Japan gets billboards that can recognize you, terrifyingly enough

One of the cooler pieces of future-tech shown off in the movie Minority Report were the ads that recognized people and gave them personalized messages. I mean, they were incredibly creepy, but cool in a fantasy situation. Guess what? They're becoming real.

A new vending machine in the Shinagawa train station in Tokyo has a 47-inch touchscreen and a camera on its front. When someone steps up to use it, the camera determines the person's gender and age and recommends a drink that fits their "profile."

I'm not quite sure what sodas a 21-year-old girl likes that a 34-year-old man wouldn't, or that soda preferences are gender- or age-specific, but at least it's not getting super personal, yet. But it's clear that it's not going to take long for setups like this to remember repeat customers and build a profile about them and their habits without their permission. And that's just a bit too much for me.

Lots of energy drinks for teens.
Lots of caffeine beverages to adults.
Beer for adolescents.

Of course if you're cosplay then it will probably mess up and explode, or if you're a gaijin.

What is a gaijen?

gaymen

I LOVE JAPAN PERIOD GIRUGAMESH AND GAYMEN

I've heard of that "girugamesh" meme before, but never really researched it.

Vending machines that recognize you? That's..actually kinda disturbing.

It's a beautiful forced meme.

I honestly don't think that this idea is a good one; I wouldn't really care what primitive "category" I fit into when I want to drink or eat something from a vending machine.