Fully Charged: App offers unlimited coffee for a monthly fee, the Nest of air conditioners, and Dutch road glows in the dark

Cups, the “Netflix of coffee”, launches in New York

Drink a lot of coffee? Live in New York City? Then you’ll probably want to download Cups, a subscription app for Android and iOS that gives you access to unlimited cups of joe from over 30 independent coffee shops.

Basically, it’s Netflix but for caffeine-based drinks. The entry-level $45 a month gets you access to the likes of brewed coffee, tea and pour-overs, but if your tastes run to pricier beverages like lattes and cappuccinos you’ll be wanting the premium account – a thirsty $85 a month.

Both plans include all sizes of drink though, and being a coffee-addicted ex-New York resident this correspondent can tell you that the prices seem like a bargain – provided the participating coffee shops are located close to where you live and/or work. At present, most of the cafés are in Lower Manhattan.

[Source: Fast Company]

Meet Aros, a smarter breed of air conditioner

Here in the UK air conditioners aren’t really a necessity for the average home – even during the hottest summers, a fan will do the trick for most Brits – but in more humid climes AC is a welcome luxury. And now Quirky has teamed up with General Electric to bring you Aros, a smarter way to keep cool.

Aros is compatible with Wink, an iOS and Android app that not only lets you control the unit but can also detect when you’re arriving home or leaving, switching it on and off accordingly. It also tracks weather and records usage, allowing you to plan your AC use around a budget.

Aros will begin shipping in the US in May, priced at US$300 (£180). It’s available for pre-order now at Amazon.com.

[Source: Mashable]

BBC Sport app score real-time goal alerts

The BBC Sport apps for iOS and Android have just got a decidedly timely update: just in time for the final few weeks of the season, they’re now able to deliver real-time goal alerts for 150 domestic teams. Just pick the ones you want to follow and the app will let you know as soon as events happen in the game. Kick-offs, half-time scores and full-time results are among the notifications available.

[Source: TechRadar]

Dutch road gets glow-in-the-dark markings

A stretch of road in the Netherlands province of Brabant has just been given a next-gen set of street markings. The creators have used paint incorporating photo-luminescent powder, which absorbs energy from the sun during the day and is able to glow all night.

The markings are only painted on a 500-metre section of the road, but this is just the first step – a test run if you will. Should the trial go well, the future could see all sorts of extra functionality incorporated into these smart roads: freezing temperatures could cause huge snow flake icons to appear on the surface as a a warning to drivers, while a special lane could charge electric vehicles via induction as they pass over it.

[Source: Engadget]