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Like chips and soda, now you can buy lottery tickets from lottery ticket vending machine.

The lottery began installing 500 machines statewide last week. The vending machines sell 24 games costing $1 to $10 each.

Many will go into supermarkets, said Alice Garland, lottery deputy executive director. Some will land in convenience stores with high ticket sales to free up clerks.

Lottery ticket vending machine is not new to state lotteries. Maryland has used them since 1998, while Virginia first installed machines in 1990.

States try to prevent players under 18 from using the anonymity of the machines to illegally buy tickets.

The state also “strongly recommends” that store owners place machines within sight of clerks, she said. Some states, including Maryland and Virginia, said they require stores to place the machines where workers can watch them.

Fun Facts with Lottery Ticket

• The first recorded instance of a lottery are keno slips from ancient China dating to between 201 and 187 BC. The lotteries most likely helped finance large government projects, such as the Great Wall of China.
• Roman Augustus Caesar held the first recorded lottery that offered tickets for sale. He used the funds to repair the city.
• A person is more likely to be killed by a vending machine (1 in 112 million) than to win the lottery.
• A person is more likely to become U.S. President (1 in 10 million) than to win the lottery.
• Stanford professor Joan R. Ginther won the lottery four times. The odds of this happening is about 1 in 18 septillion. Experts note that because she is a math genius, she may have cracked the lottery algorithm.
• In 2010, the weekly state lottery in Israel drew the same six numbers it did three weeks earlier. The chance of this happening is one in four trillion.
• About 70% of lottery winners not only spend all their winnings, but they lose the rest of their money within seven years.
• The most commonly drawn numbers in the lottery are 44, 38, and 40. (US)
• The most commonly chosen numbers in the lottery end in 7. (US)
• Men in the United States play the lottery every 18 days, while women play every 11 days.

People are more likely to do the following than win the lottery

• Die from an asteroid strike: 1 in 74,817,414
• Become a movie star: 1 in 1,505,000
• Get struck by lightning: 1 in 1,101,000
• Bowl a 300 game: 1 in 11,500

Source

• factretriever

Other Vending Machine Applications

Since technology is becoming increasingly commoditized I guess we shouldn’t be surprised to see computer memory vending machine.

Kingston, in conjunction with MyMemory, has unveiled the first mainstream computer memory vending machine. It is also located in about the most logical place for such a device: an airport.

Ann Keefe, Director of Sales UK & Ireland at Kingston Technology, was understandably chipper about the whole thing: “Our consumers are telling us they want greater storage capacity for their mobile phones, digital cameras and USB drives to store music, images, games, videos and personal data,” she said.

They want instant access to SD cards and USB drives as they need them 24/7, so vending machines in public spaces were the most obvious solution.

Ann Keefe, Director of Sales UK & Ireland at Kingston Technology

A memory selector will be integrated into all vending machines to give customers the confidence they are purchasing the correct memory card for their device.

Interesting facts on Computer

• TYPEWRITER is the longest word using the letters only on one row of the keyboard.
• Doug Engelbart invented the first computer mouse in around 1964 which was made of wood.
• There are more than 5000 new computer viruses released every month.
• The password for the computer controls of nuclear tipped missiles of the U.S was 00000000 for eight years.
• The first 1GB hard disk drive was announced in 1980 which weighed about 550 pounds, and had a price tag of $40,000.
• The first electronic computer ENIAC weighed more than 27 tons and took up 1800 square feet.
• The original name of windows was Interface Manager.
• The first microprocessor created by Intel was the 4004 and it was designed for a calculator,

Source

• Geeks for Geeks

Other Vending Machine Applications

Now here’s an invention with a lot of potential – anger release vending machines full of plates, glasses and porcelain figurines that you can break to calm yourself down.

If you haven’t done it yourself, I’m sure you’ve seen it in movies – breaking stuff to calm the nerves. Most housewives prefer kitchen items, like plates or glasses, but porcelain decorations work just as well. Pick them up, smash them into the floor/wall and feel yourself calm down almost instantly. It’s called destruction therapy, or destructotherapy. The only problem is you can’t really practice it wherever you are, unless you fancy carrying a bunch of plates with you wherever you go.

Luckily, designers Ronnie Yarisal and Katja Kublitz at Yarisal & Kublitz have come up with an ingenious solution – anger release vending machines filled with whatever item you feel like smashing to calm down and release the pressure. Just like other dispensers, all you have to do is punch in the product code, pay, and there you have it – instant anger management session.

Brilliant idea, finally someone actually starts producing these things.

