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Hardware Hacking It's funny. Laugh.

Print Messages On Your Beer 159

Posted by kdawson from the for-its-own-sweet-sake dept.
Migraineman writes "I stumbled upon a clever hack by Sprite. He reverse-engineered the pin functions on an HP inkjet cartridge and built a simple driver board that converts the cartridge into a hand-held inkjet printer. The driver board is programmed with a fixed message. Moving the 'print head' is your responsibility. Printing messages on a whiteboard was the original inspiration, but printing messages on the foam head of a Guinness is just inspired."
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Print Messages On Your Beer More

Print Messages On Your Beer

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  • Nooooo! (Score:5, Funny)

    by Tablizer ( 95088 ) on Sunday January 14, 2007 @05:03PM (#17606358) Journal
    You know Homeland Security is gonna find a way to use this on our foreheads. It MUST be stopped now!

    • Re:Nooooo! (Score:5, Funny)

      by Goaway ( 82658 ) on Sunday January 14, 2007 @05:11PM (#17606448) Homepage
      You understand Slashdot better than any person should have to.

    • Re:Nooooo! (Score:5, Funny)

      by btlzu2 ( 99039 ) * on Sunday January 14, 2007 @05:51PM (#17606834) Homepage Journal
      i was gonna scream "noooo!" because the web site said you could possibly ruin a pint of guinness...which i consider to be a federal offense!

      homeland security? not as important as a pint. :D

      • Re:Nooooo! (Score:4, Funny)

        by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 14, 2007 @05:56PM (#17606872)
        It shouldn't just be a federal offense, it should be a hangin' offense.

        An alternative punishment might be forcing those who ruin a good pint of Guinness to drink Bud Light for the rest of their lives (though I think most people would opt to take death).
      • Bad news for you. If you define 'ruin' as to decrease the quality, then most Guinness sold in the world is ruined. The exported stuff tastes like black soapy water, homogenised for the American pallette.

        Guinness: the stout of choice for plastic-paddies worldwide!

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by btlzu2 ( 99039 ) *
          the only place i'll drink guinness is Fado [pubcrawler.com] in Chicago. While it's completely a pseudo-Irish pub, they import the Guinness directly from the St. James Gate Brewery weekly and it's fresh. It's noticeably better than any other Guinness you can find around Chicago. Served at the proper temperature and proper draught.

          although i haven't yet been to ireland myself, i took along a friend of mine who has been to the actual brewery and he grudgingly agreed that it was precisely the same as having it in ireland--wh

    • Re:Nooooo! (Score:5, Funny)

      by enharmonix ( 988983 ) <enharmonix+slashdot@gmail.com> on Sunday January 14, 2007 @05:55PM (#17606868)

      You know Homeland Security is gonna find a way to use this on our foreheads. It MUST be stopped now!
      You mean we can print messages on beer and foreheads? Brilliant!

    • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

      by Caffeinate ( 1031648 )
      So those fundamentalists who thought the mark of the beast was RFID chips under the skin were wrong after all . . .

    • Re: (Score:2, Funny)

      by orkysoft ( 93727 )
      Apply directly to the forehead!
      Apply directly to the forehead!
      Apply directly to the forehead!

  • ... to print messages in snow, I guess this is reverse-enginnering at its finest.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by lanc ( 762334 )
      right.
      sell the gadget on ebay, drink the guiness, and ..erm...leave your message on the snow in more natural ways.

  • Guinness Wastage! (Score:3, Insightful)

    by joe90 ( 48497 ) on Sunday January 14, 2007 @05:05PM (#17606376) Homepage
    If the ink is toxic, then it's a waste of good wholesome food!

    • Re: (Score:3)

      by nwbvt ( 768631 )
      Wasn't there a man law passed against that?

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by lowe0 ( 136140 )
      Indeed. We must band together to stamp out pintcrime.

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by Anonymous Coward
      Why are so many nerds on Slashdot prolific drinkers of alcohol? Don't you know it kills the brain and is bad for your liver? Why would you purposely damage your own body?

      • Re:Guinness Wastage! (Score:4, Insightful)

        by ShaunC ( 203807 ) * on Sunday January 14, 2007 @06:34PM (#17607250)
        Why are so many nerds on Slashdot prolific drinkers of alcohol? Don't you know it kills the brain and is bad for your liver? Why would you purposely damage your own body?
        Probably the same reason a lot of us smoke, even though we know damn well the effects it has ("sooner or later, everyone stops smoking"). Nerds are not generally known for our impressive social capabilities. Smoking and drinking are both highly social activities, avenues for meeting new people. Drinking, in particular, allows one to shed the stress of whatever's going on at work, lighten up, and become a bit more friendly with strangers. The results are often positive.

