Never Future is a Windows Phone-exclusive game about battling mutant trash monsters

Sneaky Box's Never Future is a Windows Phone-exclusive game that won plenty of awards back in 2012 when it was a baby startup - World Wide Finalist at Microsoft Imagine Cup, Winner of Nokia and Microsoft's AppCampus, and Winner of Startup Weekend Lithuania. Available now for $1.99, the game is a top-down shooter set in a post-apocalyptic future where all the pollution that humanity spread on Earth mutated into horrible (and smelly) junk monsters. Yes, junk monsters, and we're not talking about relatives of Oscar from Sesame Street, but for trashy fiends that you should only approach with a loaded flamethrower. A broom and spade won't cut it against trash that has teeth and tentacles.

You'll play as an archaeologist that got transported into the bleak future by a mysterious artifact. To survive and get through the game's 50-plus levels, you will have to scavenge and recycle trash, which can be turned to different weapons, armor, and special abilities. This is dumpster diving on a whole new level.

If you feel like throwing out some mutant trash, Never Future can be downloaded from the link below.

Download Never Future ($1.99): WindowsPhone

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New iOS 8 rumors talk about changes in notification center, messages app, wireless CarPlay, and more

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Google Maps for Android now tells you about upcoming events

Google wants to make sure that dance card of yours stays full. Rather than just showing you the best way to get to a new hot spot in town, today's Maps update for Android tells you what events are coming up there as well. Information is displayed below the venue's address, and may include a list of upcoming bands when you're looking at a music club, or what games are set to go down at your local ballpark. No matter what you're into, it should make planning your next night out that much easier.

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This kit lets you build a musical instrument from just about anything

Wish you could easily craft a musical instrument out of whatever you have lying around the house? You'll get that opportunity if Yuri Suzuki's team at Dentaku brings its crowdfunded Ototo kit to market. The synthesizer turns any conductive material into an instrument, changing its sound based on the nature of the object. An eggplant will carry a different tune than tinfoil, for instance. You can take greater control of your performance through optional light-, touch- and even breath-sensitive sensors; the gadget also connects to computers through USB if you'd like to use it as a MIDI controller. It will take a minimum £45 pledge ($74 plus $8 in shipping) to reserve Ototo ahead of its planned launch in June, but it may be worth the expense if you're tired of conventional music-making.

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Source: Kickstarter

Tags: crowdfunding, dentaku, instrument, midi, music, MusicalInstruments, ototo, Synthesizer, video, YuriSuzuki Next: US Cellular offers $50 unlimited plan with throttled data as a catch .fyre .fyre-comment-divider

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Talk About Timing: Google’s Reliability Team Sat Down For An AMA Right Before Gmail Exploded

Got a tip? Let us know.MenuSearchNewsChannelsStartupsMobileGadgetsEnterpriseSocialEuropeAsiaCrunchGovCrunchUTrendingYahooAppleFacebookTwitterGoogleMicrosoftNSATCTVShowsTCTV NewsAsk A VCCrunchWeekFly Or DieFoundationFounder StoriesTechCrunch GadgetsGillmor GangKeen OnTC CribsTechCrunch MakersAll ShowsAll VideosEventsTechCrunch EventsDisruptCrunchiesMeetupsInternational City EventsHackathonHardware BattlefieldNews AboutSXSWCESE3All EventsSearch TechCrunchSearch TechCrunchSearchCrunchBaseFollow UsFacebookTwitterGoogle

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Zynga Drops 12% In Regular Trading On External Warnings About Its Coming Earnings

Social gaming firm Zynga today plunged 12 percent in regular trading, following a warning by Sterne Agee’s Arvind Bhatia, which indicated that the market’s fourth-quarter consensus may be too optimistic. Shares fell by 49 cents to end the day at $3.54.

Also today, UBS lowered its rating on Zynga’s stock from hold to sell, indicating deteriorating confidence in the company’s business fundamentals. Summing simply: Zynga got wrecked today as outside investors threw shade all over it.

Zynga has had a textbook rough time as a public technology company, with an IPO followed by a dramatic rise in its value, followed by a precipitous decline, and now years in the doldrums.

According to BusinessWeek’s summation, investors expect Zynga to lose 4 cents per share on revenue of $183 million in the fourth quarter. If those projections are too strong, you begin to wonder what upside the company may have. A quick look at past earnings, and the loss expected, is on the back of decreased year-over-year revenues.

In the fourth quarter of 2012, Zynga had revenue of $331 million.

