Ah, the Kegbot. Even the name should send a jolt of excitement down your spine. If you haven’t guessed, this fantastic invention is actually a Linux refrigerator that will tell you exactly who’s been drinking your beer and even figure out that drinker’s blood alcohol level, then log all this information onto a Web page so you can keep track. And if the Kegbot feels you’ve had enough, it can even cut you off. Bad, bad Kegbot. But on the bright side, if you need more beer, it can also send you a text message to let you know it’s running low on supplies. Mike Wakerly, the inventor of the Kegbot, built this fridge thing with a microcontroller that directs a valve and a flow meter and spliced them into the tap line. And then he went ahead and wrote custom software which attached to a Linux computer. If you want to drink from this keg, you’ll have to get a digital ID button with a unique 64-bit code or you’re out of luck. Well, if Big Brother were a drunk, he’d definitely be watching you here.
Linux fridge rats on your drinking habits [The Inquirer]
