Ever have company coming over, but forget to chill the wine? The Juno solves this first-world problem using thermoelectric technology, to rapidly cool a bottle of wine or a few cans of soda or beer in mere minutes.
The Juno is available for preorder today for $199, and is expected to ship in the third quarter of 2020.
According to Matrix, the company that designed the Juno, it can cool a 12-ounce can of beer from 72 degrees Fahrenheit to 39 degrees in two minutes, or a 750ml bottle of wine to 49 degrees in five minutes.
The Juno can accommodate bottles and cans up to 3.5 inches in diameter and 12.5 inches tall.
Here's how it works: Thermoelectric generators uses what's known as the Seebeck Effect, a phenomenon by which energy is created through the temperature differential between two objects. This technology is used by space probes and power plants, as well as the Matrix Power Watch, which can go nearly indefinitely without having to be recharged.
The Juno, by contrast, uses electricity to create the temperature difference (which is known as the Peltier Effect). When you're ready to use the Juno, you put your bottle inside the machine, and fill the Juno with water. The Juno then cools the water and spins the bottle rapidly to draw out the heat. In just a few minutes, the wine cools down to a nice serving temperature.
The Juno's controls are pretty basic, just a few buttons and a large LED strip along one side that changes color from red to blue based on the temperature of whatever you're cooling. It doesn't display the temperature as a number, and there's no app or anything to let you control it, either. But cold is cold, right?
The Juno isn't small - it measures 16 x 13 x 8 inches. This device will fit on your countertop, but you probably aren't going to leave it there when you're not using it.
Like the Matrix Power Watch, the technology behind the Juno is pretty intriguing, and it's interesting to see it being used in a different, albeit highly specific, application. I could see it being a real boon for tailgaters, who don't want to lug around a huge cooler filled with ice.
Be sure to check out our CES 2020 hub for the latest news and hands-on impressions out of Las Vegas.
