Sorry 007, Somabar’s $430 robotic bartender won’t shake your martini
“I have drunk cognac in Cognac, port in Oporto, raki in Turkey, tequila in Mexico City, moonshine in Kentucky, not to mention poteen in Fleet Street, bitter and industrial alcohol in Oxford, Yugoslav whisky in Yugoslavia, Japanese whisky in Glasgow and sweet Spanish wine and lemonade in Swansea. Also gin in England.” — Kingsley Amis, Everyday Drinking
While I can’t boast a list quite as long or accomplished, I’ve swilled my fair share of liquids over the past 32 years. Up until two weeks ago, however, I’d never met a bartender who wasn’t at least mostly human.
It was one of those unseasonably warm days in Beverly Hills, Calif. and I was in need of a little hair of the dog. On this particular occasion my hangover coincided nicely with a meeting that required I start drinking before sunset. I was in town to meet the people behind the Keurig of craft cocktails, a countertop robotic bartender by the name of Somabar. The device, which first came to the public’s attention as a Kickstarter campaign in November of last year, promises “the perfect craft cocktail in under 5 seconds” without the mess of strainers, shakers, jiggers or a working knowledge of bartending basics.
As a an amateur booze enthusiast with an extreme distaste for doing dishes, I found the idea equal parts intriguing and off-putting. In any case, I wasn’t going to pass up an opportunity to simultaneously dampen the dull throbbing in my head and test the closest thing the world’s ever seen to a consumer-facing autonomous mixologist.
… Computerized cocktail slingers have been capturing the hearts of tech-obsessed booze hounds since the middle of the last century.
The quest for an accessible robotic bartender is far from new. As Troy Patterson pointed out in a 2013 article for Slate, computerized cocktail slingers have been capturing the hearts of tech-obsessed booze hounds since the middle of the last century. More recently, we’ve seen the emergence of Makr Shakr, which employs a set of robotic, app-controlled arms that can shake, muddle and strain up to 120 drinks per hour, and Monsieur, a $4,000 touchscreen-activated bartender in a box.
Unlike its predecessors, however, Somabar is focused on the home. According to its founders, the thing will ship this July for $430. What’s more, the startup is in distribution talks with luxury retailers and working towards licensing deals with big-name liquor companies. Somabar could have the stuff to finally take the robotic bartender mainstream, albeit in a form factor more akin to your mother’s KitchenAid than The Jetson’s Rosie. That is, if it can make a drink.
The device that I tested was still a prototype, but according to the company’s founders, it’s a very close approximation of what the final product will look and act like. It’s a large, white plastic and hardwood device, with an recess in the front big enough to fit a normal-sized martini or collins glass, and three, 750ml clear plastic cylinders affixed to either side. Those airtight cylinders, known as Soma Pods, are where the Keurig comparison comes in. They hold the liquor and mixers and can be easily stored in the refrigerator for safe keeping (and chilling). They’re also the key to Somabar’s licensing ambitions.
For now, however, the containers are manually filled, as is the 150ml bitters pod which is placed under what looks like a large silver button on the top of the machine. Users can add, adjust or choose from a series of pre-loaded cocktail recipes in an accompanying smartphone app. Once a user has selected just the right drink, the machine goes to work, pumping precise ingredients from the appropriate pods into a mixing chamber where it marries the ingredients through a proprietary “combination of fluid dynamics, kinetic energy, and turbulence created by static vanes,” before dumping the final concoction into a glass all in a matter of seconds. As kitchen appliance go, it’s a beautiful, minimal and simultaneously complex machine. As a replacement for fully functional bar setup, iit falls flat on a number of levels.
The first sign of Somabar’s limitations came when the company’s CTO, Ammar Jangbarwala, dropped a cube of ice in a martini glass while prepping the machine to make a Manhattan. In order to avoid added cost, the company opted not to add a cooling element. You can chill the Soma Pods separately, but failing that, you’ll either have to add ice to your drinks or live with luke warm libations. For those who prefers their drinks straight up that could be a deal breaker. I just happen to be one of those people.
This was a Manhattan in name alone.
