If the meager choices at a standard soda fountain aren't enough for you, there's hope in sight. Coca-Cola is testing a fountain system that can dispense more than 100 beverages from the same machine. [via Engadget]
Posted by Allison Hemler, September 1, 2008 at 11:00 AM
We're all familiar with gamers who never leave their computer stations. However, is this new hard drive toaster taking it a bit too far for those gamers who "crave toast"? The toaster fits in a standard 5.25 inch bay on your PC tower, and includes software for adjusting temperature as well as a "crumb tray for easy cleanup". Last I checked, gamers don't eat dry toast. This means you'll still need to trek over to the fridge for some butter or jam.
Lucky for you, Mac users, your version is on the way. No word on if you'll be able to attach to your laptop.
Oh, and don't forget--bread not included. [via The Presurfer]
Posted by Erin Zimmer, August 25, 2008 at 7:30 AM
If Starbucks and Staples got married, they might birth this latte printer machine. Recently featured at a graphics trade show in Los Angeles, the OnLatte repurposes your standard inkjet printer to use caramel syrup instead of ink. Nothing says good coffee like a foamy recreation of the winged Pegasus. [via the Kitchn]
Posted by Robyn Lee, August 21, 2008 at 12:30 PM
This two-kilowatt laser-powered water heater—good for making instant coffee and tea—may not be practical, but it gets the job done. Do you taste that unearthly bright glow? It's science! And science is delicious! Watch the video after the jump.
Continue reading »
Posted by Erin Zimmer, August 20, 2008 at 9:00 AM
Photograph from JoshBerglund19 on Flickr
Really, Japan? The nation already has the largest number of vending machines per capita (about one for every 23 people) and won't even stop at eggs. According to witness Josh Berglund, this one is refrigerated and refilled regularly by nearby farmers, with each compartment selling 10-12 eggs for 300 yen (roughly $3). Since part of the vending machine experience is watching purchased items take that daredevil free fall, this one doesn't really seem fair. [via Wired]
Previously
Incredible Japanese Vending Machines
Coca-Cola Vending Machine Robot in Japan
Valleywag reports: "The family has gotten Neal to agree to eat vegetables, but only if a Facebook group they've set up garners 1,000 users."
The guides, which include restaurant and nightlife info plus the requisite transit maps to seek out serious eats, are stored completely on the iPhone. And that's handy for traveling internationally, what with those insanely pricey data charges. They're $9.99 each, available through the iTunes App Store. [via MacRumors]
Posted by Adam Kuban, August 11, 2008 at 7:30 AM
You know all those ridiculous gadgets you can plug in to your computer's USB port? This might be the most cracked I've seen yet. A DIY USB-powered cooking pan. The video, after the jump.
Continue reading »
Spanish scientists have developed a portable "electric tongue" that can identify wine characteristics. "The device could be used to detect frauds committed regarding the vintage year of the wine, or the grape varieties used," says inventor Cecilia Jimenez-Jorquera. [via Engadget]
Posted by Erin Zimmer, July 18, 2008 at 12:45 PM
Like the iPhone's lightsaber application, iSaber, the Urbanspoon service only works after a good shake. Instead of making whooshing noises to recreate the Jedi knight experience, this feature supplies restaurant suggestions by price, cuisine, and neighborhood.
Urbanspoon accesses the phone's internal navigation system to find nearby options, but as New York Times critic Frank Bruni warns, you could be "shaking your way to carpal tunnel syndrome before it pops up." He concludes that Urbanspoon is a restaurant hunt's beginning, not end, since the service doesn't properly account for proximity, already sold-out bookings, or a restaurant's deliciousness seniority. Again, the Magic 8-Ball shake makes up for most inconvenience. After the jump, watch an informational video on Urbanspoon, free to new and old iPhone owners.
Continue reading »
Posted by Robyn Lee, July 11, 2008 at 12:30 PM
Kyle McDonald's sequencer named I Eat Beats features a "tangible and edible music interface" controlled by Skittles. I assume M&Ms and other similarly shaped candies would also work, but it's probably best to use a candy that doesn't melt too easily. You can snack while you sequence—just don't eat all the pieces! Watch the sequencer in action after the jump.
Continue reading »
Posted by The Serious Eats Team, July 10, 2008 at 11:15 AM
Apple's iPhone 3G comes out tomorrow morning at 8 a.m. We imagine there will be some iPhone camping expeditions at Apple Stores across the country, with people lining up to get their grubby little hands on one as soon as possible.
