vendingmachines
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Bodega's tone-deaf vending service won’t kill your corner store
Just when you thought the startup world learned a thing or two from the failure of Juicero, here comes Bodega, a company that's put internet connectivity and image recognition on a West Elm-looking vending machine. That's it! They plan to offer their boxes in apartment buildings, gyms and other locations where people might want quick access to non-perishable products. Instead of heading to the store, you just punch in a code from their app, grab what you need, and the company charges you for what you took. There's a kernel of a decent idea there, to be honest. But where Bodega goes wrong, just like so many startups, is that it mistakes a tech twist on an existing concept as innovation.
When vending machines attack (a university)
We are marching toward certain doom at the hands of an angry Skynet of our own invention. Need proof? This week a school was attacked by its own soft drink vending machines. You read that right.
Vending machine dispenses your new car like a soft drink
Believe it or not, there are already vending machines for cars. However, they typically require that you walk over to your new ride -- it's not much more than a cute take on what you'd see at a regular dealership. Carvana isn't happy with this state of affairs, though. The retailer is launching an automated vending machine that delivers your car to you, much like a regular machine dispenses your foodstuff of choice. When you drop in a specially supplied coin (no, you're not depositing real cash), the robotic system fetches your ride from a 20-car tower and brings it to one of three delivery bays. You only have to wait patiently on the ground.
Nike has a vending machine that lets you trade Fuel for gear
When we heard that Nike had put up a secret vending machine in New York City, we definitely wanted to go find it and see what all the fuss was about. But, unfortunately, we were a little bit late to the party -- the machine is now long gone, perhaps on its way to a new place (maybe Japan?). Nike's FuelBox, as the company has adequately dubbed it, is a vending machine which dispenses goods in exchange for your daily, not total, FuelBand points. As TechCrunch pointed out, Nike packed the FuelBox with a number of different stuff, including hats, shirts and socks (sorry, no kicks). It's certainly a fun incentive to drive people to rack up Fuel on their bands, and it shows that, despite the rumors of the FuelBand going away, Nike is still very heavily invested in doing things for that community. Stay on the lookout, because Nike says you never know where it could show up next.
Surviving on Tokyo's vending machines
There are more vending machines per capita in Japan than in any other country in the world. And as of 2013, there are over 5 million of them. Soft drinks might make up half of those, but you can also pick up beer, sake, dried octopus, toys, pet food, hair accessories, glasses and even burgers. (Well, that last one comes with a proviso, but we'll get to that...) We've got 5,000 yen (about $50) in pocket money and a day to cover Tokyo, so join us for a morning coffee and maybe something a little stronger in the evening.
Fuji Electric releasing first coin-operated EV fast charger, gives electric cars extra life
Fuji Electric Retail Systems Co. is no stranger to flipping coins for profit, thanks to a robust lineup of vending machines such as the A011. The Japanese company, however, has also branched out from dispensing hot and cold drinks for change by supplementing its offerings with a different kind of juice. Meet the FRCM00CK -- the industry's first coin-operated fast charger for electric vehicles, according to Fuji Electric. The charger measures 300mm wide, 400mm deep, 1,210mm tall and tips the scale at 41 kilograms. It also doesn't take paper currency, limiting its appetite to coins in ¥10, ¥50, ¥100 and ¥500 denominations. The machine's product page doesn't give specifics about how long it takes to charge vehicles but says it can provide a maximum charging time of 60 minutes. Incidentally, Fuji Electric's US site states that its FRC series of EV chargers can completely power up a 25 kWh electric vehicle battery in about 60 minutes. The coin-operated charger will cost ¥600,000 or about $7,600 and is slated for a 2012 release. Some may argue that it doesn't have quite the geek cool of the Roto-A-Matic or the WiFi vending machine. Still, the FRCM00CK is decidedly more electric.
