Slashdot Mirror
Linux-Based Bar-Monkey
An anonymous reader writes "The Bar-Monkey is a bar built around a 486 running linux that can dispense an 8 ounce mixed drink in under 10 seconds. It uses a Matrix Orbital Serial LCD panel with a keypad built into the bar surface for user input. Three Harvey Mudd College students built the bar in their spare time last semester. The bar holds 16 ingredients with which it can currently mix 188 drinks stored in its drink database. Total project cost: $235."
Boris Vian fans will remember this jazz piano which was modified to create such drinks... :-)
Hey, in this time, nerds use to do jazz
Trolling using another account since 2005.
Pfff, they did this in Short Circuit way back in the 80's.
And THOSE things had lasers, fix you right, mate!
Hell, it's even cheaper than some versions of Windows, and it pours liquor!
---
When I grow up, I want to be a kid again.
Wow, Now all the need to do is automate this, and post it on Kazaa so everyone can make there own drink automotons !
Help pay for my wedding! Go to my kickass website
a beowlfu clstr of theeeeeeeeeeesse
*hic*
Help savingAmigaOS and a free PowerPC market
Dispenses 16 bottles of liquor for $235? Even if the hardware was free, I don't think I'd be drinking anything that came out of this "monkey."
Wondeful.
We should take care not to make the intellect our god; it has, of course, powerful muscles, but no personality.
what a breakthrough :D finally, something we all can use.
looks like the bar is smoking...
this was the very first slashdotted bartender...
and so the mighty server crumbles under the immense power of the awsome /. army :)
"You want some more?"
Every year during my review, I just pray the words "slashdot.org" aren't mentioned.
Apparently the Bar Monkey is serving Harvey Mudd's web site as well...
All Your Memory Are Belong To Java
"Barmonkey.."
bleep bloop
"Tea, Earl Grey, Hot."
Trolling is a art,
Coupled with the latest study on alcohol and the heart, it looks like we can now officially say that Linux is good for your health!
GreyPoopon
--
Why is it I can write insightful comments but can't come up with a clever signature?
The bar holds 16 ingredients with which it can currently mix 188 drinks stored in its drink database.
Gee, that does not seem like much of a load to challenge linux. I was running databases on Apple ]['s and TRS-80 model II's that were bigger than this back when I was twelve. I guess this story falls into the category of "Hey, X-whatever running Linux! Cool!"
Visit Jonesblog and say hello.
This is actually a very interesting idea. Although its cool that its being done on Linux, it doesnt mean that it couldnt be done on Windows. But its still a cool concept. Ill probally end up building one for myself since I cant mix drinks to save my life.
Can it make a Flaming Homer..
"Now you see that evil will always triumph, because good is dumb." Dark Helmet - Spaceballs
The Bar-Monkey is a bar built around a 486 running linux that can dispense an 8 ounce mixed drink in under 10 seconds.
Okay, but what do you do with the other 2/3 of the glass?
Harvey Mudd College's webserver just bit the slashdot bullet on this one.
Mordor...a magical, mythical land where women are more rare than dragons--but where every man would rather find a dragon
Does it require a designated driver?
Modest doubt is called the beacon of the wise. - William Shakespeare
So what happens if the program gets an error? You ask for fruit punch and it gets spiked? Perfect for a family Christmas party!
Currently has 30 registered user accounts, with expected rapid growth as people cease being broke.
This part is also right before the CounterCentral number of 860... there is certainly going to be rapid growth in traffic as well as interest.
Oh, and are there enough people out there who will "cease being broke"... the inverse of which now also happens to be the state of their site!
Are you local? There's nothing for you here!
Imagine a Beowulf, hic, clushter of these....
"Gold still represents the ultimate form of payment in the world." - Alan Greenspan, 1999
I didn't see ice being dispensed. How about a Lego robotic arm to grab a couple cubes and toss them in the glass!
Do really dense people warp space more than others?
Bahaha that was a great scene.
For those of you who missed the reference, it's from the highly underrated Fifth Element. This guy is pouring out his heart to a bartender, and asks if he knows what he means.
Camera angle cuts over and the bartender's a robot. It shakes it's head no and askes "You want some more?", which is funny since that's pretty much the reaction I've gotten from human bartenders the two or three times I've gone to drown serious sorrows.
Do not attempt to use Bar-Monkey as webserver.
Using an unreliable battery-operated device to replace a pad and paper to store names and addresses? Nope.
Making our lives miserable and giving us the attention span of hyperactive gnats by making us always available for harassment via telemarketers, pages, e-mails, and instant messages? Nope.
Giving us carpal tunnel syndrome and tendonitis just to move a cursor around the screen or pilot Mario around? Nah.
Making it so our kids can't use a paper library or fix their own spelling errors? No way...
Making it so the documents and esigns we spend our lives writing and creating have a recoverable life span less than a tenth that of the lowest-grade _paper_ available? Not even close...
Mixing a perfect gin and tonic? Now THAT'S technology!!!
To Alcohol: The cause of and solution to all of life's problems.
If religous zealots don't believe in Evolution, then why are they so worried about bird flu?
it doesn't have a web server built in then we could /. it and keep people from getting there drinks. Maybe a fight would break out and spread to the street. A few bystanders get involved and we have the first /riot.
I came to the datacenter drunk with a fake ID, don't you want to be just like me?
I want to build one! Where's the code! This is awesome! I can't mix drinks to save my life!
Ahh, I can picture this in my cellar, along with a
small bar!
Right, let's get some of these out of the way
- Can it mix a flaming Homer?
- To add a new drink do you need to recompile the kernal
- Can you get KPeanuts?
- It'd do it in 9 seconds if it ran Gnome
- To get ice do you have to type MixScotch -ice
- Ah, but will it listen to how bad your day was. "Barmonkey? yeah Windows 98 crashed again"
Hmm, that's probably all of the non technical posts for this story.
Does it know how to mix a Slashdotting, on the rocks?
Now all you sketchy Linux geeks can use your favorite operating system to help you get laid.
Just drag or call women from the neighborhood over to your basement and let the drinking begin.
Your "rugged" look will start to get sexier and sexier with every drink that the girls consume courtesy of your Linux-powered virginity crusher!
Reply or e-mail; don't vaguely moderate. Ex-O'Reilly/MIT employee, now a full-time Google employee.
... Does that include the drinks?
