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Topic: Bitcoin vending machine (Read 2940 times)

rjk
sr. member
Activity: 448
Merit: 250
1ngldh
January 14, 2012, 04:23:01 PM
#33
Unless this is all wild speculation please give some links with these low monthly cell plans  the best i can find min $10 a month with 2500 sms messages

Also i worked at an alarm company and their deal was 1.50$ per text message assuming they wouldnt get many messages... But false alarms are pricey so they still charged customers over $7 a month for the service  over and above hardware costs
Well its stuff they won't give you pricing on up front usually - and I'm sure that anyone who has struck a good deal with a carrier wouldn't be chatting about it much. An example though, is this link from Telstra NZ - scroll to the bottom for some of their telemetry rates.
sr. member
Activity: 277
Merit: 250
January 14, 2012, 02:44:52 PM
#32
Unless this is all wild speculation please give some links with these low monthly cell plans  the best i can find min $10 a month with 2500 sms messages

Also i worked at an alarm company and their deal was 1.50$ per text message assuming they wouldnt get many messages... But false alarms are pricey so they still charged customers over $7 a month for the service  over and above hardware costs
donator
Activity: 1218
Merit: 1079
Gerald Davis
January 14, 2012, 01:12:04 PM
#31
Also, cellular carriers have very steep discounts available to very low bandwidth and/or SMS-only plans that are used for machine automation and control. I think this has something to do with them not needing to guarantee 911 service to such "telemetry" applications.

Yeah it is the same technology as cellular alarm backups.  We have one (because we have no landline and internet isn't 99.999% reliable).  It costs about $7 more per month and that is likely with some retail markup.  Someone deploying a thousand vending machines likely can get a contract in the $2 per unit per month range.
rjk
sr. member
Activity: 448
Merit: 250
1ngldh
January 14, 2012, 11:56:30 AM
#30
Not even close,  the people running vending machines are not the same people running local shops.  And its not easy to get cooperation for internet access. Which leaves 30$+ cell data connections     accounts that will NOT accept bitcoins as payment

Have you never seen a credit card enabled vending machine?  Even in VA they are getting a lot more common.  They don't use a retail cellphone plan.  I mean the average vending machine round trip communication is maybe 1kb.   The service is more like $5 to $10 per month for low bandwidth connection.
Also, cellular carriers have very steep discounts available to very low bandwidth and/or SMS-only plans that are used for machine automation and control. I think this has something to do with them not needing to guarantee 911 service to such "telemetry" applications.
donator
Activity: 1218
Merit: 1079
Gerald Davis
January 14, 2012, 10:18:00 AM
#29
Not even close,  the people running vending machines are not the same people running local shops.  And its not easy to get cooperation for internet access. Which leaves 30$+ cell data connections     accounts that will NOT accept bitcoins as payment

Have you never seen a credit card enabled vending machine?  Even in VA they are getting a lot more common.  They don't use a retail cellphone plan.  I mean the average vending machine round trip communication is maybe 1kb.   The service is more like $5 to $10 per month for low bandwidth connection.
hero member
Activity: 770
Merit: 500
You're fat, because you dont have any pics on FB
January 14, 2012, 09:58:45 AM
#28
How about this simple thought.

There is vending machines in nearly every school out there..

How many schools DONT have internet? let alone a Wireless router..?

Or how about a shopping mall, because they NEVER have internet either...

Having an internet connection is a non issue...

legendary
Activity: 1106
Merit: 1001
January 14, 2012, 08:13:35 AM
#27
If you want to trade in BTC without being connected to blockchain and announced transactions, you will have
Ahhhhh Thats what i missed, The sending of fake coins, DOY!


It could just use a low bandwidth connection to the vending machine operator's private server systems which do the actual blockchain checking.
These servers could even issue the payment addresses to the machine so that the private keys never need to be stored on the vending machine or even travel to/from it.

 


Exactly. The transaction doesn't have to happen at the machine level. As long as the machine gets "authorized" to drop that pack of popcorn, the transaction can fully happen elsewhere.
legendary
Activity: 1092
Merit: 1001
January 14, 2012, 07:23:19 AM
#26
If you want to trade in BTC without being connected to blockchain and announced transactions, you will have a tough time to think it up working.

For example, one could pay by giving an address with given amount and private code for that address, but still, the vending machine must check if it is still in the blockchain and ASAP transfer that money out of that address.

Everything will be connected. Soon or later.
Ahhhhh Thats what i missed, The sending of fake coins, DOY!


It could just use a low bandwidth connection to the vending machine operator's private server systems which do the actual blockchain checking.
These servers could even issue the payment addresses to the machine so that the private keys never need to be stored on the vending machine or even travel to/from it.

 
legendary
Activity: 1428
Merit: 1001
Okey Dokey Lokey
January 14, 2012, 04:01:59 AM
#25
If you want to trade in BTC without being connected to blockchain and announced transactions, you will have a tough time to think it up working.

For example, one could pay by giving an address with given amount and private code for that address, but still, the vending machine must check if it is still in the blockchain and ASAP transfer that money out of that address.

Everything will be connected. Soon or later.
Ahhhhh Thats what i missed, The sending of fake coins, DOY!
hero member
Activity: 531
Merit: 505
January 14, 2012, 03:57:28 AM
#24
If you want to trade in BTC without being connected to blockchain and announced transactions, you will have a tough time to think it up working.

For example, one could pay by giving an address with given amount and private code for that address, but still, the vending machine must check if it is still in the blockchain and ASAP transfer that money out of that address.

Everything will be connected. Soon or later.
legendary
Activity: 1428
Merit: 1001
Okey Dokey Lokey
January 14, 2012, 03:10:03 AM
#23
Internet will be ubiquitous very soon and this is future tech so I don't think the network connection is really a problem.