Having established that I’d be drinking my Manhattan, however oddly, on the rocks in a Martini glass, Jangbarwala whipped out his phone to show me the under-construction app that allows users to either enter their desired ingredients for recommendations, directly select from a list of curated and crowd-sourced recipes or enter their own. He selected our drink of choice, picked a moderate strength and an infusion of bitters and just like that, it was cocktail time.
The result was an unfortunately warm, ungarnished Manhattan, that had neither been shaken nor stirred. This was a Manhattan in name alone. And that is the fundamental issue with Somabar: it promises craft cocktails when in reality its limited feature set makes it more of a mixed drink dispenser than an automated mixologist. There are no cherries on top, no egg white froths; you won’t see dustings of nutmeg or cinnamon; it won’t muddle your mint; and it most definitely will not talk you through a breakup.
What it will do is throw together up to six different liquids (and an optional spray of bitters) in a matter of seconds. As a $430 party trick, it’s pretty damn neat, but it doesn’t truly deliver on its promise to effortlessly bring the cocktail revolution home. That’s not to say there are no benefits to the Somabar. The machine’s self-cleaning mechanism makes it perfect for experimentation. We switched from a Manhattan, to a Moscow Mule to something called a Presbytirian in the space of ten minutes without cross-contaminating flavors. The accompanying app, which allows users to search by available ingredients, also means you’ll never run out of cocktails to try. But the Somabar is a poor substitute for human hands in the subtle art of drink making. Crafting a cocktail takes skill and nuance, and I’m sorry to say I still haven’t met a machine that can match a man-made Manhattan.
Filed under: Robots
Software update lets Android Wear users locate misplaced phone
Over the next few weeks Android Wear owners will find a new feature coming to their smartwatches. Once rolled out, it will let users locate a misplaced smartphone by simply dialing it from their wrist. The Android Device Manager recently picked up a software update; however, the new option has not rolled out to the wearables just yet. How… Read more »
The post Software update lets Android Wear users locate misplaced phone appeared first on SmarterWatching.
Source: SmarterWatching
The post Software update lets Android Wear users locate misplaced phone appeared first on AndroidGuys.
[Deal] HTC RE Camera discounted 50% through Best Buy
The RE Camera was launched last fall for consumers that wanted a personal camera with style and simplicity. Clearly, the device was targeted by HTC at the action-oriented. While the RE Camera impressed many with its simply controls and decent quality, the price moved consumers in another direction. Today, the RE Camera can be purchased through Best Buy for 50% less than its normal retail price. The device, which has a 16MP lens and is waterproof, is available for $99 with free shipping.
Both white and blue models are still available as the orange color option has become sold out online. There are even cheaper options, too, if $99 is still to much. Best Buy has open-box units starting at $74.
Come comment on this article: [Deal] HTC RE Camera discounted 50% through Best Buy
MetroPCS to launch Microsoft Lumia 640 ‘mid to late May’, priced at $99
The Lumia 640 was only announced by Microsoft a few weeks ago, but many people are eagerly awaiting its release, slated for ‘April’.
MetroPCS is evidently primed for the sale of the entry-level Lumia in ‘mid to late May’. The date is slightly later than open market availability although it is not too far pushed back.
Cost of the device is looking to be $99 likely off-contract, although final pricing is not locked in 100% just yet. MetroPCS’s version will support LTE although it is not clear if it will be dual SIM.
HERE Maps for Windows Phone and Windows 8.1 ditching use of Nokia accounts April 24
HERE Maps app users on Windows Phone and Windows 8.1 won’t be able to use their Nokia accounts to sign onto those apps after April 24. They will have to start using the new HERE accounts after that date.
Which all-in-one desktops are worth buying?
As laptops continue to become more powerful, there’s still plenty of room for an all-in-one desktop in your life. Their slim profile makes them a bit more desk- or living room-friendly than a typical tower PC, while the large built-in screen is great for getting work done or watching a movie. To help you decide which units are worthy enough to grace your office or den, we’ve taken a look at reviews from trusted critics to find systems that can handle a variety of tasks, including editing documents, watching movies and even some hardcore gaming. Check out the gallery below to see five of the better all-in-one desktops available now, as well as one we’d rather you didn’t buy.
