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sa_butta
09-30-2005, 01:43 PM
http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_1554997.html?menu=

beer mat that calls for a refill when the pint is almost empty has been invented by scientists in Germany.
The electronic beer mat was created by computer scientists Andreas Butz of the University of Munich and Michael Schmitz of Saarland University.

Beneath the cardboard surface is a small, flat baseplate which conceals pressure and acceleration sensors that react to the weight of the glass and the position and movement of the coasters.

The microsensors then pass on this information via radio link to the bar, where the signal is picked up and decoded by a waiting computer.

The customer can speed the order up by "flapping" the beer mat, and can order more beers by using a stack of mats to express the number of drinks ordered.

The inventors say the thinking beer mat is also capable of more than just ordering a refill.

It could also for example be used to judge the performance of a karaoke singer or to give an opinion on referee decisions on big-screen matches in sports bars.

A "Yes" vote, for instance, could be registered by raising the glass, causing the sensors to move.

A "No" would be registered by raising the glass and then turning the cardboard mat over and replacing it on the baseplate, thus causing a telltale double movement of the sensors.

spurs_fan_in_exile
09-30-2005, 01:45 PM
Great, give drunks an excuse to get even lazier...

SWC Bonfire
09-30-2005, 01:49 PM
This is proof that necessity is the mother of invention. :tu

Don't slam the Germans about this - inventing crap like this keeps them occupied and from invading surrounding countries.

spurs_fan_in_exile
09-30-2005, 01:54 PM
This is proof that necessity is the mother of invention. :tu

Don't slam the Germans about this - inventing crap like this keeps them occupied and from invading surrounding countries.

I'm not slamming the Germans per se (although I think you're right. Every time they crank out something like this you know that Poland breathes a huge sigh of relief). Humanity just boggles my mind sometimes.

CosmicCowboy
09-30-2005, 02:13 PM
hmmm...it also allows them to keep track of how many beers you drink. And its wireless.

A cop with a laptop could flag people as they go out the door for DWI's. Great.

SWC Bonfire
09-30-2005, 02:15 PM
Does your beer mat come with the security of OnStar? :lol

sa_butta
09-30-2005, 02:15 PM
hmmm...it also allows them to keep track of how many beers you drink. And its wireless.

A cop with a laptop could flag people as they go out the door for DWI's. Great.smart thinking, IX-NAY on the Beer Mat. Ill order my own beers.

Marklar MM
09-30-2005, 02:21 PM
You all see that bar in Europe. It is kept at -5 C, and everything is made of ice, including the cups, imported from the Swedish River or some Swede thing like that.

SWC Bonfire
09-30-2005, 02:23 PM
You all see that bar in Europe. It is kept at -5 C, and everything is made of ice, including the cups, imported from the Swedish River or some Swede thing like that.

Well then maybe you can actually get a cold drink there. They drink beer at like 58 degrees.

Marklar MM
09-30-2005, 02:48 PM
http://europeforvisitors.com/europe/countries/sweden/stockholm-ice-bar.htm

The Absolut Ice Bar in Stockholm, Sweden gives new meaning to the phrase "on the rocks." Drinks are served in fist-sized hollow ice cubes, and the barmaid plunks them down on a bar made of clear ice blocks. The walls and tables are also built with ice harvested from the Torne River on the border between Sweden and Finland, where the Ice Bar's management has operated the widely publicized Ice Hotel in Jukkasjärvi since 1989. (The ice bar and its frozen furnishings are rebuilt every six months.)

Stockholm's Ice Bar, which opened in 2002, is probably the most celebrated alcoholic attraction in Sweden. It drew 70,000 visitors in its first year, has been featured on the BBC and CNN, and has been frequented by such celebrities as Pierce Brosnan and Sweden's own Stellan Skarsgård. The bar's success prompted Absolut, the Swedish vodka distiller, to buy naming rights in late 2003. The rechristened Absolut Ice Bar is said to be "the first establishment in Icehotel's and Absolut's new joint global franchising concept," so who knows: An Ice Bar might be in your future even if you live in Freemantle or Phoenix.

sa_butta
09-30-2005, 03:03 PM
http://europeforvisitors.com/europe/countries/sweden/stockholm-ice-bar.htm

The Absolut Ice Bar in Stockholm, Sweden gives new meaning to the phrase "on the rocks." Drinks are served in fist-sized hollow ice cubes, and the barmaid plunks them down on a bar made of clear ice blocks. The walls and tables are also built with ice harvested from the Torne River on the border between Sweden and Finland, where the Ice Bar's management has operated the widely publicized Ice Hotel in Jukkasjärvi since 1989. (The ice bar and its frozen furnishings are rebuilt every six months.)

Stockholm's Ice Bar, which opened in 2002, is probably the most celebrated alcoholic attraction in Sweden. It drew 70,000 visitors in its first year, has been featured on the BBC and CNN, and has been frequented by such celebrities as Pierce Brosnan and Sweden's own Stellan Skarsgård. The bar's success prompted Absolut, the Swedish vodka distiller, to buy naming rights in late 2003. The rechristened Absolut Ice Bar is said to be "the first establishment in Icehotel's and Absolut's new joint global franchising concept," so who knows: An Ice Bar might be in your future even if you live in Freemantle or Phoenix.That place looks bad ass. But freezing cold and no place to sit kinda sucks.

Marklar MM
09-30-2005, 03:10 PM
That place looks bad ass. But freezing cold and no place to sit kinda sucks.

I think they have seats...only problem is that they are probably made of ice. :). And you get a nice parka thing.

Marklar MM
09-30-2005, 03:12 PM
http://www.scantours.com/images/Hotels/isglas1.jpg
http://www.scantours.com/images/icebar2.1.jpg
http://www.scantours.com/images/Hotels/isbar.jpg