Space beer. It’s right up there with space wrestling as something that’s long overdue, but the wait will soon be over. Sapporo will launch a beer in November that’s brewed from International Space Station-grown barley. Initially, only 100 bottles of the space brew will be made, and none of them released commercially, and it’s unlikely that the beer will taste any different. But that’s irrelevant. Sapporo could slap a “SPACE BEER” label on a bottle and it’ll sell out everywhere. There’s a scientific reason for the beer, and it’s to determine the effects of space on growing edible plants. Not that you care. via Popular Science → Read More
We had a foosball table in one of the houses I lived in during college. We all chipped in $40, times six of us, and boom — a nice $200 never ending source of entertainment. The problem was that the minute we bought the table, we found out we had a bunch of new friends; new friends who happened to love foosball and loved not chipping in for beer even more. I wish we’d had the foresight to build a table like this, because we probably would have been able to charge people to play, which would have covered the cost of the table, beer, and then some. → Read More
I betcha one of these would fit quite nicely into a golf bag. Maybe load her up with some barley pops and let’s get going. The Chill Stick costs a measly $11.98 — a pittance compared to what six beers in a cooler would cost you on almost any golf course. It’s made of neoprene, which is basically God’s gift to beverage enthusiasts and it comes in assorted colors that are chosen by the Things You Never Knew Existed store, so that oughta be a thrill-ride in and of itself. On a slightly unrelated note, isn’t anybody concerned about what happened to the rest of Green Shirt Guy’s body? Poor fella probably never saw it coming. Product Page via DVICE → Read More
http://p.castfire.com/Xu7m0/video/8666/bbtv_2008-03-11-183048.flv Not since Das Boot has one film gotten everything so right. via BBG → Read More
I don’t know about you but back in college when I used to drink enough beers in a row to necessitate some sort of accounting system, I’d simply slip each bottle cap into my pocket and count them the next morning. If I’d had the BeerTracker — with convenient LCD display that increases in numeric value with each bottle that’s opened — I could have littered my bottle caps to and fro like everyone else. Know what a smart use of this thing might be? Using it at weddings or anywhere else there’s an open bar. Show the BeerTracker to the host at the end of the night, multiply by $5 or $6, and there’s your beer bill. The BeerTracker costs about $10, plus whatever it costs to ship something like that from Germany Denmark (oops). BeerTracker [Gadgets.dk] via GeekAlerts → Read More
I’m not quite sure where the beer goes in here, but this is apparently a steampunk casemod that allows you to brew beer AND play UT3 using the same device. For extra fun, read the comments at the bottom featuring a brewery war between the US and Europe. Personal Computer into Brewery [EnglishRussia via Make] → Read More
http://www.crunchgear.com/video/player.swf?movie=beerbotmov.mp4.ff.flv Product Name: I call it “Beerbot”, but it’s the RC Cooler Description: Remote controlled robotic beer keg Price: N/A In-store date: N/A Site: http://www.interactivetoy.com/2008/products-page.htm Why it’s cool: It is a robot that brings you beer. Who needs a girlfriend? → Read More
Bill Gates now owns 3-percent of the world’s second-largest Coke bottler and Mexico’s second-largest brewery. I say good for you, Mr. Gates. Cascade Investment LLC, the asset management firm that Gates owns, recently purchased almost 11 million shares of Monterrey, Mexico’s Femsa. Femsa has a soft drink unit (Coca-Cola Femsa), a beer subsidiary, and a retail unit that runs Mexico’s popular Oxxo convenience stores. Bill Gates buys stake in Mexican brewer Femsa [Reuters] → Read More
Thanksgiving is over and some may still be recovering from our annual day of gluttony in which the food was plenty and damn good, but, I ask, were the libations up to snuff? Yes, this has nothing to do with our usual meanderings of gadgetry, but we all enjoy a glass or two of some form of alcohol so I deem it fit for the ole Crunch. This here is the world’s strongest beer. In a recent blind taste test, the 2007 batch of Samuel Adams Utopias beat out Frapin VIP XO Grand Champagne and Fonseca 1994 Vintage Port from Portugal, which I’m told are some of the world’s finest spirits. It’s beer, but it’s meant to be put down the hatch two ounces at a time served at room temperature. Utopias is an astounding 27 percent ABV and each 24-ounce bottle retails anywhere from $120 – $140. It can also be found at Morton’s The Steakhouse. Try and down one of these at your holiday party without getting fired. I dare you. I triple dog dare you. Sam Adams → Read More
Where was this gadget when I was in the blur I sometimes confusingly refer to as my 20s? This thing is amazing, and I need to get one. It’s a beer cozy with a built-in beeper. Can’t remember where your beer is? Use the included remote to page it, it responds with a burping noise, so you can locate your can like a bat locates prey, only maybe you’ll have a shirt on. Maybe. For $20, this is a lifesaver. If you can keep track of just five half-racks of PBRs, it’s paid for itself. Look for it in the stockings of future AA member this Xmas. Remote control beer pager [Lighter Side, via Shiny Shiny] → Read More
Maybe I should get one of those shady payday advances for this. “This” being the Gamerator, a full-sized MAME cabinet that just so happens to have a built-in refrigerator. And what else would you store in the refrigerator other than beer? Well, food, yeah, but that’s boring. There’s a small tap in the front whence beer flows into your might ROM chalice. I mention payday advances because the Gamerator is eBay right now for $2,000. Should you place the winning bid, you’ll get the machine proper as well as 187 “licensed” games. Real games, too, like Street Fighter and not its cheap, east-of-the-Iron-Curtain knockoff Street Fighter/Spirit Crusher. Gamerator Auction [eBay via Boing Boing Gadgets] → Read More
