The Electronics Dispensing Machine

You’d have to see it to believe it, but it’s certainly not the candy dispensing machine you’re used to. That’s right, it’s a dispensing machine that dispenses... electronics!

Surprisingly enough it has been around for many months, maybe even a little over a year.
One of these happen to be located in a Macy’s in Arden Fair Mall.

Unbelievable right?!?

Obviously it’s a highly unlikely place for this kind of machine to be situated in since this department store mainly sales clothes, shoes, fragrances, jewelry, accessories and more with the exception of electronics.

Well, believe it!

This particular dispensing machine allows you to purchase iPods, PS2s, digital cameras, memory cards and the fascinating Myvu®, which will be covered in just a moment.

This machine will take cash, credit cards and even Macy’s cards.

Simply use your finger to operate the attached touch screen. There you will be able to view a wide assortment of available products that are currently in-stock within the machine itself.

You can add what you’ve selected into the shopping cart and continue to shop some more.

When checking some of the prices on the screen it seems as though it stays consistent with market value.

The iPod nanos for instance were being sold at $149.99. Which is what they retail for if you were to purchase it in an Apple store.

Once you’ve completed your transaction simply touch the check-out option and pay for your wonderful new merch!

Your items will then be obtainable from the machine’s square output box or slot.

Now as for the Myvu, which just so happens to be available as a dispensable item is actually quite amazing.

The Myvu, which look almost similar to sunglasses, only they are much narrower and it will also allow anyone who owns an iPod video or even an iPhone, to watch videos and movies.

Attached to the glasses are earphones which will obviously allow you to listen to the movie.

The earphones, or earbuds as they call it, are not only comfortable, but also has sound isolation.

The glasses come in different styles and have up to four hours of battery life.

One of these, more specifically, the Myvu Crystal goes for $299.95 plus tax. According to their website, these glasses feature Kopin’s Cyberdisplay technology, which supposedly has the highest pixel density and sharpest resolution.

There are others which go for as little as $99.95.

It’s all a matter of taste!

If you’re ever in the Arden area in Sacramento, the dispensing machine is actually a neat thing to take a look at.

If you thought it was neat to order coffee or cocoa from a similar machine, just wait until you see this.

Come to think of it, the machine reminds me as if it were something straight out of The Sims 2 PC game.

If you’ve played it then you know which one I’m talking about. It is the second expansion pack that has a college theme to it. In it there was a similar machine where the Sims could buy anything from MP3s to handheld electronic games and even cell phones.

Unlike the candy machines, it's going to cost a bit more than a dollar to get anything out of this machine.

Videophones and Pizza via TiVo, the Future is Here

It didn’t seem that far off.

Webcams and cell phones that are permitting you to view videos were a dead on clue that we would someday soon be able to visually communicate with people through our very own cell phone screens.

What I’m referring to is the ASUS AiGuru SV1 internet videophone.

Sure it’s a bit of a mouthful, but who cares? It’s a videophone for crying out loud.

Features on the phone include a webcam, microphone, speakerphone and a built-in screen, obviously. A rechargeable battery is also included and is portable for the most part. A reviewer at Coolest-Reviews stated that it’s a bit on the heavy side.

Skype-to-Skype video and voice calls will be free and Skype will also offer low rates for customers who want to call mobile and landline numbers. Internet is a requirement in order to operate the vid-calls, (my silly attempt at coining a cool word for what may soon be the latest craze. It sounds a little catchy).

This phone will also allow you to make and receive conference calls with up to three people, but because you won’t be able to use the video option in this particular aspect, it’ll strictly be voice only on these particular occasions.

The greatest thing about it is that it’s available now for purchase from Skype, no joke!

This is almost as exciting as the time when iPods were first making their way out on the scene.

For the time being this phone is priced at $299.95, but like everything else it’s bound to be marked down at some point in the future.

On another subject, something to keep in mind is how far TiVo might and probably will take their capabilities.

I’m sure that you’ve experienced it at one point or another. You’re watching either a great show or movie on TV, and a commercial for some tasty looking food item appears. Your mouth begins to water and you start craving it.

You want to go and get it, but at the same time you’re comfortable right where you’re at.

This debate goes on in your head for the next five to eight minutes or so until you finally decide to act on it, or not.

Well lo and behold, TiVo has partnered up with Domino’s Pizza to make it so that you can instantly place your order, directly from your TV!

You can forget about having to spend any unnecessary extra time flipping through the yellow pages or dialing 411 to get the number to your nearest pizza place.

Once an ad for Domino’s Pizza appears you can select it with your remote where you will be directed to an ordering screen.

You’ll be able to specify preferences for your order and it will be delivered to your door in approximately half an hour.

At some point I’m sure the options will begin to grow and allowing a wider variety of meal options to choose from, but this is certainly a start.

As if people didn’t have enough reasons to be lazy. Soon we may very well be the laziest country of the world!

