Technabob » coke

Coca-Cola’s ‘Open Happiness’ Vending Machines Give You a Coke for a Hug

Hazel Chua — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 21:30:47 +0000

How much is a hug worth to you? One can of Coke, perhaps? That’s what Coca-Cola thinks in its new ‘Open Happiness’ campaign, where they’re sending out legions of vending machines that will give you a free Coke – in exchange for a hug.

I don’t mean virtual hugs or those that you give by tapping some button that says “hug.” I’m talking about real, actual hugs, where you embrace the machine with your arms and give it an affectionate squeeze. The sensor detects you hugging it and then spews out a can of Coke afterwards.

These vending machines that scream out the word “hug” have already landed Singapore, and Coke plans on rolling them out to other countries in Southeast Asia.

I’m just wondering why there isn’t a longer line for free soda because I know I’d hug it at least once a day to get my daily Coke fix.

[via Marketing Interactive via Mashable via Gizmodo]

Diet Coke and Mentos Takes out Cameraman

Shane McGlaun — Wed, 18 May 2011 17:15:36 +0000

We all know that if you mix Diet Coke and Mentos candy you can make one heck of a mess and have fun doing it. We also know that more than one maker of messes with this concoction has ended up with a stream of burning soda to the face. You have to be wise with the power of Mentos and Diet Coke.

I will admit that it is much more fun to watch when people aren’t wise about how they use the concoction. Take these two guys for example. I think when you watch the video you will agree that bad things were going to happen as soon as he put the Mentos in by hand, while holding the bottle of Diet Coke.

The bald dude shakes the 2-liter bottle up and throws it onto the grounds a few times. The last time as he walks to get it, the thing finally blows up. You will have to watch the video below to see what happens. I bet you jump.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Voxel-Like Coke Man Constructed for the World Cup

Range — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 14:16:35 +0000

While World Cup mania has started gripping the world, I’m amazed at this Coke Man that was constructed in Johannesburg recently to celebrate the World Cup. The blocky design makes it look like voxels, which are basically pixels shown in 3D space.

This Coke Man was built out of 2,500 cases of Coca-Cola. It weighs 28 tons and is about 55 feet high, and is part of a recycling initiative. That is, after the World Cup is over, Coke Man will be reused and recycled – for what, we don’t know.

While this isn’t as impressive as the Gundam statue in Japan, it’s still pretty amazing. I expect that they took adequate precautions to prevent this giant Coke Man from collapsing!

[via Fubiz]

The Soft Drink Container Gets Square, Green

Shane McGlaun — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 23:53:53 +0000

When it comes to getting drinks the only things that come in square containers are juice boxes and milk. Huey Lewis always said it was hip to be square, and this new design concept for green Coke bottles has turned up on Yanko Design that is pretty hip.

The concept is very cool, taking the roundish 20-ounce coke bottles we’re used to, and making then into rectangles that take up less space and are stackable. From eyeing the things, I am betting that if the bottles really went square, you could fit more of them into the cooler at the store too.

The downside is that the bottles obviously wouldn’t work in vending machines where the drinks roll out the trap door on the bottom. According to the designer, the square bottles would be made of 100% recycled sugar cane byproducts and the cap would be 25% slimmer. The bottle also collapses down when empty to 66% smaller than its full size.

Caveman Cola: Brew Your Own Soda Pop

Technabob — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 14:10:51 +0000

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I think the whole DIY movement has gone a bit to far. Take, for instance, this kit which lets you make your own cola (presumably, just like the cavemen had to do.)

The Caveman Cola kit includes the key ingredients for making your own competitor to Coca-Cola and Pepsi (that’s more than likely going to taste worse than warm RC.) Inside the box is some cola extract, yeast, a brewing funnel, labels for your cola concoction, along with the instructions for making your science experiment work. You’ll need to provide some unnamed “natural ingredients” (I’m assuming some sugar, food coloring and the like), as well as your own bottles.

You can find the Caveman Cola kit over at Copernicus Toys for $13.99 (USD). Or you could just buy a 12 pack of Coke a few dollars less.

This Cellphone is a Coke Addict

Lambert Varias — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 16:08:32 +0000

…but not the coke that Scarface likes; this cellphone runs on Coca-Cola. Actually it doesn’t just do Coke, it also gets pumped up on other sugary fluids.

Designed by Daizi Zheng, the cellphone’s fuel cells generate electricity from sugar, which isn’t exactly groundbreaking tech, but it’s not widely used either.

In the end, Zheng’s concept is merely promoting an already existing – albeit relatively new – technology, and what better way to promote an environment-friendly battery than by putting it on a cellphone?

Hundreds of millions of cellphones have been sold, all of them equipped with batteries that are not easy to dispose of. If our phones used these “bio batteries” instead, then it would be a huge step towards a cleaner environment. But I do hope that the future environment-friendly cellphones will look much better than this. Much, much, much better. I mean the only way this thing would look cool is if it was a Coke-powered lightsaber.

[via likecool]

Coke Can Spy Cams: I’D Like to Teach the World to Snoop

Technabob — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:22:04 +0000

As digital video cameras keep getting smaller and smaller, you never know where one might be hiding. Next time you walk into a room and there’s a Coke can sitting on the table, you might want to check that it’s not a spy cam.

These Coke can spy cams each have a tiny little video camera and DVR built inside. And while the Coke Zero can looks just like The Real Thing, I’m not quite as convinced by this can of “Caco-Cola Clossic”:

Each camera conceals a pinhole camera that can capture VGA (640×480) resolution video images in AVI format. Data is stored in the can’s internal 4GB memory, so it’s completely self-contained. Just pop off the hidden panel to reveal a USB connector, and jack the can into your computer’s USB port to pull down any captured video. While plugged in, the can’s internal rechargeable battery will juice up at the same time.

Both the Coke Zero and Caco-Cola Clossic spy cams are available over at ChinaGrabber, and will set you back between $53 and $62 bucks a can. Have a Coke and a smile and say “cheese”!

Coca-Cola Robots Invade Japan

Technabob — Sat, 17 May 2008 16:07:24 +0000

Those fortunate enough to live in Tokyo have recently sighted lifesize Coca-Cola robots wandering the streets. Now you can own your own miniature version of the wandering Coke robot for your desktop.

Combining robotics, Japanimation and caffeination, the Coca-Cola vending machine robot is the perfect embodiment of all things geeky. If regular Coke is too sugary for your taste, there’s also a black Coca-Cola Zero robot waiting for you.

Each desktop toy measures about 11-inches tall and features bendy arms so you can pose your Coke-bot for world domination. Did I happen to mention that they both have a little coin slot into which you can save your Yen? And they make sounds and light up when you make a deposit too. What’s not to like?

I found these super-rare Japanese imports over from seller boss61 over on eBay, so you better head on over there fast if you want to get your hands on them. I’m sure I’ll get outbid by one of you guys.