The Vending Machines of the Future 216
JoshuaInNippon writes "Not sure what you're thirsty for? New vending machines in Shinagawa Station in Tokyo will tell you based on your age and gender. The machines, controlled by a centralized server, come equipped with sensors that recognize basic costumer information, and then provide recommendations alongside the list of available drinks. A massive 47-inch touch panel display is used in place of the typical button system, allowing for an automatic digital advertising mode when no people are directly in front of the machine." A Massachusetts-based vending machine company has even come up with a line of biometric snack machines that tie your thumbprint to a credit card.
Not new (Score:5, Informative)
I've seen touchscreen coke machines, where the entire front of the machine is a vertically oriented touchscreen panel, here in the US in malls:
http://www.newlaunches.com/archives/touch_screen_coke_vending_machine_by_sapient.php [newlaunches.com]
It doesn't try to guess what you want to drink, which is about as moronic a concept as those biofeedback quarter machines that tell you your love potential based on your heart rate.
Re:Martini (Score:5, Informative)
That's what almost no one gets!
The original James Bond film, Casino Royale, was a much sillier spoof on the 'international superspy' film genre than the less tongue-in-cheek films which came after it - and Bond's odd drink preference was contrived to make him sound a bit poncy. And yet now he and his drink are the broadly accepted standard of suave manliness.
What the hell.
Re:Martini (Score:2, Informative)
The Bond films were all a bit tongue in cheek at times, however, James Bond was the pinnacle of cool for decades.
However, in response to spazdor, Casino Royale was the first Bond book, but not the first Bond movie. Bond drank martinis in the books, and it was in no way supposed to be "poncy". He then drank them in the movies, starting in with Dr. No in 1962, five years before Casino Royale the move came out. Casino Royale was a spoof of the movies, based loosely off the first book, which at that time had never been made into a serious movie.
Re:Why? (Score:2, Informative)
My wife is a dietitian. She specialises in diabetes. Business is good. Damn good. Increasingly younger and younger patients.
As a quick education, here goes:
There are two types of diabetes
1) "Type 1" - you usually get this as a small kid and it's not your fault. You're just unlucky.
2) "Type 2" aka "Adult-onset diabetes". Let's paint with a broad brush and be really clear. Type-2 is on the rise in all western countries (and eastern countries as they adopt our diet).
** You almost always get type-2 diabetes because you're fat. **
There's not many ways to spin this. Once the condition is advanced enough you'll have to lose some feet/hands/arms/legs. This is not theoretical - plenty of my wife's patients are in this position.
What can you do? Short answer - don't be fat. Lose those extra 10kgs.
I've asked my wife (who's really not a food nazi at all), what are the food items that should be just given up without any thought. Assuming alcohol is off the list (hey - we've got to be realistic) the #1 thing to get rid of is lolly-water, sugar drinks etc. Just that one thing will make a big difference for a lot of people.
If you're quaffing cans of this shit every day, just stop (go cold turkey - don't be weak). You'll lose quite a bit of weight. You may dodge the amputation saw later in life.
The parent post is absolutely bang-on correct in hiss views (IMHO).
WRT organisations shoving this stuff at us; in my country, $BIG_SUGAR_WATER_COMPANY tried to get sugar-water vending machines in schools. This has been prevented. What about you country?
Seriously - just give up the coke/pepsi/fanta etc. Keep all your limbs fattie.