14 DAY TRIAL // We know that the Internet of Things was supposed to connect appliances and maybe furniture together through a server or cloud service, but if Diageo's and Thinfilm Electronics' latest product is anything to go by, then things will go a lot further than that.
Apparently, the real plan is to connect everything man-made to the Internet, or at least a network accessible to just owners.
In case you don't know, Diageo is the alcohol beverage maker known for creating and selling Smirnoff and Baileys. ThinFilm Electronics is the company Diageo contracted to create the first smart liquor bottle.
The Johnnie Walker Blue Label smart whiskey bottle
The Johnnie Walker Blue Label smart whiskey bottle uses NFC technology, or near-field communication for those who want the full name.
The NFC allows the bottle to sync with a smartphone, thereby establishing a Bluetooth link between the two.
This allows the owner to track down the bottle if they suddenly find themselves unable to locate it for whatever reason.
Beyond such pedestrian applications, however, there is a commercial benefit as well. By connecting a bottle to a user's NFC-capable smartphone, the whiskey bottle could be used in targeted promotions being pushed to the user device.
Distributors will also be able to track stock and detect when someone has cracked the seal open prematurely. Good way to protect supply and eliminate corner-cutting.
All in all, this quirk of marketing will probably bring more advantages to the people selling the booze than the ones buying it. Still, we suppose it had to happen sometime.
Availability
The prototype bottle will be on display at Thinfilm’s booth at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, throughout the four-day event between 2-5 March (MWC 2015).
“We constantly experiment with the latest cutting edge technologies to enrich and enhance the experiences delivered by our iconic brands. Our collaboration with Thinfilm allows us to explore all the amazing new possibilities enabled by smart-bottles for consumers, retailers and our own business, and it sets the bar for technology innovation in the drinks industry,” said Helen Michels, Global Innovation Director, Futures Team at Diageo.