We're more concerned with grub in hand, so we've asked our nationwide network of Serious Eats contributors to give us their picks for serious eats near the Apple Stores most likely to draw crowds.
We asked for tasty places a short walk or drive away—places where you or your queue compatriots could dash off to and pick up some fanboy (or fangirl) fuel. We also asked for healthy fare, where possible, so you could maintain your line-waiting stamina.
Where to Eat in ...
New York
Philadelphia
D.C. Metro Area
Chicago
San Francisco
Los Angeles
Serious Eats Mobile
Now's a good time to mention that you can view this guide on Serious Eats Mobile: m.seriouseats.com. And because Serious Eats Mobile supports commenting, you can supply live eats intel from the field, from whatever device you're about to upgrade out of. It's as easy as thumb-thumb-thumb-Post a comment!
Posted by Joy Manning, July 10, 2008 at 8:29 AM
In anticipation of Philly-area geeks showing some brotherly love by camping out for the new iPhone 3G, we asked our Philadelphia correspondent Joy Manning for some restaurant recommendations near the King of Prussia Apple Store.
Most Philadelphians stock up on Apple tech toys at the enormous King of Prussia mall since there's no store downtown. Healthy food is scarce here, like at any food court, but Legal Sea Foods offers a take-out stand with clam chowder available in a still-flavorful “lite” version. Not concerned about staying fit for your wait? Get the lobster roll—the tastiest sandwich at the mall. 690 West Dekalb Pike, King of Prussia PA 19406 (map)
Sweet freaks know Rita’s Water Ice is the source for quick blood sugar rushes and a fat-free boost. Flavors range from chocolate to mango, and a small ice has only 177 calories. (Healthy enough.) 303 Mall Boulevard,
King of Prussia PA 19406 (map)
If you’ve got a buddy to send out while you wait, get him to Desi Village, a secret Indian fave. Inexpensive, authentic curries and tandoori will keep you satisfied no matter how long the wait time. 145 South Gulph Road, King of Prussia PA 19406 (map)
More iPhone Eats in ...
New York
D.C. Metro Area
Chicago
San Francisco
Los Angeles
Serious Eats Mobile
Now's a good time to mention that you can view this guide on Serious Eats Mobile: m.seriouseats.com. And because Serious Eats Mobile supports commenting, you can supply live eats intel from the field, from whatever device you're about to upgrade out of. It's as easy as thumb-thumb-thumb-Post a comment!
Posted by Erin Zimmer, July 10, 2008 at 8:28 AM
In anticipation of D.C.-area geeks going gaga over the new iPhone 3G by camping out before it comes out tomorrow at 8 a.m., our own Erin Zimmer gives her picks near the Arlington, Virginia, Apple Store.
Last year, there was talk of an Apple store opening in Georgetown but since that never happened and Washington, D.C. proper still doesn't have a store, a close alternative is in Arlington, Virginia.
El Pollo Rico: For juicy rotisserie chicken head to El Pollo Rico. The half chicken is a worthy investment—easy to nibble in line and worth a couple meals. The fries aren't anything special here but get a face-lift when dunked in the spicy green sauce. Disclaimer: El Pollo Rico only takes cash, and since chicken skin is so greasy, wipe those fingers before embracing your new toy. 932 North Kenmore Street, Arlington VA 22201 (map); 703-522-3220
Five Guys: To stock up on protein, go with the burger and shelled peanuts, always stocked in silver pails here. Not too far a walk, the place is cheap and open until 10 p.m. for the last supper before Friday's early rise. Toppings are as diverse as iPhone ring tones: barbecue sauce, pickles, fried onions, sautéed mushrooms, jalapeño peppers, and A-1 sauce. 2300 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington VA 22201 (map); 703-812-8440
Kabob Bazaar: Don't mind being the guy in line that smells like kabob? Lamb, fish or chicken on a stick is available (and tasty) here. If you're too lazy or scared of spot-stealing in line, they'll even deliver. Portions are huge, especially the pita, and the salad shirazi (cucumber, tomatoes, herbs) is important since the only produce you've probably eaten are apples. 3133 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington VA 22201 (map)
More iPhone Eats in ...
New York
Philadelphia
Chicago
San Francisco
Los Angeles
Serious Eats Mobile
Now's a good time to mention that you can view this guide on Serious Eats Mobile: m.seriouseats.com. And because Serious Eats Mobile supports commenting, you can supply live eats intel from the field, from whatever device you're about to upgrade out of. It's as easy as thumb-thumb-thumb-Post a comment!
