Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab are developing a toothpaste dispenser that selects what flavor to dispense based on the weather forecast.
The lab's "Tastes Like Rain" project has yielded a prototype that will dispense one of three flavors that reflects the current conditions outside, according to a story on CNET. Mint means it's colder than yesterday, cinnamon means it's hotter, and blue stripes indicate rain.
The prototype is hooked up to a small Linux computer that pulls forecasts from the Internet and uses custom software to compare previous and current temperatures, CNET noted. Linear actuators squeeze out the right toothpaste through a modified Mentadent dispenser.
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