Zynga has not been quiet. The company has a new CEO and changed its leadership structure in late 2013 to respond to its deteriorating condition. Still, it isn’t idle speculation to ask if those changes were less than what was required, and perhaps already over the event horizon.

The decline puts Zynga in an ironic position to excel: If it manages to merely meet the market’s consensus when it reports earnings, it could enjoy a firm bounce.

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The Celebrity Fashion Phenomenon: What is So Alluring About It?

Do you have a favorite movie star or television star? If you do, have you ever wondered what their personal life was like? If you have, you are definitely not alone. In todays society, it seems as if many individuals are interested in knowing the latest news or gossip surrounding todays most popular stars. In addition to who is dating who, a focus is also placed on celebrity fashions. In fact, where are many out there who wish that they could dress and look like one of their favorite celebrities. While this feeling is quite common, it often leaves many others wondering why.



When it comes to examining the celebrity fashion phenomenon it is actually difficult to come up with an answer as to why it is so popular. Different individuals like to look and dress like celebrities for different reasons, some of which are easier to explain than others. Just a few of the many reasons why the celebrity fashion phenomenon has gained such a following are touched on below.



The thing about celebrities is that they are popular and well-known. In fact, many celebrities cannot even leave their homes with out being recognized and prodded for autographs by fans. While many celebrities wish that they could change this, there are many everyday, individuals who wish that they had their own fan following or wish that they were as popular. Although dressing a certain way or in a certain style of clothing isnt necessarily guaranteed to make you more popular, there are many individuals out there who think that it does. These are often the individuals who regularly checkout the latest in celebrity fashion trends.



Another one of the many reasons why the celebrity fashion phenomenon is continuing to increase in numbers is because celebrities are often well-known for their fashion choices. If you were to turn your television on to a fashion show or even just a news channel, read a fashion magazine, or visit an online celebrity gossip website, there is a good chance that you will find a celebrity being complimented in their good taste in clothing. Most everyday, individuals arent always complimented on their clothing or fashion accessories, although many wish that they were. That is one of the many reasons why many individuals try to keep up with celebrity fashions and copy them, in any way possible.



Although there are some out there who view the celebrity fashion phenomenon as an unhealthy obsession, there is actually really nothing wrong with keeping up with the latest in celebrity fashions. What you need to remember though is that just because it looks good on a celebrity, it doesnt necessarily mean that the same thing will look good on you. You should also keep price in mind. Many celebrities have unlimited financial resources; therefore, the cost of clothing and fashion accessories isnt always an issue for them, but it may for you. Of course, you can dress like a celebrity if you want to, but you need to remember that celebrity fashions regularly change; therefore, there is no need for you to go broke trying to afford the hottest, trends that may only last for a few weeks.



In short, the celebrity fashion phenomenon is one that regularly discussed by fashion experts, as well are product manufacturers and clothing designers. With the celebrity fashion phenomenon at its current state, it is not uncommon to find designers trying their best to get their latest fashions appearing on todays hottest celebrities.

The Impractical Jokers Talk About Making Good Web Content, Getting Internet Famous

If you haven’t been watching the Impractical Jokers, you should. The Jokers a team of friends – Brian Quinn, Sal Vulcano, James Murray and Joe Gatto – who make each other do wacky stunts in public spaces. It’s hilarious.

The troupe started out as the Tenderloins and got big on MySpace by filming a nearly endless collection of skits. They’ve been together since 1999 and, after 15 years of hard work, the team brought their goofy humor to TruTV.

FacebookTwitterLinkedInImpractical Jokers Embraced Social Media Before It Was Cool

I got the chance to sit down with three members of the team to talk about how they went from being MySpace famous to being really famous. How did they pull it off? They use the power of social media to turn fans into friends. They’re meticulous about putting their Twitter handles on the show graphics and, during the rise of YouTube, they posted regular comedy skits making them some of the most well-known Internet comics. They even filmed a pilot in 2007 after winning $100,000 on NBC’s It’s Your Show.

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‘Tis The Season For Mainstream Warnings About “God-Like” Gov’t Threats To Privacy

Getting a mainstream audience to care about governments infringing on our intangible right to privacy via dragnet surveillance programs carried out without public disclosure (let alone permission), using complex technological tricks that allow this spying to go on effectively invisibly is no easy task. Hard enough to make the mainstream aware of what’s going on, let alone care.