Real Daleks don't climb stairs - they level the building.
Wasn't that the guy Captain Kirk condemned to live w/a bunch of robot replicas of his wife?
.
It's hard to believe that's how Micronians are made. Why don't we see it right now by having you both kiss one another?
Anyone has a mirror? Monkey is already dead :(
NO! NO! Please don't mod me, I'm too young to die a troll. *click* Oh the pain, the pain...
TEN Seconds? For crying out loud! That is an eternity when my glass is empty! Human bartenders are much quicker, well after I get them properly trained.
Then again, this thing might be a lot faster with draft Fosters only, rather than having all of thos other confusing ingrediants mucking things up.
Eve Fairbanks says I drive a hybrid!LOL
16^2-16 = 240. Where'd the rest of them go? :-)
Now imagine if you will, a Linux powered lunch counter cook...
Man: Well, what've you got?
Waitress: Well, there's egg and bacon; egg sausage and bacon; egg and spam; egg bacon and spam; egg bacon sausage and spam; spam bacon sausage and spam; spam egg spam spam bacon and spam; spam sausage spam spam bacon spam tomato and spam;
Vikings: Spam spam spam spam...
Oh, wait, it's already been predicted. Nevermind.
A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
The bar holds 16 ingredients with which it can currently mix 188 drinks
Is one of those ingredients Rohypnol ? Seems like geeks geeky enough to build something like this would need the machine to mix in some roofies if they hope to get any...
The Bar Monkey
Designed and Implemented by Steven Avery, Dustin Cooper, and Brad Greer
of Harvey Mudd College
The Bar Monkey, simply put, is a vending machine that serves mixed drinks. It houses 16 reservoirs which currently contain the following ingredients:
* Vodka
* Rum
* Tequila
* Whiskey
* Gin
* Amaretto
* Triple Sec
* Kahlua (or coffee liqueur)
* Midori (or melon liqueur)
* Orange Juice
* Pineapple Juice
* Cranberry Juice
* Sour Mix
* Cola*
* Tonic*
* Grenadine*
*Ingredients currently under consideration for replacement
Using these 16 ingredients, a total of 188 different drinks can be made, with the included ability to add ounce increments of each ingredient to customize (or create) a drink. The drink database is easy to update and nearly infinitely expandable.
Customers sign up for a user account, for which they are assigned a unique, 5-digit, hexadecimal PIN. The account is debit-based, with each drink charging the customer at cost for the drink they are purchasing, automatically deducting from their account balance.
All told, the project took about 3 months and $235 to complete. It is worth mentioning, however, that the LCD (the most expensive single component) was donated (approx. value: $100+), and various other components were otherwise acquired for free. The Bar Monkey was graciously funded by West Dorm HMC, even though we were overbudget by $85. Continual maintenance and occasional improvements are still always a concern.
Some Pictures:
Beta Testing
Here's the cabinet when it was just a few shelves holding empty 2-liter bottles. One pump is hooked up to the computer for the purpose of taking time-constant data.
Soldering I
Having collected the time-constant data, Steve and Brad dutifully solder half-inch jumpers to each of the 4 leads on each of the 16 relays. Neither of us knows, to this day, why we did this outside.
Soldering II
Closeup of the meticulous but tedious jumper-soldering process.
Bartop Under Construction
The unfinished bartop, with various tools, containers, and other helpful things strewn across it in the midst of hard work.
The Monkey's Central Nervous System
The finished relay board, connected to the computer via parallel ports. The computer is running the Bar Monkey program, which displays the drink code prompt on the LCD.
LCD and Keypad Closeup
The above-mentioned drink prompt, but closer.
Behind the Scenes of the Relay Board
It looks really nice and neat on top, but the relay board was quite possibly the most difficult part of the entire project. What you see here are 16 relays, 16 diodes, 16 resistors, 16 transistors, and approximately 70 small segments of wire (not counting the 64 jumpers).
Inside the Finished Product I (shown above)
Pretty self-explanatory. The pumps and their respective reservoirs in place, the computer and relay board safely tucked on a shelf, the LCD behind a half-inch of acrylic, and all the tubes pulled through the PVC dispenser neck.
Inside the Finished Product II
Same as above, but from a different angle.
Electronics Closeup
The LCD, with extension cable to the keypad and serial cable to the computer, is at the top right. The bottom of the computer is unimpressive, though dominant in the frame, and the relay board is seen off to the side.
Outside the Finished Product
Here we see the Bar Monkey as customers see it, complete with Dustin's excellent stencil design and the nozzle, which is removable for cleaning.
The Finished Bartop
The top of the Bar Monkey, covered in rugged black plastic with a viewing window for the LCD.
Finished LCD and Keypad Closeup
It still looks pretty much the way it did when it was unfinished, only now it isn't just laying on the floor.
Drink Confirmation
The true beginning of the customer's experience with the Bar Monkey.
Technical Specs:
* Runs a program written in C by Dustin Cooper, in Linux.
* Bartop is approximately four feet above the ground.
* Holds approximately 1.75 liters of each ingredient.
* Uses 16 windshield washer pumps run by a 12V adaptor. Pumps are connected in parallel and run sequentially by the program.
* Dispenses an 8 oz. mixed drink in less than 10 seconds.
* Currently has 30 registered user accounts, with expected rapid growth as people cease being broke.
CounterCentral hit counters
Since 10:00 PM EST on Jan 7, 2003
can it handle recipies calling for gorilla sweat?
To ensure perfect aim, shoot first and call whatever you hit the target
Send us your Linux Sysadmin articles!
Geeky modern art T-shirts
Heh, the site mentioned user accounts... I want a web interface so I could store my own preferences for drinks as well as add new ones to the database. That certainly could be added with not much additional cost.
Isn't that the academic institution where all the teachers are androids who wear a necklace with the course number they teach on it (and otherwise almost tend to look like each other)?
And didn't I hear the headmaster android was named Stella?
Or was all that something in a dream I had last night?
If you beowulf them do you get an AA meeting?
My
Limekiller
Just further proof that the current economic situation is under utilizing todays youth!
Sadly, I'll admit that I first read "Harvey Mudd College" as "Harry Mudd College". /. an innocent bystander. Finding it will be an exercise for the student.
Harry Mudd helps himself to a few drinks from an automated bartender in the Touble With Tribbles episode of Star Trek.
