Sapient's touchscreen Coke machine brings pop into the 21st century

Man, it just isn't fair -- we keep seeing all these kick-ass new vending machines, but when we want a can of Mr. Pibb or RC Cola we're stuck feeding quarters into something that looks like it was last serviced whenever Pac-Man Fever went storming up the charts. Then again, that's probably what we get for spending all our time in pool halls and bowling alleys. If you're lucky enough to head to one of the 190-plus (and growing!) malls owned by the Simon Property Group sometime in the not too distant future, you just might have the pleasure of getting your cold, satisfying beverage from one of the new-fashioned touch screen Coke machines from Sapient. The screen is pretty much the entire front of the machine, and the interface is simple (as you'd expect), but pretty cool nonetheless -- select your pop bottle, spin it around, take a look at the ingredients, and vend -- quasi-Minority Report-style. "Futuretistic," no? This thing takes cash and plastic, and it should be out in the US soon enough -- readers in Europe and the UK will have to wait until sometime in 2010 to get in on the action. Video after the break.

Gallery: Touchscreen Coke Machine

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[Thanks, Trent]

[bokeen @ Jan 16th 2009 7:07PM]

God bless American excess!

[zioncat @ Jan 16th 2009 7:44PM]

Finally soon I will be able to use my debit card to get a drink. Because honestly how many of you carry cash these days.

[lennybruce @ Jan 17th 2009 2:21PM]

You got that right.

[CDice @ Jan 16th 2009 7:54PM]

Pop? :/ It is called Coke.

[Adrian Williams @ Jan 16th 2009 8:50PM]

@Cdice
Pop is what we call it in the midwest

[Knee to the Groin @ Jan 16th 2009 10:28PM]

And they though it was expensive when vandals kicked in the front of the old ones...

[Jonhimslf @ Jan 16th 2009 10:51PM]

Really, I'm just happy there was a Pibb mention...

[Riley @ Jan 17th 2009 3:46AM]

i will never ever call pop coke, because coke does not make anything worth drinking, other than maybe barq's, but even that isn't as good as other root beers (the only good thing is the caffeine)

[calos @ Jan 18th 2009 10:24PM]

The "Simon Malls"

just google it... "Simon Malls"

http://www.simon.com/

[ILoveApple @ Jan 16th 2009 7:08PM]

"in the Europe"

Sounds like something Borat would say. I like.

[Hugh @ Jan 16th 2009 7:43PM]

the more i read it the harder it is to know whether he did it on purpose or not. lol

[Prestor John @ Jan 16th 2009 8:14PM]

It says, "the Europe and UK."

It should be '"the UK" just like the U.S. I think they were going to say European Union but they're probably limey bastards who refuse to accept continental kinship.

Stupid Limey!

[loocas @ Jan 16th 2009 8:14PM]

Yeah... for the Yankies, it's "the" Europe, for the rest of the world... just Europe will do.

[dan @ Jan 16th 2009 8:38PM]

It's always nice to see unprovoked, inexplicable xenophobia. Prestor John, I think my foot feels 'continental kinship' with your ass.

[Rob Bourne @ Jan 17th 2009 12:35PM]

His Dad's cock probably already beat you to it.

[heffeque @ Jan 17th 2009 12:53PM]

"readers in Europe and the UK will have to wait"

So... when has the UK separated from Europe?
I'm intrigued.

Neither geographically has it moved into the middle of the ocean, neither has it decided to leave the European Union.
Or at least that what I've known until now...

[Dick @ Jan 18th 2009 6:40PM]

Just to clear things up UK stands for UKraine.

[Z33LnR44L @ Jan 18th 2009 8:36PM]

Ok i had to sign up because you guys were basically chatting shit, the guy clearly said "come to Europe i.e the U.K, sometime in 2010" meaning he is talking about the U.K secifically but just said Europe as U.K is part of Europe geographically. right from the first guy with the borat joke "ILoveApple" to "Dick"(they let you make a name like that?) i can't believe you all got it wrong.

[crsh @ Jan 16th 2009 7:12PM]

Lipstick on a pig.

[Brian @ Jan 16th 2009 10:29PM]

does that even apply?

[z-man @ Jan 16th 2009 10:42PM]

no

[UnixSystemsEngineer @ Jan 16th 2009 7:12PM]

Yeah pop! Down with soda.

[paul34 @ Jan 16th 2009 8:30PM]

Seriously... "pop"?

