Sony Vending Machines (Kiosks)

JSWolf · 02-07-2008, 09:29 AM

I was at Logan Airport in Boston, MA. yesterday and saw one of these Sony Kiosks. It had in it headphones, PSP games, memory sticks, a Sliver Sony Reader PRS-505, and other odds and ends.

Quote:

Sony wants its electronic products to be readily available to consumers via automated kiosks strategically placed in malls and other such places.

But be sure not to call these vending machines. Gower Smith of Zoom Systems, which is providing the technology for Sony, says that these are robotic stores and not vending machines. These specially-designed kiosks will come in either of two versions, one four feet and the other eight feet wide, both with a touch screen where displayed products' info and specs, as well as trailers and music videos, will be shown. Movie will also be shown in here.

Link

jamesdmanley · 02-07-2008, 10:37 AM

what? no tvs?

stxopher · 02-07-2008, 01:36 PM

That would be the Ipod vender next to it.

mjh215 · 12-08-2008, 12:06 PM

"But be sure not to call these vending machines. Gower Smith of Zoom Systems, which is providing the technology for Sony, says that these are robotic stores and not vending machines."

It's a machine, which vends products... Hence a vending machine. It is a very fancy model. Nice lines. I'm sure with it has a very complex dispensing system. But it is still a vending machine...

-MJ

AshW · 12-08-2008, 12:21 PM

There's no way I'd ever trust that sort of purchase to a vending machine. I've had far too many chocolate bars get stuck in those contraptions

zelda_pinwheel · 12-08-2008, 12:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AshW

There's no way I'd ever trust that sort of purchase to a vending machine. I've had far too many chocolate bars get stuck in those contraptions

that's exactly what i think everytime i see one of those.

tcv · 12-08-2008, 02:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

that's exactly what i think everytime i see one of those.

Heh. The image comes up of someone watching the little wire turn only to see the Reader tip forward and get stuck between the wire and the glass. The customer, of course, bangs on the glass, then harder. Finally, he started to shake the machine, pulls it from the top, at which point it tips over and falls on the man, killing him.

And the strangest thing about the story? He was going to read...

P is For Peril.

ShellShock · 12-08-2008, 04:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AshW

There's no way I'd ever trust that sort of purchase to a vending machine. I've had far too many chocolate bars get stuck in those contraptions

That happened to me last week - the wire thingy turned but the choccie stayed put, and shaking the machine did not dislodge it. So I applied some lateral thinking and put some more money in to buy the same bar again - this time both dropped to the slot.

So, if your Reader gets stuck in the vending machine, be prepared to fork out for another one.

AshW · 12-08-2008, 06:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tcv

Heh. The image comes up of someone watching the little wire turn only to see the Reader tip forward and get stuck between the wire and the glass. The customer, of course, bangs on the glass, then harder. Finally, he started to shake the machine, pulls it from the top, at which point it tips over and falls on the man, killing him.

Not as unusual as you might think!

Quote:

An article in the Journal of the American Medical Association (11 November 1988, p. 2697) documents 15 cases in which men trying to get a can out of the machine were crushed. Three died, the other 12 required hospitalization for injuries such as fractures of the skull, toe, ankle, tibia, femur, and pelvis; intracerebral bleeding; knee contusion; and one punctured bladder. In fact interestingly enough 1 in every 10,000 vending machine interactions ends in fatal injuries.

Yeah... people can be pretty dumb.

acidzebra · 12-08-2008, 06:08 PM

I saw one of these Sony boots when flying back from NY to the Netherlands this summer. I actually almost bought a pair of bluetooth headphones (after verifying the specs on my blackberry) but decided against it - probably no or half charge on the batteries.