Then I found that someone else thinks there should be a Harry Mudd College too. I won't post the URL so as not to
-----
Pretty Bad Privacy (PBP) Public Key
6
1 can of Mountain Dew
2 shots Finlandia vodka
splash of triple-sec
twist of lime
straw for networking
Serve with ice.
Made this up as a joke at an ACM party back in college (we had a "Windows" too, but it was horrible and weak), but the Linux continues to be a favorite of mine.
Every year during my review, I just pray the words "slashdot.org" aren't mentioned.
hmmmm.... I wonder if they're set up so I can use paypal to buy those guys a drink?
the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
The Text from: http://www3.hmc.edu/~bgreer/barmonkey/ is it appears to be ebing served by a 486 as well.
-------
The Bar Monkey
Designed and Implemented by Steven Avery, Dustin Cooper, and Brad Greer
of Harvey Mudd College
The Bar Monkey, simply put, is a vending machine that serves mixed drinks. It houses 16 reservoirs which currently contain the following ingredients:
* Vodka
* Rum
* Tequila
* Whiskey
* Gin
* Amaretto
* Triple Sec
* Kahlua (or coffee liqueur)
* Midori (or melon liqueur)
* Orange Juice
* Pineapple Juice
* Cranberry Juice
* Sour Mix
* Cola*
* Tonic*
* Grenadine*
*Ingredients currently under consideration for replacement
Using these 16 ingredients, a total of 188 different drinks can be made, with the included ability to add ounce increments of each ingredient to customize (or create) a drink. The drink database is easy to update and nearly infinitely expandable.
Customers sign up for a user account, for which they are assigned a unique, 5-digit, hexadecimal PIN. The account is debit-based, with each drink charging the customer at cost for the drink they are purchasing, automatically deducting from their account balance.
All told, the project took about 3 months and $235 to complete. It is worth mentioning, however, that the LCD (the most expensive single component) was donated (approx. value: $100+), and various other components were otherwise acquired for free. The Bar Monkey was graciously funded by West Dorm HMC, even though we were overbudget by $85. Continual maintenance and occasional improvements are still always a concern.
Some Pictures:
Beta Testing
Here's the cabinet when it was just a few shelves holding empty 2-liter bottles. One pump is hooked up to the computer for the purpose of taking time-constant data.
Soldering I
Having collected the time-constant data, Steve and Brad dutifully solder half-inch jumpers to each of the 4 leads on each of the 16 relays. Neither of us knows, to this day, why we did this outside.
Soldering II
Closeup of the meticulous but tedious jumper-soldering process.
Bartop Under Construction
The unfinished bartop, with various tools, containers, and other helpful things strewn across it in the midst of hard work.
The Monkey's Central Nervous System
The finished relay board, connected to the computer via parallel ports. The computer is running the Bar Monkey program, which displays the drink code prompt on the LCD.
LCD and Keypad Closeup
The above-mentioned drink prompt, but closer.
Behind the Scenes of the Relay Board
It looks really nice and neat on top, but the relay board was quite possibly the most difficult part of the entire project. What you see here are 16 relays, 16 diodes, 16 resistors, 16 transistors, and approximately 70 small segments of wire (not counting the 64 jumpers).
Inside the Finished Product I (shown above)
Pretty self-explanatory. The pumps and their respective reservoirs in place, the computer and relay board safely tucked on a shelf, the LCD behind a half-inch of acrylic, and all the tubes pulled through the PVC dispenser neck.
Inside the Finished Product II
Same as above, but from a different angle.
Electronics Closeup
The LCD, with extension cable to the keypad and serial cable to the computer, is at the top right. The bottom of the computer is unimpressive, though dominant in the frame, and the relay board is seen off to the side.
Outside the Finished Product
Here we see the Bar Monkey as customers see it, complete with Dustin's excellent stencil design and the nozzle, which is removable for cleaning.
The Finished Bartop
The top of the Bar Monkey, covered in rugged black plastic with a viewing window for the LCD.
Finished LCD and Keypad Closeup
It still looks pretty much the way it did when it was unfinished, only now it isn't just laying on the floor.
Drink Confirmation
The true beginning of the customer's experience with the Bar Monkey.
Technical Specs:
* Runs a program written in C by Dustin Cooper, in Linux.
* Bartop is approximately four feet above the ground.
* Holds approximately 1.75 liters of each ingredient.
* Uses 16 windshield washer pumps run by a 12V adaptor. Pumps are connected in parallel and run sequentially by the program.
* Dispenses an 8 oz. mixed drink in less than 10 seconds.
* Currently has 30 registered user accounts, with expected rapid growth as people cease being broke.
You have to sign-up for an AdultCheck(TM) ID before you can get an account.
a sysadmin job you can really love
slashdot, news for crazed liberal socialist zealots
It won't gain widespread use as bartenders are legally obligated to discontinue serving drinks to a patron who is already intoxicated. And I wouldn't care to blow into a breathalyzer that who knows who has slobbered over already to enable dispensation. They won't be able to let this run unattended; they'll have to have a living, breathing, springing barmonkey as well.
The checking of "adultivity" isn't as bad; it is more easily done in those states where your driver's license has a magnetic strip. Swipe your card for a drink. Nevermind that they made your driver's license number be the same as your social security number.
Remember kids, prior to a thorough slashdotting, always remember to mount a scratch BARMONKEY!
the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
My biggest beef with the interface is you have to enter a numeric code to pick a drink thus requiring some chart of all 188 drinks. Once you've partaken of the Monkey a few times, are you really going to be manage it? A-ha! The interface is intentially difficult to act as a throttle on consumption. Once you're sufficiently drunk, you can't manage to order another.
For v.2 I'd use a bigger LCD and display actual drink names, possibly grouped hierarchically by type or primary ingredient. Drink numbers would remain to act as a shortcut for patrons who remember the number of a drink they order often. A touch screen would kick ass but I think they're less robust and more expensive.
Since each patron has an account, I'd give it a "The Usual" button which could be set for each patron. Instead of a PIN, I'd also consider a card swipe. They're students so they could use their student ID as the card.
Sure, there're other Mudd stories, but they are actually about engineering (ick). When I was at HMC, the motto was simple: no pressure to drink, only to drink more.
Gentlemen, if you're reading, what dorm are you from? I'll avoid guessing to avoid insults...
Christian Jones
Medicine. Mathematics. Mediocrity.
