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Twitch and Coca-Cola will raise money to fight AIDS with a MOBA tournament
With World AIDS Day coming up on December 1st, Twitch is partnering up with (Coca Cola)RED for one week to help fight the disease in sub-Saharan Africa. On December 2nd, you can stream Twitch's Arena of Valor channel and watch eight popular streamers face off playing the mobile MOBA designed by Tencent Games. There will be a way to make donations during the stream, of course, and if you're a streamer, you can gather donations for the entire week, too. Coca Cola will match up to $50,000 of all donations gathered during the week.
Junk technology: A ridiculous history of fast-food PR stunts
Who doesn't love a good, over-the-top marketing stunt? Recently we've seen a lot of those, including Pizza Hut's Pizza Parka, a coat made out of the same insulating materials as its delivery pouches. Because why not? That ridiculous product from Pizza Hut shouldn't come as a surprise. After all, this is the same company that made shoes that can order a pie for you. But Pizza Hut isn't the only one trying to get creative using technology to promote its brand.
London's iconic Piccadilly Circus will go dark next month
Since 1908, London's Piccadilly Circus has been home to illuminated signs and advertising billboards. As time went by, incandescent light bulbs gave way to neon lights, eventually ending up with six massive LED displays (Piccadilly Lights) that you see today. From January 2017, however, the Lights will be switched off for the longest period since the Second World War to make way for the largest single digital screen Europe has ever seen.
ICYMI: Bro-saving weight bench, 4-gram robot and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-891327{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-891327, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-891327{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-891327").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: A weight bench designed for people who want to lift alone has a hydraulic foot lever to save yourself from injury. A 4-gram robot can move two different ways: As an inchworm, or by flicking itself in the air with flippers that get a charge from a mild electric current. And an art project made of a 3D-printed top uses eye tracking sensors and software to let the wearer know when he or she is being stared at by responding with movement.
Coca-Cola is the first company to pay Twitter for custom emoji
Hashtag-activated emoji have been invading our Twitter streams for some time now, but would you believe me if I told you that those Star Wars, Dominos and sport-focused icons didn't make Twitter a dime? Apparently, they didn't, but that's about to change. The company testing out custom "hashflags" as paid advertising -- starting with Coca-Cola's #shareacoke campaign.
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.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: solar tulip, new discovered molecule and a colossal statue of Coca Cola crates
Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us -- it's the Week in Green. The big news that had the world of green transportation buzzing this week was Tesla's unveil of its brand new Model X luxury car and we also saw the blazing fast Lightning GT EV hit the track for the first time. We also shined light on the futuristic solar-powered SPV car while Mitsubishi's i-MIEV electric car stole the greenest vehicle title from the Honda Civic and the Boulder EV became the first electric truck capable of hitting 70 mph. We were also excited to announce that San Francisco is set to launch its electric bike sharing program, French cyclists won the controversial right to run red traffic lights, and Volkswagen unveiled its Think Blue Beetle, which is made from 2,805 pieces of recycled trash.Energy news sent shock waves around the world this week as Inhabitat reported that the US approved its first nuclear power plants in 30 years and the temperature of Japan's damaged Fukushima nuclear plant suddenly soared up to 45 degrees celsius. We also saw an energy-generating "Solar Tulip" power tower spring up in Spain, and a 10-year-old girl discovered a new molecule that stands to improve energy storage. Meanwhile, we brought you the scoop on the world's next tallest skyscraper in Azerbaijan and industrial giant AAB announced plans for a worldwide electric vehicle charging network.In recycled design news, we saw a colossal statue made from 4,200 Coca Cola crates rise up over Cape Town and we shared a set of larger than life beasts made from recycled motorcycle parts. We also brought you a brilliant line of lamps made from recycled e-waste and a set of LEGO-like Earth Blocks made from coffee beans and tea chaff. Last but not least, we showcased an electronic suit that treats nerve disorders, and since Valentine's day is on the way we took a look at BIG's interactive LED heart sculpture in NYC, 6 adorable DIY cards, and 6 simple DIY V-Day gifts.
BrandFinance declares Google the most valuable brand in the world
Well, it looks Eric Schmidt wasn't far off when he said recently that Microsoft is bigger competition than Facebook for Google -- at least when it comes to overall brand value, that is. According to BrandFinance's latest annual ranking, Google has just barely edged out Microsoft for the title of most valuable brand in the world, with the pair of them pushing Walmart out from the number one spot last year. As for Facebook, it just entered the top 500 for the first time at number 285, while Apple jumped twelve spots to make its first appearance in the top ten at number eight -- a shift that partly comes at the expense of usual suspect Coca Cola, which has dropped out of the top ten for the first time. The biggest loser? Nokia. It dropped all the way from number 21 last year to number 94 this year. Hit up the source link below for the complete list.
Sugar-powered phone concept robs us of perfectly good Coke
This wouldn't be the first time we've seen a sugar fuel cell, but gosh darnit, it just might be the sexiest. Chinese designer Daizi Zheng has conjured up a vision for a soft drink-powered cylindrical Nokia of the future that pounds Coca-Colas to stay juiced: just screw off the top, pop the can, and pour. Daizi estimates that a single can of the stuff could outlast a traditional lithium ion battery by three to four times -- never mind the obvious ecological benefits -- but don't you dare steal our caffeine the next time you need a charge, alright? [Thanks, Rob]
Coca Cola readying self-chilling soft drinks?
