Ever wish you had a smartened up beer fridge decorated with Bud Light marketing slogans? You're in luck, because that's exactly what you'll get with the Bud-E Fridge. Click through to take a look.
Underneath the blue paint job is the Linq IQ, a smart fridge developed by a design firm called Buzz Products. Buzz licensed the fridge to Anheuser Busch, who'll be bringing it to market in the coming weeks. Hence the heavy-handed Bud Light branding.
There's a sliding magnetic sensor in each slot. As you load drinks inside, the sensors get pushed back. The fridge tracks their locations, and uses that data to estimate how much beer you've loaded into it.
Of course, this is a smart fridge we're talking about, so you'll find controls in a free app, too. First, you'll need to pair everything up by holding your phone up against a sensor on top of the fridge.
Published:Caption:Ry CristPhoto:Screenshots by Ry Crist/CNET
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In the app
Once you've done that (and confirmed that you're of legal drinking age), you'll be able to track your number of beers, adjust fridge settings, and even sync up with your favorite teams to receive re-stock reminders when game day rolls around.
Published:Caption:Ry CristPhoto:Screenshots by Ry Crist/CNET
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Custom messages
You'll also be able to play a customer message on the Bud-E's LED display. You can also record a quick audio clip, then broadcast it through the Bud-E's built-in speakers.
The Bud-E won't come cheap. Anheuser Busch is setting the retail price at $599. But if you want it right away, you're in luck. They'll be offering it at an introductory price of $300 when it goes up for sale on the Bud Light website.