ShortNCuddlyAm · 12-08-2008, 06:09 PM

We have a vending machine at work. The people who used to fill it up would leve the odd space in between things, so if you weren't paying attention you'd put your money in and watch as it dispensed some air.

zelda_pinwheel · 12-08-2008, 06:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShortNCuddlyAm

We have a vending machine at work. The people who used to fill it up would leve the odd space in between things, so if you weren't paying attention you'd put your money in and watch as it dispensed some air.

ah... sadism still alive and well in the workplace, i see.

Boston · 12-08-2008, 08:50 PM

They need to add the ability to sell ebooks which can be transferred directly to your Sony reader.

mjh215 · 12-10-2008, 01:08 PM

This kid really wanted his Sony Reader;
http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/200...81_ntnews.html

-MJ

12-08-2008, 06:09 PM	#11
ShortNCuddlyAm WWHALD Posts: 5,910 Karma: 43211 Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Mitcham, Surrey, UK Device: My liseuse is a silver PRS505 (& an iphone). Zelda had a little lamb.	We have a vending machine at work. The people who used to fill it up would leve the odd space in between things, so if you weren't paying attention you'd put your money in and watch as it dispensed some air. __________________ Am --- This thread has been Hijacked. <pause> Round up the usual suspects. - courtesy of LazyScot there is no white, no black, just passionate grey... - courtesy of Yvanleterrible Minister of the Ministry of /dev/null and part time amazing raining frog Minister of Defense, Mobilita Republica "By Any Means Neccessary" Founder of SSADL (Silver Sony Anti Defamation League)

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Sony Reader PRS-505 - MobileRead's Conference Call with Sony	NatCh	Sony Portable Reader PRS-500/505	75	10-08-2007 02:47 AM
Why no eBook kiosks?	tcv	News and Commentary	30	11-02-2006 01:34 PM
Sony Vending Machines	sUnShInE	News and Commentary	5	06-17-2006 12:05 PM
E-book vending machines?	Bob Russell	News and Commentary	0	05-23-2006 07:55 PM
PDA soft and e-book vending machine - soon to replace the kiosk next door?	Alexander Turcic	News and Commentary	6	07-03-2005 02:27 PM

02-07-2008, 10:37 AM	#2
jamesdmanley Groupie Posts: 155 Karma: 817 Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: houston Device: prs-500	what? no tvs?

02-07-2008, 01:36 PM	#3
stxopher Addict Posts: 247 Karma: 2296 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Wichita, KS Device: 1150, PRS-500, RF1, Cybook	That would be the Ipod vender next to it.

12-08-2008, 12:06 PM	#4
mjh215 Guru Posts: 988 Karma: 12653 Join Date: Apr 2008 Device: None of your business	"But be sure not to call these vending machines. Gower Smith of Zoom Systems, which is providing the technology for Sony, says that these are robotic stores and not vending machines." It's a machine, which vends products... Hence a vending machine. It is a very fancy model. Nice lines. I'm sure with it has a very complex dispensing system. But it is still a vending machine... -MJ

12-08-2008, 12:21 PM	#5
AshW Connoisseur Posts: 55 Karma: 108 Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Narnia Device: Sony Reader	There's no way I'd ever trust that sort of purchase to a vending machine. I've had far too many chocolate bars get stuck in those contraptions

12-08-2008, 06:08 PM	#10
acidzebra Liseuse Lover Posts: 869 Karma: 7962 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Netherlands Device: PRS-505	I saw one of these Sony boots when flying back from NY to the Netherlands this summer. I actually almost bought a pair of bluetooth headphones (after verifying the specs on my blackberry) but decided against it - probably no or half charge on the batteries.

12-08-2008, 08:50 PM	#13
Boston Addict Posts: 375 Karma: 638 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Boston :) Device: Kindle 1, Sony PRS-505	They need to add the ability to sell ebooks which can be transferred directly to your Sony reader.

12-10-2008, 01:08 PM	#14
mjh215 Guru Posts: 988 Karma: 12653 Join Date: Apr 2008 Device: None of your business	This kid really wanted his Sony Reader; http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/200...81_ntnews.html -MJ