Posted by Michael Nagrant, July 10, 2008 at 8:27 AM
We figure there will be some hardcore Apple faithful in Chicago ready to line up outside the Apple Store on Friday morning to get their hands on a new iPhone 3G as soon as it's out. We asked Michael Nagant, our Windy City contributor and the editor of Hungry Magazine, for some of his top choices near the Apple Store here.
Wow Bao: Like a shiny new iPod, steamed Asian-style yeast buns here offer the ultimate functionality. Portable and stuffed with goodies like spicy kung pao chicken and barbecue pork, they'll fuel you for hours of intense line-waiting. The whole-wheat version filled with edamame will probably keep you most spry. Fight the heat and wash down the buns with Wow Bao's spicy-sweet homemade ginger ale. 835 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611 (map)
You wouldn't expect to find healthy and quick sustenance at a mall food court, but this Water Tower Place market is the grand exception. The Foodlife Market , which features one of the most diverse salad bars around, is your best bet. (Don't miss the herb-filled Green Goddess dressing). If you don't DYI, head to the Eat Greens kiosk to score a protein-filled Cobb or a sweet and tangy Asian Chicken salad. 835 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago IL 60611; 312-335-3663; foodlifechicago.com
Sayat Nova: It's almost a shame you won't have time to slink into the white grotto booths here, but at least these Middle Eastern flavors are portable. Try the lulla kebab pita filled with sweet, spiced smoky beef and lamb shawarma, onion, and tomato. The beefy perfume is so good it may lull linemates to grab their own sammie, thus moving you ahead in the queue. 157 East Ohio, Chicago IL 60611 (map)
More iPhone Eats in ...
New York
Philadelphia
D.C. Metro Area
San Francisco
Los Angeles
Serious Eats Mobile
Now's a good time to mention that you can view this guide on Serious Eats Mobile: m.seriouseats.com. And because Serious Eats Mobile supports commenting, you can supply live eats intel from the field, from whatever device you're about to upgrade out of. It's as easy as thumb-thumb-thumb-Post a comment!
Posted by Jen Maiser, July 10, 2008 at 8:26 AM
With Apple HQ in nearby Cupertino, there's got to be a lot of iPhone freaks in San Francisco willing to stand in line to grab a 3G handset the minute it's released on Friday morning. In anticipation, we asked our SF correspondents Jennifer Maiser and Harold Check for their picks.
Apple Store, Stockton Street
'wichcraft: Tom Colicchio's great sandwich options, like the fried egg one available all day, can be found at the Mission Street entrance of the Westfield Mall. 868 Mission Street, San Francisco CA 94103 (map) [JM]
Medicine Eatstation: About a five-minute walk from the Apple store with satisfying bento boxes to keep you energized. 161 Sutter Street, San Francisco CA 94104 (map) [JM]
Bristol Farms: This gourmet market inside the Westfield Mall is full of steam tables, salad bars, pizza, and sushi. 865 Market Street Suite 10, San Francisco CA 94103 (map) [JM]
Sears Fine Food and Dottie's True Blue Cafe: Comfort yourself with breakfast at either of these favorite spots. C'mon, you deserve it. (Even if you can't really afford it.) Sears: 439 Powell Street, San Francisco CA 94102 (map). Dottie's: 522 Jones Street, San Francisco, CA 94102 (map) [HC]
Apple Store, Chestnut Street
Pluto's Fresh Food For a Hungry Universe: Quick, filling and mobile, the build-your-own salads are satisfying and the carving stations offer warm turkey, roast beef, steak, and chicken for sandwiches. 3258 Scott Street, San Francisco CA 94123 (map) [JM]
Barney's Hamburger: Lots of vegetarian and non-beef options, but also your spot for an old-fashioned burger. 3344 Steiner Street, San Francisco CA 94123 (map) [JM]
Lucca Delicatessen: A true Italian deli with solid sandwiches and a noteworthy pepper spread. 2120 Chestnut Street, San Francisco CA 94123 (map) [JM]
Apple Store, Stonestown
Sitting in a mall with a lackluster food court, this store requires pick-up options on the way.
Sunrise Deli: The Middle Eastern deli knows how to do shawarma, kabob, falafel, and heaps of hummus. 2115 Irving Street, San Francisco CA, 94122 (map) [JM]
Tower Market: Stock up up on tasty sandwiches, good now or as a snack in the wee hours. 635 Portola Drive, San Francisco CA 94127 (map) [JM]
Yum Yum: This sushi counter offers fresh, inexpensive and easily box-uppable fish. Try the salmon belly roll with house smoked salmon. 2181 Irving Street, San Francisco CA 94122 (map) [JM]
More iPhone Eats in ...