HTC hints they may consider Android 5.1 for One M7 after all
Yesterday we reported that Android 5.1 would not be coming to the HTC One M7, at least according to the company’s VP of Product Management, Mo Versi. As our comment section can attest to, many folks were none to pleased by this news. Thankfully, HTC has heard the complaints surfacing on Twitter and across the web and have now responded.
Now let’s not get too ahead of ourselves, HTC hasn’t announced it is changing its position on Android 5.1 for the M7, but Mo Versi has responded on Twitter, saying that many of the bug fixes introduced with 5.1 have already been applied to HTC’s current 5.0-based software but they “understand your concerns. Stay tuned.”
I heard you all on M7 5.1 for Carrier versions. Many of the fixes are already in our current SW, but understand your concerns. Stay tuned.
— Mo Versi (@moversi) March 20, 2015
His response means a few possibilities. First, HTC could officially release Android 5.1 for the One M7 and then shut the doors on updates after that. Second, HTC could simply release a few more patches to its existing software that addresses any other remaining major bugs, without bumping the software up to 5.1. Third, Mo Versi could just be responding to calm people down and save a little face. Regardless, it is a good sign that HTC is at least listening to its customers and responding, instead of just giving M7 owners the silent treatment.
What do you think, since HTC delivered its promise on 2 years of updates already, should we expect them to release Android 5.1 (which is mostly a bug fix) anyway, or is their obligation to their buyers already more than fulfilled?
Tales from the Borderlands Episode 2: Atlas Mugged now available on Android for $4.99
When Telltale Games brought the first episode of Tales from the Borderlands to the Google Play Store last December, it quickly became one of the better action/adventure games available on Android. The Borderlands series fits right in with all of Telltale’s other games, featuring a rich storyline and unique point-and-click gameplay. The second episode in the Tales from the Borderlands series has just made its way to Android, following its recent release on the PC and other gaming consoles.
Titled ‘Atlas Mugged’, episode two is still set on Pandora and features all of the same great humor we’ve come to expect from Telltale’s games. The game still follows Rhys, a ‘suit’ working for gun manufacturer Hyperion, and Fiona, a Pandoran con artist. Much like the first episode, the unlikely duo is forced to spend some quality time together, on the hunt for cash that they both think is theirs.
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The first installment in the series is available for $4.99, and you can grab episode two via an in-app purchase for an additional $4.99. If you’d like to save yourself some money, you can pay $14.99 to grab episodes 2-5 right now. But before you download, there are some system requirements you must have before you start playing. Your device must be powered by at least a Adreno 300 series GPU, Mali-T600 series GPU, PowerVR SGX544, or Tegra 4, at least a dual-core 1.2GHz processor, and at least 1GB of RAM.
If you’re a fan of anything Telltale has ever put out, you’ll be a fan of Tales from the Borderlands Episode 2. Hit up the download link below if you’re interested.
27 best Android tablet games
Playing games on Android tablets can be a lot of fun. The larger screen real estate allows many game control schemes to be spread out to a more comfortable distance, graphics can be enjoyed more, and games that require precise tapping can be played easier. Most games that are great on Android phones are also great on tablets but here are the best Android tablet games.
Anomaly 2
[Price: $4.99]
When it comes to gaming on a larger screen, Anomaly 2 has it all. Great graphics, a good story, and controls that translate well to the big screen. If your tablet happens to be packing a Tegra K1 (Nexus 9, Shield tablet) then you’ll have an even better graphical experience. Anomaly 2 is a hybrid tower offense / tower defense game with online multiplayer capabilities and a highly regarded single player mode. It’s $4.99 but there are also no in app purchases which a lot of people will like.
BADLAND
[Price: Free with in app purchases]
BADLAND is a platformer game with an undeniably gorgeous design and addictive game play. You must navigate through a maze of obstacles to keep pace with an ever scrolling screen. If you fall behind, you lose. The game features over 100 levels, 23 levels of multiplayer content (including offline, same device multiplayer), simple one-touch controls, cloud save, immersive mode, and the developers repeatedly promise more content in future updates. The large screens on tablets make this game absolutely enjoyable to take part in and a great way to kill a few minutes.
