Category: News

This poor Vending Machine is badly damaged.

Fortunately there is so much love around and hopefully the residents there can enjoy Coke again soon!

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Below is masks vending machine selling drinks and masks to prevent COVID-19 in Hong Kong.

Mask vending machines have become a common sight in Hong Kong, reflecting the city’s ongoing measures to ensure public health and safety, especially following the experiences with the COVID-19 pandemic. These vending machines were increasingly deployed across various locations in Hong Kong, including MTR stations, shopping malls, office buildings, and other public areas to provide easy access to masks for residents and visitors.

The initiative to install mask vending machines was part of a broader strategy to promote hygiene and prevent the spread of infectious diseases. These machines offer a range of mask types, including surgical masks, N95 respirators, and reusable cloth masks, catering to different needs and preferences.

Local manufacturers and international brands alike have participated in this venture, ensuring that high-quality, certified masks are readily available through these automated points of sale. This widespread availability underscores the continued importance placed on personal protective equipment (PPE) in daily life and public health practices in Hong Kong.

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A very meaningful project. We are glad to co-operate with Tai Kok Tsui Catholic Primary School and help to encourage their students to read more books and bring them knowledge and joy with this Library Books Vending Machine!

The idea of Book Vending Machine is popular around the world. In US, the principal of Centre Hall Elementary School has started a fundraising program to purchase the book vending machine as well as a supply of books for the 2023-24 school year.

The book vending machine, given as a loan from Random Acts of Reading (RoAR), was only supposed to stay until the end of the school year, but it was such a massive hit with the students that the school wants the installation to be permanent!

Students can earn golden tokens by adhering to the school rules – being ready, respectful and responsible.

Teachers bring their classes down weekly and allow students who have earned tokens to pick a book from the machine.

Some of the books also contain special tickets where students can win an ice cream treat, use of the principal’s chair for the day, “stinky feet day” (the class gets to be in their socks and slippers for the day), show-and-tell and more.

The school already received numerous and generous donations and reached 65% of fund required shortly after the start of the program!

Story from The Express

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Sharing kindness through a books vending machine is a wonderful idea that can promote literacy, spread joy, and build community connections.

Concept:

A books vending machine designed to share kindness could offer free or low-cost books with the aim of making reading more accessible to everyone. This could include a variety of genres and formats suitable for different age groups and interests.

Implementation Ideas

1. Donation-Based Model: Encourage people to donate used books. These books can then be stocked in the vending machine. Patrons can take a book by either paying a small amount (which goes back into maintaining the machine and supporting the initiative) or simply giving a book in exchange.
2. Kindness Notes: Include handwritten notes inside each book with messages of encouragement, quotes, or even personal stories related to the book. This adds a personal touch and spreads positivity.
3. Community Engagement: Partner with local schools, libraries, and community centers to host events around the vending machine. For example, organize reading clubs or storytelling sessions where participants can discuss the books they’ve picked up from the machine.
4. Accessibility: Ensure the vending machine is placed in a location that is easily accessible to all members of the community, such as public squares, parks, or near community centers. Consider having multiple machines in different neighborhoods to reach a wider audience.
5. Themed Months: Dedicate certain months to specific themes or causes. For example, during National Poetry Month, stock the machine exclusively with poetry books. Or, support mental health awareness by offering self-help and psychology books.
6. Digital Integration: Create a QR code on the vending machine that links to an online forum or social media group where readers can connect, share their thoughts about the books, and suggest titles for future inclusion.
7. Sponsorship and Partnerships: Seek sponsorships from local businesses or publishers who might want to contribute books or funds. This can help keep the project sustainable and expand its impact.

By implementing these ideas, a books vending machine becomes more than just a place to get a book; it turns into a hub of community interaction, learning, and kindness. It not only promotes reading but also fosters a sense of generosity and connection among community members.

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In 2018, Reese’s launched the “Halloween Candy Converter”—a massive, eye-catching orange vending machine that let trick-or-treaters swap their unwanted Halloween loot (think licorice, Tootsie Rolls, or anything non-peanut-buttery) for fresh Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. It was a genius PR stunt to “convert” candy disappointments into sweet victories, backed by a survey showing 90% of Americans crave trades for their least-favorites. No cash involved—just drop in the duds and grab the good stuff. Here’s the tasty breakdown:

What It Was

• Concept: A custom-built exchange machine (not your standard coin-op) where users inserted “trash” candy into a slot, and it dispensed equal-value Reese’s treats. It played on the universal post-trick-or-treat ritual of sorting keepers from rejects, positioning Reese’s as the ultimate upgrade.
• Products Traded: Any unwanted Halloween candy in (up to a handful per swap); out came mini or full-size Peanut Butter Cups. Limited to fair exchanges—no hoarding the whole haul!
• Purpose: To spike brand love during peak candy season (Reese’s is #1 for Halloween, bought by over half of candy shoppers). It generated massive buzz, with social mentions up 600% and a Clio Award for creative excellence.

