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Inhabitat’s Week in Green: algae-powered building, 3D-printing vending machine and the Toyota i-Road concept

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Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week’s most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us — it’s the Week in Green.

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Now that green design is entering the mainstream, we’re beginning to see the design community tackle larger, more ambitious projects using eco-friendly techniques. Case in point: This week, San Francisco transformed the Bay Bridge into the world’s largest light sculpture by outfitting it with 25,000 LED lights. Because the lights are so energy-efficient, it will cost just $ 15 per night to run the installation. In Hamburg, workers are putting the finishing touches on the world’s first algae-powered building, which is set to open this month at the International Building Exhibition. A company in Tokyo recently demonstrated a new skyscraper deconstruction technique that harvests energy from the demolition process and salvages almost every piece of the building for reuse. And in Copenhagen, work has begun on a combined ski resort and waste-to-energy plant, which will convert the city’s trash into energy that powers the resort.

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I WILL WRECK YOU: Rugby Inspired Beer Vending Machine Only Dispenses Beer After A Hard Hit

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Author: jos

This is a Salta brand beer vending machine modded by creative agency Ogilvy to only dispense a beer if it gets hit hard enough from the side (as gauged by the light-up meter on the front). The concept was that rugby fans would be more inclined to buy the beer if there was a…physical aspect involved. Me? I’m cool just asking the bartender for a freshie. The machine took a tour of bars in northern Argentina, where it allegedly increased beer sales by 25% from people wanting to beat on the thing. I dunno, I prefer my bar visits as violence-free as possible. Because I used to go to a pub that had one of those robotic punching bags you could hit as hard as you wanted for $ 1, but one time I missed and accidentally nailed a guy coming out of the bathroom. He died instantly. So did another guy on the shitter who only heard the punch and had a heart attack. I was gonna check his wallet to notify his next of kin but the bathroom smelled like he’s just had the hot wings so I didn’t.

Hit the jump for a commercial demoing the thing.

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ShelfX Vending Fridge automatically charges you for what you take out of it

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Author: Tyler Evans

ShelfX Vending Machine

Store shelves haven’t changed much since the advent of the UPC barcode, but a new company called ShelfX is looking to change that a bit by bringing RFID cards, QR codes, and smart shelves to your supermarket. The first implementation of the technology is the (unimaginatively) titled Vending Fridge, which unlocks after it recognizes your account (containing your payment method) from an RFID card or an iPhone app that’ll scan a QR code on the fridge. Once unlocked, you can peruse the sodas, sandwiches, fruits, or other items in the fridge and remove what you’d like. After closing the fridge it’ll figure out what items were removed (even if you moved stuff around you’ll only be charged for missing items) and it’ll automatically process the…

ShelfX’s Vending Fridge nixes the cashier, uses QR codes, RFID to ‘know what you took’

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Author: Ang Nguyen

QR codes and RFID tags aren’t uncommon when it comes to automated payment applications, and now Colorado-based ShelfX has purposed them for its new wireless-equipped Vending Fridges. Eliminating the need for a cashier — or cash, for that matter — each unit allows you to purchase any items packed inside by scanning a QR code with your phone (using the company’s app) or an RFID badge. Upon presenting either method to the machine, it’s able to tell who you are and unlocks its door. From there, you can grab whatever you’d like, while ShelfX automatically pulls funds your account for what’s been removed. The system is also smart enough to know when goods are put back, so you won’t have to worry about being charged while making up your mind. All of the money goes through ShelfX, allowing it to take “a small percentage” for itself before sending a monthly payment to owners. The Vending Fridge is currently on sale for $ 600, and a retrofitting kit for your own fridge is also available for half that amount — no word on whether it has kid-blocking or crab-proofing options, though. You’ll find more information in the press release just after the break.

Continue reading ShelfX’s Vending Fridge nixes the cashier, uses QR codes, RFID to ‘know what you took’

ShelfX’s Vending Fridge nixes the cashier, uses QR codes, RFID to ‘know what you took’ originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 28 Apr 2012 02:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hand-cranked vending machine offers products sans power, refreshments during emergencies (video)

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Author: Eric Moss

Ever needed to grab a bottle of water only to find the vending machine you’ve spotted is without power? The folks in Japan have, especially in the period immediately following natural disasters. The solution? Easy. A hand-cranked vending machine that still affords you the option of your desired food or beverage even during an emergency when the power is down. Sanden, a Japanese vending outfit, has developed the system that would allow the country’s 5.5 million machines to run sans electricity or solar power and rely on good ol’ fashioned muscle. You’ll just need to dish out 70 cranks, in addition to the cost of your selection, and in about 20 seconds the kit powers on. The machine shown here will dispense around seven bottles before needing a full re-crank and there’s no word on what the additional cost per vending unit will be. For look at the tech in action, hit the video above and prepare for a bicep workout.