Baldur’s Gate, Baldur’s Gate II, and Icewind Dale
[Price: $9.99 each]
We grouped these three games together because they were all released by the same developer (Beamdog). All three titles are huge, immersive RPGs that were ported from PC to Android in 2014. They feature very long stories with complex game play and are sure to keep you busy for months upon months. The graphics are decent but not amazing because even by PC standards these games are pretty old. However, these are three of the better RPGs to grace PC and Android. With their complicated control schemes, playing them on a tablet screen makes them infinitely easier to play and enjoy.
The Bard’s Tale
[Price: $1.99 with in app purchases]
This witty RPG from days past has above average graphics, a long story, and it plays amazingly on a tablet. Frankly, playing this on a smartphone is cramped and sometimes downright uncomfortable. On a tablet, you can see more and the controls are spread out and more comfortable. It also has third party controller support if you happen to be packing one of those. It’s one of the best RPGs on Android and it’s relatively inexpensive.
Board Games
[Price: Varies]
With the larger screen of a tablet, you’ll get probably the best virtual board game experience that you are capable of having right now. Board games are excellent games for family days, kids, and some are even tailored for adults. It’s simple enough to put the tablet in the middle of the table and crowd around it to enjoy a board game experience without the risk of a beloved pet eating the game pieces. If you want to see the best board games on Android, the link below will take you there.
Click here to see the best Android board games!
Clash of Clans
[Price: Free with in app purchases]
The world’s most popular free strategy game is a natural choice for tablet gamers. Admittedly, the graphics don’t look much better (or worse) on a larger screen. However, the game does require a lot of precise tapping and dragging which can be done much easier on a large screen. Add to that the gigantic online community, clan wars, and Supercell’s frequent feature updates and you have a great free game to kill a few minutes every day.
Dead Trigger 2
[Price: Free with in app purchases]
Dead Trigger 2 is another game that seems to have all the prerequisites to be an amazing Android tablet game. It sports great graphics which translate well to large screens, easy controls that are comfortable, third party controller support, and fun, addictive game play. Plus you get to mow down fields of zombies and that has been well established as a great way to kill some time. MADFINGER Games has been good about keeping the updates rolling so there is still new content to enjoy every now and then. Plus, it’s free to play.
Emulators
[Price: varies]
Emulators are a natural choice for tablets. The on screen controls are more comfortable (and generally customizable), you have more space to enjoy your old favorites, and the larger screen allows you to play many older games in their native 4:3 aspect ratio while still having plenty of space to see them. There are a lot of emulators for a lot of consoles and thousands of games combined so there is literally something out there for everyone. If you want to check out our best emulators list, click the link below!
Click here to check out the best emulators on Android!
Game of Thrones
[Price: $4.99]
Game of Thrones is the first of three Telltale Games titles on this list. In this title, you play as a lesser known house that plays a peripheral role in the events of the main story as seen on TV. You’ll interact with characters from the TV show, enjoy some decent graphics, dive into a deep story line with enough ethical and moral twists and turns to give it a real Game of Thrones feel. It is episodic so you’ll have to buy more episodes eventually.
Grand Theft Auto III, Vice City, and San Andreas
[Price: $4.99, $4.99, and $6.99 respectively]
Rockstar has had great success in porting their Grand Theft Auto series to mobile. In fact, San Andreas won our best game of 2013 award. These games are huge and provide dozens of hours of game play. The larger touch screens of tablets make controls much easier as you have more space and larger buttons. Each game easily provides dozens of hours of game play which makes them easily worth the money. The older titles have a few bugs here and there, though, so be sure to test them out before the refund time expires!
Heartstone Heroes of Warcraft
[Price: Free with in app purchases]
Hearthstone seems to have been tailor made for tablets. Actually, it literally was because you have to do some hackery just to get this game running on a device smaller than 6-inches. This is a long awaited card game that has you building decks, dueling other players, and there is even some single player missions to get you into the mix. Everything is synced to a Battle.net account so you can play between your tablet and computer if you want to which is a nice touch. It’s wildly popular, especially with the Twitch crowd and there are always plenty of people to duel against!