It's soda. Silly Northerners. Next you'll be saying "whippersnappers" and "horseless carriages."

[Sokka @ Jan 16th 2009 10:07PM]

I remember I was in New York once, I was at a restaurant, so I asked them if they had any "pop", the waiter just looked at me like I was some kind of crazy person.

[sjdurfey @ Jan 16th 2009 10:39PM]

i live in norther ohio, and i have never used the word 'soda' in my life, with the exception of making fun of it, because, clearly, the proper word is 'pop' :D

[Squid7085 @ Jan 16th 2009 11:51PM]

Pop is the way to go! Ask for a Coke here in the midwest, you get a Coke! I remember when I was younger we went on vacation and my mom asked for a Coke at some fancy place and the waiter said "We have Coca-Cola, Dr. Pepper, Sprite, Ect." My dad said... I want A Coke. She caught on and said "Oh okay, a Coca Cola." Then explained that "Soda" is often referred to as "Coke" here. My dad grew up in the midwest so he didn't get it, my mom was laughing the whole time.

[Mitch @ Jan 17th 2009 3:35AM]

No its soft drink. Both pop and soda sound stupid to me

[Sanalisnail @ Jan 17th 2009 5:57AM]

Outside of the US, pop is nothing more than an onomatopoeia and soda is just part of various phrases; eg baking soda.

[LiQuiD_FuSioN @ Jan 17th 2009 10:42AM]

Why waste time saying "Co-ca-co-la" when it's faster and more efficient to just say "Coke"?

[dan @ Jan 17th 2009 1:27PM]

I think you misunderstood his story...

[mikey @ Jan 17th 2009 4:05PM]

@ Sanalissnail
Not true, we call carbonated drinks 'pop' here in the UK, at least in my part.

[Blu @ Jan 18th 2009 10:24AM]

You're in the wrong forum. Vote here instead:

http://popvssoda.com:2998/

[Mike @ Jan 16th 2009 7:13PM]

Pop and RC Cola, someone's from the Midwest!!!

[JAmerican @ Jan 16th 2009 7:33PM]

Upstate New Yorkers also say Pop.

[V Langs @ Jan 16th 2009 8:10PM]

don't you mean western new yorkers?

when i got to buffalo i hear pop and sucker but when i'm in the capital district (the true upstate) i hear soda and lollipop...the way god intended it to be said

[psychoticdream @ Jan 16th 2009 8:14PM]

like hell we do







(j/k)

[bokeen @ Jan 16th 2009 7:13PM]

Is it me, or does it seem odd that amid an economic crisis, and an energy crisis in the states, Coke is rolling out these new vending machines. Giant touchscreens running 24/7 seem like a frivolous waste of energy...innovation that we don't need.

[Quinion @ Jan 16th 2009 7:15PM]

What energy crisis??? did i miss something?

[KarlW @ Jan 16th 2009 7:22PM]

Wait for the Time article

"We're all going to die, and it's Coke's fault"

[el Capitan @ Jan 16th 2009 7:24PM]

Pfft. Such machines have lead times of several years. Besides, demand for coke is pretty inelastic, ppl will always the dollar left for that refreshing can of coke!

[Squid7085 @ Jan 17th 2009 12:01AM]

You can find a pop machine that only takes a dollar? The last place I could put a dollar in a machine and get a pop was my High School, and since graduating that has changed.

[Max @ Jan 17th 2009 2:15AM]

No, it's not just you and anyone who doesn't acknowledge it is irresponsible.

[Wwhat @ Jan 17th 2009 6:18AM]

I'm sure they are energy-saving plasma screens that only use 1.5 KW/h.

[mos @ Jan 16th 2009 7:16PM]

Now we can see ads on vending machines too.

[smo @ Jan 16th 2009 10:29PM]

see that giant picture of a coke bottle that's on the machine at the minute...that is an ad...

[mos @ Jan 16th 2009 11:22PM]

What if the vending machines play commercial video not just for Coke.

[Paul Fehr @ Jan 17th 2009 12:17PM]

Hi guys, whats up?

[Paul Fehr @ Jan 17th 2009 12:19PM]

Oh my, comment system fails me again.

I meant to have the name osm, to play with mos and smo, and failed. Down rank me all the way please.

[metathuselah @ Jan 18th 2009 11:00PM]

And THAT'S why there is a new touchscreen vending machine.

[Tomheivers @ Jan 16th 2009 7:16PM]

What's wrong with normal vending machines?