Only problem of course is soon coke will be sending out viruses that turn all the pepsi formulas into shit so people migrate away from pepsi. Or something like that...
Looks like they should have spent some time building a web monkey to go along with it.
Shaken, not stirred.
Until we figure out a way to make a distributed system of these so that my Bar-Monkey can use someone else's liquor, I'm not interested.
If you go to any catered function - wedding reception, office party, etc - the bartender is always a backlog. With one of these, you could spray out mixed drinks without having to have a trained bartender. All they have to do is put ice in the glass, punch up the recipe and shoot. If they make the dispenser/automated unit portable, they chould have a viable commercial product.
This wouldn't be so great for a conventional bar - it doesn't do blender drinks and it won't make a martini - though I do find the idea of a Linux powered olive dispenser intriguing..hmmmm.
Looks like we spanked that monkey
Is this the promised end? Or image of that horror? KING LEAR
Th
... The tri-lambs and the Alpha Betas can live together in harmony!
1 bottle Jamesons
1 bottle George Dickel
1 bottle Glenlivet
1 bottle Sauza Hornitas
1 shot glass
What else do you need?
..does that mean the drinks are "Free?"
Bill Clinton: Pimp we can believe in. - The Shirt!!!
It dispenses liquor, but can it open up a can of woop-ass?
I mean, really, every bartender has to do this now and again...
the real question is: can this bar-monkey spot the prettiest girl at the bar and offer her drinks? ...... now that's a true use for science.
...of a machine at my university:
"The Stochastic Bartender"
Basically, it's a modified slotmachine, where instead of the three cherries, bananas and apples, there is a type of hard liquor, one liqueur and one mixer.
Drinks from The Stochastic Bartender cost half, on one condition - you only get to pull that lever once.
I'm telling you - that devil piece of machinery can come up with some truly repulsive shit:
4cl Bäska Droppar ("Bitter Drops", Swedish vodka spiced with wormwood, this stuff makes you feel like a man)
Blue Curacao
Grapefruite juice
This guy is using windshield washer pumps to move the fluids.
YUCK!
Sorry, I'd rather use something less likely to contaminate the fluid I was moving.
A peristaltic pump would be far better - you get volumetric measuring free, and you can use medical grade non-contaminating tubing.
www.eFax.com are spammers
Looks like that same 486 is running their web site! :-)
Haven't you heard the motto: Avoid Drinking and Driving - get drunk at home.
RonB
It is human nature to take shortcuts in thinking.
"Make me a Pangalactic Gargleblaster!"
(bar Monkey: "Fizzle Pop POOF" halon goes off.. etc)
Seriously.. all I need is one of these, a large funnel, my T-3 cranial and a really good thought-robotic typey arm program and life will be GRAND!
Maeryk
Feminine Protection? What is that? A chartreuse flame thrower?
About time something like this came along!
Think it'll run Ninnle Linux?
This is awesome! This has plausable commercial implications. How nice would it be to goto a bar and not have to worry about tipping someone, you just slide your credit card or insert your money and select your drink and you get it in 10 seconds. If I owned a bar I would consider it. After all, the money stuff would be pretty standard to implement, people have been doing stuff like that for years. So say you need 3 for your bar to operate efficiently and you would normally have 2 bartenders working. So you spend $500 a piece on the robots, and you normally pay 2 bartenders $5/hour+tips to work the bar and your bar is open from noon to 3 am each day. That accounts for $150/day in employee expenses.
Now you implement the robots and your initial investment in them is $1500 and cost to run is literally nothing but electricity. In addition you would need 1 person there responsible for checking IDs and swapping out liquours, so that is say $100/day because you aren't giving the person tips anymore. You've saved yourself approximately $50/day in operating costs which means in 30 days the robots have paid for themselves and you see profits increase by $50/day which over the course of the year is $18,250. I'd say this is a bloody good idea if someone had the resources to market and mass produce this.
Memories become legend, Legend fades to myth, and even myth is forgotten by the time that age comes again.-Robert Jordan
Only when I can get my Bond fix of 'shaken, not stirred,' would I drink from the bar monkey...
There's no wrong way, to eat a Rhesus...
Windows would incorporate Drinking Rights Management to ensure kiddies are only served root beer.
Before each drink request, imbibers of legal age must slide their driver's license through a slot for verification, along with the card of a preauthorized designated driver (even for home use). Remember to make each successive drink request with the same glass you used for your first request, or nefarious activity will be suspected and the tap will shut down, forcing you to call Microsoft for a reactivation code.
* Solely for the purpose of preventing unlicensed use of the applicable OSSoftware, the OS Components may install on your computer technological measures that are designed to prevent unlicensed use, and Microsoft may use this technology to confirm that you have a licensed copy of the OS Software. The update of these technological measures only occurs through the installation of these OS Components. The OS Components will not install on unlicensed copies of the OSSoftware. If you are not using a licensed copy of the OS Software, you are not allowed to install the OS Components or future OS Software updates. Microsoft will not collect any personally identifiable information from your computer during this process.
.NET Framework. You may not disclose the results of any benchmark test of the .NET Framework to any third party without Microsoft's prior written approval.
m edia/sdk/wmsdk.asp, accept a separate license for the WMFSDK, download the appropriate WMFSDK, and install it on your system.
* The OS Components may include the Microsoft
* Content providers are using the digital rights management technology contained in the OS Components ("DRM") to protect the integrity of their content ("Secure Content") so that their intellectual property, including copyright, in such content is not misappropriated. Portions of the OS Components and third party applications such as media players use DRM to play Secure Content ("DRM Software"). If the DRM Software's security has been compromised, owners of Secure Content ("Secure Content Owners") may request that Microsoft revoke the DRM Software's right to copy, display and/or play Secure Content. Revocation does not alter the DRM Software's ability to play unprotected content. A list of revoked DRM Software is sent to your computer whenever you download a license for Secure Content from the Internet. You therefore agree that Microsoft may, in conjunction with such license, also download revocation lists onto your computer on behalf of Secure Content Owners. Microsoft will not retrieve any personally identifiable information, or any other information, from your computer by downloading such revocation lists. Secure Content Owners may also require you to upgrade some of the DRM components in the OS Components ("DRM Upgrades") before accessing their content. When you attempt to play such content, Microsoft DRM Software will notify you that a DRM Upgrade is required and then ask for your consent before the DRM Upgrade is downloaded. Third party DRM Software may do the same. If you decline the upgrade, you will not be able to access content that requires the DRM Upgrade; however, you will still be able to access unprotected content and Secure Content that does not require the upgrade.