Roto-a-Matic retro vending machine injection molds toys while you wait (video)
The advent of 3D printing is most certainly upon us, and its helped injection molding make the crucial transition from dated tech to a retro novelty. The Roto-a-Matic has recently gone live in toy maker Rotofugi's store in Chicago, and will create a polyethylene plastic figurine for you in under a minute, provided you feed it a token. Rotofugi and product design company Squibbles INK have given the vintage Mold-a-Rama vending machine a new lease of life, and now they are looking for artists to contribute designs for future molds. Currently a one-eyed dragon designed by sculptor Tim Biskup is on offer for Chicago-based hipsters, but for the wind-averse, a token-to-toy video demo resides beyond the fold.
Visualized: industrial vending machines are a modder's best friend
The perfect compliment to a massive hackerspace like Massachusetts's Artisan's Asylum? An industrial vending machine stocked with all the necessities for your average modder. Fastenal specializes in business industrial vending machines, stocking up units with things like office and first aid supplies. The company also provides cutting tools and materials for welders and metal fabricators, making it a bit of a godsend for hackerspace communities, where venturing out to a hardware store often means an annoying interruption of a project's workflow -- or, as a woman at the space told us: a lot of people order takeout because they don't want leave when they're working, so it sort of makes sense that the space would offer up such a solution. Members swipe their cards, applying the charges to their membership accounts. The thing stocks welding gloves, dust masks, screw drivers, tape measures, various adhesives and multi-tools, so modders never have to leave to safety of their hackerspace again.
Defcon 20 visitors get their own 'pirate' cellular network in Ninja Tel, exclusive One V to match
The annual Defcon hacking meetup produces its share of unique creations. You know you're in for something special when even your entrance badge is an adventure. Defcon 20 might be winding to a close, but about 650 guests may just have the fondest memory of all: access to a private, ad hoc GSM carrier from Ninja Networks. While the collective's Ninja Tel is really an invitation to a party at the Rio Hotel, where the lone cell site operates out of a van, it lets the privileged few call and text each other to their hearts' content over cellular and WiFi. The network operators can unsurprisingly eavesdrop on any of the completely unencrypted calls -- this is a hacker's convention, after all -- but we don't think guests mind after getting an equally rare, customized HTC One V for free to make the calls in question. The Android 4.0 phone gets unique perks like triggering a nearby vending machine with Qualcomm's AllJoyn or making apps on the spot through Google's Integrated Development Environment. Owners can even reflash the One V to hop on AT&T or T-Mobile afterwards. Just don't expect to see Ninja Tel popping up in your hometown anytime soon; when Defcon shuts its doors, the cellular network shuts down.
Coca-Cola's A011 vending machine keeps drinks cool without using (much) power
So maybe that self-chilling soda didn't pan out, but Coca-Cola is working on another method for keeping its beverages cool without using power. In partnership with Fuji Electric Retail Systems, the company has developed the A011 vending machine, which is capable of keeping drinks frosty for up to 16 hours a day without using energy. The A011 works by shifting the cooling process from mid-day, when energy use is higher, to nighttime, when there is a higher power capacity. Even after the machine stops powering the chilling, the unit's temperature only rises slightly, thanks to vacuum insulation and an airtight design. Great in theory, right? Well Coca-Cola Japan will put the product to the test this summer with a two-month pilot program in two of Japan's toastiest areas, Tajimi City in Gifu Prefecture and Kumagaya City in Saitama Prefecture. If things go well, the company will tweak the A011 to extend the amount of time it can go without power. Room-temperature soda is the worst, so here's hoping it works.
Hand-cranked vending machine offers products sans power, refreshments during emergencies (video)
Ever needed to grab a bottle of water only to find the vending machine you've spotted is without power? The folks in Japan have, especially in the period immediately following natural disasters. The solution? Easy. A hand-cranked vending machine that still affords you the option of your desired food or beverage even during an emergency when the power is down. Sanden, a Japanese vending outfit, has developed the system that would allow the country's 5.5 million machines to run sans electricity or solar power and rely on good ol' fashioned muscle. You'll just need to dish out 70 cranks, in addition to the cost of your selection, and in about 20 seconds the kit powers on. The machine shown here will dispense around seven bottles before needing a full re-crank and there's no word on what the additional cost per vending unit will be. For look at the tech in action, hit the video above and prepare for a bicep workout.