When money gets tough and you want to add a sub-woofer to your 1998 Hyundai Tiburon with the rims you got from that dude off Craigslist, you’ll need something on the cheap. After all, those “professional” boxes made from things like wood and plastic cost way too much for any college student. So it makes sense that some dude instead opted to pound Miller Lite all night and throw a speaker into the leftover cardboard box. Bet it gets the ladies too. So my question to you is: will a sub-woofer made from a 30-pack of beer and some wires actually work well? I was going to test it out myself but I kept purposely messing up the box so I had an excuse to buy more beer. Miller Lite Subwoofer Will Get Stolen Quickly [Geekologie] → Read More
In addition to their fantastic planes, trains and automobiles, the Japanese brew some fine beer. Also, breaking news, the Japanese also know a thing or two about creating electronics, gadgets, robots, you name it. So when I saw this automatic beer-pouring machine I knew I had to write about it when I got back. → Read More
Tomorrow is Thursday, which marks the start of the two-day BlogPhiladelphia conference in Philadelphia, PA. I’ll be speaking tomorrow at 9:30am on a panel and it should be a lot of good, clean fun. Afterwards, anyone in NJ, DE, or PA who wants to meet up is more than welcome to. I figured we could all meet at a bar and have some drinks, talk tech, etc. If you’re interested, shoot me an e-mail at vince AT crunchgear DOT com and let me know if you’re coming. We’ll meet during the lunch break tomorrow at 1PM at Moriarty’s: Moriarty’s Pub – CrunchGear Meetup Time: 1PM EST Where: 1116 Walnut St (between 11th and 12th Sts) Google Maps: Link RSVP: vince AT crunchgear DOT com All official information on the conference can be found at blogphiladelphia.net/and it should be a good time for all. Be sure to RSVP so I know how many of you are coming! John is cheap so I’ll see what we can do about a gadget giveaway. See you there tomorrow! → Read More
I thought this would be a day too late to be useful for your 4th of July reveling before realizing that it rained quite a bit yesterday. So if you have some leftover Keystone Ice from yesterday’s celebrations, why not grab this expensive cooler and head down to the beach in style? The Rolling Cooler is pricey with its $150 pricetag, but it comes with enough room to stack a few two-liter bottles or 58 cans of beer inside of it. Plus, with “Ultratherm” insulation, your drinks will stay cool all night long. However, the coolest feature of this cooler is not the beer it holds, but the tunes it plays. A built-in AM/FM radio with two 3-watt speakers keeps the Steve Miller Band alive and kickin’ whilst you try to remember the words to “The Joker”. Product Page [HAMMACHER SCHLEMMER] → Read More
Last Year’s Raging Party Alright, folks, the time is near and I’m getting mighty thirsty. If you’re in NYC between June 9 and June 17 then I suggest you mosey on over to one of the two Crumpler stores and participate in this kickass event. I participated last year and it was awesome! How do you think I scored my Crumpler bag? You will not be disappointed, trust me. What’s better than trading in beer for a sweet bag? Oh, I don’t know. How ’bout coming back at the end of the week to party with the Aussie Crumpler crew and drinking the beer you brought in for your bag? (Aussies can really drink in case you didn’t know, so bring in lots of beer.) Tell all your friends and, hey, you can pick up a bag for your old man, too. Crumpler Beer For Bags → Read More
Beer rules. You drink it and chicks become hotter, your wallet empties, and everyone has a good time. But when you add a robot into the mix, you know every party featuring this robot will be a good one. Hence why Beerbot is totally worth the $799 it costs. Made in Japan, this little guy keeps a few cold ones inside his tummy. When you get thirsty, he’ll grab one and will open it for you, saving your energy for more important things. One problem though: it costs $800. Not only could you buy a ton of beer with that cash, but you know you’ll end up breaking the Beerbot five weeks after you get it. One too many cans of Beast Ice, a baseball bat, you know how the rest goes. Asahi Robocco BeerBot opens cans [Ubergizmo] → Read More
The video shows last year’s B4B event. Look at all that beer! I love Crumpler almost as much as I love beer. So imagine for a moment, the complete unfettered excitement I feel as the 2nd annual Crumpler Beer for Bags event approaches. The concept is simple (and beautiful): you bring Crumpler beer and it’ll give you one of its fine ass bags. According to the hypnotist snail one case of PBR will get you a Bundle, while two cases of Stella will get you a Complete Seed. There are other arrangements as well. The event takes place June 9 – 17 at the Crumpler stores in New York (45 Spring St. and 49 8th Ave.). Check the website for more details. → Read More
Take The Grill on the Road X-Ray Business Cards BlinkyBugs: The Coolest DIY Project You’ll See Today Jellyfish Beer Bong Slouchpod Endorses Laziness: We Get Fatter → Read More
http://www.metacafe.com/fplayer/445498/robotic_beer_launching_refrigerator.swf Sometimes we see a prototype that gets our mouths watering. The iPhone from Apple is a great example. Another is the beer launching fridge. When this thing hits the Home Depot, we are so getting one, as we’re for the advancement of beer-drinking technology. Homemade DIY gadgets are the best, you own them, you make them, and there’s no pressure to break it before the warranty is up. That’s why we salute the Duke fan who invented this robotic sunshine. While there’s no room in our apartment for sudsy projectiles, we one day hope to incorporate one of these into CrunchGear HQ. [Via Coolest Gadgets] → Read More
