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BACtrack iPhone breathalyzer could save your life this holiday season
According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, car crashes from impaired driving due to alcohol consumption spike over the holiday period. This shouldn't be much of a surprise, as it's the time of year that people generally go to more parties than normal and enjoy the company of friends and family with good food and drink. However, thanks to our iPhones and some innovative technology from a host of companies, we now have it in our power to know without a doubt if we've had too much to drink before we even get behind the wheel. The BACtrack Mobile Breathalyzer from BACtrack is the world's first Bluetooth mobile breathalyzer that allows anyone to check their own or a friend's blood alcohol content from an iPhone or Android device. The BACtrack Mobile Breathalyzer itself is no bigger than a pack a cigarettes. The user simply breathes into it and his or her blood alcohol level is calculated, with its results being sent to the companion BACtrack app. The iPhone app makes it easy to read your results in numerical format, but it also gives you a written warning, such as "You may be experiencing a loss of shyness and slight euphoria." However, instead of just telling you how inebriated you are, the app also allows you to track it over a period of time -- and, more importantly -- can tell you when your BAC will return to 0.00 percent so you can drive again. The app also allows you take photos of your drinks and log your drinking habits in a built-in journal. You can share your BAC results with a private list of people, anonymously on the web (contributing to real-time BAC results around the world, which you can view) or via your social networks on Twitter and Facebook. The social integration may seem odd, but it can help notify your friends that you need a ride home when you are too drunk to drive. BACtrack has been a global leader in breathalyzer technology for more than a decade and the engineering that went into its BACtrack Mobile Breathalyzer shows it. Its mobile breathalyzer uses an industry-leading Xtend ElectroChemical Fuel Cell Sensor, which is a police-grade cell. The company says it is not only appropriate for personal use, but professional use as well, including in military, hospital, clinical, business and school settings. The BACtrack Mobile Breathalyzer displays BAC results to a full three decimal places (0.000 percent). It measures 1.75 x 2.75 x 0.63 inches and weighs just 1.75 ounces (47 grams). It's rechargeable via the included micro-USB charger. The BACtrack Mobile Breathalyzer isn't a gift for everyone. Indeed, it may offend some people if they receive it. However, it'd be great to see bar and pub owners keeping one of these behind the bar. It also gives those responsible drinkers another option for keeping tabs on their fun and alerting them when it's time to let someone else get behind the wheel. The BACtrack Mobile Breathalyzer costs US$149.99. The BACtrack app is a free download. It's one of the few iPhone accessories that can actually save a life this holiday season.
Budweiser's Buddy Cup makes Facebook friending a toast away
Making new friends over cold brew isn't particularly difficult, but making those friendships Facebook-official requires a bit more effort -- unless you have Buddy Cup, that is. Developed by ad outfit Agencia Africa and creative studio Bolha for Budweiser Brazil, the drinking vessel makes folks who toast with each other friends on Zuckerberg and Co.'s social network as soon as their beverages collide, with an LED lighting up to confirm the new acquaintance. Partygoers link their Facebook profile with the LilyPad-based grail by scanning a QR code underneath the glass with an app from the brewer, and they'll be on their way to making new pals. The Drum reports that the Buddy Cup will be used at concerts, festivals and parties sponsored by The King of Beers, but we're sure intrepid imbibers can hack some together for use at their own soirees. Hit the jump to for a video of the contraption.
Breathometer lets phone users keep alcohol in check from a keychain (video)
Who knew that smartphone owners were suddenly such temperate drinkers? Just days after Alcohoot unveiled its take on a phone-friendly breathalyzer, Breathometer is here with its own way to watch our tipsiness. The namesake, FDA-approved gadget will plug into the headphone jack of an Android or iOS device and warn if our blood is too alcohol-rich, all while staying small enough to fit on a keychain. Plans are underway to eventually let soused users hail a taxi from the native app. The Breathometer won't be available until we're at the height of summer party season, but it should be cheap enough to eliminate any excuses: its Indiegogo campaign is asking for just $20 to secure a Breathometer alongside a pledge, or less than a good night out.
