Touchscreen phones and tablets are all well and good, but none of them can hold a torch to this mammoth, ahem, iCatching vending machine.
And even if it can’t be used to play Angry Birds or tap out a tweet, the dispensing of beverages, although admittedly adding a bit of bulk, could be just what’s needed to make the next iPad truly ‘magical’.
owly says
Very cool! Red Bull too!
Joel says
I don’t know why I have the funny feeling that this kind of stuff can only work in Japan, in other countries, for not saying the rest of the world, people is very vicious and treat shared things in society very bad, I can think maybe they will be very hard with the touch screen, we are so behind Japan is this cultural aspects…
And well what about germs, in that screen, I can assume it gets pretty …greasy? hahhahaha
Lee says
It was in a train station, so after being packed into a carriage with god knows how many people, the body has probably already been subjected to every germ going!
Joel says
Hahahaah, after I started living in a deparment building I’m getting pretty paranoid with germs xD
Lizzy says
I agree. I was just thinking “Man, if they had one of those around here it would be broken by week’s end”.
Lee says
Yeah, I know what you mean, although this one was inside a station. That said, even if it were out on the street, it’d still be totally fine.
Michael A. Robson says
Every subway station in the world has touchscreen devices (usually resistive, ugh). Here’s the thing, put something nice like this in a subway, and it’ll get destroyed. But it in a university library or museum lobby, and it’ll be fine.
And yes, there are alot of stick substances @ Tokyo Subways, I’ve seen footage.
Peta says
Wow! now i really feel like ive been away from Japan too long! Great photos 🙂
Lee says
Cheers Peta!
Matt says
Certainly looks very cool. Where is it located?
Lee says
Yeah, it was. The little lad in the top picture was completely in awe of it! And perhaps appropriately, it’s in Akihabara station.
1GAE says
Saw one of those jidohanbaiki at Nishi-Funabashi station this morning, fascinating stuff. Caught the attention of a lot of people too.
Hilary says
That’s funny, until I saw them next to each other I never realized that Pocari Sweat’s swoosh is very similar to Coca-Cola’s swoosh. I wonder if that was on purpose?
Lee says
I’d never noticed that either til you mentioned it. And yes, they are very similar. Too similar perhaps…
The Envoy says
Oh Japan, greasy screen or not, this is cool!
Lee says
Yes, got to admit, I thought it was very cool too.
Shoji M says
This is classic!!