Coke sneaks phones, GPS chips into cans

[NewGuy]

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/food/2004-05-09-coke_x.htm

By Theresa Howard, USA TODAY
NEW YORK — Coca-Cola (KO) will announce on Monday that it is powering up a summer promotion with James Bond-like gadgetry.

About 120 Coke cans are being covertly converted into a combination global positioning satellite receiver and cell phone. The lucky cola drinkers who find the high-tech cans can claim the grand prizes — but won't know when or where they'll arrive.

The "Unexpected Summer" sweepstakes aims to fuel sales for the Classic brand, which continues to struggle for sales growth. Volume for the world's largest soft-drink brand was down 3% in 2003, according to Beverage Digest.

"It's a big program," says Steven Schiller, group director, brand business unit, Coca-Cola North America. "It's one of the biggest we've run in years and a real cornerstone to this year's plan."

The cornerstone hinges on technology associated more with military forces — or spies — than soft drinks. Grand prize cans contain a GPS chip and antenna, a Subscriber Identity Module card that enables the can to act as a cell phone, a speaker, microphone and a panel with a keypad.

The cans, engineered by Airo Wireless, are disguised to look and feel like regular cans and are concealed inside multipacks of Coke and its caffeine-free, Cherry and Vanilla varieties. "The only real challenge we had was to take the technology we had and get it to fit into the size and weight of a Coca-Cola can," says Brian Troxell, an Airo engineer.

Consumers who find the winning cans activate the technology to call a pre-programmed hotline. They then must agree that Coke "search teams," using the GPS tracker, can surprise them anyplace, anytime up to three weeks to deliver the prizes, which include a 2005 Chevy Equinox SUV, a chance on $1 million through Harrah's Casino, Disney vacations and home entertainment systems.

See article for more.

 

[OCA]

I'm a sucker for all these games the corps. run so looks like i'll be switching from Pepsi to Coke for the summer.

 

[insein]

Originally posted by OCA
I'm a sucker for all these games the corps. run so looks like i'll be switching from Pepsi to Coke for the summer.

Fuck that. You couldnt get me to drink Coke over pepsi even if it had a GPS tracking system in it.

 

[OCA]

I don't drink much soda anyway so the chances of me winning shit is astronomical. Dude i'm with ya though, coke taste is shit.

 

[SPIKESMYGOD]

Can't you fools see that Bush is behind this? He is testing a way to spy on all of us. I bet Karl Rove shows up and kills the winner.

This won't stop here. They'll find a new way to find out where large amounts of people are:

Today, it's a Coke can. Tomorrow, it's Tara Reid's panties!

 

[OCA]

Originally posted by SPIKESMYGOD
Can't you fools see that Bush is behind this? He is testing a way to spy on all of us. I bet Karl Rove shows up and kills the winner.

This won't stop here. They'll find a new way to find out where large amounts of people are:

Today, it's a Coke can. Tomorrow, it's Tara Reid's panties!

Oh I hope they are dirty and unwashed!

 

[NewGuy]

Originally posted by SPIKESMYGOD
Can't you fools see that Bush is behind this? He is testing a way to spy on all of us. I bet Karl Rove shows up and kills the winner.

This won't stop here. They'll find a new way to find out where large amounts of people are:

Today, it's a Coke can. Tomorrow, it's Tara Reid's panties!

For a minute there, I thought you were serious.

 

[Palestinian Jew]

Its the beginning of Big Brother!

 

[insein]

Originally posted by Palestinian Jew
Its the beginning of Big Brother!

Begining?

 

[nycflasher]

Man, that doesn't sound legal. Isn' t that a violation of privacy rights or something?

I'm coming out with a new line of edible panties for "loose" woman, complete with a tracking device in each pair.

 

[NewGuy]

Originally posted by nycflasher
Man, that doesn't sound legal. Isn' t that a violation of privacy rights or something?

I'm coming out with a new line of edible panties for "loose" woman, complete with a tracking device in each pair.

Why don't you add a camera. Are they going to require a permit and a background check?

 

[nycflasher]

Originally posted by NewGuy
Why don't you add a camera. Are they going to require a permit and a background check?

lol, why don't we just let US companies continue to illegaly sell wepons to Iran and N.Korea...we can put tracking devices in them and maybe we'll be led to the motherload.

Damn, I think I just stumbled onto a good name for a XXX film.

 

[insein]

Originally posted by nycflasher
lol, why don't we just let US companies continue to illegaly sell wepons to Iran and N.Korea...we can put tracking devices in them and maybe we'll be led to the motherload.

Damn, I think I just stumbled onto a good name for a XXX film.

Im sure its been used before. Probably a motherload 27 out there somewhere.

 

[Aquarian]

I wonder what poindexter's been up to since resigning after coming up with those hairbrained ideas like a futures market for terrorist activities doh.