Japan's yen for vending machines

In Japan, you walk. A lot. Mostly because taxis are expensive, and buses are few and far in between. I had that opportunity recently to rediscover unused calf muscles and sore feet while in Japan to attend a Sony press event this week. Joining the sea of humanity surging in a relentless tide from concrete island to concrete island and across crossings wide enough to accommodate hundreds of pedestrians, you notice yet another indigenous feature: Vending machines. Or as the Japanese call them, jido-hanbaiki (jido = automatic, hanbai = vending, ki = machine).

Thirsty? Check out your nearest friendly vending machine

Convenient caddies

Whether in the old parts of Tokyo or new city sections, you'll find a vending machine or several on duty at just about every street corner. Even inside 24-hour convenience stores. It makes economic sense when one considers the high cost of labor and space in Japan. Vending machines, available round-the-clock, offer convenience and will work even harder than the hardworking Japanese for no pay or time off. But what's truly amazing is that every machine that one comes across is in pristine working condition with none vandalized or out of order. What's even more surprising is that the Japanese haven't yet made paying by cell phone a regular option. Cash and coins are still the accepted mode.
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Impossible gadgetry

	This Crave item will self-destruct in 5 seconds

Slam, bam, wham. Flip open the movie pages and there's still trouble in Paradise, with hot bods, hotter cars and hotheaded bozos runing amok on the big screen, leaving a trail of bodies the CSI crew would love to go through.

But hold it right there. There's just one bitty thing wrong with the picture. Whatever happened to all the cool gadgets, spy tech and fantastical weapons that are oh-so Minority Report?

Well, just in case you miss the impossible gadgetry in the latest movie outings, check out our pick of what we consider ultra-cool techware that have come out of Hollywood, some of which are likely to stay more reel than real.
Bond's invisible car
X-ray binoculars
Disposable phone

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Hyundai wants you to talk to your watch

By now, you should realize that there are tons of gadgets out there in the market and some of them are capable of making you look downright silly, for example, talking to your watch. Step in the Hyundai W-100, a timepiece that doubles as a mobile phone. Make no mistake here. This is no ordinary watch that tries to be some third-grade handset, but is one that has a 1.3-inch touchscreen LCD (stylus is hidden somewhere on the strap apparently), 1.3-megapixel camera, microSD expansion slot and Bluetooth stereo. And to convince you that you really should part with your hard-earned money, the watch-cum-phone is bundled with a pair of wireless Bluetooth stereo headset and a 256MB memory card. There is no mention of audio quality, but for toys like these, you really can't ask for much yeah? No indication of pricing or availability, though. Shucks.

Picture credit: PhoneDaily

Smoke break fingerprint tracker

Fingerprint sensors at doors are nothing new, but one that's specifically for smoke breaks, now that's fresh. The Smokescreen system (£399) is a creation of idscan, a company that specializes in identification systems. Meant to be used at night spots, Smokescreen limits the time a user can stay outside a location before getting locked out.

While its primary purpose is to prevent fraud at clubs and bars, it'll be a cool addition to a dictatorial HR manager's arsenal. With this, smokers won't be able to use smoke breaks as an excuse to slack off. What's more, the hassle of such a system may just convince a smoker to smoke less, saving his lungs from further pollution.

Via productdose

My top 10 list of pet gizmos

	Abandon me? Take that, you.

Ever since the new AVA (Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore) rules regarding the licensing of canines and higher penalties for failure to do so, many poor dogs have been abandoned by their owners. Reality check: A dog is for life, folks.

Pet peeve aside, this owner of a very timid quadruped that's more bark than bite has been amazed by the tech toys being manufactured for pets. (Hurrah for free enterprise?) Pity the pooches of yesteryear with no automated pet feeders or bark translators to make their day. So for all you genuine dog lovers out there, here's my list of 10 great gizmos to pawsitively pamper your warm, fuzzy tail-wagger.
1. See Spot talk
2. K9 optics

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