Japanese vending machine doubles as WiFi hotspot -- no purchase required
It looks as if facial scans for snack-dispensing purposes isn't the only mind-blowing feature on the whiz-bang generation of vending machines. Japanese company Asahi has just unveiled an advanced dispenser that's capable of doubling as a WiFi hotspot, so good luck getting through the mobs of leechers just to buy a soda. The machine sends out the internet waves free of charge and covers about 164 feet around it; of note, there's a 30-minute limit on each session -- but it's nothing that a fresh login can't solve. Asahi is planning on rolling out 1,000 of these in the upcoming year, but if you don't call the Land of the Rising Sun your home, you won't be able to experience the smart vendors anytime soon. Now, if only this same magic would slide over to park benches, blades of grass and molecules of oxygen, we'd be content.
RFID-enabled vending machine ditches coinage, gets Mario Bros. tone (video)
A Twitter-enabled kitty door it is not, but this RFID-equipped soda machine is by far one of the most practical DIY projects we've seen in sometime. A Canadian tinkerer picked up this pop pusher a few years back, and has been using it to sling drinks in his building ever since. Unfortunately, finding the right change to feed the machine proved an issue for his neighbors, so he did what any logical hacker would do, and built in a contactless payment system. Using an Arduino, an Ethernet shield, an LCD screen, and an RFID reader, he created a system that allows customers to swipe a card and easily add funds from an online account. Best of all, every time you press that little blue button you get a Mario Bros. sample. Big ups, PopCARD. Video after the break.
Android turns average man into El Vendor! (video)
You might not know Greg Bell by name but you've certainly been affected by his work. The man who directed Logitech's amusingly creepy Lonely TV viral ads has returned with a series of videos meant to promote Android. The premise is, of course, absurd: middle manager, trapped beneath a fallen vending machine, continues to work because his Android powered smartphone allows him to be productive even without the full use of his hands. In a bit of video magic, the handset with a 32-day battery is the Nexus S running Gingerbread... but only when shot from the front. Otherwise it's a Nexus One when shot from the back, presumably because this was filmed before the S' launch. Regardless, the result is a series of clever videos encapsulating an everyman's transformation into nerd superhero, El Vendor -- we dare you to not click all five.
PA Walmart stores getting CCTV-enabled, breathalyzin' wine vending machines
Whenever technology is used to solve a real problem, it warms our hearts. It really does. But when technological perambulations are needed to work their way around antiquated state liquor laws (the likes of which have tormented at least one poor Engadget editor since he reached the age of majority), it just seems sad. For instance, it's illegal to sell alcohol in grocery stores in Pennsylvania, but it's not illegal to install a vending machine that dispenses wine: as long as the user is asked to take a breathalyzer test, swipe their state issued ID or Driver License, and then show their mug to a state official sitting somewhere in Harrisburg, who is keeping an eye on the proceedings via CCTV. Simple, right? Maybe not, but it does protect the state's monopoly on liquor sales. The Pronto wine vending machine is currently only available in select grocery stores in the state, but it's just been announced that the PA Liquor Control Board has given Walmart preliminary approval to put the things in some of their locations outside of Pittsburgh. We'll try one out ourselves, as soon as they start carrying Blue Nun.
Live crab vending machine makes us think there could be better uses for vending machines (video)
Yes, it's true: an entrepreneur in Nanjing, China, has stocked a vending machine with Shanghai Hairy Crabs. The delicacy (if anything with "hairy" in its name could be a delicacy) is kept at 5° Celsius, where it hibernates until it is sold for ¥120-600 (between $1.40 and $7.30), which is apparently a thirty percent markdown from retail. Even the Japanese media seem to find this one peculiar -- and this is a country that sells liquor, pornography, and Maine lobsters in its vending machines. See it for yourself in the video after the break. Update: Our man on the scene in China (actually, he's in London, but whatever) noticed a few additional details in the video, including the fact that the prices in Chinese Yuan range from ¥10 to ¥50, and that the owner of the machine offers a pretty sweet guarantee: if your crab is dispensed in a "dead" condition, you get three as compensation. Sounds more than fair to us!
