Who says cocktails can’t be healthy? Mixologists from California to New York and plenty of places in between are brainstorming delicious ways to sneak nutritious-packed goodness into their boozy creations, and the trend seems to be rocking the country. These superfoods are all natural ingredients low in calories and packed with essential antioxidants and nutrients. Although they don’t provide your daily vitamin intake, they will certainly help. And they’re way too delicious to turn down.

According to bar manager Jeremy Lake from Crossroads Kitchen, a West Hollywood restaurant that offers plant-based cuisine, the reason behind the trend is two-fold.

“First, when I design recipes I’m often seeking to offer up flavor combinations that no one else is doing or to reproduce a known cocktail in a way that is unique, and using superfoods is a great way to do this,” Lake said. “Second, it makes sense to sell cocktails with healthy components. Drinking healthy is a very marketable concept in a time where consumers are counting calories and are overall health conscious.”

When it comes to his favorite superfood drink, Lake finds himself caught between two cocktails, Read More

An experimental platform adds a 3D soundscape to Google Street View

Google Street View allows you to poke around surrounding neighborhoods, and you can even go as far as taking a stroll through Half Moon Island, Antarctica in the comfort of your own home. But now thanks to a new third-party feature, you can enjoy an extra dimension of reality with your viewing experience. 

Check out the wind and the squeaking of car tires at Buckingham Fountain in Chicago from Amplifon’s project gallery.

The British subset of Italian hearing-aid company Amplifon, which is in no way affiliated with Google, took on creating ambient noise for three Street View locations as a web experiment back in July. The areas include Balboa Park in San Diego, California; Place du Palais in Monaco; and Hapuna Beach in Waimea, Hawaii. Dubbed the Sounds of Street View, the sounds include those you would hear when actually visiting these locations, such as chirping birds, chiming bells, or crashing waves. Read More

A.L.O Botlr will bring robotic concierge service to a California hotel

What’s three feet tall, 100 pounds, and has a touchscreen for a face? The A.L.O Botlr, of course. Designed to provide concierge service to guests at the Aloft Hotel in Cupertino, CA, the robotic butler is Wi-Fi and 4G-equipped, and with sonar, LADR, and a Kinect-like 3D camera, it can navigate a hotel all by itself. 

Image via Mashable.

Using its four wheels to cruise the hallways, Botlr can carry guest deliveries of up to two pounds in its compartment located on its head. Read More