummer Fire Festival achievements.And if the last few years are any indication, there'll be some celebrations in Azeroth this evening as well (yes, even on the EU servers), with fireworks aplenty (we're pretty sure they do them on the hour every hour this evening -- Booty Bay always has a nice display, not to mention that the bruisers are drunk there today), and free beer and food outside the capital cities. So if you're here in America with us, be sure to have a very happy and safe Fourth of July from all of us here at WoW.com!
May's Brew of the Month: Springtime Stout
It's a new month and the new brew is here! May's Brew of the Month is a very simple Springtime Stout with a familiar side effect. When you drink one of your drinks, you have a chance to proc the buff called 'Flower Child.' The buff only lasts ten seconds or so, and as you run around with the buff, flowers pop up underfoot. Herbalists, you've seen something like this before.I try to give little factoids on the real life brews some of these are named after (such as the fact that Pilsners shouldn't exist in Azeroth), but stouts aren't very exotic, overall! A stout is a very dark, very strong sort of ale, and seems just like the sort of thing Dwarves would be mailing out regularly. I don't know about that whole 'flower child' thing, though. Seems more like something Night Elves would do to their ale.
BrewTroller simplifies homebrewing, makes it doable while inebriated
It's been a mystery for ages, but at long last, it seems a simple DIYer has found a solution. We all know that the best beers are the ones brewed at home, but after a given amount of "test sips," things can easily get a little out of control. In order to simplify the homebrewing process, the brilliant BrewTroller was concocted during a short stint with sobriety. In essence, the system utilizes a Sanguino microcontroller platform which was inspired by the tried-and-true Arduino in order to give brewers complete control over temperature and the like. When connected to a simple menu-driven display, it removes the need to bang out a paragraph of code while tipsy in order to tweak the flavor ever so slightly. Hit up the read link to have a look at the progress, but make sure you strap on those Beer Goggles first.[Via HackedGadgets]
March's Brew of the Month: Aromatic Honey Brew
It's brews like the Aromatic Honey Brew that make the whole Brew of the Month membership worth it. Sure, all of the bodily fluid/fume brews are pretty boring, but this month's brew? Beautiful. I can finally fulfill my lifelong dream: Get drunk while on fire and covered in bees. Alternate caption for the image above? I like my ale like I like my women. Covered in bees.I'm sure those of you that haven't tried this month's brew are pretty confused right now. What the hell am I talking about? Well, every Brew of the Month has a proc that goes off now and then when you're chugging down the booze. This month, the proc is a buff called Honey Touched. The sweet, sticky honey in the brew gets all over you, and you attract some friends. Horrible, stingy friends. Friends that put you under a Fear effect for 7 seconds. I think this rivals BigRedPriestess as my favorite Brew of the Month. If I'm gonna get wasted, I might as well do it in style. Mead and bees. Bees are stylish, right?As an extra little note, the fact that there's a new brew out means that it's the beginning of the month. If you're the sort of person that will take all the freebies you can get, you can pick up your free gems from the Consortium in Nagrand. They're Burning Crusade gems, but maybe you'll find some use for them.
February's Brew of the Month: Izzard's Ever Flavor
We're a day late here, but that's alright. February's Brew of the Month, Izzard's Ever Flavor has hit vendors, and you know what that means. More jokes about bodily functions! This time around, burping! The video above displays how it works pretty well, though I can't claim credit for it. Credit for that goes to LostShard on Wowhead (or YouTube, I suppose).This month's brew works a bit like last month's in that it uses a buff, and when the buff expires it triggers another effect. Drinking the brew will sometimes proc Gassy, and when Gassy expires (or you click it off), you belch. When you do that, anybody in front of you will be a little unhappy.Can't say I'm a fan of the brew this time around, at least not as much as last month's Wild Winter Pilsner. It got a chuckle out of me, but I probably won't carry a stack around at all times like I did with the last one. Definitely does not topple BigRedPriestess.