Injustice: Gods Among Us
[Price: Free with in app purchases]
Injustice: Gods Among Us is among the best fighting games available on Android. It features an extensive cast of DC comics heroes that you use to duke it out against other DC comics heroes. The game play is simple enough to understand. You collect character cards and build teams of three. You then duke it out in an epic 3v3 battle royale between your fighters and the opponent’s fighters. It’s a solid game with graphics that really shine on tablet screens and it’s probably the best DC comic property on Android.
Leo’s Fortune
[Price: $4.99]
Leo’s Fortune gained fame when it was demo’d at Google I/O on Android TV. In case that wasn’t a serious indication, that means this game translates well to larger screens. The game pay mechanics are simple and work naturally on big screens. The grahpics are crisp and clean so it should only add to the enjoyment. It’s $4.99 but there are also no in app purchases and there are Google Play Games achievements for those who want that.
Limbo
[Price: $4.99]
Limbo hit the ground running when it was released in 2015 and it’s already one of the most enjoyed and talked about games of the year. You play as a kid looking for his sister in the creepy, monochrome world of Limbo. The throwback black and white design fits the atmosphere perfect and this is easily one of the best designed games of 2015 so far. The story is okay, but the game play mechanics are solid and it even currently rocks an outstanding 4.8 out of 5 rating in the Google Play Store with over 5000 reviews in total.
Monument Valley
[Price: $4.99 + $1.99]
Monument Valley was the hit game of 2014 on Android and iOS. The simple, colorful graphics meshed well with the amazing geometric illusions that made this game just so captivating to play. The game is a bit short but with the $1.99 Forgotten Shores add on, you can increase the total number of levels to 15. For some, that’s still too short but the majority of players who bought the game don’t regret it. The puzzles and game play really pop on larger screens which makes them great for tablets.
Portal and Half Life 2
[Price: $9.99 each]
Portal and Half Life 2 are two very popular PC games developed by Valve and ported to Android by NVIDIA. You’ll have to have an NVIDIA Shield, an NVIDIA Shield Tablet, or a device rocking a Tegra K1 in order to actually play them so not every tablet owner can take advantage. If you do have those, you’ll be able to play two of the better PC games ever released. Both have a lot of game play and no in app purchases!
Real Racing 3
[Price: Free with in app purchases]
Here by popular demand from our readers is Real Racing 3. This is a racing title that features some pretty fantastic graphics, over 100 cars from Ford, Aston Martin, and other manufacturers, and extremely detailed tracks. This game is pure eye candy but the game play is simple enough to understand and the game has that “easy to play, difficult to master” mechanic that makes it fun for casual gamers and hardcore gamers alike. There is even a pretty active online multiplayer scene. It does have a few issues here and there, but nothing too over the top and it’s definitely worth a shot.
République
[Price: $2.99 with in app purchases]
République is (at the time of this writing) a brand new Android game that features high quality graphics, a thrilling story line, and plenty of content. It was a popular iOS game until it was ported to Android so it’s likely that this will also eventually be popular. It takes place over five episodes and three of them are out currently which means you’ll have to wait for the last two. The great graphics look wonderful on a tablet and many of the mechanics and controls are one touch.
Riptide GP2
[Price: $2.99 with in app purchases]
Riptide GP2 is a wave runner racing game where you must do tricks, use boost, and battle the rocky waters to win races. It uses the accelerometer for control although there is support for touch screen controls and even third party controllers. The graphics are fantastic and the mechanics are easy to understand and use even on tablets. There are also various online multiplayer modes that let you race against your friends along with cloud saves and achievements via Google Play Games services. It’s a favorite around the Android Authority news room.
The Sims FreePlay
[Price: Free with in app purchases]
The Sims FreePlay is another one of those games where it’s actually better to play it on a bigger screen than a smaller screen. As with most Sims games, there are a lot of things to tap and a lot of things to build and control. The more screen space you have, the more precise you move. Plus, the graphics aren’t bad either and it’s a Sims game which are generally pretty fantastic and the developers seem to still be adding new content.