* If you request related media information to be provided as part of your playback experience, you agree the data provided to you may not be in your local language. Please note: various countries/regions have laws and regulations which may restrict or limit the user's ability to access certain types of content and we urge you to determine if you are subject to such laws and regulations.
* This Supplemental EULA does not grant you any rights to use the Windows Media Format Software Development Kit ("WMFSDK") components contained in the OS Components to develop a software application that uses Windows Media technology. If you wish to use the WMFSDK to develop such an application, visit http://msdn.microsoft.com/workshop/imedia/windows
* You may not reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble the OS Components, including any codecs or protocols associated with the OS Components, except and only to the extent that such activity is expressly permitted by applicable law notwithstanding this limitation.
* Solely with respect to the OS Components, if the licensor of the applicable OS Software was an entity other than Microsoft, then for the purposes of this Supplemental EULA Microsoft is the licensor with respect to such OS Components in lieu of the "Manufacturer" or other entity. Manufacturer or such other entity has no obligation under this Supplemental EULA to provide support for such OS Components. With respect to the existing functionality contained in the applicable OS Software that is not updated, supplemented, or replaced by the OS Components, the OS Software EULA provided by the Manufacturer or other licensing entity shall remain in full force and effect as to that OS Software.
Now I have bar envy. And I'm thirsty. Damn you!
today is spelling optional day.
What the hell is Ninnle anyway?
Karma: The shiznight, mostly because I am the Drizzle.
So now you can punch the monkey, and it gives you a drink.
And if you are two drunk to punch the monkey, you need to go home.....
- - - - - - - - - - -
I am a programmer. I am paid to produce syntax not grammar. Deal with it.
Can it handle a Big Gulp Gin and Tonic?
remember when everyone bought the 3com Audrey for $100? That could make a really cool front-end for this bar (w/ a touch screen, nonetheless!) if someone was embeded-QNX-savvy enough to get this sucker to control drink-measuring hardware :)
Hey, isn't it required that if its writen for Linux and posted on /. that they post the freaking source code. This page is devoid of any meaningful details, how about supplying some for those of us who'd like to give a go at building our own.
Yeah, gotta get Hooked on Monkey-Linux?
"I would say that 99 per cent of what my father has written about his own life is false." - L. Ron Hubbard Jr.
My 486 doesn't work any more, how am I meant to find this kind of processing power to run my own monkey?
"The Bar-Monkey is a bar built around a 486 running linux..."
Thanks, guys! When the lights were down it looked a LOT better than that.
Sucks when I get home with a coyote-ugly PC.
While Harcort Mudd made Capt. Kirk's life miserable in many other ways, he never peddled tribbles. Cyrano Jones was the tribble salesman. http://www.startrek.com/library/tos_episodes/episo des_tos_detail_68744.asp
Like a device driver. That's funny, even if it did take my slow ass 5 minutes to get it.
Comment removed based on user account deletion
and brings a monkey along with him. The bartender notices the monkey stealing martini olives, sticking them up his butt and then eating them.
The bartender asks the man "What the hell is wrong with your monkey?"
To which the man replies "He ate a cue-ball last week. Now he measures everything before he eats it."
....we can have foo foo drinks.
Famous Last Words: "hmm...wikipedia says it's edible"
"Eeew! This drink tastes like penguin piss!"
Table-ized A.I.
These things have been around for ever, the only thing that makes the Bar Monkey special is that it was hacked together from stuff the kids had around for a great price. http://www.wunderbar.com/products/liqcontrol.htm
it probably cost that three times that much in liquor over the three months...
I was thinking of how to intentionally fail my drug test... It would make a good memoir story someday.
to get money if this is used in all bars????????
stop supporting microsoft with pirating their software!!!!!
I've always wanted to do little projects like this, where a computer controls various relays. The only thing I don't know how to do is get the computer to control them! Are there inexpensive kits that connect to, say, a serial port? I'd love it if anyone who has experience with similar things can tell me how to do this cheaply.
comments!
---
Yeah, I think Jake Stonebender had one in his bar. Got it from Mike Callahan. They moved the bar after it got shut down by some a**hole in NY. Last I heard, it was in Key West. But it mostly made many wonderful permutations of irish coffee.
"Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away." - Philip K. Dick
I think the web-site is on the same 486, because it's not allowing us in. I won't even bother try during Happy Hour.
Extraordinary Vacations. Exceptional Prices
Does the cost include the ingredients? =)
/.Mattsson - My native language is not English, so please don't whine over linguistic errors. (That's lame anyway...)
After about 3 drinks this machine will be useless. Who's going to remember a 5-digit, hex PIN.
At least it's not voice recognition, then I'd be in BIG trouble.
I'ddd liiikke an Aba..laamba Slaammmer plleease.
I hope that someday we will be able to put away our fears and prejudices and just laugh at people. - Jack Handey
How lame. With 16 ingredients, it ought to be able to make AT LEAST 65535 different drinks (using 0 or 1 oz. of each ingredient, dispensed into a 16 oz. glass, of course). 65536 if you count the Zen Enlightener (0 oz. of each ingredient). I'm sure that it can generate a name for each by mapping each binary drink recipe (0 vodka, 1 bourbon, 0 tequila, 1 grape soda, ...) to the corresponding integer, and assigning the drink the same name as the /. user with that ID. Sweet.
That's "Mr. Soulless Automaton" to you, Bub.
Bar-Monkey .Net. In three years and two name changes, it will be able to do the same thing for $2,500, but it will require a Pentium 5 processor and 4 GB of RAM. It will have to be upgraded every three years.
Soopoib! (looks weird spelled out)
And a Flaming Meaux!
16 ingredients leads to 65535 different drinks (not counting the 0-ingredient drink)
"Honest, Your Honor, it was hackers who got me drunk. I only ordered orange juice."
Table-ized A.I.
So if I ask for a drink it doesn't know will it get mad and throw feces at me?
> The Bar-Monkey is a bar built around a 486 running
> linux that can dispense an 8 ounce mixed drink in
> under 10 seconds
I know, I know... If it used Windows it would take much longer.
Doesn't the dispensing speed have a lot more to do with the pump than the OS or CPU? Why put that artificial slant on the opening paragraph?
