McDonald's testing music download and photo printing kiosks

If they really wanted to be with it they'd have Mayor McCheese and the Hamburgler host a podcast, but techno-innovator McDonald's, which already started adding WiFi to some of its restaurants, is market testing a kiosk called the Blaze Net which lets patrons buy music and ringtones, surf the web, and print out digital photos while they're downing Happy Meals.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this one in]

[Anonymous-S @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

this would seem like the death of rock'n'roll if it hadn't already died this week. (crazy frog, irritating ringtone, number one)

[NBK @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

That actually isnt a bad idea.

[Yuppers @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

Greasy food+ Some not so clean conditions= I wonder how they'll keep their keyboards clean.

[robotplague @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

don't like this, not one bit. before we know it they'll be giving away prepaid cell phones in their happy meals whose target demographic is 2nd graders.

[Matt @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

Do people really need DRM-crippled music SO BADLY that they can't wait to purchase it until they get home from a fast food joint? I mean, really. I go to mcdonald's for quick, unhealthy food. Not for salads, photo viewing, web browsing, and especially not for music. And guess what, your stupid face close-up ads featuring a "totally hip" Mulatto with earphones on aren't going to convince me to buy crippled MP3's while I chomp on my Mcnuggets. Sweet jesus.

[nick @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

WHY???

[CMM @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

So, Are they going to call this McTunes or McPhotos?

[Andrew @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

Coca-cola + Kiosks = sticky balls of hair and 1/2 chewed fries.

[Andrew @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

Coca-cola + Kiosks = sticky balls of hair and 1/2 chewed fries.

[Bruce McFadden @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

The chances that McDonald's demographics will figure out and use this kiosk are about zero ... another marketing executive's wet dream. And this thing has the aesthetics of a Swiss bus-token dispenser ... I can already see it's gleaming aluminum facade smothered with the grease, ketchup and spilled diet soda.

[Rocket Punch @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

Finally! you can print a picture of that fat guy who's dancing to the beat of his recently downloaded tunes while he's waiting in line for his 5th Big Mac; all under one roof.

Now thats entertainment!

[Chris @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

I can hear the lawsuits printing out now... I worked for a Media company called "BlazeNet":

http://www.blazenet.net http://www.blazenet.com

Hmmm... who thinks up these names?

[Matt Baron @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

Man, McDonald's is really making a go at being the wal-mart of fast food. I just saw that sign for the fruit and walnut salad and I was thinking that. Now you really can do everything there.

My input: they need some sort of napping area.

[Mongrel @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

How are they gonna fit these next to the RedBox DVD stations? Which, incidentally, kick ass.

[Mad Anthony @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

#5 - the article talks about how it will burn the music to CD's. Granted, it doesn't say that they if they mean as an audio CD or as data files, but my guess is you can get the stuff as audio cd's - which would make it not DRM'ed.

And I actually like McDonald's salads, especially with the crispy chicken.

[Fast Batard @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

McDonald's is good for one thing, and one thing only: a toilet stop when you're travelling.

[Kim Laughton @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

Oh nos, Mcdonalds is a big nasty corporation wot I don�t like. This means I kant accept that the idea behind it is gud. It wud be kool if this woz in Japan and woz a big fast food chain there though.

...

There are already quite a few Mc Donalds in London that let you surf the net (for a fairly reasonable price), nice to see that this kind of thing is becoming mainstream.

[Will @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

Im all for freedoms, but if Mcdonalds can sell their product as "food". Then I should be able too buy crack legally too. Not that I would buy crack. I just dont understand how these corporations are allowed too peddle their drugs (mcdonalds, starbucks ect.)

For those of you that say crack is worse than McDonalds. Atleast crack doesnt make you into a 500lb Whale that is so crippled they have too use a scooter when shopping at Wallmart after their McMeal.

[acidreflux @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

A hit and a burger. I think your on to something there.

[lawadm @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

Now I can see a photo of me getting fatter while eating their food.

[Dan @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

I actually live only a few miles away from the oak brook location they are talking about. It was nice. They had this girl who kept giving demonstrations of the blazenet thingie. They had tons of lcd screens. Many who where not configured right. (aka no input svideo. No imput dvi. etc..) When it came down to it. It was the same food. :( The only thing i really liked was they had this ch. Brownie. It was awesome! If your going to spend that much money on a mcdonalds. At least offer something from it's other restaurants. (boston market/chipotle) If they did. I would visit more often..

For those nearby. Its on the south east side of the mall. You can see it off of I-88.

[fiona @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

Get a life!

I say good on them for finally trying to move with the times and adapt to customers new wants and needs while still providing the services that have made them huge (ie - selling greasy burgers).
You can see why they do this, one of their target demographics is the teens that you can see really enjoying this type of gadget.

And by the way - McDonalds does not make you fat! Look at the people who work there and eat it like 3-5 times a week...are they all obese? No!...and why is this? Because, they actually get up off their behinds and walk about a bit occasionaly, and when they are outside work they eat other types of food.
An unhealthy, unbalanced diet and lack of exercise (or severe illness or genetic problems) is what causes people to become grossly overweight....not a company selling burgers!
McDonalds never claimed its food was good for people, it just provided the type of food people liked at a price they liked and in a style that they liked....and this is what they are doing with digital media now!
And as for "Supersize Me" all it proves is that making the wrong food choices can seriously affect your health....if the guy had made a film called "pick another one" where all he ate was fruit picked from trees (or another "healthy" food) then he would also have ended up malnourished. So he ate lots of fried food and it was bad for him - duh!

[Kevin @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

To suggest that McDonald's is just a vendor providing a product, and in no way responsible for obesity, is extremely misinformed and wrong. Yes they target a great amount of their advertising to young people, which begins unhealthy eating habits at an early age. No they never formally stated their food was health food. But their product KILLS. Not when used in moderation, but neither will cigarettes, alcohol, heroin, or almost anything else used in moderation. If cigarettes and alcohol are heavily taxed and require warning labels, than McDonalds and other trash food vendors should face the same scrutiny.
Oh back to the topic. McDonald's does not need to have music downloads in store. Meerly another market tactic to target youth and get them hooked on their drug.

[The Kiosk Girl @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

Well, all of you who were made miserable by the idea should feel comforted by the fact that McDonalds has removed the machines from the Oakbrook site. I had fun with them, and thought they were a smart idea. You should have seen how many people came in there saying things like "I had this idea 7 years ago" But it's the production of these ideas that help franchises compete with each other, which supports the base of capitalism. But anyways they're gone, I'm unemployed and writing on some crazy blog.

love, the kiosk girl