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Retrofitting old junk with new guts always grabs my attention. That’s why, when MIT computer science grad Chris Varenhorst re-jigged a dirt cheap soda machine to his specifications, I had to chuckle.
So what did he do? Chris not only managed to hook the machine up to the internet, but he also made the soda machine believe it had credits whenever a ‘secret’ circuit was connected. On top of that, he created an iPhone app that sends messages to his server. The long and short of it? He was/is for all intents and purposes the ‘god’ of his soda machine, and can dispense a cold coca-cola for you at anytime, anywhere.
Check out the video above for all the details.
Note: Now that Chris has graduated and moved on, his former roommates decided to sell the machine on eBay. It went for only $76, with part of the monies raised going to charity.
About The Author
James Falconer
James was born and raised in Winnipeg, Canada. Almost 15 years ago he started out in the 'real world' as a web and graphic designer. Through the years he has finely tuned his skills in SEO, internet marketing, conversion strategy, and project management. To date, he runs his own successful consulting business where he advises companies all over the globe. A co-founder of www.crackberry.com, and sole proprietor of www.mactropolis.com, James in recent years has become very active in the tech blogosphere. Online community building and strategy is fast becoming one of his passions. Watch for James' no frills attitude, unique perspective and to-the-point comments here on IntoMobile!
