Now here’s our idea of a modern, well stocked vending machine! This machine at Metrix Create:Space, a Seattle-area hackerspace, dispenses just about everything you need when you get the hunger to develop hits: Arduinos, USB cables, breathalyzer kits, LEDs, breadboards, the works. Oh yeah, it has snacks, candy bars and bottled water too.
UPDATE: Rsdio commented to inform us that this machine also carries the Bus Pirate! Our thanks to rsdio and Metrix!
Via Wired.
See now theres a idea :D
Reminds me of them vending machines that were stocked full of game console mod chips can’t remember where I saw them China? Japan?
Theres a serious lack of real electronic stores where you can just walk in and buy stuff, sometimes you need that. I don’t think Maplin counts ;)
Little do you know, Ian, but, thanks to me, this particular vending machine does indeed vend your Bus Pirate.
They also have the OLS in the lab. I was in there one day and the guy sitting across from me was trying to figure out how to use the Logic Sniffer for a “buttons and LEDs” project, and I noticed that he was using the Seeed probes that I donated to the lab. I don’t think enough people have figured out how to use it, at least not enough to create a demand for stocking more OLS units in the vending machine.
The CPLD boards might be too new, and also might be a little too advanced for the general community. Most folks are still finding out about the Arduino. I’m waiting to see what happens when they get bored and want to move on. Actually, the guy working on the OLS had some discrete logic chips and was making a priority encoder, so he could have used the CPLD board except that his goal was to make something specifically from the chips he had on hand.
You introduced me to Matt at Metrix last year, I think we sent a couple Bus Pirates and OLS for him stock in the machine :)