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13May/100

It Might Be Wiser With a Vending Miser: Energy Sustainability

Vending Miser - Photo Courtesy of http://sustainability.tufts.edu

Vending Miser - Photo Courtesy of http://sustainability.tufts.edu

An energy efficient technology that is available for vending machines is the vending miser. A miser is essentially a device that adds energy sustainability to a vending machine. It comes with an occupancy sensor, a controller, weatherproofing, sensor cable and mounting equipment. A vending miser controls the amount of compressor cycles, and energy use of the vending machine; by the usage pattern of the particular vending machine, which is what the sensors are for.

12May/100

New HFC-Free Technology Paves The Way for Working Green

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Hydro-fluorocarbons (HFC for short) have been used by all kinds of industries for refrigeration and cooling. This technology has been used since the inception of electricity, and mostly was innovated in the 1930's and beyond. The growing problem with HFC technology over the years has been the amount of carbon emissions released by this refrigeration technology. The continual debate over global warming rages on, but global ecologist, and scientists alike have noticed that there are many carbon-emitting technologies we employ; that has caused a marked increase in the amount of carbon we are putting back into the atmosphere.

At this stage of a "global opinion" many companies have realized that need to introduce greener technologies; ones that benefit both the earth, and the manufacturer. Companies that employ green technologies see the benefit in terms of their own business, and the overall image that implementing green technologies could invoke in the consumer. Overall, having an efficient technology, and spreading the word through marketing and advertising is good for a company's image; plus they get the benefit of knowing that they are on the cutting-edge of ecology, environmental and consumer concerns. Not to mention that there are tax, and energy incentives or benefits for a company that does so.

5May/100

Go H.U.M.A.N with Vending – Healthy Vending Machines

We talk a lot about how obesity has affected the American consumer, but more importantly, we also provide on this blog on how advocacy and campaigns have been started in reaction to the obesity problem in America.

One such vending product has been created to showcase how healthy vending can help out, and provide a great business opportunity to an entrepreneur. The H.U.M.A.N healthy vending machine was created to provide an all-encompassing experience. The H.U.M.A.N healthy vending machine serves up convenient, healthy and delicious snacks, right now to residents based at Maryland’s Eastern Shore.

5Mar/100

From The Pages of History – Vending Machines in 1947

A popular astronomer made an interesting remark about history, which is true:

"You have to know the past to understand the present." - Carl Sagan

June 1947, Popular Science by Herbert Johansen - This Is Where Your Money Goes

June 1947: Popular Science, "This Is Where Your Money Goes" - by Herbert Johansen, (photos by W. W. Morris).

But how did the vending machine look in the past, and what did it do for people then? When we think about the vending machine today, we think of machines with robotic arms, credit card acceptors, and LCD screens; a distant cousin to the vending machine of the 1940s. One such article on a vending machine (the craze then was automatic vending) was detailed in the June 1947 edition of Popular Science, written by Herbert Johansen.

The automatic vending machine detailed in the article was advertised as machines that popped corn, mixed drinks (a common precursor to our soft drinks), and provided hot coffee. As well, they were known for providing insurance policies. It notes that the coin operated vending machine took in almost half a billion dollars last year (1946, for reference), and by converting that into our current currency it would be equal to $7 billion dollars today. In addition to this, what about the long list of trendy machines back then? Well they had machines for pinball games, juke boxes, gambling, cigarette, candy and gum to name a few.

Since the coin operated vending machine was paramount, so was the attention surrounding how they accepted money. The news article goes into detail about how vending machines implemented the slug-type coin acceptor, which promised to crack down on lost change, among other things. That slug would accept the coin, if it was verifiable. Otherwise, it would reject it. Thus saving the vending machine operator money.

This is a picture of the popcorn machine in action; showing the basket filled with freshly popped corn, being lifted and delivered to the bag.

This is a picture of the popcorn machine in action, and showing the basket filled with freshly popped corn; being lifted and delivered to the bag.

As well, the article talks about how the refrigeration in the vending machine came about in 1927, and since then, there had been some innovations. Particularly,  from an automatic vending machine that was a soda fountain. That machine had all the necessary components to mix soda, and dispense it. Championing the advent of the refrigeration unit, this machine was the first drink vending machine for traditional applications. The machine was known as a soda-dispensing vending machine. In addition, the article shows that with the advent of refrigeration, a new paper-cup type of vending machine application was being introduced. Promising the dynamic delivery of an amazing three-flavor types, the paper cup method was maybe the first of its kind.

2Mar/100

The Art of Mechanical Vending – How Vintage Memorabilia Turns Up The Nostalgia

For many of us now, thinking back to a time when things existed in simpler terms, seems almost archaic; however, pastimes have a way of creeping up on us. Yet, when we reflect of all our surroundings that motivate us to those nostalgia driven moments, we always arrive at what was simpler, maybe even more artistic, and something that strikes significance. This strikes us, particularly, with the vending machine, as a piece of art and not simply an autonomous unit of service. That being said, one deft American artist remarked:

"An artist is somebody who produces things that people don't need to have" and that was Andy Warhol.

A vending machine in the Musuem. This one is for Wrigley's Chewing Gum.

A vending machine in the Museum. This one is for Wrigley's Chewing Gum.

It is true that the vending machine has been a steady friend to our desires for a long time, and even more so it has been a mechanism for the delivery of something we never truly need, but that is what keeps us coming, that and the convenience of course.

It can be said that the art of mechanical vending is truly an ambiguous term. We simply may place the vending machine in the collection of things left better unsaid, such as dirty shoes, pocket change or candle wax--the various boring tangibility of our existence. Perhaps we are all correct in saying that vending itself is just a mechanism to deliver a product, and nothing more, but perhaps there is art in that.

Voltaire said:

"Prejudices are what fools use for reason"

And this may be true, because we have attached a certain stigma to the vending machine, as something to satisfy our convenience, and nothing more. But for that reason, we may overlook how the various backdrops of life have situated our environments, and created a landscape, filled with art.