Hand-cranked vending machine offers products sans power, refreshments during emergencies (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Mar 2012 21:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Japan Gets Wi-Fi Dispensing Vending Machines

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Author: Major Workman

It’s no secret that Japan is the country of vending machines (they even have models like this one now), but this is new: Tokyo-based beverage company Asahi Soft Drinks took the wraps off a vending machine [JP] that not only offers drinks but also sends out Wi-Fi signals within a 50m radius.

The Wi-Fi will be available for free, is accessible with multiple devices, without registration, and for anyone to use (meaning users won’t have to buy any drinks to go online through the machine). It’s possible to use the web for about 30 minutes before the machine cuts you off (re-connecting is possible, however).

After logging in, users will see various location-specific information on the home screen, for example on local stores, or sightseeing spots.

Starting in 2012, Asahi will set up 1,000 of the vending machines in five different regions in Japan (Tokyo, Sendai, Chubu, Kinki, and Fukuoka) in the first year. The plan is to roll out a total of 10,000 units in the next five years.

Asahi is currently operating 250,000 vending machines all over Japan.

Nokia’s FourSquare-enabled vending machine offers free smartphones, Butterfingers (video)

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Author: Dave Adams

Sure, it’s one thing to hit up the vending machine at work to get your Doritos fix, but free gifts? That’s exactly what Nokia‘s doing at the Skypark in Glasgow for the city’s Social Media Week with the help of 1000heads. Dubbed the “Nokia Gift Machine,” it allows event attendees to obtain one free gift per day including candy from the US of A, Nokia accessories and even smartphones for a lucky few. All it takes is a quick FourSquare check-in with #NokiaConnects followed by a share over Twitter, and a goodie-filled tube will be yours for the taking. It’ll only be in place until the 23rd, so if you’re there and haven’t given it whirl, consider this a quick heads-up from your friends at Engadget. Plus, who doesn’t love getting awesome stuff for free? Exactly. Full details in the PR past the break.

Continue reading Nokia’s FourSquare-enabled vending machine offers free smartphones, Butterfingers (video)

Nokia’s FourSquare-enabled vending machine offers free smartphones, Butterfingers (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Sep 2011 04:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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For His Blog: Man Has Been Taking Pictures Of Same Vending Machine For 5 Years

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Author: Jack Schmidt

It’s no secret the Japanese love their vending machines, but this is extreme: a man from Sapporo has been taking pictures of the same vending machine (almost) every day since August 2005. The man, a person called Ikeda, is still uploading each picture on a blog he set up more than five years ago just for his strange hobby – just for fun.

I first thought this is either fake, a case of objectophilia or a viral marketing campaign by Coca Cola (the machine sells drinks), but it’s well documented in Japan’s blogosphere that Ikeda is a regular person (here‘s his Flickr account).

When drinks or prices change overnight, Ikeda makes an effort to highlight every single change, as you can see below:

What you see on top of this post is the original vending machine from August 2005. Pictured below is the new version (the machine has been replaced once).

Via Asiajin [ENG]

CrunchGear

Vending Machine Detects Oneâ€™s Sex And Age To Recommend Appropriate Drinks

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Author: Alexander McQueen

Last year, we’ve shown you Yahoo Japan’s digital signage system that scans passersbys to put up personalized content (ads, news, and other information). And today, railway operator JR EAST showed a very similar device that’s actually a mix between digital signage system and vending machine.

The new system is larger than the Yahoo Japan model and can detect one’s sex and age, too. All that customers need to do is to stand in front of the system, wait for it to work its magic through a camera, and then choose the drink that the system recommends by pushing the drink’s icon on a 47-inch touch panel.

The recommended drinks are highlighted with a red star (see above). Customers can pay in cash, with their cell phones, or with one of three common IC cards.

If there’s no one around, the machine displays information like the current time or temperature, but it also can show ads or videos it downloads via Wimax. The first machine was put up at Shinagawa station in central Tokyo today, with 500 more systems to follow in the next two years.

Via Keitai Watch [JP] / hat tip to Akky

Props to CrunchGear

Japanese banana vending machines

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Author: admin

The Japanese put everything in vending machines. I’m surprised they don’t have prostitutes in them, where you can pay and the door opens. Now they even have fresh bananas thanks to Doleâ€™s new machines which are installed in an underground connection at the Shibuya subway station.

Bananas are a hot commodity too. The vending machine was sold out on its first day. A single banana is about $1.50 (130 yen) and a bunch of five or six is almost $4.50. (390 yen) I guess people are willing to pay for a healthier snack.

It’s bananas.

[2dayblog]