'Let's Pizza' machine cooks you a pie in three minutes, won't ask you to enter any contests
Bob Bibleman has had bad luck with technology lately. The last time a robot cooked for him he found himself involved in some sort of quasi-military intrigue, and his robot lawnmower sure seems like it's up to something. But when ol' Bob ran across a report in the Times (UK) that a venerable Italian gentleman named Claudio Torghele had invented "Let's Pizza" -- a machine that makes pizza from scratch, in three minutes -- he decided to give technology one more chance. The device sports a glass window through which you can watch the machine mix and knead the dough, spin it into shape, add the sauce and toppings, and cook it to perfection. A pie will run you about €3.50 (or just under five bucks), and the machine is due to hit the streets sometime this summer. Now that Mr. Bibleman has that sorted out, maybe he'll be brave enough to let technology help him with other areas of his life -- we hear that JDate's really something.[Via The Raw Feed]
Sapient's touchscreen Coke machine brings pop into the 21st century
Man, it just isn't fair -- we keep seeing all these kick-ass new vending machines, but when we want a can of Mr. Pibb or RC Cola we're stuck feeding quarters into something that looks like it was last serviced whenever Pac-Man Fever went storming up the charts. Then again, that's probably what we get for spending all our time in pool halls and bowling alleys. If you're lucky enough to head to one of the 190-plus (and growing!) malls owned by the Simon Property Group sometime in the not too distant future, you just might have the pleasure of getting your cold, satisfying beverage from one of the new-fashioned touch screen Coke machines from Sapient. The screen is pretty much the entire front of the machine, and the interface is simple (as you'd expect), but pretty cool nonetheless -- select your pop bottle, spin it around, take a look at the ingredients, and vend -- quasi-Minority Report-style. "Futuretistic," no? This thing takes cash and plastic, and it should be out in the US soon enough -- readers in Europe and the UK will have to wait until sometime in 2010 to get in on the action. Video after the break.%Gallery-42386%[Thanks, Trent]
Japan's face-authorizing cigarette machines no match for Bruce Willis photo
Remember those Japanese vending machines that use face recognition to scan for wrinkles and saggy skin before authenticating cigarette purchases? Surprise, they're so easy to circumvent that even a nicotine-addicted kid can do it. Turns out the cameras will authenticate "a 15-centimeter (6-inch) wide magazine photo of a man who looked to be in his 50s." Smaller clippings work too as demonstrated by a successful cigarette vend using a 3-inch photo of a woman in her 30s -- a 1-inch wide photo failed, however. Still, only 4,000 of Japan's 570,000 cigarette vending machines feature the cams and these are due for a software update in response to the flaw -- the rest use RFID readers to check the smoker's Taspo age-verification card. Nevertheless, we don't think it's much of a stretch to predict that this system, like that of DRM controlled music, is destined to fail. [Via The Raw Feed]
iPod vending machines...succeed?
When I first heard of the whole buy-an-iPod vending-machine concept, I dismissed it as yet another bad idea that had to play itself out. I couldn't imagine anyone ever actually buying an iPod at one of these machines. Looks like I was way wrong. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports (subscription) that a single iPod vending machine sold a thousands of dollars worth of iPods in one month. A VP of Business Traveler Services is quoted as saying, "We've done about $55,000 in a month in gross sales just for the one on Concourse A. This is becoming the future for some high-end products in places like airports where space is at a premium." If you're willing to drop $349 plus tax, the iPod is yours. And it's a change from all those salty treats you normally get at a vending machine.