        Oh, fuck it, I'm just trying to rationalize bad habits. We drink to be merry, and we don't need a reason why. Bottoms up! :)

      • Re:Guinness Wastage! (Score:4, Insightful)

        by Tim C ( 15259 ) on Sunday January 14, 2007 @06:38PM (#17607294)
        Because it tastes nice and it's fun, and no matter how healthy you try to be you're still going to die one day. Might as well enjoy yourself in the meantime; rather a waste of a life otherwise.

        • "Because it tastes nice ..."
          Wait, we are talking about beer aren't we?

          • Re: (Score:3, Informative)

            by Petrushka ( 815171 )

            Wait, we are talking about beer aren't we?

            The quality of Guinness varies in inverse proportion to the distance between St James' Gate and the bar it's served in. For better Guinness, go closer to Dublin. :-)

            • Re: (Score:2)

              by guruevi ( 827432 )
              I can second that. The Guinness in the USA (bottled or canned) is a far cry from the Guinness you can get in Europe (or Ireland for that matter)

              • Actually I should have added a proviso -- based purely on my own experience, the rule I cited only applies within the British Isles. Certainly the Guinness I can get where I am now, in New Zealand, is incomparably superior to the mouldy warm dishwater they serve as Guinness in pubs in England :-) I can't remember if I've tried Guinness in the USA, but I'd be surprised if they don't at least chill it there!

                But English pubs always seem to forget that it's mostly just English beer that should be served at roo

            • I'm sorry, I can't. Bono made me prejudiced against the Irish.

              Sorry.

      • Re:Guinness Wastage! (Score:5, Interesting)

        by tomhudson ( 43916 ) <barbara DOT huds ... a-hudson DOT com> on Sunday January 14, 2007 @06:44PM (#17607330) Journal

        The culling of brain cells is a necessary part of organizing the brain along certain pathways and not others ...

        For a good example, cats lose 2/3 of their brain cells before adulthood.

        Humans lose half [earthlink.net]

        We know that children of about age eight have twice as many brain cells, and twice as many neuron connections between brain cell as do adults. After age 8, the brains of children begin to cull out brain cells and the interconnections between brain cells, and to reorganize its connections.

        Think of it as a maze - the culling removes all the dead ends, and keeps the useful highways and roads.

        Without this culling, you'd have MORE random posts on /., not fewer :-)

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by seifried ( 12921 )
          My sister's theory was always that the brain is like a herd, it only moves as fast as it's slowest member. So by culling the herd every once in a while (killing off the weaker cells with booze) you actually improve your brain as a whole. Works for me.
        • The dreams of one's childhood must be in those culled brain cells...

      • Re: (Score:2, Funny)

        by Hortense Yaya ( 954830 )
        I drink, therefore I am. -Descartes as quoted by Bruce
      • Why are so many nerds on Slashdot prolific drinkers of alcohol? Don't you know it kills the brain .. blah blah blah . . .

        Beer if proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.

        -Franklin

      • Why are so many nerds on Slashdot prolific drinkers of alcohol? Don't you know it kills the brain and is bad for your liver? Why would you purposely damage your own body?

        Because it's fun?

        Honestly, alcohol isn't that bad for you so long as you treat it with respect. Yeah, it's bad for your liver (if you get drunk every weekend) and it's bad for your brain (if you get drunk every weekend). But the liver regenerates if you give it enough time to recuperate, and the brain is constantly churning and rewiri

    • Re: (Score:3, Funny)

      by antifoidulus ( 807088 )
      Which is why we should restrict it to writing on Miller Lite, it's already toxic. Hell, the ink might make it drinkable.

    • Re: (Score:2, Funny)

      by AndroidCat ( 229562 )
      Maybe it'd be okay if they fill up the ink cartridge with Guiness?

  • Join the Pen 15 club now! (Score:3, Funny)

    by master_kaos ( 1027308 ) on Sunday January 14, 2007 @05:10PM (#17606440)
    Even more ways to stamp "Pen15" on your buddies forehead at school!