Tips for Anger Management (Mayo Clinic)

1. Think before you speak
2. Once you’re calm, express your anger
3. Get some exercise
4. Take a timeout
5. Identify possible solutions
6. Stick with ‘I’ statements
7. Don’t hold a grudge
8. User humor to release tension
9. Practice relaxation skills
10. Know when to seek help

The 40 Best Comedy Series of All Time (Esquire)

1. Curb Your Enthusiasm
2. Nathan For You
3. Cheers
4. The Simpsons
5. Atlanta
6. Seinfeld
7. Frasier
8. 30 Rock
9. Pen15
10. All in the Family
11. The Jeffersons
12. Arrested Development
13. Sex and the City
14. Police Squad!
15. What We Do in the Shadows
16. Insecure
17. The Mary Tyler Moore Show
18. Bob’s Burgers
19. Good Times
20. BoJack Horseman
21. Big Mouth
22. Second City TV
23. Parks and Recreation
24. Tim and Eric’s Awesome Show, Great Job
25. Saturday Night Live
26. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
27. Schitt’s Creek
28. Roseanne
29. Kenan and Kel
30. Fleabag
31. In Living Color
32. Los Espookys
33. Broad City
34. Portlandia
35. Key & Peele
36. Veep
37. Freaks & Geeks
38. The Eric Andre Show
39. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
40. I Love Lucy

Other Vending Machine Applications

People buying out of cigarette vending machine will soon have to use a taspo integrated circuit card to verify their age.

What is Taspo and how does it work?

Taspo is the name that’s been given to the IC card (combining “tobacco,” “access” and “passport”) and is issued by the Tobacco Institute of Japan. Without this card, it will be impossible to buy cigarettes from a vending machine.

Smokers will need to place Taspo on a card reader on the front of the Cigarette vending machine, which will access information stored in the card and verify that the purchaser is at least 20 years old — the legal smoking age.

The card also has a prepaid electronic money function, allowing people to deposit up to ¥20,000 for cigarette purchases.

When used as a debit card, age verification and payment will take place simultaneously.

Why is Taspo being introduced?

The institute’s Web site says,

Taspo is the ultimate way of rigorously conducting age verification checks and is expected to be a highly effective way of preventing underage smoking.

The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry has conducted studies showing that 70 percent to 80 percent of underage smokers get their cigarettes from vending machines. By introducing taspo, the institute hopes to cut this phenomenon off.

What is the schedule of Taspo?

A pilot project will begin in March in Kagoshima and Miyazaki prefectures. It will then be introduced in the rest of Kyushu, plus Hokkaido, Shikoku and the Tohoku and Chugoku regions in May. Central Japan and the Kansai region will see the system in June, and finally Okinawa and the Kanto region will get it in July, affecting nearly all of Japan’s estimated 520,000 cigarette machines.

How does one obtain a card?

First, pick up an application form available at tobacco shops and other places, including on the front of many cigarette machines. The form can also be downloaded at www.taspo.jp and the site has detailed instructions in English, Chinese, Korean and Portuguese.

A photocopy of a personal identification document, such as driver’s license or public health insurance card, and a mug shot measuring 45 mm by 35 mm that has been taken within the last three months will also be necessary.

Mail the application form with the photo and the I.D. photocopy to the institute and the card will arrive in the mail in about two weeks.

There is no charge or annual membership fee. The card will be valid for 10 years.

What if a card is lost?

Call the taspo service center toll-free at (0120) 222-180 from a regular phone or (0570) 012-340 from a mobile phone, which will be charged. To prevent unauthorized use, the lost card will be suspended and a new card will be issued. The e-money balance will be transferred to the new card.

Are there loopholes in the new system?

Yes. A taspo card is not required when purchasing cigarettes at a shop. Even though employees are supposed to check the age of purchasers who they suspect are minors, this doesn’t always prevent underage smoking.

Also, a minor could sneak their parent’s card or borrow one from any legitimate card holder to use in a cigarette machine.

We can never prevent adults from purchasing alcohol and tobacco for children, we hope cardholders behave like responsible adults.

Hitomichi Tanaka, Institute spokesman

Do other country have similar measures?

The institute said Germany also uses IC cards for age identification to prevent minors from purchasing tobacco from vending machines.

Other Vending Machine Applications

It is now possible to get your kicks from the crafty trainers vending machine, created by Japanese sports fashion brand, Onitsuka Tiger.

It will be as easy as getting hold of a chocolate bar or a can of coke, as well as being the most convenient way to ensure your feet look good at all times. The latest advance in sneaker shopping comes after months of arduous design work by the Onitsuka Tiger team. The machine can vend 24 pairs of trainers at any one time, in any of 6 sizes.

