Coin Op Wi-Fi Kiosk
June 9, 2008 by Sean R.
Filed under Misc. Gadgets, Wireless
Handlink’s Wi-Fi Kiosk is an admirable combination of the old and the new.
This coin-op 802.11b/g wireless access point is a throwback to better times, a golden age when the coins in your pocket were good for something other than tossing to a hobo in the street while on your way to buy a $5 coffee and enjoy some “free” Wi-Fi.
The kiosk works like this: drop in some pocket change and you’ll receive a ticket with an access code. When your time is up, you’ll need to go back and feed the meter.
I imagine it’s designed to work in unmanned environments, or to take the heat off a busy Starbucks Barista. I like the cash-only idea, which brings on-the-go access to non credit card holders.
I’m also looking forward to the first hack, perhaps an exploit which causes coins to cascade from the reject slot like some kind of bling-free Vegas slot machine.