  • Terrorism (Score:5, Funny)

    by gravesb ( 967413 ) on Sunday January 14, 2007 @05:12PM (#17606454) Homepage
    Why are the politicians wasting time trying to stop terrorists and piracy when they should be protecting valuable beer! That is true terrorism!

  • Beer??? (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Spudley ( 171066 ) on Sunday January 14, 2007 @05:12PM (#17606456) Homepage Journal
    Okay... who's the philistine who referred to Guinness as "beer"??? ;-)
    • "who's the philistine who referred to Guinness as "beer"???" Correct. It's a stout. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stout [wikipedia.org]

      • Re:Beer??? (Score:4, Informative)

        by mj_sklar ( 888539 ) <matthew.sklar@ g m a i l .com> on Sunday January 14, 2007 @07:04PM (#17607478) Homepage
        Yes, it is a stout! And, by the article you linked to, a stout is a beer!

        Stout is a style of dark beer made using roasted malts or roast barley.
    • OK, I'll bite on this troll...

      So, Guinness is mass-produced, and not the most amazing stuff in the universe, but I'd say it certainly qualifies as beer. It's even pretty good beer.

      What are your beer choices?

  • Alcohol abuse! (Score:4, Funny)

    by hellfire ( 86129 ) <deviladv AT gmail DOT com> on Sunday January 14, 2007 @05:13PM (#17606464) Homepage
    printing messages on the foam head of a Guinness is just inspired.

    And also a waste of a very good beer. Vandalism should not be encouraged!

  • Outrage!!! (Score:3, Insightful)

    by the Gray Mouser ( 1013773 ) on Sunday January 14, 2007 @05:16PM (#17606484)
    The only thing that should be written on a head of Guinness is a shamrock!

  • Obligatory Keats reference (Score:5, Interesting)

    by dpbsmith ( 263124 ) on Sunday January 14, 2007 @05:17PM (#17606494) Homepage
    "Here lies one whose name was writ in water."

    Epitaph of John Keats, [wikipedia.org] 1795-1821, on his tombstone in the Protestant Cemetary in Rome.

    • Re:Obligatory Keats reference (Score:5, Funny)

      by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 14, 2007 @05:27PM (#17606610)
      Obligatory Keats reference? On Slashdot? Do you know what most of these people are like?! Oh well... I for one welcome our new dubiously-relevant-Keats-epitaph-quoting overlords! (See what I did there?)
    • Intellect AND culture all summed up in one post? A post of this quality belongs under a YouTube video, not on /.!

      Don't let the sarcasm drip on you on the way out . . .

    • I think this may be the only comment thread so far that has nothing to do with beer. Until now, when I just mentioned it. Oops.

    • Out of interest, the idea comes from much earlier:

      ... but what a woman says to her lover in the heat of passion
      should be written in the wind and on flowing water.

      -- Catullus (1st century BCE), poem 70

      Keats, or whoever wrote his epitaph, would have known this poem well. (Plato uses the idea as well, but his version is even less flattering to women.)

      I don't suppose they've got this inkjet printer working on gaseous media yet, have they? Oh well, I can wait.

  • Don't people have something better to do, tham waste prefectly good guinnes, polute water and measure their testicles diameter?

    • Re: (Score:1, Troll)

      by jamesh ( 87723 )
      Must... resist.... temptation... to... comment... on... spelling... and... grammar...

      Dammit.

  • Something like... (Score:3, Informative)

    by Yetihehe ( 971185 ) on Sunday January 14, 2007 @05:21PM (#17606534)
    This http://www.printdreams.com/ [printdreams.com] ?
  • I've always been a big fan of Sprite_tm's projects. http://hackaday.com/search/?q=sprite_tm [hackaday.com]

  • Ink Research! (Score:1, Interesting)

    by Anonymous Coward
    Come on, wasting beer????

    Now his next step has to be to find an edible ink. An inkjet just flash-boils ink. It has to be possible to do the same to fruit juice, colored water, beer (though the dissolve gas might be tricky), or even just plain water. You just need to clean the cartridge and get a refill kit.

    A nice hack that he could sell to bars would be a water-based sprayer to draw the bar's logo/name on the beer foam.

    • Re: (Score:3, Funny)

      by 6Yankee ( 597075 )
      his next step has to be to find an edible ink

      I would hope that the naff "your photo on a cake" service at my local supermarket has already cracked this...
    • Come on, wasting beer????