Extraordinary Service & Mediocre Food, if You Can Find the Entrance

Locating the Malabar in Natomas off of I-5 North was a cinch. Living in the area was a plus, but regardless of that fact, the restaurant's sign is really well lit so that it is easily visible from the freeway.

It was finding the entrance into the place that had me slightly confused.

The door, which was my first guess, had me second guessing if it was even the entrance. It wasn’t elaborately designed and it could have easily passed as the back door to the restaurant.

After deciding to go around and see if there was by chance another door that would actually lead me in, two gentlemen walked past and one looked at me in a sort of funny way. He then pointed back to the door.

Once inside, the hostess greets incoming customers with a smile, but some of my classmates were already there and seated in a booth not too far from the entrance.

Lighting in the restaurant was dim, in addition to the subtle glows illuminating from the candle lit tabletops. This is particularly essential for evening dining.

Since it was election night, my biggest concern was missing out on all the fun of the race between Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. John McCain for presidency.

No worries there.

Nine flat screen TVs were mounted along the walls of the restaurant. All but one was tuned into CNN, which was obviously reporting on the incoming polls.

Our server was very observant. She instantly recognized when there were new arrivals at the table and promptly provided menus and asked for drink orders.

At first sip, the soda tasted a bit flat. Not surprising, usually a common situation at various restaurants, but not a big deal.

We started with the three cheese garlic bread. At $3.95 the price was reasonable. The plate consisted of two slices of bread, more like a half of a loaf, topped and baked with provolone, asiago and mozzarella cheese.

It was tasty, but lukewarm.

When the orders were placed, a set of stairs behind me caught my attention.

According to our server, the second floor provided space for larger dinner parties and banquets.

In conjunction with the restaurant’s name there was also a bar available towards the back. Then it dawned on me that this was somewhat like the Elephant Bar.

All of our dinner plates arrived at the same time and everything was accurate.

My order, which complemented the appetizer, was a three cheese pizza. The cheeses used on the appetizer were the same ingredients.

After taking a few bites my palate picked up on a hint of jalapeño flavor, which was peculiar since there were no jalapeño toppings.

Portion size was good, about what a medium sized pizza would be. Price was fair at $8.95. Taste was…Eh.

Deciding on whether or not to have dessert is determined by how the food has tasted up until that point. Since nothing really satisfied my taste buds, dessert was out of the question.

All dessert prices were $6.50 each and the menu included the standard. Crème Brulees, cheesecake, sundaes, etc. Nothing that quite stood out.

The restaurant specialized in American cooking, but as one of my classmates pointed out, a majority of the menu options seemed influenced. Pasta, for example, is obviously Italian.

Regardless of the food’s mediocrity taste, the service was great. Our server personally boxed some of the meals to go, was informative and we were never low on drinks.

Cheers to the next President!

Future Dining To Be Fast and Easy

As life continues to get busier, more and more people who don’t have sufficient time to make dinner at home have resorted to dining out.

More than likely you have all been there before…

…occasionally during busy dining hours you may have found yourself waiting 20 maybe even 45 minutes to just acquire a seat in a restaurant. Another 15 minutes might pass until you actually get the chance to talk to your waiter.

If you’re alone and you know what to order then obviously you can put in your request as soon as the waiter gets to your table. However, there are times when you have other people with you that tend to be indecisive and will ask that the waiter come back in a little while, hence adding on more time until you actually begin to eat.

Once you’ve eaten, it’s acquiring the check in a timely matter so you can pay and commence with the rest of your day.

Soon enough you can find yourself saying goodbye to all of these experiences when dining out thanks to a wonderful new invention called EPOS-lite by allport.

This gadget would be the world’s lightest cash register with a built-in menu.

Its purpose is plain and simple.

As you are seated, this little number will be placed on or already available at your table. The EPOS-lite would have a touch screen so you can glimpse through the appetizer, dinner, drink or even dessert menu, which will also be complete with photographs to preview your desired plate.

After you’ve decided on what you would like to have you can place your order right then without the need for a server. The order will automatically be seen by the chef.

When dinner is over and you’re ready to pay you won’t need to head towards the cashier or even ask your waiter for the check. Simply go back to the EPOS-lite and select your form of payment.

That’s it! You’re done and set to go without the excessive waiting time.

Batteries or even a cord won’t be needed to keep the EPOS-lite going. Charging will take place right from the table it’s placed on.

The menu can also be quickly updated without the unnecessary re-printing of menus. This can immediately result in it being an environmentally friendly gadget since there will be a reduction of paper use.

EPOS-lite for the time being is only a concept, but according to Bēhance Network, there have been some major companies looking to market this product in the future.

Showcasing of the EPOS-lite has begun this year starting with the University of Wolverhampton degree show ‘08 and then at New Designers ’08 in London. Feedback has so far been positive.

Of course with most things there are cons to accompany the pros. Some jobs could potentially be cut since there wouldn’t be a need for a restaurant cashier.

Although considering the type of inventions that are soon to come, I’m sure it will only be a matter of time until we start living like The Jetsons. Just the idea that dinner could instantly be made by the click of a few buttons would be absolutely amazing!