The trainer vending machine will be stationed just off Carnaby Street for three days only at the Onitsuka Tiger store. All trainers from the vending machine will be given away – so you don’t need to put your hand in your pocket at all.

After making a star appearance in London, the vending machine will then embark on a national tour, starting in Manchester.

Penny Keen, Onitsuka Tiger Brand Manager commented: “We hope trainer fans love our latest creation as much as we do and enjoy the latest and most innovative way to buy their Tiger Feet. Onitsuka Tiger prides itself on its heritage, so taking inspiration from modern day Japanese vending machines (which vend anything from eggs to loo rolls) seemed like the perfect next step for the brand. It’s satisfying knowing that we’re the first in the world to do it and we can’t wait to take it to Onitsuka Tiger fans across the UK.”

Some facts from Onitsuka Tiger:

• Each postcard entitles the winner to one token to use in the vending machine.
• Winning postcards must be exchanged for an Onitsuka Tiger token at store counter.
• The vending machine only vends trainers in the following sizes: UK 5 – 10.

Store Address: Onitsuka Tiger, 15 Newburgh Street, London

Other Vending Machine Applications

Fifty-seven methadone vending machines have been installed in British prisons in an effort to help opiate-addicted prisoners manage their drug addictions without resorting to illegal heroin supplies available behind bars.

The machines dispense individualized doses of methadone to registered prisoners after a fingerprint or iris scan. A total of about 70 machines are expected to be installed at a cost of approximately $6.5 million, roughly 10% of the British prison system’s drug treatment budget.

‘Methadone Vending Machines are a safe and secure method for providing a prescribed treatment,’ said a prison spokesperson.

‘They can only be accessed by the person who has been clinically assessed as needing methadone and that person is recognized by a biometric marker, such as their iris.’

About Methadone

• Methadone is the medication with the longest history of use for opioid use disorder treatment, having been used since 1947.
• The proper dose of methadone allows patients to lead a normal life without making them feel “high” or “drugged.”
• Methadone has a gradual, long-lasting effect of 24-hours or more, which mitigates any craving for other opioid drugs.
• Methadone is taken orally once per day, so there is no need for injection needles that carry the risk of diseases like hepatitis or HIV.
• Methadone is not a cure for addiction by itself. It should be used as a component of a recovery program that includes counseling and life improvement services.
• Methadone, like other treatment medications, should not be mixed with other drugs like alcohol, cocaine or marijuana that will increase health risks and lower the effectiveness of treatment.
• Some patients, in consultation with their doctor, decide to take methadone for years in order to significantly decrease their chances of relapse. Others prefer to become completely medication free after they get their life back on track, which takes time.
• Patients should never alter their dose or completely stop taking methadone on their own as withdrawal symptoms and drug cravings may arise leading to relapse.
• Methadone is as safe as any other medications prescribed by doctors. Methadone taken under a doctor’s orders does not cause harm to body organs nor does it alter someone’s ability to clearly think and function.

Source

• Newseason

Other Vending Machine Applications

As everybody knows, Japan is the land of vending machines. Dozens and dozens of these things are standing in the street, offering everything from drinks, to cup noodles and fresh rice 24 hours a day. But we’ve never seen or heard of the Nail Art Machine, a manicure vending machine that (obviously) takes care of your nails – to some extent.

Pay $3.40 and it will beautify two of your nails for that price within about 5 minutes, meaning the manicure vending machine measures your nails and produces a fitting nail stamp based on that analysis.

You can choose between 15 different colors and it’s possible to combine up to four colors with a base color. The machine also lets you choose between different designs through a touch screen.

A reason for the machine being so rare is that it will also require humans to finish your nails and make sure they really look beautiful with what the machine produced.

Other Vending Machine Applications

A new books print vending machine has been released which can print any book within minutes.

The Espresso Book Machine has access to 500,000 different books – the same as 23.6 miles of shelf space – and can churn out a fresh copy of Crime and Punishment in just nine minutes.

Pages are printed at a rate of over 100 per minute and are then pressed, glued and cut to produce a pristine book.

Users simply pick the book they would like on a screen and wait for it to be printed … it certainly is a novel way of getting a new book.

There are currently only three of the £70,000 books print vending machine from On Demand Books and Lightning Source, with one in Blackwell’s Charing Cross Road branch in London.

“We see the Espresso Book Machine as an innovative and exciting way for publishers to get their books out into the market,” said David Taylor, President of Lightning Source.