In the U.K., for instance, the public has remained largely indifferent to the revelations about the extent of government spying on digital communications, including the U.K.’s own GCHQ, revealed by whistleblower Edward Snowden. (Yet contrast that to the response in Germany, where societal trust in public institutions is far less unconditional — given, of course, the relatively recent history of government transgressions against privacy and worse.)

Today, a flagship news and current affairs program broadcast on the U.K.’s BBC Radio 4 carried a broadcast by WikiLeaks’ Julian Assange this morning, using that mainstream platform to draw attention to government inroads into privacy. But it’s rather telling that this edition of the Today program was guest-edited by musician PJ Harvey, rather than the usual BBC bod.

“Knowledge has always flowed upwards, to bishops and kings, not down to serfs and slaves,” said Assange, giving his alternative Thought For The Day. “The principle remains the same in the present era. Documents disclosed by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden show that governments dare to aspire through their intelligence agencies to a god-like knowledge of each and every one of us, but at the same time they hide their actions behind official secrecy.”

“As our governments and corporations know more and more about us, we know less and less about them,” he added. “The policy as always is to channel the decisive information upwards, never downwards. Today remember that it is good to seek to empower the powerless through knowledge, and to drag the machinations of the powerful into the daylight. We must be unapologetic about that most basic of humanities; the desire to know.”

Snowden also took to the airwaves over the holiday period to try to get the ‘privacy is critically endangered’ message across to a more mainstream audience in an Alternative Christmas Message broadcast on the U.K.’s Channel 4 TV station. The result was a broadcast that contained the queasy juxtaposition of festive best wishes with doomsday prophesying about a dystopic future of lidless authoritarian eyes.

Being the messenger of bad news has never been an easy role to play. Combine that with having to warn about something as abstract as the implications of an invisible loss of privacy — where the public is ceaselessly watched by overseeing eyes that only reveal themselves if invisible lines are crossed — and the difficulty of making this message stick is very evident.

“Hi and Merry Christmas,” said Snowden kicking off his 1min40 video warning, which was broadcast on Christmas day (as an alternative to the Queen’s annual Christmas message which unsurprisingly didn’t mention government threats to privacy but did talk up the importance of “quiet personal reflection” — which it would be nice to characterise as her Maj having her own little Snowden-inspired political dig).

“Recently we learned that our governments, working in concert, have created a system of worldwide mass surveillance, watching everything that we do,” continued Snowden. “Great Britain’s George Orwell warned us of the danger of this kind of information. The types of collection in the book — microphones and video cameras, TV that watch us are nothing compared to what we have available today. We have sensors in our pockets that track us everywhere that we go. Think about what this means for the privacy of the average person.

“A child born today will grow up with no conception of privacy at all. They’ll never know what it means to have a private moment, an unrecorded, unanalysed thought — and that’s a problem, because privacy matters; privacy is what allows us to determine who we are and who we want to be. The conversation occurring today will determine both the amount of trust we can place in the technology that surrounds us and the government that regulates it. Together we can find a better balance, end mass surveillance and remind the government that if it really wants to know how we feel asking is always cheaper than spying.”

Getting this stuff to seep into the mainstream ‘couldn’t care less’ consciousness remains the ongoing challenge for privacy advocates and campaigners like Snowden and Assange — especially as governments pull all the strings and levers at their disposal to discredit them. Hence their citation, in these two recent warnings, of well-known texts to hammer home their points (the Bible in Assange’s case; Orwell’s 1984 for Snowden).

But the more conversations they can start — and the more platforms they can speak from — the better. Shining a light in dark places requires a lot of energy — to keep the torches burning, and kindle a substantial impetus for change.

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Microsoft reportedly talking to Sony about Windows Phone launch in 2014

Microsoft only has a few key Windows Phone partners under its belt, but it may be expanding the ecosystem very shortly -- The Information hears from sources that Redmond is once again in talks to launch a Sony-made Windows Phone. While there's no guarantee of a deal, the partnership could introduce a handset as soon as mid-2014. The device may even carry the VAIO badge, and it could serve as a vehicle for Sony's Music Unlimited and Video Unlimited services. Even if the discussions fall apart, Microsoft may have more hardware manufacturers lined up. Tipsters claim that the company wants to renew ZTE's interest in Windows Phone, and it could be willing to cut or even waive the OS licensing fees that frequently drive potential allies toward Android. Neither side has confirmed the talks, and Sony will only say that it "continues to assess" Windows when it's relevant. Still, there's now a chance that the Xperia X2 will finally get a sequel.

