Do you eat ice cream when you're sad? I sure do. When I saw that my nasty co-worker Tim Moynihan had pitted the Beer-Launching Fridge against Keepon the Dancing Robot in his artificial intelligence showdown, I got totally emo because I had no idea who to vote for. Then I bought myself a pint of Phish Food and ate it for breakfast with a side of Kleenex, sunny side down.
But technology is always making our lives easier, and here's a gadget that can help me figure out just how much self-pity eating I'll need to do next time I get really sad. This prototypical ice cream machine, whose name is Mr. Whippy, can tell just how much you hate yourself, and dole out the appropriate amounts of ice cream in response: the more harangued you are, the more ice cream you get.
It's simple. Mr. Whippy, who is at the moment a project from the Ars Electronica festical (which means, basically, that you can't buy him), asks you some questions. You answer them. Then, he measures the level of stress in your voice, and distributes those tasty feel-good treats accordingly.
It could also, presumably, ask you questions that would indicate just how off-the-charts your Emo Fever is, you know, like "Just how much does Jared Leto encapsulate your existence right now?" or "If you watched Steel Magnolias, would you start laughing hysterically at how happy and upbeat it is?" Plus, there could be a Mr. Whippy 2.0 that can determine which flavors are best for really sad people. If you're only just kinda sad, maybe it'd give you something pseudo-healthy like mango sorbet. If you're kind of ambiguously mad at your mom, it'd give you plain old vanilla. But if you've gone all Sylvia Plath on the world, hello double chocolate heart-clogging caramel crunch!
(Switched via Boing Boing)
(Credit:
Popgadget)
Move over, Mr. Softee. There's a new ice cream truck in the 'hood, and it probably doesn't play that annoying jingle, either. According to Popgadget, a UK-based company called Scoop is unleashing these flashy little vehicles, which look like the Scooby-Doo Mystery Machine with a new-rave makeover, throughout London. They feature "hot lights, funky beats, and high end ice cream served in slick Chinese take out boxes." The blinged-out vans sure do look cool, and I bet they serve some pretty neat flavors (You think they'd have Stephen Colbert's Americone Dream?) On the other hand, I can see childhood-ish elation ("Yay! It's the ice cream truck!) and adult party-heartiness ("Dude, I'm soooo drunk!") to be a potentially dangerous mix. Y'know, mob scenes.
But I'd still be pretty pumped if we saw these stateside at some point in the near future.
P.S.: Today is unofficially a Party Friday here at Crave. In case you couldn't tell.
(Credit:
No Fact Zone)
I know. I know. It's too cold for ice cream. (My weather widget currently reads 12 degrees.) And this is a gadget blog. But I really couldn't resist this one. Apparently, the rumors might be somewhat true (truthy?) that famed ice cream manufacturer Ben & Jerry's is releasing a Stephen Colbert-inspired flavor. Why is this at all relevant? Recall that Mr. Colbert is one of the Internet's foremost renegades, eager to transform Wii Boxing into a political statement, hack Wikipedia for his own benefit, and master the art of YouTube self-promotion.
So that's why I find it totally Craveable to broadcast the news that it's possible we'll be seeing the advent of "Stephen Colbert's Americone Dream" in freezers around the nation in April. (Will it still be 12 degrees then?) No, it's not red, white, and blue--looks like this will be vanilla ice cream with chunks of fudge-covered waffle cone and caramel swirl. Mmmm. From what "anonymous sources" on blogs have been saying, this could actually be real.
And if it's not real, goshdarnit, I'm going to go on Wikipedia and make it real.
(Via Best Week Ever.)
While it may be getting nippy for some of us, it's warm somewhere. Which, I suppose, is the reasoning behind this ice cream maker being introduced alongside the fleece throws and flannel sheets.
The Ice Cream Ball makes homemade ice cream without the boring wait or hand-cranking. You fill one end of the Lexan plastic ball with rock salt and ice, and the other end with ice cream ingredients. After rolling or tossing it around for about 20 minutes, the ice cream is ready to eat.
It's available in pint and quart sizes for $30 or $40 from L.L.Bean's online store and catalog, or Rei.com, in a variety of colors. Just make sure the lid's on tight.
(Photo: L.L.Bean)
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