I mean, a GWBASIC program on a 4.77MHz XT running MS-DOS 2.0 could find an item in a list of 188 and send a control string to a pump in a very small fraction of a second.
that didn't last very long. nice try though.
They have a tremendous selection of fresh juices
Since the user would get all their drinks from the machine, it could generate a report on what a user's BAC is likely to be (x number of drinks over y amount of time, adjusted to body weight). It could flash this info the the user everytime they buy a drink, so they know if they're going to be over the legal limit for driving or if they're getting close to dangerous levels. Hell, the barmonkey could even cut people off.
"I'm sorry, the Monkey says you've had enough, dude."
Every year during my review, I just pray the words "slashdot.org" aren't mentioned.
Some of the charm of buying mixed drinks at a bar is figuring out which bars and bartenders mix them *just* right for your tastes. This is too artificial...
"I drink alone 'cos I prefer to be by myself!"
Imagine a drunken guy named Beowulf lying face down by a cluster of these...
--- I wish I could hear the soundtrack to my life. That way I'd know when to duck.
Always mount a scratch monkey
Especially in cases where alcohol is involoved, don't want the natives getting restless when the Monkey dies.
I like music
Blue Cow
I'm not sure if this is it, but this is the only thing google found. The origional was already /.ed by the time I saw the post, so I can only guess that this is correct. Enjoy.
1. Random Mode:
-Dispenses a random drink of the 188 to the indecisive party-goer.
2. Random Mix Mode:
-Randomly mixes the available ingredients for the adventurous party-goer
3. Breathalyzer based cutoff
- Prevents users from drinking when they reach a certain BAL. Or makes a fun game to see who can blow the highest.
4. Built in Drinking Games
- Electronic quarters, name that TV theme, etc. Penalty drinks automatically assessed.
Ahh! I used up my mod points yesterday... Please someone mod the parent up -- this is really funny! And for those who don't get the reference...
Long version: http://www.acme.com/jef/netgems/scratch_monkey.htm l t ch-monkey.html
Short version: http://www.tuxedo.org/~esr/jargon/html/entry/scra
So how do the mix and chill the mixed drink? Does each user have to have their own cocktail shaker and ice?
"It seems like you're trying to get hammered. Would you like to make your next drink a double?"
Tuus crepidae innexilis sunt.
Renamed: Blue (screen of) Death Vodka.
Company spokesmodel Slash(from G'nR) changes his name to SlashDot.
You don't know about Ninnle?
Crawl back under your rock!
Yeah, this sounds like a good idea, but it probably wouldn't mix too well with the other big Harvey Mudd College tradition. I mean, doesn't alcohol affect your sense of balance?
Neither does Google so there.
Karma: The shiznight, mostly because I am the Drizzle.
Heh, methinks they were running the web server on the thing, too. I wonder if vodka can boil ...
Money I owe, money-iy-ay
They're just harsh with the bandwidth limits for student pages... too many kids serving hundreds of gigs of anime porn. You'll notice www.hmc.edu is still up, as is the Open VMS server, the mail server, and my page, hosted on the same server as Brad's page. He's going to flip out when he finds out he got on slashdot.
Port Eliza to it, and it'll listen to your problems as well.
Lately democracy seems to be based on the skybox, the Happy Meal box, the X-box, and the idiot box.
I work down in the NOC of Claremont High School, and we get our internet connection through the Claremont Colleges (specifically HMC), and now i have a reasonable scapegoat for why my internet connection is slow today!
:)
(Ok so it's still lightning fast, but you know how the world works)
My officemate/Sysadmin called down to HMC's noc to tell them about this, halfway through reading the blurb on the frontpage he was laughing and saying "this sounds like something we would do", at which point he got to the "Three Harvey Mudd College students..." at which point I could hear him laughing through the phone across the room! Much fun was had
Flirt with the bartender to get free drinks? Or extra liquor in your drinks? You'd be forced to talk to the other patrons and that can just be scary sometimes.
Why use windshield pumps? alcohol might disagree w/ the gaskets within and dump some nasty shite in your glass - ick
Why use pumps at all? Just use relays and let gravity do its work - pinch off tubes below the bottles.
What I wanna know is if it can make a pangalactic gargleblaster.
Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast.
Also, I would point out that their dispenser is made out of Schedule 40 DWV PVC pipe - non-potable Drain, Waste, and Vent only pipe. They could have gotten potable CPVC pipe for just a few dollars more and then every drink wouldn't taste like chemicals.
Of course, I guess that DWV PVC pipe is probably no worse than the windshield washer pumps...
Still, I'd love to have their design and build one for my home bar.
I did not design this game/I did not name the stakes/I just happen to like apples/And I am not afraid of snakes-AniD
Real men drink beer. (real beer, not Bud of course).
It comes 'premixed' in a bottle, very convenient...
<grub> Reading
It says on the website that they charge for drinks.
A geeky bar like this is probably a recipe for disaster...imagine a bunch of nerds getting piss-drunk and then betting each other to go to the Linux console and typing: su root rm -rf / There goes THAT idea...
combine the bar monkey with one of those simon games, you know, the one with the four big light up buttons that flash in a specific order and you have to match the order or you lose. only in the drinking game, every time you match the order you have to take a drink.
or should it be anytime you miss the order you have to take a drink?
when religion is no longer the opiate of the masses, governments will resort to real opiates.
Check out this fancy contraption. Still, PROPS to these guys!
The dingo ate my sig.
So lets get this straight....
;-) /b
There are a bunch of pics of the machine being built and none of anyone getting drunk and throwing up?
What do they do with it? Stand there, look at it and and tweak the kernel?
Damn Geeks.
[Please type your sig here.]
It would be very cool if they could release the source code to this under the GPL so others could learn from this, perhaps even make their own to have in their own household bars.
Hmmm, that's entirely up to the owner of the machine but your ideas will show up in the WindowBar that Bill Gates will make. It will be advertised for three years, on the market in five years, cost four times as much, give you advice you don't want, report all this info back to Microsoft, then cut you off when your license runs out. Have you seen the clippy animation where he flips you off and calls you a weenie? You will.
Friends don't help friends install M$ junk.
This thing looks like a nightmare to clean. Having worked at enough food places, and having pledged a frat, I can tell you that cleaning up the beverages can be a sticky messy thing. You better hope nobody every knocks your monkey on the ground.