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Source: The Information

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How the Internet’s Founders Feel About The NSA Scandal

As the co-fathers of the Internet, Vinton Cerf and Robert Kahn tend to be pretty protective of their digital masterpiece. Both were early Defense Department engineers of the communications architecture that underlies the modern Internet, and both tend be outspoken about threats to a free and open information superhighway. For instance, when a United Nations body, the Internet Telecommunications Union, tried to assert more control over Internet governance, Cerf was immediately dispatched to Washington D.C. to preempt the power grab.

The National Security spying scandal has, likewise, been hailed as a global threat to privacy and the Internet itself. In a wide-ranging interview with the New York Times, Cerf and Kahn had a more reserved concern for government surveillance.

Here is Cerf on the NSA:

Q. Edward Snowden’s actions have raised a new storm of controversy about the role of the Internet. Is it a significant new challenge to an open and global Internet?
A. The answer is no, I don’t think so. There are some similar analogues in history. The French historically copied every telex or every telegram that you sent, and they shared it with businesses in order to remain competitive. And when that finally became apparent, it didn’t shut down the telegraph system.

The Snowden revelations will increase interest in end-to-end cryptography for encrypting information both in transit and at rest. For many of us, including me, who believe that is an important capacity to have, this little crisis may be the trigger that induces people to spend time and energy learning how to use it.

To give a bit of background, Cerf has suggested that privacy is a relatively new concept (and, historically, he’s correct). During the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln collected all telegrams, in a move that has been compared to the modern surveillance state. It appears that this type of mass surveillance, followed by new privacy laws, is typical in American history.

Khan seemed far more reserved in opining how the NSA affects privacy:

Q: Is there a solution to challenges of privacy and security?
In the 1990s when I was on the National Internet Infrastructure Advisory Committee, Al Gore showed up as vice president, and he made an impassioned pitch for Clipper chip

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Many consumers in the dark about rising lighting standards

The most commonly used household light bulbs are set to be phased out in just a few days, but a majority of consumers are unaware of the impending changes, according to the 2013 Osram Sylvania Socket Survey.

Conducted at the end of every year since 2008, the Socket Survey polls hundreds of consumers from around the country to help track their opinions on the rapidly changing lighting landscape. This year, Sylvania reports that just 4 in 10 consumers are aware that beginning on January 1st, a sharp rise in efficiency standards will effectively render standard 40- and 60-watt incandescent bulbs obsolete. In accordance with those rising standards, those bulbs will no longer be manufactured or sold in the United States.

When polled about changing lighting options in more general terms, consumers scored much better, with 64% of respondents showing at least some familiarity with the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA), the legislation that numbered incandescents' days. A lack of awareness about EISA's next big step on January 1st, however, could mean that in the coming year, consumers looking to replace their burnt out living room lights will be in for a surprise upon arriving at their local hardware store.

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How A Fabricated Story About Iron Maiden’s Love Of Music Pirates Became Internet Truth

Wouldn’t it be awesome if heavy metal icons Iron Maiden leveraged data about which regions of the world pirated their music to plan a multi-million dollar global concert tour? Yeah, it’d be awesome, if it were true.

So awesome to my anarchistic ears that I was halfway through reblogging the reblog of a Rolling Stone story before I learned that I couldn’t actually verify any of the facts.

In the last 48 hours, tech and music outlets have heaped praise on the supposed the tech savviness of the 80s metal band, who allegedly analyzed Bittorrent data to plan a concert tour in South America. Bittorrent, a popular peer-to-peer file-sharing client, can often reveal hidden fan bases around the world, since the traffic and contents can be analyzed in aggregate.

Musicmetric, an entertainment forecasting startup that analyzes bittorrent and social media data, was quoted in a Guardian piece on November 29, arguing that bands could potentially leverage the wealth of online information to plan their concerts.

Then, on December 20, a tech blog, citeworld, ran this click-delicious headline “How Iron Maiden found its worst music pirates — then went and played for them.” The piece implied that MusicMetric directly advised Iron Maiden to plan an otherwise unscheduled concert tour in South America.

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What The Data Says About How We Spent Christmas Morning

The kids woke up, the parents got called out of bed and for a few hours, shockingly, it looks like the family put down their mobiles on Christmas morning, according to data from Mixpanel, a mobile and web analytics company.

Welcome to the data-driven Christmas. A day that can be tracked in detail by mining the data on our phones and tablets. As proven by Mixpanel, data analytics can now tell when we open our presents, take a break and then once again immerse ourselves in our apps.

