And yet another interesting design idea within technology: an electronic drink coaster. The patent for this device was issued in April of 2008 and Apple has been claimed to be working on the product as well. Basically the idea is that this "coaster" would alert restaurant staff when your drink needs refilled; ideally you could also place orders directly from the coaster. Well, after conducting a bit more research, I found a device very similar to this that actually exists. Labeled an 'auto sensing coaster,' this device flashes or blinks when your drink is nearly empty, notifying your server/bartender when you need a refill. It was created by developers at the Sentilla Corporation and can also detect drinks when placed on the sensor. Each one contains a mini-computer that runs a custom Java application that runs everything and they also have LED lights. They can even communicate wirelessly with one another. This would definitely make bartending more efficient, but I can't help but think for a second: are we getting too lazy or impatient to go get another ourselves or just wait a few minutes?
(take a look here: http://technabob.com/blog/2007/12/07/auto-sensing-coasters-keep-the-drinks-coming/)
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