Tokyo Installs Vending Machines That Can Recognize Demographics

Behold, the future of vending machines has arrived. Last week, two vending machines with the ability to recognize the demographics of its customers were installed in Shinagawa Station in Tokyo, Japan.

These vending machines have a 75% chance of accurately recognizing a person’s age and sex. Based on the information that it gathers, the machines can then make recommendations on what drinks a person can get.

Pretty cool, we have to admit, although we’re hoping that the machine’s 75% accuracy level would improve in the future. After all, we wouldn’t it telling us what we should and shouldn’t drink because it thinks that we’re some five year old on a sugar high.



[via examiner]

Vogue’s Oil Spill-Inspired Shoot Raises Eyebrows

For its August issue, Vogue Italia had a spread featuring model Kristen McMenamy mostly dressed in black looking oily and dirty (yet still fierce.) One photo actually had her dressed in feathers covered in oil while another shot showed her spitting up water while lying on the rocks.

Now a bold move like this one which is practically immortalized in glossy paper on news stands will not go unnoticed. Immediately after it was released, the spread conjured up various opinions both from inside and outside the fashion industry.

Some people were hurt and offended by the spread, while others, such us ourselves, didn’t find it vulgar or offensive at all. What can we say, that’s fashion; it’s all about taking feisty risks. Besides, how else would an industry giant such as Vogue make a statement?

[via MSNBC]

Website Taking Bets in Order to Motivate Students

Sports betting getting a little too old for you? Do you need motivation to ace that mind-numbing class? Then you may want to swing by Ultrinsic, a website that will let students set wagers on their grades.

It all starts with having users sign up and give Ultrinsic access to their class schedules and school records. The site then uses these factors as well as other information that it can dig up on the classes and the students in order to calculate a certain grade. The student then decides how much he or she is willing to bet on it.

Needless to say, this has already sparked a debate among adults. Should this be considered as gambling and therefore be banned from campus? Or is it perfectly legit since students are relying solely on their skills and are betting on themselves?

[via TIME]

Sharpie’s Wonder Pen

We agree with Engadget. Sharpie’s new pen may not be considered the highest or most sophisticated of tech and gizmos, but it sure is cute enough to be discussed here. Check out the new Sharpie Liquid Pencil that writes like a pen and erases like a pencil.

Yep, that last statement pretty much says it all. The pen does a pretty good job in a erasing its ink, although the actual physical marks on the paper are a lot harder to take out. And while Sharpie’s blog says that it “erasableness” of the lasts for three days, the box says it takes 24 hours.

See the video demo below.



[via Engadget]

Vegas Thinking About Banning Hula-Hoops

Of all the so-called crazy things to ban in Sin City, they just had to set their eyes on the hula-hoops.

No, this doesn’t mean that you can’t hula to your hips’ content in the comfort of your own home. But the city is fighting to ban hula-hooping in the downtown area, also known as the Fremont Street Experience.

According to the city council, hula-hoopers are obstructing traffic and aren’t really providing a pleasant experience to tourists.

Of course, hula-hoopers as well as other street artists are wildly protesting to the idea, stating that it’ll kill their livelihood.

Needless to say, we’re going to side with the street artists in this case. Banning hula-hoops in Vegas is like forbidding New Yorkers to yell “Get the f*ck out of the way!” to slow pedestrians. All the original and crazy things the people see and hear on the street are part of the whole city experience, and no, the council isn’t doing tourists a favor by taking them away.



[via TIME and AOL]

WiFi to Hit the Streets of NYC

If you’re looking for WiFi free for all then you better start packing for New York. Aside from the agreement to install WiFi in New York’s subway system, LimoRes Car & Limo, the proponent of this service is planning to install free advertising-supported service in about a thousand Livery cabs by fall of this year. The people inside the cab as well as anyone within 400 feet of the vehicle will be able to catch free WiFi for their gadgets.

Of course, if it’s extremely important for you to have Internet access, then it’s best not to rely on this service too much. After all, you wouldn’t want to end up chasing after the cab when the light turns green and your Web access goes speeding off with the other cars.

[via NY1 and poopcity]

San Francisco Installs Hi-Tech Parking Meters

Driving and parking in San Francisco can be a drag especially to those who are used to wide freeways and parking lots at each corner. However, with the SF Park project, the stress of finding a space in the city just got a little lighter. The San Francisco Transit Authority started replacing old parking meters in the city with meters that accept credit cards and are equipped with sensors that can measure the demand for parking spaces. These new meters can compute the price of parking based on the availability of the spaces. The more spaces available, the lower the parking fee and vice versa.

In addition, drivers can actually check up on parking spaces online which can give them an idea of traffic and parking conditions even before they leave the house.

[via Switched]