An engineer on wiskey can be risky.
Friends don't help friends install M$ junk.
It sounds like you have first-hand knowledge of this bunch!
What dismays me about things like this is that all too often alcohol seems to be a "stupidity enhancer" - I've seen people reach heights of stupidity that no amount of natural talent alone would be sufficent for - you have to have natural talent, work for years building that talent to its nadir, then chemically enhance it!
I just hope these guys realize that a far safer way would be to use copper tubing (like you use to plumb a refrigerator with an ice maker), scavenge the valves from fridge's with ice through the door, and generally use food grade stuff.
Thinking about it - I wonder how accurate their mixology is. I wouldn't exactly call a windshield washer pump a precise, repeatable delivery system. I'm assuming that they probably don't have any way to measure the volume delivered - just turn the pump on for X ms and hope for the best.
OK, so metrology is part of my work, but I cannot feel warm and fuzzy about such an uncalibrated solution (both meanings intended.)
www.eFax.com are spammers
I am assuming they did not factor in man hours. When one starts to value his time, he quickly realizes the true cost of these things.
Something must be wrong.
16 elements which are either present, or not present in the glass.
Sounds like 16 bits of storage to me.
That means it should be able to mix 65,536 drinks. Well, 65,535 if you don't count "empty glass" as a drink.
Naming them, OTOH, might be somewhat more complicated; although possibly entertaining.
Maybe you could name them after famous computer numbers? For the old school hacker: drink 53280 would be a "C64 Screen Border". For the new school hacker: drink 31337 would simply be called "leet". Windows guys could drink a BSOD: drink #13; w4rez d00Dz could drink HTTPs and FTPs (80, 21). Managers could drink a "Biff" - drink # 512.
We could serve the ladies drinks 42, 513, and 517 -- in hopes that they might be in the mood for a 79 or maybe even a quick 513. Heck, some of the ladies might even like drink #587.
Do daemons dream of electric sleep()?
"we were overbudget by $85"
Wonder how that happened...
"Beta Testing"
Nevermind...
Uses 16 windshield washer pumps run by a 12V adaptor.
And when they're all running at once on graveyard(), man, you can feel it in your knees.
Keep your packets off my GNU/Girlfriend!
Slashdotters is this GPL'd? When can we expect a howto for this project?
-NM
switch under the spout to make sure there's a glass there
ice dispenser, and make sure it dumps the ice into the glass first (so that the drink poured over the ice is chilled)
ingredient matrix, you type in what the 16 liquids are, it looks them up on something like webtender.com and generates the list of possible drinks
configurable 'cut-off' point, since there are unique IDs, it can control the rate at which each ID can get drinks from it (whether it be calculating from the height/weight/sex from when they registered, to a flat 2 drinks/hour, etc)
Use your computer's printer port - 8 bidirectional lines you can wiggle to make things happen.
I'd suggest using solid state relays (SSR)'s - your printer port wouldn't drive a normal relay directly, but it could drive an SSR.
Either that, or use the printer port to drive a transistor, then use the transistor to drive the coil on a standard relay.
Don't forget to add a snubber network across the relay coil - either a diode or a capacitor. Otherwise the inductive kickback from the coil when you de-energize it could fry things.
www.eFax.com are spammers
actually the solution is to use solenoid valves and CO2.
if you would simply buy a few old pepsi or coke premix containers that are stainless steel and simply use older but still purchaseable at low cost soda fountian parts you can have each of the canisters hold each ingredient in a fridge. pressurize each canister as they are supposed to be via CO2 and use stainless solenoid valves. you wont get super accurate dispensing unless you do aholding bottle... open valve 1 fill 1 ounce length of line, close valve one open valve 2 to dispense while valve 3 opens to purge the line to actually do the dispensing.
I'd just go with a simple timer and open the valve for a certian time constant.. if someone accidnetly get's a stronger drink... whooptie doo.
I discovered adding a soda bar to by basement is dirt cheap if you go for the older technology.. I purchased the premix-canisters from ebay for $5.00 each and simply use food grade tubing and CO2 is the absolute cheapest gas on the planet.
PROBLEM... Orange juice is horribly acidic and will attack anything... including stainless steel. get low acid juice or remove that ingredient from your selection.
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
They'll find a manufacturer to mass produce these...who wouldn't want a $300-400 automated bar? What about restaurants that sell alcohol but can't afford a decent bartender? No problem, buy one of these and a maintenance plan. Hell, they could even add drinks to the database via software updates. Sell different models with different capacities for ingredients...I bet it could really take off.
In Summary:
1. BarMonkey
2. Slashdot
3. PROFIT!
I built a bar tending machine myself that I called the "trough". I have some questions for the inventors and was wondering if anyone knew how I could Email them. My main question is 'How acurate is the washer pump? Is it timed?' Thanx
from the pictures it looks like the ingredients are all being stored in 2L pop bottles. I discovered from experience (home brew) that they are not designed to hold alcohol. The plastic leeches into your liquor and gives it an 'off' taste, not to mention the nasty things it can do to your health. PET bottles are OK though.
Hey, I wrote the program that runs on the Bar-Monkey. The source is on my PC at Mudd, but I'm still at home for winter break. Anyone who e-mails dcooper@hmc.edu and asks for source will get a copy in about 10 days.
By the way, that touch panel is designed ass-backwards. It would be much more intuitive to move the whole number pad one space over, and run the letters down the left side, then across the bottom. But I realize the Bar Monkey guys probably didn't design it :)
Guys in hazmat suits seal off my monkey when the drinks he poured caused a strange illness. There's probably less hair floating in it this way, as well.
----- "Blame the guy who doesn't speak English." -- Homer J. Simpson
Really, if you've ever been to a bar during a rush-hour, you'll notice how little time the bartender has for real social interaction. And yet, this is the time that bars make the most money.
The point is to encourage that situation. People might be willing to forgo bartender socialization just for the chance to get free drinks. Not to mention the cool factor of getting their drink from a machine.
So as a result you get a high volume of customers and at that point social interaction is more customer-to-customer than customer-to-bartender. Perfectly alright with me and most other people.
"free" should read "cheap".
that thing kicks ass...great fscking idea!!!
i'm makin one out of my coffee table...
'Dispenses an 8 oz. mixed drink in less than 10 seconds.' - this needs some modification.