New York
Philadelphia
D.C. Metro Area
Chicago
Los Angeles
Serious Eats Mobile
Now's a good time to mention that you can view this guide on Serious Eats Mobile: m.seriouseats.com. And because Serious Eats Mobile supports commenting, you can supply live eats intel from the field. It's as easy as thumb-thumb-thumb-Post a comment!
Posted by Leah Greenstein, July 10, 2008 at 8:25 AM
We figured there'd be some Angelenos eager enough to get their hands on an iPhone 3G when it comes out tomorrow morning that they'd be waiting in line in front of the Apple Store to do so. We asked L.A. contributor Leah Greenstein for a rundown on serious eats near three Apple Stores here.
Apple Store, The Grove
The Original Farmers' Market: If waiting for your iPhone 3G at the Grove's Apple Store is starting to feel a bit like waiting for Godot, head on over here to refuel. Besides farm stands, where you can grab a piece of fruit, you can also grab tasty tacos from ¡Loteria! or a savory crepe from The French Crepe Company or even a po'boy with spicy Cajun-style shrimp that pop in your mouth from The Gumbo Pot. 6333 West Third Street, Los Angeles CA 90036 (map); The Original Farmers' Market
Apple Store, Third Street Promenade
Real Food Daily: The cool ocean breezes at Santa Monica's "Third Street" will distract your line cohorts as you dash over to RFD, where the food is organic, vegan, and amazingly good. Get the fresh juice, lentil walnut paté and any of the delicious wraps. (I love the Caesar with blackened tempeh and avocado). 514 Santa Monica Boulevard, Santa Monica CA 90401 (map); 310-451-7544; Real Food Daily
Bay Cities Italian Deli & Bakery: Use the cell phone you're about to replace to call and order the Godmother from Bay Cities for pickup. This amazing sandwich has Genoa salami, mortadella, coppacola, ham, prosciutto and provolone. It's not exactly healthy, but your garlicky breath may help you get to the front of the line faster. 1517 Lincoln Boulevard, Santa Monica CA 90401 (map); 310-396-8279; Bay Cities Italian Deli & Bakery
Jack n' Jill's: Somewhere between the super-healthiness of Real Food Daily and the carnivorous indulgence of Bay Cities are the tasty soups and salads at Jack n' Jill's. Take the Mandarin basil salad with grilled chicken with you if the weather is warm. If it's overcast, try the old-fashioned mac and cheese made from scratch with real cheddar. 510 Santa Monica Boulevard, Santa Monica CA 90401 (map); 310-656-1601; eatatjacknjills.com
Apple Store, Century City
Breadbar: The tastiest of options in Century City has to be Breadbar. Unfortunately, chef Noriyuki Sugie's Japanese-Spanish creations aren't for take-out, but regular menu items are. Try the fleur de sel baguette with emmenthal cheese, or grab a loaf of fresh bread and artisanal June Taylor jam and make a few friends in line. 10250 Santa Monica Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90067 (map); 310-277-3770; breadbar.net
Ummba Grill:Take turns tossing back caipirinhas while grabbing organic Brazilian churrascaria to go at Ummba Grill. Their express lunch includes hormone-free beef tenderloin or bacon-wrapped free-range chicken for only $8.95. The price might even leave a few extra bucks in your pocket to buy that sleek iPhone cover you were eying. 10250 Santa Monica Boulevard, Los Angeles CA 90067 (map); 310-552-2014; ummbagrill.com
More iPhone Eats in ...
New York
Philadelphia
D.C. Metro Area
Chicago
San Francisco
Serious Eats Mobile
Now's a good time to mention that you can view this guide on Serious Eats Mobile: m.seriouseats.com. And because Serious Eats Mobile supports commenting, you can supply live eats intel from the field, from whatever device you're about to upgrade out of. It's as easy as thumb-thumb-thumb-Post a comment!
Posted by Emily Koh, June 30, 2008 at 5:45 PM
Photograph taken by Melissa Hom, from Grub Street
Now there's no excuse for finding cartilage in your warm peekytoe crab cake with shaved cauliflower at Le Bernardin. They use an ultraviolet light that distinguishes crabmeat from cartilage (the cartilage appears a much brighter white), which executive chef Eric Ripert discovered last year after seeing it on a French TV program.
