Everybody’s most loathed favorite electronics retailer is putting its already-sticky fingers into the airport pie to see if it can wring a little more cash out of uninformed gadget buyers. They’re installing gadget dispensers in airports across the country come September, probably a lot like the ones already there, but the Best Buy ones will also dispense injustice.

Actually, to be honest, last time I was at an airport I could have used an extra SD card and a micro-USB cable. One of these machines might have hit the spot.

For the next few weeks in Madison, Wisconsin, Trek is testing out a new vending machine aimed a bikers, called “Trek Stop”. The vending machine sells basic bike repair parts, water bottles, and energy bars. It also has an air compressor so you can put air in your tires. People are reporting that it also has a kiosk with how-tp videos to help you fix your bike.

With the increasing number of bike riders in the America this vending machine is a no brainer. So far Trek is just testing the waters and there is no word on when we could see these in other cities. If I had to guess I would say we should see these in more places next summer.

What this photo doesn’t show is the car salesman, who’s in the back getting the keys and a fistful of quarters from his manager to take this thing for a test drive. Ha!

You can’t actually buy this Smart Car from a vending machine (yet?). It’s just a marketing gimmick. The machine doles out brochures about the car – cruddy, non-candy brochures – and I can’t tell if you actually have to put money in the machine to get the brochures. If you do, let me be the first to say to the people at Smart Car, “You magnificent bastards.”

Oh well. We’ll always have London’s sneaker vending machine and the entire D terminal of the Dallas-Fort Worth airport.

via TreeHugger

Apparently there’s a Coca-Cola robot running wild through the streets of Tokyo, ostensibly promoting the sugar water drink at passers-by. The initial write-up has more than one quip that made me chuckle: “…lumbering around Tokyo pinching the heads of people who prefer a different brand.”

What is it with Japan and vending machines?

If the thought of sticking your dirty-ass feet into a new pair of shoes that you bought from a vending machine because you somehow lost your regular pair of shoes doesn’t appeal to you, then maybe this machine’s not for you.

Shoppers, hobos, and late-night footwear forgetters near Carnaby Street in London will be able to pick up a pair of emergency shoes at the new Onitsuka Tigers vending machine. It holds two dozen pairs of shoes spanning half a dozen different sizes. I’m not sure how much they cost, but I’ll be in London in two weeks so I’ll try to swing by, snap some photos, and get prices. I will not, however, be purchasing these shoes.

via Geekologie

I recently missed a connecting flight from Vegas to Dallas to Boston, so I had some time to kill at DFW. My flight was leaving out of the D terminal and let me tell you, there are some strange and wonderful things there. From weird vending machines to massive structures right in the middle of everything, here’s some cool stuff I found.

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Dude… so cool. Let’s move to LA where they have vending machines for weed. You get your prescription and you go up to the machine and you get some sticky bud including Granddaddy Purple. Then you go home, smoke up, and watch SportsCenter. Seriously. Madison sucks. Let’s move.

Available at:
Melrose Quality Pain Relief, 4906 Melrose Ave, Mid-Wilshire; 323.957.7777

Herbal Nutrition Center, 1435 S. La Cienega Blvd. Suite G, Mid-Wilshire; 310.855.9484

World’s First Weed ATM

Though things like this are common in Japan, you don’t see them much here in the States. I snapped this iPod vending machine in McCarran Airport in Las Vegas, as I prepare to board a plane to San Francisco to attend MacWorld. The prices were the same as retail, which was good, but I don’t understand something. Things out of vending machines are impulse buys, at least usually. The draw here seems to be getting an iPod before that long trip, in case you forgot yours or don’t even have one. But it comes out of the machine naked, with no songs or video. So, really, what’s the point? Am I missing something here?

Ah, Engrish

Yes, another Japan > USA post from me. This time, vending machines. At the average vending machine here in America, you’ll find the usual assortment of candy and soda and potato chips, each healthier than the last. Over in Japan, yes, you’ll find that stuff, but you’ll also find coffee, ice cream and various health drinks with funny names (”Coolish” comes to mind—yeah, it’s not completely cool, just sorta OK). You’ll also find a healthy dose of Engrish.

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WonderPizza [via Crave, via TasteSpotting]