Scan Your Arm, Buy Some Wine

The Inquirer asked wine lovers what they thought of the LCB’s forthcoming supermarket wine kiosks. Not surprisingly, these oenophiles — I spelled it right the first time! — are not happy with Pennsylvania’s plans.

Wait, what? No, really: The subhead says wine lovers are “appalled.” And here is some evidence:

Randy Torban of ClassicWines.com, a Pennsylvania-based Internet clearinghouse for learning about and buying wine, put it this way: “When people buy their wine, they expect a small touch of class to be involved. You don’t get that from a machine.” [...]

“It’s silly, and it’s gimmicky,” said Daniel Donahoe, a former wine and spirits retailer who now produces wines in California’s Sonoma County.

These guys know this idea is for Pennsylvania, right? Nobody’s wondering if the sometimes surly, sometimes chipper woman selling us wine and occasionally checking our ID is going to recommend something better than the Yellow Tail we just grabbed off the rack when we’re late for a party.

But no matter. The Inquirer acquired one of the wine kiosk proposals, which would include “opaque windows [that] would prevent minors from viewing the bottles.” Oh, and you’d have to give away your DNA in order to buy from the vending machine:

To use the machines, customers would have to register at the supermarket with the help of a Liquor Control Board employee. The registration would include providing fingerprints and a valid credit card, and allowing an infrared arm scan.

After that, users could go to any machine and place their arm and hand on a sensor. Once their identity was verified and the machine determined they were not intoxicated, the glass would clear and they could make their selection, which would arrive in a sealed package.

Oh, yes, I am expecting Pennsylvania’s residents to eagerly line up to have their arms scanned so they can buy wine at the same place they buy milk. Actually, this could be a pretty good test to see what people will put up with in order to buy alcohol.

Convenience, LCB-style Editor’s Note: ERROR. DIVIDE BY ZERO. [Inquirer]

Advanced Robots To Sell Wine — In Pa.

Recently, the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board — which, if you didn’t know, some people think should be abolished — announced it was seeking proposals for several hundred wine kiosks in Pennsylvania. The kiosks would be placed in (get this!) grocery stores and malls.

Yes, it’s a step forward, and a surprising one from the LCB. And check out this technology!

The kiosk has security identification measures such as fingerprints and biometric readings, he said. Users would have to register and purchases would have to be made with credit card, debit card or PLCB gift card.

Oh, boy, I can’t wait to have to register and get fingerprinted to buy wine. Sigh. One step forward, two steps back.

Pennsylvania wants to sell wine in kiosks [AP]
A wine vending machine? Pennsylvania could see them soon [Dr. Vino's Wine Blog]
Thanks, Rob!

Business Uses Machine To Help With Efficiency

Now that they’ve created a robot that can fill prescriptions without mistakes, it is only a matter of time before the perfect robot is created and humans become slaves to the master robot race. Thanks a lot, Underwood-Memorial Hospital.

Pharmacy robot immune to error [Camden Courier-Post]

Liberty Bell To Be Replaced With Copy Of ‘War’

Man, I thought this media blitz was a bit over-the-top, but I didn’t know we were giving him the Liberty Bell.

This is via Johnny Goodtimes, who is now hosting quizzo online, which is sort of so futuristic that he’s not doing it on a Segway is kind of disappointing. Online quizzo hosted by Robot Goodtimes has to be next.

Holy Crap [JGT]

Optimus Prime was #34

Geeze. Even the year-end awards specials are stretching it this year. This might be the slowest week in the history of man.

The 50 Best Robots Ever [Wired]

Blogicized: Training day

• Matt at The BM Rant picks his “Top Songs of 2005″ and, for some reason, he decides to do 24 of them. Aw, come on! Just one more and it’s all neat and tidy! Okay, 24 will have to do, then. [The BM Rant]

• Apparently, machines control our world and they are our new gods. Eh, maybe. I think robots will really control our lives when they become sentient and we can interact with them even more than we do now. For now, I’m still into the whole money/celebrity worshipping. Bonus fun fact: In writing this, I learned how to spell “sentient.” [Pax Ramano's Ramblings]

• I saw this Reading Terminal Holiday display last year, and it’s okay, I guess — if you’re into the whole train thing. You are? Heh. Alright, then. Oh, and this year’s display is apparently different, but that doesn’t make me any less snarky about it. [Phillyist]

• Finally, some those poor souls in Manayunk and University City can finally watch some Lou Tilley sports shows. Viva la CN8! [Philebrity]