News and insight into biometric identification and authentication

Pennsylvania town to dispense wine in vending machines protected by biometrics

Thursday, May 1, 2008

Residents of Middletown, Pennsylvania will soon have the ability to purchase wine from vending machines. The machines will be protected by biometrics so that no one under the age of 21 will have access.

The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) is looking for a company that can provide a machine capable for dispensing 10-15 varieties of chilled wine, while also making it impossible for minors to make a purchase. The PLCB hopes high-tech features such as the ability to read biometrics such as fingerprints will make the machines secure, and even prevent people who are intoxicated from obtaining alcohol. The machines would go in supermarkets and other locations. [end] 

Blackpool, a seaside town situated along England’s west coast, has installed a number of Parkeon contactless-enabled parking pay stations.

For the installation, Blackpool Council opted for the Parkeon Strada pay station terminal. This new, solar-powered terminal is equipped with contactless card readers, accepting contactless payment-enabled mobile phones and various wave and pay bank cards.

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Kraft has rolled out vending machines in Chicago and New York that give out free pudding samples to adults. The machines estimate the age of the individual by using facial recognition technology, according to a report in the Daily Mail.

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Cantaloupe Systems is gearing up to launch Google Wallet in vending machines across Chicago, San Francisco, New York and D.C., according to All Things Digital.

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Swedish mobile operators Telia, Tele2, Telenor and 3 have formed a joint venture to offer a unified mobile wallet service. Operating under the name “4T,” the partners plan to deliver a mobile payments service that can be used on all handsets regardless of the cellular network.

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The Peninsula Taxi Association (PTA) in South Africa has launched a electronic fare collection system, granting commuters cashless fare and discounts when using the newly developed contactless-enabled transit card, according to The Cape Times.

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Several major wine producers are now using an NFC solution from eProvenance to monitor the temperature of their wine during shipment and storage, according to Point of Sale News.

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