Related
The 50 Best Restaurants in the World, per S. Pellegrino
Eric Ripert's New Website
In Videos: Anthony Bourdain Interviews Eric Ripert
Posted by Emily Koh, June 30, 2008 at 5:15 PM
David Caminer, who helped develop the world's first business computer, passed away two weeks ago at age 92. What in the world does this have to do with food? As an employee of J. Lyons & Company, Caminer helped the famous British tea shop chain computerize its commercial operations for its over 200 teahouses in London with the LEO (Lyons Electronic Office) computer, which helped do things like standardize cost-effective cups of tea. In other words, a tea company developed their own hardware and software in 1951:
LEO performed its first calculation on Nov. 17, 1951, running a program to evaluate costs, prices and margins of that week’s baked output. At that moment, Lyons was years ahead of I.B.M. and the other computer giants that eventually overtook it.
"Americans can’t believe this," Paul Ceruzzi, a historian of computing and curator at the National Air and Space Museum, said in an interview last week. “They think you’re making it up. It really was true."
That a food conglomerate did this seems almost incredible. New Scientist said in 2001: "In today’s terms it would be like hearing that Pizza Hut had developed a new generation of microprocessor, or McDonald’s had invented the Internet."
Posted by Erin Zimmer, June 26, 2008 at 10:30 AM
How does an over one-century-old restaurant rating publication translate to the digital era? It lets diners not on Michelin's payroll do most of the work.
Taking a Yelp-ian approach to user-generated content, the recently-revamped ViaMichelin site offers a forum for cuisine discussion, real-time traffic updates, interactive maps, Microsoft-powered satellite images, digital trip planners and mobile phone accessibility, all free.
Back in 1900, the original Michelin guide was also free in an effort to promote tourism; only in 1920 did the red books start costing you. ViaMichelin again demonstrates the value of free information, but so far, the site is pretty ugly and slim on content, even if three-million users are registered, as German weekly magazine Spiegel reports. This isn't au revoir to Michelin's red-covered books. In fact, Michelin thinks print revenue will increase with the added interactive web feature.
Related
New Michelin Books in Tokyo, Not Well Received
Michelin, Yelp, Zagat: Who Can We Believe?
Ed's Search For the Perfect Food Review Rating System
Posted by Sarah Wolf, June 25, 2008 at 5:00 PM
Different kinds of Japanese vending machines from PingMag.
Americans are seriously missing out on the ability to purchase hot french fries or socks without having to talk to an actual human being. So until our country gets with the program, we'll just have to sigh into our sake and wish we lived in Japan. Meanwhile Tokyo-based design magazine PingMag, after doing some investigative reporting at a manufacturers' convention in Tokyo, provides updates on the latest in amazing Japanese vending machines. From a self-serve tourist information center to cigarette dispensers with age recognition software, the only thing these innovative machines have left in common is automated awesomeness.
Related
Mobile Street Food in Tokyo, Japan
Ningyo-Yaki: Molded Japanese Cakes
Spherical Is Out: Human-Shaped is In
Japanese Snack Characters
Posted by Adam Kuban, June 18, 2008 at 10:00 AM
This internet-compatible coffee-maker appears to have some vulnerabilities to hacking. As posted on the Security Focus website:
Fun things you can do with a Jura coffee maker:
1. Change the preset coffee settings (make weak or strong coffee)
2. Change the amount of water per cup (say 300ml for a short black) and make a puddle
3. Break it by engineering settings that are not compatible (and making it require a service)
The connectivity kit uses the connectivity of the PC it is running on to connect the coffee machine to the internet. This allows a remote coffee machine "engineer" to diagnose any problems and to remotely do a preliminary service.
Best yet, the software allows a remote attacker to gain access to the Windows XP system it is running on at the level of the user.
Compromise by Coffee.
I don't know, kids. Old Mr. Coffee might be scratching his head when it comes to this newfangled internets, but at least he's not going to hack my computer. I don't know why you'd want an web-accessible coffee-maker anyway.
Posted by Sarah Wolf, June 3, 2008 at 6:00 PM
"It's hot steamy food in your face right now."
Sure, eating is fun, but it's just so darn time- and energy-consuming. Fortunately, The Onion News Network announces the fast food industry's latest development: wearable feedbags.
"Something that we heard over and over again was, 'I really love your food; I just wish it wasn't so much work to have to eat it,'" says a fast food executive in the video. Obviously, the only way to solve this problem is to strap your food to your head.
"Sometimes I don't feel like moving my arms, so this way you can just have it on your face, close to your mouth, so you don't have to pick anything up," says a man with sauce all over his chin.
Information on the eventual development of family-style feed troughs and drive-through feed hoses after the jump.