Officers' Quarters: Too much Stormstout ale
Every Monday, Scott Andrews contributes Officers' Quarters, a column about the ins and outs of guild leadership. He is the author of The Guild Leader's Handbook. Adult raiders are free to enjoy a few adult beverages while they raid. This week, a guild leader wonders what to do when a raider has a few too many and ruins a night of raiding. (He also asks about raid scheduling, which isn't nearly as interesting, but we'll talk about it anyway.) Hi Scott, Yes, it's me again, Apocalyptic GM, sorry to be bothering you again, but you did such a good job last time of giving advice, that i felt the need to come to you again, especially now that two further large problems have arisen within my guild. Firstly, the issue of raiding days. Currently i work shifts of 4 on 4 off at night time, which means i am only available for every 4 out of 8 days. We raided fine with this for the last 6 months ... but recently there has been some descent among the ranks, and complaints that people aren't happy with the current raiding days set up, and this hampering our time raiding. Now I could easily change to a fixed raiding days, but that would leave me frequently absent from raids, which is not something i would prefer. And this leaves me in a pickle as to what to do. As guild master and raid leader I feel I should be able to set up raids to suit me, but then I also feel I should better accomodate my guild.
Scientists develop pair of algorithms that could enable thermal cameras to pick out drunk people
We're not sure if Georgia Koukiou and Vassilis Anastassopoulos of the University of Patras in Greece like a tipple or not, but the pair have developed two algorithms that, when used with thermal imaging, could pick out drunk people in crowds. What is it that betrays your best intentions to look sober? As always, your face. Booze causes the blood-vessels in your visage to dilate, and the researchers used this principle to compare facial scans against a database of tipple-free mug shots. Likewise the duo found that when under the influence, the nose gets warmer, while the forehead cools -- another visual check that the infrared can help identify. The hope is that using this technology, law-enforcement can make a judgement call based on more than just your wonky walk. But in our experience, the troublemakers are pretty good at outing themselves.
The Road to Mordor: Party planning committee, assemble!
Considering that Fellowship of the Ring begins with a huge party -- thrown in honor of Bilbo Baggins' eleventy-first birthday -- I think it's appropriate that Lord of the Rings Online is conducive to parties. I'm not just talking about dev-designed festivals, although those are great; I'm referring to parties that the community whips up from time to time. Part of the appeal of LotRO to me is that it isn't just all about killing and leveling; it's also about exploring and living in this virtual Middle-earth. Life for the Free Peoples means celebrating even in the midst of oppressive evil, and it's in keeping with the spirit of the enterprise to throw a shindig now and then. Turbine's given us quite a few tools and resources to use when assembling a party, and I thought that today we'd take an unusual detour from the Road to Mordor and go through the steps of throwing a memorable and enjoyable soirée. Ready to cut loose? Footloose? Good! Let's tear up the dance floor!
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.
The Gamerator: An arcade cabinet with a built-in tap and refrigerator
What's better than having absolute, unrestricted access to two of life's greatest pleasures? We'll tell you: When both of those pleasures are combined into a single, brilliant machine. The Custom Bar Guys have created just such a mash-up with The Gamerator: An arcade cabinet that contains a refrigerated chamber, in which you can store a pony keg of your favorite beer. You can hook said keg up to a built-in tap, and enjoy a frosty beverage while playing one of the machine's 100 emulated arcade classics. We guess you could enjoy several beverages, though after a while, that's going to throw off your Sinistar game. It will run you $3,500, which is a substantial sum of money. However, we're talking about an arcade cabinet with cupholders and a built-in tap, upon which you can actually play Root Beer Tapper. We dare you to find a better way to spend three-and-a-half Gs.
Ask Massively: These are not the Massively offices edition
It's somewhat astonishing how many people think Massively consists of a small cubicle farm in a large office building. I mean, we talk about how we work from home all the time, but somehow this image persists. So for the record, that picture does not represent where the Massively staff works. I'd show you a picture of where I actually work, but it's kind of a mess at the moment, not helped by the fact that I still need to figure out where I'm putting some of my new Transformers. (I think Drift and Terradive should be fighting.) Now that we've gotten that out of the way, it's time for this week's decidedly less holiday-flavored installment of Ask Massively. But we've still got our questions, this time concerning Final Fantasy XIV, Lord of the Rings Online, and our own pseudo-alcoholic tendencies. (We might not have a single place for everyone to be drinking, no, but we do share certain customs.) As always, send a question along to ask@massively.com or leave one in the comment field!
Beer cannon fires beer out at your iPhone's demand
We've seen an iOS device used to control a soda machine before, but here's a setup with a more, ahem, practical application for New Year's Eve: a beer cannon controlled by an iPhone. You can see a video of it in action after the break, and the creator even has it set up to post videos of fired beer cans straight to Twitter. The whole thing is controlled using what looks like a web app on the iPhone (or it might just be a normal app fitted with some web views), and it allows you to select what kind of beer you'd like, as well as look through the cannon's web cam, and then shoot your beer across the room to you. The app can also control and monitor the temperature inside the mini-fridge, so this is quite a setup. Unfortunately, we don't have much information on how it was all made (though we're told that's coming soon), but it's all connected up using an IO-204, and the cannon itself is air-based. Pretty wild. I wouldn't advocate using this on New Year's Eve with a room full of people, though -- someone's going to end up with a concussion. Thanks, Hans!