Wouldn't 16 ingredients yield 16! = 20922789888000 possible drinks? Hehehe
Anyone else notice the reference to the Bruce Willis film 12 Monkeys? That logo on the front of the machine is identical to the 12 Monkeys logo from the movie..
Up the voltage on the pumps to dispense the goods faster! Not too hard, and oh so much fun! All it needs now is some r337 watercooling to the electric bits!
Did anyone notice the very nice usage of the 12 monkeys logo? Sweetness.
Not All Who Wander Are Lost
"In northern Boston today, a massive bar brawl broke out at a known hardcore biker hangout. The cause was determined to be a couple of 3l33t h4x0r5 denial-of-servicing the bartender from a local payphone..."
A new form of russian roulette. Liquid variety.
Can you imagine what could be served up when windows glitches - every so often ? Shades of Old Panther.
I'll rely on the linux crowd, thanks.
They should add some feature where you can push a big red button and create a new drink out of randomly choosen ingredients. If it tastes good, you can name it and save it in the database. If it sucks, you mark it as such and it will never be created again. If everyone participates in this, all good tasting drinks will eventually be discovered.
Jeez - I'd hate to be Help Desk on this thing. If you think users are cranky when their email goes down ...
...but a shark on beer is a Beer Engineer.
± 29 dB
you could always use your 1337 |-|4X0RiN6 Z|<i11Z to get free drinks! because after all, drinks want to be free!
Free as in mason.
I have been kicking around a controlled lights idea, and source like this would be invaluable.
Click here or here.
Why are they considering replacing the cola? Much like they killed good music, stable code, and muscle cars -- the kids of today are just going to make sure whiskey and coke's are only a memory....
Here is my vote to save the Cola. (Anyone who was thinking of joining the Mandrake CLub -- please reconsider and send to the "Save The Cola" fund instead..)
(+1 Funny) only if I laugh out loud.
Is a pimpin' window kit... and watercooling... and overclock it.
And a cold cathode or 8.
...give new meaning to the phrase "free, as in beer?"
Crighton's character explained the process of deriving potable hooch from the magenta glob, and referred to the product as 'squeeze.'
Here's a recipe I found via a cursory googling:
EE majors: could the bar-monkeys control a sock with a solenoid, or something?
Snickersnee3: Build your own 3-watt Luxeon Star headlamp from scratch
6 oz. of any colored alcohol of your choice (blue curacao, etc).
Neat. In a square glass.
- Give a man a fire and he's warm for a day, but set him on fire and he's warm for the rest of his life.
Gee, hate to spoil these folks good time, and
a darned impressive hack, but...
Now that they've posted it publicly, I bet they'll
soon wish they'd spent a little less time
calibrating their windshield wiper pumps and a
little more time researching their state liquor
and health laws.
They accentuated the phrase "at cost" probably
because they think that by being a nonprofit
enterprise, (or an "everybody chips in and no
one's in charge" entity) they fall outside of
liquor laws and civil negligence standards.
Dead wrong on both counts, and a lot of people
don't believe it and will swear that they "know"
differently until someone is up to their ass in
lawsuits and criminal charges.
Whether or not it's for-profit, they're dispensing
liquor in exchange for money. At the very least
this means they'd better have a liquor license
to do so. By accepting money, they probably fall
under a lot of other laws and regulations that
they haven't considered, such as operating hours
and record keeping. Having just completed a
ServSafe course myself, I suspect a Department Of
Health inspector would nearly have a heart attack
to find out they're running a foodstuff through
windshield wiper pumps and other tubing and
parts that are neither food-grade nor NSF
certified.
Since California has a Dram Shop law, the people
who put alcohol into the machine assume lots of
liability if someone drinks from their machine
to a point of intoxication and then goes out and
injures themself or someone else. Putting a robot
in charge does not excuse them from negligence.
I'll bet they think that if a "customer" gets
drunk using their machine, or supplies booze from
their machine to a minor, it's the "customer's"
fault and responsibility. Boy, are they in for an
awakening. One or more people are putting booze
into the machine, and they'd better wise up to
the fact that they are responsible for what
happens to the people who consume that booze.
I'm wondering if the university is also liable,
but I'm sure they'd be interested if it's
happening on their property.
But hey, not to worry. Those ABC agents, Health
Department inspectors, and sue-happy lawyers are
real easy to get along with (guffaw.)
Baudtender
Exactly how many mixed drinks does it take before one doesn't remember thier pin?
I've nothing of importance to say, now go away before I taunt you with a second sig!
$235...Seems it's not free as in speech and _beer_..... :P
Who needs an operating system that can make coffee when you can have one that makes alcoholic drinks?! Too bad it don't serve Negra Modelo. Una mas cerveza por favor!
Chevy Chase ... "Well, I think I'll have a beer." ... "We don't have no beer, just Tequila." ... "What's Tequila?" ... "It's like beer." ... "Fattenence?" ... "Forget it, if it's like beer we'll have some. Three Tequilas."
Bartender
Martin Short
Bartender
Chevy Chase "Is it fattening?"
Bartender
Steve Martin
My sig hates me. That's ok, I never cared for it much anyway.
Costs five times as much for the bar, plus $350 for every drinker. Default .WET Bar only works with 2 bottles. 8, 16, and 32 bottle versions cost more. And they only work with MS-Bottle shaped libations.
Sun has a "The Bot in Bottle" version that works great with 64 bottles. HP keeps saying their version works faster, but only because their machine doesn't pour full 1oz shots.
Apple has the most gourgous looking Bar available. It glows in the dark and floats around the room on magnets. But it only pours Apple Martini's and still doesn't run Quark.
Hmmm, now I know why Dustin wasn't in class very much this fall!
as in beer.
Well, I can't help that! Maybe Google needs to get with the program...and switch their servers to Ninnle!
A hookup to the bar's water supply - how else can it water down drinks and make even more profit.
Or like the bar across the street from my college - they used real cheap vodka to "water down" the other liquours. That way people still get drunk and buy more and they spend less on the booze.
On the downside - your whiskey sour tasted like vodka, but the place stayed full until they widened the road.
I also wanted to put up a joke that Greg Rae, member of the West community, told about three years ago when he began programming the drivers for a robotic bartender arm in the same spirit.
He said that he wanted to program it in shell script so that when someone asked "What rhymes with Vodka?" he did not have to answer the familiar "More Vodka"...
...He could answer "/dev/vodka".