Continue reading »
Posted by Adam Kuban, May 27, 2008 at 11:45 AM
Or, 'The Greatest Thing to Slice Bread'
What can't this thing do, indeed—besides handle DVDs or CDs or support two USB devices, that is. But I digress.
Some folks in Germany have found that Apple's MacBook Air can slice through flesh and, more in tune with our sensibilities here at Serious Eats, can handle your bread-slicing needs [Google Translation].
I suppose it would come in handy if you're working at a cafe and are in a bind for a knife. I doubt this would void the warranty, but I certainly wouldn't use the machine to slather on butter. [via Boing Boing Gadgets]
Posted by Adam Kuban, April 19, 2008 at 3:00 PM
My iPod Nano has been getting scratched raw, such as it is that I don't have a case for it. With all my iPods past and present, I've resisted a case because I've felt they only bulk up the device without adding the proper amount of visual interest. If this one, meant to look like thin strips of shabu shabu beef, was available in the U.S. and not just in Japan, though, I'd wrap it around my iPod in a second. [via The Gizmodo]
Posted by Robyn Lee, March 24, 2008 at 12:45 PM
Stephen Colbert interviews inventor Dean Kamen (best known for the Segway) to talk about his vapor compression distiller, a machine that takes contaminated water and turn it into pure drinking water without the use of filters or chemicals. Colbert tests the distiller by adding Doritos to the "contaminated water" container.
The technology behind vapor compression distillers isn't necessarily new, but Kamen's invention looks a lot more compact than already existing vapor compression distillers. Since Kamen appears to have just announced his distiller on the Colbert Report last week, there isn't much information available about it yet.
Watch the interview, after the jump.
Continue reading »
Japanese restaurants already have the habit of displaying menus in the form of realistic plastic models to give customers a clear idea of what they're ordering. What's the next step? Tables with LCD touch screens that display 3-D pictures of the food. It's the future.
Researchers in Japan are working on a new smoke detector/fire alarm that uses the strong odor of wasabi to wake up the deaf. Watch the alarm in action with this video from BBC News.
Today in 1879 pioneer nutritionist Elmer McCollum was born. "He isolated the growth-promoting factors now called vitamins A and B, distinguishing fat-soluble and water-soluble forms.... McCollum and biochemist-in-training Marguerite Davis gave the 'factors' letter names, because their structures had not yet been determined to give them proper chemical names."
Posted by Robyn Lee, February 29, 2008 at 12:00 PM
The Readybot will be the indispensable cleaning tool of the future! The far off future. Right now this dishwasher-size prototype is still learning the ropes and can only do less than half of your common kitchen chores. Adam summed up the robot's speed pretty well: "Mold would grow faster than that robot could clean it."
Watch our little robot friend clean up a kitchen mess after the jump. [via Engadget]
Continue reading »
Posted by Gordon Mark, February 25, 2008 at 6:30 PM
First there was the hamburger phone from Juno and then the sandwich phone. Now comes the toast phone. This concept from Brazilian design student Renata Quintela comes with two bread phones and a toaster charger. [via Gizmodo]
Posted by Ed Levine, February 24, 2008 at 11:00 AM
The New York Times reports today that the first Korean astronaut will be bringing some of that nation's beloved kimchi into space with him. The Korean national dish, a powerful, extremely pungent fermented cabbage, is not exactly shelf- or space-stable, so finding a way to bring it safely into space required a costly and time-consuming effort:
Three top government research institutes spent millions of dollars and several years perfecting a version of kimchi that would not turn dangerous when exposed to cosmic rays or other forms of radiation and would not put off non-Korean astronauts with its pungency.
Related: Space Food Sticks
Photograph from iStockphoto.com/bedo
Chemical engineers at Nestlé have invented a machine that can distinguish between good and bad espresso nearly as accurately as trained espresso tasters. The machine is meant to be used as a quality control device in the coffee industry. [via engadget, title from Chris Fredette]
Posted by Robyn Lee, February 11, 2008 at 1:45 PM
Instead of reading the headlines off a newspaper, why not read them off...a cup? The Yuno PC designed by Jason Farsai is a computer in the form of a coffee mug. Using the mug's touchscreen display you can check weather, time, traffic, stocks, and more. [via engadget]
Posted by Adam Kuban, February 5, 2008 at 1:10 PM
The Col-Pop: emerging technology from South Korean fried chicken chain BBQ Chicken. Popcorn chicken rides up top; cola chills out below.
Proving yet again that South Korea is light years ahead of everyone else in fast-food technology is The Col-Pop. The nation that brought the world the spiral-cut potato on a stick and hot-dog-stuffed pizza ushers in a new era of snack portability with this mashup of drink cup and food container that holds popcorn chicken up top and a cold drink in the bottom.