But tracking the data through mobile devices is no different in many ways to other media. For years, marketers have known the habits of people on Christmas Day. They could track what people did through the way we listened to the radio or watched television. But the difference now is the list of items in our homes that can be tracked. And the list will only grow as wearables and other things transmit data of their own.

For now, let’s look at what Mixpanel learned about us this Christmas. The company analyzed 1.2 billion mobile ”actions” on Christmas Day, which is a 66 percent increase over last Christmas.  All told, 90 percent of activity was generated on mobile apps.

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Information About Wine Cellar Racks

A wine cellar rack allows any wine enthusiast to achieve a professional wine cellar in the comfort of their own home. Normally, wine cellar racks are wall mounted, although they can be stacked as well. They range in size, and can hold anywhere from 10 - 300 bottles of wine. Depending on your needs and how many bottles you have to store, youll want to choose accordingly.



One of the best things about wine cellar racks is the fact that are customizable. You can fit them to your liking, or what looks best in your cellar. Wine cellar racks will allow you to convert practically any space of your home or your cellar into a storage area for your wine in little to no time at all. All you have to do is set the racks up - then store your wine.



All wine bottles, no know matter what brand, needs to have the proper storage in order to maintain their original flavor. Those who know wine, know that the easiest and best way to store wine in bottles is put the bottles on their sides. When using a wine cellar rack, youll have the choice of individually storing the bottles, or grouping them together. Cellar racks are the ideal way to store wine bottles, especially if you have a large amount.



Wine cellar racks and the way they store wine are essential for many reasons. With the wine being stored on its side, the sediments that will eventually settle over time are evenly distributed throughout the wine, which helps keep more of the original flavor. Along with helping to preserve the original flavor of the wine, the corks and labels are also preserved.



Unlike other forms of wine storage, wine cellar racks will work in any home, and they are very affordable as well. They come with detailed instructions, they are easy to assemble, and include everything you need to begin using your new rack immediately. You can also find a variety of sizes, colors, styles, and materials. Contrary to what you may think, wine cellar racks dont take up a lot of space in your home. If you use them on their sides, they will take up even less space than if you were to stand them upright.



These days, wine cellar racks arent just for commercial use. Even though they are geared more towards large consumers, individual wine enthusiasts have a lot to gain with a wine cellar rack. You can find these racks at your local department store, or online. They dont cost a lot of money either, yet they will give you the storage you need. No matter how much space you have to spare in your home - wine cellar racks will give you everything you need to store and preserve your wine.

Information About French Wine

Whenever wine comes up in a conversation or a thought, we often find ourselves thinking of where the wine came from. If you study the name of the wine, such as Burgundy or Champagne, youll find a log about the origin of the wine. Burgundy for instance, we all known comes from France, same as Burgundy. There are many wines out there - several of which come from France.



In the times of the old, wine in France was made by peasants, who drank it themselves. Wine is very old in France, which is really no surprise as French wine is some of the best in the world. New world wines have the ingredients that were used in the label, while French old world wine is labeled with the location. In doing so, the French have left a bit of a romantic message when you purchase any of their wine.



A lot of wine enthusiasts all over the world consider French wine to be the best. Wine lovers from all over the world prefer French wine over any other. There are several different kinds of French wine available, giving you plenty to choose from. This way, you can experience and compare wine based on aroma, taste, and even the texture.



There are thirteen different regions in France with literally thousands of vineyards that produce wine, making the possibilities for French wine endless. French is also known for having the ideal location for growing grapes, including the perfect soil conditions and vineyards that are very close to the water. The climate in France is always good, making it one of the best locations in the world for wine.



French wine varies from the most common types that you can find virtually everywhere that sells wine, to the rare variants, which can be very difficult to come across. If you are looking for one of the more rare types of French wine, your best bet would be to use the Internet. You can find hundreds of thousands of different types of wine, including rare French wine. Rare vintage French wine can be extremely hard to find, even sometimes so online. You can always look at wine forums as well, including the many different wine websites.



All in all, French wine is a cut above the rest. Although other wines may use the same ingredients and methods in production, they dont taste the same as those made in France. When you taste a wine that was made in France - youll know it. Even though other wines may be preferred by some, French wine has a taste and aroma like no other. Wine that comes from France is all about quality - and a taste youll never forget.

All You Need To Know About Whiskey

In meaning, whiskey translates to water of life. Whiskey originated from Scotland during the early 1400's, and is very popular around the world today. Even today, whiskey tastes much like it did when it first began. Manufacturers of whiskey are strong on heritage, and therefore do all they can to capture the flavor that whiskey has always been known for.



