January 19, 2007
A vending machine for mobile gadgets
The Christian Science Monitor reports on new vending machines that sell iPods, cellphones, USB drives, headphones, DVDs, and other gadgets.
"This latest development in the $30 billion-a-year vending industry (a figure that only includes food and beverage sales) is a natural outgrowth of consumer clamor for control and round-the-clock convenience, say industry observers.
... There are 7 million vending machines in the United States and more than 100 million Americans use them every day.
Half of all machines sell soda, and the number of machines that dispense high-end or nonconventional products remains low, but it's growing, Kasavana says. Since 2005, Zoom has installed more than 300 machines carrying high-end products in locations as varied as airports, department stores, and college campuses.
For those worried about swiping and not getting what they asked for, a lot of machines have built-in technology called "surevend," says Ms. Clark. This is a laser beam that sweeps the tray to make sure your product is there. If it's not, your card will not be charged.
And if swiping weren't easy enough, several companies are experimenting with cards equipped with a chip, which you only need to tap or wave at a card reader to make a payment.
Related:
-- Motorola unveils "Instantmoto": cellphone 'vending machines'
-- Cell Phone and iPod vending machines
-- Vodafone introduces first mobile-vending machines in U.K.
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