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Trash cans are the eyesores of city life, like the grimy physical manifestation of popped pimples overflowing with bags and Chinese takeout ooze. The Olympics? A magnifying glass on a city’s life. That’s why it’s not surprising to see London introduce new, stylish trash cans as a quick makeover — and they just so happen to be bombproof, with dual giant LCD screens and Wi-Fi hotspots.
Made by Renew, the trash cans LCD screens will display news, stock quotes, weather and are big enough to house a typical bin so trash collectors can easily empty ‘em. They’ll also provide Olympic goers with Wi-Fi hotspots. 25 of these new trash cans are currently on London streets with the plan to install 75 more before Michael Phelps first dives into a pool. Supposedly, these new digital cans will start popping up in New York City, Tokyo and Singapore too.
The trash cans cost £1,130 a pop. I wonder how fast they’ll become nothing more than bombproof billboards though? Or more likely, how fast they’ll be hacked? [Daily Mail via Neatorama]
I Really Want a Credit Card with a LCD Screen and Touchscreen Keypad
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Or how long will it be before some spotty teenager decides to stick some fire crackers in it.
Or how long before a clever spotty teenager decides to hack it to show knob gags in multiple languages. I assume it will be using the same windows based system as the adds in tube stations, so it can’t be that difficult.
Rubbish bin not trash can.
Recycle Bin, not rubbish bin.
They have a tiny book return style slot (that green thing on the side), so you generally can’t fit anything thicker than an old VCR tape case. Anything bigger and some dirty bastard could fit a bomb in there, bombproof or not.
http://renewsolution.com/
The one on the left is near to where I work. The problem is that nobody wants to be seen staring at a rubbish bin other than a homeless person. Or who would want to stop and read the information when it starts to smell (all bins in London smell). And the finally problem is that the information is too low for the casual walk past, you have to stop and look at it, and as the person in the picture shows, you just look mental. I am not a fan. More bins in London = fantastic. Bins with screens = stupid.
I’d just be happy if there were enough of them around so I don’t end up carrying rubbish with me all over while looking for one.
I don’t get it. Why do we have a repost from Giz US, about a UK story that was originally posted on the Daily Fail? Shouldn’t this have been picked up by one of the UK team?
Kat usually posts the Daily Mail stories (perhaps she reads it over breakfast), maybe she was busy with something else yesterday (probably shoe related)
Actually, deep deep down inside my subconscious I’m a bit miffed they didn’t do a story when I tweeted this as a mystery object a few weeks ago…
I’m sure I can get over it!
ohh, another place i can look at the weather, adverts and stock prices. ohh ahh. although i guess tube info would be ok.