Vending Machine

This Wednesday saw the official opening of the world’s first permanent gold-dispensing vending machine. Created by German company TG Gold-Super-Markt, the GOLD To Go ATM is located (unsurprisingly) in the lavish Emirates Palace Hotel, in Abu Dhabi. Now, when hotel guests want to exchange their cash for something a little more economically-stable, they won’t have to bother with gold store clerks or business hours.  Read More

Claw vending machines have caused wide-spread frustration in arcades the world over for decades. Known as UFO catchers in Japan, and sometimes as 'teddy pickers' or 'skill testers' in other countries, these games offer little entertainment and even less hope of success. Well, for me anyway... But now that Japan-based company Mechatrax has developed the Robo-catcher I might have some improved hope of entertainment, if not some realistic chance at winning.  Read More

April 19, 2006 Automated convenience is a growing market, and we’ve recently written about several interesting developments such as a fresh flowers vending machine, a fully-automated convenience store (no staff) and an intriguing temporary physical Virtual Store. Now the envelope is being pushed even further. Last year eAnytime began work on a medication dispensing system with biometric pre-authorisation to complement its virtual nurse biometric dose dispensing kiosks. Now it has announced an ingenious DropOff & PickUp station that opens up a plethora of new retail possibilities and partnerships. The kiosk (pictured) will enable dry cleaners to partner with supermarket and convenience store chains, large employers, office and apartment building management and hotels. The kiosks are being marketed as a cost effective alternative to staffed drop stores and home and office delivery and when installed in a processing store, can even act as a front-end to a racking system. In addition to dry cleaning, the stations can also address laundering, alterations and repairs, leather apparel, household goods and shoe repair and uniform distribution.  Read More

Stickups are on the rise but it's not guns being pointed - its mobile phones. And you're not being robbed - far from it. You're shopping in the cashless future that is now catching on with a convergence of technologies promising to digitise money and change the way we buy. The age of cashless transactions is here - not the end of money as much as the end of physical currency as we know it and the beginning of a networked economy of retail diversity, convenience and micropayments. Across America everything from ticket sales, laundromats, public phones, vending machines and automated kiosks are integrating USA Technologies' wireless, cashless networking services in a full scale roll out of the new digital economy. With the click of a bluetooth enabled mobile phone consumers can now shop without physical cash - leave your wallet at home.  Read More

One of the three category winners at the Australian Sensis YellowPages Business Ideas Grant Awards for 2003, Lisa Hayden's unique Floral eKiosk provides an automated self-service vending machine that provides access to fresh flowers 24 hours a day. The floral eKiosk is designed to fill a niche in a marketplace that is driven by impulse buying, with 95% of flower purchases for pick up or delivery happening on same day. The system also creates a non-intrusive environment where men in particular feel less embarrassed purchasing flowers and sending personal messages.  Read More