Developed on the assumption that there's no such thing as too much choice, Coca-Cola Freestyle is a new self-serve soda fountain that can dispense up to 100 different drink flavours. The machine is being tested this summer at fastfood restaurants in California and Atlanta, with the intention of rolling out units across the US early next year.

Flavoured teas, waters, juices and soft drinks will all be available from Coca-Cola Freestyle, letting customers select drinks based on brand, calorie content or caffeine levels, all through the system's touchscreen interface. Combinations will be pre-set, meaning Raspberry Coke and Peach Fanta are available on tap, but frat dares combining tea and Sprite won't be possible. Many of the flavours on offer are new to the US market.

RFID tags will keep track of the syrup the machine uses, telling retailers when to refill, and providing Coke HQ with insight into popular flavours and locations. By tracking sales, Coca-Cola gains valuable insight into which drinks would be most successful if offered bottled or canned. Which means the intelligent technology doesn't just offer a new level of choice for customers, but also streamlines supply chain management and informs new product development. (Related: Drinks vended & blended on demand — Ice cream factory in a vending machine.)

Website: www.thecoca-colacompany.com
Contact: www.thecoca-colacompany.com/contactus/

Obviously they have not read the book "The Paradox of Choice". Either way, I want this machine in my office.

If billboards can be used to give out free samples of scarves, caps and gloves, why not a little sympvertising in the form of a branded dinghy? Which is just what Indian mobile provider Aircel recently did in Mumbai in the days leading up to this year's monsoons.

Aircel's billboard, erected by outdoor agency Primesite near Mumbai's Milan Subway, bore a large, inflated dinghy along with the line, "In case of emergency, cut rope." And on July 15, such an emergency did indeed arise when monsoon floods made the Milan Subway virtually impassable. The rope was cut on Aircel's billboard, the boat was released, and stranded pedestrians were ferried to safety. The result? Near constant local media attention for Aircel, even including the headline, "Aircel did what [government agency] BMC did not." Reportedly, Aircel now plans to implement something similar in Delhi and Kolkata as well, according to afaqs.

Beyond generating free publicity, of course—glowing as it was—Aircel's effort is also a prime example of the corporate generosity that's increasingly being expected by today's consumers—referred to by our sister site as Generation G. Whether it's helping wildfire victims find a bed for the night or generating support so financially strapped families can keep their homes, there are countless ways companies can show that they care. Help consumers, and you help yourself! ;-)

Marketing that saves lives. I think I've seen it all.

With all the talk about hybrid this and electric car that...I have to say this airplane excites me more than anything. Aviation fuel is considerably more expensive than traditional unleaded gasoline and routine maintenance on a combustion engine can run upwards of $5000 per year.

Check out the rest of the photos at Wired's site.

Apple and AT&T have silenced Google Voice on the iPhone.  (Source: Gizmodo)

No Google Voice for you

Last week Google announced the release of its Latitude web application for Apple's iPhone.  During the release, Google revealed that it had previously developed a full version application for the iPhone, but had been rejected over Apple's concerns that the app would be "too similar" to Maps on the iPhone.  Many were unhappy with this ruling because they wanted to use the service as a background app.

Now Apple has stirred the pot again, rejecting another Google app.  This time Apple has shot down Google Voice, a service from Google that offers a free phone number, free SMS text messaging, free domestic calls, and cheaper international calls, as well as advanced call screening features.  The app is currently available on Android and Blackberry phones, though the service is currently invite only.

A Google spokesperson states, "We work hard to bring Google applications to a number of mobile platforms, including the iPhone. Apple did not approve the Google Voice application we submitted six weeks ago to the Apple App Store. We will continue to work to bring our services to iPhone users - for example, by taking advantage of advances in mobile browsers."

Many are blaming AT&T for the rejection, saying the company pressured Apple to reject it.  No official word has come yet on who made the final decision that sent the Google Voice app hurdling towards extinction.

IPhone customers, however, can still access many of Google Voice’s features by using the web interface. 

Spotify for iPhone

July 27, 2009, 08:46

Late last week we put the finishing touches to a very special project we’ve been wanting to share with you for a while now. After many weeks of burning the midnight oil at Spotify HQ in an effort to squeeze into it every drop of musical goodness, we’ve finally completed work on the Spotify app for the iPhone and sent it over to the nice people at Apple.

We thought it might be nice to show you a video of what we’ve built for you.

Our iPhone version is very similar to the Spotify you’re already familiar with and will allow you to listen to your music even when you’re not connected to a network. The application should be available in a few weeks for premium subscribers - we’ll be sure to let you know as soon as it’s in AppStore.

Let's hope Apple's gatekeepers feel generous and let this one slip on through.

If You Buy a Computer That Costs Over $1000, It's Probably a Mac

By matt buchanan, 3:20 PM on Thu Jul 23 2009, 20,614 views (Edit, to draft, Top, Slurp)

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That's because according to NPD, in June, 91 percent of the market for computers that cost over $1000 belonged to Apple.

Sure, it helps that Apple only sells two computers under $1000—the white MacBook and Mac mini—so if you get a Mac, it's probably going to cost over a grand. In fact, the average selling price of a Mac is $1400. But, consider that Apple claimed just 66 percent of the $1000+ market in the first three months of 2008, and 88 percent in May of this year.

It also means that people just aren't buying super tricked-out PCs—which is something Microsoft courted with its Laptop Hunters ads, showing how cheap PCs were compared to Macs. To wit, the average selling price of all PCs in June was precisely half that of Mac: $700. (For Windows notebooks, sans netbooks, the average selling price was $569.) Which suggests there are way more Laurens than Giampaolos in the world.

Update/strong>: It should be noted, however, that these numbers are for retail—not for business purchases or PCs people built themselves.

Of course, I would definitely prefer far more Laurens. [BetaNews via

It doesn't bother me at all that people are willing to pay considerably more for a Mac. Design, engineering, and functionality matter to buyers.