wine

Amazon uncorks wine service, delivers to your door

Consumers can order almost anything through Amazon, and that now includes wine.

The e-commerce titan today launched Amazon Wine, a marketplace for more than a thousand wines from around the U.S.

Customers order directly from a winery, via Amazon, of course, and are able to ship up to six bottles for $9.99. Looks like Amazon Prime's free, fast shipping doesn't work for this service, and the site notes each winery operates under its own permits and determines which states it can ship to.

So far, the list of eligible states is pretty limited. It includes California, … Read more

Rumor Has It: T-minus two weeks to iPad Mini?

Well, it's officially almost official. According to a ramp up of very specific recent rumors, Apple is set to send out invites to an iPad Mini event next week, with an unveiling the week after. We have a Humiliation Day bet riding on whether an iPad Mini will come out this year. Emily has staked her dignity on a debbie-downer "No" -- will she have to find a duck suit to wear, or will Karyne play her trusty ukulele in an embarrassing spectacle? Seems like we'll be finding out on October 17.

Also this week, Web-shopping … Read more

Amazon to start selling wine?

It's a well-known hidden secret that online shopping is made more fluid by a glass of evening pinot noir.

Somehow, inhibitions subside and emotional -- that would be material -- needs are given full rein.

How clever, then, of Amazon to assist you in your online shopping comfort by offering you wine shipments to go with the books, movies, and 55-gallon tubs of personal lubricant it currently offers.

The Wall Street Journal reports today that Amazon will be launching a wine marketplace in the next few weeks, one that will surely lift the spirits.

It seems that company executives … Read more

Chill out with a bottle of wine chilled from the inside

The turning of the seasons signifies a time of change. Yet just because the weather will soon start to turn cool, doesn't mean it's time to toast adieu to chilled wine.

The Cork Pops VinOice Wine Chiller uses a gel-filled stainless steel chilling rod to cool down open bottles. It doesn't need to be removed to pour a glass since a gravity-hinged lid covers a pour spout that is attached to the chill rod, so wine can be served without the need to mess around with any wet accessories.

To use, the chilling rod should be placed … Read more

Can alcohol make tech companies more creative?

Silicon Valley believes in neither inhibition, nor prohibition.

Openness is encouraged, drunkenness is often cast upon blind eyes.

And yet some still frown on the idea that alcohol is anything other than an evil liquid, sent by the forces of darkness to make man incoherent.

I have scientific evidence that this might not be the case.

The Economist, its writers perhaps a little tipsy on the weekend, today offers an inebriating piece entitled: "The sad demise of the three-martini lunch."

It explains how America's battle with its puritan posture has meant an increased frowning on the presence … Read more

1,000-pound robot wine rack ready to terrorize the tipsy

Decepticons and Autobots of the universe, check out this unique Transformers-style wine storage device fit for Megatron himself.

Clifford Wong, a 33-year-old lighting salesperson based in Arizona, put up an advertisement last week on Craigslist for a 6-foot-tall wine rack styled like a herculean man-slaying robot. The massive $7,000 device securely holds 32 bottles of wine, weighs 1,000 pounds, and features an array of mock armaments. … Read more

Fermented fashion: Dress made out of wine scum

I have often held a nice glass of red wine up into the light and said, "What a pretty color!" I just didn't take my thinking as far as Bioalloy has. The result of its idea -- creating textiles from fermented grapes -- is a dress that is essentially made of wine.

The Bioalloy project from the University of Western Australia is described as "an ongoing research endeavor into artistic cyborgian systems." Cool.… Read more

Headphone geekfest in Babylon, NY

Head-Fi is a national headphone club, and I went to the local meeting in Babylon, N.Y., last Saturday.

The vibe was friendly, and it was great to hear Head-Fi members' home-built gear, but there were a few surprises popping up from the headphone and electronics manufacturers in attendance.

Logitech Ultimate Ears' Personal Reference Monitor in-ear headphones feature a new twist on custom-molded-to-your-ears headphone design. Lots of brands now make custom in-ear headphones, and Logitech's have been among my favorites for years, but the upcoming Personal Reference Monitor takes the personalization to the next level. Once your ear canals' &… Read more

Wine gadget goes full circle

Kitchen gadgets are often designed to do one thing and do it well (hopefully). Sometimes, however, that is simply not enough. Rather than use one gadget to do one thing and another gadget to do another, sometimes it's nice if all you need can be found in one place. Especially when the good times are waiting.

Standing by at the ready, the Waring WC400 Professional Wine Center comes in handy at the beginning of the night, the end, or both. Consolidated into one convenient unit are a wine opener and a wine preserver. Included along with the base display … Read more