Serv O'Beer pours when iPhone accelerometer tells it to
Now that the holiday season is officially over (CES notwithstanding), there's officially no better time to get inebriated and wash away the sorrows of not having another government-recognized holiday for like, ever. After you've drug that dead tree out to the roadside and filled a few buckets with tears, why not try constructing your very Serv O'Beer in order to bring just a sliver of that joy back into your heart? Put simply, the project pictured above utilized Construx as the mechanical platform, a servo driving the action and ioBridge controlling the system; a so-called "perfect pour" was executed by linking an iPhone accelerometer to the system and turning it up. Have a look at the demonstration vid just past the break -- dollars to donuts it'll make you smile. [Thanks, Hans]
Basil the Robot trained for symbolic recognition, beer toting
Though not much of a looker -- feel free to insert your own beer goggles joke here -- Basil the Robot is an experiment by Jim and Louise Gunderson to train an AI to identify its surroundings symbolically. That way, the couple hopes, he can react dynamically in new environments. Basil was intended to be shown off at a Cafe Scientifique meeting by having him go to the bar and order drinks for his creators, but that proved unsuccessful when Basil's battery died. The couple did videotape a successful trial run from the night before, which you can see after the break. Basil will next receive a microphone for voice commands and be upgraded from his current sonar navigation to a video sight system. The eventual goal is to teach Basil to go to the local brewery and pick up beer. Sure, we're still terrified of the robot revolution, but let's get serious here -- who are we to deny our mechanical overlords if they keep proffering us six-packs? Hit up the read link for the full story.[Via Metafilter]
Drunk and disorderly in Warhammer's Keg End holiday event
"Keg End is here, with the mud and the blood and the beer!!" It seems that most of the major MMO titles have gotten into the holiday spirit, including Warhammer Online with its Dwarf New Year's festival of Keg End. The event begins today, December 17th and continues through to January 5th. We knew a bit about Keg End before. Namely how it seemed to be an in-game event where it's perfectly OK to act like a violent drunk with a burning desire to blow things up, and then brag about it (with some new emotes). Well, Keg End promises to be all that and more, given the event info Mythic Entertainment released today. No matter whether you're Order or Destruction, there's plenty of fun to be had and hell to raise. The best part is you don't need to feel guilty or make excuses the morning after (it wasn't you, it was the 'Frothy Goodness' ale)... although you may be stuck with the new in-game title "The Drunkard" for a while. WAR has gone 1.1! Check out our full coverage of the 1.1a patch, along with our interviews exploring upcoming content and the open RvR changes. Plus, don't miss any of our ongoing coverage as Massively goes to WAR!
Celebrate the holidays with Warhammer Online's Keg End live event
Beer, boasting and things that go boom make up the Warhammer Online holiday event this year. Starting next week on Wednesday, December 17th and running through to January 5th. The event is going to be full of everything a Dwarf holds dear, which includes plenty of booze. Players will be able to set of fireworks whenever they like, including when charging into battle, or they can search for the legendary golden Golden Stein and earn the blessing of Grimnir himself.Whatever a player does or doesn't do, everyone will be making use of the new emotes -- well, at least we certainly will. Simply type in /boast to give your enemies a good emotive thrashing, or you can make use of /toast and raise a frothy mug up to your allies.It sounds like plenty of good times are about to be had starting next week. We really can't wait for some fun screens to come in so we can feature some on One Shots. So remember to take 'em and send 'em in to oneshots AT massively DOT com! WAR has gone 1.1! Check out our full coverage of the 1.1a patch, along with our interviews exploring upcoming content and the open RvR changes. Plus, don't miss any of our ongoing coverage as Massively goes to WAR!
Brew of the Month: Lord of Frost's Private Label
Ah, just the thing we needed in the middle of winter in Northrend! A drink to cool us down! Wait, what? Crap, that's not we need at all! Oh well, I guess we're out of luck. This month's brew from the Brew of the Month club is actually a drink we've seen before. It's the Lord of Frost's Private Label, previously only acquired from Lord Ahune's stash during the Midsummer festivities.What do this month's brew do? Not a whole lot. Like I said, it cools you down. Really. After drinking it, you can see your character's breath for awhile. Which... you probably won't notice in Northrend at all, because almost the entire continent makes you do that anyway. If you prefer getting your drunk on in Ironforge, this drink is perfect and you can pick some up in the usual places in Orgrimmar and Ironforge. If you're looking for a drink to warm you up on a cold Northrend night, go for a Northrend staple: Mead. It's all over the place up there.Edit: Apparently this drink can also proc an iceblock that you get locked in for a little while, but in my experience it must be pretty rare? I've gone through a stack and a half of the stuff and haven't had it happen to me yet, but many of our readers have mentioned seeing it. I think the booze is playing favorites.
