#69: Inside The Selfie-Powered Vending Machine

A pair of Instagram-powered vending machines have appeared in Los Angeles and California. The concept is simple: The Dream Machine gives you a specific hashtag, you take a selfie, post it, and receive a randomly chosen prize within the vending machine, including Nissin Cup Noodles, videogames and gift cards. The vending machines definitely gives off Black Mirror vibes, providing a sneak peek into a world where social media is used as currency, which may or may not scare you. Admittedly, Foodbeast is behind these insane machines, and we talked to the two geniuses who built them, essentially from scratch. Developers Rudy Chaney and Christopher Abouabdo explain what it took to create something that didn't exist, had no blueprint to follow, and resulted in a futuristic concept that has had people flocking to the Del Amo Fashion Center in Torrance, California, and the Las Vegas South Premium Outlets in Las Vegas, Nevada. --- Thank you all so much for listening! All the Tweets and Instagram tags of you listening mean the world. Reviews you leave on iTunes are also incredibly helpful, if you enjoyed an episode, please do drop us some love on the iTunes / Podcast store