      Now his next step has to be to find an edible ink. An inkjet just flash-boils ink. It has to be possible to do the same to fruit juice, colored water, beer (though the dissolve gas might be tricky), or even just plain water. You just need to clean the cartridge and get a refill kit.

      A nice hack that he could sell to bars would be a water-based sprayer to draw the bar's logo/name on the beer foam.

      Two points.

      1) Some if not most inkjets are thermal based. This would include Canon and

  • Clogged heads (Score:2, Interesting)

    by ortholattice ( 175065 )
    The author doesn't mention that when you are not using the print head, you should put scotch tape over the ink holes to prevent them from drying out, especially for a use like this where the head parking mechanism that normally does this is no longer available. (I do this for half-used cartridges I have lying around for everyday use, and it works well. The official cartridge storage caddies that come or use to come with some printers really don't work too well for preventing the ink from drying over a lon
    • You mean everybody doesn't do this?

      I mean, it tastes nasty, but it's not particularly dangerous...

    • If a head is really clogged, if you are brave you can clear it out by literally sucking out the holes. I have been told that if you spit it out right away and rinse your mouth, there is no harm, as long as you don't mind a colorful mouth and teeth for a day or so. As a disclaimer, though, check with your local friendly poison center first before doing this at home. :

      Many inkjet forumulations used to contain cyanide-based compounds. I don't know if they still do, but this would be EXTREMELY stupid regard

  • Thats easy, I use the HP inkjet cartridge as my writing utensil of choice. Who needs pens?

  • Bikes Against Bush (Score:5, Informative)

    by prakslash ( 681585 ) on Sunday January 14, 2007 @06:35PM (#17607264)

    A dude in New York City, Josh Kinberg, used a similar internet-enabled, dot-matrix printer mounted on a bike.
    He used it to spray paint anti-Bush grafitti on New York's streets during the last elections.
    Very cool. The cops arrested him and took his stuff but he was let go and won a case against them.
    Video [youtube.com] of the printer in action. His site [bikesagainstbush.com].

  • Comment removed based on user account deletion

  • Slownewsday (Score:5, Insightful)

    by mobby_6kl ( 668092 ) on Sunday January 14, 2007 @07:12PM (#17607530)
    Who the hell keeps tagging this story "slownewsday"?

    This is exactly the stuff that belongs on slashdot, the kind of cool geeky hacks that when you do them, normal people go, WTF? With countless idiotic political flamewars, Apple pimping, and anti-MS FUD, it's stories like this that keep slashdot sane. Would you rather have another flamewar where nobody convinces anybody, but still keeps shouting their point of view till they're blue in the face? How about "Guns, good or bad?", I don't think we've had a firearms flamewar here in a while.

    I realize that this isn't the first time a HP cartridge was used outside its printer, but it also isn't something most people did, or maybe even knew about.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Arimus ( 198136 )

      it's stories like this that keep slashdot sane



      Slashdot sane???

      That's an oxymoron which is up there alongside political accountability, military intelligence :)

  • A Guinness Story (Score:5, Funny)

    by rumblin'rabbit ( 711865 ) on Sunday January 14, 2007 @07:18PM (#17607578) Journal
    Let's see, take cartridge, move over foam...
    b-e-s-u-r-e-t-o-d-r-i-n-k-y-o-u-r-o-v-a-l-t-i-n-e
    Doh!

  • Practical uses? Let's start with... (Score:5, Funny)

    by Duggeek ( 1015705 ) on Sunday January 14, 2007 @07:25PM (#17607624) Homepage Journal

    BEST IF CONSUMED BY 5:30 PM

    For those blokes who just don't know when to stop yappin' and drink their pint.

    OR...

    CERTIFIED OWL-FREE GUINNESS

    If there's one thing I can't stand, it's an owl in my beer.

    OR... better still...

    BRILLIANT!

  • This is a really cool idea, and, as a computer engineer, I see the geek-cred the author earned in creating it...

    But, obviously, this was his only printer, as evidenced by the poorly-drawn pencil sketch circuit diagram [spritesmods.com], this must have been his only printer!

    All in the name science... or at least, all in the name screwing around with science! ^_^

  • Inspired? (Score:2, Insightful)

    by Purity Of Essence ( 1007601 )
    ... printing messages on the foam head of a Guinness is just inspired.

    The word you are looking for is blasphemy.

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