Ring in the end of the year with Warhammer Online's Keg End
Warhammer Online players have things to be thankful for this year, not the least of which being the 1.4 patch. And as the end of the year approaches, it's the traditional time for players to celebrate the passing of the old year in the game via copious amounts of liquor and the usual helping of ultraviolence. That's right, it's time for another round of Keg End, with Order and Destruction alike taking part in the festivities and competing for chances at the coveted Golden Stein. Aside from the boastworthy exploits of the festival, players will also have giants to face off against, with special rewards for those capable of felling these enemies. There are also rare world drop items for players to look for, including your own personal keg handler or a battlebrew backpack. Warhammer Online players are encouraged to take a look at the official preview of the holiday event, which runs until January 4th to ensure that everyone has plenty of time to ring in the new year with a proper toast. Or a proper inebriated violent rampage, one or the other.
Medea Vodka (and its radical programmable LED bottle) now ready to party
It may not be your birthday, but it's most definitely the weekend. And if you're looking to have a "good time," there's hardly a better place to look than your local ABC store. We mean... whatever place you can find that sells Medea. Put simply, this vodka maker has decided to wrap its spirits inside of bottles that boast programmable LED displays, and while the company has been kicking the tires for a small while now, we'll have you know that these things are now available for purchase ($39.99 a pop) over the world wide web. Programming information is down there at the source link, and if you've been searching for the perfect complement to your LED rims, look no further. Man, if only Brennan Huff and Dale Doback would've had access to this while shooting their first and only music video...
The Daily Grind: What little events do you celebrate?
It's Saint Patrick's Day, and if you're in the US that means a celebration of Irish culture... or at least, it means a celebration of wearing green clothing and drinking an exceptional amount for the middle of the week. And while it's not the biggest holiday, some people look forward to it as much or more than major seasonal events. A few games even celebrate the event, such as Fallen Earth with a pub crawl and Everquest II with its Brewday celebrations. It's a holiday with no real overarching purpose except enjoyment, and that's hardly a bad goal. Every game has little events that keep running long after they're no longer hugely pertinent. Every gamer has anniversaries or dates they remember, or holidays that they feel are important even if the game doesn't have a holiday event. So what small holidays or events do you observe in your favorite games? Do you make a point of memorizing important in-game lore dates and celebrating their anniversaries? Do you take part in no-longer-vital elements, such as the Elemental Invasions in World of Warcraft? Or do you just take the opportunity on days like today to outfit your Star Trek Online crew in green uniforms and hang around drunk?
Rock Band Bar Nights encourages sloppy thrashing in watering holes
There are a few things you should generally avoid whilst inebriated in a bar: saying something offensive to someone larger than you is one, and attempting to play a song with any accuracy is another (see dude on left for proof). Regardless of the facts, MTV Games and Harmonix are looking to capitalize on the raging success that is Rock Band by introducing Rock Band Bar Nights. Said program hooks registered watering holes up with "everything from exclusive Rock Band product offerings to multiplatform marketing support," and venues that sign up will also have access to an exclusive e-commerce store. Finally, those that register prior to September 8th will get a five-song preview disc from The Beatles: Rock Band, giving you serious motivation to get your local pub invested in the initiative. Just be sure to avoid "Expert" after the eighth White Russian, cool?[Via HotHardware]
Rotgutonix -- the slightly paranoid, somewhat discerning drunk's best friend
So concerned with the quality of the liquor you binge-drink that you think a testing device that looks just like a pregnancy test is in order? Sweet -- Rotgutonix has got you covered! Just uncap the tip, dip it in your drink for a few seconds -- and you'll have an answer in under a minute -- and while the device is only capable of recognizing five liquors at this point, the company hopes future iterations will include up to twenty. Sure, it's a novelty item, and likely won't actually be able to tell you if that Johnnie Walker you're swilling is "rotgut," i.e., poison, but it's fun, right? Of course, you could just do what we do -- subsist entirely on seltzer -- and save yourself the trouble of having to wonder if your alcohol is poison (probably). Sadly, it seems to be unavailable for purchase yet, but we're going to keep our eyes out for this one, we assure you.