Shardlands
[Price: Free with in app purchases]
Shardlands is an adventure game that will have you solving puzzles, dealing with monsters, and solving the mysteries of an alien world. Shardlands has long been touted for its graphics and they do look quite good. The game play is easy to understand but difficulty in later levels means you’ll have to learn to master the controls to keep going. For some, the later levels are too hard but that can happen sometimes. The game developers tout it as an atmospheric game and that also means the soundtrack is pretty decent. It’s free to play and worth a few minutes of your time.
Square Enix collection (Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Chrono Trigger, Chaos Rings, Deus Ex)
[Price: Varies]
Square Enix has a lot of games on Android that are just fun to play. The Final Fantasy series, Chrono Trigger, Dragon Quest, Chaos Rings, and Deus Ex: The Fall are all great titles even if they are a little bit expensive. Like most RPGs, the controls translate well to large screens and along with 30-50 hours of game play in almost every title, you’ll also get high quality graphics in games like Chaos Rings and Deus Ex: The Fall. The only downside is that they are a little expensive.
Tales from the Borderlands
[Price: $4.99 with in app purchases]
Tales from the Borderlands is the second Telltale Games title on the list and some even consider it to be among the best Borderlands games ever produced. This is intended as an origin story so those new to the series won’t miss out on much and long time fans get a little bit of fan service. The graphics are also pretty good. As with most Telltale Games titles, this is episodic which means you’ll get your content in episodes that you’ll have to purchase separately with episode two having been released in early 2015.
Transport Tycoon
[Price: $6.99]
Last on our list is Transport Tycoon. This is an official port of the old PC classic for Android devices. The reason this is so great for a tablet game is because it has a lot of information on screen which is easier to see on a tablet than on a smartphone and there are a lot of precise movements and clicks that are easier when you have extra screen real estate. The graphics are about the same as they were back when it was first released but they’ve been sharpened for today’s HD screens. It’s a little expensive at $6.99 but there are no in app purchases and the nostalgia value is pretty high.
The Walking Dead Season 1 and 2
[Price: Free with in app purchases]
The Walking Dead series is what put Telltale Games on the map and remains one of their most popular titles to date. Season 1 and 2 are two separate games so there is a lot of content here for gamers to enjoy and each season has multiple episodes to expand the content. The seasons do play off of one another so if you play season 1, you can load that progress into season 2 and your decisions and whatnot effect the outcome of the second game as well as the first which is definitely a nice touch. Best of all, it all falls in the same universe as the TV show.
The Wolf Among Us
[Price: Free with in app purchases]
The Wolf Among Us is one of Telltale Games’ earlier titles and still one of its most popular. It’s a story about fairy tale characters being killed off and you must find the culprit. It falls under the genre of thriller which is something you don’t see every day in Android gaming and it’s also based on the popular comic series Fable (DC). It also comes with good, colorful graphics, a player-driven story (your decisions and actions matter), and plenty of content. There are five episodes in total that you can pick up as in-app purchases.
XCOM: Enemy Within
[Price: $12.99]
XCOM: Enemy Within may be fairly expensive at $12.99 but few who have purchased the game regret its larger price tag. It’s a deep, immersive strategy game where you must play a game of proverbial chess with the bad guys and take them out. You play as the humans defending the world against an alien invasion. You must upgrade your weapons and equipment, recruit troops, and there is even multiplayer modes for gamers to enjoy. It’s based on the 2012 title XCOM: Enemy Unknown except with more content, a longer story, and more upgrades. It’s definitely not for the faint of heart and is truly one of the best “console level” gaming experiences on Android.
Wrap up
If we missed any amazing Android tablets games, let us know in the comments!
To see our full list of our best Android apps and games lists, click here!
HTC One M9 goes on sale in Taiwan tomorrow
Now that HTC has fixed the overheating issue, the One M9 is cleared for takeoff. The first stop is tomorrow, March 21, in Taiwan. They will be offering only the Gunmetal Gray and Silver/Rose Gold option in either 32 or 64 GB. The Amber Gold version will launch in early April.
Pricing is TWD 21,900 (€650 / $705 ) for the 32 GB version and TWD 23,900 (€710 / $770) for the 64 GB version. As to the U.S., it was already announced that April 10 will be your lucky day.
source: GSMArena
Come comment on this article: HTC One M9 goes on sale in Taiwan tomorrow
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