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Intelligent Coasters Keep Beer Mugs Full
Dotnaught writes "CNN.com is reporting that two German students have invented a beer mat, or coaster, that uses sensor chips to determine when the beer glass it supports is empty and then radios the bartender for a refill. One of the students interviewed for the story suggested that lifting mugs from sensing mats could double as a voting system during karaoke competitions." From the article: "Unlike the usual cardboard beer mats, the invention is made out of plastic, which means it does not absorb water. Butz said that to get around the problem, ordinary cardboard mats could be placed on top of the plastic version to absorb liquid and display advertising. 'Cardboard beer mats could still sit on top of the plastic mat and there could still be advertising, and you would just exchange the cardboard mat when you wanted to change the advertising.'"
Thank god we can display advertising on the cardboard.
My life is complete. Now I don't even have to speak to bartenders! I can just use my mouth for its One True Purpose, the ingestion of sufficient quantities of "liquid bread".
Germany is where?
Raise your children as if you were teaching them to raise your grandchildren, because you are.
Sometimes, I don't WANT another beer (usually when I can't afford another beer).
What, reinvent the wife?
Table-ized A.I.
Praise god for this Intelligent Design! A great step in the evolution of beer mugs!
Giving the coasters total control of beer? They could keep mankind enslaved.
I, for one, welcome our new Intelligent Coaster Overlords.
Eventually, this technology will be implantable. If not incorporated into the beer itself. Nanosensors and data aggregators will form a network in and about you, measuring everything from mood to liver enzyme capability, capable of automatically signalling the bartender based not only on the emptiness of the glass, but the emptiness of your glass, belly, wallet, hopes, and/or bladder.
Absolutely - the production model will have an LCD display on top that periodically flashes up photos of fat women. When it hears you drunkenly slur "I'd like to get me some of dat" it will automatically charge your existing bar tab to your credit card, call you a taxi, and call your wife and make excuses about why you're coming home drunk. The deluxe model will even automatically cancel your meetings/classes the following morning, and automatically purchase roses to be delivered to your wife.
Today I didn't even have to use my AK; I got to say it was a good day -- Icecube
Allow me to quote from the article: They're computer scientists. They're intimidated by sexy, breasty, scantily clad bar girls. However, they're German (and university denizens at that), hence they like beer.
I believe they've found the perfect solution to their problem!
i'm gonna make my own coaster! with blackjack, and hookers~!
on second thought forget the coaster, and the blackjack.
VLC FOR MAC IS DYING! IF YOU DEVELOP, PLEASE SAVE IT!!
Also, this brings us one step closer to humanities highest achievement to be... the robot barkeep, R2 style.
...
Step 1. Buy beer keg
Step 2. Paint beer keg as R2D2
step 3. patent 'robotic barkeep'
step 4.
step 5. Profit!
https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html
Here's a bit of trivia that some of you might know. It's common for a bartender to refill your mug without you asking when they see your mug completely empty, especially in Germany. If you leave a little beer on the bottom, the bartender won't give you a refill.
In the US it's common for them to refill your mug without asking if it's less than a quarter full and you aren't laying on the floor and you haven't assaulted another patron. At least in Jacksonville Beach. I love this town.
It was if millions of alcoholics called out in unison and were suddenly happy.
I couldn't fail to disagree with you any less.
What insensitive clod would design something to replace a sexy, breasty, scantily clad bar girl???
You don't understand how the invention works - it's not intended to replace the bar girl, it's intended to SUMMON the bar girl. The faster you drink your beer, the more often the bar girl comes to see you.
paintball