Drinkspiration: a drink recommendation app with a twist
The following app is rated for mature audiences. Reader discretion is advised. I just had to write that, because, in the spirit of liability, Drinkspiration by Absolut (iTunes link) made me confirm my birth date upon initial launch. That, and I'd have a major guilt trip if little Jimmy went out on an all-night drinking bender because some iPhone app encouraged him to do so.Like legions of apps before it, Drinkspiration aims to solve an age old question that has dogged mankind: What drink should I get? And while some like featured apps provide similar functionality, it's Drinkspiration's delivery that sets it apart from the crowd.
Partying at BlizzCon
Tickets are only going on sale today, but already people are planning the most important part of BlizzCon: the parties. There's a whole crew of people planning to meet up at the Hilton, and if the past few years are any indication, all of the restaurants and bars around the area will be hosting roaming groups of World of Warcraft and Blizzard fans after the show every night. Whether you're meeting up with your guildies or just sitting down with random strangers to talk about whatever Blizzard announced previously in the day, partying at Blizzard's big event is always a good time.Most plans are still up in the air, though we do have one event for you to mark on your calendar: our regular WoW Insider meetup will be held as usual on Thursday night again this year (that'll be August 20th). We haven't quite figured out a location yet -- unfortunately, I think we've finally outgrown The Lost Bar, as last year it was not only packed to capacity, and not only did my throat wear out from yelling to the crowd, but the bar's lone bartender has soured us on going back there. We're looking around for someplace a little bigger, preferably with a stage and a mic, where the drinks can flow freely.Wherever we end up, it's sure to be a hoot -- we'll likely have giveaways, WoW Insider editors and staffers aplenty will be in attendance, and, probably the best part, you'll get to meet all of the fellow readers who fill the comment fields next to you. If you're grabbing tickets today (or even if you're just planning to be there anyway), stay tuned as we get closer for more news on where the meetup is going down. BlizzCon 2009 is coming up on August 21st and 22nd! We've got all the latest news and information. At BlizzCon you can play the latest games, meet your guildmates, and ask the developers your questions. Plus, there's some great looking costumes.
Tips for raiding faster
I am definitely an advocate of the fast instance or raid -- when I played a tank, I pulled pulled pulled (according to the healer's mana, of course), and even now, mostly as a Hunter, I still get impatient. When the healer's mana is full and the tank is not /afk, I sometimes just throw a Misdirect up and go. That's probably why I really liked Naissa's tips for speedy raiding -- she lays out a few really practical things you can do to get your raid moving faster, from only marking skull and X when necessary to only worrying about the healer's mana. It's not the end of the world if the Mage or Hunter has to drink for a second after the pull. While you should always get back to full before a boss pull (and as she says, that's a perfect time to break down the basics, only the basics, of the fight), usually as long as you've got the tank and healer ready, a quick pull will give you time for aggro to settle down as well.I don't completely agree with her DPS meter remarks -- I do think that beating the raid is much more important than trying to win the DPS meters, but as a DPS player, I like viewing the meters as good feedback on where I should be. If I'm super low in the meters, it's time to look at my gear and rotations and try to figure out why so I can get better, and I think it's valuable for DPS, as long as they can keep their attention on the raid, to do the same thing.But all of the other tips are great, and in general, "pull pull pull" should be the order of the day. Some groups are better at rolling through content than others, obviously, but as long as you've got a solid tank and healer in play who know the instance and know how to handle what comes, most raids and groups can move through the content pretty quickly.
Oh, the '80s: Alec Baldwin's hard nights ended with ... Galaga
Before he was a thorn in Tina Fey's side as the Vice President of East Coast Television and Microwave Oven Programming at GE, Alec Baldwin was something of a sot, spending much of the '80s in a haze of "sex, drugs, booze." And when it came to sobering up, it wasn't coffee that was his drug of choice. It was Galaga, though we imagine blurred vision kept him from ever putting in his initials.Baldwin writes in the book "Moments of Clarity" that evenings of debauchery would often end in a warehouse with him playing the arcade classic into the morning. "This was the only way I could go 'beta' and go into that state I needed to be, where I could calm down and take my mind off everything," recalled the actor, who confessed that God got him sober. And while the 30 Rock star oddly describes the deity as a "65-year-old retired postal worker named Lenny," we still like to think that the Galagans played their part. See how classic arcade games, like Galaga, have been updated for the modern audience:
The Best Thing You'll See Today: The Portal bar
Well this is just magical. After a Final Fantasy-themed night became a big hit, the IT University of Copenhagen decided to celebrate their weekly gathering at Denmark's Scrollbar with an all-Portal evening. That meant tons of themed shots (that's the "Teleportation" up above -- you're apparently supposed to jump from one to the other), plenty of Companion Cubes, and, of course, cake.If you're curious as to where we're we're going to end up when we die, you can check out all the pictures from the event right here.
