vending machine

At these vending machines, you get mini art prints, not stale chips

5:25pm April 28, 2025

by Jordan-Marie Smith

Print artist Ana Inciardi sells her art through vending machines at 50 locations. Instead of snacks, Inciardi's three-slot machines produce prints you can collect, for the low price of four quarters.

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Instead of sodas, these vending machines offer needles and Narcan to fight overdoses

8:00am November 14, 2024

Groups trying to reduce overdose deaths and the spread of infectious diseases are using vending machines to get clean needles, pipes, wound care kits, Narcan and other safety supplies to drug users.

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National

Bread and bullets: Some southern supermarkets now sell ammo out of vending machines

6:14am July 11, 2024

by Rachel Treisman

American Rounds has installed machines at eight stores so far, with hundreds more on the way. It says this is the safest way to sell ammo, but cyber and gun violence prevention experts have concerns.

Jesus Martinez (L) works at his bodega grocery store in the Queens borough of New York City in 2007. Tech entrepreneurs got pushback for calling their startup "Bodega."

National

High-Tech 'Bodega' Falls Short Of The Real Thing

3:41am September 16, 2017

by Scott Simon

Two entrepreneurs attracted criticism after they unveiled a ritzy vending machine they named Bodega. NPR's Scott Simon muses on the value of the brick and mortar stores that predate the machine.

A vending machine with the DISC, or "Delays to Influence Snack Choice," installed. On the display window, a written decal tells customers they'll have to wait for an extra 25 seconds for unhealthy snacks.

Forcing People At Vending Machines To Wait Nudges Them To Buy Healthier Snacks

12:47pm March 31, 2017

by Angus Chen

Buy an unhealthy snack and these vending machines take away 25 seconds of your life you'll never get back. Healthy fare drops instantly. Research suggests this "time tax" helps us make better choices.

Cucumbers tend to slide out the back of a sandwich when confronted with bite force, writes Pashman in Eat More Better.

Books
Arts

Friction Can Save Your Sandwich, And Other Tips For Better Bites

8:04pm October 13, 2014

by NPR Staff

Many sandwiches lack structural integrity due to "the sliced cucumber conundrum," says Dan Pashman, author of Eat More Better. He has fixes for it and other kitchen woes — like sad-looking leftovers.

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Health & Safety

Why Healthful Vending Machines Might Hurt The Blind

10:52am May 28, 2013

by Deena Prichep

Blind entrepreneurs who own vending machines are worried that legislative mandates to replace junk food with more healthful items will impact their business. In Oregon, the vendors are collaborating with health officials to find a happy medium.

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