Friends don’t let friends drink alone, even if the friends protest. And now, you can always be a good friend with BOx, the smart bottle opener that notifies your friends every time you crack open a cold one.
Boasting a “unique ergonomic design that will give a new dimension to your drinking experience,” it’s not so much the practical functionality of this bottle opener that’s so intriguing as it is the social aspect. Thanks to BOx’s smart Wi-Fi board, every time you open a bottle with this particular bottle opener, the board communicates with your friends via the Internet, regardless of whether or not you’re in the vicinity of your phone. It’s like never having to text about a party again.
Made from solid wood for a smooth grip and featuring a stainless steel backbone, BOx is meant to help you open a bottle with a single hand. According to the product’s website, you can slide this nifty tool onto a bottlecap, grab the neck of the bottle, and with nothing more than a pop, attain your malted reward.
But of course, the most important mechanics of BOx lie in the technical aspects. In order to sync your 21st century bottle opener, you’ll need to connect it to your phone via Wi-Fi, then simply pick a group of friends you want to be notified of your drinking habits. BOx says that it’s working on integrating with Facebook Messenger and Slack, so that “the next time you open a bottle, BOx will toast them using our special ‘Smart Cheers’ algorithm, wherever they are, regardless of distance from a good cold beverage.”
Slightly concerning is BOx’s “Leader Board” feature, which incentivizes the opening of more bottles by promising “new reward levels.” Hopefully, this isn’t a device that encourages unsafe drinking behavior. We’re sure to learn more about BOx when it launches its Kickstarter campaign later this week.