The Col-Pop is the brainchild of BBQ Chicken, a South Korea–based fried chicken chain that has recently set its sights on worldwide chicken domination (though at this time, it only has locations in New York, New Jersey, and North Carolina). From the looks of this container, on-the-go America will certainly eat it up. It's perfect for handy snacking while walking, driving, talking on the phone, or—as we discovered the other day—blogging.
And the genius doesn't stop at popcorn chicken. In South Korea, sister company BHC Chicken also offers spaghetti, french fries, and fried mozzarella balls in Col-Pop containers. The Col-Pops we inspected come in two sizes: small (20 ounce cup) and large (32 ounce).
Continue reading »
Kraft Foods is developing new food products that contain intestinal worm-killing chemicals. These products will not be sold in the United States but are aimed towards rural Asia, Africa and Latin America, where millions of children are afflicted with illnesses caused by worms.
Posted by Adam Kuban, January 23, 2008 at 10:45 AM
Did you read the article about high-end coffee brewers in the New York Times today? If so, you're probably wondering where you can find a coffee shop that uses one of the $11,000 Clover brewing machines mentioned.
Easy enough. Just use the Find a Clover map on the company's website. Turns out there are quite a few more than the handful of locations the paper mentions. After the jump, a video of a Clover in action, if you're curious.
Continue reading »
Posted by Robyn Lee, January 17, 2008 at 11:15 AM
Researchers at the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology have developed a robot farming "exoskeleton" suit designed to help aging farmers lift heavy objects and perform manual tasks more easily. The current cost for each suit is about 500,000-1,000,000 yen ($4,500-$9,000) but may drop to 200,000 yen ($1,800) when they aim to mass produce it in four years. [via Boing Boing]
Posted by Adam Kuban, January 15, 2008 at 6:00 PM
That does it, folks: As was expected last week, The FDA today officially declared certain cloned livestock safe to eat. From the L.A. Times:
Initially, only a small amount of steaks, pork and dairy products derived from clones will become available in grocery stores. But over the next three to five years—after ranchers have time to clone their most prized animals and those clones are able to breed—the products will become routine on store shelves, industry executives said.
Cloned cattle, pigs, and goats are aces to eat, the agency said, but as for cloned sheep—well, there's not enough info regarding them or other species for the government to OK. So put down your knives and forks if you were waiting for cloned lamb, chickens, or—I don't know—squirrel.
Pitchforks are raised. The battle is on: Italian farmers fight cloned food.
Said a document release Friday by the European Food Safety Agency: “It is very unlikely that any difference exists in terms of food safety between food products originating from clones and their progeny compared with those derived from conventionally bred animals."
It's a prototype, and who knows if it'll ever go into production, but a British tinkerer has introduced jetlike fan technology into the toasting process. He was frustrated with his plodding toaster while making his favorite meal, beans on toast. "The design came out of sheer frustration that by the time the toast is ready, my beans have gone cold," he said. [via Cold Mud]
Posted by Matthew Amster-Burton, December 12, 2007 at 3:30 PM
A visitor from the future has landed on my refrigerator door. Its name is SmartShopper. It's an electronic shopping list, and catalogs like Sur La Table and The Sharper Image are pushing it this holiday season. And if your idea of fun is getting into a screaming fight with your fridge, I highly recommend you pick one up.
SmartShopper is about the size of a Big Grab of chips and weighs a pound. It's solidly built, takes four AAs, and sticks firmly to our refrigerator. It has a built-in thermal printer. And it's easy to use. Just press the blue "Record" button and say what you want to add to your list. SmartShopper will present you with its three best interpretations of what you said. For example, earlier today I pressed the button and confidently intoned, "Yogurt." SmartShopper replied:
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Mega link-aggregator site Digg adding new categories tonight. Says Digg founder Kevin Rose, "... we're adding a whole new 'Lifestyle' category with topics like Autos, Food & Drink, and Travel." One more place for food lovers to watch.
Wired puts your Thanksgiving feast under a microscope.