And you thought non-stick chewing gum was the heat. Turns out, Coca Cola may be plotting a new version of Sprite that actually chills itself upon opening. Apparently, the drink has to be kept at a specified temperature before being snapped up, and once the oh-so-thirsty consumer pops the top, "a mechanism inside creates ice made from the drink, so it is not diluted." Reportedly, the beverage would sensibly be called Sprite Super Chilled, and if it does indeed hit the UK (and prove successful) by "early next year," the technology could then be passed along to Coke, Diet Coke or even "super cold alcoholic drinks, particularly beers."[Via Tech Digest]
Coca-Cola to give away iTunes songs again this summer
Following on last summer's massive European iTunes giveaway, Coca Cola has announced they will once again be partnering with iTunes. Between May and August, promotional packs of Coca Cola, Diet Coke and Coke Zero will offer the chance to win free songs, free iPods, and free tickets to over 100 Coke+iTunes sponsored summer concerts across Europe. Presumably the free music codes will once again be limited to five per customer.
Nintendo and Coca-Cola team up to hook you up
Nintendo, maker of that Wii console we love so much, and Coca-Cola, maker of that soda we love so much, are teaming up to give away a multitude of prizes on select cans of Fanta, Sprite and Dr. Pepper starting May 14th until July of this year in the UK. The ultimate prize consists of the "Ultimate Wii Games Room," which features a Wii console, Wii Sports, 26" Samsung LCD TV and a mini-fridge stocked to the brim with Fanta, Sprite and Dr. Pepper. This prize will be given out on a daily basis at the start of the promotion.
Coke runs out of DS, Wii rewards in four days
Coke drinkers love them some Nintendo, it seems. The newest phase of the My Coke Rewards customer loyalty program, which began on April 16, was sold out of all available Nintendo merchandise by April 20, according to the deal-watchers on slickdeals.net.Yes, that means that at least a few people managed to redeem the 3250 reward points needed for a Nintendo DS and the 6250 points for a Wii in less than four days. For those keeping score at home, that translates to 1084 bottles of Coke for the DS or 2084 bottles for the Wii. In four days. Are these people buying drinks for Army battalions or something?Slower drinkers needn't worry, though -- the DS and Wii reappeared on the rewards site yesterday afternoon, meaning that more people can pursue obesity and tooth decay as they pursue their Nintendo system of choice. God bless America.
Drink enough Coke, get Wii for free
If you're looking for another possible avenue for Wii ownership, and you have a very loose definition of "possible," may we suggest the MyCokeRewards store? Coca-Cola has been including codes on their products that correspond to points; these points can be redeemed for items on their website. Thanks to a tip from reader Sam, we can alert you to the fact that they've added Wiis to their selection-- for 6,250 points, which comes out to 625 cases of Coke, or 2084 20-ounce bottles. Better start raiding dumpsters for those reward codes!* We've used MyCokeRewards quite a bit and love it: among our purchases are the custom-printed 20"x28" Katamari Damacy poster seen above, and one Playstation 2 game with free bonus controversy! It's nice to get free merchandise for something we'd be doing anyway-- drinking delicious, chilled beverages.*Wii Fanboy does not encourage the raiding of dumpsters.[Thanks, Sam!]
Get your Hot Shots Golf: Coca-Cola special edition PSP at eBay
I'm sure you're all aware of the Signature PSP lineup by now, but did you know Sony teamed up with Coca Cola to manufacture 1,300 Hot Shots Golf: Coca Cola Special Edition PSP bundles in Japan last year? The bundled Hot Shots game, which Coca Cola gave away in contests, was basically a big commercial for the company as it featured Coca Cola advertising, clothing and even bottle-shaped golf clubs.Unfortunately, the contests are all over and you can't win one anymore. However, if you have about $660 burning a hole in your pocket, the bundle can be all yours via an eBay auction here. You even get the prize letter from Coca Cola to make you feel like you've won something.
Lenovo releases Coke-themed F20 laptop in China
Even though the U.S. government may want nothing to do with its computers, Lenovo's still got so much love for the red, white, and blue that it's releasing a special-edition notebook branded with one of the most recognizable American icons: everyone's favorite tooth-decaying soft drink. Oddly enough, the company's Coca Cola-red, Pentium M-powered F20 was designed in honor of the 2008 Olympic Games -- which are not only two years away, but taking place in China, and not the U.S. (where was this lappy in 1996 when the Games were held in Coke's hometown of Atlanta?). Anyway, besides the snazzy paint job and stick-on Olympic rings, this version of the F20 is pretty much your run-of-the-mill 12.1-inch laptop, sporting an ULV 1.66GHz CPU, 512MB of RAM, integrated graphics, an 80GB hard drive, and all the ports, wireless radios, and card readers you've come to expect from notebooks these days. Obviously priced in yuan, this model is going for the equivalent of $1,575, but since Lenovo knows that you can't possibly resist drinking a Coke while you're using this machine, they're throwing in some of that high-tech Batmobile-style armor plating on the house.[Via I4U]