“There is clearly a place for the in-store print on demand model in the emerging landscape of globally distributed print.”

“Working with On Demand Books allows the many thousands of publishers with whom we already work the chance to get their books into this new distribution channel with minimal effort.”

History (Wikipedia)

Jason Epstein gave a series of lectures in 1999 about his experiences in publishing. Epstein mentioned in his speech that a future was possible in which customers would be able to print an out-of-stock title on the spot, if a book-printing machine could be made that would fit in a store.

Ultimately Epstein, together with Dane Neller, former President and CEO of Dean and Deluca, licensed Marsh’s invention and founded On Demand Books.

The first Espresso Book Machine was installed and demonstrated June 21, 2007, at the New York Public Library’s Science, Industry and Business Library. For a month, the public was allowed to test the machine by printing free copies of public domain titles provided by the Open Content Alliance (OCA), a non-profit organization with a database of over 200,000 titles.

Other Vending Machine Applications

A rundown but functional old Buzzwords vending machine stands alone in the Viewpoint Gallery at Plymouth College of Art. Every now and again, without warning, it springs into life – spewing out free packets of crisps for gallery visitors.

The machine has been modified and no longer functions in the conventional way, finding itself in the control of outside forces…

Its new nervous system is a networked computer. Hidden out of view and running special software, it continually scans the news on the BBC News RSS feed – commanding the machine only to release snacks when words relating to the recession make the headlines.

Whilst seemingly an act of generosity – gifting free food at moments when further doom and gloom is reported – the Buzzwords Vending Machine also hints towards a time in the future when our access to food may literally be determined by wider political or environmental events. We may not be able to access what we want, when we want, at the touch of a button.

Some recent buzzwords:

1. “Metaverse” – This term has gained significant traction, especially after announcements from major tech companies about their investments in virtual worlds. The Metaverse is envisioned as a collective virtual space, merging augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and the internet, where users can interact with each other and digital environments.
2. “NFTs” (Non-Fungible Tokens) – NFTs represent ownership of a unique digital item or piece of content via blockchain technology. They’ve become a buzzword due to their potential to revolutionize digital art, collectibles, and even real estate by providing proof of authenticity and ownership.
3. “Greenwashing” – With increased focus on sustainability, greenwashing refers to the practice of companies claiming to be environmentally friendly without substantial evidence or commitment to sustainable practices. It’s a critical term in discussions around corporate responsibility and marketing ethics.
4. “Quantum Computing” – Although it’s more than just a buzzword, quantum computing represents a cutting-edge area of technology aiming to solve problems beyond the reach of traditional computers. As progress is made in this field, it continues to capture public imagination and media attention.
5. “Remote Work Revolution” – Though not a single word, this phrase captures the shift towards remote working arrangements accelerated by global events. It encompasses changes in workplace culture, productivity tools, and the way businesses organize work.
6. “Digital Nomad” – Increasingly common as more individuals leverage remote work opportunities to travel and live flexibly. Digital nomads work remotely using technology, allowing them to work from various locations around the world.
7. “Circular Economy” – This concept focuses on minimizing waste and making the most of resources. In a circular economy, products are designed for reuse, recycling, and remanufacturing, contrasting with the traditional linear economy model of make, use, dispose.

Other Vending Machine Applications

Among the more interesting relationships Cosmopolitan formed in its quest to be outlandishly unique is the one with Art-O-Mat, a Winston-Salem company that revamps cigarette machines into slick dispensers of $5 art.

Six Art-O-Mat machines will be selling original miniature works from around the globe — prints, painting, sculptures, jewelry, etc.

“This is going to test us in a good way,” says Art-O-Mat founder Clark Whittington, who refers to his company as a “garage/basement operation” (it’s just him and two part-time employees). “We’re not really set up for mass hysteria, and I have a feeling that these machines are going to be very active.”

Art-O-Mat machines already move nearly 25,000 works of art annually, vending in coffee shops, galleries and museums, including New York’s Whitney Museum of American Art.

Whittington says most machines feature as many as 132 artists apiece and are revamped with a high-end finish for a classic and beautiful look.

He’s hoping Las Vegas artists will want to include their art and help keep the machines filled. The machines, he says, serve as an introduction to artists’ larger works, contact information comes with the artwork.

An artist himself, Whittington says he’s never been a proponent of mixing art and money, but sees Art-O-Mat a good way to reach out to people normally not exposed to art:

We want you to have an experience and learn about a living artist.

Clark Whittington, Art-O-Mat founder

Other Vending Machine Applications