Windows 10 may be installed on over 200 million devices at the moment, but Microsoft certainly wants that number to keep growing. That includes devices other than PCs or smartphones. At the annual convention and expo for the National Retail Federation this week in New York City, Microsoft is showing off some of those more unique Windows 10 devices made for retailers. One of them involves a vending machine with a 40-inch Windows 10 touchscreen.
The vending machine is made by Mondelēz International and is a lot different than the typical mechanical products that most people are familiar with:
"Mondelez has built an innovative digital vending machine unlike you've ever seen before. Leveraging Windows 10, the 40-inch touch screen display allows consumers to interact with products in 3-D, see nutritional and ingredient information, add products to their cart and make a purchase using a variety of payment options. Interactive advertising alerts consumers about promotions and games nearby where they can win free samples. Using a Diji-touch machine – powered by Windows 10, Kinect and Azure IoT – allows operators to engage with consumers by tailoring the available product mix based on collected demographics and purchasing preference data."
Mondelēz plans to put up to 5,000 of these Windows 10-based vending machines in place in the U.S. in the next four to five years. It's also developed a universal Windows 10 app that can be used by its owners to help maintain and support those machines.
Microsoft is also showing off a demo of a new point of sale (POS) solution concept at the expo that uses a number of Windows 10 features, such as Continuum and Windows Hello:
"While the concept of a mobile workstation is not new, what's different about the Windows 10 mobile workstation is it offers a more secure and automatic log-in with Windows Hello, unlocking the Windows device by recognizing the retail associate's face. Throughout the day retail associates can seamlessly transition from a mobile touch-tablet mode, to a traditional desktop mode, and even project to a larger display with Continuum, which adjusts your experience to match the activity, device and display. For instance, let's say the associate wanted to show off a new living room set that is not in the store. It's really difficult to show that on 5" screen. The Windows 10 device can "dock" seamlessly to a larger screen so the customer can see it in greater detail."
Source: Microsoft