Posted by Robyn Lee, October 3, 2007 at 6:15 PM
In the future, sidewalks won't be covered with black spots of ancient gum, nor will students hands unintentionally brush against hardened gum wads hidden underneath their seats. Chemists at the University of Bristol have invented a less sticky chewing gum called Clean Gum that can be simply removed with water. Professor Terence Cosgrove explains that by adding a special polymer, the typically hydrophobic gum becomes hydrophilic, allowing water to disintegrate the gum over time or to form a film around the gum, releasing it from whatever surface it would normally stick to. Taste tests have already proven Clean Gum, which is expected to be released commercially in 2008, to taste as good or better than conventional gum. It won't be long before Singaporeans are allowed to chew gum again. [via Candy Addict]
Photograph from peyri on Flickr
Posted by Adam Kuban, July 10, 2007 at 11:45 AM
Small sensors "the size of a fly's wing" could help farmers save on irrigation costs and reduce impact on the water supply:
Clipped permanently to a leaf during the growing season, the sensor would monitor moisture content and chemical signatures that can indicate when the plant is undergoing water stress. The chemical signs, such as an increase in salt and sugar content in the cells, occur much earlier than physical signs, such as drooping leaves, that many farmers rely on now.
Posted by Lia Bulaong, March 13, 2007 at 5:06 PM
$6,000 is a lot of a money to spend on an oven but the NYT's Julia Moskin thinks it just might be worth it for the TurboChef, a super-fast oven used in commercial kitchens that's looking to make its way into homes this year. The TurboChef site has videos of Chicago star chef Charlie Trotter using the oven, including one of him cooking a rack of lamb in six minutes—a dish that usually takes 45 minutes properly done in a kitchen!
Between Moskin's piece and Trotter's videos, I'm convinced I would spend the money if I a) cooked regularly and b) owned my own apartment to put it in.
Posted by Lia Bulaong, March 9, 2007 at 6:01 PM
Johnny from Popgadget discusses how beef with a pedigree could make us safer: "TraceBack is a new system for DNA testing cattle and swine, and then recording the movements of the butchered meat. A butcher would be able to take a small sample of beef and cross-reference the DNA against an IdentiGEN database to verify that the meat is from a healthy animal." Alternately, health departments can use TraceBack to identify the source of contamination during outbreaks, from the point of sale all the way back to the farm and to which particular animal was sick.
Posted by Lia Bulaong, February 28, 2007 at 8:27 AM
Laura Shapiro on gender and molecular gastronomy in the New York Times, Kitchen Chemistry Is Chic, but Is It a Woman’s Place?:
Maybe all the machines and chemicals are contributing to a revolution other than the one about frozen air and warm gelatin. “Restaurant kitchens were organized like military brigades, because that was the only way to turn out such a volume of work and make all the fast decisions that were necessary,” said Mr. Goldfarb of Room 4 Dessert. “Now it’s more like the modern military, using technology as opposed to brute strength.”
But many women dreaming of a restaurant career still may not see the appeal of a laboratory kitchen. Ms. Yung and Ms. Sanchez have been struck by how few women are in high-end restaurant kitchens of any sort. “We’re always wondering where the girls are,” Ms. Yung said.
If you've read recent articles about women in technology, this article pretty much runs through the same old tropes as those do, just set in kitchens instead of boardrooms.
Posted by Adam Roberts, February 13, 2007 at 6:00 AM
It began in law school when I was miserable and lonely and sick of sitting in my apartment with study guides and hardcover texts splayed about the floor. I needed to get out and I needed to get out regularly. Where I ended up is where many other people end up these days in similar situations: a coffee shop. Specifically, Starbucks. There was one near my apartment so I went there and ordered a froufrou coffee drink, sat with my books, and ogled attractive people while pretending to study.
And that's been the formula ever since. I'm writing in a coffee shop right now: Tea Lounge in the Park Slope section of Brooklyn. I'm leaning against a brick wall, I have my laptop on my lap and I'm watching a mother and son play Pac-Man.
A coffee shop is like a greenhouse for my brain. At home I have too many distractions: TV, TiVo, DVD player, DVDs, Netflix movies piling up (Eraserhead on pause because Craig fell asleep). A coffee shop is a vacation for my brain. Despite the people, despite the noise, I can home in on my work and not cave into temptation. Unless, of course, the coffee shop has a wireless Internet connection, in which case I'm in trouble.
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Posted by Nathalie Jordi, January 24, 2007 at 3:41 PM
You know tele-conferencing? Chicago-based Accenture, the Telegraph reports, is working on bringing it to dinner.
The virtual guest's image is then projected on to the screen, and the solitary diner no longer feels that she is eating alone.
Sad or fantastic?
Posted by Nathalie Jordi, January 18, 2007 at 11:55 AM
How about hangover-free alcohol? Or programmable soda whose flavor you'd control by twisting the cap a certain way, like a locker combination? Someone's actually working on this. Whose priorities are these? Personally, I wish they'd tackle the hangover-free alcohol instead.
