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Drink up! This smart cup gets you cheaper beers

An Israeli startup releases Glassify, a smart beer glass that lets you drink your favorite beers for fewer bucks.

Alison Vayne Staff writer
Alison is an intern for the summer at CNET News. She is currently attending UC Berkeley's Graduate School of Journalism, where she is focusing on video journalism. She comes from Paris, France, but has been in the U.S. for some time now. She has written about video games and coding programs for kids and San Quentin State Prison inmates. She is based in San Francisco.
Alison Vayne
2 min read
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Glassify

Fitness wearables aren't the only gadgets that track your habits. Let's toast to a smart beer glass that keeps track of your drinking -- and could be a real wallet saver.

The glass, from Tel Aviv startup Glassify, gives you discounts every time you order a cold one.

You download the app, order your favorite lager and swipe the smart glass over your phone. The chip at the bottom acts like a barcode, and the discounts pour onto your device. Just make sure to swipe gently to avoid spilling beer on your screen, which could make the night far more expensive than you had planned.

Discounts are personalized based on what and where you're drinking. The app also remembers what you ordered and will offer targeted discounts on your favorite drinks. The more booze you order, the more offers you get.

The app also lets you send a drink to friends, no matter where they are. They can save the drink for later or go ahead and scan their next smart glass to get the free beverage and hopefully return the favor. You don't even need to bring your wallet. You can load money directly onto the app and you'll get charged every time you swipe the glass.

Glassify is still trying its cup in bars. The team ran pilot programs in Israel, Europe and Asia and discovered a 13 percent increase in sales while 80 percent of the beers served in bars got scanned with the Glassify app. The app won't let people drink irresponsibly either. The offers cap at five drinks per person, Tech In Asia reported. If you want more, Glassify automatically redirects you to Uber.

The app is available for download on iOS and Android for free, but you will need to find a bar equipped with the right cups for it to work. In the meantime, you can still go out and have a drink the old- fashioned way from back in the day when beer glasses weren't trying to outsmart you.