I'm excited for more real world applications of bitcoins that work like this.

Once armory is lightweight, it's watching wallets will be perfect for this.

Not even close,  the people running vending machines are not the same people running local shops.  And its not easy to get cooperation for internet access. Which leaves 30$+ cell data connections     accounts that will NOT accept bitcoins as payment

Why does the cell phone need to accept btc as payment to fund it's cell data plan....thats irrelevant.
Atop that, Who says this thing is even connected to the internet? On that topic, All it really needs to do is ping every 10mins to keep the prices correct, Why do i think it doesnt need the internet?

Well. Because my fucking GameBoyColour could trade pokémon without the internet.
the machines could simply use someform of LAN styled Wi-fi gateways, Like how you cell phone or NDS can act as a "Hotspot" for everyone to use it's connection, If it has one.

"Turn on vender" "Phone see's WIFI access point and connects" "Vender see's phone" "phone says, 'i want this product'" "Vender says 'give me money first at his QR code'" "phone says OK and sends 1btc to that QR encoded address" "Vender gets the coin, And drops the food"

I dont see a need for the internet with this One transaction, But for continuous usage it would look more like
"Turn on vender, PRICE CHECK,via dialup56k internet" "Phone finds WiFi gateway" "Vender allows phone to connect" "phone asks for product" "Vender says product costs yz.abcdefgh, Send money to this QR code" "Phone says OK and sends yz.abcdefgh" "Vender gets the coin, and drops the food" "MARKET PRICE CHECK every 30mins via 56kdialup"

The machine Does Not Need to sync to the blockchain, Unless someone can give me a reason as towards otherwise why it must.
sr. member
Activity: 277
Merit: 250
January 14, 2012, 12:22:56 AM
#22
Internet will be ubiquitous very soon and this is future tech so I don't think the network connection is really a problem.

I'm excited for more real world applications of bitcoins that work like this.

Once armory is lightweight, it's watching wallets will be perfect for this.

Not even close,  the people running vending machines are not the same people running local shops.  And its not easy to get cooperation for internet access. Which leaves 30$+ cell data connections     accounts that will NOT accept bitcoins as payment
hero member
Activity: 742
Merit: 500
January 13, 2012, 10:44:45 PM
#21
Internet will be ubiquitous very soon and this is future tech so I don't think the network connection is really a problem.

I'm excited for more real world applications of bitcoins that work like this.

Once armory is lightweight, it's watching wallets will be perfect for this.
rjk
sr. member
Activity: 448
Merit: 250
1ngldh
January 13, 2012, 10:07:58 PM
#20
Now the vending machine needs an IP address and internet connectivity, but cool none the less.

Now that they have a working prototype, they can work on getting the parts cost down.  I'm sure the finished product won't have a tablet on the front that you could rip off.

Breaking into this machine means the vandal can't get any cash which is a great feature.  It also means that the owner doesn't have to send anyone out to empty the coins/bills; they only have to go out to restock the machine.  Since the machines will be connected to the internet, they can notify their owner whenever they are low on a product, too.
I have used vending machines that take credit cards - having a network connection isn't a far stretch, it just is less common. I am sure that the interface could be dramatically simplified for all users to figure out easily.
hero member
Activity: 742
Merit: 500
January 13, 2012, 09:43:34 PM
#19
Now the vending machine needs an IP address and internet connectivity, but cool none the less.

Now that they have a working prototype, they can work on getting the parts cost down.  I'm sure the finished product won't have a tablet on the front that you could rip off.

Breaking into this machine means the vandal can't get any cash which is a great feature.  It also means that the owner doesn't have to send anyone out to empty the coins/bills; they only have to go out to restock the machine.  Since the machines will be connected to the internet, they can notify their owner whenever they are low on a product, too.
legendary
Activity: 1428
Merit: 1001
Okey Dokey Lokey
January 13, 2012, 09:29:47 PM
#18
Less cash but now there's a tablet computer to take.

Seriously? do you think it will be hanging out there once in the wild ?

Glass must be half empty a lot with you..  Roll Eyes
Not to mention many companys would prolly endup with a much cheaper bulilt in method, Such as a cheap LCD display, With a touch mesh atop of it
hero member
Activity: 770
Merit: 500
You're fat, because you dont have any pics on FB
January 13, 2012, 09:28:44 PM
#17
Less cash but now there's a tablet computer to take.

Seriously? do you think it will be hanging out there once in the wild ?

Glass must be half empty a lot with you..  Roll Eyes
sr. member
Activity: 459
Merit: 250
January 13, 2012, 08:21:17 PM
#16
Less cash but now there's a tablet computer to take.
legendary
Activity: 1652
Merit: 1128
January 13, 2012, 04:13:50 PM
#15
Bitcoin vending machine is less "interesting" to criminals (although likely will draw interest from hackers) because no cash.

Might be giving guys who break into vending machines too much credit  Wink
donator
Activity: 1218
Merit: 1079
Gerald Davis
January 13, 2012, 03:35:43 PM
#14
I just see thse machines as "HACK ME NOW, PLEASE TRY TO HACK ME" subjects for people, Lol. Imagine these machines inside highschools, Sooooo many kids would be trying to mess with it

Well, considering the machine never has to store private keys, even high-schoolers shouldn't be able to do too much damage with it.

That actually is a good point.  Most vending machine vandalizism is criminals busting them open to get the cash not the cokes.  An empty vending machine can have $400 or more cash (less now as they started accepting CC).  Less risk than robbing a 7-11 and you likely will get more.

Bitcoin vending machine is less "interesting" to criminals (although likely will draw interest from hackers) because no cash.
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