For any occasion, whiskey is truly great. Whiskey is commonly used during weddings and ceremonies, and both the bride and groom will drink it to signify a relationship that will stand the test of time. The drink isnt only served with weddings, as it is also popular in bars and restaurants as well. Those wishing to signify friendship can also serve whisky as a gesture of wanting to be friends.



Whiskey also makes a great gift for friends, employees, and even executives. Around the office, whiskey is very popular. When someone has had a tough day at work, few things bring out the best like whiskey. It can help someone relax, and make them feel at ease. Drink enough of it however - and you will feel as if you are king of the world!



Although it has many uses, one of the best is ice cubes. If you combine whiskey with ice cubes, the combination is truly inspiring. People often refer to it as whiskey on the rocks, as it is very commonly served in bars and restaurants. Whiskey on the rocks is also refreshing, as the ice cubes help to take some of the bite away from the otherwise strong and potent drink.



There are several variations of whiskey as well. Scottish whiskey, Jack Daniels, and Wild Turkey are among the most popular. Scottish whiskey is very popular in different parts of the world, while Jack Daniels is the preferred brand of whiskey in the United States. Jack is served at many bars and restaurants, and provides a great mixed drink if you pair it with Coke.



If youre looking to buy some whiskey for your home, youll never have to worry about having trouble finding it. ABC stores are the best source, although if you live in a state such as California you can find it at your local grocery or department store. Whiskey is one of the best selling forms of hard liquor, with thousands of people around the world drinking it quite frequently.



Easy to find and easy to use, whiskey is easily one of the best types of alcohol that you can buy. You can use it at parties or socials, or just keep it for yourself. Whiskey is also great the body, if you drink a shot of it a day. With various ways to be used and a bold crisp flavor - whiskey is something that you can never go wrong with.

All About German Beer

Throughout Germany, beer is very popular with the culture. Germany contains well over 1,000 breweries, which is more than any other location in the world. All beer that is manufactured in Germany must follow the purity law, which lets manufacturers know what ingredients can and cant be used. Basically, the only ingredients allowed to make beer in Germany are water, hops, and barley malt.



Due to the strict purity requirements, you can easily notice German beers by their overall level of quality. They have a distinct taste, with little to no aftertaste. Some styles of German ale include Koelsch, Weizen, and Altbier. Some types of German lagers include Bock, Pilsener, Dunkel, Helles, and Maerzen. Keep in mind that the taste, aroma, and color can vary, although all can be identified as being true German beers.



The German beer Altbier is a very common dark ale, that is top fermented in the lower regions of Germany. The beer proposes a yellow color, with a taste that is rich in hops. Another ale, Rauchbier, is known to have a smoky flavor with a smoked color. These beers taste great, and happen to be very popular throughout the regions of Germany.



German lagers are also very popular, and happen to be popular in other areas of the world as well. Pilsener is one of the most popular and most familiar of all German beers, providing you with more hops and less malt. Pilsener can be found for sale all over the world, and happens to be very popular throughout North America as well. Several bars serve it as well, as it happens to be one of the most popular dark lagers out there.



Throughout Germany, there are several different companies, produce over 4,000 different brands of beers. Some of the more well known and larger companies of north Germany are Beck, St. Pauli, Warsteiner, and Krombach. In the southern region of Germany, there are more breweries, although most of them are smaller, as they are locally owned and operated. Southern Germany also contains the Benedictine Abbey, which is one of the oldest breweries in the world. This brewery started producing beer in 1040 - very impressive indeed!



Germany is also home to Oktoberfest, which is held every year in Munich. Oktoberfest starts in late September and carries on for two weeks, ending in early October. During Oktoberfest, beer drinkers from all over the world will travel to Germany and celebrate German beers. Each and every year, over 5 million people attend the event, making it one of the biggest beer celebrations in the world.



During Oktoberfest, local breweries in Munich are the only breweries allowed to serve beer in the bigger tents. There are six breweries in total, producing a variety of different beers. By attending this yearly event, you can learn more about German beer, sample the different varieties, and enjoy the rich bold flavors that make German beer so very popular.



Due to the success Oktoberfest gets each and every year, other cities around the world try and mimic this event. Even though they have success, their level of success isnt near as much as the original Oktoberfest - Germany. German beers are very popular around the world, with Oktoberfest helping to prove that very claim. If you drink beer but have never experienced what beers from Germany have to offer, you really should give them a try. Once you do, youll quickly realize why German beers are so very popular - and why the taste simply cant be duplicated with any other beer.