When and Where

• Launch Date: Debuted October 28, 2018, at the Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze Halloween parade in Tarrytown, New York—handing out ~2,500 cups. The big night was Halloween (October 31), from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., parked outside Washington Square Park on 5th Avenue in NYC’s Greenwich Village, dishing out up to 10,000 more.
• Locations: Strictly NYC pop-ups for that high-energy, costume-clad crowd. No expansions beyond— it was a one-season wonder.
• How It Worked: Spot the giant machine, feed it your candy regrets via a fun slot, watch a cheeky animation (or hear a jingle?), and collect your Reese’s reward. Videos show kids and adults alike lighting up like they hit the jackpot.

Impact and Legacy

This converter crushed it: Over 1,300 media hits in days, 536K social engagements from just 12 posts, and pure earned media magic. It turned a seasonal gripe into a feel-good moment, cementing Reese’s as the “GOAT of Halloween.”

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Vending with a Purpose: The Rise of ‘Giving Machines”

Instead of satisfying cravings, unique giving vending machines across the country are being used to do some good this holiday season.

They’re called the “Giving Machines,” and these vending machines are filled with items for people in need and make donating to charity as easy as buying a snack. All you have to do is punch in the number for the item you want to donate and swipe your card. The rest is taken care of.

A Vision Born from Compassion

Sharon Eubank, President of Latter-day Saints Charities, says the idea for the machines was born three years ago and they were first placing in a couple of locations, including Salt Lake City and New York City.

Whether you have a few dollars to spare or are wanting to give back in a bigger way, the machines feature items of varying prices that you can choose from. Items range in price from $2 to $320 and include everything from food, clothing, medicine, hygiene supplies, sporting equipment and livestock.

All donations go to local and global charities.

“So, there are some global partners, which include UNICEF, WaterAid, Water for People and Church World Service. They have outlets all over the world,” said Eubank. “But in every location, there’s also local charities so that you can buy things that benefit people right in the community where you live.”

Impressive Impact—and a Growing Movement

In 2018, the machines raised more than $2.3 million for local and global charities, according to Eubank. This year, she says there are 10 locations and the church’s goal is to raise $5 million. As of Dec. 12, she said they had raised $2.438 million.

“But the most important statistic to me is that there’ve been 101,000 individual transactions, so it isn’t so much that people donated a lot, but they donated a blanket or something small and 101,000 people decided, yeah I’ll do a ‘Giving Machine’ and so that to me is the greater statistic,” said Eubank.

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A futuristic 15-story showroom in Singapore dubbed the “world’s largest luxury car vending machine” has opened and offering customers million-dollar supercars, including Ferraris, Bentleys, Lamborghinis and Porsches.

The facility is built by used car dealer, Autobahn Motors (ABM) simulates a “fish-bone” system capable of minimizing wind resistance. About 60 luxury cars are displayed in its illuminated showcase.

Customers on the ground floor can choose from a touchscreen display which car they like to view. The car will arrive within one to two minutes thanks to an advanced vehicle retrieval system.

The vending machine format aims to make efficient use of space in land-scarce Singapore as well as standing out from the competition, said ABM General Manager Gary Hong.

Developers have shown interest in using the company’s Automotive Inventory Management System for parking services.

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With the temperature in Mumbai rising steadily, suburban commuters have demanded that the railways speed up installing water vending machines at all stations.

So far Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has installed 15 water vending machines on the stations to cater to suburban commuters and allow them to purchase purified water at a much cheaper rate. Besides, environment friendly containers can be reused to refill water, thus reducing plastic waste.

Safety of the machines in India could be a big issue: both from thieving and vandalism. Yes, even ATMs mostly have guards. The fact that the machines can be accessed round the clock, don’t need to manned and don’t require too much space are big advantages.

Sandeep Goyal

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SINGAPORE – Full-time national servicemen who need army supplies can now turn to a vending machine. It supplies items like zip lock bags, batteries, powder, socks, insect repellant, singlets and shorts.

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Anyone who’s ever fantasized about a personal fast-food vending machine to satisfy cravings at a moment’s notice need look no further — provided they’re really good at building stuff out of Legos. The folks at Astonishing Studios, a YouTube channel dedicated to constructing candy machines and food-makers out of Legos, constructed a Lego Vending machine made entirely of the tiny plastic blocks that churns out Burger King Whoppers, Cokes, and fries.

As Gizmodo notes, the machine is powered by a Lego Mindstorms module hidden in the back, and includes a motorized cash slot which will collect five $1 bills before depositing the food.

This isn’t the first time the mad scientists at Astonishing Studios have worked their LEGO magic on fast food. They’ve built a number of other machines fueled by greasy drive-thru fare, including a Chicken McNugget dispenser and a McDonald’s french fry machine.

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